Average Joe's 2018

Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
363
Location
Coast to coast
Well tonight went well!
I have a buddy who is about to have some surgery and won’t be able to hunt the rest of the season. He hasn’t seen a deer yet so I took him to one of the ranges I hunt that always has lots of does.

I put him in my best spot. He saw 4, shot, and missed one.

I saw four, shot, and..
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It’s amazing the difference going from Kansas to Florida. It was hot and the deer are a lot smaller haha.

I had four coming in, two mature ones, but this one came into 18 yards, quartering away, and was about to walk into my wind.
So... a bird in hand.... is a deer in the freezer!


Great night!


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OP
sn.outdoors
Joined
Sep 28, 2016
Messages
318
Location
NM
Someone's trying to be a big help by moving the sheds back and forth to the most inconvenient spots in the house...

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Seriously though... Moving elk heads is a nightmare.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe
 
Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
363
Location
Coast to coast
I’m heading out tomorrow morning and Sunday evening! The weather is finally cooling down in Florida so it’s about to get fun!

I’ve also got next Thursday through Sunday off and I’ll be out a few of those days.


One neat thing is next weekend I got invited out on a special hunt. A local on one of our hunting pages always draws a hunt for veterans on one of his properties.
I didn’t get drawn, but my buddy did. Guess who gets to be his guest!
I’m very excited. It should be a neat time.
It’ll be a rifle hunt, fancy box blinds, and I think he’s feeding us lunch. What a nice guy! I’ll bring my camera and maybe I’ll try to record some stuff.

Still plenty of season left down here.... things don’t even get started up until mid to end January!


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Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
363
Location
Coast to coast
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I was fortunate enough to take another Florida public land doe today. Once I process her I should be at the window where I will focus on bucks only the rest of the season because I should be close to having enough meat for the year!


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OP
sn.outdoors
Joined
Sep 28, 2016
Messages
318
Location
NM
Well... We got our house on the market yesterday so I was able to sneak away to chase some deer today.

I went to the same spot I went last week to see if I could turn up the same buck. This time a buddy would be tagging along to spot and Per usual, we saw a lot of does everywhere we looked. Most of the groups of does had a spike or fork horned buck pestering then, but we didn't see any big bucks. We could hear rocks falling below us so we knew there were deer down there, and we also knew there was a lot of terrain we couldn't see from our vantage point.

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It didn't take long before we saw the first 3x4. He had a harem of does around him and wasn't in a hunt-able spot. We decided it would be best to let the deer and the wind settle down before making any moves.

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As we were getting up to move and check the next drainage, I looked up and saw a buck silhouetted on the adjacent ridgeline....

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He obviously saw us too, and wanted nothing to do with it. He stood like a statue for about 5 minutes before a good looking doe walked in front of his nose. He curled his nose, tucked his head back, and followed her into the drainage he came from.

We sat for about an hour longer to let the deer get settled in so we weren't bumping them everywhere we went.

The young 3x4 bedded down within sight in a very hunt-able spot. I hate leaving deer to find deer, and since I'm really limited on time this year, I figured it would be worth going after the 3x4 instead of wandering around looking for the big buck. Either way, I needed to walk to the spot I'd last seen the big one to stalk the 3x4. Maybe we'd see him when we got there.

Well, we didn't see the big buck, but we did see a few other hunters walking down the drainage we assumed the big one was in. Since there weren't many escape routes out of that drainage due to the cliffs and rocks everywhere, we setup on the most likely option on our ridge with the best wind.

The deer didn't come our way and we didn't see the buck come out, but based on the fact that the hunters left and had the same number of arrows in their quivers we don't think they saw him either. So on to stalking the younger buck.

If the buck stayed where we last saw him, I'd have a steep, but easy 25-30 yard shot from the top of the rocks he was bedded below.

Too bad they made a smart move and relocated to the other side of the drainage. 115yds was the closest I could get without spooking any of the sentries.

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We were going to take a peak into a different drainage when a random group of does crashed into the drainage where the young 3x4 was bedded. They must have been spooked by other hunters because it was obvious that sticking around was not on their agenda. This actually worked in our favor because all but 4 deer got up and left; a fawn, a doe (who never even stood up), a spike, and the 3x4.

The 3x4 looked like he was going to leave, but immediately turned around when the spike walked past the bedded doe. He pinned his ears back and walked stiff-legged back to the bottom of the drainage. After a 10 minute staredown and a couple near beatdowns, the more dominant buck bedded down in some rocks next to the doe.

It was pretty simple from here. All I had to do was walk back to the other side of the drainage (the same one we were on originally), climb down a few cliffs, conquer a boulder field, somehow quietly walk through a scree chute, tip-toe a narrow ledge, climb a few more rocks and.... boom, easy 20yd shot....

It was going perfectly, until I got 40 yards away and I rolled a rock right past the deer.

They stood up, walked a few yards... no shot... A few more yards... They didn't stop... They turned around... Bad angle, no shot. They walked toward me and behind some rocks. No shot. The buck wouldn't let the doe leave and he wouldn't stand still long enough for me to get a shot.

I climbed a boulder to get a better view. The doe stopped to pee, and the buck had to sniff it. He was perfectly quartered away. I ranged him, set my feet the best I could, drew back, settled the pin and released.

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Textbook!

He walked 20 yards before rolling down the hill and stopped 5 yards from where I shot him.

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I couldn't be more happy with how it all came together, I'm glad to have my first archery mule deer in the freezer, and I'm looking forward to spending some time with the kids before we move.

The only hunt left for me this year is my wife's elk hunt, and we're not sure if we'll have the time to get it done. We're just taking it all one day at a time right now.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe
 
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WhiteOak

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 17, 2016
Messages
260
Location
New Mexico
I was fortunate enough to take another Florida public land doe today. Once I process her I should be at the window where I will focus on bucks only the rest of the season because I should be close to having enough meat for the year!

/QUOTE]

That is great! Coming from the northeast my hunting license came with about 5 deer tags. This was my first year in NM and I was lucky enough to draw and fill a mule deer tag. I have not bought red meat since the hunt got a grinder and dehydrator and now I find myself thinking that next year I need to find a way to get more venison. I would love to have a years supply but the way I've been eating on this one I'm not sure how long it will last... need more tags
 
Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
363
Location
Coast to coast
I was fortunate enough to take another Florida public land doe today. Once I process her I should be at the window where I will focus on bucks only the rest of the season because I should be close to having enough meat for the year!

/QUOTE]

That is great! Coming from the northeast my hunting license came with about 5 deer tags. This was my first year in NM and I was lucky enough to draw and fill a mule deer tag. I have not bought red meat since the hunt got a grinder and dehydrator and now I find myself thinking that next year I need to find a way to get more venison. I would love to have a years supply but the way I've been eating on this one I'm not sure how long it will last... need more tags

Congrats on the mule deer, let’s see some pictures!
My goal when I was living in New Mexico was always to draw an elk tag. If you can put one down that alone will almost get you through the year. Add a mule deer or whitetail or two for some variety and you’re in for a great year.
Or if you’re able to draw one of the antelope or oryx hunts then you’re really in for a treat!

The nice thing about New Mexico is if you’re willing to travel you can still hit some decent whitetail areas.
Oklahoma and the border of Missouri aren’t that far away (in my opinion, but I love driving).
So that at least gives you some additional options on tags if you don’t draw in NM. The other nice thing is there are usually always deer tags on the left over list in NM. If you can find a little honey hole in one of those left over hunts thens you could potentially have a tag for years to come.

Congrats on that deer again. Looking forward to pics!
 
Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
363
Location
Coast to coast
I was fortunate enough to take another Florida public land doe today. Once I process her I should be at the window where I will focus on bucks only the rest of the season because I should be close to having enough meat for the year!

/QUOTE]

That is great! Coming from the northeast my hunting license came with about 5 deer tags. This was my first year in NM and I was lucky enough to draw and fill a mule deer tag. I have not bought red meat since the hunt got a grinder and dehydrator and now I find myself thinking that next year I need to find a way to get more venison. I would love to have a years supply but the way I've been eating on this one I'm not sure how long it will last... need more tags

I just saw your mule deer in the mule deer contest! WELL DONE!
I’m not going to ask what unit because that’s some good information to hold onto, however if that’s the one where you live (which I think it is), CJ shot a really nice one in that spot too!

Congrats again!
 

WhiteOak

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 17, 2016
Messages
260
Location
New Mexico
Thank you! Lol yes it's the unit your thinking of. My brother in law took a dandy out of there last year too. I will never look at those hills the same again after seeing what's in there.
Thank you guys for taking the time putting these threads together. Definitely an inspiration to the rest of us Joe's.

Congrats on all the success and good luck the rest of the season!
 
Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
363
Location
Coast to coast
Thank you! Lol yes it's the unit your thinking of. My brother in law took a dandy out of there last year too. I will never look at those hills the same again after seeing what's in there.
Thank you guys for taking the time putting these threads together. Definitely an inspiration to the rest of us Joe's.

Congrats on all the success and good luck the rest of the season!


You aren’t kidding! There are some monsters out there. If you get into the right areas you can have pepper flavored deer and quail ;)

I need to PM you a picture if I can find it. My brother in law works some of the pipelines in that unit. He found one buck out there that’s..... NICE.

The owner told him to go stick it when he asked for permission though haha.

I always apply for there, but don’t draw. Here’s to hoping for next year! Good luck in your 2019 draws and thanks again for following along.


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OP
sn.outdoors
Joined
Sep 28, 2016
Messages
318
Location
NM
What a crazy string of events that have happened in my life over the last few days. In the midst of a PCS, accepting an offer on our house, shooting a great buck, and traveling home for the holidays, I get this surprise in the mail...

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Seeing something I wrote put into print is a lifelong dream of mine. I'm humbled, thankful, and honestly, for once in my life, I'm lost for words. I don't even have time right now to sit down and register it all. Haha. Crazy.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe
 

mikear

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Messages
171
What a crazy string of events that have happened in my life over the last few days. In the midst of a PCS, accepting an offer on our house, shooting a great buck, and traveling home for the holidays, I get this surprise in the mail...

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Seeing something I wrote put into print is a lifelong dream of mine. I'm humbled, thankful, and honestly, for once in my life, I'm lost for words. I don't even have time right now to sit down and register it all. Haha. Crazy.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

That is truly awesome! Congratulations! What publication is this?
 
OP
sn.outdoors
Joined
Sep 28, 2016
Messages
318
Location
NM
That is truly awesome! Congratulations! What publication is this?
Thank you. It's on the last page of the Nov/Dec Eastman's Bowhunting Journal!
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"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe
 
OP
sn.outdoors
Joined
Sep 28, 2016
Messages
318
Location
NM
Today marks the first day I've hunted in the Wisconsin him deer season since I left home over 9 years ago. I decided I needed to get home to see the family and do a little hunting while I had the chance.

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I'm sitting with my cousin who wasn't even close to being old enough to hunt when I left home. It's cold and dead calm. They haven't been seeing a lot of activity, and honestly I have no expectations of seeing anything. I'm just glad to be back where it all started.

A lot has changed since then. The thing that sticks out most is how small this place is. This area was shotgun only forever, but the state changed the laws to allow rifles. What used to be an impossible distance to shoot is now a piece of cake. I can pretty much cover the entire property from one central spot.

The contrast between eastern and western hunting has never been more apparent.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe
 
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OP
sn.outdoors
Joined
Sep 28, 2016
Messages
318
Location
NM
No deer yet, but.... at least it's really cold?

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The only deer we've seen were on the neighbor's property, but we're hopeful they'll eventually cross the fence.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe
 
OP
sn.outdoors
Joined
Sep 28, 2016
Messages
318
Location
NM
There's lots to be thankful for today. Being home with family is at the top of the list, and this guy is just a little icing on the cake.

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I'll write up the story sometime soon, but for now I'm just going to celebrate with my uncles and cousins.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe
 
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