5 states, 4 species, and hopefully a boys first deer.

[WildWill]

Thought it would be nice to do a live thread to document and share my season this year. I've got a pile of deer tags for 4 separate states plus a cow elk tag in WY. But most importantly after years of taking my son along on hunts I've decided he's ready for his first deer. He asked twice last year while we were hunting if he could kill a deer. I've tried to be subjective about it (hard to do as a father) and after several talks I think he understands the seriousness of taking a life (he has killed some small game). He's proven himself more then ready in the shooting department and is deadly out to 100 yards with his 243. Of course the knuckle head had to go and break his elbow about a month ago. Fortunately the cast comes off on the 9th which gives us some time to brush up on his shooting before his November hunt in westernOklahoma.

The rest of my season is as follows.
1: Oct 9th-13th Texas controlled archery deer hunt at Muse wma.
2: Oct 24th-30th NM muzzleloader coues deer.
3: Nov 1st and 2nd my boys hunt in western OK
4: Nov 6th-15th 3rd season CO mule deer.
5: Late Nov- early Dec deer hunting here at home in OK with wife.
6: Late Dec cow elk hunt in WY with my brother.

Excited for my first hunt I've decided to make a mini family vacation out of it. Got a cabin on the shore of Lake Brownwood and I head that way Wednesday. The kids are gonna play hooky Friday and the wife will meet me there. Got permission from the hunt manager to bring the kids along.

 

[JLDemo]

Good luck with it all! Hope you guys fill some tags.

 

[seeth07]

Looks fun, enjoy it with the kids!

 

[typhoon916]

Awesome stuff man ..

 

[Nick87]

Hunt number 3 will be the best one. You only get your first time once. Soak up every minute of it my friend.

 

[noharleyyet]

Nothing better Will.

 

[WildWill]

Hunt number 3 will be the best one. You only get your first time once. Soak up every minute of it my friend.

I don't think I've looked forward to a hunt so much sense my dad took me on my first deer hunt.

 

[WildWill]

Trucks loaded and heading out early in the morning to make sure I'm in time for the hunt orientation. This is a hunt I drew through the Texas controlled hunts program and is a archery hunt good for 2 deer 1 antlerless or spike and 1 buck with a inside spread of 13 inches or more at Muse wma. There's a hunt orientation in the morning then we (me and the other hunter's) will draw for our compartments/areas. Bringing a pop up blind and treestand and going to use tomorrow to scout and get things setup and have till mid-day Sunday. I hunted the area this spring on a controlled turkey hunt so I know some of the area but no guarantee I'll draw the same area. There were plenty of deer and hogs when I was there in April so hopefully will be in for a good hunt.

 

[npaden]

Good luck!

 

[Cap-Tan]

Make sure you take your tape measure and get the buck to hold still for that inside spread measurement.

 

[WildWill]

Figured I'd go ahead and do a little update. Rolled in Wednesday morning a bit before 10am. Talked with the hunt manager and a few other hunter's for awhile then we started the orientation. Which basically consists of a bit of the history of the property, the rules and expectations of the hunt and assigning areas.


After that I teamed up with a fellow hunter Bill who was assigned the same area as me. Our area was roughly 500 acres and we scouted the area and worked together to insure nobody was "stepping on any toes". I found a nice field edge with a live oak mott bordering it that showed good sign and put my stand in one of the oaks. I also put a popup on a promising funnel but haven't hunted it yet as I'm saving it for taking the kids out this weekend. Here's a view from the stand.



By the time I finished it was 4pm and I was hot, sweaty, and hungry. So I headed to the cabin checked in got some dinner and turned in early.


Was in the stand early the next morning and shortly after first light heard the dreaded blow of a doe from the oak thicket behind me. I caught a glimpse of 2 does and a fawn as they ran off and around me to the south. Climbed down around 10:30 and headed to lunch and a nap. When I woke up at 3 it was 100 degrees. At home I'd have done something else but these are the days I have to hunt so I headed out about 4. I climbed into my stand around 5 and cooked for the next couple hours.


This morning I was tired but headed out early climbing into the stand about 45 minutes before shooting light. About 5 minutes before legal shooting hours two does and a fawn came out about 60 yards in front of me and began feeding closer. By the time shooting light came they were inside 30 yards but I had to wait a couple more minutes as the doe I was trying for was quartering hard to me. Eventually at 22 yards she gave me the right angle and I sent one through her boiler room. I heard the whack and she took off right when I lost sight of her I heard a crash. I decided to err on the side of caution and gave her 30 minutes. After the wait I climbed down picked up my arrow and followed a blood trail about 40 yards to my doe. Drug her up to the truck and got her field dressed and took her up to the head quarters. There the hunt manager took some samples and helped me put her in the walk-in.


I have one more tag and the wife is on the way down now with the kids. Decided to take this evening off and help the wife get the kids settled and take them out for dinner. Also I misunderstood the tag allocation I thought it was 1 doe and 1 buck but apparently it's 2 deer no more then 1 buck so I can shoot another doe. If I can get another doe in front of me with one of the kids I'll let one fly.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

Figured I'd go ahead and do a little update. Rolled in Wednesday morning a bit before 10am. Talked with the hunt manager and a few other hunter's for awhile then we started the orientation. Which basically consists of a bit of the history of the property, the rules and expectations of the hunt and assigning areas.View attachment 344128


After that I teamed up with a fellow hunter Bill who was assigned the same area as me. Our area was roughly 500 acres and we scouted the area and worked together to insure nobody was "stepping on any toes". I found a nice field edge with a live oak mott bordering it that showed good sign and put my stand in one of the oaks. I also put a popup on a promising funnel but haven't hunted it yet as I'm saving it for taking the kids out this weekend. Here's a view from the stand.View attachment 344130



By the time I finished it was 4pm and I was hot, sweaty, and hungry. So I headed to the cabin checked in got some dinner and turned in early.View attachment 344131


Was in the stand early the next morning and shortly after first light heard the dreaded blow of a doe from the oak thicket behind me. I caught a glimpse of 2 does and a fawn as they ran off and around me to the south. Climbed down around 10:30 and headed to lunch and a nap. When I woke up at 3 it was 100 degrees. At home I'd have done something else but these are the days I have to hunt so I headed out about 4. I climbed into my stand around 5 and cooked for the next couple hours.View attachment 344132


This morning I was tired but headed out early climbing into the stand about 45 minutes before shooting light. About 5 minutes before legal shooting hours two does and a fawn came out about 60 yards in front of me and began feeding closer. By the time shooting light came they were inside 30 yards but I had to wait a couple more minutes as the doe I was trying for was quartering hard to me. Eventually at 22 yards she gave me the right angle and I sent one through her boiler room. I heard the whack and she took off right when I lost sight of her I heard a crash. I decided to err on the side of caution and gave her 30 minutes. After the wait I climbed down picked up my arrow and followed a blood trail about 40 yards to my doe. Drug her up to the truck and got her field dressed and took her up to the head quarters. There the hunt manager took some samples and helped me put her in the walk-in. View attachment 344136View attachment 344137


I have one more tag and the wife is on the way down now with the kids. Decided to take this evening off and help the wife get the kids settled and take them out for dinner. Also I misunderstood the tag allocation I thought it was 1 doe and 1 buck but apparently it's 2 deer no more then 1 buck so I can shoot another doe. If I can get another doe in front of me with one of the kids I'll let one fly.

I’m confused too now lol
If it’s 2 deer- no more than ONE buck, and you’ve only shot a doe, then you still have ONE buck you CAN fill that on. Right? OR a doe?

 

[ignorethefringes]

I’m confused too now lol
If it’s 2 deer- no more than ONE buck, and you’ve only shot a doe, then you still have ONE buck you CAN fill that on. Right? OR a doe?

Remaining tag is effectively either sex

 

[WildWill]

I’m confused too now lol
If it’s 2 deer- no more than ONE buck, and you’ve only shot a doe, then you still have ONE buck you CAN fill that on. Right? OR a doe?

I can shoot a doe, spike, or buck with a inside spread of 13in+ with my remaining tag.

 

[Don Fischer]

Trucks loaded and heading out early in the morning to make sure I'm in time for the hunt orientation. This is a hunt I drew through the Texas controlled hunts program and is a archery hunt good for 2 deer 1 antlerless or spike and 1 buck with a inside spread of 13 inches or more at Muse wma. There's a hunt orientation in the morning then we (me and the other hunter's) will draw for our compartments/areas. Bringing a pop up blind and treestand and going to use tomorrow to scout and get things setup and have till mid-day Sunday. I hunted the area this spring on a controlled turkey hunt so I know some of the area but no guarantee I'll draw the same area. There were plenty of deer and hogs when I was there in April so hopefully will be in for a good hunt.View attachment 343736View attachment 343737View attachment 343738

That is a neat document! How does a long range hunter tell what 13" is at 600+ yds?

 

[WildWill]

That is a neat document! How does a long range hunter tell what 13" is at 600+ yds?

The only buck hunting allowed on the property is with a bow all rifle hunts are antlerless only.

 

[WildWill]

Took knuckle head out this morning. Unfortunately we spooked deer walking in this morning and didn't see anything. One guy got a hog last night and a doe this morning. Another hit a buck but was unable to recover him. Headed to lunch with the crew now and gonna go out solo this evening. The wife is taking the kids to a Luau at the resort tonight.

 

[WildWill]

Saturday evening the wife took the kids to the luau while I went out to climb in the stand. It was still hot out so I didn't end up getting in the stand till a little after 5. Had a forky cruise by a few minutes later then no more action till last light. Around 7:20pm a doe and fawn fed out in front of me giving me a chip shot at around 20 yards. I decided to pass and just watched the show a couple minutes later I caught movement out of the corner of my eye to the left. I had been focusing to much on the deer in front of me and let one slip through me left hand shooting lane I caught just a butt as it slipped into the oaks. I was pretty sure it was a buck from the size of the dumper and he was about to enter another opening straight behind me. In order to have a shot I have to stand and turn so I started while he was still in the oaks. Unfortunately he came out at 13 yards and just in time to catch me standing and turning I froze. He had nailed me and wasn't letting it go after what felt like a couple minutes he turned and ran full bore into the woods. It was a decent 2 year old 8 point that was at least 14in inside spread so legal. Not sure if I would have shot him or not but mute point as he won the chess match that night. Headed back and had a plate from the luau waiting for me. The wife and kids had a lot of fun.

The next morning was the final hunt and I had promised to take my daughter. She did great getting up and walking to the blind in the dark not so much on sitting still. Unfortunately we didn't see any deer the area I had placed the blind just wasn't as productive as the area I hung the stand. She had fun though and enjoyed picking flowers for her momma and helping me cut my deer up.


Big thank you to Cameron and crew at Muse wma! I've been on many controlled hunts in both Oklahoma and Texas and they run a first class hunt. Next up is my NM deer hunt that opens on the 26th I'll be leaving for next week.

 

[duckhunt]

Great stuff