8 of us drew deer tags this year. This is the fourth year for my dad and his buddies. This is mh second year. I was successful last year however it was a small buck because the hunting was pretty poor. This year was amazing. We filled 2 tags on day 1. 4 tags by day 2. 7 by day three ( mine included ) and the last one first thing om day 4. Sure they're not crazy monsters but they are more than enough for my standards especially all on public land and the hunt was the best. Onto the story and pics of course.
I hiked many miles, flushed tons of deer out of coolies and turned down four smaller bucks in the process. Day three and after a few miles I had an okay three point wander in directly to me and left me with a perfect broadside shot, but I decided not ti shoot. I hiked a few more miles through the afternoon and saw nothing other than two small does. The snow had melted completely so the ground was too muddy to have my dad drive in to get me so I hiked all the way out. By then I was as sore as can be. I decided I need to start working out
so I'm dead tired but know I have to keep going. I hiked into another area in the flat lands. There was a small lake surrounded with trees. I hiked everywhere I could. No deer but I spooked up ghree of the coolest owls I've ever seen. Ive seen lots of owls but it was memorable. So now I'm tapped out. Three days of hiking and I'm beat. We meet up with the rest of our crew intop of a hill. We had some crab legs and talked for a while. One of the guys said " why are we sitting here? Were not going to kill anything here". Just about that time I see a white spot in a coolie 3/4 mile away. I glass it and decided its not a deer. It doesn't move for a few so I almost quit looking. Pretty soon my dad put the spotting scope up and confirmed it. We watch him lift his head and it was a buck. We could tell it had plenty of points but it didn't look huge. It was confusing. He said its a shooter so I geared up and left.. I walked on the far side of the road in the ditch to stay low until I reached the lowest point in the road. Then I crosses and stayed low as possible as every deer was spooked at over a mile away in every other situation. The buck disappeared as soon as I left the truck so I'm being guided in to where they think they last saw it but noone can agree where it was! So I crawl my way to the backward S shaped coolie and when I get there its deeper than it looks. Way deeper and has a creek in it. I crawled over a cactus and took about 150 needles in my forearm hand and knee. I got out what I could quickly and quietly then carried on trying to ignore the pain and blood. I reach a dip and walk into it keeping my head high enough to see if he pops up, then things took a turn. A doe comes around the corner of the creek and sees me. I stop dead in my tracks and thought for sure it was over. I was froze. She was froze. I relaxed and calmly looked around and acted like I wasn't a threat. And after 5 minutes I was shocked. She went back to eating and went back around the corner. I slowly worked my way over and out of there. I'm within 100 yards of where he was last seen and I'm trying to calm my nerves down. I popped my bipod up and waited for him. A second doe popped up and they were grazing. One saw me and decided to lwave the coolie so I hoped the buck would follow. He would not show up. Its been an hour and he's nowhere to be seen. The doe comes back then a few minutes go by and they leave. I wait for him to go but he will not move. Sk I decided since the suns about to set that I need to push him out. I start moving in. I'm in the middle of a U shape. I walk in slow and quiet. Pretty soon I'm 30 feet from the creek bottom. I look right and out of the corner of my eye I see horns. I look back and he pokes up and we make eye contact at 30 feet. The rest happened in a matter of two seconds but adrenaline made it feel like slow motion. He turns to run and I pulled the gun up, he drops in the ditch and I don't know where he will pop up. He went straight away and the other side of the creek was much higher than where I was so once he's at the top he's gone. He jumps up the wall and somehow I got him lined up perfect in the scope and even on seven power and I pulled as he crested. I hear the bullet slap so I knew I hit him. I hear yelling from the radio " I don't see him! I think he's down!" Sure enough. 50 yards and he was down. Everyone's asking how big it is and it was a 5 point including eye guards but its a basket cased racked. Thick horned but short and not tall. It reminds me of a large blacktail. The hunt was intense and the fact that everyone was watching and cheering me on made it so cool. Everyone was high fiving and giving me pats on the back. They said it was like a football game from where they were. Everyone was nervous and didn't think it was going to work out. It was by far the funnest hunt and a proud memory ill never forget. Its getting a headmount because it has tons of character and an amazing hunt behind it. Not because its huge or anything. I would take this deer and a good hunt over an easy masher. Long story but I hope you enjoyed. Now pic time
My dad got the big guy. Mines not in the pic of them on the floor. I didn't get pics of the others but we are getting a group shot after the butcher shop
