D
Deleted member 16014
Guest
I scouted a good buck this summer that I wanted to go after...little did I know I'd have two in my scope that topped it.
The weather hit H and G with a vengeance on the opener. I'd backpacked in planning on getting wet, and paired with the wind it was about as cold as I've been. With no visibility on the mountain tops I started working some bedding areas. After doing that for a few hours I spotted a good deer in his bed at 320 yds. I could tell he was good, tall but not real wide, and with foggy mist I wanted to put the spotting scope on him to make sure.
When I saw him with 13x on the tripod I knew he was great. Very deep forks, heavy; a great scoring deer and would probably be my best. Then I noticed one bedded with him. Extremely wide and heavy, unimpressive forks, but the frame was massive. Neither seemed to know I was there and I was in good timber.
I took my time to get set up thinking I had no reason to hurry. Given I was soaked to the bone and shivering off and on I wanted to be methodical and get it done. As I pulled them into view in the scope I could tell I was in trouble...the tall, heavy buck stood up and started acting nervous. As I was focusing and getting ready to squeeze they took too bounces and were gone into the clouds. I couldn't believe I let them slip away. If I'd have gone with my gut it would have been a done deal.
I fought the urge to call it a day and started working my way higher around a timber patch as the rain changed to slush. Right away I spotted 5 smaller 4x4's slowly walking toward a high pass at 290 yds. I decided to pick the biggest one and call it done.
On the way out I saw what I'm quite sure is the buck I scouted. He was indeed a winner, though I wasn't really disappointed in shooting the buck I did. It was the deer I wanted when the opportunity was there. I decided to skip another night of sleeping in the wind and wetness and pushed for the car that night.
After a good friend helped me with a load of elk I offered to take him out to look for deer and elk. We were able to find his first buck. Chasing mule deer in the high country is tops in my book.
The weather hit H and G with a vengeance on the opener. I'd backpacked in planning on getting wet, and paired with the wind it was about as cold as I've been. With no visibility on the mountain tops I started working some bedding areas. After doing that for a few hours I spotted a good deer in his bed at 320 yds. I could tell he was good, tall but not real wide, and with foggy mist I wanted to put the spotting scope on him to make sure.
When I saw him with 13x on the tripod I knew he was great. Very deep forks, heavy; a great scoring deer and would probably be my best. Then I noticed one bedded with him. Extremely wide and heavy, unimpressive forks, but the frame was massive. Neither seemed to know I was there and I was in good timber.
I took my time to get set up thinking I had no reason to hurry. Given I was soaked to the bone and shivering off and on I wanted to be methodical and get it done. As I pulled them into view in the scope I could tell I was in trouble...the tall, heavy buck stood up and started acting nervous. As I was focusing and getting ready to squeeze they took too bounces and were gone into the clouds. I couldn't believe I let them slip away. If I'd have gone with my gut it would have been a done deal.
I fought the urge to call it a day and started working my way higher around a timber patch as the rain changed to slush. Right away I spotted 5 smaller 4x4's slowly walking toward a high pass at 290 yds. I decided to pick the biggest one and call it done.
On the way out I saw what I'm quite sure is the buck I scouted. He was indeed a winner, though I wasn't really disappointed in shooting the buck I did. It was the deer I wanted when the opportunity was there. I decided to skip another night of sleeping in the wind and wetness and pushed for the car that night.
After a good friend helped me with a load of elk I offered to take him out to look for deer and elk. We were able to find his first buck. Chasing mule deer in the high country is tops in my book.
