gonzaga
New member
Started off his hunt by going on Thanksgiving Day. Got a late start, he was too excited and had to triple check everything to make sure he was ready. So anyway, we were about 30 minutes behind. Got into the canyon, it was already daylight. So we decided that we would go for a walk and see if we could spot anything. The wind was blowing a good 20 mph and nothing was moving. We gave it a good college try, but nothing was willing to play. So we went back to town so we took off to go have dinner at the inlaws. We made a run back to the ranch, but the wind was still blowing and nothing was moving. Made another circle, but all we found was old sign. He was really worn out, and was in bed by 7:00, lol.
So yesterday, I made sure that we got an earlier start. We woke up at 4:30, and were out the door by 5:00 am. So we made our way around to spot where we left off the day before. I told him that were gonna have to cover some ground today, so we dumped the quad out and mounted up. We made it down thru the bottom of the canyon, up thru the "badlands" and up on top the other side. We got out and humped the hills and didn't find much sign of anything. So we got on the quad and tried to go up around to the top, no dice too much snow. So we got off the quad and started up the hill. I stopped at a point so that we could look off and see if anything was moving, nothing was. So we walked up the hill to the windmill to see if anything had been around there. There was a little bit of sign, but it was a few days old. So we made our way back down the hill and to the quad. Decided that I would go and look off of this point into a really deep nasty draw, full of oak brush, juniper and pinon trees. I looked around there for about 30 minutes and nothing. I told my son "I think it is gonna start raining or snowing". So we got up, and I told him that I wanted to look off into the other side of the canyon. So we started off that way and as we made it over the little hill I could see a deer feeding. I told him "deer", I brought up the bino's and sure enough there were 3 of them and one was a buck. I could tell it was a nice little buck. I told him "one of them is a buck", his eyes lit up.
So I ranged them, 368 yards. I told him lets see if we can get closer. So we snuck up about 50 yards or so. I told him get ready, so he got the bipod down and put a round in the chamber. He asked "where did he go", I told him that he was chasing a doe behind a clump of pinon trees and that the trees were 290 yards away. So when the buck walked out, I told him he is the last one on the right, wait till he stops running and until he turns broadside. On cue, he stopped and turned, leaving him a quartering away shot at 320 yards. I asked him if he was ready and he said yeah, I told him "shoot him". The .243 barked and I saw the buck hump up and then heard the WACK, what a sweet sound. The buck just stood there, trying to get his legs under him. The does just stood there looking around. The wind was blowing about 20 mph still so they really werent sure where the shot came from. I told my son to put another on in and get ready, he started walking towards the canyon, so I told him "shoot him", WACK. Another good hit, I could see the buck starting to wobble, I told him he is going down, and sure enough down he went. I gave him a high five and a big ol' "papa bear hug" and whoooped and hollered. I asked him did you see how big he was? He said no, I was just looking at his body and where I was gonna shoot him. So we made it up the hill and got to the quad. As soon as we got to the deer, it started raining....lol.
He was shooting a Savage, Model 110 in .243 topped with a 3-9 Burris Ballistic Plex FF II. 100 gr SPBT that my buddy reloaded.
Got the deer field dressed and loaded him onto the quad. Then we started for the house. He shot the deer at 12:30, by the time we got to the truck it was 2:30. It had rained and snowed so hard that I had to put on tire chains to get out of there. The truck and deer were completely covered in mud...lol. Not to mention, me my son and the quad too.
First pic after the buck was down.
Next pic, after the buck was down, if you look close you can see the does behind him
Hero shot
Another hero shot, we were on the ridge over his left shoulder in those pinon trees
Coming out of the bottom of the canyon, full of mud
For some of the nostalgia guys out there.
Another nostalgia shot, an old cabin that has seen better days
What we all looked like after the quad ride out
So yesterday, I made sure that we got an earlier start. We woke up at 4:30, and were out the door by 5:00 am. So we made our way around to spot where we left off the day before. I told him that were gonna have to cover some ground today, so we dumped the quad out and mounted up. We made it down thru the bottom of the canyon, up thru the "badlands" and up on top the other side. We got out and humped the hills and didn't find much sign of anything. So we got on the quad and tried to go up around to the top, no dice too much snow. So we got off the quad and started up the hill. I stopped at a point so that we could look off and see if anything was moving, nothing was. So we walked up the hill to the windmill to see if anything had been around there. There was a little bit of sign, but it was a few days old. So we made our way back down the hill and to the quad. Decided that I would go and look off of this point into a really deep nasty draw, full of oak brush, juniper and pinon trees. I looked around there for about 30 minutes and nothing. I told my son "I think it is gonna start raining or snowing". So we got up, and I told him that I wanted to look off into the other side of the canyon. So we started off that way and as we made it over the little hill I could see a deer feeding. I told him "deer", I brought up the bino's and sure enough there were 3 of them and one was a buck. I could tell it was a nice little buck. I told him "one of them is a buck", his eyes lit up.
So I ranged them, 368 yards. I told him lets see if we can get closer. So we snuck up about 50 yards or so. I told him get ready, so he got the bipod down and put a round in the chamber. He asked "where did he go", I told him that he was chasing a doe behind a clump of pinon trees and that the trees were 290 yards away. So when the buck walked out, I told him he is the last one on the right, wait till he stops running and until he turns broadside. On cue, he stopped and turned, leaving him a quartering away shot at 320 yards. I asked him if he was ready and he said yeah, I told him "shoot him". The .243 barked and I saw the buck hump up and then heard the WACK, what a sweet sound. The buck just stood there, trying to get his legs under him. The does just stood there looking around. The wind was blowing about 20 mph still so they really werent sure where the shot came from. I told my son to put another on in and get ready, he started walking towards the canyon, so I told him "shoot him", WACK. Another good hit, I could see the buck starting to wobble, I told him he is going down, and sure enough down he went. I gave him a high five and a big ol' "papa bear hug" and whoooped and hollered. I asked him did you see how big he was? He said no, I was just looking at his body and where I was gonna shoot him. So we made it up the hill and got to the quad. As soon as we got to the deer, it started raining....lol.
He was shooting a Savage, Model 110 in .243 topped with a 3-9 Burris Ballistic Plex FF II. 100 gr SPBT that my buddy reloaded.
Got the deer field dressed and loaded him onto the quad. Then we started for the house. He shot the deer at 12:30, by the time we got to the truck it was 2:30. It had rained and snowed so hard that I had to put on tire chains to get out of there. The truck and deer were completely covered in mud...lol. Not to mention, me my son and the quad too.
First pic after the buck was down.
Next pic, after the buck was down, if you look close you can see the does behind him
Hero shot
Another hero shot, we were on the ridge over his left shoulder in those pinon trees
Coming out of the bottom of the canyon, full of mud
For some of the nostalgia guys out there.
Another nostalgia shot, an old cabin that has seen better days
What we all looked like after the quad ride out
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