2020 Mule Deer Hunting

[Weatherby Fan]

Well I put in a few days in area 8 and did see some nice buck but we never got in on them for a shot, and quite a few days in area 3-30 for Mule Deer, 2 weeks in Oct and 2 weeks in November and a week in Dec,

I seen a pile of smaller bucks spikes, 2 points and 3 points, and very few 4 points and the ones I did see were very small rack wise,

I was a little disappointed as my great Nephew came hunting with me in mid Oct and I figured it would be a shoe in for a small buck but I/we never even seen a legal buck with him in four days of hunting ? we did see a lot of does with two and sometimes 3 fawns which was great to see.
Any bucks we did see were behind fences or after shooting light

I hunted the first two weeks of November and did see lots of rut activity but again only small bucks chasing does, fast forward to early December and on the morning of Dec 4th driving into my parking spot I see a 4 pt with 3 does and he limping badly so I take a cpl pictures of him park and go off hunting for the morning, thinking that poor bugger isn't going to live the night !



soon as I started walking I was seeing deer, a few small bucks, lots of movement so I sit down with a great vantage point and sure enough small bucks walking every which way. things quiet down about 10am so I walk out to the truck and just as I get to the road I see a truck stopped so I unload my rifle and walk towards him.

Its a CO Bob Butcher from Lilooet, we bs for a bit he checks me for tags, hell of a nice guy and I tell him about the 4 pt with a limp and he raises an eyebrow at me and says why didn't you shoot it ?....it probably won't live the night he says, wasn't what Im looking for........but I start to think he's probably right maybe I should have shot it.....

Ok off to town for lunch this day...Chinese Food and fuel up and head back to my fav spot for the evening,

I get out of the truck and walk for a bit and come across 3 bedded does, they look familiar so I stand and watch as they slowly get up and start to walk away up a knoll.....they keep stopping and looking back so I chamber a shell and watch sure enough out stumbles the Gimpy 4 point from this morning, he has a terrible limp and start to hobble after the doe's and they stood waiting for him, he stands there looking up the hill at the doe's...............he's 130 yards away and one shot through the heart with the 160gr AB out of the new 280AI and it drops in his tracks.

I give him a cpl minutes and he doesn't move so I walk over to him and cut my tag and take a few pictures as he lays, the poor bugger is in terrible shape, his left front leg/shoulder bones are poking out through his hide, his right leg has been broken and healed straight and doesn't bend at the knee, I dress him and his heart is blown to pieces, the 160gr Accubond went in and out.



When I skin him out his left shoulder blade was broken and somewhat healed on top of itself, the whole left shoulder was green and pussy, he didn't have an ounce of fat on him,

Its amazing how tough these things are, Im surprised he lived as long as he did, it appears that he was hit by a car/truck as his front end was busted up really bad.

I had a cpl steaks the next day for lunch and he was pretty tangy !

[xlcc]

That is a good thing you shot him.Mercy kill.

[porthunter]

Awesome, well done on taking out that buck before the preds did, congrats!

I've found for strong meats that sometimes sitting it in water/pepper/vinegar over night can help get rid of that flavour.

[Weatherby Fan]

Awesome, well done on taking out that buck before the preds did, congrats!

I've found for strong meats that sometimes sitting it in water/pepper/vinegar over night can help get rid of that flavour.

I tried a cpl more for dinner and it was still pretty tinny, probably from the trauma the poor bugger went through,



View from the front deck of our cabin,



My great Nephew out for a stroll with me



We came across this odd looking rock after glassing six bedded does.

[Weatherby Fan]

I had to take the 6.5 PRC for a hunt it was getting jealous of the new 280AI



We have pterodactyls in BC !





My brother Leif and I checking out some new area.....



Have to add in a few sheep picture during the rut....notice the ewe has a bloody spot on her right side where the ram stabbed her with his Horn.

[Ride Red]

[/QUOTE]

Looks like Spences Bridge. I got some pics and video of them this fall.

[Getbent]

I tried a cpl more for dinner and it was still pretty tinny, probably from the trauma the poor bugger went through,



View from the front deck of our cabin,



My great Nephew out for a stroll with me



We came across this odd looking rock after glassing six bedded does.

Such a great mule deer area...still some decent genetics up there...good on yah for taking that guy out.

[Weatherby Fan]

Such a great mule deer area...still some decent genetics up there...good on yah for taking that guy out.

Im going to respectfully disagree with "still some decent genetics up there"

Ive hunted that area for almost 40 years and the class of Antlers is very disappointing as of late, I rarely shoot a deer as Im looking for something big that takes your breath away, and Im just not seeing them....

three years ago I passed up a very clean typical that would have scored 160 and thats the biggest buck Ive seen in several years in this area, maybe Im getting old but any four points Im seeing are very young deer and small basket four points, the 4 pt from this thread is the biggest one I seen during legal hunting time this year and I probably hunted about 5 weeks between Oct/Nov/Dec, I did see a bigger one on the road at night...... a bit disappointing as far as antlers go.......but I still love hunting for them.

[mpotzold]

Awesome, well done on taking out that buck before the preds did, congrats!

I've found for strong meats that sometimes sitting it in water/pepper/vinegar over night can help get rid of that flavour.

Agree!
Remember a grizz killing an elk 3 month ago that had a leg problem. Posted this before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzo2Ie7B7CI&app=desktop

Remember shooting a buck from less than a hundred yards with my 300 Win mag near Gaspard Creek. He ran for quite a ways down the hill before succumbing. Knew he was hit because his run was noisy.
Like the photo shows it was also a heart shot. He was watching me before I shot him so the adrenaline prevented an instant drop.

Also Eve's aunt uses buttermilk to get rid the strong taste from deer & sometimes moose.

[stoneramhunter]

Great story I very much enjoyed reading it. The fact that you were able to harvest a deer and it happens the be the deer that was suffering was memorable. Im a pilot as well owned several bushplanes but currently flying a comanche 260 not for long though miss flying up north to go sheep hunting. Going to sell the plane and get back into a bush plane. have a great day and be safe.