elkfanatic
Active Member
- Messages
- 154
Had an awesome January hunt this season. The first three days that I hunted I saw very few deer and even fewer bucks. The night of the third day I spotted a nice mature buck and decided to head in there to find him the next morning. Glassed all morning in the area that I saw him and only saw a spike and 2 does. Before moving on, I decided to turn around and glass the mountain to the south. Immediately I picked up this buck and his does. When I saw him through the spotting scope, I knew he was a really big buck immediately.
I spent some time surveying the spot he was in and decided to make a long looping stalk on him. I knew that this was likely the only deer I would see of this size on this hunt so I decided to pull out all the stops. I ran back to my truck and grabbed some food and an extra pair of socks and began the stalk. I circled all the way around the buck and despite an awful wind ended up 43 yards above him and his does. Unfortunately, I made a bad move and blew the entire group out. I was kicking myself for making such a dumb move walking back to my pack. While sitting there, I decided to glass the adjacent mountain before heading back to the truck. To my surprise, the buck and his hot doe were standing on that mountain below a juniper. After watching them for a while, they bedded down and I knew immediately they were in a fantastic spot. The juniper was only 30 yards from the top of that mountain.
I bailed off that mountain as fast as I could and made another mile long loop around the deer and came up the hill. After an hour or so of climbing, I dropped my backpack about 100 yards from the summit and put on my extra pair of socks. I slowly picked my way to the top of the mountain all while cussing the small threeawn seeds poking through my socks. After the climb, I found myself staring at the top of the juniper I left them under. I slowly picked my way to the last bush while looking for the buck where he had bedded. As I scanned to my right, I picked up the doe staring a hole through me. I ranged her and dialed my sight knowing she was going to spook and the buck would likely follow her out. She blew and bounced about 10 yard with the buck right on her tail. When they stopped, I took a second range and then checked the pointer for my second pin. Luckily, it was almost the exact distance where they had stopped. I drew back and put the pin low and lined up with his offside shoulder. When the shot broke, the buck did a big mule kick and ran straight down the hill. After 100 yards, the buck stops and looks back to me then slowly tips over and dies within sight. Just like that the biggest buck I have ever shot was dead right in front of my eyes. After some wild crazy screams and a call to my dad, I went down and got some pictures and got to work on him. 2 hellish trips off that mountain and I was headed back home.
I spent some time surveying the spot he was in and decided to make a long looping stalk on him. I knew that this was likely the only deer I would see of this size on this hunt so I decided to pull out all the stops. I ran back to my truck and grabbed some food and an extra pair of socks and began the stalk. I circled all the way around the buck and despite an awful wind ended up 43 yards above him and his does. Unfortunately, I made a bad move and blew the entire group out. I was kicking myself for making such a dumb move walking back to my pack. While sitting there, I decided to glass the adjacent mountain before heading back to the truck. To my surprise, the buck and his hot doe were standing on that mountain below a juniper. After watching them for a while, they bedded down and I knew immediately they were in a fantastic spot. The juniper was only 30 yards from the top of that mountain.
I bailed off that mountain as fast as I could and made another mile long loop around the deer and came up the hill. After an hour or so of climbing, I dropped my backpack about 100 yards from the summit and put on my extra pair of socks. I slowly picked my way to the top of the mountain all while cussing the small threeawn seeds poking through my socks. After the climb, I found myself staring at the top of the juniper I left them under. I slowly picked my way to the last bush while looking for the buck where he had bedded. As I scanned to my right, I picked up the doe staring a hole through me. I ranged her and dialed my sight knowing she was going to spook and the buck would likely follow her out. She blew and bounced about 10 yard with the buck right on her tail. When they stopped, I took a second range and then checked the pointer for my second pin. Luckily, it was almost the exact distance where they had stopped. I drew back and put the pin low and lined up with his offside shoulder. When the shot broke, the buck did a big mule kick and ran straight down the hill. After 100 yards, the buck stops and looks back to me then slowly tips over and dies within sight. Just like that the biggest buck I have ever shot was dead right in front of my eyes. After some wild crazy screams and a call to my dad, I went down and got some pictures and got to work on him. 2 hellish trips off that mountain and I was headed back home.
