Jantzen and I had general season deer tags this year. We went out opening day and had a fun time, but, for the most part, just hiked our little feet off. We saw three bucks first thing in the morning, tried to get Jantzen on a real nice 4 point, but, they had been shot at earlier or something because they were moving fast. We tried to get closer without any success. We hunted up to the top and pushed a nice 4 point off his bed and he ran off over the top before we could get a shot. Next, Jantzen spotted a real nice 4 point that we had spooked out of his bed, and I shot at it as it ran through the trees. Jantzen said that I missed it by at least 10 feet (thanks Jantzen!)
That evening we hunted up another draw, only to see 2 moose. We were a little frustrated, but, not without hope. I went hunting with a friend on Monday, to a spot that he took me to (that doesn't happen very often), and right off spotted a couple of little bucks on the point about a mile to the north. They fed into the trees, and we decided not to go after them. We hunted along to the south, me along the ridge back, Ross through the trees. I got up to the next point, about 1/2 mile away, and spotted some deer feeding out of the trees. There were 2 smaller bucks, with several does, so I tried to get Ross' attention because as he said, "if it has antlers, I'll be happy, if it forks, all the better". As I tried to get Ross' attention, a really nice buck stepped out, and I tried to get a shot, but, all I could see was his back side, and I couldn't get a good enough rest to get a shot. He walked into the trees and Ross stepped out. We put a sneak on the little bucks, and Ross made a great shot! We packed him out and went home.
Jantzen and I tried a couple of other evenings, with no success. I hunted up over Porcupine Creed and saw a real nice buck that got pushed off by some does and a bull elk that I spooked.
So, Friday, Sept. 28, we didn't have school, one of my scouts had his Eagle project up at Sheep Pass, at the head of Smith's Fork Creek, so, I took Jantzen up to where Ross and I had gone. We set up on the same point that Ross and I had started on about 15 minutes before daylight. As we sat there, Jantzen spotted a satellite flying past. I believe it was the International Space Station. We watched fly clear into the area of the sky that was getting daylight. Next, Jantzen and I watched a covey of 8 blue grouse feed out onto the ridge below us. Then, Jantzen spotted the first deer of the day. It was a nice little forked horn. I then spotted 5 more deer below him, at least 3 of which were bucks and one was a nice little 4 point. Jantzen said that he wanted to chase them, so off we went. We got up close to where they had been, and I asked Jantzen what he thought we should do. He thought we should work our way down to the trees below us and see what we could see. As we got close to the trees, I could see the bucks below us. We snuck down closer, but the brush was too tall and Jantzen couldn't get a shot. The bucks saw us and walked off. We went to follow, and another little buck trotted by. 
I told Jantzen to get ready,so he laid down across my packframe and waited. We waited for about 20 minutes and watched that little buck and another feed back and forth until, finally at 250 yards, one turned broadside. Jantzen took his time and finally squeezed the trigger. The buck jumped and then slowly started walking off. The other buck high tailed it out of there, so I knew Jantzen's buck was hit. However, it was moving into the trees, so I told Jantzen to shoot again. He did, and the buck jumped and moved into the trees. We gathered out things, and walked toward where the buck had gone into the trees. We had a great blood trail to follow and about 30 yards into the trees, we could see Jantzen's buck laying there!!!!! We jumped up and down and hugged and celebrated!
We gutted and packed him out to the truck and spent the rest of the day helping Bailey Johnson with his Eagle Project. 
The next morning, I left the house by myself, Jantzen was tired and I figured he could use the rest, at about 5 am. I had decided to go up Porcupine Creed to try to find the buck I didn't get last week. I was at the trailhead in my sandals at 5:15, and was across Cottonwood Creek, in my boots and heading up the trail by 5:35. I hit the top about 6:30 and headed up to the west. I spotted 3 smaller bucks and some does, and 2 moose. Nothing that was close enough to chase that was interesting, so, I followed some fresh horse tracks up the trail. I hit the top and followed just below the top to the south to the end of the ridge. I heard a couple of shots, but didn't see any new animals.
I got to the end of the ridge, and a deer trotted up to the ridge top about 350 yards down from me. It was a nice 4 point and I decided that it was the buck I wanted. I rested over my backpack as the buck looked at me, trying to figure out what I was. He never did, as I squeezed the trigger and he ran down into the draw below. The last thing I saw was my buck rolling down out of site! I grabbed my stuff, and headed down to where I last saw him. There he was, piled up in the bottom of the draw.
I gutted and skinned him and put half on my back and took packed it up and over to the saddle at the top of Porcupine Creek. As I unloaded and prepared to head back for the other half, a friend of mine, Ryan Merritt, rode up on his horses. They had been hunting up there that day and had actually pushed my deer to me. He asked how things were and I told him about my morning. He asked if I wanted a horse, and I asked if he would just pack 1/2 my deer and back pack for me. He asked if I wanted him to take my rifle too. I told him where my keys were hid in the back of my truck and we went our separate ways. I was back to my deer 30 minutes later, and to the truck 1 hour and 30 minutes after that! I got in the truck and was home by 3:30 pm!! Now, Jantzen and I have to cut up the deer, so we can start elk hunting next weekend!! Woooooo-Hooooooo!!!!