Sinlaheikan hunt (pics- long long story)

[moocher97]

I said i would do a story and  so here we go. We arrived Thursday night in hopes of getting on some monster Mulies that are in the area. the next morning we hunted low mostly all day only seeing 10 does all day we later came up with a plan to start hunting higher in the hills in hopes of catching them in transition. Well our plan went quite well by sitting in a spot where we knew deer were traveling and had a morning and an evening hunt seeing about 20 does in different small groups traveling up the hill. Since we had to leave the next day we just thought we would go to the same spot for a quick morning hunt before leaving little did we know what we were about to get into. we made our climb to our spot roughly 300 yards up hill tripping, falling, and yelling profanity the whole way up. we reached a huge open spot in the hills with a nice bench overlooking the the canyon later spotting 7 does above us feeding and slowly venturing their way into the woods. I caught up with my father finally making just a short walk up the hill about to start heading out. off course there was an exposed hillside across a canyon only 200 yards away but straight up and straight down just ripe for glassing. shortly after glassing the hill and a snicker bar break my dad says " Hayden!!!!, big buck!" I scarfed the candy bar and started glassing. " Oh geez hes a big one" i said as we examined him more. it was around 11 oclock by then and we was bedded for the day with a few of his girlfriends. off course know one in thr right mind would have made the slightest idea of crossing but thinking to our selves this is our last chance for the season. we made the trek up hill to find a spot to cross later finding one we come up with a game plan . the plans set and were off. we split up and i found myself in a small opening knowing i was within 100 yards of the sang thing but couldn't see besides the small openings. suddenly there was a crash down the hill exposing a small 2 point 30 yards away. i was focused on the deer and tried putting eye guards on it with no luck.then all the sudden a branch broke to my left. thinking nothing of it because of the increasing wind and snow i look just for giggles. What i saw after that moment will stick in my brain for the rest of my life. The buck we spotted earlier was making his way through a bush not 5 yards away towards me. i couldn't believe it hes right there. in the thought of this i already had a arrow ready but my release was not attached to my nock loop. i was shaking so much it took vital seconds before him looking up out of the bush. Im cocked nocked and ready to rock. At this point he was broad side 5 yards with only air separating us. i make the decision that if i don't pull back now im done. I make a sudden draw and as it starts trotting away i release an arrow going ping ping ping in the tress behind. I MISSED!!!!!! i was heart broken that the biggest buck of my life slipped from my grasp. my dad shortly after arrives and says you better have shot that. i say i don't know because at the time i didn't . we both decide it best to check for blood. we track the tracks clearly in the snow for 100 yards with nothing. darn, well i guess here we go. "Hayden blood!!!" i couldn't believe it, blood i got it! i tack it for 5 miles realizing something is not right after 1 mile. im about to give up when i see him again just making it across the knob. game on i think as i follow him 200 more yards. Its dark and i have hope in my heart that that he will die over night thinking i had gut shot him. we spend the night in Conconelly at the Comstock (highly recommend for a short term stay in the area btw) and make the phone calls saying were coming home tomorrow. With sugar plums and mule deer dancing in my head that night. we get to the spot where he crossed the road and walk. we track him another mile finding his beds with still a lot of blood! incredible its still bleeding after 7 miles of walking. i look over the knob suddenly seeing him crest the hill in front of me. SWEET ! hes here lets get him we follow for another 400 yards before reaching an open area seeing him only 150 yards away. me and my dad split up 100 yards before hand and he did not know where the buck was and with me with a good vantage point could see the train wreck that was about to happen with him not knowing and the buck a seemingly mere 60 yards. my dad stops gets nocked and gets ready to pull back and i feeling of anxiety shoots down my spine. my dad assures his position and poof the deer smelt him and took of down the hill but i noticed a limp to the deer as it rounded the corner. we met up again and continued after him. at this point we walked an incredible distance that only someone not right in the head would consider but at that point its just what the situation needed! we followed the tracks to the bottom of a hill and see him bedded around 300 yards away. we make a plan agreeing this is the last stalk. we split up circle and approach. my dad cuts short and I reach around a knob knowing he will pass through if bumped up. he does as so and Im presented with a 66 yard shot. I have practiced at 60 and think hes wounded and need to slow him down and get an arrow in him. i shoot only to shoot and realize my sight got knocked around from falling and the arrow falls short missing the deer completely. DAMN DAMN DAMN it starts trotting down the hill but obviously was hurt. we decide to go down the hill after him against our better judgement . we get to the hill overlooking the hillside and i see him bedded down not 60 yards away me and my dad sneak to both sides and signaling him to take the shot due to my location he flings an arrow hitting its mark and it rolling down the hill conveniently down towards the road. we approach him assuring he was dead and gave the well earned fist bump. and like a couple of hi fiving white guys we dragged it down to the road,gutted him , and continued to drag him another mile to the turn out where we hitchhiked a ride back to the truck. just goes to show hard work does pay off after all !!!

[MLBowhunting]

Nice buck.   

[muleyslayer]

Congratulations. That's a nice big body buck

[TylerMulie]

Where did you hit him from 5 yds?    Good on you for sticking with a wounded animal

[bowhunterwa87]

Who got to tag it since you both shot it?

[jrebel]

Great deer.  Congrats 

[moocher97]

oh yea thats probably a detail i should have said before. when the arrow went ping ping ping i thought it was a pass through and finding blood i thought i hit it. flash back to the deer on the ground. after examining the deer it had been shot by a rifle trough its front left leg breaking it explaining the blood and limping. and there were no other arrow holes in it besides the 1 my dad did on the last shot. but at that point it kinda really was a team effort to track it down and take it even though i wasnt the one who made the finishing kill shot. and it states in the rules the last shot/killing shot is the one who tags the animal.

[jrebel]

Wow...that is a crazy story. 

[moocher97]

I believe the buck was shot during the quality tag sinlaheikan 1-20 because the wound looked a week old yet it kept bleeding after tracking it 13 miles!!! let alone keep walking that long. it feels good to save a deer from the cougar in that area which its tracks crossed paths with mine and the coyotes that surely would have gotten it within another week easy.

[Huntboy]

Congrats

[Turner89]

Great story, Nice buck

[mkcj]

Great story awesome buck 

[HUNTaHOLIC5]

Thanks for sharing a great story. Nice buck!

[gunnarnewt]

Nice buck! Congrats! 

[blackveltbowhunter]

Heck of a story and very nice buck!! Congratz!