Thanks for posting the pics Shelby. Bura, you and my Dad should get together..........both non-believers. LOL
Like I said earlier, I wasn't having any luck finding bucks at one of my more favorite hunting spots, so I decided to change the scenery and try another one of my old stomping grounds on Friday morning. Things started off bad. I arrived a little after sunrise because the road in was rougher and took longer to drive than I had remembered from a few years ago, and the wind was screaming and swirling bad. I usually don't have much luck when it is real windy.
I had only seen a couple does and not much sign so I decided to hike up into a rugged canyon where I killed a small muley with my rifle 6 years ago while I was in college. At about 10:00 I saw my buck across the canyon with his nose to the ground moving up towards the head of the canyon. I figured he might be heading to some rim rocks to bed out of the wind, so I decided to parallel him and attempt a stalk after he bedded down. The wind was perfect and the noise masked most of the noise I was making trying to stay silent on the loose rocks.
After about 15 minutes the buck decided to head into the bottom of the canyon where I thought I lost him. I glassed waiting for him to reappear and began to think he may have decided for a nap in the thick stuff below offering me no chance at him.
Unlike most times, luck was on my side this time. The buck suddenly appeared on my side of the canyon, nose still to the ground angling my way. I got ready and began gauging distances of various bushes and trees incase he came close enough. It was a sever down hill angle, but I thought I could make the shot. He never missed a beat and stopped at what I thought was 40 yards. I drew and shot, and watched my arrow sail under his
belly. Because of the wind he didn't know what he heard and jumped a few yards closer. This time I knew I had him, and held right on with my 50 yard pin and let it rip when he cleared a couple ocotillos. I saw and heard the the arrow hit him, but right as I was letting the arrow go, a strong gust of wind hit and I thought made my shot hit a little farther back than I had wanted. (Hind sight is 20/20, but I failed to compensate enough for the gusting wind). He ran into a small ravine and never came back out. I thought I heard him fall, but I wasn't sure so I waited a bit. I watched for about 30 minutes and decided to let him lay incase I hit him in the paunch and he had bedded up in the ravine. I didn't want to push him out and loose him if I could aviod it. I went back and got my truck and drove it into a closer road and went back in to see if I could find him a couple hours later. I got above him from a different angle and saw him piled up under a few mesquites. He didn't make it 50 yards. I did hit further back than I intended, but my arrow angled fwd and got his liver and he bled out quickly. I about died draggin him out of the canyon but it was worth it. Seemed like every step fwd I took, he would slided two steps back.
I know he isn't the biggest deer, but he is the biggest desert muley I have taken with my bow, and was pleased. All I wanted to do was hunt while on Christmas leave from my military duties. Tagging a buck was the icing on the cake.
Good luck to the rest of you who have tags, and hope you all have a Merry Christmas.
Semper Fi
