Sask hunter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2016
- Messages
- 3,691
Congrats
The dream that began it all
- Thread starter seeth07
- Start date
Nick87
Well-known member
Nice job!
Congrats, that's a great buck !!!!
Huntnut60
Active member
- Joined
- May 26, 2020
- Messages
- 167
Goldens make any trip better!
seeth07
Well-known member
The bull they got. Not bad for otc!!!
Addicting
Well-known member
Congrats all around!
seeth07
Well-known member
Her buck was sure an old warrior
Wound by the eye
Both ears were split and the one split really badly
Old dried blood on his antlers
Wound by the eye
Both ears were split and the one split really badly
Old dried blood on his antlers
seeth07
Well-known member
Few more angles
Carl 9.3x62
Well-known member
Did you pull a tooth for aging?
ashersdad
Well-known member
Nice mass! Good looking buck! Congrats!
duckhunt
Well-known member
Great buck
seeth07
Well-known member
We cut out and saved the lower jaw because yes, I'd like to age it
seeth07
Well-known member
rogerthat
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2015
- Messages
- 3,399
That buck is 8 plus looking at that jaw
seeth07
Well-known member
A little recap on the evening of her harvest.
Friday afternoon we decided to head back to one of the more productive drainages. We noticed that it was one that appeared to be overlooked by other hunters as we never saw anyone parked nearby and you can't really glass into it directly from the road. The bottom also was no longer accessible by the public like the other drainages down lower in the overall main basin drainage.
We got up there and hiked just a little ways off the road to a nice glassing rock edge and immediately 100 yards below us was a doe and fawn. Glassing around I quickly turned up 4 bedded does about 250 yards away as well. A couple full scans around and I don't turn up anything else and go back to watching the bedded does.
I hear my wife say that she picks up a deer and immediately changes that statement from a deer to a buck, and that there are actually two of them, both bucks. It was all the way across, 1000 yards plus when I glance over and find them and right away I can tell one of the two is a quality buck, much larger than the other. I switch to the spotter and get in on the first buck and my heart sinks a little when I see he is a 4x4 but not super impressive - similar to many other bucks we have already passed. The wife takes a peak in and agrees he isn't the one. I was thinking this was the bigger buck but as I get the other buck into view I soon realize that it wasn't. However, I immediately notice he isnt a 4x4 so I don't say anything and just let her have a look. The response was immediate excitement and "I want to shoot that buck let's go".
They were cruising left to right which was in our favor so I decided it was best to wait and watch where they go as they were doing the hiking for us to get closer. I begin to glance elsewhere looking just in case while she kept an eye on him. Well wouldn't you know it, I find another buck, a 3x3 now with those bedded does. No change in plans. Then again, I find another buck! A larger 3x3 with a doe and also a forkie. Well at this point those two bucks had moved a long ways and they were headed right for those 2 bucks and that doe. When they meet up, lots of deer moving around in all directions as they sort things out. This was our indication that they were likely done cruising and time for our move.
We go along our hillside and lose some elevation to get straight across from them and I range 501 with them not really leaving this area of thick oak brush they got into. Not good. We are comfortable to 400, maybe 425 in a perfect scenario and that is our self imposed limit to ensure a clean kill. We don't have a choice but to make a complete move. We hustle as fast as we can back up top to our SxS and drive as fast as we can completely around the drainage to come from above on the other side.
We get over there and start to hike into an adjacent ledge where we hope to be able to see down into where they were. We get in the 300 yards or so to this ledge and realize we may be screwed. We can't see into the bottom draw where they were and it would be very easy for them to go up or down it and we would never see them due to the terrain and thick oak brush. All we could do is wait and see if they keep moving up and onto the opposite face which was about 300 yards away.
A few minutes go by and I hear my wife say she sees the doe coming up and says "here comes the doe, the bucks will follow right?" Yup, get on the gun and be ready, set the scope for a 300 yard shot. Hey here comes a buck, its the small 4x4, don't shoot. Here comes another buck, its the forkie. Here comes another doe. And another doe. There is a pause here as these deer all work up and no sight of the good buck. Where the heck is he, he has to be here right? Yup finally after what seemed like a very long time waiting and being worried I catch his antlers. Here he comes, you wont have a shot for awhile as he is walking straight away, just be patient and he will eventually take a turn for us. He turns broadside to go to a doe and stands there perfect but I caution her to not shoot as he is directly behind a tall burnt pine with lots of branches. She says she has a perfect shot but I force her to wait, just don't want to risk it and in a few steps he will be 100% clear. Sure enough he makes those last few steps and I barely hear her say she is going to shoot and the gun goes off.
He folds right up from a high double lung shot and flips right on his back. As you can imagine, lots of emotion and excitement comes pouring out. Nothing like building up 9 years of pursuit chasing to harvest that first mule deer after missing that very first one.
Friday afternoon we decided to head back to one of the more productive drainages. We noticed that it was one that appeared to be overlooked by other hunters as we never saw anyone parked nearby and you can't really glass into it directly from the road. The bottom also was no longer accessible by the public like the other drainages down lower in the overall main basin drainage.
We got up there and hiked just a little ways off the road to a nice glassing rock edge and immediately 100 yards below us was a doe and fawn. Glassing around I quickly turned up 4 bedded does about 250 yards away as well. A couple full scans around and I don't turn up anything else and go back to watching the bedded does.
I hear my wife say that she picks up a deer and immediately changes that statement from a deer to a buck, and that there are actually two of them, both bucks. It was all the way across, 1000 yards plus when I glance over and find them and right away I can tell one of the two is a quality buck, much larger than the other. I switch to the spotter and get in on the first buck and my heart sinks a little when I see he is a 4x4 but not super impressive - similar to many other bucks we have already passed. The wife takes a peak in and agrees he isn't the one. I was thinking this was the bigger buck but as I get the other buck into view I soon realize that it wasn't. However, I immediately notice he isnt a 4x4 so I don't say anything and just let her have a look. The response was immediate excitement and "I want to shoot that buck let's go".
They were cruising left to right which was in our favor so I decided it was best to wait and watch where they go as they were doing the hiking for us to get closer. I begin to glance elsewhere looking just in case while she kept an eye on him. Well wouldn't you know it, I find another buck, a 3x3 now with those bedded does. No change in plans. Then again, I find another buck! A larger 3x3 with a doe and also a forkie. Well at this point those two bucks had moved a long ways and they were headed right for those 2 bucks and that doe. When they meet up, lots of deer moving around in all directions as they sort things out. This was our indication that they were likely done cruising and time for our move.
We go along our hillside and lose some elevation to get straight across from them and I range 501 with them not really leaving this area of thick oak brush they got into. Not good. We are comfortable to 400, maybe 425 in a perfect scenario and that is our self imposed limit to ensure a clean kill. We don't have a choice but to make a complete move. We hustle as fast as we can back up top to our SxS and drive as fast as we can completely around the drainage to come from above on the other side.
We get over there and start to hike into an adjacent ledge where we hope to be able to see down into where they were. We get in the 300 yards or so to this ledge and realize we may be screwed. We can't see into the bottom draw where they were and it would be very easy for them to go up or down it and we would never see them due to the terrain and thick oak brush. All we could do is wait and see if they keep moving up and onto the opposite face which was about 300 yards away.
A few minutes go by and I hear my wife say she sees the doe coming up and says "here comes the doe, the bucks will follow right?" Yup, get on the gun and be ready, set the scope for a 300 yard shot. Hey here comes a buck, its the small 4x4, don't shoot. Here comes another buck, its the forkie. Here comes another doe. And another doe. There is a pause here as these deer all work up and no sight of the good buck. Where the heck is he, he has to be here right? Yup finally after what seemed like a very long time waiting and being worried I catch his antlers. Here he comes, you wont have a shot for awhile as he is walking straight away, just be patient and he will eventually take a turn for us. He turns broadside to go to a doe and stands there perfect but I caution her to not shoot as he is directly behind a tall burnt pine with lots of branches. She says she has a perfect shot but I force her to wait, just don't want to risk it and in a few steps he will be 100% clear. Sure enough he makes those last few steps and I barely hear her say she is going to shoot and the gun goes off.
He folds right up from a high double lung shot and flips right on his back. As you can imagine, lots of emotion and excitement comes pouring out. Nothing like building up 9 years of pursuit chasing to harvest that first mule deer after missing that very first one.
seeth07
Well-known member
One final thought. The dream continues soon in Kansas where she drew a muzzy tag with the Mule Deer Stamp for unit 1/2. I'm not quite sure where her expectations now are and if small 3x3 and 4x4 are safe in front of her.
