oneshotlucky
New Member
- Messages
- 2
Okay, so I spent loads of money prepping for my very first Mule Deer Hunt in 13B. Roof Rack, 2 New Tires and wheels, 35 Gals of fuel, 28 Gals of water, Hitch Mounted basket etc, etc. I think I loaded up the Tacoma quite a bit!
I took a trail out of Mesquite AZ up through Elbow canyon. Little did I know that the trail was bad, I mean BAD! Okay so ONX maps said High Clearance 4x4, SS, Motorcycle, ATV maybe I should have paid attention to 'high clearance'? Anyway, my son and I followed the trail! Away we go! we went in about 30+ miles. Trail forced me to use 4x4 LO alot of the way up and in.
We got up to a point where the road,(Goat Path); intersected with Black Mountain Trail. We took a stretch outside the truck and look back the way we came and a sign was posted that said, 'Trail Closed the 3rd Monday in Nov.', Yeah, would be bad or impassable with rain or snow! We take a right at the intersection and motor down the trail. Oh I forgot! We left Surprise AZ at about 5:30 or 6:00 AM on the 4th of Nov. Needless to say, we did set up the tent in the dark. (I love my new light bar).
So we get to sleep. It wasn't terribly cold that night or the next morning. When the sun came up we ate Bacon and Bagel sandwiches. It's now about 7:00 ish? We knew we were late getting up but opening day was when we decided we would scout the area for a place we think we might see deer, mark it, and set in for glassing. We packed a lunch. We figured we would drive the trails and find a spot up high. Where we were it seemed that it would be awhile since we had nothing but high steep cliffs and mountains on both sides. We figured if we drove long enough we could get up higher but that trail goes for miles!
Keep in mind this is a DYI hunt. I was hoping that we would see one of those huge trophy bucks like you see in the photos posted but again, I was hoping just to see a buck let alone a big one. You know how it goes.
So we drive about 4 miles or so from camp. There was no one I mean no one on the trails except us. Kinda wondering if we were even in the right spot?
Anyway, I see movement on the right, I say to my son, "There's a Buck", He says the same thing about the same time. He's got his back to us. I know he can hear us let alone see us right? I stop the truck and we watch him mosey up the hill side. I get out and walk off the road to find a spot to get prone, no time to get out and try the new trigger stick tripod, or dig out the range finder we left in camp!
As I get down in the prone the buck still not really paying attention keeps walking slowly up the hill. He hasn't presented a broad side shot yet and I'm breathing quite heavy to steady the 30.06. The buck finally stops walking, turns broadside still not really looking at me or the truck on the trail! 'I'm taking the shot!", I figured the buck was about 100-150 yards, Rifle is zeroed at 100, I aim just a tick high, just a bit left of his shoulder on his right side, and just low from his back. I read that if I shoot him there I will save meat and he should drop right where he stands? I squeeze the trigger and send 180 gr. Nosler round down range! The buck drops like he was hit with a sledge hammer!!! He rolls a bit down hill against a big boulder, dead, not even a twitch!
We all know the feeling don't we? High five from the boy, big smiles etc. WOW! What a shot! We get up the hill and the buck is big! Nine points pushing 10. Not a monster but he still is big and this is my first buck ever at 55! He is way to big for us to pick up. So we start to gut him on a bit of flat spot. As we are prepping him to take him down the trail, we see a Sliver pick up coming down the trail. he was just able to get by my truck. We gut the big buck and drag him down the hill to the truck. Takes both of us to get him in the back. He's gotta be at least 300 Lbs.
Oh, did I say this happened at 8:25 AM on opening day?? I wanted to that all of you for notes, tips, advice I have read here on the forum. "A Hunt of a lifetime in 13 B, get a guide", If I could have afforded it I would have so we went on our own. We planned for an extended stay. We were over the moon and at the same time kinda bumbed that we didn't "Camp" longer. I wasn't disappointed at the size of the buck. I knew going in to this hunt if I saw a good size deer he was going down. If we stayed until the end, I planned on shooting even a spike if it came to it! Like I said, this was not a Trophy hunt, I wasn't expecting to see a monster but I would have taken one if I saw one!
I took a trail out of Mesquite AZ up through Elbow canyon. Little did I know that the trail was bad, I mean BAD! Okay so ONX maps said High Clearance 4x4, SS, Motorcycle, ATV maybe I should have paid attention to 'high clearance'? Anyway, my son and I followed the trail! Away we go! we went in about 30+ miles. Trail forced me to use 4x4 LO alot of the way up and in.
We got up to a point where the road,(Goat Path); intersected with Black Mountain Trail. We took a stretch outside the truck and look back the way we came and a sign was posted that said, 'Trail Closed the 3rd Monday in Nov.', Yeah, would be bad or impassable with rain or snow! We take a right at the intersection and motor down the trail. Oh I forgot! We left Surprise AZ at about 5:30 or 6:00 AM on the 4th of Nov. Needless to say, we did set up the tent in the dark. (I love my new light bar).
So we get to sleep. It wasn't terribly cold that night or the next morning. When the sun came up we ate Bacon and Bagel sandwiches. It's now about 7:00 ish? We knew we were late getting up but opening day was when we decided we would scout the area for a place we think we might see deer, mark it, and set in for glassing. We packed a lunch. We figured we would drive the trails and find a spot up high. Where we were it seemed that it would be awhile since we had nothing but high steep cliffs and mountains on both sides. We figured if we drove long enough we could get up higher but that trail goes for miles!
Keep in mind this is a DYI hunt. I was hoping that we would see one of those huge trophy bucks like you see in the photos posted but again, I was hoping just to see a buck let alone a big one. You know how it goes.
So we drive about 4 miles or so from camp. There was no one I mean no one on the trails except us. Kinda wondering if we were even in the right spot?
Anyway, I see movement on the right, I say to my son, "There's a Buck", He says the same thing about the same time. He's got his back to us. I know he can hear us let alone see us right? I stop the truck and we watch him mosey up the hill side. I get out and walk off the road to find a spot to get prone, no time to get out and try the new trigger stick tripod, or dig out the range finder we left in camp!
As I get down in the prone the buck still not really paying attention keeps walking slowly up the hill. He hasn't presented a broad side shot yet and I'm breathing quite heavy to steady the 30.06. The buck finally stops walking, turns broadside still not really looking at me or the truck on the trail! 'I'm taking the shot!", I figured the buck was about 100-150 yards, Rifle is zeroed at 100, I aim just a tick high, just a bit left of his shoulder on his right side, and just low from his back. I read that if I shoot him there I will save meat and he should drop right where he stands? I squeeze the trigger and send 180 gr. Nosler round down range! The buck drops like he was hit with a sledge hammer!!! He rolls a bit down hill against a big boulder, dead, not even a twitch!
We all know the feeling don't we? High five from the boy, big smiles etc. WOW! What a shot! We get up the hill and the buck is big! Nine points pushing 10. Not a monster but he still is big and this is my first buck ever at 55! He is way to big for us to pick up. So we start to gut him on a bit of flat spot. As we are prepping him to take him down the trail, we see a Sliver pick up coming down the trail. he was just able to get by my truck. We gut the big buck and drag him down the hill to the truck. Takes both of us to get him in the back. He's gotta be at least 300 Lbs.
Oh, did I say this happened at 8:25 AM on opening day?? I wanted to that all of you for notes, tips, advice I have read here on the forum. "A Hunt of a lifetime in 13 B, get a guide", If I could have afforded it I would have so we went on our own. We planned for an extended stay. We were over the moon and at the same time kinda bumbed that we didn't "Camp" longer. I wasn't disappointed at the size of the buck. I knew going in to this hunt if I saw a good size deer he was going down. If we stayed until the end, I planned on shooting even a spike if it came to it! Like I said, this was not a Trophy hunt, I wasn't expecting to see a monster but I would have taken one if I saw one!
