Foxtrot1
Well-known member
Today was a perfect day for hunting. The weather was great, deer were moving, and we didn't see another sole in the woods. Hundreds of sandhill crane came over on their way south. I love the sound of them passing over head. It always amazes me how they just decide today is the day to leave. Honestly, I couldn't help but long for my shotgun. It just felt wrong holding my rifle watching the flocks passed over. I guess it reminds me of mornings hunting geese from layout blinds.
This afternoon we headed back into the ridges we hunted this morning. Jeff spotted the same group of deer we saw this morning. 5 does and a fork horned buck. When he spotted them they were 6-800 yards infront of the finger he was on. They took most of the evening to feed up a dry creek bed within 250 yds of Jeff. He had decided to shoot the fork horned deer when one of the does spotted him. They quickly moved around the finger before he could get a shot. At this point he started motioning for me to head across the finger I was on. Guessing what he wanted I eased across the finger and began to glass with my binoculars. I couldn't see anything, but when I looked at Jeff he motioned behind me. When I turned I saw 2 of the does dropping around a point to my right. I picked up my pack and headed across the ridge to cut them off. I guessed they were headed toward a bottom we had seen them in before. Jeff followed a couple hundred yards behind as I crossed the main ridge. When I got to the finger over looking the bottom there was a line of deer below me. I ranged them at 208 yds, so I dropped down to shoot off of my bipod. I was having a hard time picking him out from the does in the fading light when one of the does spotted me and started to trot away. As they were heading out into the sage flats away from me I remembered I had a fawn bleat with me. I pulled it out and let out a few bawls. Instantly they turned and headed back around the ridge I was on. I hit the call a few more times. Suddenly they was crashing directly to my right. Something was tearing down the ridge toward me. It was breaking through deadfalls and brush. Honestly I thought "Oh sh**, a black bear is coming in for an easy meal. I whipped around toward on my knees when 3 deer broke though the shrubs 10 yds from me. It was 2 does and a small fork horn buck. When they saw me they turned and ran back down the ridge. I kept calling and they stopped and looked back at me. I was trying to shoot the forked horn buck when there was crashing directly behind me. I turned and the 5 does and first forked horn buck were coming up a swell 15 yds behind me. I swung and shot the buck as he came even with me on the ridge. He just rolled down the little swell. The other 3 deer ran down the opening, but stopped when I kept calling. At this point Jeff was only about 75 yds behind me. I yelled "there's a buckin the group!". Jeff dropped down and shot at the buck. It ran 20 yds but stopped when I called again. Jeff shot again. This time he nailed it. Jeff hadnt ranged the buck and thought he was 150 yds down the ridge, but when we were walking he was actually between 300-350 yds down it. Jeffs buck was lying neatly in a pile just a few yds from where he had been standing. We boned them and packed them back to the truck. It was about 1 mile from the deer back to the truck. We didn't kill the big bucks we had hoped for, but this has been a truly great trip. We killed our first antelope and mule deer. What was also special was we got to watch each other fill all of our tags. I worked harder for that fork horn deer than just about any deer I have killed. I will never forget those two groups of deer crashing toward me.
My deer was truly odd. He's still in velvet and he had no testicles. He had a scrotum, but nothing in it. He was a big bodied deer (for me from the South).
I am now lying in the tent waiting for the wood stove to warm up. Most of my body is sore from todays work. Truly a good end to this day. Now we have alot of work cut out for us when we get home. It'll be a frenzy of grindin, making sausage, and vacuum packing venison. Beth and I should be set for the year from my harvest this trip. Thank all of you guys for the words of encouragement over the past couple of weeks. When I get home I'll post lots of photos from the trip.
The next step will be polishing the dogs getting them ready for the upcoming season.
This afternoon we headed back into the ridges we hunted this morning. Jeff spotted the same group of deer we saw this morning. 5 does and a fork horned buck. When he spotted them they were 6-800 yards infront of the finger he was on. They took most of the evening to feed up a dry creek bed within 250 yds of Jeff. He had decided to shoot the fork horned deer when one of the does spotted him. They quickly moved around the finger before he could get a shot. At this point he started motioning for me to head across the finger I was on. Guessing what he wanted I eased across the finger and began to glass with my binoculars. I couldn't see anything, but when I looked at Jeff he motioned behind me. When I turned I saw 2 of the does dropping around a point to my right. I picked up my pack and headed across the ridge to cut them off. I guessed they were headed toward a bottom we had seen them in before. Jeff followed a couple hundred yards behind as I crossed the main ridge. When I got to the finger over looking the bottom there was a line of deer below me. I ranged them at 208 yds, so I dropped down to shoot off of my bipod. I was having a hard time picking him out from the does in the fading light when one of the does spotted me and started to trot away. As they were heading out into the sage flats away from me I remembered I had a fawn bleat with me. I pulled it out and let out a few bawls. Instantly they turned and headed back around the ridge I was on. I hit the call a few more times. Suddenly they was crashing directly to my right. Something was tearing down the ridge toward me. It was breaking through deadfalls and brush. Honestly I thought "Oh sh**, a black bear is coming in for an easy meal. I whipped around toward on my knees when 3 deer broke though the shrubs 10 yds from me. It was 2 does and a small fork horn buck. When they saw me they turned and ran back down the ridge. I kept calling and they stopped and looked back at me. I was trying to shoot the forked horn buck when there was crashing directly behind me. I turned and the 5 does and first forked horn buck were coming up a swell 15 yds behind me. I swung and shot the buck as he came even with me on the ridge. He just rolled down the little swell. The other 3 deer ran down the opening, but stopped when I kept calling. At this point Jeff was only about 75 yds behind me. I yelled "there's a buckin the group!". Jeff dropped down and shot at the buck. It ran 20 yds but stopped when I called again. Jeff shot again. This time he nailed it. Jeff hadnt ranged the buck and thought he was 150 yds down the ridge, but when we were walking he was actually between 300-350 yds down it. Jeffs buck was lying neatly in a pile just a few yds from where he had been standing. We boned them and packed them back to the truck. It was about 1 mile from the deer back to the truck. We didn't kill the big bucks we had hoped for, but this has been a truly great trip. We killed our first antelope and mule deer. What was also special was we got to watch each other fill all of our tags. I worked harder for that fork horn deer than just about any deer I have killed. I will never forget those two groups of deer crashing toward me.
My deer was truly odd. He's still in velvet and he had no testicles. He had a scrotum, but nothing in it. He was a big bodied deer (for me from the South).
I am now lying in the tent waiting for the wood stove to warm up. Most of my body is sore from todays work. Truly a good end to this day. Now we have alot of work cut out for us when we get home. It'll be a frenzy of grindin, making sausage, and vacuum packing venison. Beth and I should be set for the year from my harvest this trip. Thank all of you guys for the words of encouragement over the past couple of weeks. When I get home I'll post lots of photos from the trip.
The next step will be polishing the dogs getting them ready for the upcoming season.
