Deer Tag Filled in short order...First ever Mule Deer

[returnofsid]

As most of you are aware, Early Archery Deer opened Sept. 1, Early Archery Elk opened Sept. 2.  I wasn't able to hunt either opening days.  Wednesday, early afternoon, I finally hooked up the travel trailer and headed to the mountains, in the rain.  I pulled into my location, still raining, and set up camp by about 3:00pm.  I was SOAKED!  Deciding I'd change clothes and dry off, hitting elk hunting the next morning.  About 5:00pm the sun came out.  About 50 yards behind my camp was a several year old clear cut, about 5 acres in size.  I decided to take a stroll through it.  Seeing a little bit of elk sign and lots of deer sign, I decided "what the heck, I'll give it an evening try."  I decided to pack my pop up blind about 100 yards and set it up inside the tree line, about 30 yards from a well used game trail.  I went back to camp, made a sandwich and changed into my hunting clothes.  As soon as I got settled in the blind, I ate my sandwich.  Not 10 minutes later, I noticed a pair of ears making it's way up the trail.  Having the Multi Season Deer Permit, when I noticed it was a 3X2 Mule Deer, I decided I'd let it walk on by.  Well, then I also took into account that I have a Second Deer tag, AND I'd never shot a Mule Deer, so changed my mind.  So, 30 minutes into the first hunt of the season, I'd filled my deer tag at 37 yards.  Perfect broadside presentation. My arrow busted in half as it entered the deer.  No exit but a very clear blood trail.  He went about 60 yards and died.  My arrow entered his lungs, may have hit a rib, and strangely the front half of the arrow turned rearward.  I found the front half, along with the broadhead, in his rear thigh!  No idea how it ended up there!!

In the photos, it's a bit difficult to see the 3rd point, on his right side, but it's there...I promise! HAHA.  The antlers are currently in the freezer.  I need to get them out and get a more clear photo of them.  I apologize for the crappy photo quality.

Busted arrow



I won't bore you with every area of blood, even though I did photograph most of them...lol.  This is the first time I've ever had to follow a blood trail so I went very slowly and carefully.  There was blood about every 3 feet. It was starting to get dark.  From my blind, I lost sight of the deer running so wasn't entirely sure how far he'd went or which direction.  I'd not heard him crash so was careful to not loose the blood trail.











Spent most the next 2 weeks putting lots of miles on, hearing only a couple bugles and seeing absolutely no elk.  I did have a cougar about 200 yards away for awhile.  A neighboring camper had a very close cougar encounter at 8 yards!  His encounter turned into a staring contest for several minutes before the cougar took off.

Thursday, Sept. 11, I finally packed up camp and headed to lower elevations.  Saturday morning, the day before early elk season ended, I finally found myself 35 yards from a nice 4X5, maybe 5X6 bull, in heavy brush, at about 7:15AM.  At full draw, giving a couple cow calls, the bull would come out in the open pacing in circles, but wouldn't stop.  Then he'd head back into the heavy brush and stand there.  I'd let down my draw and wait awhile, cow call again and out he'd come again.  He was nervous and would never stop moving in the open, then back to the brush he'd go.  This went on for about 15 minutes so I decided to give a short bugle.  As soon as I did that, he trotted up a hill and out of sight. Sat down and cow called off and on for another 45 minutes but he never came back in.  GRRR.  This all took place about 1/4 mile from a paved road, behind a gated state lands road.  The following morning I decided to set up in the same area, but in a way that would give me a shot as the bull walked into the same area.  I'd identified the trail he'd used, after my bugle scared him off.  I was set up 2 hours before daylight.  At about 6:30 I started hearing sounds of something walking in but still a ways off.  At 7:10 a jeep came driving down the gated road and up a fork!  I wasn't giving up yet though.  I continued cow calling, hoping the bull would come in.  At 7:40, the rig headed back out the gated road.  20 minutes later, I packed up and headed out.  Instead of walking back to the road and out to the pavement, I decided to follow the game trail, cow calling.  100 yards into the trail I heard a stump being tore up.  As soon as my brain registered that it was probably a bear, I heard three "HUFF, HUFF HUFFs," and turned to my right in time to see a very large BUTT quickly heading away from me at about 15 yards...lol

So, now I wait until Late Archery Elk season.

[Fowlweather25]

Nice job!!!! Just an FYI though. That's a whitetail not a mulie.

[MLBowhunting]

Nice job. 

[returnofsid]

Nice job!!!! Just an FYI though. That's a whitetail not a mulie.

At first, I thought the same thing.  Then I saw that it had a black end to it's tail, along with a wide black stripe, the entire length of it's tail.  I'd never seen a Whitetail with that much black on it's tail...

[elkoholic1]

 

[Woodchuck]

Nice job!!!! Just an FYI though. That's a whitetail not a mulie.

At first, I thought the same thing.  Then I saw that it had a black end to it's tail, along with a wide black stripe, the entire length of it's tail.  I'd never seen a Whitetail with that much black on it's tail...

any pics? Well done. 

[returnofsid]

I really wish I'd have thought to take pictures of the tail!

[Woodchuck]

No matter as long as he eats good. 

[jackelope]

It's a benchleg.
 

Just kidding.

Congrats  on that!! Way to go.

[returnofsid]

No matter as long as he eats good. 

He's DELICIOUS! 



I also tried my hand at Venison Jerky for the first time.  Turned out great!

[gaddy]

  those are some really good looking eats there! nice.

[bowhunterforever]

Nice job Congrats

[Boss .300 winmag]

Nice job!!!! Just an FYI though. That's a whitetail not a mulie.

Maybe a cross breed? 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Hey...good job but I must say I believe it is a whitetail  too ...

[724wd]

never seen a mule deer with a black stripped tail...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/2012-mule-deer-female.jpg

your deer looks like a whitetail.  has a whitetail face and whitetail antlers.

[Buckmark]

Congrats,,   

I have personally seen 2 whitetail bucks that had mule deer tails, no doubt about it both had whitetail heads, ears, coloration and antlers but mulie tails....We call them muletails...
Both were taken during rifle season in our camp, in the same area but different years.

[Bango skank]

I thought whitetail also.  I see lots of whitetails that are sporting black tips or black all the way up.  Also have pics of a muley without a single black hair on his tail.  He's on my post "random stuffs" in trail cams.  But I've never seen a mule deer with black all the way up