Ride
11-28-2012, 11:17 AM
2012 has been a hard season for me this year. Good trips, not a lot of animals seen. It has been steady, but nothing in the shooter category has shown up, until a few days ago. A few friends and i made our annual trip east of PG for late season muleys and whitetails. We have been making this trip for a few years now which we have had some chances on, but no connections yet. We saw lots of animals on the drive out Friday evening and hopes were high heading into Saturday morning. Saturday started with us setting up in our choice spots. This year we had a new hunter with us who is 16 and he was super pumped to be along. This year he has got his first deer and his hopes were high that he could get a whitetail, which was a goal of mine for this trip. We spent saturday morning climbing a mountain in about 8 inches of snow and not a word of complaint from him the whole morning even though we hadn't seen a thing. We changed spots for the evening and moving around the valley bottom were spotting lots of whitetails and mule deer in areas of private land. Evening found us scouting a spot in hopes of nailing down some hutnable deer but to no avail. Lots of pretty, empty country. Sunday found us back at it. First thing in the morning we finally spotted a deer in a spot we could shoot but it was just a little two point muley. We enjoyed seeing him and went on our way, the rest of the morning the more of the same from the day before. Lots of animals, all on private land. Half the group headed for home sunday afternoon and, a little down we decided we would try to focus on hunting within 2km of private land in the hopes of being able to set up on an antlerless whitetail, which my young hunter friend could shoot. Sunday afternoon found us not seeing anything anywhere. It was like everything just disappeared. We setup in a good spot i know near some fields that transit down to the river and nothing. No fresh tracks, no deer, barely even a squirrel. Sunday night the three of us who were still hunting sat down and discussed what should we do. We thought of heading back home but decided since we were there to stay for the next day. a plan was made and we went to bed with hopes of finding some success. Morning found us to a spot well before first light and setup in hopes of an ambush. Unfortunately nothing was seen. We found some fresh sign that got our hopes up, but to no avail. So we headed back to gather our gear and decide where to head next. On the way back to town and our gear we spotted a nice little 5 point whitey that we all would have been happy with, but again he was where we could not shoot. Oh well, we let him tease us a bit and headed to grab our gear.
After grabbing our stuff we decided we should check a spot we had been each day one more time before we headed back to PG. On our way out we saw a good 6x4 muley with a drop tine, again out in a farmers field. By now everyone was a bit grumpy about being teased by all the deer that were on private land. The group decided to check one last spot before hitting the highway home. About 1130 we were moving through a cutblock when all of a sudden we spotted a deer moving through the timber fairly not focused on us. A quick glance confirmed some antlers but then the deer was out of sight. Myself and my young friend moved to a spot where we could get a better view when all of a sudden does were jumping everywhere. My young hunter friend was looking at all the does trying to get a shot when i spotted the buck again. He was trying to leave the area, but couldn't bring himself to leave with out his lady frineds. At about 100 yards out he stopped and offered us a shot, unfortunately which my young friend was in the wrong spot for, but the lane was perfect from where i was. One shot out of my new Xbolt and he dropped like lightning struck him. We were all very excited that we finally had gotten on some deer in a hunting area and also that we had connected on a great buck! We walked up to him and got a good look at him, a beautiful 4 point with sold mass and a big body. He was in rutting condition wth a huge swollen neck and full of sap and scent on his forehead.
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s72/38boggers/Whitetail2012.jpg
With the buck loaded in the truck and spirits high the three of us decided that we should hit the road for home, but stop at a spot and try to find a deer for the the our young hunter and maybe even my other friend. We dropped into a spot bordering some private land and setup. At this point everyone was still elated about our morning and we were telling our young friend how it seems everytime we it where we were a deer walks out. We were talking and snacking quite loudly as it was almost dark and we were getting ready to head out when all of a sudden a deer walked out at 100 yards in the same spot we always seem to see them, Holy cow! a whitetail doe, do you want it? Yes confirmed our young friend who immediately setup and made the perfect shot at 100yds. 2nd deer down in one day! Now we were all jumping around and ecstatic. Our young friend has had quite the year, 2 deer in his first season and was with me when we took the whitetail, so he is all our buck. After a discouraging first couple of days we had a solid result! What a trip. The buck weighed in at 180lbs on the hook at the butchers with no head and skinned out, a solid weight. Now we are looking forward to spring bears and then the new fall season of 2013.
After grabbing our stuff we decided we should check a spot we had been each day one more time before we headed back to PG. On our way out we saw a good 6x4 muley with a drop tine, again out in a farmers field. By now everyone was a bit grumpy about being teased by all the deer that were on private land. The group decided to check one last spot before hitting the highway home. About 1130 we were moving through a cutblock when all of a sudden we spotted a deer moving through the timber fairly not focused on us. A quick glance confirmed some antlers but then the deer was out of sight. Myself and my young friend moved to a spot where we could get a better view when all of a sudden does were jumping everywhere. My young hunter friend was looking at all the does trying to get a shot when i spotted the buck again. He was trying to leave the area, but couldn't bring himself to leave with out his lady frineds. At about 100 yards out he stopped and offered us a shot, unfortunately which my young friend was in the wrong spot for, but the lane was perfect from where i was. One shot out of my new Xbolt and he dropped like lightning struck him. We were all very excited that we finally had gotten on some deer in a hunting area and also that we had connected on a great buck! We walked up to him and got a good look at him, a beautiful 4 point with sold mass and a big body. He was in rutting condition wth a huge swollen neck and full of sap and scent on his forehead.
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s72/38boggers/Whitetail2012.jpg
With the buck loaded in the truck and spirits high the three of us decided that we should hit the road for home, but stop at a spot and try to find a deer for the the our young hunter and maybe even my other friend. We dropped into a spot bordering some private land and setup. At this point everyone was still elated about our morning and we were telling our young friend how it seems everytime we it where we were a deer walks out. We were talking and snacking quite loudly as it was almost dark and we were getting ready to head out when all of a sudden a deer walked out at 100 yards in the same spot we always seem to see them, Holy cow! a whitetail doe, do you want it? Yes confirmed our young friend who immediately setup and made the perfect shot at 100yds. 2nd deer down in one day! Now we were all jumping around and ecstatic. Our young friend has had quite the year, 2 deer in his first season and was with me when we took the whitetail, so he is all our buck. After a discouraging first couple of days we had a solid result! What a trip. The buck weighed in at 180lbs on the hook at the butchers with no head and skinned out, a solid weight. Now we are looking forward to spring bears and then the new fall season of 2013.