D
DeerHuntin101
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Nov-10-12 AT 02:37PM (MST)[p]I decided to burn my points this year and ended up drawing the rifle Book Cliffs tag. To say I was stoked was an understatement!! I had never been out there but had heard great things. I went into this hunt really hoping for a true family style hunt that I could share with my wife and kids. I hoped for a big buck as well but didn't know what to expect though.
My first order of business was to spend hours poring over maps and Google Earth to get a lay of the land. Next was to ask around. I want to thank the MM crew for all their advice and encouragement. Next came the scouting. My first trip was a big eye opener for sure. We headed out the weekend before the archery hunt started with high hopes. I am someone who typically hunts the pines and aspens that Utah is known for. For those of you that are familiar with the Books you will understand me when I say it looked a lot different than what I was used to!! That didn't deter me though and our first outing was a blast. We saw soooo many deer with several great bucks. Here's one that I posted earlier that really got my blood pumping!!
Knowing that this was a "migration" hunt I didn't focus too much on the deer but rather the area itself. I needed to figure out where I needed to be - come go time.
I made another trip out there in early Oct to see how things were progressing. This time we spent our time in the areas we would be hunting and was pleasantly surprised as we were seeing tons of deer. We did not see any "shooters" this trip but things were looking up.
We got to our camp the Wednesday before the hunt started and began our 11th hour scouting. Saw tons of deer again and a few that made me look twice.
Fast forward to Saturday - The opener was more of a scouting day than anything else. I vowed not to shoot on the opener unless I saw something that made me go weak in the knees. The morning hunt was fun with a lot of buck sightings but no shooters. The evening hunt was a bit better. I watched one buck for about 20 mins that looked real good. In the end - no weak knees.
Sun - through Tues morning was fruitful in that we continued to see tons of deer but no shooters. I ended up going out Tuesday night with my 12 yr old daughter with high hopes. We were seeing deer everywhere again. While traveling a two track I got a glimpse of what I initially thought was just another doe but once I threw the glasses up I found horns. He was about 600 yrds away so out came the spotting scope.
Let me stop there and explain that my main objective was to harvest at least a "mature" 4x4 with eye guards. Up to this point we had seen at least a dozen 4x4s but they were either not mature, missing eye guards or just didn't have wall appeal. The buck I watched Saturday night was a 4x4 with eye guards and was mature but I gambled on the thought that I would find better.
Back to the hunt...
This buck ended up bedding up and gave me a long time to size him up. The problem was, due to the angle he was facing, I couldn't make out whether his back left side forked or not. What I did see was a roughly 25" boxy looking 4x? with good eye guards and solid mass. As I looked at my daughter I realized this was it. What a way to end this - just me and my little girl. I told her - I and going to go kill that buck! I left her on the spotter and I closed the distance by about 200 yrds. When I got as close as I could (big canyon in between us) I tried to set up for the shot. After what seemed like forever I finally found a shooting lane and set up. Problem was, it was a very uncomfortable shooting position and I was having a hard time keeping my cross hairs stable. In the end, I rushed the shot and just didn't feel good about it. After some time we worked our way around to where he was when I shott and spent about the rest of the evening looking for sign. NOTHING!! I missed. Boy were we both bummed!!!
Wednesday morning started and ended like normal. We saw lots of deer but nothing I wanted to take. I think my mind was still messed up from the previous night's miss as that is all I could think about. Things were looking up though as we ended up getting the storm we had been hoping for with snow on the ground. Wed night was a complete bust however.
Thursday morning was cold but definitely slower than normal. We saw deer but numbers were down. Thursday night however was a different story. The deer were everywhere!! I ended up seeing a real wide, heavy, mature 4x2 that got me a bit itchy. After sizing him up and finding no eye guards I decided to pass.
My daughter wanted to hunt with me Friday morning but boy was it cold. We headed out anyway but the deer seemed to be sleeping in a bit. By 8am we had seen a lot of deer but my trooper of a daughter just couldn't handle the cold and asked if I would take her back to camp. I obliged and my wife took her place and we headed right back out. By this time the deer were definitely on their feet and things were looking good. We had just finished glassing up a large group of deer when my wonderful and exemplary wife said "maybe we should say a quick prayer and ask to be lead to the right area and to know that when we saw "him" that we would know it was time". Prayers were sent and off we went....
We didn't get far (maybe 2 mins from the time I said Amen) when we came to a big sage valley. Up to this point all other sage valleys had been teaming with deer. This valley only held 1 deer. I pulled the glasses up and saw horns. I put the scope on him and saw 4 points on each side, saw the eye guards that I wanted, saw the maturity in his stance and I just knew!! I shut off the wheeler, climbed off and told my wife that I was going to kill this buck!! Her first question was "what is it, and how big"? All I said was "he's a 4 point with eye guards". At this point I was in the zone and wasn't aware of anything around me. I don't remember squeezing the trigger but I remember him disappearing out of view. I turned to my wife and asked if I got him. Her beautiful smile confirmed everything. He dropped in his tracks!! PHEW!! It was done!! What a weight off my shoulders!!
Hand in hand we made the trek over to where he had last been standing. I didn't really know what to expect when I walked up on him as I really didn't take a long look before squeezing one off. I knew he wasn't huge but knew I would be content.
When we reached him I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was he a mature 4x4 with eye guards but he was quite unique. It looked like he ran into something when in the velvet as one of his front tines is bent down over the other on his left side and I could see where it had healed up that way. It looks like he may have broken off an inch or 2 from a front time on his right side as well. I was stoked!!
Firs thing we did was give thanks for the undeniable answer to our prayer!! We took a few pics, marked the spot on the GPS and headed back to camp.
Up to this point my kids would throw open the trailer door every time we got back to camp to ask if I got one. This time was no different other than the fact that I was able to say YES!! Their first response was woohoo - we get to go home!! LOL
I told them to get dressed cause we were going on a treasure hunt. I wouldn't tell them anything about the buck as I wanted it to be a surprise. We got to our spot and I handed my 12yr old the GPS and told her to find the treasure. She headed off with my 5 yr old twins by her side. After a few course corrections they finally found what they were searching for.
After the photo shoot everyone chipped in and helped me with the dirty work. My daughter even helped me drag him back to the road. We got him loaded up and headed back to camp. Once we got there I asked everyone if they wanted to just hang out one more night or pack up and head for home. It was a resounding response!! We were heading home after 10 days and 9 nights on the mountain.
As I stated before, I wanted this to be an experience I could share with my family and that is what it was. Here are some pics of our life at camp.
How many people can you find in the tree??
I had a great time, spent time with my family and harvested a really unique deer. He isn't the biggest buck but I wouldn't change anything about the experience!!
I want to thank KC (Muley1975), Jeff (Bonehead13), Cam (LittleBull) and several other MMer's for their help, advice and encouragement. I also want to thank the two guys that camped by us and ended up helping me hang my deer!! I don't know who you are but if you are reading this - Thanks!
It was a tough hunt but what an adventure. Big thanks go out to my sister-in-law who let me fly her out here from Ca. to be head babysitter while my wife and I spent so much time away from camp. I would be kidding myself if I didn't acknowledge my wonderful wife. She was so supportive, encouraging and patient with me during this whole ordeal! Thanks babe, I couldn't have done it without you!! Your turn is coming assuming there are still some elk left in Utah by the time you draw your tag.
Sorry for the long-winded read but if you have made it this far I say thanks!!
And without further delay - My 2012 Book Cliffs Buck.
That smile says it all!!
Boy were my kids ready to get on the road for home!!
Good luck out there and I hope to see you on the mountain!!
Jeremy
My first order of business was to spend hours poring over maps and Google Earth to get a lay of the land. Next was to ask around. I want to thank the MM crew for all their advice and encouragement. Next came the scouting. My first trip was a big eye opener for sure. We headed out the weekend before the archery hunt started with high hopes. I am someone who typically hunts the pines and aspens that Utah is known for. For those of you that are familiar with the Books you will understand me when I say it looked a lot different than what I was used to!! That didn't deter me though and our first outing was a blast. We saw soooo many deer with several great bucks. Here's one that I posted earlier that really got my blood pumping!!
Knowing that this was a "migration" hunt I didn't focus too much on the deer but rather the area itself. I needed to figure out where I needed to be - come go time.
I made another trip out there in early Oct to see how things were progressing. This time we spent our time in the areas we would be hunting and was pleasantly surprised as we were seeing tons of deer. We did not see any "shooters" this trip but things were looking up.
We got to our camp the Wednesday before the hunt started and began our 11th hour scouting. Saw tons of deer again and a few that made me look twice.
Fast forward to Saturday - The opener was more of a scouting day than anything else. I vowed not to shoot on the opener unless I saw something that made me go weak in the knees. The morning hunt was fun with a lot of buck sightings but no shooters. The evening hunt was a bit better. I watched one buck for about 20 mins that looked real good. In the end - no weak knees.
Sun - through Tues morning was fruitful in that we continued to see tons of deer but no shooters. I ended up going out Tuesday night with my 12 yr old daughter with high hopes. We were seeing deer everywhere again. While traveling a two track I got a glimpse of what I initially thought was just another doe but once I threw the glasses up I found horns. He was about 600 yrds away so out came the spotting scope.
Let me stop there and explain that my main objective was to harvest at least a "mature" 4x4 with eye guards. Up to this point we had seen at least a dozen 4x4s but they were either not mature, missing eye guards or just didn't have wall appeal. The buck I watched Saturday night was a 4x4 with eye guards and was mature but I gambled on the thought that I would find better.
Back to the hunt...
This buck ended up bedding up and gave me a long time to size him up. The problem was, due to the angle he was facing, I couldn't make out whether his back left side forked or not. What I did see was a roughly 25" boxy looking 4x? with good eye guards and solid mass. As I looked at my daughter I realized this was it. What a way to end this - just me and my little girl. I told her - I and going to go kill that buck! I left her on the spotter and I closed the distance by about 200 yrds. When I got as close as I could (big canyon in between us) I tried to set up for the shot. After what seemed like forever I finally found a shooting lane and set up. Problem was, it was a very uncomfortable shooting position and I was having a hard time keeping my cross hairs stable. In the end, I rushed the shot and just didn't feel good about it. After some time we worked our way around to where he was when I shott and spent about the rest of the evening looking for sign. NOTHING!! I missed. Boy were we both bummed!!!
Wednesday morning started and ended like normal. We saw lots of deer but nothing I wanted to take. I think my mind was still messed up from the previous night's miss as that is all I could think about. Things were looking up though as we ended up getting the storm we had been hoping for with snow on the ground. Wed night was a complete bust however.
Thursday morning was cold but definitely slower than normal. We saw deer but numbers were down. Thursday night however was a different story. The deer were everywhere!! I ended up seeing a real wide, heavy, mature 4x2 that got me a bit itchy. After sizing him up and finding no eye guards I decided to pass.
My daughter wanted to hunt with me Friday morning but boy was it cold. We headed out anyway but the deer seemed to be sleeping in a bit. By 8am we had seen a lot of deer but my trooper of a daughter just couldn't handle the cold and asked if I would take her back to camp. I obliged and my wife took her place and we headed right back out. By this time the deer were definitely on their feet and things were looking good. We had just finished glassing up a large group of deer when my wonderful and exemplary wife said "maybe we should say a quick prayer and ask to be lead to the right area and to know that when we saw "him" that we would know it was time". Prayers were sent and off we went....
We didn't get far (maybe 2 mins from the time I said Amen) when we came to a big sage valley. Up to this point all other sage valleys had been teaming with deer. This valley only held 1 deer. I pulled the glasses up and saw horns. I put the scope on him and saw 4 points on each side, saw the eye guards that I wanted, saw the maturity in his stance and I just knew!! I shut off the wheeler, climbed off and told my wife that I was going to kill this buck!! Her first question was "what is it, and how big"? All I said was "he's a 4 point with eye guards". At this point I was in the zone and wasn't aware of anything around me. I don't remember squeezing the trigger but I remember him disappearing out of view. I turned to my wife and asked if I got him. Her beautiful smile confirmed everything. He dropped in his tracks!! PHEW!! It was done!! What a weight off my shoulders!!
Hand in hand we made the trek over to where he had last been standing. I didn't really know what to expect when I walked up on him as I really didn't take a long look before squeezing one off. I knew he wasn't huge but knew I would be content.
When we reached him I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was he a mature 4x4 with eye guards but he was quite unique. It looked like he ran into something when in the velvet as one of his front tines is bent down over the other on his left side and I could see where it had healed up that way. It looks like he may have broken off an inch or 2 from a front time on his right side as well. I was stoked!!
Firs thing we did was give thanks for the undeniable answer to our prayer!! We took a few pics, marked the spot on the GPS and headed back to camp.
Up to this point my kids would throw open the trailer door every time we got back to camp to ask if I got one. This time was no different other than the fact that I was able to say YES!! Their first response was woohoo - we get to go home!! LOL
I told them to get dressed cause we were going on a treasure hunt. I wouldn't tell them anything about the buck as I wanted it to be a surprise. We got to our spot and I handed my 12yr old the GPS and told her to find the treasure. She headed off with my 5 yr old twins by her side. After a few course corrections they finally found what they were searching for.
After the photo shoot everyone chipped in and helped me with the dirty work. My daughter even helped me drag him back to the road. We got him loaded up and headed back to camp. Once we got there I asked everyone if they wanted to just hang out one more night or pack up and head for home. It was a resounding response!! We were heading home after 10 days and 9 nights on the mountain.
As I stated before, I wanted this to be an experience I could share with my family and that is what it was. Here are some pics of our life at camp.
How many people can you find in the tree??
I had a great time, spent time with my family and harvested a really unique deer. He isn't the biggest buck but I wouldn't change anything about the experience!!
I want to thank KC (Muley1975), Jeff (Bonehead13), Cam (LittleBull) and several other MMer's for their help, advice and encouragement. I also want to thank the two guys that camped by us and ended up helping me hang my deer!! I don't know who you are but if you are reading this - Thanks!
It was a tough hunt but what an adventure. Big thanks go out to my sister-in-law who let me fly her out here from Ca. to be head babysitter while my wife and I spent so much time away from camp. I would be kidding myself if I didn't acknowledge my wonderful wife. She was so supportive, encouraging and patient with me during this whole ordeal! Thanks babe, I couldn't have done it without you!! Your turn is coming assuming there are still some elk left in Utah by the time you draw your tag.
Sorry for the long-winded read but if you have made it this far I say thanks!!
And without further delay - My 2012 Book Cliffs Buck.
That smile says it all!!
Boy were my kids ready to get on the road for home!!
Good luck out there and I hope to see you on the mountain!!
Jeremy
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