My opening Day Muley

[blacktailer]

Finally getting around to posting.  The old man and I took the horses (and mule) over to the Winthrop area for the opener.  We had planned to pack into a high camp where we had hunted a few times before.  Lots of windfalls kept us from getting up there so we had to hunt another area a little lower down the mountain.  I ran into this guy bedded high up in the rocks with 3 other bucks in the afternoon.  2 were two pints and one I never got a good look at.  He was probably a 30 incher!!!.  While I was glassing the bucks, my brand new rifle took a tumble down the rocks.  Beat up the scope and rifle pretty good, and I had my doubts that it would still be on.  Got to 264 yards and cranked the Leupold to 14 power to make sure he was legal and decided to take the shot.  To my surprise, it was right on the money and down he went.  The antlers don't represent it, but he was a very large deer and I believe an older buck.  The kind that need to be taken out of the breeding pool.  It was a steep mother up there, and I had a hard time getting any decent pics as my camera kept falling off my pack.  I drug him down the hill, and we were able to get the horses to within 1/2 mile of him.  2 trips with the packboard to the horses, and the rest is history.  Not the big buck I'd hoped for but it's always nice to pack something out of the woods on horses.  We actually packed him out of camp on my new mule.  He did pretty good with no major wrecks!!!  It was a fun trip w/ my dad; nice camp and good weather.

P.S.  Yes I did have my hunter orange on and yes I did take it off for the picture. 

[huntnphool]

Outstanding pics. Love the guy sleeping

[bowsandhose]

very nice. congrats

[Wea300mag]

Congrats Blacktailer, great recap and pics.

[agchawk]

Very nice!

CONGRATS!

[Skyvalhunter]

Congrats to you on a fine buck!! Love the picture of Dad snoozing against a tree(candidate for photo of the month). With the warm weather this year I found myself taking a few mid day snoozes myself after a good up up the hill.

[Guy]

Seems like a great hunt! Congratulations!!!

[bucklucky]

Congrats man! Nice pics. I would have to frame the one where his is zonked out against the tree , classic!

[boneaddict]

What he said.  Great pics.  Glad you had a great hunt.

[NW-Eric]

nice going on the muley!!!

[Savage3006]

Beautiful Muley BT, killer pics! Congrats on a successful hunt. I'm still hoping late buck will produce for me this year...B

[shanevg]

I've been waiting to see those pictures.  Good job Nathan, I too love the pic of your dad sleeping. 

[Buschingc]

Looks like some rough country... I bet you didnt see to many hunters up there..

[blacktailer]

Yeah, the old man doesn't hit it real hard when it comes to hunting.  I can't tell you how many times in the past few years I',ve be on the hillside opposite of him glassing and he'd be stretched out snoozing.  It's usually about 10:00 on nice days when the sun starts heating up.  When the hunting is slow, it turns into a "Where's Waldo" sort of game.  I find myself looking for him stretched out rather than looking for bedded bucks.  Probably why the big ones keep eluding me!!!.  Nonetheless, I love having him in camp, especially with the horses.  He is 70 now and hunting for him has turned more into the outing  (taking care of horses and camp, etc) than getting out and killing a deer.  I suppose it is that way with a lot of older guys.  I hope I can still get out like he does when I'm 70.

[Muleyslyr]

Good job....congrats to ya.  I've spent a lot of time up there over the years....I sure do miss it.  Great pics.