I thought I’d share my 2018 mule deer.
After getting sick on my caribou hunt, having some really close calls with the local elk, it was now mid October and my freezer was still empty. With 2 weeks off work it was time to fill the freezer. Not without my kid bringing home the elementary school plague, 4 days in bed getting back to 90% health and I was out the door. I wanted to explore new grounds the first week then see where I was at meat wise before I made any other plans. A big reason I like hunting solo is I can fly at the edge of my seat going and doing what I please.
I woke up early grabbed a coffee and drove out to Hudson hope. This area is epic but I felt like I was spinning my wheels not pre season scouting. I could not get away from the constant beeping of the pipeline construction and the roads were like a highway of semi trucks. I made camp and woke up to a spike fork moose standing 75 yards away.. lucky for him they are closed right now. I start my morning hike and 2 guys come up in a area quads just don’t belong, blowing right by me and blowing any game there is OUT. This was the icing on the cake and I turned around went to the truck and drove home. I decided not to check out 2 other areas in fear of wasting more time and decide to go hunt mule deer down south.
A couple days later I pack 4-5 days of rations and head south into some areas I’ve been drooling over, but never hunted yet. I drove up and down the highway untill I saw the habitat I wanted to hunt, found the closest road and headed in. I arrived at noon and by sunset i laid eyes on about 15 deer on my afternoon hunt. All does and small bucks. I was very stoked about this pocket I found. I decided to skip the camp fire and crawled into bed for a long sleep because I knew I had a very exciting long day ahead of me.
October 15, Monday morning. It was great, lots of people did their hunts the week before using the long weekend. The bush was quiet and the deer were moving. At about 8:20 I had a doe run by with a decent buck and his nose up her arse, and they dissapeared as fast as they came. I sprinted as fast as I could to where I saw them last, and caught movement way down hill.... I drop a knee and shoulder my rifle, antlers is all I see. I let out my best imitation of a doe bleat and he stops. They were 125 yards downhill with many trees and shrubs in the way. I had about 2.5 secounds from the time I shouldered my rifle till the buck decided somthing was not right. I needled my shot through the timber with a very small target to hit. WHACK, the boringly accurate Tikka strikes again and this buck starts his free fall tumble down the hill.
I know he was hit good from my 300wm using 165ttsx, I hike down the hill and find him like this.
After finding him, I unload my rifle, drop my pack and have a seat to soak in the moment. This is what it’s all about. Being the morning I was in no rush for daylight ending and the warm sun started poking through the timbered hillside. I must have sat here for 15 min with a big smile on my face.
I tied his legs up to assist the cleaning on hill, cleaned him out and decided to keep the MR clean for now and go get my cabelas Alaskan outfitter pack frame for a heavy load. But as I was I was walking to the truck I was thinking hmmmmm I have a ATV in the box and with a few chainsaw cuts I may be able to blaze a trail in here. So I drop my quad grab my saw and head in. After almost rolling my quad down the hillside a couple times I thought this might not be the best choice. But after some dragging, pulling, winching and getting unstuck, I was able to drag him out whole. (Way easier for home transport , and cleaner for me to process at home).
The packout
sorry to all the purist mule deer hunters, I really wanted to pack this thing out on my back.
Im happy with my mule deer this year, he’s a good meat buck with lots on him. Now the pressures off and I’m waiting for some snow to fall and November to come so I can chase a nice WT buck. I was going to harvest a doe, but I would like to see more WT in PG so I decided to just wait for a buck. Maybe in the mean time do some unicorn hunting and dog patrol.
Good luck out there everyone.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by curly top
