Well this year has been great for my big game hunting. I shot my 5 point bulls second day of archery. Managed to share that hunt with a very good friend. Then after helping that very same friend in WY on his archery elk quest, I managed to spot and stalk a Pope young eligible Antelope with my bow. Then this morning was our rifle deer opener.
We left the house at about 5:00 am and drove up to a little steep chunk of BLM ground. My wife and I sat and slept for about 20 minutes before it got light enough to look around. At about 6:15 we left the truck and started our way up a very steep canyon. Unfortunately the tags we got were left over tags, not ones that we preferred to hunt at all. The area is probably about 90% private and 10% public. So the public ground can be hit pretty hard at times. My plan was relatively simple. Find the steepest roughest chunk and go to the top.
Well at about 7:45 we finally made it to the top. Once on top we settled in a little saddle. Looking off into the huge and steep next canyon. As the sun rose, I glassed and glassed. My wife snored then woke up snored than woke up. At about 8:30am we had a group of does come running through te saddle we were watching. That got us excited and we moved into position just incase a buck was following.
The first 4-5 does came on past us and we sat and watched. I could still hear deer in the bruch so we waited. Next came one more doe with a buck just behind her. I told my wife to shoot and she just sort of froze up. She had noticed the buck was limped up a bit. Instead of shooting she was looking for injury. I decided that the buck was not getting away. I steadied and dropped him at about 130 yards. He is a great considering he was on a left over tag, in a relatively crowded unit on opening day. Some day my wife will get a bigger buck. But until then I will take the ones she passes up.
Here he is: Nice even antlers. He is going to get euro mounted.
In this picture there is proof my wife was present. But also we were sitting up on the ridge over her right shoulder. As I mentioned I dropped him right on top. Thank heaves he is one of hte largest body deer I have ever wrestled off the mountain.
Now I am off to find my wife a bull or buck.
We left the house at about 5:00 am and drove up to a little steep chunk of BLM ground. My wife and I sat and slept for about 20 minutes before it got light enough to look around. At about 6:15 we left the truck and started our way up a very steep canyon. Unfortunately the tags we got were left over tags, not ones that we preferred to hunt at all. The area is probably about 90% private and 10% public. So the public ground can be hit pretty hard at times. My plan was relatively simple. Find the steepest roughest chunk and go to the top.
Well at about 7:45 we finally made it to the top. Once on top we settled in a little saddle. Looking off into the huge and steep next canyon. As the sun rose, I glassed and glassed. My wife snored then woke up snored than woke up. At about 8:30am we had a group of does come running through te saddle we were watching. That got us excited and we moved into position just incase a buck was following.
The first 4-5 does came on past us and we sat and watched. I could still hear deer in the bruch so we waited. Next came one more doe with a buck just behind her. I told my wife to shoot and she just sort of froze up. She had noticed the buck was limped up a bit. Instead of shooting she was looking for injury. I decided that the buck was not getting away. I steadied and dropped him at about 130 yards. He is a great considering he was on a left over tag, in a relatively crowded unit on opening day. Some day my wife will get a bigger buck. But until then I will take the ones she passes up.
Here he is: Nice even antlers. He is going to get euro mounted.
In this picture there is proof my wife was present. But also we were sitting up on the ridge over her right shoulder. As I mentioned I dropped him right on top. Thank heaves he is one of hte largest body deer I have ever wrestled off the mountain.
Now I am off to find my wife a bull or buck.
