Oakley388
Member
It has been a heck of a season for me. My residency took affect 3 days before the general season opener and I was at the Fish and Wildlife office at 0800 sharp to purchase my license and tags. Yesterday marked my 12th day hunting and each trip has been a learning opportunity and just a flat out awesome time. I have seen animals on all trips but two, most of the time they were does and cows though and I have been hunting a brow tine bull or buck unit.
I scouted some areas this summer that were farther away but the night before the opener decided to hunt closer to home and try to learn an area that I would be able to maximize my time in. The places I scouted were all 50 or miles away but the area I decided on is about 15 miles from my driveways. I knew it would have a lot of pressure but I have always liked a challenge. As the season has went on I have been finding more and more deer sign and decided to focus my energy on trying to bag a whitetail. I have seen a countless number of does and yesterday marked the fourth buck I have seen. The first three were mature and big but for one reason or another they all slipped away (mainly disappearing onto the private land I've been hunting the border of).
Yesterday morning I walked painfully slow. Stepping no more than a foot at a time and stopping every 6-10 steps to observe my surroundings. After an hour or so I caught a glimpse of a deer feeding thru some pines but was unable to tell if it was a buck or doe. I had a feeling it was a buck because I hadn't seen a lone doe in this area. I dropped to a knee and blew a grunt but the deer just went about feeding along this hillside without a care. I setup facing an opening that was about 15 feet wide and hoped the deer would make it's way there. I kept catching glimpses of the legs thru the pines and saw what I thought could be antlers but still wasn't sure.
After a couple of minutes that felt like 30, he stepped right out where I was facing. He was the smallest buck I have seen out here but I wasn't out for a monster. My chances to hunt are running out this season and I was just looking to get some meat for the freezer. I hit a soft grunt and he stopped right where I wanted. I fired a shot and it was clear he was hit. He made his way down the hill and I couldn't believe I finally had the chance at a buck.
The bad. My shot was low in the shoulder and I ended up pushing him when I thought he was down for good. He jumped up to take off and I managed another shot right in the heart and that was it. I thought I gave him enough time and it took a bit of a toll on me realizing I didn't make a perfect first shot. I still can't believe how strong of an animal he is to of not died right away after the first shot. The blood loss from the first shot was substantial but still not enough. Thankfully the second shot ended him quickly.
The amount of work to harvest one of these mountain whitetails is no joke and I am already anxious for next season. I still have an elk tag and am thinking I can get a couple more days of hunting in but am unsure where to head. I see plenty of cows in the unit I have been hunting. Maybe just there and find a lone bull or head to an either sex unit to try and stock up more on Montana raised meat. Either way I am extremely grateful today for this buck and the meals he will provide. We ate the tenderloins last night and it was the best meal I have ever had.
Thanks for reading guys.
I scouted some areas this summer that were farther away but the night before the opener decided to hunt closer to home and try to learn an area that I would be able to maximize my time in. The places I scouted were all 50 or miles away but the area I decided on is about 15 miles from my driveways. I knew it would have a lot of pressure but I have always liked a challenge. As the season has went on I have been finding more and more deer sign and decided to focus my energy on trying to bag a whitetail. I have seen a countless number of does and yesterday marked the fourth buck I have seen. The first three were mature and big but for one reason or another they all slipped away (mainly disappearing onto the private land I've been hunting the border of).
Yesterday morning I walked painfully slow. Stepping no more than a foot at a time and stopping every 6-10 steps to observe my surroundings. After an hour or so I caught a glimpse of a deer feeding thru some pines but was unable to tell if it was a buck or doe. I had a feeling it was a buck because I hadn't seen a lone doe in this area. I dropped to a knee and blew a grunt but the deer just went about feeding along this hillside without a care. I setup facing an opening that was about 15 feet wide and hoped the deer would make it's way there. I kept catching glimpses of the legs thru the pines and saw what I thought could be antlers but still wasn't sure.
After a couple of minutes that felt like 30, he stepped right out where I was facing. He was the smallest buck I have seen out here but I wasn't out for a monster. My chances to hunt are running out this season and I was just looking to get some meat for the freezer. I hit a soft grunt and he stopped right where I wanted. I fired a shot and it was clear he was hit. He made his way down the hill and I couldn't believe I finally had the chance at a buck.
The bad. My shot was low in the shoulder and I ended up pushing him when I thought he was down for good. He jumped up to take off and I managed another shot right in the heart and that was it. I thought I gave him enough time and it took a bit of a toll on me realizing I didn't make a perfect first shot. I still can't believe how strong of an animal he is to of not died right away after the first shot. The blood loss from the first shot was substantial but still not enough. Thankfully the second shot ended him quickly.
The amount of work to harvest one of these mountain whitetails is no joke and I am already anxious for next season. I still have an elk tag and am thinking I can get a couple more days of hunting in but am unsure where to head. I see plenty of cows in the unit I have been hunting. Maybe just there and find a lone bull or head to an either sex unit to try and stock up more on Montana raised meat. Either way I am extremely grateful today for this buck and the meals he will provide. We ate the tenderloins last night and it was the best meal I have ever had.
Thanks for reading guys.
