I've never hunted riffle deer before. I've hunted archery my whole life, mostly for ELK. If we saw a deer we'd go for it but it was never our main focus. This year I was talked into buying a Modern tag by my best friend. I've always played with trail cameras behind the house just to see what was back there and got 1 really nice buck (4x3) on cam. So that was the guy I was trying for. I sat in a few different spots but only was seeing does, but where there are does there'll soon be bucks. So I sat in the same spot for a few days and on the 26th I spotted a nice buck. As I crouch down a brush pile blocks my view for a shot, I move to my left to a large stump. The buck gets out of his bed and is about 15yrds just past a brush pile. I find him in the sights and squeeze the trigger. My 1st blacktail buck is down. As I get to the buck I wasn't sure if it was the big guy or not but either way I was happy. He is a 2x3 which we saw in velvet this summer.
Fast forward to 10/30. I call my friend to see how the hunting has been going. He tells me after he was able to get his Uncle and Niece their bucks he has been struggling to find another buck. As we talk I tell him that the 4x3 was spotted that morning crossing the road back to my side. I talked him into just coming and checking it out, if nothing go hit the logging roads and see what happens.
He meet at my house 7am on Halloween morning. We talk for a minute before I'm off to work and his hunt starts. 7:50am as I'm getting in my truck... "BANG"..... I make my way to him as he's makes his way to me. "I GOT HIM...... I GOT HIM" he shouts. As we discuss the morning events he tells me where the deer was and where he shot from. Are YOU &%$&ing kidding me..... We shot from the same STUMP and both bucks were bedded behind the same brush pile, yards apart.
Great season, looking forward to next year.
