My Henry Mt deer hunt

realunlucky

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Jan 20, 2013
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Eastern Utah
That's got pretty damn cool, felt like I was right there with you. Love the cheaters, congratulations!

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OP
MuleyFever
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
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7,478
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S. UTAH
Just got to the truck. Thanks for the kind words.

I actually talked to the 3 guys that came around me. They were not with Mossback. Don’t want to cause internet waves. Ill post up how it went down tomorrow. It actually went way off the play I had planned.
 

robby denning

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Feb 25, 2012
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15,118
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SE Idaho
Just got to the truck. Thanks for the kind words.

I actually talked to the 3 guys that came around me. They were not with Mossback. Don’t want to cause internet waves. Ill post up how it went down tomorrow. It actually went way off the play I had planned.

Thanks for the clarify. I edited my comment above and the quotes of it.. I don’t have a problem with Mossback, Im just always rooting for the DIY guy.


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OP
MuleyFever
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
7,478
Location
S. UTAH
OK, here is the long version. I will back up in time a bit to after I arrived at the spot I saw the buck yesterday morning. I pull up to the area and park and there are already deer on the ridge, mostly does. I figure I can get to within 300 yards of where the bucks went in to the trees that morning. I headed out and set up behind a bush. I couldn't really see that well far enough down the ridge but I was afraid I would spook the deer already out. After maybe an hour I spot a buck moving below but I had no shot. It wasn't the buck I wanted but he could be coming. I had to get closer and down a bit so I could see over the rise and make a shot sitting down. I dropped my pack and moved up about 15 yards and then I had a god shooting lane. He walked into the trees and thats about the time the big 3 and the 4x3 come out and bed right on the open side of the trees. Those are the bucks my buck was with that morning, as I mentioned.

I sat waiting for maybe another hour and I start seeing more bucks coming out of the trees feeding up the ridge about 450 yards away and above me. As I am looking at the deer up the ridge, and waiting for the group bedded to get up, I see a buck in the other group that looks like he has an extra point. Could it be the buck I am after. My spotter is in my pack 15 yards behind me and at this point I have does on 2 sides of me feeding within 100 yards. I cant go back and get it. I continue to look with my binos but I just cannot make out anything for sure. They feed up further and disappear in a fold in the terrain near the top of the ridge.

I look back at the bedded bucks and they have left their beds. The big 3 and 3x4 feed up past me at 100 yards. I just have to wait for the buck I am after to come up. Then I see another body, its the first buck I saw. Now the 3 bucks are feeding up and I am waiting but no other deer are coming. Maybe that was the buck up above. Maybe the group split up. I wait a bit longer telling myself I have to be sure no other deer are coming up down here. I am running out of time though if I have to make a move up over the top of the ridge to find that other group. After a bit the 3 bucks are now behind some bushes so I sit up taller and look for more deer but there are none. I have to go check that group at the top of the ridge.

I am running out of time at this point. I hurry and back out and circle around the ridge and head for the top. I am pushing it and the sun is falling. I get to the top and there is a lone pine on the ridge line and it is lit up orange. The sun is setting. I head to the tree to use it as cover and peak over and I see antlers about 50 yards away. The wind is blowing hard up here. I drop my pack and take a step forward and look again. Its the big 4x4 that was with the buck I am after. I recognize the frame from my scouting pic. At this moment I thought maybe I should shoot this buck. Its a solid buck. No, I am after the spit fork buck. The group did split and the other half is up here. I am too close to the deer though. I back up and head down the ridge to my left about 50 yards. I needed some space to peak over and get a better view of all the deer. I start coming over and a small buck is locked on me. They are actually feeding right at me. I cannot stay here because they are heading right for me without enough distance between us. I cannot risk a lead deer getting too close to me while I am waiting for the buck in case he is at the back. I duck back and decide I have to go up past the pine and get a little ways behind them and then come over. I realize I forgot my shooting stick back with my pack. I have to go past it so I can grab it.

I arrive at the spot down the ridge, now to the right of where the pine was. In the excitement I totally forgot to grab my shooting stick. I slowly come up over the ridge and make my way to a bush. I see antlers above a bush about 70 yards away. Its him. He steps out from the bush and I try to set up for a sitting shot off my knee but he is facing away. About this time a small buck sees me. He decides he needs a better look and steps towards me and right in frot of the buck. Now the clock is really ticking. I have less than 10 minutes of light left and this small buck has made me. The other deer continue feeding to my left and go behind some brush. I have to make a move up a little to get a shot as they come out the other side. While I do this a 2nd buck sees me and that is one too many.

Suddenly the bucks are all nervous but they dont know where the threat is. They bunch up and are moving in a group. I check my watch, still legal time by about 5 minutes. Just like the morning hunt I cannot keep track of all the antlers moving past each other and lose sight of the buck. Suddenly one buck steps out in front. I look and its him. I quickly get ready for the shot making sure he is ahead of all the other deer and not in front of another. I only see 4 legs. I put the cross hairs behind the shoulder and squeeze. At the shot I see the muzzle flash. The strong with pushed the smoke aside quickly but all I see are bucks bounding everywhere. I head to where they were looking for a dead deer. If I dont see him I am going to have to come back in the morning. I take a few steps and there I see a deer up against a bush. Its over. I got him.
 

DCT1983

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 21, 2021
Messages
186
Location
Missouri
OK, here is the long version. I will back up in time a bit to after I arrived at the spot I saw the buck yesterday morning. I pull up to the area and park and there are already deer on the ridge, mostly does. I figure I can get to within 300 yards of where the bucks went in to the trees that morning. I headed out and set up behind a bush. I couldn't really see that well far enough down the ridge but I was afraid I would spook the deer already out. After maybe an hour I spot a buck moving below but I had no shot. It wasn't the buck I wanted but he could be coming. I had to get closer and down a bit so I could see over the rise and make a shot sitting down. I dropped my pack and moved up about 15 yards and then I had a god shooting lane. He walked into the trees and thats about the time the big 3 and the 4x3 come out and bed right on the open side of the trees. Those are the bucks my buck was with that morning, as I mentioned.

I sat waiting for maybe another hour and I start seeing more bucks coming out of the trees feeding up the ridge about 450 yards away and above me. As I am looking at the deer up the ridge, and waiting for the group bedded to get up, I see a buck in the other group that looks like he has an extra point. Could it be the buck I am after. My spotter is in my pack 15 yards behind me and at this point I have does on 2 sides of me feeding within 100 yards. I cant go back and get it. I continue to look with my binos but I just cannot make out anything for sure. They feed up further and disappear in a fold in the terrain near the top of the ridge.

I look back at the bedded bucks and they have left their beds. The big 3 and 3x4 feed up past me at 100 yards. I just have to wait for the buck I am after to come up. Then I see another body, its the first buck I saw. Now the 3 bucks are feeding up and I am waiting but no other deer are coming. Maybe that was the buck up above. Maybe the group split up. I wait a bit longer telling myself I have to be sure no other deer are coming up down here. I am running out of time though if I have to make a move up over the top of the ridge to find that other group. After a bit the 3 bucks are now behind some bushes so I sit up taller and look for more deer but there are none. I have to go check that group at the top of the ridge.

I am running out of time at this point. I hurry and back out and circle around the ridge and head for the top. I am pushing it and the sun is falling. I get to the top and there is a lone pine on the ridge line and it is lit up orange. The sun is setting. I head to the tree to use it as cover and peak over and I see antlers about 50 yards away. The wind is blowing hard up here. I drop my pack and take a step forward and look again. Its the big 4x4 that was with the buck I am after. I recognize the frame from my scouting pic. At this moment I thought maybe I should shoot this buck. Its a solid buck. No, I am after the spit fork buck. The group did split and the other half is up here. I am too close to the deer though. I back up and head down the ridge to my left about 50 yards. I needed some space to peak over and get a better view of all the deer. I start coming over and a small buck is locked on me. They are actually feeding right at me. I cannot stay here because they are heading right for me without enough distance between us. I cannot risk a lead deer getting too close to me while I am waiting for the buck in case he is at the back. I duck back and decide I have to go up past the pine and get a little ways behind them and then come over. I realize I forgot my shooting stick back with my pack. I have to go past it so I can grab it.

I arrive at the spot down the ridge, now to the right of where the pine was. In the excitement I totally forgot to grab my shooting stick. I slowly come up over the ridge and make my way to a bush. I see antlers above a bush about 70 yards away. Its him. He steps out from the bush and I try to set up for a sitting shot off my knee but he is facing away. About this time a small buck sees me. He decides he needs a better look and steps towards me and right in frot of the buck. Now the clock is really ticking. I have less than 10 minutes of light left and this small buck has made me. The other deer continue feeding to my left and go behind some brush. I have to make a move up a little to get a shot as they come out the other side. While I do this a 2nd buck sees me and that is one too many.

Suddenly the bucks are all nervous but they dont know where the threat is. They bunch up and are moving in a group. I check my watch, still legal time by about 5 minutes. Just like the morning hunt I cannot keep track of all the antlers moving past each other and lose sight of the buck. Suddenly one buck steps out in front. I look and its him. I quickly get ready for the shot making sure he is ahead of all the other deer and not in front of another. I only see 4 legs. I put the cross hairs behind the shoulder and squeeze. At the shot I see the muzzle flash. The strong with pushed the smoke aside quickly but all I see are bucks bounding everywhere. I head to where they were looking for a dead deer. If I dont see him I am going to have to come back in the morning. I take a few steps and there I see a deer up against a bush. Its over. I got him.
Awesome story man. Thanks for sharing all of this with us. I have really enjoyed following along.
 

UtahJimmy

WKR
Joined
Jul 6, 2016
Messages
884
Location
SLC, UT
Which bullet did you end up using, the ELR? Obviously it did it's job, but did you recover it?

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