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DanD
Guest
This year it was a two-part hunt; part one took place a couple of weeks ago. I found the buck that I eventual was fortunate enough to take on the first morning of the first day of the hunt. He was handing out in a nice little valley that he had all to himself and about 6 or 7 doe?s. I spotted him at about 800 yards as he was heading up to bed. I did not have a spotting scope with me so I was not to sure how many points he had but I could see he was a decent size buck but I new there were larger deer in the zone. I continued to hunt for the next four days looking for that monster buck but he was not to be found. So on the last morning I made the hike back up to where he was and sure enough he had not moved. This time I brought a buddy up with me and a spotting scope. We checked him out and he looked to be a decent 3x3 about 20-21 or so wide. I decided to put the sneak on him but he made it to bed before I could get in place for a shot.
Part two, it's now 2 weeks later and I head back up to hunt the last weekend of the season. I get in late Tuesday night about midnight. Wednesday was still warm temps in the mid 70?s during the day; I do not find any new bucks. Thursday wind picks up and it's a bit cooler lo 60?s during the day. Still no luck in finding that monster buck so I figure I will hike back up to the 3x and see if he's still around in the morning. Forecast is for snow Friday & Saturday with Sunday clear and sunny. I get to the spot where I leave the truck on Friday morning and it's blowing about 40 ? 50 mph with the wind in the wrong direction. So I decide to not hike up to the place where I last saw him the only thing that I could do under those conditions is push him out of the area if the was still there. Friday mid afternoon the snow starts, what a change in 48 hours it went from summer conditions (mid 70?s) to winter 23 degrees and snowing. Saturday morning comes, as walk out of the trailer at 5:30 am I am greeted with 18 degrees and 9 inches of snow on the ground. I drive up to the area and start the hour and a half climb to his little hang out. With all the snow from two different fronts that have come through since the last time I was up there I am quite surprised to see that he has not moved at all. He is in the exact same location. I sneak to about 250 yards and one of the doe?s spots me. He finally shows himself and I lay the .270 on the shooting stick, I have an excellent broad side shot put the cross-hairs right behind the front shoulder and pull the trigger. What! Nothing happens. I look at the gun, round is in the camber safety is off what's the deal? Must be the winter ski gloves I have on. Take off the glove on my trigger hand and put the gun back up on the shooting stick. In the mean time the buck and the three doe?s that he is with have moved about 30 feet farther up this small knoll they are on and he stops again to look at me this time presenting me a with a quartering toward shot, I put the cross hairs on the front shoulder and let her rip. He was hit hard went about 10 yards and pilled up. Pulled out the range finder and he was at 275 yards. Once I got up to him I was pleasantly surprised to find on extra point so he is actually a 3x4. Here?s a photo of the head that I took after I got back to the truck.
Dan
Part two, it's now 2 weeks later and I head back up to hunt the last weekend of the season. I get in late Tuesday night about midnight. Wednesday was still warm temps in the mid 70?s during the day; I do not find any new bucks. Thursday wind picks up and it's a bit cooler lo 60?s during the day. Still no luck in finding that monster buck so I figure I will hike back up to the 3x and see if he's still around in the morning. Forecast is for snow Friday & Saturday with Sunday clear and sunny. I get to the spot where I leave the truck on Friday morning and it's blowing about 40 ? 50 mph with the wind in the wrong direction. So I decide to not hike up to the place where I last saw him the only thing that I could do under those conditions is push him out of the area if the was still there. Friday mid afternoon the snow starts, what a change in 48 hours it went from summer conditions (mid 70?s) to winter 23 degrees and snowing. Saturday morning comes, as walk out of the trailer at 5:30 am I am greeted with 18 degrees and 9 inches of snow on the ground. I drive up to the area and start the hour and a half climb to his little hang out. With all the snow from two different fronts that have come through since the last time I was up there I am quite surprised to see that he has not moved at all. He is in the exact same location. I sneak to about 250 yards and one of the doe?s spots me. He finally shows himself and I lay the .270 on the shooting stick, I have an excellent broad side shot put the cross-hairs right behind the front shoulder and pull the trigger. What! Nothing happens. I look at the gun, round is in the camber safety is off what's the deal? Must be the winter ski gloves I have on. Take off the glove on my trigger hand and put the gun back up on the shooting stick. In the mean time the buck and the three doe?s that he is with have moved about 30 feet farther up this small knoll they are on and he stops again to look at me this time presenting me a with a quartering toward shot, I put the cross hairs on the front shoulder and let her rip. He was hit hard went about 10 yards and pilled up. Pulled out the range finder and he was at 275 yards. Once I got up to him I was pleasantly surprised to find on extra point so he is actually a 3x4. Here?s a photo of the head that I took after I got back to the truck.
Dan
