spear
10-30-2014, 07:38 PM
Been spending a fair bit of time chasing muleys since the end of our sheep hunt, Dbradner got his ram but i was pretty itchy to cut a tag.
We headed out early am sunday, climbed up high spotting a fairly nice 3 point just after first light. I was looking for something bigger and older, Dallas said he'd be happy to shoot him, but he let me talk him out of it, good decision on his part.
2 hours later we are realizing this spot we thoght had little pressure was home to 6 hunters in different groups, a fresh gutpile to boot we both decided to abandon this spot. We stopped on a ridge with good sight lines on the way down, figured we glass the valley and some open country to the west. 5 minutes in Dallas mentions he sees two deer, down low in the sage country, cant see antler, but then they started sparring.
Off we started running down the mountain, stopping twice at closer ridges to check on the bucks, once we were within 2 km, we could see decent frames on the bucks. We put them to bed under some scrub and made our move. 30 min later we were 225 yards from the spot the bucks bedded in, set up with packs down and rifles waiting. 1.5 hours go by and im getting impatient, a lot of does moving around us but no sign of bucks. We both agree we need to be agressive and stalk in, 20 yards later a doe busts us, we do a short scramble onto a ledge. I put the binos up and all I can see is face and antlers starring at me out of the sage, told Dallas they were on their feet, "drop your pack and get your gun up" both deer stepped into and opening 110 yrds away.
"which one do you want?"
a quick glance tells me I want the darker antlered buck, "the one on the left"
Hit him Dallas says
BANG flop
one one thousand, two one thousand...BANG flop
Double header, couldnt have worked out better. Wasnt the tank i was hoping for, but it sure is nice to shoot a big bodied buck with no stink and unreal meat.
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/20141026_133121_zps3664bde5.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/20141026_133121_zps3664bde5.jpg.html)
Dallas pretty pumped i chose the "smaller" buck
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/20141026_133944_zps81a12eec.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/20141026_133944_zps81a12eec.jpg.html)
I like big 3's so i guess im pretty dam happy too
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/20141026_1329151_zps4bd34db5.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/20141026_1329151_zps4bd34db5.jpg.html)
Not a bad "as they lay"
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/20141026_132620_zpse258507e.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/20141026_132620_zpse258507e.jpg.html)
Packed up and ready to walk out
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/IMG_20141027_100628_zps2a2da7ca.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/IMG_20141027_100628_zps2a2da7ca.jpg.html)
Thanks to Dbradner for giving me first choice on the bucks
Too much fun
We headed out early am sunday, climbed up high spotting a fairly nice 3 point just after first light. I was looking for something bigger and older, Dallas said he'd be happy to shoot him, but he let me talk him out of it, good decision on his part.
2 hours later we are realizing this spot we thoght had little pressure was home to 6 hunters in different groups, a fresh gutpile to boot we both decided to abandon this spot. We stopped on a ridge with good sight lines on the way down, figured we glass the valley and some open country to the west. 5 minutes in Dallas mentions he sees two deer, down low in the sage country, cant see antler, but then they started sparring.
Off we started running down the mountain, stopping twice at closer ridges to check on the bucks, once we were within 2 km, we could see decent frames on the bucks. We put them to bed under some scrub and made our move. 30 min later we were 225 yards from the spot the bucks bedded in, set up with packs down and rifles waiting. 1.5 hours go by and im getting impatient, a lot of does moving around us but no sign of bucks. We both agree we need to be agressive and stalk in, 20 yards later a doe busts us, we do a short scramble onto a ledge. I put the binos up and all I can see is face and antlers starring at me out of the sage, told Dallas they were on their feet, "drop your pack and get your gun up" both deer stepped into and opening 110 yrds away.
"which one do you want?"
a quick glance tells me I want the darker antlered buck, "the one on the left"
Hit him Dallas says
BANG flop
one one thousand, two one thousand...BANG flop
Double header, couldnt have worked out better. Wasnt the tank i was hoping for, but it sure is nice to shoot a big bodied buck with no stink and unreal meat.
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/20141026_133121_zps3664bde5.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/20141026_133121_zps3664bde5.jpg.html)
Dallas pretty pumped i chose the "smaller" buck
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/20141026_133944_zps81a12eec.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/20141026_133944_zps81a12eec.jpg.html)
I like big 3's so i guess im pretty dam happy too
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/20141026_1329151_zps4bd34db5.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/20141026_1329151_zps4bd34db5.jpg.html)
Not a bad "as they lay"
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/20141026_132620_zpse258507e.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/20141026_132620_zpse258507e.jpg.html)
Packed up and ready to walk out
http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy178/islander7mm/IMG_20141027_100628_zps2a2da7ca.jpg (http://s789.photobucket.com/user/islander7mm/media/IMG_20141027_100628_zps2a2da7ca.jpg.html)
Thanks to Dbradner for giving me first choice on the bucks
Too much fun