C.Groves
10-06-2011, 06:05 PM
And boy its a beauty! READ THE STORY FIRST PLEASE :mrgreen:
I decided to head out around 2:30 to go scope some areas I have been hunting since the start of the season. It all started out by walking through grassy hills with my rifle on my shoulder and binos around my neck. I was looking for somewhere to set up a new blind as the first one that my buddy set up earlier this year will be used later in the season.
I had no luck with any deer in the area I was scoping, so I decided to drive up a bit further and look where my buddy dave shot his 4x3 mule at the start of the season. As I drove up the hill and came into the field I stopped to glass the hill to my right. I spotted a white butt, a mule doe was feeding on some shrubs. I knew that where there is one, there is more. I hiked up the hill it was on, keeping a good distance of course, to see what other deer she was with. I've seen a good sized 3x2 mule buck on the same ridge and since I still have my mule tag open I thought why not take it if its there.
When I came over the top of the hill I noticed there were 3 fawns bedded in the grass. I took up my binos and glassed the area more, then moved up the hill for a better overview look. I startled them a little bit to where they stood up and noticed there were a hand full more then just the doe and 3 fawns, no bucks but 3 more does and 5 fawns. Instead of just walking away from the area and leaving them be I thought I would just stay put and watch there habits as rut is coming soon and I have seen many signs of it.
Getting a little bored I thought that I should try doing a call with my voice, making a call like a buck for a couple minutes sure enough the does started wondering over closer to me. I was really surprised, it was pretty darn cool to do. I backed out of the spot and let them be after about an hour.
Got in my truck and headed up to 8-6 where I had a area that I really wanted to check out. I thought I saw a bedded doe but when I walked down the hill I noticed it was another stump deer. I walked down the hill more to look down on the flats and gullies. No deer but tons of trails.
I got a text from my mother asking if I was coming home soon to go to wings with the family and I replied " Yes, coming home soon, Will be back by 6 then we can go." I stood a little longer, about 15 minutes then realized I had to take a leak. When the main vein was drained I started back to my truck which was about 1km up the hill.
I got about half way up when I heard a BOOM BOOM BOOM behind me. I turned around and started running to look over the hill I had just come up. When I was running I didn't notice a log on the ground and went head over heels to my face, wasn't that fun, but it didn't faze me at the time. Looking over the hill to the meadow I was just in was a giant 5x5 White Tail with chocolate brown antlers. He looked at me and started running again, as did I! When I had a shot at him he was still running at about 80 yards and I miss.
I quickly reloaded and kept going, I went under a tree then up onto a rocky peak on the small hill and there he was, 125yard roughly, broadside just staring at me. I took no time to put a perfect shot right into the vitals about a half inch behind the shoulder. I knew that was a kill shot but didn't want him going any further as I was by myself and getting him out would endure some heavy work. Another shot at him as he was running hit him right in the back of the head and came out just beside the right main beam.
He dropped on the spot. I instantly called my dad to ask him for help as I was walking over to the buck. I had the biggest rush going through me and couldn't believe it! My first buck that I had shot was a beautiful 5x5 Whitetail!
It took 5 of us to get him about a 1km up a slippery grass hill and onto the road after field dressing.
My dad was a hunter once but he could never pull the trigger on a deer, personal reasons I guess, but when he got there I said to him "Dad I pulled the trigger!" His eyes went glossy and he gave me a hug and said to me, "F***ing rights Casey, F***ing rights, that is one hell of a reward for you spending the time you do out here."
Here are the photos!!
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/Cgroves91/IMG_0696.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/Cgroves91/IMG_0701.png
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/Cgroves91/IMG_0698.jpg
Thats my story from yesterday evening! When I go for my mule I am going to try and use a bow and see what that is like!
Shot with my Browning X-Bolt 30-06 Stalker using 150gr Federal Ammo
I decided to head out around 2:30 to go scope some areas I have been hunting since the start of the season. It all started out by walking through grassy hills with my rifle on my shoulder and binos around my neck. I was looking for somewhere to set up a new blind as the first one that my buddy set up earlier this year will be used later in the season.
I had no luck with any deer in the area I was scoping, so I decided to drive up a bit further and look where my buddy dave shot his 4x3 mule at the start of the season. As I drove up the hill and came into the field I stopped to glass the hill to my right. I spotted a white butt, a mule doe was feeding on some shrubs. I knew that where there is one, there is more. I hiked up the hill it was on, keeping a good distance of course, to see what other deer she was with. I've seen a good sized 3x2 mule buck on the same ridge and since I still have my mule tag open I thought why not take it if its there.
When I came over the top of the hill I noticed there were 3 fawns bedded in the grass. I took up my binos and glassed the area more, then moved up the hill for a better overview look. I startled them a little bit to where they stood up and noticed there were a hand full more then just the doe and 3 fawns, no bucks but 3 more does and 5 fawns. Instead of just walking away from the area and leaving them be I thought I would just stay put and watch there habits as rut is coming soon and I have seen many signs of it.
Getting a little bored I thought that I should try doing a call with my voice, making a call like a buck for a couple minutes sure enough the does started wondering over closer to me. I was really surprised, it was pretty darn cool to do. I backed out of the spot and let them be after about an hour.
Got in my truck and headed up to 8-6 where I had a area that I really wanted to check out. I thought I saw a bedded doe but when I walked down the hill I noticed it was another stump deer. I walked down the hill more to look down on the flats and gullies. No deer but tons of trails.
I got a text from my mother asking if I was coming home soon to go to wings with the family and I replied " Yes, coming home soon, Will be back by 6 then we can go." I stood a little longer, about 15 minutes then realized I had to take a leak. When the main vein was drained I started back to my truck which was about 1km up the hill.
I got about half way up when I heard a BOOM BOOM BOOM behind me. I turned around and started running to look over the hill I had just come up. When I was running I didn't notice a log on the ground and went head over heels to my face, wasn't that fun, but it didn't faze me at the time. Looking over the hill to the meadow I was just in was a giant 5x5 White Tail with chocolate brown antlers. He looked at me and started running again, as did I! When I had a shot at him he was still running at about 80 yards and I miss.
I quickly reloaded and kept going, I went under a tree then up onto a rocky peak on the small hill and there he was, 125yard roughly, broadside just staring at me. I took no time to put a perfect shot right into the vitals about a half inch behind the shoulder. I knew that was a kill shot but didn't want him going any further as I was by myself and getting him out would endure some heavy work. Another shot at him as he was running hit him right in the back of the head and came out just beside the right main beam.
He dropped on the spot. I instantly called my dad to ask him for help as I was walking over to the buck. I had the biggest rush going through me and couldn't believe it! My first buck that I had shot was a beautiful 5x5 Whitetail!
It took 5 of us to get him about a 1km up a slippery grass hill and onto the road after field dressing.
My dad was a hunter once but he could never pull the trigger on a deer, personal reasons I guess, but when he got there I said to him "Dad I pulled the trigger!" His eyes went glossy and he gave me a hug and said to me, "F***ing rights Casey, F***ing rights, that is one hell of a reward for you spending the time you do out here."
Here are the photos!!
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/Cgroves91/IMG_0696.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/Cgroves91/IMG_0701.png
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/Cgroves91/IMG_0698.jpg
Thats my story from yesterday evening! When I go for my mule I am going to try and use a bow and see what that is like!
Shot with my Browning X-Bolt 30-06 Stalker using 150gr Federal Ammo