Took my son on his first mule deer hunt and made some great memories. After pulling 12 hour graveyard shifts all week I slept a few hours and took off Saturday morning for eastern Oregon. We arrived just in time to drive up the mountain and glass before dark. We saw about 50 deer and were pumped to be back at daylight. After settling in to our friends cabin we hit the hay. I really didn't sleep due to anticipation, fatigue and schedule change. At daylight we were back behind the glass spotting deer. We spotted several bucks on the mountain our friend told us to concentrate our efforts on. We saw over 100 deer that day and made a plan to put the bucks to bed the next day and put a stalk on them. We watched the biggest buck go into a canyon to bed at 10am and made our move. About 1pm we were within striking distance. Rising thermals allowed us to come in from the top, creeping down and we glassed. I am proud of how patient my 13 year old was during this hunt using his glasses to spot many deer. halfway down the drainage I spotted the target buck a 185 inch 4x4 not bedded in the canyon but out feeding in the open flat at 501 yards almost straight downhill. As we scooted down the avalanche shoots on our bottoms a nice 3 point emerged making it doubly hard to close the distance. At 373 yards the bucks seemed to sense impending doom and melted into the brush. Setting up on his bipod he prepared to shoot. I failed to consider the effects of our elevation on the bullet and he shot just over the big 4 point. As both bucks sped across the flat I called out range at 520, the first shot missed by inches but the next shot was a solid hit anchoring the big 3 point. As I cheered the buck regained his feet only to be greeted by another solid hit anchoring him. After hiking down to the buck we hiked back to the top of the mountain and got my packframe. Once the pictures and phone calls to mom were done we broke him down and loaded him for the trip down the mountain. Nate took the front shoulders and head/cape in the pack sack and I took the rest on the frame and fanny pack. Our friend picked us up several miles below well after dark. What a great trip and memories.
