Last Day Muley!

[chukar hunter]

Better Late than never!  In writing and hunting!

2012 was a great year for me.  I had a “successful” 4 day bivoy sack elk hunt where I saw 7 legal bulls and had my first archery miss at a bull elk, that I called in.  Successful in many ways, just not the harvest that I was looking for.  This year for elk!

Late season archery deer was a different story!  I was looking for a three-pete with the stick and string, however I was hunting with a new bow, as my old bow developed cracks in it’s limbs.  Story here, thank you PSE!  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,91788.0.html

I took a week off from work for this hunt and spent 9 days in the field.    Over the last few years I’ve found a honey hole that I’ve been fortunate enough to now harvest three bucks in three years.  This year was no different as preseason trail cams revealed hot rut activity with 5 legal bucks patrolling the area on a frequent basis.  The season was a variety of ups and downs between lots of bucks  vs the debilitating fog and the most hunters I’ve seen out of their trucks…ever.  I normally average seeing 1 person every other day, but this year seamed like a zoo.  One afternoon I crested a ridge and came across three different hunters in a saddle, all not affiliated with each other! 

Some of the highlights of the hunt included: Watching two bucks fight over a single hot doe.  Watch a HUGE 3x4 with a harem of 15 does, tirelessly ward off small dink challengers.   Stalking in open country to 25 yards of a decent 4 only to have a doe bust the entire group before he presented me shot.  And finally, on day 6 misjudge the distance on a small 4 in blizzard conditions and send an arrow harmlessly over his back. 

It can become demoralizing after spending so much time afield and have blown stalk after stalk and being completely blind due to the fog.  However history has taught me in all facets of outdoor activities that persistence prevails.  The last morning, I climbed the 2000 vertical ft to my honey hole, only to be greeted to the same thick fog conditions that had messed up the previous days hunts.  Not wanting to give up I worked slowly into a known bedding area as the fog rolled by giving me brief openings of visibility between 10 and 100 yards. Walking slowly, I noticed a bedded deer figure looking directly at me on a finger ridge ahead of me.  As soon as I identified him as a legal buck, a thick fog bank rolled in, concealing his location.  Being completely in the open, I decided to become aggressive before the fog dissipated.  I trotted towards the deer, arrow knocked, ready to go.  By the time the fog lifted I was 20 yards from the buck.  He stood up out of his bed surprised and trotted the other way.  As he worked his way up the side of a small ravine, I bleeted with my mouth and he stopped.  No time to use the range finder, I judged him at 60 and let  er rip.  The arrow flew perfect, I heard a “thwack”, he kicked and ran out of site into the sea of fog.  I immediately ran over an found good blood, but being at my max distance I gave him a full hour before I commenced tracking.  I doubt that time was needed, but better safe than sorry, as I found him about 100 yards in the bottom of the next small ravine.  The 100 grain muzzy MX-4 did the trick and did extreme damage to his vitals.  Tag punched!

Being a mile from the rig and over 2000 ft elevation gain, I quartered him out and radioed for assistance to bring some frame packs.  We were able to get him in one load and out by dark.  I’m not sure if it was a stellar year for the vegetation, as we’ve seen some true monsters taken this year both deer and elk, but this was the best tasting deer I’ve ever had. 

[ShaneTyTrey]

Congrats and thanks for sharing

[ellensburgpo]

Congrats on a nice buck. Good story and pictures.

[bearhunter99]

Congrats on a successful season, way to get it done! 

[Worldhunter]

Good for you.. Nice buck 

[MLBowhunting]

Great buck 

[h2ofowlr]

Thanks for sharing.  Nice write up.

[boneaddict]

Thanks for taking the time to share the adventure

[deerslyr]

And thats how you get it done folks! stickin er out till the last day. Congrats

[bearpaw]

way to hang in there... 

[yote]

Sweet buck! Better late than never

[ghosthunter]

So nice

[steen]

Great buck!  Nothing wrong with all the misses.  You probably got in 3 seasons of lessons in one season! Most do not get that many chances in many seasons.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Great Buck!! Nice write up and story.. Congratz

[trophyhunt]

Great Buck!! Nice write up and story.. Congratz