LAST EDITED ON Aug-10-08 AT 04:40PM (MST)[p]
LAST EDITED ON Aug-10-08 AT 02:31?PM (MST)
The compliments are appreciated. And, he is just shy of 30? wide.
The story goes:
I spotted the buck from to top of the ridge and looking at it through binoculars it was difficult to evaluate him. Fortunately (like most of you) I use a spotting scope. After watching him feed on an open hill side, he soon headed for cover. Trying to guess where he would go, it seemed that he had one good bush with a nice bed dug underneath. Luckily, he went for it since the alternative would have taken him out of site.
However, it looked like he would not have long until the sun would force him to move. The wind was good and steady blowing up the draw; but, required a frontal approach. I knew I could get most of the way to him without much trouble, and then let the wind tell me the rest.
Well, I got down the hill to about 500 yards and ran into some cows and sage hens that made quite a commotion. I could see his antlers as he watch over the creek I was walking up -- unalarmed. Trying to figure out if I could sneak up the draw on him or climb up a small ridge line in front of him, I ranged the buck (157 yards) and a rock on the ridge in front of him (96 yards). Since the wind would occasionally shift up the draw to him, I looked like I needed to sneak up behind the rock in front of him and take a 60 yard +/- shot at him.
With shoes and pack dropped off I crept behind trees and bushes out of site until I got behind the small ridge where I planned to sneak up to his level. I decided to check my sites for anything unusual. Turns out the top pin got snagged on something and pulled the fiber out. Not a problem as I would not be surprised when drawing on him.
Creeping up a shale slide, I guessed that between a small bush and a rock outcropping would be about right; it was. Seeing his antlers sticking up, I caught my breadth and came up with a plan. Too many times I have had things blow up on me at the final moment. I decided that I did not want to give up the control I had over the situation and wait for him to give me a perfect shot only to bolt down the hill. Besides, I had no idea if any other deer were in the area. So, since he was looking in my direction, the best option was to pop up over the ridge at full draw and shot him in his bed.
I drew back, got up on my knee, looked at him and cut it loose. Hit. Two other deer bust out with him. He stops with an arrow sticking out where his neck meets his shoulder, and a basketball size blood spot on his side. He looks like he is going down, then he turns toward me at 75 yards. Caught up in the moment, I stare at him rather than nock an arrow and shot again. He then runs down the drainage and around a corner.
Immediately, I backed out and climbed out of the canyon and got back to camp. That afternoon, I brought my buddies back to find a great blood trail, and the buck piled up.
A couple of days later my buddy took a nice 4x4.