Ltbullken
11-09-2007, 07:14 PM
So I went to one of my favorite honey holes not more than 20 minutes out my front door today. Saw a doe right away which bodes well given the rut is underway. Still-hunted up high, put out some scent sticks but to no avail. Then at the end of the day as light was waning, I see 2 does cross a track followed by a buck with head low and nose in the follow about 250 metres in front of me! Looks like the monster 4-point that I have been waiting for!! But wait, darn near the end of legal shooting light and can't be certain about the antlers... I know the deer are headed to a clear cut on the uphill opposite side of the road so I do my best to run up the slope through the timber to the edge without cracking sticks - thank goodness for rain over the last couple days. At the edge, I kneel, get my rifle up and pull out the binos to watch the edge where I think the deer are coming out. Sure enough about 5 minutes later, they get to the edge. But wait, they spook and head back into the timber. Did they see me? Wind was good.
The cut continues uphill just down from where they deer appeared and sure enough, about another 250 M away, they reappear and start steady but sure progress uphill on the cut into brush. A big bodied buck was following 3 ladies. Sure looked like 4x4 with antler spread out to the ears. Yup, that would do just fine. But I can't confirm the points against the brush and my farging optics are just not up to the task at the edge of legal shooting light. I watch until I know I have to pack it in. They nonchalantly continue strolling uphill. I'd break the bank for a spotting scope right now!!! I'm certain I could have sorted the antlers out with a spotting scope. It looked legal and BIG bodied.
So, give it a couple days and I'll go back. My first instinct was to stand hunt that block too!! Darn it. I think they make their way to feed there in the evening. At about the 3000 foot level. I was hunting quite a bit higher than that today as it felt relatively mild. Always listen to instincts!!
That's my tale for the day. I frickin love huntin'!!!:-P
The cut continues uphill just down from where they deer appeared and sure enough, about another 250 M away, they reappear and start steady but sure progress uphill on the cut into brush. A big bodied buck was following 3 ladies. Sure looked like 4x4 with antler spread out to the ears. Yup, that would do just fine. But I can't confirm the points against the brush and my farging optics are just not up to the task at the edge of legal shooting light. I watch until I know I have to pack it in. They nonchalantly continue strolling uphill. I'd break the bank for a spotting scope right now!!! I'm certain I could have sorted the antlers out with a spotting scope. It looked legal and BIG bodied.
So, give it a couple days and I'll go back. My first instinct was to stand hunt that block too!! Darn it. I think they make their way to feed there in the evening. At about the 3000 foot level. I was hunting quite a bit higher than that today as it felt relatively mild. Always listen to instincts!!
That's my tale for the day. I frickin love huntin'!!!:-P