wankerjake
Member
Well I finally have enough time away from school and work to write up the story. After going buck-less last season I was really looking forward to deer season this year. Last year I saw some bucks but didn't connect, largely due to my effective range being 250 yards. I passed up a spike the second morning at 200 yards, and missed one at 300 yards the fourth morning. As a result my tag went un-filled last year. I'm mostly a meat hunter so I'm usually not too particular but I'd seen so many bucks scouting that I knew I could do better and I had 6 days to hunt. Well the bucks dried up and if it wasn't for my elk tag I'd have gone hungry for the year.
After last season I vowed to be able to shoot at lest 300 yards but due to parenting and school and work my range this year was 250 yards again. I don't like to take pot shots because I hate losing deer and I don't want one to die of a belly ache and be left for the coyotes. Anyway I only had 3 days to hunt this year so I was ready to put some meat in the freezer. You pass up too many of these little devils and you go hungry, that's the lesson I learned last year. So, first morning my old man and I headed out to the spot I had picked out. This was his first hunt down here and I was playing guide. Anyway we set up in the hills waiting for the hunters down below to push deer up to us (this worked pretty well last year). We spooked some on the way to our spot but didn't get to identify them, it was mostly dark still. Anyway we got set up and started watching, and as the light came the shooting started and we had deer running up to us. Unfortunately most were does and fawns, unlike last year
About 8:00 AM I got a text that a spike was coming my way with 3 does, and sure enough 4 deer popped over the hill and headed past me. They were about 200 yards below me and were moving slow. I had my rifle on my shooting sticks and I glimpsed a spike on the lead deer so I flipped off my safety. He stopped and I was gonna pull the trigger but I took another look at his head (gotta be sure, these deer are so little) and I couldn't see any horns... so I had to let him go and he walked into a canyon and out of sight. I got good looks at the 3 does behind him so I figured I did in fact see horns on the lead one but I wasn't too worried as it was the first morning. After about 10:00am my dad made his way up to me and said the spike only had an antler on his left side, which explains why I had trouble seeing it. Around noon he made a walk over to the canyon and spooked the deer out and we saw the spike again, indeed only on the left side. He got away.
With all the activity in the area (it's a popular spot) my old man wanted to move somewhere else so we headed for another spot I knew of. We popped over a ridge and were gonna set on a perch I had in mind for the rest of the day. I decided to glass the AO before we made our way down to the perch, and instantly I spotted a deer laying near the bottom of the canyon. He had bushes all around him, but I was at the perfect angle that I could see his whole body. Sure enough we could tell it was a buck, which was good enough for me. I ranged him at 228, and I'm zeroed at 220 so I knew I could make the shot. Best part was we were behind a big boulder, so not only could I sit on the step it had, but with our packs stacked up it was like shooting on sand bags. I was excited but had time to collect myself as he was looking up the canyon and not at us at all. I put it on his shoulder and squeezed one off. I don't remember hearing the report so much as the bullet smacking him. Whacked him good, he didn't even twitch. Didn't kick his legs or roll over. Never knew what hit him. Well we made our way down to him and could see he was a small 3x3, I'm guessing a 2 1/2 year old deer. We also realized we forgot the dern camera on the table but we got a few quick photos before we skinned him and butchered him up.
Dog added for scale; such little deer!
Neigbor's friend's beer gut (white shirt) added for good measure. He's not as hilarious as my neighbor but was way more drunk. He knew everything there was to know about skinning deer and even had spare knives if we wanted to use them...how convenient!
I just capped him and tonight I boiled and bleached him, he's ready to get hung up now! I couldn't get my old man on one this year but hopefully next year I'll have more time to scout. There were definitely less deer in my spot this year thatn last year. Anyway I had a good time and I've got enough meat to hold me until elk season. Cooked up some burgers and tenderloins tonight, and they were top notch. Every bit as good as beef, but WAAAAYYYY more fun to go get! Happy hunting to those of you with tags to fill!
(victory beer can included for scale. Also notice he wasn't done rubbing his velvet off)
After last season I vowed to be able to shoot at lest 300 yards but due to parenting and school and work my range this year was 250 yards again. I don't like to take pot shots because I hate losing deer and I don't want one to die of a belly ache and be left for the coyotes. Anyway I only had 3 days to hunt this year so I was ready to put some meat in the freezer. You pass up too many of these little devils and you go hungry, that's the lesson I learned last year. So, first morning my old man and I headed out to the spot I had picked out. This was his first hunt down here and I was playing guide. Anyway we set up in the hills waiting for the hunters down below to push deer up to us (this worked pretty well last year). We spooked some on the way to our spot but didn't get to identify them, it was mostly dark still. Anyway we got set up and started watching, and as the light came the shooting started and we had deer running up to us. Unfortunately most were does and fawns, unlike last year
About 8:00 AM I got a text that a spike was coming my way with 3 does, and sure enough 4 deer popped over the hill and headed past me. They were about 200 yards below me and were moving slow. I had my rifle on my shooting sticks and I glimpsed a spike on the lead deer so I flipped off my safety. He stopped and I was gonna pull the trigger but I took another look at his head (gotta be sure, these deer are so little) and I couldn't see any horns... so I had to let him go and he walked into a canyon and out of sight. I got good looks at the 3 does behind him so I figured I did in fact see horns on the lead one but I wasn't too worried as it was the first morning. After about 10:00am my dad made his way up to me and said the spike only had an antler on his left side, which explains why I had trouble seeing it. Around noon he made a walk over to the canyon and spooked the deer out and we saw the spike again, indeed only on the left side. He got away.With all the activity in the area (it's a popular spot) my old man wanted to move somewhere else so we headed for another spot I knew of. We popped over a ridge and were gonna set on a perch I had in mind for the rest of the day. I decided to glass the AO before we made our way down to the perch, and instantly I spotted a deer laying near the bottom of the canyon. He had bushes all around him, but I was at the perfect angle that I could see his whole body. Sure enough we could tell it was a buck, which was good enough for me. I ranged him at 228, and I'm zeroed at 220 so I knew I could make the shot. Best part was we were behind a big boulder, so not only could I sit on the step it had, but with our packs stacked up it was like shooting on sand bags. I was excited but had time to collect myself as he was looking up the canyon and not at us at all. I put it on his shoulder and squeezed one off. I don't remember hearing the report so much as the bullet smacking him. Whacked him good, he didn't even twitch. Didn't kick his legs or roll over. Never knew what hit him. Well we made our way down to him and could see he was a small 3x3, I'm guessing a 2 1/2 year old deer. We also realized we forgot the dern camera on the table but we got a few quick photos before we skinned him and butchered him up.
Dog added for scale; such little deer!
Neigbor's friend's beer gut (white shirt) added for good measure. He's not as hilarious as my neighbor but was way more drunk. He knew everything there was to know about skinning deer and even had spare knives if we wanted to use them...how convenient!
I just capped him and tonight I boiled and bleached him, he's ready to get hung up now! I couldn't get my old man on one this year but hopefully next year I'll have more time to scout. There were definitely less deer in my spot this year thatn last year. Anyway I had a good time and I've got enough meat to hold me until elk season. Cooked up some burgers and tenderloins tonight, and they were top notch. Every bit as good as beef, but WAAAAYYYY more fun to go get! Happy hunting to those of you with tags to fill!
(victory beer can included for scale. Also notice he wasn't done rubbing his velvet off)
