Well I'm back and after 18 yrs of waiting I got my biggest one to date. (the only one I have killed) I joined this site and of course asked for help for unit 67 4th rifle (kinda once in a lifetime tag). I thought members would recognize this and help me out. As expected I did not get much. But MANY THANKS to those few of you that understood my situation and did offer your advice. Being a non resident, 18yrs of patience ect? I promised a report so here it is.
Got to Gunnison Friday night Nov 9th. Did talk to several locals and 3rd season hunters, some offered advice, but nothing seemed to pan out. Started scouting Sat morning. Spent most of day on Northeast side of unit. Saw only 1 decent buck. Next day 11th, scouted upper Northwest side. Again saw lots of people very few deer. Only 1 decent buck. Started snowing 12th, so decided to take a drive thru the National forest up high. Visibility was poor and saw only a few deer and elk hunters. Did see a pretty good one in the National forest, by my standards anyway. 13th decided to drive south towards Huntsman Mesa. Rut was kicking in saw over 100 doe and almost all had a buck or several bucks with them. Saw the biggest mule deer of my life on the hoof, bedded down with some does about 30yds off the highway! Of all the bucks seen that day he was clearly the one I wanted. But as I said he was off the road so ever one in unit had him pegged. Opening morning I was on dirt road close to where I saw him. Got daylight saw multiple bucks but not him. Even saw one thought hard about shooting but not first hour of season after 18yrs. Looking around Huntsman, saw lots of doe but most didn't have a buck with them like the day before. I was bummed. Saw several bucks at daylight for couple hours and they just disappeared. Guess rutted all night and were laid up, plus vehicles and hunters? I didn't want to be one to settle and have to shoot a smaller buck just to put a tag on. I had already decided I was going home and frame the tag instead of taking a smaller young buck. I thought what the hell. Everyone has told me hunt the lower elevation, snow pushed the deer out of the higher elevation. I think everyone had been told the same thing. I thought if I could find one still up high he was going to be a toad. What the hell do I know I'm from TX and never Mule deer hunted in my life.
So I went to the National forest. Was all by myself except for the elk hunters. Walked up hill to glass and saw some doe about 100 yds out of the aspens. they had seen me crest hill in my bright orange get up. So much for deer not seeing orange. They know the drill. Caught movement in the aspens and saw what was definitely a buck and by his body size a BIG one! he stood about 25 yds in trees but I could tell he was good. I ranged trees, 678. A friend here in TX had told me about a deer call that the does would come to. After some research sounded to me like a jackrabbit in distress, so that;s the call I had. I had been using it while scouting and was amazed at ho I would see just a couple doe 200 yds out. I could sit in vehicle blow the call and here comes 15 or 20 deer running to me out in the open. It was crazy. Anyways I got prone, I had been practicing here at home with my 300 WM out to 800 yds so I was confident in 678, with almost no wind. So doe are standing there looking at me and I blow the call 3 times. Here come the doe running to me. And of course HE wasn't going to let them out of his site so he came out of the trees, and OH MY goodness, I probably could have called him in with the does to under 200 yds, but all kinds of things were going thru my head. Was someone else watching and going to shoot him first, Were elk hunters going to screw it up? So I shot and my hunt was over at 945 am opening day. After 18 years. I'm still questioning whether I could have found a bigger one being the rut and all? But after 4 days of hard scouting other than the one off the highway this is the biggest I saw. If you were in 67 and saw a bigger one don't tell me, PLEASE!
And like I said in my other post asking for help for the deer hunt, I have 19 NR PP for elk next year and would appreciate any and all help I can get. Just like the deer, it would be my first and only elk hunt after 19 yrs of waiting. And of course I don't know what I'm doing, heck I'm hunting mule deer with a jackrabbit call!!!!
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2018/72698201811161145411542471072925001.jpg
Got to Gunnison Friday night Nov 9th. Did talk to several locals and 3rd season hunters, some offered advice, but nothing seemed to pan out. Started scouting Sat morning. Spent most of day on Northeast side of unit. Saw only 1 decent buck. Next day 11th, scouted upper Northwest side. Again saw lots of people very few deer. Only 1 decent buck. Started snowing 12th, so decided to take a drive thru the National forest up high. Visibility was poor and saw only a few deer and elk hunters. Did see a pretty good one in the National forest, by my standards anyway. 13th decided to drive south towards Huntsman Mesa. Rut was kicking in saw over 100 doe and almost all had a buck or several bucks with them. Saw the biggest mule deer of my life on the hoof, bedded down with some does about 30yds off the highway! Of all the bucks seen that day he was clearly the one I wanted. But as I said he was off the road so ever one in unit had him pegged. Opening morning I was on dirt road close to where I saw him. Got daylight saw multiple bucks but not him. Even saw one thought hard about shooting but not first hour of season after 18yrs. Looking around Huntsman, saw lots of doe but most didn't have a buck with them like the day before. I was bummed. Saw several bucks at daylight for couple hours and they just disappeared. Guess rutted all night and were laid up, plus vehicles and hunters? I didn't want to be one to settle and have to shoot a smaller buck just to put a tag on. I had already decided I was going home and frame the tag instead of taking a smaller young buck. I thought what the hell. Everyone has told me hunt the lower elevation, snow pushed the deer out of the higher elevation. I think everyone had been told the same thing. I thought if I could find one still up high he was going to be a toad. What the hell do I know I'm from TX and never Mule deer hunted in my life.
So I went to the National forest. Was all by myself except for the elk hunters. Walked up hill to glass and saw some doe about 100 yds out of the aspens. they had seen me crest hill in my bright orange get up. So much for deer not seeing orange. They know the drill. Caught movement in the aspens and saw what was definitely a buck and by his body size a BIG one! he stood about 25 yds in trees but I could tell he was good. I ranged trees, 678. A friend here in TX had told me about a deer call that the does would come to. After some research sounded to me like a jackrabbit in distress, so that;s the call I had. I had been using it while scouting and was amazed at ho I would see just a couple doe 200 yds out. I could sit in vehicle blow the call and here comes 15 or 20 deer running to me out in the open. It was crazy. Anyways I got prone, I had been practicing here at home with my 300 WM out to 800 yds so I was confident in 678, with almost no wind. So doe are standing there looking at me and I blow the call 3 times. Here come the doe running to me. And of course HE wasn't going to let them out of his site so he came out of the trees, and OH MY goodness, I probably could have called him in with the does to under 200 yds, but all kinds of things were going thru my head. Was someone else watching and going to shoot him first, Were elk hunters going to screw it up? So I shot and my hunt was over at 945 am opening day. After 18 years. I'm still questioning whether I could have found a bigger one being the rut and all? But after 4 days of hard scouting other than the one off the highway this is the biggest I saw. If you were in 67 and saw a bigger one don't tell me, PLEASE!
And like I said in my other post asking for help for the deer hunt, I have 19 NR PP for elk next year and would appreciate any and all help I can get. Just like the deer, it would be my first and only elk hunt after 19 yrs of waiting. And of course I don't know what I'm doing, heck I'm hunting mule deer with a jackrabbit call!!!!
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2018/72698201811161145411542471072925001.jpg
