Newbie necessities & questions for mule deer hunt in Southeast Montana

[dietter700]

Platform built and mattress cut down

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[Glendon Mullins]

looks good!!

 

[dietter700]

I can't thank you all enough!
Me and my wife both had success on our Trip. It was an absolutely amazing and experience. I took what all of you guys had recommended on here and from PM's and used every bit of info. Besides that I had read articles, books and watched and listened to countless youtube videos and podcasts of archery deer hunts. I had scouted for about 6 months prior online.
We ended up taking these deer on Block Management Land in South East Montana. My wife and I killed these on the second to last day of our trip. We hunted for a total of 8.5 days before we had our success. We had a couple bumps in the road before that and a big learning curve coming from the East.
When it all came down to it , my wife and I stalked down to where these deer were bedded (about a mile away from where we were glassing there were 3 buck, one little one and two decent ones (the bigger bucks were the largest ones we stumbled across in 8.5 days)). We thought to ourselves if we can both get a shots on these deer it would be a miracle but lets both bring our bows and try it. We thought they will either blow out one way or an other and either myself or my wife may be able to shoot if a shot even arises. Well luck have us, the bigger one ran off and gave me a perfect 40 yard shot, the medium one ran in between us and she couldn't shoot, and the smallest one ran off and stopped with in 30 yards of her. We both were drawn back at the same time, I shot my bow and placed and arrow right through its vitals into its lungs, not even a second after I fired my bow my wife fired hers. When she heard my shot she panicked and fired her bow (so much excitement) and hit the deer far back. Luckily her deer was quartered away and her arrow when through the guts and hit the lungs. We had to track hers but found it with in 200 yards. Mine ran up hill and died 60 yards from where I shot. My arrow passed completely through and my wife's stuck through the other side about 12'' and broken off when he ran away.
Our packs were a mile or so away and we made the mistake of not even bringing a knife on the stalk. So we had to go back up the basin and get our supplies and started to cut up the deer. My wife did 3 trips while I quartered up the deer (roughly mile each way maybe more with all the ups and downs) and I packed out 2 trips.

There is so much more small details to this story that I won't bore you with. Like how we were in our socks and base layers, like how the deer jumped out from under the rock they were bedded under only 5 feet from where my wife was standing, how we weren't done packing out until 9pm, how we cleaned the deer (gutless method), and so much more. So if ya'll have questions just let me know. As you can tell I'm still jacked about this whole thing. We killed them on Sept 18th.

Thanks again everyone, this forum is really outstanding!

pics to follow .

 

[jspradley]

I have nothing to add other than definitely have your wife help you pack out and carry her own gear. It's good family bonding time. A decent REI type pack will work just fine. No need to go balls out on one.

If you have extra glass having her help glass too is good and she might be better at it than you. I have a pretty good game eye and my wife usually spots 2 animals for my 1. Plus itll give her something to do other than sitting there watching you being bored.


Edit: I should have finished reading the thread...oops!


Congrats on your hunt!!

 

[dietter700]

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[dietter700]

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[dietter700]

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[Outlaw99]

Amazing pics, and great story! Thanks for sharing

 

[chops24]

Congrats!!! glad all your hard work and preparation paid off.

 

[Lukedog]

Congrats! Awesome to be able to experience that with your wife and you both took great deer. I hope to be doing this trip in 2021 with a buddy. If I end up going out, I will definitely reach out for advice. We'd be coming from out east as well.

 

[SharkDog]

Great pictures. Congrats.

 

[dietter700]

Congrats! Awesome to be able to experience that with your wife and you both took great deer. I hope to be doing this trip in 2021 with a buddy. If I end up going out, I will definitely reach out for advice. We'd be coming from out east as well.

Thank you! and for sure. Let me know.

 

[EastMT]

Congrats and welcome to our addiction. I haven’t hunted Montana in quite a few years, need to get back down there for a trip. Maybe next year...


I have yet to be begin to procrastinate.

 

[jspradley]

Awesome pics! Looks like you had a great trip!

 

[dietter700]

Got my mount back the other day. Currently redoing my kitchen so I have no spare room in my house . I still need to build a pedestal for it and all but it looks pretty darn good.

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[dietter700]

thanks again for everyone’s help. It means more to me than you know.


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[Outlaw99]

Turned out great!

 

[Inconstancy]

Just read through this entire post. Can't imagine a better example of why I enjoy this site. People helping people help themselves. Great job to you and your wife for putting in the work and time applying what others shared as well as what you learned on your own. Fantastic hunting story. Great bucks both of them.

 

[cornfedkiller]

Mount looks great! Congrats to you and your wife on an awesome hunt!

 

[dietter700]

Just finished my video of it. I did it more for me and my family but you all are welcome to check it out.

Feel free it skip to the exciting parts about 28 minutes in and about 54 minutes in are the good hunting parts. Excuse the amateur videography and editing . Still figuring this stuff out .


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