By Chad Baart
The wagon ruts were still evident in the grasslands as we dropped off the edge of the earth. We were now headed into the infamous Badlands. The red rock road that led to this desolate place passed by many miles of land homesteaded by settlers who braved this land long before us. The walls of the drainages were grey with years of sediment. As the sediment eroded away it revealed an ancient past that dated back to a time long before the settlers. We found ourselves standing in a petrified forest.
I received a call from my good friends Jerod Fink and Kevin Biermier earlier this year. They were in the process of planning yet another Do-It-Yourself deer hunt and were kind enough to make me a part of it. Jerod and Kevin are no strangers to the Badlands and had already done the hardest of the footwork that led to an outstanding hunt.
Upon arrival at the ranch, we were greeted by Paul and Mildred who have been long time residents of the Dakotas. The land that we would call home for a week was secured by early settlers who had braved the environment and carved a place into history. They paved the way for the future of many. Paul’s grandfather was one of the people who made the area what it is today. Paul and Mildred became people who I will always remember when I think about the highlights of my past.
We found ourselves trying to pattern the deer during the first 2 days of the hunt. After the second day we were tipped off by a visiting neighbor about a ranch bordering the Badlands. The ranch was covered in agriculture and lay 30 miles from the ranch where we were staying. After speaking with the owner, we were granted permission and the game was on.
We started by splitting in 3 different directions. We figured that we would divide the ranch to find out where the deer were entering and exiting the fields during the dimming light. Jerrod and I ended up crossing paths during the evening. While we were weathering out a late summer storm, we had no idea that Kevin was busy trying to figure a way to get his hard earned velvet 10 pointer out of the woods.
After a couple of more days and failed attempts, we stumbled onto a chunk of land that showed some promise. After checking BLM maps we found the information that we had hoped for. The land in deed was public land. Many parts of the Badlands had been held by settlers who failed to make a living. Land was turned back over to the Federal Land Bank leaving the landscape a checkerboard of private vs. public. We came prepared with maps and GPS units to make sure that we were not treading on sacred ground.
Day 6 of the hunt found Jerod trekking alone into a rough section of the Badlands. Kevin and I were headed to another section as Jerod’s headlamp disappeared into the canyon.
Jerod was on a mission and nothing was going to stop him. After rounding many open drainages he stumbled upon 2 nice mulie bucks. The first report that we received from Jerod was when we met him at a predetermined location later that day. The shot was far back and not much blood was found. Knowing that he had a mortal wound, we determined that it would be best to pull out and let nature take its course.
After a big lunch and a much needed nap, Jerod once again was heading off the ridge that he had conquered that very morning, this time with the help of Kevin and I. We found one drop of blood where the deer last stood. Quite some time later we found one more drop of blood disguised by the soft grey soil, we now had a direction of travel. The deer had to be close, and by finding his direction of travel, our chances had increased greatly.
We had covered a great distance by now, with the light slowly fading we found a lone set of tracks breaking off the shelf that we were on. As we cleared the edge, Jerod’s buck revealed himself.
Through determination and patience, his buck was a well earned trophy. The trip out in the dark showed us how the Badlands achieved its name, even with a GPS, we found it hard to traverse the canyon walls in total darkness.
I was fortunate enough to take home some camp meat as the hunt came to a close. It was an experience that I will never forget. The desolate chunks of land that lay between the lush forests of the coastal waters hold a beauty all their own. This is a place where time began, a place that will never meet mortal man half way, these are the forests of stone.
