Washington Muley Success!!

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bugle1in

Guest
OK, Not monsters but trophies for us. Here's the story.
I hunted with my father and brother in law on a central washington special permit hunt.
We returned Saturday 11-27-04 with two respectable bucks. It was a HARD hunt. Lady luck didn't decide to show up until the 6th really hard day of hunting. Makes for a good memory. All told we saw around 80 deer and passed on 11 bucks. I have only hunted harder for elk and then only once. Friday (6th day starting at 3 am getting back to camp at 7) morning I spotted my bucked 1500 meters away. I didn't have a spotting scope with me as I had planned a 7 kilometer hike so I had to hope that he was big enough. It was 7:30 am. by 8 I had made my way with 900 meters and could see that he was probably a shooter as time was running out on out hunt. And, I was tired so I closed the distance to 700 where I ran into two does that had me pinned. I had to back track to get around them which was UPHILL. Bummer. After getting back around I descended on the area I last saw the buck and 3 does. Around 550 yards now. A two point and the does appeared and I thought I had screwed up and wasted all this time on a two point and about that time I saw ANTLERS rambling up the draw. Again, I had to take a different stalk to get to them so it was UP again. Upon getting a better stalk I made my way within 120 meters of where I saw them last and they were no where to be found? I was disappointed to say the least. I looked across the canyon to see 5 deer feeding up the hill and thought crap!! there they are. When I glassed them all I could see was ears though. SO, I thought maybe the big guy was in the bottom or maybe just still in my draw in the bottom so I continued to belly crawl my way. At that point I was at 100 meters away from the last point I saw them when I saw a bit of white. Too my surprise when I lifted my bino's there sat a sleeping doe in plain site!! She had her head tucked under her arm and was sleeping in the sun. time 9:30. I then decided that I better glass better, who would think you couldn't see a bedded deer at a 100 meters.....

Low and behold 10 yards up was another sleeping deer. Couldn't see the head though. I couldn't move as I was afraid they would jump up and scare the buck that I was assuming was right underneath me at the bottom of the draw. I was freezing at this point as I took all my clothes off except one shirt for the sneak but now sitting in the 20MPH wind I was shivering cold. I put my bipod out and continued to wait. A few moments later the two point came running over the draw and right down to the doe's. That started to stir things up finally. Both does eventually got up to get away from the teenage buck and all the while I was sneaking the last 20 yards to close the distance and hope to get view of the bedded buck I thought was just below. About that time all attention from the deer focused just below me. I knew the time had arisen!!!! 1 minute later he stepped out to show the two point his place. He never gave me a really clear shot although I could have shot at any time. (I should have shot!) A few moments passed and he BEDDED down right in front of me. I was so calm and everything so right that I wasn't sure what to do. Enjoy the moment or pull the trigger. I enjoyed the moment. After some time I decided to take him in the neck. I settled in on the area that I thought was his spine and slowly pulled the trigger. Fully expecting to see him laying there I was surprise upon coming back into view after the recoil to see him run right under me!! My weatherby is sighted in 3 high at a 100. probably 3 1/2 at 80. I shot just over his neck!!! At this point I was a little nervous thinking, my god, I had him bedded down and didn't get it done. Now he is going to get away. All I could see was his wide rack looking down hill. 15 minutes passed as they just stared downhil. It is now 10:00 am and I am really shivering now. I decide I can wait no longer as I couldn't even keep my hands from shaking. I slowly started to stand to get a better shot, at my first movement they had me and were on the move downhill. All I could see again was his antlers getting away a mere 70-80 yards in front of me. I scanned in front of where he was moving and noted a spot that was a little lower, I put my scope on this spot and at that time he passed through my view with 6 inches of neck showing. I don't remember pulling the trigger but he went right down. He is 25 inches outside. not heavy but a nice Washington buck. 4 points on each side with eye guards. That evening my father connected with a heavy five point also around 24 inches wide and HEAVY. My wife son and daughter were with use when my father harvested his buck so it made for a memorable trip. Enjoy the pics.

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LAST EDITED ON Dec-06-04 AT 02:55PM (MST)[p]Thanks Bullscat for resizing my pics and making them look all purdy!!!
 
Nice job guys good looking deer, What unit were you guys in? did you say or did i miss it?

Garrett
 
bugle1in, Congratulations on two very nice bucks!

WAmuleyHunter, With how late the hunt was and it being a rifle hunt, I would assume it was in the Alkali unit.
 

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