tmvikings
Member
Just a recap on my first trip bow hunting in South Dakota for mule deer. I have never hunted mule deer and after watching tons of Fresh Tracks( Randy Newberg everything) and other Youtube hunts I just had to try it. I Started hunting around noon after setting up camp on Saturday. Since this was my first time hunting west river I started scouting driving everywhere and notice I had a lot of competition hunters were everywhere. I made a plan for Sunday to search all the public land I could drive to and try to locate something away from the other hunters. Sunday around noon I spotted a couple mule deer does up and walking around a couple drainage cuts on the side of the hill, I made a plan to check it out and discovered 6 does along with 4 bucks were in the group. I watched 4 of the does bed down, the 4 bucks went over the hill and out of site while one doe and a fawn disappeared with out me seeing exactly where they went. I spent over 5 hours stalking the buck only to have the doe and fawn I couldn't locate spot me and run of towards the bluff the buck were hiding in front of. There of the bucks got up and the big one stayed bedded down so I still had a chance to make it happen. The new plan was to back out and use the terrain to get around the bluff. The doe and fawn ended up very close to the buck and the fawn started to climb the side of the bluff. While I was half way around the bluff I looked to my right and there was 10 Mule deer out in the open somehow they spooked again but I still stuck with the plan and went to where I thought they were. When I reached the point I thought they were I turned around and went out the same way I went in and spotted another doe and buck, if I only would of went another 20 yards maybe I would of got it done on Sunday.
Monday was spent traveling around trying to locate new spots to hunt with not much luck so I headed back to Sundays spot around noon. The plan was get 2 to 300 yards behind where I first spotted the bucks bedded down in the shadow of a huge bluff. Monday had literally no wind so I didn't have any advantage. I was taking it slow, I would go about 50 yards stop and glass. When I made it to where I thought they might start showing up I quickly got down thinking I spotted something, after glassing it it was just a shrub but to the right of the shrub was a bedded buck. I backed out and the new plan was to come in behind the buck. I located some orange looking grass as a reference point and took off. While I was starting the stalk I noticed an nice buck walking away 200 yards in front of me, I tried not to get discouraged and kept going. The buck was bedded on a cut bank and when I spotted the orange grass I knew I was on track. When I got to the top to the small hill I spotted around 8 does and 5 bucks out in front of me around 150 - 200 yards all looking right at me, now I'm really getting discouraged thinking for sure the buck or another deer spotted me and off they go again. But I remembered yesterdays events and kept going. With no wind it felt and sounded like every step was loud as hell but I just took it slow and to my surprise the bedded buck was still there just looking forward at the rest of the herd. I got to around 15 - 20 yards and drew back waited till he started to get up and let it fly. He took off and ended up going around 75 yards before dropping, it was a decent shot double lung and some of the heart.
Great first trip to South Dakota! Thanks for all the forum members who helped me and motivated me. This was my first mule deer hunt and first spot and stalk hunt I'm hooked!
Monday was spent traveling around trying to locate new spots to hunt with not much luck so I headed back to Sundays spot around noon. The plan was get 2 to 300 yards behind where I first spotted the bucks bedded down in the shadow of a huge bluff. Monday had literally no wind so I didn't have any advantage. I was taking it slow, I would go about 50 yards stop and glass. When I made it to where I thought they might start showing up I quickly got down thinking I spotted something, after glassing it it was just a shrub but to the right of the shrub was a bedded buck. I backed out and the new plan was to come in behind the buck. I located some orange looking grass as a reference point and took off. While I was starting the stalk I noticed an nice buck walking away 200 yards in front of me, I tried not to get discouraged and kept going. The buck was bedded on a cut bank and when I spotted the orange grass I knew I was on track. When I got to the top to the small hill I spotted around 8 does and 5 bucks out in front of me around 150 - 200 yards all looking right at me, now I'm really getting discouraged thinking for sure the buck or another deer spotted me and off they go again. But I remembered yesterdays events and kept going. With no wind it felt and sounded like every step was loud as hell but I just took it slow and to my surprise the bedded buck was still there just looking forward at the rest of the herd. I got to around 15 - 20 yards and drew back waited till he started to get up and let it fly. He took off and ended up going around 75 yards before dropping, it was a decent shot double lung and some of the heart.
Great first trip to South Dakota! Thanks for all the forum members who helped me and motivated me. This was my first mule deer hunt and first spot and stalk hunt I'm hooked!
