Your best "As they lay" Pics!

[HarryToolips]

Beauty, congrats!...

[longrifle]

[Arctic Lake]

[Any other pictures of that bull ?
Arctic LakeQUOTE=Cat catcher;2464319][/QUOTE]

[Cat catcher]

[Any other pictures of that bull ?
Arctic LakeQUOTE=Cat catcher;2464319]

[/QUOTE]

[Arctic Lake]

Very nice !
[/QUOTE]

[Husky7mm]

Decent buck Long Rifle, was it a 4 or 5 point, hard to tell.

[Husky7mm]

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About a 170m shot to the side of the neck when he turned his head around to see what the noise was. Didn't go twenty. Had the guts out of him before he even knew he was dead as its was almost dark and -30 with the wind.

This buck actually grew instead of shrunk like most do. Still a young deer too.

[Arctic Lake]

Fine looking Buck there Husky !

[url=https://postimg.cc/2b57t34P]


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[url=https://postimg.cc/2b57t34P]

About a 170m shot to the side of the neck when he turned his head around to see what the noise was. Didn't go twenty. Had the guts out of him before he even knew he was dead as its was almost dark and -30 with the wind.

This buck actually grew instead of shrunk like most do. Still a young deer too.

[HarryToolips]

Beauty WT's guys!...

[mike31154]

Apologies I can no longer embed photos from my cloud service so links will have to do. Many years in pursuit of a deer with no success I finally connected with this decent young 4 point.

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Owing to my lack of success over the years I decided to apply for LEH antlerless mule deer in MU-3-12 to increase my chances. Amazingly I won a draw. Although familiar with the area I had never hunted it. My dad's uncle used to have a cabin at Pinaus Lake & I rode the FSR on my motorbike some years ago. A few days before my lucky day I headed up there for a look around, destination Woods Lake. Off to a late start & a few wrong turns I lost more time but eventually made it to the lake. Intended on taking the FSR back home as it goes all the way to Westside Road on Okanagan Lake but by now it was too late.

A few days later determined to get in a full day I got up at 0400 to ensure I arrived before sunrise. Drove around the lake & up a spur on the other side which was a tad sketchy in the Taco. There was another hunter in the area camped at the lake with his SxS & pooch. I'd watched him cruise up the same spur on my previous visit. Plenty of deer tracks on sections of the road. Parked the Taco & started walking the road to explore where it might end. Just as I was rounding a bend I spied a 4 point buck off to my left. Much rather bag a buck vs antlerless, no? He disappeared behind a rise & trying to anticipate where he might end up, I headed off the road in pursuit. The wind was in my favour & he hadn't noticed me, but by the time I got a peek over the rise he was nowhere to be seen. Followed the spur to the end & decided to explore further off road. Going was relatively easy as most of the area had been burned in the fires a few years before. Here's a photo of the furthest point I ventured.

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Returned to the truck around a high point on the opposite side of the road I had spotted the buck. All told close to 6 Kms on foot. Lunch & time to ponder my next move, thinking oh well another day without getting a deer. Didn't have another long hike in my old legs. Plan B was a drive to Jimmy Lake to scout that for next time. By this time the ground had thawed & the road was scary sketchy with a thin film of mud making it like driving on a layer of oil. Sweating bullets on the steep narrow bit back down to Woods Lake. One of the few times I used 4 low creeping along at a walking pace hoping I don't lose traction & slide off the road.

Off to Jimmy Lake then eh? Several Kms short of my destination damned if a mulie didn't cross the road in front of me. He took note as I pulled over but wasn't in a great hurry to get out of dodge. On the other side of the road was an open block of rising terrain full of backhoe scoops. I suspect it might have been a fireguard. This he headed up while I grabbed my 270 out of the back & loaded it. Maybe should grab a jacket too. By the time I got organized & looked up the block I couldn't see him. Back to the Taco, grab the binos. Fortunately I caught sight of his white rump & started making my way up for a shot position. It was pretty lumpy & the holes from the backhoe provided cover.

Just short of making the trees he had stopped & was looking down in my direction. Didn't have a shooting stick or my pack to lay on, I took a knee & got him in my scope crosshairs. Did not want to lay down in the damp muddy terrain. About 100 yds I think & I try to remember my last day at the range with this gun. Had I sighted it in at 100 or 200? I was using my own reloads. Not much time to think & I'm generally a fairly calm fella, but with the anticipation of finally succeeding I failed to realize I had the scope on its lowest 4x setting. Could have dialed it up a bit no? No matter, I squeezed off a round & saw him flinch so knew it was a hit.

He took a few steps & seemed to just stand there. Gave it a half minute & decided another shot might be in order. This time I saw some dirt fly well in front of him so I knew I botched that shot. He was still frozen in place, took aim once more & squeezed, this time he dropped like a sack of.... something. Finally, whew! As I made my way up to him I thought how fortunate that it's downhill to the road. I also noted that each of my boots was collecting a few lbs of mud. After savouring the moment, photos I got down to business gutting him. Took the head off, lower front legs & partially skinned him. The drag down damned near killed me with the mud collecting on my boots & trying to avoid the backhoe scoops, log debris etc. it was a slog.

View down to the road. The photo doesn't give the best sense of the slope angle or the messy terrain on the way down.

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