brotherjack
11-04-2005, 05:32 PM
This morning, my wife and I wake up in the dark, fumble our way through coffee and breakfast, and head out in hopes of filling my mulie tag. Yesterday I found this spot that's just goregous for mule deer hunting. It's a whole mountainside that got burned off quite a few years ago, and from up on the top you can see for miles in any direction. I also happen to have seen mule deer crawling all over the mountain, so it's good for more than just the visibility.
Got out a little later than we wanted (neither of us are morning people), and headed up the mountain in 4low (did I mention you can drive right up to the top?). Only about half way up, and we spie a whole heard of mulie does. Gotta be a buck or two somewhere - so we park and start glassing. After a good 20 minutes, and unable to find a buck, we decide to head on up the mountain and get setup. We'll still be able to see them from up top, and a lot more besides.
Haven't gone 20 more feet, when two mulie bucks come walking across the trail right in front of us about 100 yards. One of them has a rack twice as wide as his ears, with tines as long as my forearm. I'm scrambling to dig my rifle out of the backseat when my wife, who's glassing him, says "three point.." What? I look at him through my binoculars which have a higher magnification than hers. She must surely be mistaken - this guy is a monster!
After a close examination, the wife is right though. Despite a rack big enough to look like a moose, he's only got 3 points on each side. Tines that look as big around as my wrist, and slightly palmated even. I grumble to myself that this is what comes from 4 point antler restrictions; 3 point monsters.. sigh... Regardless, no amount of wishing will make him grow a 4th tine.
After they pass by enough that we can drive on without spooking them, we head on up the hill. Get to the top and setup. As we get out, there's a 2 point mulie thrashing a tree not 200 yards from where we park, and half a dozen does still in sight. The wife and I call this 'mule deer hill' for a reason!
After setting up to glass the hills, my wife suggests that maybe it would be good for me to go do some hiking. I could use the exercise, and I can go poke around in the areas she can't glass from the top. Sounds good to me, so off I go.
20 minutes later, I'm just peeking over into a little depression in the hillside, and there's a mulie herd not 50 yards from me. 10 does, and our same two bucks we saw on the way in. I sit back to just watch a bit. I love to watch critters, even if they ain't legal to shoot. Maybe a bigger guy will stick his head out for me, you never know...
The big 3 point wrecks a few shrubs for fun, and then grunts at the doe's a few times. I look at him throug the 12x bionoculars just to get a real close look at him. Nope, no kicker points or anything; just a clean 3x3 rack with tines that must be well north of 20 inches long. Awesome, but not legal. As the deer are slowly making their way across, they come within 30 yards of me. I do my best rock immitation, and get to watch as the big 3x3 and a smaller 3x3 do some light sparing with the antlers. Totally amazing experience. I wish I had my camera.
After a while, they meander slowly out of sight, and I decide to go get my camera out of the vehicle and come back, and then maybe I can show you guys a picture the biggest dang 3 point mulie you've ever seen. But on the way back to the truck, I spie a group of about 10 does on the far hillside. Sorry guys, but mulie hunting takes precidence over getting cool pictures for you. I suck it up, and start the grueling hike down and back up.
When I finally got to where I could see the herd, I look and look and look some more. No antlers anywhere. You gotta be kidding me; 10 does don't get to run around alone during the rut, I don't believe it. I keep sneaking closer and glassing, but nothing. Finally, I screw up and get too close and they take off at a slow trot away from me. Up the hill of course. I suck it up again, and head off after them; hoping that they're heading for the bucks. I hit the top of the hill huffing and puffing, with my heart pounding in my chest like a jackhammer. No doe's to be seen. Dang it! I explore the ridgeline for half an hour, but nope, they're gone.
I start off back towards where my wife is sitting at a much more sedate pace. I'm pretty spent, but happy. It's been a great day so far, and it's not even noon yet. The doe's I was chasing are crossing in front of my wife when I get back, along with a 2 point buck. It's getting close to noon, and the wife has stuff to do in the afternoon, so we pack up and head out. On the way down, we decide to explore a side road or two before we go home.
5 minutes up a little side trail, my wife starts screaming for me to stop. Look over, and about 40 yards off the trail is the biggest mule deer I've ever seen. I can see 4 points without glassing him, but the wife gives a quick look through the binoculars to be sure while I scramble for my gun. Oh my, yes! Full tilt, adrenalin rush, out of the truck, smack the clip into the rifle, run the bolt as fast as I can, bring it up, crosshairs on the neck (because I don't shoot critters in the butt), BOOM!
Ouch, I suck - I saw the rifle pulling hard in the scope before it went off - I know I missed. Too excited. Luckily, the deer walks sedately another 50 yards away and turns broadside. Gotta love a rut-mad mulie! I duck low behind some brush and scamper over to within 50 yards of him again, breathe a few times to calm down, and then raise up from behind the bushes and put the crosshairs on his heart and BOOM again. Rifle didn't pull that time, should be a perfect shot, but he doesn't even flinch. What!?!?!!? Heart shot won't mess up much meat, no harm in doing it twice to be sure - pump the bolt, crosshairs on his heart, and BOOM. Doesn't flinch. Once more for luck; BOOM, and he hops off to about 40 yards, with no blood welling up out of his side. Oh, man, my scope must have been smacked somewhere along the way. I'm feeling pretty low about this point, and I holler at my wife to get over here with her gun NOW!
I sneak back to within sight of the deer, and he's down on his knees; blood spurting out of his neck to the beat of his heart. Maybe my first shot wasn't so far off after all. I walk up to about 15 yards, figuring that the scope can't be off bad enough to miss from here; and put one in his neck and it's all over. Good thing the last bullet did the trick - I'm out of ammo. Scope is definitely off though - I put the crosshairs on the spot where the spine should meet the base of the skull, and my bullet went through inches away from my aim point. Just lucky it still severed the spine where it hit. Man, I gotta be more careful with my rifle.
Regardless; deer on the ground. It was by the grace of God that I happened to pull the rifle on that first shot just enough to put a bullet through his jugular. My wife and I said some prayers, and that was it; except for all the hard work. Pics to follow.
Got out a little later than we wanted (neither of us are morning people), and headed up the mountain in 4low (did I mention you can drive right up to the top?). Only about half way up, and we spie a whole heard of mulie does. Gotta be a buck or two somewhere - so we park and start glassing. After a good 20 minutes, and unable to find a buck, we decide to head on up the mountain and get setup. We'll still be able to see them from up top, and a lot more besides.
Haven't gone 20 more feet, when two mulie bucks come walking across the trail right in front of us about 100 yards. One of them has a rack twice as wide as his ears, with tines as long as my forearm. I'm scrambling to dig my rifle out of the backseat when my wife, who's glassing him, says "three point.." What? I look at him through my binoculars which have a higher magnification than hers. She must surely be mistaken - this guy is a monster!
After a close examination, the wife is right though. Despite a rack big enough to look like a moose, he's only got 3 points on each side. Tines that look as big around as my wrist, and slightly palmated even. I grumble to myself that this is what comes from 4 point antler restrictions; 3 point monsters.. sigh... Regardless, no amount of wishing will make him grow a 4th tine.
After they pass by enough that we can drive on without spooking them, we head on up the hill. Get to the top and setup. As we get out, there's a 2 point mulie thrashing a tree not 200 yards from where we park, and half a dozen does still in sight. The wife and I call this 'mule deer hill' for a reason!
After setting up to glass the hills, my wife suggests that maybe it would be good for me to go do some hiking. I could use the exercise, and I can go poke around in the areas she can't glass from the top. Sounds good to me, so off I go.
20 minutes later, I'm just peeking over into a little depression in the hillside, and there's a mulie herd not 50 yards from me. 10 does, and our same two bucks we saw on the way in. I sit back to just watch a bit. I love to watch critters, even if they ain't legal to shoot. Maybe a bigger guy will stick his head out for me, you never know...
The big 3 point wrecks a few shrubs for fun, and then grunts at the doe's a few times. I look at him throug the 12x bionoculars just to get a real close look at him. Nope, no kicker points or anything; just a clean 3x3 rack with tines that must be well north of 20 inches long. Awesome, but not legal. As the deer are slowly making their way across, they come within 30 yards of me. I do my best rock immitation, and get to watch as the big 3x3 and a smaller 3x3 do some light sparing with the antlers. Totally amazing experience. I wish I had my camera.
After a while, they meander slowly out of sight, and I decide to go get my camera out of the vehicle and come back, and then maybe I can show you guys a picture the biggest dang 3 point mulie you've ever seen. But on the way back to the truck, I spie a group of about 10 does on the far hillside. Sorry guys, but mulie hunting takes precidence over getting cool pictures for you. I suck it up, and start the grueling hike down and back up.
When I finally got to where I could see the herd, I look and look and look some more. No antlers anywhere. You gotta be kidding me; 10 does don't get to run around alone during the rut, I don't believe it. I keep sneaking closer and glassing, but nothing. Finally, I screw up and get too close and they take off at a slow trot away from me. Up the hill of course. I suck it up again, and head off after them; hoping that they're heading for the bucks. I hit the top of the hill huffing and puffing, with my heart pounding in my chest like a jackhammer. No doe's to be seen. Dang it! I explore the ridgeline for half an hour, but nope, they're gone.
I start off back towards where my wife is sitting at a much more sedate pace. I'm pretty spent, but happy. It's been a great day so far, and it's not even noon yet. The doe's I was chasing are crossing in front of my wife when I get back, along with a 2 point buck. It's getting close to noon, and the wife has stuff to do in the afternoon, so we pack up and head out. On the way down, we decide to explore a side road or two before we go home.
5 minutes up a little side trail, my wife starts screaming for me to stop. Look over, and about 40 yards off the trail is the biggest mule deer I've ever seen. I can see 4 points without glassing him, but the wife gives a quick look through the binoculars to be sure while I scramble for my gun. Oh my, yes! Full tilt, adrenalin rush, out of the truck, smack the clip into the rifle, run the bolt as fast as I can, bring it up, crosshairs on the neck (because I don't shoot critters in the butt), BOOM!
Ouch, I suck - I saw the rifle pulling hard in the scope before it went off - I know I missed. Too excited. Luckily, the deer walks sedately another 50 yards away and turns broadside. Gotta love a rut-mad mulie! I duck low behind some brush and scamper over to within 50 yards of him again, breathe a few times to calm down, and then raise up from behind the bushes and put the crosshairs on his heart and BOOM again. Rifle didn't pull that time, should be a perfect shot, but he doesn't even flinch. What!?!?!!? Heart shot won't mess up much meat, no harm in doing it twice to be sure - pump the bolt, crosshairs on his heart, and BOOM. Doesn't flinch. Once more for luck; BOOM, and he hops off to about 40 yards, with no blood welling up out of his side. Oh, man, my scope must have been smacked somewhere along the way. I'm feeling pretty low about this point, and I holler at my wife to get over here with her gun NOW!
I sneak back to within sight of the deer, and he's down on his knees; blood spurting out of his neck to the beat of his heart. Maybe my first shot wasn't so far off after all. I walk up to about 15 yards, figuring that the scope can't be off bad enough to miss from here; and put one in his neck and it's all over. Good thing the last bullet did the trick - I'm out of ammo. Scope is definitely off though - I put the crosshairs on the spot where the spine should meet the base of the skull, and my bullet went through inches away from my aim point. Just lucky it still severed the spine where it hit. Man, I gotta be more careful with my rifle.
Regardless; deer on the ground. It was by the grace of God that I happened to pull the rifle on that first shot just enough to put a bullet through his jugular. My wife and I said some prayers, and that was it; except for all the hard work. Pics to follow.