Chiliwist Quality Tag

[X-Force]

Looks like a little longer drive than i was hoping for, at least for the drive over... man i wish i could be over there in the morning.

[X-Force]

Ya, I wont be able to sleep tonight... eat tomorrow... or get enough rest for my early friday morning drive the long way around.

[wilsongideon]

This guy about ran me over today  hope you guys are out there doing good tough to sneak up on them I'll tell you I have a heck of a time with all the does keeping tabs on you. but eventually a guy like this runs through on the chase and makes your day.

[BoomWhop]

Nice. 

[Pathfinder101]

Couple of shooters there Wilson.  I think with an archery tag I would have put a stalk on that big framed 3x3 first day.  LOVE the 4 point you just posted though

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Looks like a little longer drive than i was hoping for, at least for the drive over... man i wish i could be over there in the morning.

Yep... looks like a 6.5 hour drive....

[BOWHUNTER45]

snow level is getting lower ...best get there soon  good luck !

[X-Force]

5.5 hrs and counting

[wilsongideon]

I know I already posted the one buck but I am loving the way these bucks are all slightly similar. All from the right unit Just wish I was out there hunting it, not just taking pictures

[Ridgerunner]

Good looking bucks there

[elkoholic1]

dam nice bucks all of them!!!!!   

[NWWABOWHNTR]

You are more than welcome to send me in the right direction.
.. saw 2 decent bucks... couldnt close the deal.   Does busted me on the one stalk.... 

[X-Force]

Unfortunately, I did not get to notch a tag on a big buck. Still, the trip was a blast. I had Saylean and my little brother with me most of the time and it always is fun being in the woods with the family.  We saw lots of bucks, tons of yotes and even some elk.

My little brother and I headed over to the unit on Friday after Thanksgiving.  We ran to the property dropped off our gear and headed into the lower open country of the unit.  Within 3 hrs of been there I had one 4 pt in a stockable location and another 4 pt walk right by me at 46 yrds.  I told myself that I was going to hold out for a big deer and I couldn’t notch a tag on just any buck.

The next morning we drove to a new location and within 2 hrs I had a 3x4 and a 2x3 within 50 yrds. My little brother started joking that I was on the hunt for a mythical creature and that I would only shoot a buck that was glowing green or was sprinkled with magical pixy dust.

Between my two brothers I had a lot of good natured crap thrown my direction.  Maybe they were right but even without a buck to show for it the hunt was definitely the best of my life so far.

Day 4 I found the buck I wanted.  He wasn’t a monster and by some peoples standards may not have been a shooter but he had good mass, good spread and some cool scares.  The first time I saw him was at 50 yards but through the timber I couldn’t tell if he was what I was looking for.  When he finally winded me and busted into the open country below I felt my heart sink.  He was a great deer and I just lost my chance.

I hunted for him for 3 days and the closest I ever got to him after day one was 100 yrds.  He always seemed to have 7 to 13 does around him and a couple other small bucks.  The only time he was alone was after he busted me on day 6.  He left all of the does and went into a small ravine in the middle of open country.  Saylean watched him from a distance for 2 hrs in a very stockable location with no way to contact me.

It was a great hunt. I hope to draw it again someday in the not so distant future.  I did talk to some locals that also had the tag and they said the day before Thanksgiving there were 20 or so people up in the area we were hunting trying to poach a couple of the bigger deer out of the unit.  One person they knew even admitted he was up there chasing a curtain buck.

Anyhow enjoy the pics.

[elkoholic1]

 

[deerhunter_98520]

Sounds like a great trip even without notchin the tag