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Author Topic: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck  (Read 64444 times)

Offline hrd2fnd

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #15 on: September 12, 2014, 11:28:57 AM »
Always happy to read about your hunt, thanks for sharing bone
"Believe in your abilities and confidence will lead you on"

Offline boneaddict

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #16 on: September 12, 2014, 11:35:37 AM »
My goal was to check out a little basin tucked high in the rocks where I killed my buck last year.   I was standing in the same spot I released the arrow on that buck when I took the previous pic.    As you recall I talked about the deluge that washed the mountain pretty hard.   Well this was one of those places.  It was dicey last year to cross but now with the wash.   I managed to work my way into it and rattled my way down it to start to cross.   By now I was making all sorts of racket and the bedded buck had me pinned down of course.   I was surprised he was holding.   In fact that kind of captured my attention....that and falling off the mountain.   I probably dropped off the hill more than I should have, just to experiment with that deer.   About this time I casually glanced to my left.  and here was a buck bedded, right in a small green flat spot.   Right in the middle of it.   He was of course watching me.   What the heck.  I picked up my binos (deer was at about 40).   He was almost 28 wide and his antlers were heavy and shaped very V like.   Anyways I looked through the binos at him and he was all hard horned.  That was real mass.   He was getting nervous and he stood up.  When he stood he turned his head.  He was 4x4 with huge mass, but short points.   his bones were really dark.   I pulled and arrow, set on him and fired.   Just about this time a huge wind gust hit.  Oblivious in my focused state.......I didn't see where he was hit, but he fell backward and piled up, flipped and flopped and lay there.   I was done for the season.   Then he began to stir and he stood up and got his feet.   WTH.  I pulled another arrow and he took off out of site trotting.   I figured I would here him go down shortly and tumble off the mountain in the rocks.   NOPE!!!   About that time I picked him up about 300 yards away trotting.   HOLY CRAP.   I could see the exit wound.....High and to the rear, right in that upper paunch beneath the spine.   The deer disappeared.    I figured I would let him bed down and finish off.   I explored the upper basin and came back to the scene.

his bed

Offline boneaddict

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #17 on: September 12, 2014, 11:37:39 AM »
standing in his bed, looking up from where I shot.   NOT an angle I practice enough at.  MY FAULT


Offline boneaddict

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #18 on: September 12, 2014, 11:38:34 AM »
He shed his velvet that day......


Offline DIYARCHERYJUNKIE

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #19 on: September 12, 2014, 11:43:14 AM »
Tag

Online Jason

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #20 on: September 12, 2014, 11:43:24 AM »
Congrats on a dandy Douglas!!! :tup:

Offline boneaddict

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #21 on: September 12, 2014, 11:47:55 AM »
What you cant tell much from these pics is that this is literally a little small oasis on a steep mountain.   I knew the exit was just a small trail through some rocks as I hauled my deer out it last year, and puckered most of the way.   I commenced the trailing.  I knew the shot was a pass though as I saw the exit wound.   There was little blood where he went down at first.  This was concerning.   I started picking up some and probably everytime he hit the ground running he bled more.  Drop here, drop there...... I followed the trail to where I had last seen him then rounded the ridge.  He had started to climb.   I followed him for about 300 feet more, then I lost him in the deep grass, where he mixed with other deer tracks in the meadow.   I figured hed go to a clump of shrub then lay down.   I spent the rest of the day til almost dark looking.  NOTHING...... At this time the weather was really picking up.   High winds and getting dark up above.   I kicked it off the mountain and headed to camp.

At this time I was ready to burn my tag and the rest of the hunt would be spent looking for this guy.   If you have ever been in this situation, you know what was going on in my head.  Just as I hung my head and headed for camp, the skies opened up.   I got back to camp soaked, cold and hungry, and my gear was starting to fail.   I had also a camp visitor.  Thankfully he enjoyed this more than my mountain house I had stashed in a nearby tree.


Offline boneaddict

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #22 on: September 12, 2014, 11:56:15 AM »
Its very difficult to describe the weather as most of you probably thought, yeah whatever.  I think Yakima was in the 90s.   The winds were bad all night.  While laying in my bag, I heard 14 trees/snags come down.  It poured along with the wind.  My parachute was saturated and water poured in along two seems.  My camp space was pretty small under there.  I had stashed a small ground cloth from a previous trip and used that to cover my bag under the leantu...that helped.   It was a long night.   I woke to daylight and still very high winds.   It had actually almost dried a bit thanks to the winds.   Today would be spent looking for my buck and exploring.   I intended on taking a different route to check a different drainage and loop into on top of where my buck might have been.   I had two routes to choose from.  The first was barren and straight up and down, and the other held game usually with minimal cover in spots.   I started up the first but the winds were unbearable, especially when it switched to snow and ice.     I caught a deer trail and had my head tucked from the driving ice.  I heard something and looked up.  Stodding (bounding) off the mountain was my buck.  There was no mistaking those antlers.   he crossed right in front of me and disappeared over the hill.   I gained enough ground to see below me to see his escape but he didn't come out that way.   I tracked him up over the hill.  It appeared he had fishhooked into the draw I was going to go up.  It was a bottleneck at the top.   I should see him.   There was no blood and he looked healthy.   Hmmmmmmmmmm   I started up the hill, pausing in cover when I could.

Offline superdown

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #23 on: September 12, 2014, 12:00:02 PM »
tag

Offline boneaddict

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #24 on: September 12, 2014, 12:03:35 PM »
I worked my way up seeing all sorts of wildlife sign, but never my buck.   I finally reached near the top.  The weather was crazy.  I had to walk out a small small trail over a slide chute to the pass.   I took my pack off and layed it and my bow in the trees.   I walked out onto the trail, crossed the chute and then got down on my belly.  The winds were 75-80mph I guessed as I reached the brink and peered over.   It was hard to digest what I was seeing.   Even if there were deer in this cirque, there would be no way for me to get them, and I obviously wasn't going to do anything in this wind.   I snapped a couple pics for future reference and was staring through my binos when I saw Carl.  Now I can only describe him as a monster.  Full velvet.  I would swear he had a fifth point on one side.  Mass mass and more mass.   He was up and feeding at noon.  I tried to grab some shots of him with my little camera, but at 800 yards and with 80 mph wind, they didn't turn out worth beans.     

Offline jackelope

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #25 on: September 12, 2014, 12:08:37 PM »
Congrats again, dude. That is a hell of a buck.
 :tup:
:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

My posts, opinions and statements do not represent those of this forum

Offline boneaddict

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #26 on: September 12, 2014, 12:10:14 PM »
I climbed down the mountain until I found a great vista and and great spot to stay out of the wind.  I spent the next 7 hours patiently watching waiting for a deer to appear or for that buck to show himself.   I am not sure where he ended up.  I don't know if he went over the top.  I don't think he could have gotten out one side or the other without me seeing him and hearing him, though that might be debatable with the weather.  He was certainly healthy enough to live when I saw him.......no sign of him, just other critters including some goats which were a welcomed site, and a mom and pup coyote.  I watched them mouse and watched close for any reaction when they cut the deers initial run.....nothing.   I went back to camp at dark.  Still blowing.

I got up the next morning and headed home.   My hunt was done for now.   I wondered about the deer I lost, the mistakes I made and about the buck of my dreams in that other drainage.   I started researching an approach on him and had some good discussions with friends and family.  4 days of soccer and family and the common cold and I was on my way to a new local to get Carl. 

Offline Emptyhanded

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #27 on: September 12, 2014, 12:14:00 PM »
Tag

Offline boneaddict

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #28 on: September 12, 2014, 12:16:09 PM »
This was also a brutal march to an area I have never been.   I was in a big push as my daughter had a soccer game on Tuesday night.   I figured if I hiked in, harvested a buck and then came out Tuesday I would make it.   Optimistic or delusional, or obsessive, yo umake the judge.   I got camp set up on one of the flattest spots around.  I actually carved a bed in the mountain and set my fly up.  I upgraded my fly for this trip.   it was a bit heavier but would withstand a bit more weather. 

Camp II

Offline elkoholic1

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Re: I finally topped The Hide and Seek Buck
« Reply #29 on: September 12, 2014, 12:17:11 PM »
 :tup: :tup:

 


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