A-con
New member
Kaibab long story.
I drew a great mule deer tag this year, and on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving I left for Arizona ’s famous Kaibab plateau. With me was my long time friend and hunting buddy Doyle. Thursday we checked in to the Jacob lake Inn, the only hotel for the area.
We spent the rest of the day scouting, and saw a dozen does.
We would stay at the Inn until Monday morning when Doyle had to go home, and I set up a tent camp.
Opening morning I hiked several miles through rough country before dawn, packing enough optics to open an observatory. I set up on a point overlooking a canyon famous for producing trophy bucks. I glassed for hours and didn’t see a living thing.
I hiked out at noon and Doyle was sitting on his quad, drinking a beer. He had seen a dozen does and two small bucks. That afternoon I had the same luck hiking the piney ridges.
This hunt has been made famous when snows push the deer down to the low country where they get concentrated in canyons and PJ flats that are open to the use of high power optics. There is always snow by late November, or so I am told. Not this year. The deer were there, just spread out over 800 sq miles. Oh yea, I burned some gas searching for deer.
Saturday I went back to the low country where we had seen all the does. I hiked through some PJs and oak brush and spotted does and small bucks. I hiked over a ridge and spotted my truck parked in a draw. Movement, two does and a big forked horn. He was rutting, they were not. They really put on quite a show, he chased them all over that draw. Just as I got back to the truck, Doyle rolled up and said there was a 4X4 ½ mile down the road. We went for a look and I passed on the 20” 130 class buck. That afternoon we talked to a man whose wife had the tag, and put an X on his map where the buck had been seen. The next day they took it and left us a “thank you” note.
Sunday I made a long pre dawn drive to a spot that had been highly recommend. Along the way, I noticed a lot of does crossing the road in one certain area. The spot produced several more does and some giant tracks, but no buck sightings. On the way back, I stopped to check out where all the does crossed. The map said there was a watering hole off in the direction the does were heading. I hiked around and found a large mesa near by, but couldn’t find any way to glass the whole thing. On the way back I set up a tent camp.
Monday Doyle had to go home so I got up early and headed to drop the rest of my gear at camp. Before dawn I spotted twenty does and three small bucks along a half mile stretch of hiway. I dropped my gear and returned. I found a trail headed in to the area along a ridge. That morning and saw several does and passed on a 130 class 4X4. I spent the evening glass to no avail. Tuesday morning I went back to the ridge. The wind was blowing hard and cold. No deer on the ridge so I starting the glassing protected side of the next ridge over. Lots of does and what appeared to by a 140+ four by. I put the 8X glass on him and he was 4 X nothing, no left antler.
That afternoon I was on a mission. Return to the mesa I had found and find a way to glass and hunt it. I arrived in the area hours early and hiked to several spots looking for a great vantage point. I found it. One spot where I could glass a whole series of flats, separated by oak brush and PJ draws, stretching almost mile left to right, and 800 yards front to back The view was way cool. I glassed it off with the 8x binos and immediately spotted five does. I ran back to the truck and got the big glass and rifle.
Through the 15 power binos, the mesa slowly filled with deer. At one point, I had five groups, total of 30+ deer including three small bucks. One big doe stood out. She was clearly nervous and focused one juniper choked draw. At one point, she even spooked off the draw, bolting and running fifty yards before she clamed down and returned to feeding. I knew there was either a coyote or a big buck in that draw. Every few minuets I would range her, and at five PM I put her at 404 yards. I focused the tripod mounted Minox 15s with her at the top of my field of view, and the top of that draw at the bottom.
A few seconds later this buck came storming up out of the draw and made a bee line for the big doe. I stared in awe for a few seconds and then made a decision. I knew he wasn’t the biggest deer on the Kaibab, but I wanted him. That’s when the buck fever set in. I scrambled to find a way to steady my rifle. The bi-pod was too low, I was looking at dirt. I rested it on top of the tripod binos, way to shaky. I grabbed my day pack and threw it out, and put the bi-pod on it. Perfect angle and rock solid. The buck stopped but a yearling stood right behind him. Then the doe danced off twenty yards and he followed, stopping broadside with his nose up her tail. The 400 yard crosshair settled to just behind his shoulder and just below center line. I broke the shot and watched the impact. He jumped and kicked out like they do with a solid boiler room hit, then turned and ran down hill, right at me. I chambered another round, but lost site of him. Running back to my truck, I exchanged hunting gear for field dressing and packing stuff, then hiked to the last place I had seen him. That’s where I found him, a perfect double lung hit. I set up my camera and took a dozen glory photos as the last few minuets of light faded. I caped and boned him by head lamp then loaded everything in my pack. I’m guessing 120 lbs, I could barley stand up much less hike. I dropped the pack and divided the load into boneless meat, and everything else. By the time I got everything back to the truck it was 9:30 and I was exhausted.
Back at camp, meat spread to cool and a quick dinner, I took time for a small camp fire, a glass of Old Bushmills and an Arturo Fuente.
It was a satisfying hunt.
I drew a great mule deer tag this year, and on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving I left for Arizona ’s famous Kaibab plateau. With me was my long time friend and hunting buddy Doyle. Thursday we checked in to the Jacob lake Inn, the only hotel for the area.
We spent the rest of the day scouting, and saw a dozen does.
We would stay at the Inn until Monday morning when Doyle had to go home, and I set up a tent camp.
Opening morning I hiked several miles through rough country before dawn, packing enough optics to open an observatory. I set up on a point overlooking a canyon famous for producing trophy bucks. I glassed for hours and didn’t see a living thing.
I hiked out at noon and Doyle was sitting on his quad, drinking a beer. He had seen a dozen does and two small bucks. That afternoon I had the same luck hiking the piney ridges.
This hunt has been made famous when snows push the deer down to the low country where they get concentrated in canyons and PJ flats that are open to the use of high power optics. There is always snow by late November, or so I am told. Not this year. The deer were there, just spread out over 800 sq miles. Oh yea, I burned some gas searching for deer.
Saturday I went back to the low country where we had seen all the does. I hiked through some PJs and oak brush and spotted does and small bucks. I hiked over a ridge and spotted my truck parked in a draw. Movement, two does and a big forked horn. He was rutting, they were not. They really put on quite a show, he chased them all over that draw. Just as I got back to the truck, Doyle rolled up and said there was a 4X4 ½ mile down the road. We went for a look and I passed on the 20” 130 class buck. That afternoon we talked to a man whose wife had the tag, and put an X on his map where the buck had been seen. The next day they took it and left us a “thank you” note.
Sunday I made a long pre dawn drive to a spot that had been highly recommend. Along the way, I noticed a lot of does crossing the road in one certain area. The spot produced several more does and some giant tracks, but no buck sightings. On the way back, I stopped to check out where all the does crossed. The map said there was a watering hole off in the direction the does were heading. I hiked around and found a large mesa near by, but couldn’t find any way to glass the whole thing. On the way back I set up a tent camp.
Monday Doyle had to go home so I got up early and headed to drop the rest of my gear at camp. Before dawn I spotted twenty does and three small bucks along a half mile stretch of hiway. I dropped my gear and returned. I found a trail headed in to the area along a ridge. That morning and saw several does and passed on a 130 class 4X4. I spent the evening glass to no avail. Tuesday morning I went back to the ridge. The wind was blowing hard and cold. No deer on the ridge so I starting the glassing protected side of the next ridge over. Lots of does and what appeared to by a 140+ four by. I put the 8X glass on him and he was 4 X nothing, no left antler.
That afternoon I was on a mission. Return to the mesa I had found and find a way to glass and hunt it. I arrived in the area hours early and hiked to several spots looking for a great vantage point. I found it. One spot where I could glass a whole series of flats, separated by oak brush and PJ draws, stretching almost mile left to right, and 800 yards front to back The view was way cool. I glassed it off with the 8x binos and immediately spotted five does. I ran back to the truck and got the big glass and rifle.
Through the 15 power binos, the mesa slowly filled with deer. At one point, I had five groups, total of 30+ deer including three small bucks. One big doe stood out. She was clearly nervous and focused one juniper choked draw. At one point, she even spooked off the draw, bolting and running fifty yards before she clamed down and returned to feeding. I knew there was either a coyote or a big buck in that draw. Every few minuets I would range her, and at five PM I put her at 404 yards. I focused the tripod mounted Minox 15s with her at the top of my field of view, and the top of that draw at the bottom.
A few seconds later this buck came storming up out of the draw and made a bee line for the big doe. I stared in awe for a few seconds and then made a decision. I knew he wasn’t the biggest deer on the Kaibab, but I wanted him. That’s when the buck fever set in. I scrambled to find a way to steady my rifle. The bi-pod was too low, I was looking at dirt. I rested it on top of the tripod binos, way to shaky. I grabbed my day pack and threw it out, and put the bi-pod on it. Perfect angle and rock solid. The buck stopped but a yearling stood right behind him. Then the doe danced off twenty yards and he followed, stopping broadside with his nose up her tail. The 400 yard crosshair settled to just behind his shoulder and just below center line. I broke the shot and watched the impact. He jumped and kicked out like they do with a solid boiler room hit, then turned and ran down hill, right at me. I chambered another round, but lost site of him. Running back to my truck, I exchanged hunting gear for field dressing and packing stuff, then hiked to the last place I had seen him. That’s where I found him, a perfect double lung hit. I set up my camera and took a dozen glory photos as the last few minuets of light faded. I caped and boned him by head lamp then loaded everything in my pack. I’m guessing 120 lbs, I could barley stand up much less hike. I dropped the pack and divided the load into boneless meat, and everything else. By the time I got everything back to the truck it was 9:30 and I was exhausted.
Back at camp, meat spread to cool and a quick dinner, I took time for a small camp fire, a glass of Old Bushmills and an Arturo Fuente.
It was a satisfying hunt.
