tyberry44
FNG
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2015
- Messages
- 84
As I headed out the afternoon of the 21st of October to do a little deer hunting I knew I needed some time for clarity and self reflection. This year has been a year of ups and downs and my way of putting things in perspective is to head into gods country with a heavy pack and some solo time. I’m unsure why but some self prescribed suffering helps clear the mind. So at around 12:30 in the afternoon I hit the trail. As I started the 1000 foot elevation climb I thought of my family and friends. I wonder am I doing a good job? Am i being a good husband? Am i making the right choices as a dad? Am i being a good freind? And I wonder what I could do better? As I closed in on my camp spot these questions seemed to weigh heavy. When I reached the summit and saw my “spot” I was happy to have made it up once again and pondered the day I may not be able to make the journey. As I reached the ole leaning tree I was happy to get the weight of my heavy pack off and sit for a moment and look around the basin, a beautiful sight. I took a few minutes to take it all in asked god for direction and some help.
I got busy setting up camp and ate a quick tuna fish and crackers lunch. After camp was set I began glassing the basin hoping to find a good buck. About two hours of glassing midday had produced little results not surprisingly. I decided I’d move north towards a cliffed out pocket I’d seen deer in previous years. This meant another 600 foot of vert but would perch me upon one of the best vantage points in the entire basin.
As I sat on the glassing point the animal activity was minimal a few does and a couple moose. What seemed like forever with not much to report I started glassing a pocket all the way across the basin. The previous year I had glassed up a bunch of does in the same drainage and to my surprise a bunch of does were back in the same place. I took note of them and really didn’t think much of them and continued picking apart the rest of the basin. At some point I glassed back in their direction and noticed two deer running around the drainage one right behind the other. I thought that seems like a buck rutting a doe? As a crow flies I was a mile and a half away from them and couldn’t really tell with the binoculars so I dug out the spotting scope. As soon as I trained the spotter on the deer there was no question I quickly put the spotter back away and gathered up all my gear. It was 5:30pm and I had a long way to go. I hustled back down and across the east side of the basin racing time and hoping the deer stayed put. As I neared the drainage I was on top of the ridge and as I came over I spotted a doe just in time before she spotted me. I quickly backed off the top and dropped about 200 yards out of sight and found a small cedar tree to put between myself and the deer. I used the cover of the tree to close the distance to about 200 yards from the feeding deer. As I sat trained on the deer I was not seeing the buck. I wondered if he had moved on or if he stayed put down lower in the drainage? I was scanning as much as I could up and down the pocket when all of a sudden somewhere down in the bottom in an adjacent canyon a shot rang out, then another and yet another! I never heard the report of a hit on any of the shots and the deer in front of me seemed not to be bothered by the shooting. While I was watching how the deer reacted to the shooting the buck fed his way back over the saddle in my direction. They all seemed calm and unfazed. I ranged the deer 209 yards,verified the rifle was zeroed leaned the 25 creed over my knee and put the cross hairs right on his vitals. When the rifle went off I heard the report of a hit and watched the buck struggle to keep his footing. This rifle is suppressed and to my surprise the deer were unsure of where the shot came from and actually ran right to me. The buck ran right in my direction and crashed only about a hundred yards from where he was hit. I was so sure of my shot that after I watched him go down I called my wife who was eagerly waiting to hear how it would shake out! I told her it was a done deal and we were both super excited! My next thought was I’m really in a bad spot to try to haul a whole deer and camp out on my back. So I made a call to my buddy Chris to see if he might be free tomorrow to bring up a horse and help me out. As I was on the phone with Chris and very confident in my shot I was walking towards the down buck when to my disbelief the buck jumped up and headed down the drainage. I quickly ended the call with Chris and dropped down the drainage to the north to try to get an angle for a follow up shot. Unfortunately It was getting pretty dark and I never saw the buck but thought I’d heard him go down in the scrub brush. With it too dark to shoot I backed out and headed back to the top. I got back ahold of Chris and told him I was sure the deer wouldn’t make it out of the drainage but if he didn’t want to come up till I confirmed that would be ok. Chris is such a good guy he said he would come up anyway even if it were to just help track him out!
Well I dug through my pack and grabbed a snack and my headlamp and started my long hike back to camp. It started getting cold fast and I knew tonight would be a restless night. As I head back picking my way through the cliffs and brush in the dark a couldn’t help but wonder what happened. I shoot a lot and have the utmost confidence in this rifle.
I got back to camp around 10 cooked up a dehydrated beef stew got out of all my sweaty base layers then bundled back up in my puffy layers boiled water and filled my Nalgene bottle secured the lid tight and tossed it in my sleeping bag. Sleep was off and on but I stayed warm!
As the sun peeked out on the morning of the 22nd it started warming my tent and was a welcome sight! I made breakfast (dehydrated biscuits and gravy) and to my dismay forgot any coffee so I drank some water and mixed up a Mtn Ops drink and set out to find the deer.
About half way over to the spot where I’d shot I got a message from chis saying he was in route. When dropped down into the pocket where the buck jumped up I was super confused as to the lack of any blood. I decided to back track up to the point of impact and still no blood. So I moved back down to where he had bolted from and started tracking him.There were a couple places where I had a hard time staying on the track but eventually 300 yards down the drainage I found him piled up. I firmly believe he had expired the night before it was just too dark and I didn’t see where he’d went down. Surprisingly still no blood when I field dressed him one entry hole no exit and he had bled out internally. After I had him all taken care of I hiked back up top and got a message from Chris he was only 20 minutes out! After chis got to the deer we loaded him up on the horse and we had a great time as I recounted the events. We went back to the top and Chris headed back to his truck which was the opposite direction of my camp. I thanked him and told him I really owed him one! I’ve hauled out a whole deer before but I was a younger man then I’m sure I still could but would probably still be up top hauling everything out!
After we parted ways I headed for camp feeling grateful for good friend good fortune and such a good family truly blessed.
Once again when I got to camp and took the burden of a heavy pack off sat there in amazement and took it all in I thanked god and soaked up the sun.
After a little relaxing I rolled up camp and started the journey back to the truck one of the most fulfilling walks off the mountain I’ve ever had the mountain gave me everything I was looking for and I am forever grateful for the opportunities I am afforded.
I am sending a tooth of for age but, I killed a deer close to this area a few years back and had him aged at 8.5 and I think this buck may be older.
I got busy setting up camp and ate a quick tuna fish and crackers lunch. After camp was set I began glassing the basin hoping to find a good buck. About two hours of glassing midday had produced little results not surprisingly. I decided I’d move north towards a cliffed out pocket I’d seen deer in previous years. This meant another 600 foot of vert but would perch me upon one of the best vantage points in the entire basin.
As I sat on the glassing point the animal activity was minimal a few does and a couple moose. What seemed like forever with not much to report I started glassing a pocket all the way across the basin. The previous year I had glassed up a bunch of does in the same drainage and to my surprise a bunch of does were back in the same place. I took note of them and really didn’t think much of them and continued picking apart the rest of the basin. At some point I glassed back in their direction and noticed two deer running around the drainage one right behind the other. I thought that seems like a buck rutting a doe? As a crow flies I was a mile and a half away from them and couldn’t really tell with the binoculars so I dug out the spotting scope. As soon as I trained the spotter on the deer there was no question I quickly put the spotter back away and gathered up all my gear. It was 5:30pm and I had a long way to go. I hustled back down and across the east side of the basin racing time and hoping the deer stayed put. As I neared the drainage I was on top of the ridge and as I came over I spotted a doe just in time before she spotted me. I quickly backed off the top and dropped about 200 yards out of sight and found a small cedar tree to put between myself and the deer. I used the cover of the tree to close the distance to about 200 yards from the feeding deer. As I sat trained on the deer I was not seeing the buck. I wondered if he had moved on or if he stayed put down lower in the drainage? I was scanning as much as I could up and down the pocket when all of a sudden somewhere down in the bottom in an adjacent canyon a shot rang out, then another and yet another! I never heard the report of a hit on any of the shots and the deer in front of me seemed not to be bothered by the shooting. While I was watching how the deer reacted to the shooting the buck fed his way back over the saddle in my direction. They all seemed calm and unfazed. I ranged the deer 209 yards,verified the rifle was zeroed leaned the 25 creed over my knee and put the cross hairs right on his vitals. When the rifle went off I heard the report of a hit and watched the buck struggle to keep his footing. This rifle is suppressed and to my surprise the deer were unsure of where the shot came from and actually ran right to me. The buck ran right in my direction and crashed only about a hundred yards from where he was hit. I was so sure of my shot that after I watched him go down I called my wife who was eagerly waiting to hear how it would shake out! I told her it was a done deal and we were both super excited! My next thought was I’m really in a bad spot to try to haul a whole deer and camp out on my back. So I made a call to my buddy Chris to see if he might be free tomorrow to bring up a horse and help me out. As I was on the phone with Chris and very confident in my shot I was walking towards the down buck when to my disbelief the buck jumped up and headed down the drainage. I quickly ended the call with Chris and dropped down the drainage to the north to try to get an angle for a follow up shot. Unfortunately It was getting pretty dark and I never saw the buck but thought I’d heard him go down in the scrub brush. With it too dark to shoot I backed out and headed back to the top. I got back ahold of Chris and told him I was sure the deer wouldn’t make it out of the drainage but if he didn’t want to come up till I confirmed that would be ok. Chris is such a good guy he said he would come up anyway even if it were to just help track him out!
Well I dug through my pack and grabbed a snack and my headlamp and started my long hike back to camp. It started getting cold fast and I knew tonight would be a restless night. As I head back picking my way through the cliffs and brush in the dark a couldn’t help but wonder what happened. I shoot a lot and have the utmost confidence in this rifle.
I got back to camp around 10 cooked up a dehydrated beef stew got out of all my sweaty base layers then bundled back up in my puffy layers boiled water and filled my Nalgene bottle secured the lid tight and tossed it in my sleeping bag. Sleep was off and on but I stayed warm!
As the sun peeked out on the morning of the 22nd it started warming my tent and was a welcome sight! I made breakfast (dehydrated biscuits and gravy) and to my dismay forgot any coffee so I drank some water and mixed up a Mtn Ops drink and set out to find the deer.
About half way over to the spot where I’d shot I got a message from chis saying he was in route. When dropped down into the pocket where the buck jumped up I was super confused as to the lack of any blood. I decided to back track up to the point of impact and still no blood. So I moved back down to where he had bolted from and started tracking him.There were a couple places where I had a hard time staying on the track but eventually 300 yards down the drainage I found him piled up. I firmly believe he had expired the night before it was just too dark and I didn’t see where he’d went down. Surprisingly still no blood when I field dressed him one entry hole no exit and he had bled out internally. After I had him all taken care of I hiked back up top and got a message from Chris he was only 20 minutes out! After chis got to the deer we loaded him up on the horse and we had a great time as I recounted the events. We went back to the top and Chris headed back to his truck which was the opposite direction of my camp. I thanked him and told him I really owed him one! I’ve hauled out a whole deer before but I was a younger man then I’m sure I still could but would probably still be up top hauling everything out!
After we parted ways I headed for camp feeling grateful for good friend good fortune and such a good family truly blessed.
Once again when I got to camp and took the burden of a heavy pack off sat there in amazement and took it all in I thanked god and soaked up the sun.
After a little relaxing I rolled up camp and started the journey back to the truck one of the most fulfilling walks off the mountain I’ve ever had the mountain gave me everything I was looking for and I am forever grateful for the opportunities I am afforded.
I am sending a tooth of for age but, I killed a deer close to this area a few years back and had him aged at 8.5 and I think this buck may be older.
