2013 Deer hunt (going in blind)

SLIVER

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Well I am finally getting time to post up about our 2013 mule deer hunt. This may be a lengthy post, but hopefully it will be worth your time. I have included some videos of deer we passed on. I would have posted pics, but I realized that I didn't take many, so you get videos.

My group (3) decided to hunt a unit we had never been in before. Like many of you, we were busy and had schedule conflicts prior to the hunt, and ended up not being able to scout the unit at all. When we arrived we made camp, and instantly noticed a large basin that looked prime. That evening we found a vantage point to glass from, and found numerous bucks with a couple worth a closer look in the glorious basin. We made our game plan and went to bed. Hours before light we began our hike on the ever ascending backbone ridge leading to the basin. When daylight appeared we were very close to the area we had seen the bucks the night prior. As we began glassing we noticed a fence line that was old and not maintained. We discounted the fence as any property boundary, as it was so old, but just to be safe we switched on the GPS with property info, and sure enough! Our amazing basin was ALL private! We had been hiking for approximately 4 hours at this point, only to turn around and head back down the hill. During our hike down we did see a few bucks with one that would be in the 160's, all on the private. Bummer. (That is our punishment for not scouting!)

The next three days we STRUCK OUT! We hiked from the bottom to the top of good looking areas that were public, only to find no deer, not really even does. Miles and miles on the boots trying to get away from people, and nothing! One basin we were sure would hold bucks was another 4 hour hike in the dark. Once we arrived we thought we were golden! Yet again no bucks. I did manage to get this cool shot of it though.

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We were getting discouraged! The next morning we decided to split up and cover some ground. I called for some help from my buddy ZR1, and he gave me some areas to check that would have required that we move our camp. This was sounding like a good plan considering the lack of deer we were seeing. As we regrouped in the late morning I learned that Darren and Mike had found a pocket of deer, and had seen 10 bucks with two good ones. Spirits were back up, and we planned to hit this new area hard!

The area consisted of 4 canyons that were steep and deep, but not very far from ridge line to ridge line. In some areas we would have shots strait across the canyon without it being too far to shoot. We all split up and took separate ridge lines. With light fading that evening I glassed a buck that fed out of the thick baby quakies. I was stoked!! This was the first buck I saw that was on ground I could actually hunt! He was a cool looking, tall 3 point. I decided to pass on him, and videoed instead. Here is some video of that buck.


We kept tabs on each other that night on the radios, and each had seen bucks. It was really awesome after the prior 3 days of seeing no bucks. Darren told us of a GIANT buck that he had in the crosshairs right at dusk. He said that the buck was feeding at 318 yards with his head down. He held off the trigger waiting for a confirmation that the buck was a shooter. As he waited Mike was walking down the ridge line and must have made some noise. The giant lifted his head and stood for about 5 seconds prior to bounding strait away from Darren, offering no shot. Darren describes him as approximately 32? wide, super massive, and had black antlers with multiple cheaters/inlines. We nicknamed him ?The Black Mule?. The heartbreaking thing is that Darren had him in the crosshairs at 318 for a few minutes waiting for him to lift his head.

The next morning found us concentrated around Black Mule Ridge. Early on I saw a good looking younger buck with a cool cheater. I had him at 450 yards and elected to pass. Here is a video of that nice buck.


No sign of The Black Mule that morning.

That evening we returned to our same positions. Just as the sun set A good looking buck fed out with a few does. I scoped him out and decided to pass also. The longer that I looked at him the more and more he grew, until I found myself behind the gun ready to let fly.

Here is some video of him prior to the shot.


The canyon I was on was very steep, and I was shooting across to the other side of the canyon, and uphill. With not a tree in sight for a rest, some creative rock stacking had to be done. Once settled I told Darren to watch just in the case that I missed. Buck fever began to set in. The first shot missed, and luckily the buck just stood there looking puzzled. Darren said that I had shot just barely over his back. I regrouped and my second shot made it's mark. The buck was down within 30 yards. Here are some field photos of the buck.

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Shortly after the shooting Mike got on the radio and said that he had seen The Black Mule on Black Mule ridge. He said that the Black Mule quickly crested the ridge moving down the canyon away from the shot. He got a 10 second glimpse of him in the spotter and confirmed his giant-ness!!
I gutted my buck out and planned on returning in the morning to pack him out.

The next morning we again were staged on Black Mule ridge. I, without a tag now, was the spotter. As soon as the sun came up, I saw a buck glistening in the light. I was a long distance away, but managed to get some decent video of him.


Mike was on the same ridge as the buck, just lower in the canyon. I told Mike about the buck and he started hiking up to get a better look at him. After about an hour we herd one single shot. Mike got on the radio and said that he had shot at the buck, and was going to look for him. We reached my buck, and began de-boning him for the pack out. Mike got on the radio and said that he couldn't find the deer, but left his orange beanie in the top of a tree for a reference. We had the buck loaded on the Horn Hunter Full Curl pack and headed off the hill.

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We met at the bottom, and took my buck back to camp. We cleaned up the meat, got it in coolers, ate some food, and then went back in to try to find Mike's buck. We had Mike stay at the spot that he shot from, and guided Darren and I into the area where the buck was when the shot was fired. When we got to the spot Mike said that we were about 50 yards from the area where he had left his beanie. He had been looking in the wrong area the whole morning, and with the thickness of the foliage there was no way to see the buck until you walked up on it. Darren and I split up and started looking for blood. About 5 seconds had passed by and Darren found the buck not 20 yards from the area we started from. Here are some pics of the group with the buck.

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Over the course of the next two days we searched for the Black Mule for Darren. We set up on Black Mule Ridge night and day with no sightings! We did see another young buck with some potential that posed for some video.


On the last evening we were going to be there I was again setup on Black Mule Ridge searching for the smart buck to show himself. The Black Mule always had 3 does with him. Three does fed out about an hour before dusk, and I began to get excited. The does were acting very wary and cautious. I just knew that big beast was behind them in the trees. The does stopped advancing, and were pegged on something below them. Just at that moment I caught some movement. I panned the spotting scope down and saw a beautiful mountain lion sitting on his haunches. I now knew why the does were so cautious! Here is some cool video of the lion.


Overall we went 2 for 3 on nice bucks, with some bigger ones sighted. We hunted our butts off, and found a good area that hopefully will produce for years to come.

Here are some pics of the finished Euro mount of my buck.

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I hope you enjoyed the read.

))--SLIVER-->}}-SLIVER-->
 
Awesome! - Thanks for the share. Love your buck, great Euro mount!

HOOK 'EM!
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The Old Man

Good job to three of my favorite people. I enjoyed the post, the pics and the video.

"Don't Wait...Do it now!"
 
Well done. Too bad your buddy needed "confirmation" that Black Mule was a shooter...???? Anyways well done and thanks for sharing.

"I'll see you all this coming fall in the Big Rock Candy Mountains!"

 
Great stories! Looks like it all turned out well. My question is this, how much would you have paid for a Lion tag at that moment???

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The number of posts sure have slowed down recently. It's times like these that I really appreciate reading someone's detailed story and pictures. Great report! Congrats on two fine mule deer bucks. I have went in blind on 4 different hunts in the last two seasons, but haven't got a buck as nice as those.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, I'm glad that you have enjoyed the post. This hunt was in NV, and I debated buying a mountain lion tag OTC, but elected not to. I figured that there was no chance that I'd see a lion while hunting. I am eating crow now! HA HA

}}-SLIVER-->
 
Great bucks and a great story... Nice lion mount in the background of the euro pic... Do you have any more pics of it? Who mounted it?
Thanks,
CSO

It's all about the good times...

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BIGJOHN is correct Travis mounted the lion. I'll post up
A couple different views of it for you when I get back to my home computer.

}}-SLIVER-->
 
All the video was 400+ yards at the closest, out to about a mile at the farthest. I was videoing through a vortex razor 20-60x80 spotting scope using the tines up digiscoping kit. It works great!!!

}}-SLIVER-->
 
Sweet Buck! I hadn't heard you got one this year. Great job on the story too. I find myself shooting more video than deer these day too.
 
Great story, Great hunt. Some good looking country.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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