Dre
09-07-2015, 10:30 PM
This year, my vacation options were narrowed down quite a bit, so I decided to take the first opportunity last week and try to bag a buck during the 4 point season in Reg 3. I went into an area I am slightly familiar with and was hoping to do some hiking into the alpine and try my luck at some of those reputed mountain muleys of the area. Having taken the wrong map, it took me all day on Wed to find the trail that I was after. Its been 2 years since I was there last, so my memory was a little muddy. Finally finding it I was disappointed to see 2 trucks already parked there. Its a huge area, but I didn't feel like bumping into other hunters. I decided to go up a different trail I had seen earlier in the day. I hadn't seen a deer all day and was second guessing my decision to go there.
I parked by the trail and set up for the night in the canopy. In the morning, it was raining pretty hard so I stayed in the canopy to wait it out a bit. I saw something coming down the trail through the window, it was a doe. Ok, maybe there is some deer here, not much though. The rain stopped and I started re-packing my pack. My dog and trusted hunting buddy Blue immediately picked up on what was about to begin and could barely contain his excitement. Still organizing my pack as I had taken everything out to get to my sleeping bag the night before, I turned and was looking at 2 bucks standing 30 yds up the trail and starring at me. My heart jumped and for a second I thought I might end this hunt before it began. Both were 3 pointers, one much bigger than the other. Oh well, there is deer here after all, and all coming from my trail.
It was steep climbing over that mountain and my energy was low as I had just helped move the in-laws, slept 4 hrs, then drove all day, then slept uncomfortably in the back of my truck. Made it over and it levelled out. I hiked for a while looking for two things, a good place to hunt and water near-by. I passed a creek and made a note of the time. Continuing my hike, the alpine started to open up a bit and looking better and better. Eventually, the trail started to loose too much elevation and I decided to go back, stay close to the creek and hunt the alpine I had seen earlier.
Camp was set on a crooked piece of the flattest ground I could find, had some lunch and fetched some water. Around 5pm I hit the slopes. After about an hour of feeling like I was at the wrong place at the wrong time, I got up and went for a short walk to see different part of the mountainside. It didn't look as good, so I went back to my original viewpoint. As I got back, some movement caught my eye and I realized it was antlers. The buck was in a dip in the middle of the slope I was standing over. I dropped and commanded Blue to lay down. It was a huge 3 point, about 24" on the main beams, but still a 3 point. I was beginning to think that the deer in this area were genetically adapted to not get shot. The excitement did not stop as more deer kept moving through all evening, mostly does, but also a 2 point. The interesting thing was that they were all coming out of the same side, grazing for a short time and moving on to the opposite side. We finally came down towards camp in the dark spooking a doe and fawn on the way down.
Sleep was a constant re-adjusting as my body kept sliding to the low side of the tent. I got up a bit late and not even finishing my coffee, I climbed back up to my observation spot. The morning continued to be e sequel to the previous day as every 1/2hour to an hour some deer would come through in the same pattern I mentioned earlier. It was like a migration, not like I had ever seen before. I had planned to do some exploring late morning, but around 10am I changed my mind. What's the point of moving if the deer kept coming out, there had been around 15 does and a 2 point already. Not even a minute after this thought, a big buck came into the opening walking fast and on a mission. I turned the magnification up a bit on my 2x7 scope and got on him. A perfect, symmetrical 4x4. He seemed to almost stop and I fired, he froze and looked up, not sure if I hit him good, I fired again. The second shot broke the shoulder and he circled on the spot and dropped. The first was perfect through the lungs as I later found out.
Blue lost his composure and took off down the hill. He did not see the buck, but the shooting gets him excited. I called him back and we walked down to have a look at our prize. He was a beauty, not a monster, but just pretty, full velvet 4x4 with short brow tines. I snapped a few pics and headed to camp to grab my pack. Took me 2 hours to cape him out and bone him out and I cooled the meat down in the cool breeze. The pack was tipping 120lbs and I had a hard time getting it on, once on though, I was on my way. Went right past my camp and hiked straight down to the truck. Unloaded the meat in the cooler and took off up the trail to get my camp. All in all at 5 pm I was driving. Got home at 11pm. A nice start to the season.
http://i59.tinypic.com/10qkhs7.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/f9mmvb.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/v6p15u.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/2vcvo8j.jpg
I parked by the trail and set up for the night in the canopy. In the morning, it was raining pretty hard so I stayed in the canopy to wait it out a bit. I saw something coming down the trail through the window, it was a doe. Ok, maybe there is some deer here, not much though. The rain stopped and I started re-packing my pack. My dog and trusted hunting buddy Blue immediately picked up on what was about to begin and could barely contain his excitement. Still organizing my pack as I had taken everything out to get to my sleeping bag the night before, I turned and was looking at 2 bucks standing 30 yds up the trail and starring at me. My heart jumped and for a second I thought I might end this hunt before it began. Both were 3 pointers, one much bigger than the other. Oh well, there is deer here after all, and all coming from my trail.
It was steep climbing over that mountain and my energy was low as I had just helped move the in-laws, slept 4 hrs, then drove all day, then slept uncomfortably in the back of my truck. Made it over and it levelled out. I hiked for a while looking for two things, a good place to hunt and water near-by. I passed a creek and made a note of the time. Continuing my hike, the alpine started to open up a bit and looking better and better. Eventually, the trail started to loose too much elevation and I decided to go back, stay close to the creek and hunt the alpine I had seen earlier.
Camp was set on a crooked piece of the flattest ground I could find, had some lunch and fetched some water. Around 5pm I hit the slopes. After about an hour of feeling like I was at the wrong place at the wrong time, I got up and went for a short walk to see different part of the mountainside. It didn't look as good, so I went back to my original viewpoint. As I got back, some movement caught my eye and I realized it was antlers. The buck was in a dip in the middle of the slope I was standing over. I dropped and commanded Blue to lay down. It was a huge 3 point, about 24" on the main beams, but still a 3 point. I was beginning to think that the deer in this area were genetically adapted to not get shot. The excitement did not stop as more deer kept moving through all evening, mostly does, but also a 2 point. The interesting thing was that they were all coming out of the same side, grazing for a short time and moving on to the opposite side. We finally came down towards camp in the dark spooking a doe and fawn on the way down.
Sleep was a constant re-adjusting as my body kept sliding to the low side of the tent. I got up a bit late and not even finishing my coffee, I climbed back up to my observation spot. The morning continued to be e sequel to the previous day as every 1/2hour to an hour some deer would come through in the same pattern I mentioned earlier. It was like a migration, not like I had ever seen before. I had planned to do some exploring late morning, but around 10am I changed my mind. What's the point of moving if the deer kept coming out, there had been around 15 does and a 2 point already. Not even a minute after this thought, a big buck came into the opening walking fast and on a mission. I turned the magnification up a bit on my 2x7 scope and got on him. A perfect, symmetrical 4x4. He seemed to almost stop and I fired, he froze and looked up, not sure if I hit him good, I fired again. The second shot broke the shoulder and he circled on the spot and dropped. The first was perfect through the lungs as I later found out.
Blue lost his composure and took off down the hill. He did not see the buck, but the shooting gets him excited. I called him back and we walked down to have a look at our prize. He was a beauty, not a monster, but just pretty, full velvet 4x4 with short brow tines. I snapped a few pics and headed to camp to grab my pack. Took me 2 hours to cape him out and bone him out and I cooled the meat down in the cool breeze. The pack was tipping 120lbs and I had a hard time getting it on, once on though, I was on my way. Went right past my camp and hiked straight down to the truck. Unloaded the meat in the cooler and took off up the trail to get my camp. All in all at 5 pm I was driving. Got home at 11pm. A nice start to the season.
http://i59.tinypic.com/10qkhs7.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/f9mmvb.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/v6p15u.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/2vcvo8j.jpg