Lots of planning went into this years hunt. Brad and I researched the area for a spot to camp, made two 4 hour horse pack trips hauling a cache of water for the horses to be used on the hunt, and also caching some camping supplies. The day before the opener found us making the 4 hour horse ride up to our camp spot to get set up. Upon arriving we found that someone had found our cache and stolen all of it. They stole 12 gal of water, so now we have no water for the horses. They stole our camp stove and pots for boiling water, propane. (Thanks a lot DICKHEAD) So now were on the top of the mountain with a pack full of mountain house dehydrated meals and no way to heat water. Well we did have some canned peaches, so we each ate our peaches and poured cold water into the mountain house packets and then poured the mixture into the cans. We did pack up a buddy heater so we set our cans on top of the buddy heater. It took about an hour but we finally had some warm dinner.
We called for backup and our good friend Brandon came to the rescue and packed up water and a camp stove and a pot. Thanks Brandon, you are the MAN!!
Well opening day we peeked out of the tent and the visibility was about 100 yards. We were in a cloud.
We decided to wait it out, but it only got worse. Mother nature decided to dump 1' of snow in 3 hours and it was not slowing down. So the third time the tent caved in we decided to get out! We packed up the horses faster than anyone has ever packed a horse and we were gone. We hunted the low country sunday and monday and brad shot a nice 18" 4x5 monday afternoon.
Tuesday I had school so wednsday was my last chance to get out. All my hunting buddies either had to work or had tagged out so I was going solo. I hiked about 2/3 the way up the mountain that our camp was on and was in about a foot of snow. I started seeing deer so I figured that I was in the right place.
After glassing only does for about 2 hours I caught a flash of a buck, finally. He looked good and I wanted a closer look. By the time I got the scope set up the buck was gone! I searched and searched the area for about 25 min when I finally found him. He was bedded on the crest of a small ridge and all I could see was the tips of his antlers sticking out of a green bush.
Here's a zoomed in view.
With no reference I was unsure how wide this buck actually was. I guessed 25" and after looking him over decided that if he would give me a shot I would take it. I got my range (479 yds)and got into position. I had my spotting scope set up so that I could be sitting with my gun on the snipe pod at the ready, and all I would have to do is turn my head and stick my eye into the eye piece of the spotting scope to keep good tabs on him. A couple times his rack disappeared and I thought that he slipped out on me, but after inspection he was still there. I think that he was just putting his head down on the ground sleeping the afternoon away. I waited in this position for 2.5 hours waiting for him to stand up. I was texting my wife telling her how things were unfolding and that I just needed the buck to stand. She said she sent some positive energy my way (thanks baby). Mid text I checked in my spotter and noticed his antlers start to move, he stood up! Finally! I dropped my phone and got my rifle on target. I waited for him to turn and let fly! The buck disappeared and I could not see him come out. I searched the area for 30 min waiting to see if the buck was going to show himself, "Hopefully he went down" I told myself. The hike over took a lot longer than I expected, about an hour farther up the canyon. I found my landmark and started tracking. Right away I found his bed.
I started down his tracks and quickly found him piled up not 10 yards from his bed. He is a 24" 4x5 and my best buck to date.
I said a quick prayer to thank the Lord, called my wife, and took pics. I then caped him, boned out the meat, and loaded him and all my stuff on the Horn Hunter Full Curl pack and was headed off the hill. About the time my body was exhausted my 3 brothers Brad, Kolton, and Luke came to my rescue. Thanks guys, I couldn't have made it off that mountain without ya. I left my truck at 7am and got back to it at 10pm. A long day for sure, but well worth it!!!
}}-SLIVER-->
We called for backup and our good friend Brandon came to the rescue and packed up water and a camp stove and a pot. Thanks Brandon, you are the MAN!!
Well opening day we peeked out of the tent and the visibility was about 100 yards. We were in a cloud.
We decided to wait it out, but it only got worse. Mother nature decided to dump 1' of snow in 3 hours and it was not slowing down. So the third time the tent caved in we decided to get out! We packed up the horses faster than anyone has ever packed a horse and we were gone. We hunted the low country sunday and monday and brad shot a nice 18" 4x5 monday afternoon.
Tuesday I had school so wednsday was my last chance to get out. All my hunting buddies either had to work or had tagged out so I was going solo. I hiked about 2/3 the way up the mountain that our camp was on and was in about a foot of snow. I started seeing deer so I figured that I was in the right place.
After glassing only does for about 2 hours I caught a flash of a buck, finally. He looked good and I wanted a closer look. By the time I got the scope set up the buck was gone! I searched and searched the area for about 25 min when I finally found him. He was bedded on the crest of a small ridge and all I could see was the tips of his antlers sticking out of a green bush.
Here's a zoomed in view.
With no reference I was unsure how wide this buck actually was. I guessed 25" and after looking him over decided that if he would give me a shot I would take it. I got my range (479 yds)and got into position. I had my spotting scope set up so that I could be sitting with my gun on the snipe pod at the ready, and all I would have to do is turn my head and stick my eye into the eye piece of the spotting scope to keep good tabs on him. A couple times his rack disappeared and I thought that he slipped out on me, but after inspection he was still there. I think that he was just putting his head down on the ground sleeping the afternoon away. I waited in this position for 2.5 hours waiting for him to stand up. I was texting my wife telling her how things were unfolding and that I just needed the buck to stand. She said she sent some positive energy my way (thanks baby). Mid text I checked in my spotter and noticed his antlers start to move, he stood up! Finally! I dropped my phone and got my rifle on target. I waited for him to turn and let fly! The buck disappeared and I could not see him come out. I searched the area for 30 min waiting to see if the buck was going to show himself, "Hopefully he went down" I told myself. The hike over took a lot longer than I expected, about an hour farther up the canyon. I found my landmark and started tracking. Right away I found his bed.
I started down his tracks and quickly found him piled up not 10 yards from his bed. He is a 24" 4x5 and my best buck to date.
I said a quick prayer to thank the Lord, called my wife, and took pics. I then caped him, boned out the meat, and loaded him and all my stuff on the Horn Hunter Full Curl pack and was headed off the hill. About the time my body was exhausted my 3 brothers Brad, Kolton, and Luke came to my rescue. Thanks guys, I couldn't have made it off that mountain without ya. I left my truck at 7am and got back to it at 10pm. A long day for sure, but well worth it!!!
}}-SLIVER-->