Nocwalker s Co unit 21 Recap

nocwalker

nocwalker

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We’ll, here we go. Many have asked for a recap. Thanks for the help with many questions, some probably dumb as hell but, coming from Pa to a unit that I could not personally scout was tough and raised more questions then answers.
between some help from individuals here on the Monster, intell from a friend here in Pa that use to hunt Elk in 21, and a friend from the Denver area who spent 2 days in the area for me scouting put us in a great camping spot and right in the middle of plenty of deer and a bunch of different shooters.

we could have not done better to start!!!???

I know many of you have asked for pictures, many saying” post a pic, can’t wait anymore”. I promise to post a pic in my next post?
 
We left Pa 5 days before opening day in Co figuring we’ll have a few days to scout. We arrived and set up camp on Monday 3 days early. That gave us time to acclimate since we were coming from 300’ above sea level to 8800’. Not very high I know but, for us it’s not that easy at least not for me anyway. Monday eve we stayed on the road for a short drive to familiarize ourselves to the area and found deer and a couple shooters right off the bat, Yea Baby!

we could not believe our luck to find deer so fast. What we didn’t know that first night was there were more deer then we knew and a few bigger ones to boot. The next morning we ventured a little further. When we came back through the area from the night before we saw a batch of over a dozen which included 6 shooters ranging from 160 to 190, WOW!
We still have a couple days from the opener, time to watch and learn , and time to figure out how in the heck two Easter tree stand hunters are going to get close enough to kill one or two of these boys

I promised a pic, here it is. I found this in a burn, the soil is kind of black, it was all by itself

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We found a great spot to glass this area from across a deep draw. It seamed as though we had the whole area to ourselves. We’ll, that didn’t stay that way. As I walking back into that glassing spot a few pick-ups pulled in to camp with one deer tag. As I spoke to them, they told me they’ve watched a big one everyday for a month. I immediately told them we won’t get in they’re way and won’t mess them up. We instantly became friends evenough they were 1/3 our age. We hunted and hung out with them for most of our trip. It great to share camp and backstraps with new friends

our glassing spot

4B1EEFED-A143-4C70-8443-BA27448FE0FC.jpeg


B3707B89-F3D5-4EA4-9057-71E7E7307D62.jpeg
 
Shooter, just to qualify…. We set out from the east coast with hopes of taking deer that have the classic mule deer 4x4 or something close to that. 160 hopefully,

that’s was our goal and became our shooter qualification,

not this guy, my best scope pic

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Alright man, I'm interested and following along and will continue to do so to see how it played out for you. But you're killing us with this one post every 10-15 minutes bit...
 
What we found was this batch of deer was using the tops of a couple hills and a couple different bottom too. On opening day with our new friend in the area I plopped my butt down lower in a draw to watch movement and maybe sneak in and intercept a shooter returning to the hill, my eastern tactics have returned(ambush) lol

my partner went up the hill on the back side staying clear of our new friend

thr morning ended with myself only seeing 2 does and my buddy seeing a dozen at distance with multi shooters
We back out not to make a mess. We were being cautious
 
AaronS said:
Alright man, I'm interested and following along and will continue to do so to see how it played out for you. But you're killing us with this one post every 10-15 minutes bit...
Click to expand...
Sorry Aaron. I’m slow, working on phone, phone is almost dead and I’m heading to bed soon
 
Haha no worries! I figured it had to be a phone deal. The suspense is just killing us. Thanks for sharing, even if it's a while before we see the kill shot.
 
Sept 2nd, afternoon. We glass up a couple good ones on OUR hill. Myself and one of our young friend stays behind to glass. My partner and a friend take off to stalk. We watch as they stalk in on a good one only to be beaten by a wind direction change. That would happen time and time again to him. It’s almost like if you go slow enough not to be detected the wind will eventually get you or if you go too fast you’ll be busted by noise or movement
Yikes. Tough!
 
Sept 3rd, Friday morning I walk a mile down a dirt road and watch above and behind me on the hillside for deer. I’m also watching below into a deep draw for movement hoping yo go up or down off the road to get after one if possible, this did not work and I had many road hunters in trucks, Jeep’s and ATvs go by then eventually come back. Road hunting in this area seems to be the norm.
My partner was up on the mountain behind me chasing deer with no luck on getting a shot
Our new found friends, 2 young local guys, had been hunting another area that morning. They had a deer tag, an elk tag and a bear tag. We’ll they showed back up in camp with a filled deer tag. I cannot post a pic since I don’t have permission to do so but, this buck will score between 180 and 190, impressive!

this now means the hill is all ours. Time to be a little more aggressive if we choose to
 
you know , now that I think about it. It’s like Groundhog Day on this hunt. Glass deer on hillside, stalk in , get stuck , then get busted by a shift in the wind
 
Friday afternoon, our new friends are back with us. We spot deer and off to the races my partner and a helper go. We’ll, the results are the same as we watch through glass at the action. Multi shooters were the target

I believe I took this pic that afternoon

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Day 3. Sept 4th. This morning our friends were up late dealing with they’re deer so, we were on our own. We decided both of us would climb the mountain and spread out for stalking opportunities. We went in dark, no headlamps, quiet etc.. that almost did me in, it was getting light but I caught my right foot on a limb and down I went. No big deal usually but this time I could not get my left arm out fast enough, not sure why. I was able to protect the bow and hold it up which would pay dividends later this day?. Just before I face planted, I turned a tucked my head landing square on the left side of my forehead. I got to my knees and kneeled for a moment wondering if I was ok. What a dope I thought! In a moment I realized I was ok and continued on
 
I finally, quietly reached an area near the top. Tons of sign, burnt area in past. I found a vantage point and sat down. It wasn’t long before I spot 4 bucks to my right walking up hill near top feeding with 3 of them shooters. My partner is over that way somewhere and I’m hopping he she’s them and can make a move on them.
a few minutes later as I’m watching the 4 bucks I see. Pair of ears come up over the edge in front of me. I’m soon covered with 4 nervous does, and a few small bucks at less then 20yds. I can’t move and it seems like the whole world is looking at me
 
As you can imagine this can’t last. A couple shooters showed up at 40 yds with nothing I could do but watch as the group of 12 or so got nervous and went quickly to my right. The game was over for the morning
 
After that morning bust we decided to run to town and check a few areas on the way that were suggested to us. We found nothing. On the way back we get a text that our friends found a couple good bucks. We arrived at camp and headed out to see if we could relocate this pair, and we did.
we made a plan and it was my shot at stalking. I put on a second pair of socks , grabbed the bow and headed down into the deep bowl they were feeding in. It was steep on both sides with some trees stands of mixed pines and quakies. One of our new young friends went with me and within a half hour we located them and we’re sneaking in. Not long after that sighting on of them got a little squirrely the smaller stopped in the opening and I hear 57 bill. I set up on my 55 pin and released. The shot was short and they didn’t spook real bad and certainly did not smell us
 
They settled down as we keep moving in slowly. A few minutes later I had one broadside under a pine. I could not see front shoulder, I just could not shoot with the sweet spot covered by a small pines branches. They slowly moved on and laid down 40 yds away under more pines. Over the next 1 1/2hrs we snuck in. At 30yds above I separated from my helper and have snuck to a soft clean path down hill to walk on with a wide aspen in between me and one of the bucks.
 
The deer was looking directly at my helper and it seemed like a shot was forced, I tossed my glasses fir the shot then things settled down. Now I can’t see clearly with no way to retrieve my eyes. I slowly moved downward closing the distance to less then 20 yds still hiding behind that aspen. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do when I got to that aspen but I moved in anyway. On the last step down I took one hard step and up he stood
 
He takes off turning to his left, I step to my left as he clears the tree he was laying under. I bleat, my helper yells and the other up on the hill across the bowl yell. He stops, my helper says 30 bill 30, I shoot ….
 
Some History. I had this tag 3 years ago and I had to turn it in. My wife was diagnosed with lung cancer with a surgery scheduled in Aug. I just could not go even though my wife told me to go anyway. I could not hunt worrying

we’ll , when I got home from this trip my wife said she was routing for me and mentioned 3 yrs ago when we turned the tags back in. Win/ Win

she is fine and cancer free now
 
….. he clears his shade tree. I move to my left and bleat. He stops and I hear 30 Bill 30. I shoot and hear the hit. He bolts straight down hill, into an Aspen groove and flips over to to cheers of my friends up on the opposing hill that saw the whole thing
 
I think we now know who writes the script for those click bait ads that go on and on and on! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

Hoping you post a pic Bill. The video link isn't working.

Kool story though!
 
Well Bill based on the quality of your story you are only banned from Colorado for 10 months ! Great job and must be such a wonderful feeling with your wife being cancer free. Please come back and be sure and bring lots of money we need it here to finance killing wolves !
 
littlebull209338 said:
Well Bill based on the quality of your story you are only banned from Colorado for 10 months ! Great job and must be such a wonderful feeling with your wife being cancer free. Please come back and be sure and bring lots of money we need it here to finance killing wolves !
Click to expand...
littlebull209338 said:
Well Bill based on the quality of your story you are only banned from Colorado for 10 months ! Great job and must be such a wonderful feeling with your wife being cancer free. Please come back and be sure and bring lots of money we need it here to finance killing wolves !
Click to expand...
littlebull209338 said:
Well Bill based on the quality of your story you are only banned from Colorado for 10 months ! Great job and must be such a wonderful feeling with your wife being cancer free. Please come back and be sure and bring lots of money we need it here to finance killing wolves !
Click to expand...
littlebull209338 said:
Well Bill based on the quality of your story you are only banned from Colorado for 10 months ! Great job and must be such a wonderful feeling with your wife being cancer free. Please come back and be sure and bring lots of money we need it here to finance killing wolves !
Click to expand...
10 months? I’ll take it. You know, there was no cell service and no liquor stores within walking distance and I still ended up spending $800 while there?
 
Joe2Kool said:
I think we now know who writes the script for those click bait ads that go on and on and on! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

Hoping you post a pic Bill. The video link isn't working.

Kool story though!
Click to expand...
No. Not me joe. I do attempt to “bring people along for the ride” though. That’s really my only purpose. I realize “out west” not everyone is going to get a tag, hopefully some can live through or share mine

bill v
 
Ahhh. Tag #2. My hunting partners tag. Wish I could say heres another story, I can’t. He hunted hard and was busted by wind shift or covered up ( brush in way of a shot) time and time again on 160 to 190 deer every day. Most days a few times each. It certainly was not for lack of trying. The deer are on top for good reason, the breeze always turns in their favor.

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nocwalker said:
No. Not me joe. I do attempt to “bring people along for the ride” though. That’s really my only purpose. I realize “out west” not everyone is going to get a tag, hopefully some can live through or share mine

bill v
Click to expand...
I was just jabbing at you Bill! :) I really enjoyed the story, and the pics. I'd log in to see the updates, with great anticipation and expectations. There was always enough to keep me along for the ride, and anxiously awaiting the next "episode."

Thanks again for sharing! :cool:
 

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