2 nice bucks

mntman

Long Time Member
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Dad has been wanting to get a nice muley but he just gets trigger happy and ends up shooting a little fella when they present an easy shot. This year I said I was hunting with him and wouldn't shoot till he had a good buck on the ground. Leading up to the season I was able to figure out what his minimum would be for being happy.

We set out and had our first stalk blown on a bachelor group of 10+ bucks 10 minutes into the hunt by 2 other hunters. When they ran out I didn't feel to bad cause I didn't see any that would meet his goal anyway.

An hour later we spotted a group of does coming through and stop below us. A buck followed up behind but stopped behind a tree. I described the buck and said it would go 140-145 and told him of other bucks we had seen so he would have something to compare it to. He said he'd be happy with him, so time to find a shot through the trees. I start sliding over about 10' at a time and finally get to a point to where we can see him. Just as dad gets set up the deer start moving and the does cover him up. Finally, a shot presents itself and I say shoot, boom, deer take off. I spot the buck running to the left over the next spine. We paraell him above and run to the next spine to watch for him. We spot him walking left yet about 250 yards below us, dad gets set up in the opening and waits. The second he gets presented a shot (I couldn't see the buck) he shoots again. This time I see the buck on what looked to be a death run over the next ridge. We took off and run to the next spine again, we get set up and wait. Nothing, then we see the does on the far ridge, we both set up this time, thinking if he is wounded we are have to put him down. No buck, so that means he is down in the bottom or turned right and headed down to the very bottom. We head down there but nothing, found the does tracks but not the bucks??? I cross to where the does were and glass back onto the wall looking for the dead buck, nothing. So back to the fail safe (should have been done in the begining) and head back up to the last spot he shot from. I direct dad to where the buck was last seen, + or - 25'. I get back to dad and he circles low, I go high looking for tracks. I find blood within 20', he never made it farther than 75 yards. Bullet entered near the last rib and exited right in front of the far shoulder. He was right out in the open, and we both walked right past him, I even glass right over him. He was definately happy and glad he didn't pass him up.


I hurt my knee later that day and had to give up on a big buck and head back to the truck. I decided that night to shoot the first buck I seen, knowing I was now limited in where I could go.
Monday afternoon, dad is now sitting with me up on this high lookout. 20 minutes before dark, I see a small buck come out at 600 yards heading towards us. Immediately I start towards him to close the gap even faster. At 400 yards, I had to stop cause I would drop out sight and wouldn't regain him till 50 yards. Due to time restraints and noisy conditions, I set up for the shot. To my surprise 3 other bucks have come out behind him. So now there is a small 3x3, a wide and tall 3x4 willow rack, a decent 5x5 and then the 6x6. I watch the 3x3 pick a fight with the 6x6 non-stop. He was jumping all over tossing his head trying to get leverage and an angle on the big boy but he just stood there. It seemed like he was thinking why are you constantly bothering me??? Finally I get a standing broadside shot on the 6x.
I fire and miss! what the hell just happened? I then remembered I didn't account for the wind that was going through the meadow out in front. Got the cross hairs up again accounting for the wind and fire. He instantly buckles and runs 20 yards and stops, even though he was behind some brush/branches I fired another quick shot knowing he was hit. He then startes to wobble immediately after the shot, makes a jump or two and disappears. Seeing an immediate ball of dust fly up I knew he was down. As Dad and I rush over there we spot two of the other 3 bucks. Dad asked, "is that your buck"? No, that is the wide and tall willow buck, he's like you passed that guy up???? Yep, mine is nicer....are you sure that isn't your buck... he kept asking. Nope, so we watched him go over the next spine. Dad was like you must have shot a dandy to have picked him over that buck!
We found him right where I seen the dust fly up, dead. Turned out to be a dandy 6x6 with the split g3's and long brow tines. Dad's first reply was "you are the luckiest SOB with gun in hand" :)

I missed the 3rd shot too, I expected that but once they are hit I keep shooting till they are on the ground. 2nd shot was a double lung, just where I wanted the bullet to go.

After gutting him out and hanging him in the tree, we headed out for the night. We got back early the next morning, we were thinking the coyotes would be there cleaning up the gut pile, to our surprise it wasn't coyotes but a mountain lion. It ate some of the guts then covered the rest with sticks/grass/dirt. Never touched the deer (luckily). Got some more pics then deboned him and headed out.

Has been a great year for me so far, 4 for 5 on tags with two to go yet.

I don't have a pic of dad's in the field yet with it but you can kind of see it in front of the tent.
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I also got my first coyote.
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Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
HuntinFoo, its in colorado.

Here is a better picture with dad's rack next to mine.
232co_deer_hunt_022.jpg



also a picture of what is left of the gut pile that got covered up by the lion that night.
2446co_deer_hunt_018.jpg


Just a couple other pictures I thought were neat looking...
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8352co_deer_hunt_028.jpg






Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
Sounds like you guys did alot better than many this 2nd season............dandy bucks!!!
 

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