Use Promo Code Randy for 20% off OutdoorClass

11 Days Solo in the Colorado Wilderness High Country... and my Best Buck Ever

SC Living Outdoors said:
Day 10 & 11- September 10th & 11th

I had a plan. I was going back up the big ridge. The same ridge where I went opening day. I was going to glass it first thing then slowly work my way down the back side still hunting my way through until I found a deer. I was motivated again. I only had 3.5 days left I could hunt. I needed to leave at the absolute latest on Saturday morning and I needed to find a buck. This was a tag I'd been dreaming of and hunt I'd been playing in my mind for years. I was going to give it heck. My alarm went off at 3am and I was up getting ready for my big climb. I set off from camp down to the valley floor then up the other side. About 1/4 of the way up the other side I stopped to remove my puffy and go to the bathroom. I dropped my pack and stripped off my puffy. I tied my puffy on my pack and got ready to put it back on looking around for my binos to put on before the pack. Oh no! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! I forgot my binos at camp. "You have got to be kidding me!" Some people might be able to hunt without binos, I can't. Theres a moment in every hunt that shapes the outcome. I didn't know it at the time, but this was that moment for this hunt. I don't know how this hunt would have ended if I hadn't forgotten my binos, but I do know it would have been different than the way it did. Back to camp I went. Luckly, I'd left early enough where I could get back to camp in the dark and go to a different place. Over the big ridge would wait until tomorrow. I gave myself 30 seconds to shake my head then I said "adapt and overcome". I began to think about my options on the hike back. There were really only 2. The spot I'd seen the big bull and 2 bucks on the morning of day #3 or the spot I'd seen the 2 goats on the afternoon of day #2. I began to pray and ask God to guide me. I don't like praying and asking God to help me kill a big animal or praying for a special tag, I don't know why, but that seems off to me, but I do often pray that I'll make smart choices, I won't overlook things and I'll execute during the hunt if given an opportunity. I began weighing the pros cons. The more I thought and prayed about it the more the spot from day 2 made sense. I hadn't been there in 8 days. No one else had been in there for sure because it was heck to get in there. I would be glassing west and when I came over the saddle into the bowl the sun would be behind me helping shield me from view. On top of that it just felt like where I needed to go. Lastly, it really wasn't that far from where I saw the 2 big bucks a couple days prior. Maybe they'd slipped by me on my stalk in and headed to that high bowl?

I arrived at camp and grabbed my binos on the way through. I stopped long enough to take off my pack put on my binos and head back out. I began to climb up to the 12,400' saddle. About 2/3 of the way up it was light enough to see and I began to glass around without any luck. I slipped through the saddle and made my way down the other side to sit on some rocks as I began to glass. I started at the high end of the bowl and began glassing my way down slowly picking my way through the vegetation. I noticed the mountain goats were gone as I kept glassing from my left to right. A deer! Another deer! Another deer! A group of deer were feeding on the 850 yards across from me. 2 bucks and a doe. One of the bucks was a good one, really good. I tried to keep myself calm. After what had happened a few days previously I wasn't going to allow myself to get excited just to get let down if something happened. The bigger buck was a dandy deer and I was beginning to make a plan to move down into range, but I could tell something wasn't right. The smaller buck and the doe kept looking down the bowl to their right. I began thinking to myself what is down there? A person, a wolf, a cat, something to mess up my hunt?!?! Instead of moving down the side to get in position for a shot I decided to scan to the deer's right where they were looking. I found what they were looking at. It wasn't a person or a wolf or a cat. It was another deer. A buck. Oh my, what a buck! Not real wide, but heavy and tall and an extra tine and perfect full velvet. This was the deer that I had come to Colorado for. This was the buck I'd been dreaming about killing for years. This was the buck I'd been saving points for, shaving grams off of my gear for, working out so hard for, climbing all these dang mountains for. That was him! I'd found him. I locked in. I had to make this happen. I'd never had an opportunity on a buck like this with a tag in my pocket. I began to work my way down the ridge. 10 yards down the scree, stop, glass, they don't see me, range, 10 yards down the scree, stop, glass, they don't see me, range, 10 yards down the scree, stop, glass, they don't see me, range. Finally, I got to a flat grassy spot to the right of the slope I was working my way down. I was in range. I laid down and checked the wind, checked my range, checked my level and rechecked all of it. The buck was perfectly broad side. I pressed the trigger and the gun recoiled. The buck bolted up the side of the hill and stopped after 80 yards slowly walking into a group of trees. I ranged the trees in case he came out. I waited and waited. I figured he was done, but I waited. After 15 minutes he stepped out from those trees and I fired. His ears went back. He was hurt. I fired again and down he went running through the rocks with his head down low. He tumbled through rocks and came to rest in an opening where I could see him laying there. Finally, on day 10 I'd completed my goal.

I hiked over to him. He was everything I thought he was. A beautiful buck unfortunately he'd beat up his velvet going through the rocks, but I can get that fixed. It doesn't always come together but this time it did. I took a ton of pictures and sent a lot of messages. I broke him down and began the adventure of packing him down to the bottom where I grabbed the trail to head to the truck. I made it out before dark 5.3 miles out with all the meat. I drove him up to my new friends camp and he was thrilled for me and cooked me dinner. Tater tots and chicken fingers, It was a cheat meal and I'd earned it. I slept in my mini camper on a real mattress and it was glorious.

Day #11 - I packed back in for all my gear. 10 more miles and I was done. I'd seen moose tracks on the trail the day before, but I hadn't seen the moose. On the way to get my gear I saw them. A great bull and a cow. Love was in the air and it was cool to see and hear from 15 yards away.

I have 6 more hunts this fall that I think will be great, but this one will be hard to top.

I drove 3700+ miles. I hiked 70+ miles. I climbed 18,000'+. I killed a buck I'll never forget.


The 2 bucks looking down at the other buck.

View attachment 386103View attachment 386104

The bigger of the 2 bucks stood around after I shot.
View attachment 386105View attachment 386106

Got him.
View attachment 386107View attachment 386108View attachment 386109View attachment 386110View attachment 386111View attachment 386112

Pack out.
View attachment 386113


Back to get the gear.
View attachment 386114View attachment 386115View attachment 386116
Click to expand...
Great hunt and buck!
 
Beautiful buck that high country deer hunt is on my list of to do. Congrats on a grind of a hunt. That's a lot of hours solo.
 
rmyoung1 said:
Awesome, @SC Living Outdoors ! That’s a great deer and cool adventure. I’m impressed with your persistence. I’ve thought about high country CO deer for a looooong time. Looks like fun
Click to expand...
I love high country deer. It gets in your blood. I’ve got a pretty good pocket full of points in Wyoming for deer and I think I’m going to cash them in next year for high country deer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

SC Living Outdoors
SC Public Land Archery Buck
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
six7
six7
WyoDoug
WyoDoug 2025 Solo Speedgoat Hunt
Replies
2
Views
998
WoodMoose
WoodMoose
nontyp
My First Muley, 2 Firsts in One
2
Replies
23
Views
1K
JM77
JM77
Muskeez
WY deer hunt for family on 11 points each
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
Muskeez
Muskeez
Duck-Slayer
Exploring w/ my goats
Replies
3
Views
843
brockel
brockel

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
117,356
Messages
2,154,787
Members
38,193
Latest member
Barry Osche

Share this page

Back
Top