Hello everyone. I told myself that this year was a mule deer year. I took a very nice whitetail on public land last year and really wanted a mule deer. Scouting started in July and bow season started Sept 1st.
I had located several good bucks before the season started and had been shooting very well out to 80 yards.
I have been hunting hard since the opener and only had 1 good opportunity to date. I got to 10 yards of a great big wide mule deer but couldn't seal the deal.
Weather got sub zeros and the Rut kicked off. Things got crazy. I had been hunting one area very hard and seeing shooter bucks almost every time I went out.
But on a whim, I went out to a new area 45 minutes south of me with my wife. We were perched on a hill looking off into several coolies which is the norther word for a valley.
We were watching a ton of deer with a few bucks pushing does around when three does ran over a ridge right behind us. I told my wife to watch because a buck was going to run in after them. Sure enough, couple minutes go by and a nice buck comes over. We decided I should go for him and I chased him over the ridge, down into the next coolie. Got close but he and his does got nervous and went to the next coolie. I huffed it up over another ridge and once again got close before they went up and over to the next coolie.
At this point I am plumb wore out. These were steep and deer coolies. I crested the ridge and spotted them in the valley. Instead of going in after them I just waited to see what they were going to do. After some time, the buck pushed them up towards the point of the valley at the ridge. I bailed out and ran around to the point and guessed where they would come out at.
After a few minutes a doe popped out 81.5 yards to my right. And then another and I knew the buck was right behind them. I drew and he crested. I yelled at him twice before he settled and looked at me. I focused as hard as I could and let it fly.
The arrow took forever to get to him! Longest 2-3 seconds ever. I botched the shot. Combination of fatigue and buck fever, I didn't make a goo shot. It hit him square in the neck and he ran off back into the valley. He was bleeding pretty good and I chased him for 2 miles trying to get another arrow in him. Sunset came and I spotting him right at last light. He bedded and I knew I had to wait him out.
We came back the next morning and found him in the same spot! I was able to sneak up and put him down for good.
I'm so happy to have this buck and it is a great reward for all the hard work put in.
He scored over 154" and weighed over 240#'s.
We are making sausage and jerky right now!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I had located several good bucks before the season started and had been shooting very well out to 80 yards.
I have been hunting hard since the opener and only had 1 good opportunity to date. I got to 10 yards of a great big wide mule deer but couldn't seal the deal.
Weather got sub zeros and the Rut kicked off. Things got crazy. I had been hunting one area very hard and seeing shooter bucks almost every time I went out.
But on a whim, I went out to a new area 45 minutes south of me with my wife. We were perched on a hill looking off into several coolies which is the norther word for a valley.
We were watching a ton of deer with a few bucks pushing does around when three does ran over a ridge right behind us. I told my wife to watch because a buck was going to run in after them. Sure enough, couple minutes go by and a nice buck comes over. We decided I should go for him and I chased him over the ridge, down into the next coolie. Got close but he and his does got nervous and went to the next coolie. I huffed it up over another ridge and once again got close before they went up and over to the next coolie.
At this point I am plumb wore out. These were steep and deer coolies. I crested the ridge and spotted them in the valley. Instead of going in after them I just waited to see what they were going to do. After some time, the buck pushed them up towards the point of the valley at the ridge. I bailed out and ran around to the point and guessed where they would come out at.
After a few minutes a doe popped out 81.5 yards to my right. And then another and I knew the buck was right behind them. I drew and he crested. I yelled at him twice before he settled and looked at me. I focused as hard as I could and let it fly.
The arrow took forever to get to him! Longest 2-3 seconds ever. I botched the shot. Combination of fatigue and buck fever, I didn't make a goo shot. It hit him square in the neck and he ran off back into the valley. He was bleeding pretty good and I chased him for 2 miles trying to get another arrow in him. Sunset came and I spotting him right at last light. He bedded and I knew I had to wait him out.
We came back the next morning and found him in the same spot! I was able to sneak up and put him down for good.
I'm so happy to have this buck and it is a great reward for all the hard work put in.
He scored over 154" and weighed over 240#'s.
We are making sausage and jerky right now!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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