SD_Prairie_Goat
Well-known member
Well, went out West River SD this past weekend for deer rifle opener. I was only able to get the weekend off to hunt, so I knew I would have to be efficient with my hunting.
I wasn't able to go scout, but the guy I was hunting with was able to drive around Friday and get the lay of the land.
Saturday morning we walk in ~1 mile to go sit over a draw. Morning comes and we see a small 3x3 muley feeding around us at about 150 yards. Earlier in the truck we flipped a coin and I won, so it was my choice first to take him. I passed and so did my partner, even though I gave him a lot of grief about passing on it. At around 8 we decide to walk back out to the truck and check out some more public land. When we get to the truck I notice that the piece across the road is public and its a long skinny piece (still a mile wide). I say let's go take a peek looks like some good terrain back in there. We walk in 2 miles then I spot two mule deer does. We decide we should drop into this small depression to sneak around them without spooking them.
We get around the does and come to a nice set up for watching for a while. creek bottom with a stock dam at the head end. We set right up on public private boundary and start looking around better. We notice that someone is driving around their private property looking for deer out the truck window. Not long after we see the truck making the rounds, here comes a nice buck. I know we won't have a ton of time to look him over so I decide on the spot he's big enough for me.
I get set up the best I can for the shot, but sadly I forgot my shooting sticks at home, and I don't have time to set my pack up as a rest. I rushed my shot bad, pulled the bullet high and back into his spine just in front of the hind legs. I set up again and fire, looks like I missed... Finally I calm down, breath a little and focus on pulling the trigger lightly. Boom he drops on the spot (while gutting this third shot was a double lung shot)
After taking a couple photos I get to work gutting this big boy out. Now comes the hard part. We're 1 mile from the closest road, 3 miles from where the truck is at this point. We decide to drag him the 1 mile then I will hike back for the truck. We both grab antler and start dragging. Luckily its not terrible terrain and we are able to drag him out in about an hour. I start walking back to the truck and a couple of nice guys stopped and gave me a lift back to the truck saving me about 3 miles or so walking.
He's not the biggest or the widest muley out there, but I am more than happy to put him on the wall as my first muley! I'm leaning towards a European mount as that's how I've done all of my deer up to this point.
I wasn't able to go scout, but the guy I was hunting with was able to drive around Friday and get the lay of the land.
Saturday morning we walk in ~1 mile to go sit over a draw. Morning comes and we see a small 3x3 muley feeding around us at about 150 yards. Earlier in the truck we flipped a coin and I won, so it was my choice first to take him. I passed and so did my partner, even though I gave him a lot of grief about passing on it. At around 8 we decide to walk back out to the truck and check out some more public land. When we get to the truck I notice that the piece across the road is public and its a long skinny piece (still a mile wide). I say let's go take a peek looks like some good terrain back in there. We walk in 2 miles then I spot two mule deer does. We decide we should drop into this small depression to sneak around them without spooking them.
We get around the does and come to a nice set up for watching for a while. creek bottom with a stock dam at the head end. We set right up on public private boundary and start looking around better. We notice that someone is driving around their private property looking for deer out the truck window. Not long after we see the truck making the rounds, here comes a nice buck. I know we won't have a ton of time to look him over so I decide on the spot he's big enough for me.
I get set up the best I can for the shot, but sadly I forgot my shooting sticks at home, and I don't have time to set my pack up as a rest. I rushed my shot bad, pulled the bullet high and back into his spine just in front of the hind legs. I set up again and fire, looks like I missed... Finally I calm down, breath a little and focus on pulling the trigger lightly. Boom he drops on the spot (while gutting this third shot was a double lung shot)
After taking a couple photos I get to work gutting this big boy out. Now comes the hard part. We're 1 mile from the closest road, 3 miles from where the truck is at this point. We decide to drag him the 1 mile then I will hike back for the truck. We both grab antler and start dragging. Luckily its not terrible terrain and we are able to drag him out in about an hour. I start walking back to the truck and a couple of nice guys stopped and gave me a lift back to the truck saving me about 3 miles or so walking.
He's not the biggest or the widest muley out there, but I am more than happy to put him on the wall as my first muley! I'm leaning towards a European mount as that's how I've done all of my deer up to this point.
