What a great opening day of hunting, and being in the outdoors chasing those elusive Deer. Whitetail, Blacktail, or Mulies! Whatever, they are all great. Spending some time with your loved ones and friends make it even better. I had a couple different options this year for the opener. One was going over to hunt up above the snake for Mulies, the other came at kind of a last minute invite from a friend and his son. They were going over to a spot that I had introduced them to 3 years ago. A spot that I have killed about 10 bucks in over the last 13 or so years. I love the area and know it well, but I wanted to go after some mulies, as I haven't killed one for a very long time.
I missed a monster in Wyoming 2008) Hence the name. He haunts me to this day!
My son wanted to go after the Mulies as he has spent alot of time in Utah over the last few years and has hunted down there with his Uncle and all his brothers. They do some Guiding for a few Outfitters and he has fallen in LOVE with the thought of being a full time hunting guide. My son has been with me on every hunt since he was 5. My wife wouldn't let him go any sooner. If any one is a bigger hunting nut. I haven't met them yet.
So because I am gone all week for work and would have been over on the Snake all weekend, my wife asked me if I would just go to "the other spot" and come home saturday night.
It is a couple hours closer to home. I asked my son if that would be ok and he agreed, but said he wouldn't shoot any " Dink Bench Buck". It would have to be a 4 point or nothing. He's 17 and ya ok Cody whatever. I think I have heard that before, and the first 2 point we saw got shot.
I figured my wife would be happy and we could for sure find a 3 pt for someone to shoot.
So we leave Friday afternoon, and JD and his boy Evan already have their trailer set up, so we go out and spot a few deer before the night. Evan is 12 and hasn't ever killed a deer, but he has been practicing all summer with his dad at the range. We are all excited for the morning hunt, and after a Mossback video of some great deer hunting, I think we all go to sleep hoping we will see that nice Bench leg Muley-Black cross in the morning.
The morning comes and we get breakfast and head out to our spot. We head out before light and should be in a perfect spot when the season starts. As luck would have it there are only 3 other guys at the spot with us, so hunting pressure should be great out at our spot. We hike in a couple miles and Cody and I split up from JD and Evan. JD just had knee surgery so had to take it a little easy. Our plan was to walk a nother mile or so, out to our spot, and then still hunt back towards where JD and Evan were waiting.
Cody and I get to our spot, and jump 2 bucks right off the bat. One was a 20" straight 2 point, and the other a small 3pt. They stop at about 80 yards and just stare at us. If only the 2 point had a eye guard, I would have shot it. He was pretty heavy, and he had some nice 10" forks. Just not legal!
I wasn't going to shoot his little "Legal" friend, especially so early in the morning. ( I did get them on video)
My Guide Cody said No way was he shooting that "BABY".
So Cody and I start our hunt back toward where our partners were waiting, and we stop a few places and glass for a while. We see several Doe, and then Cody says, "Dad, over on that hill there is a good buck bedded down." He's just sitting there in the wide open. I pull up my range finder, and he is 384 yards. I said Cody thats a good buck take him! Nope hes not big enough! Ok he's 2 for 2 on holding out for a big one!
ALright I'll shoot that guy. He was a 3x4 with about a 17" spread, just almost out to his ears. SO we drop our gear, and backtrack around the hill and try to get closer. We come up over the hill where we can see the buck just still sitting there waiting for the sun to come and shine on him to get him up and moving. We are on a hillside now facing him, so we can't get any closer. Cody gets set up on the video cam, and I get into position for a shot. On a side note In working out of town the one thing I forgot to throw in was...yep my stupid shooting sticks
I really wish I had them. I always shoot off of them. The tree would have to work today. I put the range finder on him again, and at 340 yards( Ya not much closer) I got ready for the shot. The buck stood up, and just as I was about to shoot, some guy WAAAAYYY below me shoots straight up at him. Hits the dirt at his feet. The buck jumps and goes about 15 feet, and stops. So I shoot. He runs another few steps and the other guy shoot. He keeps going, and now at about 380 he stops. So I take a final shot at him and he jumps, and starts running around the hillside. DAMN!
My video guy couldn't tell where I hit. So we walk over and the guy from below and a girl with him walk up, and before I could say anything to him he just takes off with her and goes after the buck. I wanted to tell him we got it all on video, but I guess he didn't want to chat. I must have ruined his morning.
Sorry Dude, Didn't have any clue you were Way down there in the canyon.
So Cody and I continue over the hillside where the buck had ran, JD and Evan were about 500 yards away and in the direction the buck had ran. I figured they heard us shoot and would have seen the buck come around the edge of the hillside.. I guess he disappeared.. No blood either. We meet up with them and they have seen several Doe, but no Bucks. We sit there and glass the valley for about an hour and see several more doe. Including one who was really hiding. Look for her in the round picture.
Our afternoon hunt we decide to go back out to where we met our friends earlier. This valley is my favorite spot, as I have killed 4 bucks out of it in the last several years. As we get there, Cody says " Dad there is a deer, and its a buck. I whistle to JD and Evan and get them to come sit next to us. We watch this buck as he walks up onto a little bench and beds down right in the WIDE OPEN.
Wow we check him out and get our video cam set up. He looks like a good 4 point. This is Cody's buck, he spotted it, but he tells Evan to get ready. I put the range finder up on him. 237 yards. We get Evan all set up with a perfect dead rest on his backpack. His dad and I are both ready to back him up.
Bang! Down he goes, he just tipped over, a perfect shot. He couldn't have hit him any better. Great shot Evan. After some congratulations, Cody Evan and I head down to get the buck. We send JD back to the truck to bring it to the bottom of the canyon.( Remember his bad knee?)
As we walk up this buck has no ground shinkage and just gets bigger and bigger. Evan has just shot the biggest buck that Cody and I have ever seen over here.
It is a nice heavy horned 4x5 with double eye guards.
What a great season opener for all of us. It sure was neat to see Cody "Guide" Evan and its on occasions like this that make me sure proud of him. Thanks Cody for being such a great hunting partner and Son. Congratulations to Evan and his dad JD.
SO YOU KNOW HOW COMPETITIVE BROTHERS ARE???
Evans older brother Derek wasn't able to go out on opening weekend, and lets just say he wasn't to thrilled that little brother connected on a great first buck. So JD and Derek made it out for the second weekend and went back to where Evan had killed his buck. They set up Saturday morning about 200yards from where we were before. A few Doe came out of the bottom, and then a nice legal buck. Derek made a shot at about 120yards. The Buck humped up and moved off into the trees. After a while of waiting, Derek and JD went and found the blood trail, and came upon the buck. Derek was able to make a great finishing shot, and shot a very nice 2x3 with nice eyeguards. Congratulations Derek. Way to keep the brotherly competition alive!
