NMBOWHUNTR
Active Member
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- 272
Well the end of 2012 January bowhunt is apon us and I finally found some time to sit down and post my story so here goes.
It was a great hunt as usual and the rut seemed like it was starting to kick off. The first two days my father and I hiked up the mountain and were getting into the deer but just couldnt seem to close the distance. Its not easy sneeking up on a solo buck with a bow let alone an entire herd of deer with all those eyes, ears, and noses. No matter how hard you try to account for all the deer in the cover there was always that one out of 15 that would slip by and bust you while you are making a move. Needless to say we made several stalks those first two days but could get closer then 80 yards without seeing butts and dust.
Day 3 arrived and we decided to try a diferent area. Just before heading out my buddy shows up after driving all night to join in on the fun. We hunted hard that day and had some close calls but the same luck no success. At one point the three of us met up in a small saddle after pushing a lone buck around to have a snack and reformulate our game plan. We were just lounging around talking not even paying attention when out of no where a buck came up from the other side of the saddle and was 15 yards from us. The deer and I must of figured out what was happening at the same time because I saw him and he saw us and that was that. Caught with our pants down!
On day 4 my pops had to head back to town so it was just my buddy and I heading down the road to the rock. We arrived before daylight and started to climb reaching the peak right at legal shooting light. Quickly we spotted a herd of does and I circled around on them to see if any bucks were around. It turned out to be just a group of eight does so on we went.
We glassed up a few canyons with no luck. I stayed high while my buddy worked low and down the ridge we continued.
In the next bowl was a group of 20 does and three bucks. My buddy went low after them and I tried to stay high with the hopes they would push through a saddle but of course they had different plans. We ended up loosing the group and each other only to meet up a few hours later.
When we linked back up he told me how he spotted a single buck with a few does heading for a saddle. Mr. sneekie then decided to make a break for the saddle and wait for them to cross on the other side. He said that he got to the saddle got all set up to wait for this buck only to turn around and see the giant herd 200 yards away on the other hill staring at him like "what a dumbass." I was rolling on the ground when he told me this!
The other buck never came thru so I was like lets see if we can find the big group. Sure enough we crepped over the hill and there they were all up, alert, and feeding. I told him to hang tight that I would go up over the top and around on them and if they busted they should funnel back his way. I climbed back to the top peak and by the time I got there and was able to glass them up they had bedded down just on the other side of a saddle. I started searching for the bucks and located on bedded under a distinct looking tree about 50 yards from the top. The wind was perfect and I knew this was my opportunity.
I had about 200 yards to cover before I crested the saddle they were bedded on. I circled low went about 120 yards and dropped my pack, sprayed down, and gathered my nerves. I slowly crept up the remainder of the way ans started to crest the hill quickly locating the tree he was bedded under. 60 yards. I couldnt see any deer but knew he was there and kept telling myself 60 yards.
The hill exploded with deer jumpimg up from under every piece of cover. My buck was now two bucks flying out from under the tree but they only side skirted about twenty yards. I looked at the tree they were bedded under and then looked at them and yep it was still 60 yards. The front buck was broadside I drew back had a clear shot and released. I could see my fletching slow motion rotating in flight and burying into the buck and off they went.
It was a bad shot. I hit him too far back right in front of his hindquarters perfectly centered. The entire herd ran around a rocky point out of sight. I quickly reached the top of the point looking to see which way they herd went. While glassing I spotted the group 400 yards away on the other side of the canyon slowly moving towards the next bowl. I spotted 4 bucks now and the one I hit staying lower then the rest of the group. I watched as they all funneled over the ridge into the next bowl.
I signaled my buddy to come up to my location and gathered my pack. After he arrived I explained what happened we slowly went to locate blood. Soon we found blood and it was good blood. Not lung blood but lots of it. We slowly tracked the buck until my last visual of him going over the other ridge.
We continued to track the blood trail over a mile and a half before it peetered out and kept searching until dark along the same path. Ugh what an aweful feeling. I went to bed that night watching my fletching slow motion spinning along its path.
Day 5. We drove back into the bowl of last blood first thing in to morning glassing up the canyon. Our plan was to drop my buddy off in the bowl and I would circle back around over the top to see if he went back up. On the way out I met two brothers drivng in and explained to them what happened. I asked them to keep a look out for my buck and let us know if they find anything.
The rest of the day was a blur. I had to leave by midday for work and by that point I was back by were we lost him. I again ran into the brothers and they offered to give me a ride back to my truck. I gave them my number and told them I would be back in tow days and to let my buddy know if they found anything or call me.
Day 6. Work sucked
Day 7&8. I was back on the mountain and same thing. No luck finding my deer and couldnt get my buddy a shot. By day 8 I had pretty much giving up and lost hope of finding my buck. We stayed as late as we could and packed up camp.
It was about 4:45 on the way out about 40 miles from our hunting spot and I decided to check my voicemail. WE FOUND YOUR BUCK! I cant even dicribe the feeling I had at this point. I dont even remember if I looked in the rearview mirror I just flipped a u turn and I was headed back down. One of the brothers glassed him up and they marked a trail for me to him. I called them up and confirmed this info and I was hualing butt.
I got back to the location they had said right before sunset and boogied up the mountain. It took me a minute to find him but when I did it was like a ton of bricks being lifted off my shoulders. I was so happy and sad at the same time. Greatful. Just greatful at the help these two had done for me.
It had been 4 days sense I shot the deer. The meat was wasted which I feel horrible about but just being able to put my tag on him was a relief.
Thank you so very much Turner brothers! The help and closure you guys brought to me is unmeasurable! Its people like this that make my passion for this sport so strong.
Good people, good times and bad. Thats what its all about.
It was a great hunt as usual and the rut seemed like it was starting to kick off. The first two days my father and I hiked up the mountain and were getting into the deer but just couldnt seem to close the distance. Its not easy sneeking up on a solo buck with a bow let alone an entire herd of deer with all those eyes, ears, and noses. No matter how hard you try to account for all the deer in the cover there was always that one out of 15 that would slip by and bust you while you are making a move. Needless to say we made several stalks those first two days but could get closer then 80 yards without seeing butts and dust.
Day 3 arrived and we decided to try a diferent area. Just before heading out my buddy shows up after driving all night to join in on the fun. We hunted hard that day and had some close calls but the same luck no success. At one point the three of us met up in a small saddle after pushing a lone buck around to have a snack and reformulate our game plan. We were just lounging around talking not even paying attention when out of no where a buck came up from the other side of the saddle and was 15 yards from us. The deer and I must of figured out what was happening at the same time because I saw him and he saw us and that was that. Caught with our pants down!
On day 4 my pops had to head back to town so it was just my buddy and I heading down the road to the rock. We arrived before daylight and started to climb reaching the peak right at legal shooting light. Quickly we spotted a herd of does and I circled around on them to see if any bucks were around. It turned out to be just a group of eight does so on we went.
We glassed up a few canyons with no luck. I stayed high while my buddy worked low and down the ridge we continued.
In the next bowl was a group of 20 does and three bucks. My buddy went low after them and I tried to stay high with the hopes they would push through a saddle but of course they had different plans. We ended up loosing the group and each other only to meet up a few hours later.
When we linked back up he told me how he spotted a single buck with a few does heading for a saddle. Mr. sneekie then decided to make a break for the saddle and wait for them to cross on the other side. He said that he got to the saddle got all set up to wait for this buck only to turn around and see the giant herd 200 yards away on the other hill staring at him like "what a dumbass." I was rolling on the ground when he told me this!
The other buck never came thru so I was like lets see if we can find the big group. Sure enough we crepped over the hill and there they were all up, alert, and feeding. I told him to hang tight that I would go up over the top and around on them and if they busted they should funnel back his way. I climbed back to the top peak and by the time I got there and was able to glass them up they had bedded down just on the other side of a saddle. I started searching for the bucks and located on bedded under a distinct looking tree about 50 yards from the top. The wind was perfect and I knew this was my opportunity.
I had about 200 yards to cover before I crested the saddle they were bedded on. I circled low went about 120 yards and dropped my pack, sprayed down, and gathered my nerves. I slowly crept up the remainder of the way ans started to crest the hill quickly locating the tree he was bedded under. 60 yards. I couldnt see any deer but knew he was there and kept telling myself 60 yards.
The hill exploded with deer jumpimg up from under every piece of cover. My buck was now two bucks flying out from under the tree but they only side skirted about twenty yards. I looked at the tree they were bedded under and then looked at them and yep it was still 60 yards. The front buck was broadside I drew back had a clear shot and released. I could see my fletching slow motion rotating in flight and burying into the buck and off they went.
It was a bad shot. I hit him too far back right in front of his hindquarters perfectly centered. The entire herd ran around a rocky point out of sight. I quickly reached the top of the point looking to see which way they herd went. While glassing I spotted the group 400 yards away on the other side of the canyon slowly moving towards the next bowl. I spotted 4 bucks now and the one I hit staying lower then the rest of the group. I watched as they all funneled over the ridge into the next bowl.
I signaled my buddy to come up to my location and gathered my pack. After he arrived I explained what happened we slowly went to locate blood. Soon we found blood and it was good blood. Not lung blood but lots of it. We slowly tracked the buck until my last visual of him going over the other ridge.
We continued to track the blood trail over a mile and a half before it peetered out and kept searching until dark along the same path. Ugh what an aweful feeling. I went to bed that night watching my fletching slow motion spinning along its path.
Day 5. We drove back into the bowl of last blood first thing in to morning glassing up the canyon. Our plan was to drop my buddy off in the bowl and I would circle back around over the top to see if he went back up. On the way out I met two brothers drivng in and explained to them what happened. I asked them to keep a look out for my buck and let us know if they find anything.
The rest of the day was a blur. I had to leave by midday for work and by that point I was back by were we lost him. I again ran into the brothers and they offered to give me a ride back to my truck. I gave them my number and told them I would be back in tow days and to let my buddy know if they found anything or call me.
Day 6. Work sucked
Day 7&8. I was back on the mountain and same thing. No luck finding my deer and couldnt get my buddy a shot. By day 8 I had pretty much giving up and lost hope of finding my buck. We stayed as late as we could and packed up camp.
It was about 4:45 on the way out about 40 miles from our hunting spot and I decided to check my voicemail. WE FOUND YOUR BUCK! I cant even dicribe the feeling I had at this point. I dont even remember if I looked in the rearview mirror I just flipped a u turn and I was headed back down. One of the brothers glassed him up and they marked a trail for me to him. I called them up and confirmed this info and I was hualing butt.
I got back to the location they had said right before sunset and boogied up the mountain. It took me a minute to find him but when I did it was like a ton of bricks being lifted off my shoulders. I was so happy and sad at the same time. Greatful. Just greatful at the help these two had done for me.
It had been 4 days sense I shot the deer. The meat was wasted which I feel horrible about but just being able to put my tag on him was a relief.
Thank you so very much Turner brothers! The help and closure you guys brought to me is unmeasurable! Its people like this that make my passion for this sport so strong.
Good people, good times and bad. Thats what its all about.
