Daxter
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My Dad had a dozen elk points and really had the fever to go hunt big bulls. I helped him kill a raghorn on the South Slope of the Uintas a few years ago, and that really got him excited about hunting bulls. I have spent a fair amount of time in the Book Cliffs and have helped a couple friends on early rifle and muzz hunts. I figured he didn't have have the points to draw the early rifle, but he was close on muzz and told him to put in for that hunt. My Dad has a heart condition and can't do much hiking. I figured on the muzz hunt we could sit some water and maybe even call one in. He is an avid long-range shooter and really enjoys hunting with a rifle. He told me he was putting in for the early rifle hunt and would just keep his fingers crossed hoping for luck in the draws.
He called me when draw results came out and told me he drew the rifle tag, I got pumped and instantly started shuffling my Sept schedule when he told me it started in November. I panicked. I have spent a lot of time in the Books in November, but I'm always looking at deer that time of year and just see an occasional elk when cruising the deer country. I tried to talk him into turning it back in and trying for muzz next year, but he told me he was going no matter what.
I bought a spike tag and spent that season hunting spikes while also scouting for his hunt (no spike for me). He came out with me and we saw some good bulls on the spike hunt. We also found some some good bulls in bachelor groups a week before the season on another scouting trip. He came out a couple days early and we found one of the better bulls I had seen scouting the day before the season. Opening morning my Dad passed the bull at 380 yards, we watched him for 5 minutes before he went into the trees. I felt sick to my stomach, thinking we might not find anything better.
Four days and lots of bulls later he finally decided he found one he liked enough to shoot. For the late hunt it is a great bull. A nice pretty six with good tine length, no broken points and as a bonus it was right by a road! With 1 shot at 552 yards with his .300 RUM the bull bit the dust.
What a hunt, lots of highs and some lows too. I'm so glad my Dad could take a nice bull and that I could be part of his hunt. This is probably a once in a lifetime hunt for him. I guess maybe there was a reason he decided not to turn his tag back in.
We only saw 2 other hunters the entire time, saw multiple bulls every day, and had really pleasant camping weather. What a great hunt, we really feel blessed.
Dax
There is no such thing as a sure thing in trophy mule deer hunting.
His 2010 Uintas bull
Book Cliffs Bull
He called me when draw results came out and told me he drew the rifle tag, I got pumped and instantly started shuffling my Sept schedule when he told me it started in November. I panicked. I have spent a lot of time in the Books in November, but I'm always looking at deer that time of year and just see an occasional elk when cruising the deer country. I tried to talk him into turning it back in and trying for muzz next year, but he told me he was going no matter what.
I bought a spike tag and spent that season hunting spikes while also scouting for his hunt (no spike for me). He came out with me and we saw some good bulls on the spike hunt. We also found some some good bulls in bachelor groups a week before the season on another scouting trip. He came out a couple days early and we found one of the better bulls I had seen scouting the day before the season. Opening morning my Dad passed the bull at 380 yards, we watched him for 5 minutes before he went into the trees. I felt sick to my stomach, thinking we might not find anything better.
Four days and lots of bulls later he finally decided he found one he liked enough to shoot. For the late hunt it is a great bull. A nice pretty six with good tine length, no broken points and as a bonus it was right by a road! With 1 shot at 552 yards with his .300 RUM the bull bit the dust.
What a hunt, lots of highs and some lows too. I'm so glad my Dad could take a nice bull and that I could be part of his hunt. This is probably a once in a lifetime hunt for him. I guess maybe there was a reason he decided not to turn his tag back in.
We only saw 2 other hunters the entire time, saw multiple bulls every day, and had really pleasant camping weather. What a great hunt, we really feel blessed.
Dax
There is no such thing as a sure thing in trophy mule deer hunting.
His 2010 Uintas bull
Book Cliffs Bull
