junior88
Well-known member
We drew 3 tags for the early kaibab hunt. it would be a three generation family affair. My dad, myself, and my son. I can't think of 2 better hunting partners.
Opening day found us in two different areas. My son would hunt the Warm fire burn area, and my dad and i would hunt closer to camp. My boy's hunt would end quickly. By 7am he was thick into deer. Many of them bucks. He let his cross hairs settle on the one that gave him the best shot. A 120 yd broad side shot at a 4x3 and his hunt was over by 730. The deer is his biggest to date. My dad doesn't get around much. He likes to pick a spot and let things happen. He only saw does. There was a prescribed burn in the area but that didn't keep the deer away. However all i saw were does also.
Saturday my son took us to the burn area. There are a lot of deep canyons and lots of up and down walking. Definately not for my dad. His back was already giving him problems. We stayed out of the burn and went into the pine forest to the the north. My son figured with all the shooting on opening day the deer would look for cover. We saw roughly 50 deer. All does and fawns. Saturday afternoon found us in the oak thickets southwest of camp. Lots of acorns on the ground but only does and fawns to be found. Dad stayed at camp. He only hunts mornings anymore.
Sunday morning my son and i were back in the burn. we saw about 65 deer including a couple of 2 pointers. In the afternoon i was back in the oak thickets and once again mostly does with some small bucks hanging around them. My son took a drive to the canyon and my dad's hip was really hurting.
Monday i decided to hunt behind camp. Tons of road hunters drive by our camp, and even the camps that are close by are hunting other places. I felt the area was pretty much undisturbed. My son and I were walking and i decided to glass a small canyon. We spot different deer simultaneously. As we continue to glass the canyon we keep spotting more deer. Almost all of them bucks. The smallest being a 3 point. It turns out to be a bachelor group of at least 15 bucks, probably more. there were antlers everywhere. Some of the bucks were sparring. It was an awesome sight. There was a lot of cover and not many oppurtunities to shoot. When they were in the open the deer were too close together to take a shot. As we continued to walk to our right a buck stepped into a brief patch of sunlight. When the sun hit his antlers I saw kicker points and knew that was the one. As soon as he revealed himself again i took the shot. He fell to one shot from my Ruger 270. When we reached him there was no ground shrinkage. In fact he grew bigger. He has 2 drop tines and 2 kickers. My biggest buck ever. While i was taking care of the deer my son went back to camp to get my dad and they went after the rest of the bucks. However they could not find them again.
I stayed at camp on tuesday while my son tried desperately to find the bucks again for his grandpa. It was not to be. As we packed camp on Wednesday he said this was it, he just can't do it anymore physically. He was really hurting. We started hunting in 1982 and have only missed one year together. It is very bittersweet but i am glad he was there to see his son and grandson take their biggest deer to date.
Opening day found us in two different areas. My son would hunt the Warm fire burn area, and my dad and i would hunt closer to camp. My boy's hunt would end quickly. By 7am he was thick into deer. Many of them bucks. He let his cross hairs settle on the one that gave him the best shot. A 120 yd broad side shot at a 4x3 and his hunt was over by 730. The deer is his biggest to date. My dad doesn't get around much. He likes to pick a spot and let things happen. He only saw does. There was a prescribed burn in the area but that didn't keep the deer away. However all i saw were does also.
Saturday my son took us to the burn area. There are a lot of deep canyons and lots of up and down walking. Definately not for my dad. His back was already giving him problems. We stayed out of the burn and went into the pine forest to the the north. My son figured with all the shooting on opening day the deer would look for cover. We saw roughly 50 deer. All does and fawns. Saturday afternoon found us in the oak thickets southwest of camp. Lots of acorns on the ground but only does and fawns to be found. Dad stayed at camp. He only hunts mornings anymore.
Sunday morning my son and i were back in the burn. we saw about 65 deer including a couple of 2 pointers. In the afternoon i was back in the oak thickets and once again mostly does with some small bucks hanging around them. My son took a drive to the canyon and my dad's hip was really hurting.
Monday i decided to hunt behind camp. Tons of road hunters drive by our camp, and even the camps that are close by are hunting other places. I felt the area was pretty much undisturbed. My son and I were walking and i decided to glass a small canyon. We spot different deer simultaneously. As we continue to glass the canyon we keep spotting more deer. Almost all of them bucks. The smallest being a 3 point. It turns out to be a bachelor group of at least 15 bucks, probably more. there were antlers everywhere. Some of the bucks were sparring. It was an awesome sight. There was a lot of cover and not many oppurtunities to shoot. When they were in the open the deer were too close together to take a shot. As we continued to walk to our right a buck stepped into a brief patch of sunlight. When the sun hit his antlers I saw kicker points and knew that was the one. As soon as he revealed himself again i took the shot. He fell to one shot from my Ruger 270. When we reached him there was no ground shrinkage. In fact he grew bigger. He has 2 drop tines and 2 kickers. My biggest buck ever. While i was taking care of the deer my son went back to camp to get my dad and they went after the rest of the bucks. However they could not find them again.
I stayed at camp on tuesday while my son tried desperately to find the bucks again for his grandpa. It was not to be. As we packed camp on Wednesday he said this was it, he just can't do it anymore physically. He was really hurting. We started hunting in 1982 and have only missed one year together. It is very bittersweet but i am glad he was there to see his son and grandson take their biggest deer to date.
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