JDR
10-31-2009, 09:53 AM
Went out yesterday morning and saw lots of sign down low. In some spots, the road was so polluted with tracks I could barely see the road. Got to my spot which was about 5,000 feet up with 5 inches of snow and saw very little sign, so I decided to go back down the mountain. As I descended, the fog began rolling in so I thought I would stay up higher and try a different spot. After passing by my original spot I didn't see much sign and then I eventually started seeing more and more (even up high). I drove in on a road I had never been on before, but was familiar with the area thanks to google earth :wink:. As I was driving I cut a fairly fresh large track going up a semi-open hill, so I decide to follow:
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/2009muleystrackscropped.jpg
The snow was quite squeaky, which sucked! After following the tracks for a few minutes I came across a bed from earlier in the morning. The tracks kept heading up hill, so I followed. As I crested the hill I jumped a dear about 70 yards away, but couldn't see it. I immediately blew on my grunt tube hoping this would calm the deer (assuming it didn't see me). After a few minutes I began my stalk and found another deer bed, except this one was fresh. While checking out the bed I heard branches breaking and what sounded like antlers raking a tree. I'm thinking to myself "did I just hear that?" I heard the raking again. "Yup I heard that". I blew on my grunt tube again and then started breaking branches. I took one of the larger branches and began raking a tree. A couple minutes later I am in disbelief as I see a deer moving through the trees towards me and soon discover he has antlers. The few glimpses I get, I figure he's decent, but is he a 4? Soon he is right in front of me, about 50 yards away, but is behind a large tree. He doesn’t see me and I wait for him to clear the tree. I say a little prayer asking God not to change the wind direction :wink:. Soon the buck steps out and I quickly count 4 points on the right side and squeeze - "BOOM"!
As it turned out I shot him from his own bed. This picture shows the tree I was standing behind when I shot. The buck came from the top left and was shot just to the left of the pine in the centre of the picture:
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/shotlocation1cropped.jpg
After gutting him I ran down to see where and what he was raking and this is what I found:
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/2009muleysrubcropped.jpg
And here's the buck:
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/2009muleycropped.jpg
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/2009muleyintruckcropped.jpg
Overall this was one of my favourite hunts and I want to thank HBC username "eyebowhunt" for the tip about breaking branches and raking a tree. I’ve heard from a few people that raking works better than rattling for mulies. What's been your experience?
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/2009muleystrackscropped.jpg
The snow was quite squeaky, which sucked! After following the tracks for a few minutes I came across a bed from earlier in the morning. The tracks kept heading up hill, so I followed. As I crested the hill I jumped a dear about 70 yards away, but couldn't see it. I immediately blew on my grunt tube hoping this would calm the deer (assuming it didn't see me). After a few minutes I began my stalk and found another deer bed, except this one was fresh. While checking out the bed I heard branches breaking and what sounded like antlers raking a tree. I'm thinking to myself "did I just hear that?" I heard the raking again. "Yup I heard that". I blew on my grunt tube again and then started breaking branches. I took one of the larger branches and began raking a tree. A couple minutes later I am in disbelief as I see a deer moving through the trees towards me and soon discover he has antlers. The few glimpses I get, I figure he's decent, but is he a 4? Soon he is right in front of me, about 50 yards away, but is behind a large tree. He doesn’t see me and I wait for him to clear the tree. I say a little prayer asking God not to change the wind direction :wink:. Soon the buck steps out and I quickly count 4 points on the right side and squeeze - "BOOM"!
As it turned out I shot him from his own bed. This picture shows the tree I was standing behind when I shot. The buck came from the top left and was shot just to the left of the pine in the centre of the picture:
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/shotlocation1cropped.jpg
After gutting him I ran down to see where and what he was raking and this is what I found:
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/2009muleysrubcropped.jpg
And here's the buck:
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/2009muleycropped.jpg
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx113/Muleybuck/2009muleyintruckcropped.jpg
Overall this was one of my favourite hunts and I want to thank HBC username "eyebowhunt" for the tip about breaking branches and raking a tree. I’ve heard from a few people that raking works better than rattling for mulies. What's been your experience?