cloverphil
10-05-2011, 04:08 PM
Last weekend, got better as it went along. I got to Princeton Friday evening early enough to set up camp and get some sleep before the morning hunt.
My 9 year old daughter had come along for the ride and slept until I had the tent set up and her bed made.
Saturday morning started early, before sunrise when I awoke to the sound of a Duramax diesel near my tent. My friends had driven up in the early morning hours to join us for the days hunt in the hills.
Soon after daybreak, at one of my favorite new cutblocks, we were overjoyed to see 3 does and their 3 fawns having breakfast. My daughter was quite taken to see the moms and kids in a natural habitat. Another friend of mine had taken his first ever 2 point Muley here last year, but no bucks today. We did see several other dear deer as the day went on, including after sundown standing in the middle of the road.
During the day my friend on his quad had seen a bear, a cow and calf moose, and a few grouse, ( what a mess a 12 ga. makes of grouse)
Sunday morning we had planned on starting early again. My friends who had planned on staying in a motel in town, decided to sleep in the truck, which got uncomfortable and cold, ending in us all sleeping in till 7:30 or 8.
When we parted paths, we met up later on, in the hills, not having much luck with the morning hunt we said our good byes and parted ways again, planing to meet at camp before heading home. They had mentioned leaving for home around 10:30 11, but I wanted to spend most of the day there feeling good about my chances.
Before packing up the tent I decided to go back to the cutblock from the morning before where we had seen the 3 does and fawns. While rounding a corner about a third of the way up the hill we saw a spiker stop in his tracks crossing the road. As I clamored out of the truck with my 8mm-06 to get a shot, he ran, and I noticed a fawn with him. I tried to follow but the bush got thick fast and he made his exit quickly. I realized I had left the truck running with my daughter inside and headed back.
Returning to the truck I decided we were done and headed back to camp to load up and head out. It was now after 12 noon and my friends had already gone home. After loading up I thought, maybe I should take one more run to the end of the road again just for the odd chance that spike was still in the area.
After getting to the end of the road and seeing nothing I turned us around and prepared to head home. Coming back down a hill always seems to go faster than climbing, but at 1:30 all of a sudden there were 5 full grown deer driver's side, beside me walking through a fairly new cutblock about 10 yards from the road; 2 does and 3 bucks; (a 2 point, a spiker, and a 4 point.) I reached to the back window and took down my Uncle's handed down, Marlin 336 in 30-30 Win and slid out of the truck to land on my belly at the side of the road. All 5 deer were slowly climbing higher into the cut block and were getting about 75 yards away.
Having already decided which deer I was aiming for, I called out "HEY," and the 4 point stopped and looked back at me. With his right side facing me, I squeezed off a shot, taking out his lungs, and knocking him down. He got to his feet and climbed over the crest of the hill to fall, 65 yards later, never to get up again. I had run up the hill after them to see if another shot was neccessary, which it wasn't, so I quickly ran back to get the truck with my daughter and grab the knives to start gutting my first 4 point Muley, YES !!!
I don't know if it's true what they say, "Kids who hunt trap and fish, don't mug little old ladies" but my daughter at 9, has now helped gut a snowshoe hair and a 4 point mule deer within a month span and now she can't wait to get her first bow and arrow. . . . I know where I'm taking her to spend that birthday money she's been saving . . . . . lol
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k564/cloverphil/4point.jpg
My 9 year old daughter had come along for the ride and slept until I had the tent set up and her bed made.
Saturday morning started early, before sunrise when I awoke to the sound of a Duramax diesel near my tent. My friends had driven up in the early morning hours to join us for the days hunt in the hills.
Soon after daybreak, at one of my favorite new cutblocks, we were overjoyed to see 3 does and their 3 fawns having breakfast. My daughter was quite taken to see the moms and kids in a natural habitat. Another friend of mine had taken his first ever 2 point Muley here last year, but no bucks today. We did see several other dear deer as the day went on, including after sundown standing in the middle of the road.
During the day my friend on his quad had seen a bear, a cow and calf moose, and a few grouse, ( what a mess a 12 ga. makes of grouse)
Sunday morning we had planned on starting early again. My friends who had planned on staying in a motel in town, decided to sleep in the truck, which got uncomfortable and cold, ending in us all sleeping in till 7:30 or 8.
When we parted paths, we met up later on, in the hills, not having much luck with the morning hunt we said our good byes and parted ways again, planing to meet at camp before heading home. They had mentioned leaving for home around 10:30 11, but I wanted to spend most of the day there feeling good about my chances.
Before packing up the tent I decided to go back to the cutblock from the morning before where we had seen the 3 does and fawns. While rounding a corner about a third of the way up the hill we saw a spiker stop in his tracks crossing the road. As I clamored out of the truck with my 8mm-06 to get a shot, he ran, and I noticed a fawn with him. I tried to follow but the bush got thick fast and he made his exit quickly. I realized I had left the truck running with my daughter inside and headed back.
Returning to the truck I decided we were done and headed back to camp to load up and head out. It was now after 12 noon and my friends had already gone home. After loading up I thought, maybe I should take one more run to the end of the road again just for the odd chance that spike was still in the area.
After getting to the end of the road and seeing nothing I turned us around and prepared to head home. Coming back down a hill always seems to go faster than climbing, but at 1:30 all of a sudden there were 5 full grown deer driver's side, beside me walking through a fairly new cutblock about 10 yards from the road; 2 does and 3 bucks; (a 2 point, a spiker, and a 4 point.) I reached to the back window and took down my Uncle's handed down, Marlin 336 in 30-30 Win and slid out of the truck to land on my belly at the side of the road. All 5 deer were slowly climbing higher into the cut block and were getting about 75 yards away.
Having already decided which deer I was aiming for, I called out "HEY," and the 4 point stopped and looked back at me. With his right side facing me, I squeezed off a shot, taking out his lungs, and knocking him down. He got to his feet and climbed over the crest of the hill to fall, 65 yards later, never to get up again. I had run up the hill after them to see if another shot was neccessary, which it wasn't, so I quickly ran back to get the truck with my daughter and grab the knives to start gutting my first 4 point Muley, YES !!!
I don't know if it's true what they say, "Kids who hunt trap and fish, don't mug little old ladies" but my daughter at 9, has now helped gut a snowshoe hair and a 4 point mule deer within a month span and now she can't wait to get her first bow and arrow. . . . I know where I'm taking her to spend that birthday money she's been saving . . . . . lol
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k564/cloverphil/4point.jpg