DWEL
10-21-2008, 10:21 AM
Thanksgiving weekend I talked my buddy into going up to his ranch in Lytton. We were planning to go up the mountain in the morning to a spot we had previously seen deer. When we arrived at the ranch Friday afternoon I started glassing the lower alphalfa fields and what do you know 3 muley does.
About 60 yards away from the does another doe appears and my friend says keep watching cause she won't be alone.
About 5 minutes goes by and up out of nowhere another deer stands up, antlers!!
They are about a 800 yds. away and 200 feet below us so the plan is I am to climb down the slope (cliff) and get to the bottom field and he will go around the long way. I get to the bottom and now the land is rolling so I have some cover to get closer. Wind is in my face, all is good. Crawl up to the top of a mound and peer over from about 200 yards, looking through the binos I can't find the buck, doe is still there but no buck.
I am hoping he just bedded down again so I creep closer, at 150 yards when I stand up I'm out of cover so I get ready and pop my head up.
The three does see me and bolt, the other doe pops here head up and starts to go too and suddenly there are 2 bucks up and out of the beds.
I kneel and take aim and down one goes and from 200 yards to my left I here a shot and my buddy gets the other. This all took about an hour from the time I started down the cliff to the pic below.
Not really the hunt I had in mind for my first but it was fun. It was very exciting trying to get in close to them without getting busted. I am hooked.
So finally here is my first.http://thumb14.webshots.net/t/55/755/4/10/93/2130410930053609974fAoxDx_th.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2130410930053609974fAoxDx)
Taken with a Winchester M70 .270.
I learned alot that day about stalking, wind direction, gutting and skinning and that the real work does indeed start after the shot.
Dave
About 60 yards away from the does another doe appears and my friend says keep watching cause she won't be alone.
About 5 minutes goes by and up out of nowhere another deer stands up, antlers!!
They are about a 800 yds. away and 200 feet below us so the plan is I am to climb down the slope (cliff) and get to the bottom field and he will go around the long way. I get to the bottom and now the land is rolling so I have some cover to get closer. Wind is in my face, all is good. Crawl up to the top of a mound and peer over from about 200 yards, looking through the binos I can't find the buck, doe is still there but no buck.
I am hoping he just bedded down again so I creep closer, at 150 yards when I stand up I'm out of cover so I get ready and pop my head up.
The three does see me and bolt, the other doe pops here head up and starts to go too and suddenly there are 2 bucks up and out of the beds.
I kneel and take aim and down one goes and from 200 yards to my left I here a shot and my buddy gets the other. This all took about an hour from the time I started down the cliff to the pic below.
Not really the hunt I had in mind for my first but it was fun. It was very exciting trying to get in close to them without getting busted. I am hooked.
So finally here is my first.http://thumb14.webshots.net/t/55/755/4/10/93/2130410930053609974fAoxDx_th.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2130410930053609974fAoxDx)
Taken with a Winchester M70 .270.
I learned alot that day about stalking, wind direction, gutting and skinning and that the real work does indeed start after the shot.
Dave