Lugg
11-27-2018, 09:35 AM
This is our 3rd or 4th season hunting. Last year we had some luck on our last day. As we were leaving we got our first buck just off the FSR. Nice Mule.
This year my son and I spent at least 12 days out, lots of fun and bonding but no success with any of our tags.
First trip out on a long weekend we saw our first whitetail buck ever, actually our first whitetail ever. A "big one". It was early our first morning about 90 minutes into our hike. Just as my son was getting a bit defeated that we'd seen nothing I looked up and saw this buck on a ridge traveling like he was late for dinner. Very unexpected. Pointed him out and readied myself while my son tried to range him, he'd not stop moving so I gave a loud "Wooo!", he stopped dead and looked toward us. My son could not range him, and it was not a legal shot anyway as he was on the ridge with nothing to stop my bullet behind him. He moved down slightly as he continued on, now I could shoot so I gave another "Wooo!" to slow him down, he stopped... my son ranged at 200 yards (a shot I've made many times while practicing.) I adjusted my scope using the dope chart for reference... Clean miss. In my adrenaline fueled haste I used the wrong mil-dot even though I knew exactly which one I should have used. As soon as I fired I knew... it was embarrassing but I'm very happy it was a clean miss. We went up to check just to be sure. I learned a few lessons and no injury to the deer, so I'm happy though still embarrassed that I took the shot only thinking I was ready, but not actually being so.
We also took a week long trip, we do this each year. We had to leave early due to a badly worn u-joint that once found I did not want to push any further, no bearings left at all, caps where damaged. Not sure how it did not make any noise except when off-road at a steep angle. It was in bad shape. We only spent 3 days out and had just found a spot that had a lot of deer but it was about a 2 hour drive up some logging roads, then a 30-45 minute hike.
All other trips were uneventful. We saw over 50 mule doe, I swear they know they're safe because a good portion of them just sit there and look at you while they eat, even from 20 feet away. The only buck we saw all season was that first whitetail.
A cool thing this year is we actually got to sit and watch some females eat and just live life. We learned a lot about their movement, etc.
We started spotting deer that would normally have been invisible to us.
I may have one more chance as we're going to Vernon Thursday night to visit family, the last day there for whitetail bucks is the 30th which is Friday. Never hunted this area and don't know if it's worth the effort as it will likely be a FSR hunt, maybe with a bit of hiking.
Hope everyone else had better luck than us!
This year my son and I spent at least 12 days out, lots of fun and bonding but no success with any of our tags.
First trip out on a long weekend we saw our first whitetail buck ever, actually our first whitetail ever. A "big one". It was early our first morning about 90 minutes into our hike. Just as my son was getting a bit defeated that we'd seen nothing I looked up and saw this buck on a ridge traveling like he was late for dinner. Very unexpected. Pointed him out and readied myself while my son tried to range him, he'd not stop moving so I gave a loud "Wooo!", he stopped dead and looked toward us. My son could not range him, and it was not a legal shot anyway as he was on the ridge with nothing to stop my bullet behind him. He moved down slightly as he continued on, now I could shoot so I gave another "Wooo!" to slow him down, he stopped... my son ranged at 200 yards (a shot I've made many times while practicing.) I adjusted my scope using the dope chart for reference... Clean miss. In my adrenaline fueled haste I used the wrong mil-dot even though I knew exactly which one I should have used. As soon as I fired I knew... it was embarrassing but I'm very happy it was a clean miss. We went up to check just to be sure. I learned a few lessons and no injury to the deer, so I'm happy though still embarrassed that I took the shot only thinking I was ready, but not actually being so.
We also took a week long trip, we do this each year. We had to leave early due to a badly worn u-joint that once found I did not want to push any further, no bearings left at all, caps where damaged. Not sure how it did not make any noise except when off-road at a steep angle. It was in bad shape. We only spent 3 days out and had just found a spot that had a lot of deer but it was about a 2 hour drive up some logging roads, then a 30-45 minute hike.
All other trips were uneventful. We saw over 50 mule doe, I swear they know they're safe because a good portion of them just sit there and look at you while they eat, even from 20 feet away. The only buck we saw all season was that first whitetail.
A cool thing this year is we actually got to sit and watch some females eat and just live life. We learned a lot about their movement, etc.
We started spotting deer that would normally have been invisible to us.
I may have one more chance as we're going to Vernon Thursday night to visit family, the last day there for whitetail bucks is the 30th which is Friday. Never hunted this area and don't know if it's worth the effort as it will likely be a FSR hunt, maybe with a bit of hiking.
Hope everyone else had better luck than us!