Wow what a great time. I haven't been able to go on a hunt like that ever. I learned a lot. I want to start by saying thank you to Jim (natural born killer). Without his help I might have eaten tag soup.
Day 1: Well I started this hunt with high expectations. I wanted something in the 160 - 170 range. We started on Thursday morning. First thing we see a super wide 'bout 24"-25" but thin 3x3 @ about 30yds off the road with some does and smaller bucks. I decided to not even go after him. After 30 or so small 2 and 3 point bucks and does we see a very tall but narrow 4x4 w/eyeguards. Probably a 150 ish buck. So I decide to take a closer look and never did get close to him. Which was fine with me I really didn't want to finish the hunt at 8:30 on the first day. Well a lot of deer later and a couple of very nice bucks way down in the canyon(which in hind sight I probably should've tried a stalk) we see a very heavy old buck. A 4x3 about 25" wide and real tall. I tried to pull a stalk on him and it just didn't work out. Ended up being about 40yds below him when he stood up and just couldn't get a shot. Total deer count: 30 bucks 70 does.
Day 2: Got up on the mountain only to find 40 mph winds. Saw a few deer, but nothing like the day before. Everything was bedded up against shelter or in the bottom of very deep canyons. Tried a couple of stalks, but everything I got up on wasn't the buck I wanted. It turned out to be a very slow day. Total deer count: 8 bucks 20 does.
Day 3: Turned out to be another slow day. Saw quite a few does but the bucks weren't with them on Saturday. Didn't see anything bigger than small 4 point and a few 3 points down low. I was almost beginning to doubt myself being so picky on the first day. Didn't have any real stalks. So we went up towards the top of mud. Saw a couple of very nice buck at the very top. There was a truck parked at the bottom of that hill so I didn't want to ruin anything they had going. Total deer count: 15 bucks 30 does.
Day 4: Low deer numbers continued, but we were seeing some decent bucks. I was still holding out for something special, but was beginning to rethink my standards. Tried a stalk on a very respectable 4x4 24" and tall with very nice forks. He didn't want to play. He never did run, but kept walking away up the mountain. I couldn't ever get closer than 100yds. They make walking up and down those hills look easy
. Only other decent buck was a big tall 3 point, but he gave me the slip. I never did see him get out of his bed, but he wasn't there when I got there. Deer count: 12 bucks 40 does.
Day 5: I got a phone call from home the night before making me think I couldn't stay all the way to the end. So needless to say my standards dropped quite a bit. I was now looking for something in the 140's or so. I really didn't want to eat the tag. We got up a ways on mud creek. The roads were an ice rink. So with all 4 chains we head up the hill. Saw a couple of decent bucks right away, but decided they still weren't was I was looking for. I was starting to get a little worried though. I was planning on only hunting till the next day. We went down to Coopers store to try and look Jim up to see if he had any ideas. Turns out he was more than willing to help. So he jumps in the truck with us to show us a couple of spots. We drive up mud creek a ways seeing only a few does and a couple of small bucks. On our way down Jim says to stop there's deer up there. Sure enough about 800yds up on top of the mountain there are 2 bucks and a doe. They weren't very big, but both looked like 4 points. They were feeding across the hill. I didn't thing there was much chance at a stalk, but Jim talked me into it. So up the hill I go about 1 hour before dark. I made my way to about 3/4 of the way up the hill. I start checking out my Dad and Jim down on the bottom through the binos. They were giving me hand signals that the deer had went over the top. So off I go again. I only went about 20yds. and I see a deer. It's the buck he's a decent 4 point. I range him at 65yds. That's the very edge of my comfort zone. So I draw my bow and stand up and touch the release, crap right over the top of him. Turns out he was at 50 I was ranging the stump behind him. I thought the deer all left, but I nock another arrow anyways. I started going over to look for my arrow and I see him standing there looking at me at 40yds. No time to range him so I draw and shoot. I hit him a quite a bit farther back than I wanted even though he was quartering away. I thought for sure this was going to be an over-night wait. He took off and I see a fountain of blood coming out. He ran about 40yds. and stood there. I ranged him again at 86yds too far, but I wanted to try and get another arrow in him. Just as I was getting ready to draw and see him getting weak. He wobbled for a second then rolled down the hill. I'm very happy with him. He's not quite what I set out to get, but nice for an archery buck. Turns out he's a 5x4 w/ eye guards. I didn't get as many pictures as I would of liked, but here are a few.
Total deer count: At Least One
I had a great time with my Dad and daughter along with me and would do it again any day. Maybe that's what is meant by a quality tag. Memories made and time spent together. This couldn't have been any more of a quality hunt.
Rich
