Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: WapitiTalk1 on February 09, 2015, 12:03:49 PM

Title: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 09, 2015, 12:03:49 PM: Hunting journal: 22 September, Idaho archery hunt, early afternoon. You have both an elk tag (any bull) and a deer tag (any buck). This is the only time this year you'll hunt elk but will be back later in the year to hunt deer again. You're on the fourth day of your ten day hunt in the Idaho Panhandle, and, the hunting gods have blessed you with some early season, high country snow! The bulls have been very vocal and you've been into elk each morning for the past three days but no shot opportunities. As you sit on the game trail planning your evening hunt, you hear a bedded bull bugle on the far hillside, perhaps 300 yards away. The thermals are wrong to go directly at the bull (he's on the hillside) so you figure you'll head down the game trail a bit where you may have a place to use your optics to scan the bull's hillside and make a plan of attack. About the time you get ready to move, here comes this MD buck straight at you at around 30ish yards! From your position, thermals are flowing gently uphill into your snout. You have good cover to your back and are wearing you super cool snow camo pattern 8)

Your move. Are you shooting, not shooting the MD, or, are you gonna continue with making a plan to go after the vocal bull? What is your move?

Reminder that if you save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, you'll be able to place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg and add the marked up pic with your post (if you decide to shoot).
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: TommyH on February 09, 2015, 12:18:56 PM: Throw a rock at that mulie and get back to the bugling bull!!
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Karl Blanchard on February 09, 2015, 12:41:11 PM: I'm passing on that buck and heading for that bull! Not against filling a deer tag on an elk hunt but not with that particular buck. He needs about 35-40 more inches of bone on his head for me to end my Idaho deer season that early.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Dhoey07 on February 09, 2015, 01:17:32 PM: I'd let him keep walking towards me. If he gives me a broadside shot, then i'm absolutely taking it. A buck in the hand is worth a bull in the bush, when the buck is that caliber.

Plus with cool temps, you'll be able to hang that buck and keep on the bulls the next day :tup:
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: WSU on February 09, 2015, 01:21:20 PM: I'd shoot the deer. While I waited to track it, I'd walk the 300 yards and shoot the bull.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: D-Rock425 on February 09, 2015, 01:25:13 PM: We all know what I do here. This happen to me opening day of elk season here.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Whitpirate on February 09, 2015, 01:54:09 PM: Pass. I'm in bulls and will hunt deer later in the year. If he was wider and had a better frame I'd take the meat offered but he's got some growing to do.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: D-Rock425 on February 09, 2015, 01:58:17 PM: Im a pretty trigger happy guy. Sometimes i go into kill mode and legal animals are not safe.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: BULLBLASTER on February 09, 2015, 02:04:00 PM: Quote from: D-Rock425 on February 09, 2015, 01:58:17 PM
Im a pretty trigger happy guy. Sometimes i go into kill mode and legal animals are not safe.
:yeah: plus in idaho you can buy a second discounted deer tag! No brainer on this one. Take him out!!!
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Jonathan_S on February 09, 2015, 02:31:58 PM: Quote from: D-Rock425 on February 09, 2015, 01:58:17 PM
Im a pretty trigger happy guy. Sometimes i go into kill mode and legal animals are not safe.

Yep, nothing wrong with that buck. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. If I saw that buck at 100 yards it would be different but I am the same way, taking the shot.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 09, 2015, 02:39:05 PM: So you buck shooters, show us where your arrow is gonna hit :)
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: BULLBLASTER on February 09, 2015, 02:41:11 PM: Quote from: Phantom16 on February 09, 2015, 02:39:05 PM
So you buck shooters, show us where your arrow is gonna hit :)
id pass that angle at 30 yards. But would shoot if given a high percentage shot.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: cbond3318 on February 09, 2015, 02:44:50 PM: Truthfully? I would let that buck keep coming until he was within arms reach, slap him on the butt and ask "why so crabby?" Then I'd somersault across his back, kick some forest floor in his eyes and head after the bull. Next.... :4w:
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Jonathan_S on February 09, 2015, 02:48:06 PM: Quote from: Phantom16 on February 09, 2015, 02:39:05 PM
So you buck shooters, show us where your arrow is gonna hit :)

Top left edge of the lower throat patch. Based on your scenario the buck doesn't see me and MD don't seem to flinch much, I think that's a deadly shot.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 09, 2015, 03:22:29 PM: Quote from: Jonathan_S on February 09, 2015, 02:48:06 PM
Quote from: Phantom16 on February 09, 2015, 02:39:05 PM
So you buck shooters, show us where your arrow is gonna hit :)

Top left edge of the lower throat patch. Based on your scenario the buck doesn't see me and MD don't seem to flinch much, I think that's a deadly shot.

Something like this?
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Spawnstar on February 09, 2015, 04:04:29 PM: That buck has great potential, let him live atleast 2more years.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Jonathan_S on February 09, 2015, 04:09:44 PM: Quote from: Spawnstar on February 09, 2015, 04:04:29 PM
That buck has great potential, let him live atleast 2more years.

He also has great potential to be a tasty meal. I have never killed a mule deer buck so I would take him.

If it was an average whitey with good potential, I could let him walk.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: jrebel on February 09, 2015, 05:04:02 PM: I would let the air out of him. Taking a frontal shot only if he is under 30 yards.....so I would come to full draw and let him get as close as possible. I am deadly accurate at those ranges....and I love his character, even though he is not a masher. Beings I can buy another deer tag....he gets put in the freezer and on the wall.

Beings that he is ever so slightly turned I will put it just left of center, bottom 3rd. I will probably watch him drop.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: coachcw on February 09, 2015, 07:49:58 PM: That buck lives to see another day
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: D-Rock425 on February 10, 2015, 07:23:19 AM: I'd take this shot.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Rainier10 on February 10, 2015, 07:50:09 AM: I am going with D-Rock's shot placement. A buck on the ground is better than a bull in the brush. This deer is dead and at camp in a few hours and I am back to elk hunting.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Russ McDonald on February 10, 2015, 07:54:17 AM: Been in elk every day and that sounds like his bedroom that he is bugling from. I would let him come a little more and see if he will give me a broadside shot it not I would put an arrow exactly where everyone else has pictured. I would go after the bull tomorrow. I always say you can't eat horns. I would never pass on a good opportunity.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: Jonathan_S on February 10, 2015, 08:15:04 AM: This must be an awesome rut by the way, with 6" of snow on the ground.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: D-Rock425 on February 10, 2015, 08:31:39 AM: Quote from: Jonathan_S on February 10, 2015, 08:15:04 AM
This must be an awesome rut by the way, with 6" of snow on the ground.
didn't think of that
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: h20hunter on February 10, 2015, 08:40:46 AM: I'd stick him right where D-Rock pointed. Shot a muley doe a few years agon on a meat hunt. About 12 steps, same spot. Center punched the heart and the arrow came out opposite side just behind the last rib. She hopped 8 times and fell over. For me that is an up close shot only. Past 20 or so yards I'd pass.
Title: Re: Your Move, Episode #3
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 10, 2015, 08:41:58 AM: Quote from: Jonathan_S on February 10, 2015, 08:15:04 AM
This must be an awesome rut by the way, with 6" of snow on the ground.

Used to happen more often years ago in NW MT/N ID but not so much anymore. I remember several late September hunts with a lot of snow above 5K. It ruled to put it mildly :)