gledeasy
Lil-Rokslider
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2015
- Messages
- 246
This is a long winded story going through archery, muzzy, and rifle. There are pics within the story.
Let me start out by saying deer are smart. I had a great time hunting about 18 days with my dedicated tag and many more scouting days.
I put up my trail camera on July 1 and was quickly picking up bucks. There were a few decent bucks, but in my circumstances nothing that I thought was the one. However, that changed around the first of August.
As the seasons approached I had my sights narrowed down to one buck, with 1 to 2 potential others if the situation presented. However, it was the buck my brother called Fantastic 4 that I ate, drank, and slept. The week before archery opened, Fantastic walked by my wife and I at 56 yards with no cares at all. I only hoped he'd do that again.
Archery season came and I only had one legitimate chance at Fantastic. However, I ran out of light. I had many other opportunities at bucks. Including an awesome 3x4 that I stood 15 yards from for 45 minutes trying to decide what I should do. In hind sight I'm not sure why I passed him.
As time went on I began wondering if I was now chasing a ghost. I knew a few bucks had been taken in the area and I hadn't seen Fantastic since opening weekend of the archery. On Sept 7 I picked up Fantastic on my camera again, which gave me a renewed outlook.
I had not seen Fantastic with my own eyes for almost a month and a half when muzzle loader season approached. That however changed on opening day. After all the other hunters cleared out there he was in all his glory. I began shaking terribly bad as a result of adrenaline and my body giving in to the cold. It took the better part of 30 minutes to calm myself down as I was certain he had bedded. The hunt was on!
I took my time. I had made a few mistakes during bow season on bucks that I was bound not to repeat. He was in there and I knew he wasn't going anywhere. It was now 5 hours later into the stalk/search. Things are so different with a reversed perspective when you're alone on the mountain, but I felt I had to be in the area I last saw him. Right about that moment 2 bucks stood up 25 yards to my left. Small 3 points. They got up and started walking away. I had not seen other bucks with Fantastic, but watched thinking they might pick him up. After looking around me I decided to walk where those bucks were bedded. This would create a better view with about 4 foot elevation gain. Mistake! That elevation gain brought myself into view of Fantastic. As I was watching those 3 points Fantastic was watching me 80 yards to my left. I caught out of the corner of my eye him bolting. I had my scope on him as the debate raged in my head, "Pull the trigger... No, chances are slim". Twice I about let a shot off but in the end I never pulled the trigger. At what I found out to be a distance of 160 yards I took my scope off of him. I never saw him again.
I continued passing bucks throughout the muzzle loader and then got to hunt 5 more days during the early rifle hunt. My brother also had a tag for this season and on the evening of the second day he was able to tag out on his best buck, still in full velvet.
The opening of the second rifle hunt was now around the corner. I planned on taking my older boys. Up to this point they hadn't been able to spend many hunting days with me. I worried about the potential of getting caught in a moment of bad judgment having a 8 and 6 year old with me. However, I knew the risk was worth it.
The night of, my oldest was up puking. When I woke them up for the day it was apparent he still wasn't doing well. I went to talk to my wife only to find out she wasn't feeling good either. In the end she told me to take the one boy and go.
We got to the mountain after it was light. I intended to hunt a neighboring area where I found a shooter buck during the early rifle season. However, since it was already light I decided to take a minute to glass while my boy got ready. I quickly found a group of bucks and hunters were shooting at them. We hopped on the side by side and got closer. These deer couldn't catch a break. Everywhere they tried to escape they were getting shot at.
Eventually the hunters left and about that time my wife called saying my other boy was feeling better and was really mad we left him. Because of that she said she was going to drive him out to us.
It wasn't long after that we found some bucks somewhere between 2-300 yards, probably from the same group. It was now or never as they weren't sticking around. I put my scope on them and saw a great forked 4 point. I didn't have time to really judge. Having the memory of my last run in with Fantastic I decided to shoot.
I really didn't think I hit the buck. We went around and cut the deer off. Except there was only 2 and not 3 bucks. Did I hit him or did he beat us over the ridge? I called my wife to see where she was, we then began walking around the area. It took a bit but we eventually cut a fresh buck track. Not yet knowing what happened we began following. After a minute my boy said, "Look dad there's blood!" We continued only to jump the buck. A few more shots and he was done.
Minutes later my wife and other kids showed up. We shared some great moments together and got a million and one questions about the deer's anatomy.
It may have not been Fantastic, and part of me is sad about that, but it was still a great outcome to share with my family.
I've been able to take some decent bucks the last few years on general tags I just need to figure out how to get over the hump and harvest the next class range of bucks.
Let me start out by saying deer are smart. I had a great time hunting about 18 days with my dedicated tag and many more scouting days.
I put up my trail camera on July 1 and was quickly picking up bucks. There were a few decent bucks, but in my circumstances nothing that I thought was the one. However, that changed around the first of August.
As the seasons approached I had my sights narrowed down to one buck, with 1 to 2 potential others if the situation presented. However, it was the buck my brother called Fantastic 4 that I ate, drank, and slept. The week before archery opened, Fantastic walked by my wife and I at 56 yards with no cares at all. I only hoped he'd do that again.
Archery season came and I only had one legitimate chance at Fantastic. However, I ran out of light. I had many other opportunities at bucks. Including an awesome 3x4 that I stood 15 yards from for 45 minutes trying to decide what I should do. In hind sight I'm not sure why I passed him.
As time went on I began wondering if I was now chasing a ghost. I knew a few bucks had been taken in the area and I hadn't seen Fantastic since opening weekend of the archery. On Sept 7 I picked up Fantastic on my camera again, which gave me a renewed outlook.
I had not seen Fantastic with my own eyes for almost a month and a half when muzzle loader season approached. That however changed on opening day. After all the other hunters cleared out there he was in all his glory. I began shaking terribly bad as a result of adrenaline and my body giving in to the cold. It took the better part of 30 minutes to calm myself down as I was certain he had bedded. The hunt was on!
I took my time. I had made a few mistakes during bow season on bucks that I was bound not to repeat. He was in there and I knew he wasn't going anywhere. It was now 5 hours later into the stalk/search. Things are so different with a reversed perspective when you're alone on the mountain, but I felt I had to be in the area I last saw him. Right about that moment 2 bucks stood up 25 yards to my left. Small 3 points. They got up and started walking away. I had not seen other bucks with Fantastic, but watched thinking they might pick him up. After looking around me I decided to walk where those bucks were bedded. This would create a better view with about 4 foot elevation gain. Mistake! That elevation gain brought myself into view of Fantastic. As I was watching those 3 points Fantastic was watching me 80 yards to my left. I caught out of the corner of my eye him bolting. I had my scope on him as the debate raged in my head, "Pull the trigger... No, chances are slim". Twice I about let a shot off but in the end I never pulled the trigger. At what I found out to be a distance of 160 yards I took my scope off of him. I never saw him again.
I continued passing bucks throughout the muzzle loader and then got to hunt 5 more days during the early rifle hunt. My brother also had a tag for this season and on the evening of the second day he was able to tag out on his best buck, still in full velvet.
The opening of the second rifle hunt was now around the corner. I planned on taking my older boys. Up to this point they hadn't been able to spend many hunting days with me. I worried about the potential of getting caught in a moment of bad judgment having a 8 and 6 year old with me. However, I knew the risk was worth it.
The night of, my oldest was up puking. When I woke them up for the day it was apparent he still wasn't doing well. I went to talk to my wife only to find out she wasn't feeling good either. In the end she told me to take the one boy and go.
We got to the mountain after it was light. I intended to hunt a neighboring area where I found a shooter buck during the early rifle season. However, since it was already light I decided to take a minute to glass while my boy got ready. I quickly found a group of bucks and hunters were shooting at them. We hopped on the side by side and got closer. These deer couldn't catch a break. Everywhere they tried to escape they were getting shot at.
Eventually the hunters left and about that time my wife called saying my other boy was feeling better and was really mad we left him. Because of that she said she was going to drive him out to us.
It wasn't long after that we found some bucks somewhere between 2-300 yards, probably from the same group. It was now or never as they weren't sticking around. I put my scope on them and saw a great forked 4 point. I didn't have time to really judge. Having the memory of my last run in with Fantastic I decided to shoot.
I really didn't think I hit the buck. We went around and cut the deer off. Except there was only 2 and not 3 bucks. Did I hit him or did he beat us over the ridge? I called my wife to see where she was, we then began walking around the area. It took a bit but we eventually cut a fresh buck track. Not yet knowing what happened we began following. After a minute my boy said, "Look dad there's blood!" We continued only to jump the buck. A few more shots and he was done.
Minutes later my wife and other kids showed up. We shared some great moments together and got a million and one questions about the deer's anatomy.
It may have not been Fantastic, and part of me is sad about that, but it was still a great outcome to share with my family.
I've been able to take some decent bucks the last few years on general tags I just need to figure out how to get over the hump and harvest the next class range of bucks.
