srupp
10-17-2007, 03:34 PM
Well with the closing soon of the mule deer regular season and not having had any success for myself and wanting to make some more smokies and breakfast sausages I decided to hit an area "hard"
We arrived at the area by 6 am well before the dawn was even thinking of showing up...we loaded our packsacks and with Tikka lights strapped on headed uphill towards the deer feeding area. We hadnt covered much ground when the very familliar THUMP THUMP THUMP of mule deer bounding away which made us stop and re-evaluate our game plan so after a moments dicussion we hunkered down and awaited some light to attempt to see any deer before we scared all of them away.
At first light we slowly stalked forward a few yards at a time taking time to glass the areas a head and to the sides....eventually we came to an area that allowed good glassing and sat....a couple hours later Tim headed home to work and I slowly eased along a draw..in the next 2 hours I saw 12 or so does and 4 bucks non of which presented a legitimate shot..but I noted where ALL of them headed so early in the afternoon I placed myself in an area I though might present a shot...a LONG shot but a shot if the deer came out by legal light..
By 6 pm I was suddenly aware of movement through the trees some 400 yards away and slowly the deer started heading out to feed ..I noted 18 deer in all over a football FIELD sized area..and 4 of them were bucks...although I was in complete camo and perfeectly "at one with a juniper bush" :eek: I could tell that the deer were very nervous not activly feeding but looking smelling and only taking hesitant mouthfulls so I got the best rest I could and picked out a meat buck some 300 yards away..and slowly squeezed off a shot..and a moment later I could hear the "whump" and saw the buck drop.
It had taken 13 hours that day and enormous patience when it looked like just another hike and picnic in them thar hills...
I found out the hard way what happens when your only light for field dressing a deer has its batteries go dim...luckily through years of repitition of field dressing animals not only do I still have 10 fingers I didnt even suffer a cut...
I arrived home very late and very tired but now have the makings of several sausage making events.
Steven
We arrived at the area by 6 am well before the dawn was even thinking of showing up...we loaded our packsacks and with Tikka lights strapped on headed uphill towards the deer feeding area. We hadnt covered much ground when the very familliar THUMP THUMP THUMP of mule deer bounding away which made us stop and re-evaluate our game plan so after a moments dicussion we hunkered down and awaited some light to attempt to see any deer before we scared all of them away.
At first light we slowly stalked forward a few yards at a time taking time to glass the areas a head and to the sides....eventually we came to an area that allowed good glassing and sat....a couple hours later Tim headed home to work and I slowly eased along a draw..in the next 2 hours I saw 12 or so does and 4 bucks non of which presented a legitimate shot..but I noted where ALL of them headed so early in the afternoon I placed myself in an area I though might present a shot...a LONG shot but a shot if the deer came out by legal light..
By 6 pm I was suddenly aware of movement through the trees some 400 yards away and slowly the deer started heading out to feed ..I noted 18 deer in all over a football FIELD sized area..and 4 of them were bucks...although I was in complete camo and perfeectly "at one with a juniper bush" :eek: I could tell that the deer were very nervous not activly feeding but looking smelling and only taking hesitant mouthfulls so I got the best rest I could and picked out a meat buck some 300 yards away..and slowly squeezed off a shot..and a moment later I could hear the "whump" and saw the buck drop.
It had taken 13 hours that day and enormous patience when it looked like just another hike and picnic in them thar hills...
I found out the hard way what happens when your only light for field dressing a deer has its batteries go dim...luckily through years of repitition of field dressing animals not only do I still have 10 fingers I didnt even suffer a cut...
I arrived home very late and very tired but now have the makings of several sausage making events.
Steven