GMU 49,57,58, and 581 archery

scpaisley · Oct 1, 2009

Well I got shut out this year. Horrible luck all season. Started off with the first morning in an area of 581 I had scouted. They started logging in there and I didn't see a single deer or even any sign of deer being in there for at least a couple weeks. I knew I should have gone back up just before the start of the season. So I moved all over 581 trying to locate some deer. I had some luck around Blue Mountain where I tried to get on a "Whuley" as I call him. Muley with a whitetail rack. He was a 5x4 as I was able to later verify it through binos, but everything was so dry I couldn't get close. I tried some more areas and found a nice spot with some good bucks in it. On my second evening I got a nice little 2x2 at 60yds in a clearing broadside. Right when I pulled back my cord on the peep site snapped. So I let it back and he bolted. Lucky me, on my way back to the truck to fix my peep site a big 4x4 walks out in front of me at 40yds. I decided to let him keep on walking instead of risking a bad shot. So I got up there the morning after snow fell and it was perfect. I had a nice spot in a pine tree. Everything was looking good, even had a nice 6x6 bull and 4 cows walk past me at 10yds at first light and not even look my way. I waited about 10 more minutes and saw that 4x4 coming right down the same way the elk did. He walked right out in front of me at 10yds and even looked away from me! As I started to pull back the knock came out of the end of the shaft and the shaft clanged off the side of my bow. I damn near cried. From that Wed through the Sun I didn't get close to another deer. I have taken all my shafts back to the shop to have them all checked and repaired before next season. I guess if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all this year.

FamousAddiction · Oct 1, 2009

Sorry to hear about the bad luck. It was pretty much the same way for me, but for elk. Looks like we should've swapped tags this year, I had a buddy of mine kill his first muley with a bow. He missed 4 times on three different bucks, but finally got this one. I saw more bucks than elk in 581, hopefully things will go my way with my rifle tag for deer.

scpaisley · Oct 2, 2009

Thats nice buck! Tell him congrats.

I saw a lot of elk in 581. In fact I dang near ended up with mud butt one afternoon haha. I had walked into some timber and jumped a nice buck that ran downhill 20-30yds and stopped. Stood there for a few minutes, then started walking along the side of the hill eating going away from me. So I started walking along above him, about 10yds behind him when I notice another buck come up from the bottom and start along with him. I was hoping they would stop in a clearing or come up hill further. While walking across the side I was paying a lot of attention to the bucks and to where I stepped. Right after taking a step over a small downed tree with my left foot, I see this big ol head and rack out of the corner of my eye turn toward me. This bull, not sure about points but I did catch 5 on his right side, was 10ft in front of me laying down!! When he got up and took off down the hill I about lost it. He was a nice sized bull. He ran right down past those muleys and they went right down after him. I had never been that close to a live elk before.