Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
This is not so much a live hunt but an ongoing hunt since I did not harvest *yet* 
This year I drew an early archery season tag in the unit I have been trying for 12 years, finally got the tag. I did not do any scouting due too myself knowing this unit from top too bottom and knowing a spot that holds a couple big deer every year, It has since my dad and I found it in 2000, and my dad has harvested too great bucks in this spot with his rifle. We love this spot, about impossible too get too. But this year I ran into a few antelope hunters at the spot we camp and an unexpected run in with another antelope hunter that I traded carp too for his bear bait. Now I know this happens from time to time but in the middle of nowhere, its a very small world. We chatted a bit and I gave him some info on a big goat hanging around. I had been there for the last 2 days scouting and making sure all my ducks were in a row. I ended up spike tenting it in the place he put his camp. That evening I had a rude awakening when I was putting the big deer too bed. A guy and his 10 year old son roll up and claim that they have been scouting there the last 5 weekend's, have a tent up the road, and ask me why they haven't seen me out here scouting. I told him that I have been for the last 15 years. That didn't go over so well. I had told him I had bedded the bucks and I was gonna be right here in the morning waiting for them too bed and put a stalk on them. He proceeded too drive down too an antelope blind he had put on a spring down the road. Went back too camp and had a good evening, I had brought a large cooler with some Beer and Spaghetti that I had cooked that afternoon when I went back too get all my gear.
I awoke the next morning bright and early and was sitting at my glassing point before the sun was close too poking up. As the sun came up I noticed I could not see across the basin because of all the smoke from the "Soda Fire", so I got my pack and bow and moved too a secondary location that was about a 1/2 mile closer too where the bucks were bedded. I sat in some tall brush and it only took about 10 seconds too spot the deer, looked too be the big 3x4, small 3x3 and small 4x4 I believe. Also noticed a group of 3 doe's and 4 fawns just a little ways too the east and south of the bucks. As I sat there and decided on the best route too get too these bucks I was hoping that the big 4x4 that was in the 180" range was still there somewhere that I saw the previous evening. I also noticed a small black object moving across the flat too my east that was silhouetted by the just now rising sun. I raised my bino's, just as I suspected, the other hunter who had patterned these deer also was trying too beat me too them..... so I sat back and watched, the doe's I had mentioned earlier spooked from the skylined person, and well the whole deal was over kind of. The Doe's blew out but the bucks did not seam too really care, they kept feeding in the spot I last saw them, as I watch the "person" sneak on these bucks I noticed he was coming over in the wrong spot, he had seen them before they moved too there now feeding location. I circled around too the west too hopefully cut off an escape route. As I climbed up onto the bench/flat the "person" spotted me and walked over. We had a few words and I left and headed back too my 4 wheeler. I circled around too where the "persons" camp was and spotted the 3 bucks crossing the trail. I figured that the "person" was not far behind. I waited and also watched the buck's, non of which were the one I was after. He walked down too the trail we talked than I wanted too help and so we walked over too where we last saw the bucks go over a ridge 1/2 mile away, turns out there was 2 more ridge's after that. Long story short we did not locate the bucks again. I chatted with the "person" a bit after I gave him a ride too his camp and I elected that I would leave/change locations. And that was the end of that. On a good note the guy that I traded carp too shot that toad of an Antelope that I had told him about, it went about 78 and some change P&Y. Glad too hear that. Went back too the camper that mid morning packed all my crap up and got the camper and trailer situated and off I went.
I ended up in Sheep country, some lots of deer, the female variety, some small bucks the next 3 days, nothing too get me even close too excited. I packed up camp again and moved too a 3rd location that I had thought about trying. I made it there for a quick evening scouting trip, saw some Doe's and small bucks and decided I would go too my 4th location, due too there was another camper there from Cali that I figured was deer hunting and I thought I knew the guy but he did not roll in till late, I was in bed by then. So I got up early and was on the road in the dark for about 30 min. as I got close too where I thought I wanted too camp I came up a small rise and looked out the window and lookie there. A nice buck with a couple other's. Cool, so I went onto where I wanted too camp, got most of my stuff unloaded and got my camo on and decided too go see how big this buck was too no avail he and the other bucks had disappeared, spent the next 4 days giving it my best and never did find that deer. Saw alot of Doe's, small bucks, and about 150 elk, including a monster, biggest elk I have ever seen, luckily I had Eastman's rack bracketing DVD and watched it and figured it was a 380" bull. Very cool, ended up meeting up with the Cali guy he camped with me for an evening at camp 5. Was great too meet him and chat. I headed home on the afternoon of Day 10. All in all a great time, since on my way out I found a toad of a buck not too far from camp 4. Very tall, narrow with some trash on the R. side, figured he would go 190 or so. If you check my facebook page you can see the pics from the hunt.
Took a 2 day break at home and went back for another 4, fairly uneventful, lots of Doe's, Antelope, Elk, small bucks, coyotes, ton of cotton tail bunnies out there this year, and I probably should not have went with a full moon and hot. But I wanted one last try at a velvet deer, but it was not too be. So i'm waiting for Sept. 7th too roll around and i'm headed back out for 5-6 days for both deer and antelope. :W:
Matt
This year I drew an early archery season tag in the unit I have been trying for 12 years, finally got the tag. I did not do any scouting due too myself knowing this unit from top too bottom and knowing a spot that holds a couple big deer every year, It has since my dad and I found it in 2000, and my dad has harvested too great bucks in this spot with his rifle. We love this spot, about impossible too get too. But this year I ran into a few antelope hunters at the spot we camp and an unexpected run in with another antelope hunter that I traded carp too for his bear bait. Now I know this happens from time to time but in the middle of nowhere, its a very small world. We chatted a bit and I gave him some info on a big goat hanging around. I had been there for the last 2 days scouting and making sure all my ducks were in a row. I ended up spike tenting it in the place he put his camp. That evening I had a rude awakening when I was putting the big deer too bed. A guy and his 10 year old son roll up and claim that they have been scouting there the last 5 weekend's, have a tent up the road, and ask me why they haven't seen me out here scouting. I told him that I have been for the last 15 years. That didn't go over so well. I had told him I had bedded the bucks and I was gonna be right here in the morning waiting for them too bed and put a stalk on them. He proceeded too drive down too an antelope blind he had put on a spring down the road. Went back too camp and had a good evening, I had brought a large cooler with some Beer and Spaghetti that I had cooked that afternoon when I went back too get all my gear.
I awoke the next morning bright and early and was sitting at my glassing point before the sun was close too poking up. As the sun came up I noticed I could not see across the basin because of all the smoke from the "Soda Fire", so I got my pack and bow and moved too a secondary location that was about a 1/2 mile closer too where the bucks were bedded. I sat in some tall brush and it only took about 10 seconds too spot the deer, looked too be the big 3x4, small 3x3 and small 4x4 I believe. Also noticed a group of 3 doe's and 4 fawns just a little ways too the east and south of the bucks. As I sat there and decided on the best route too get too these bucks I was hoping that the big 4x4 that was in the 180" range was still there somewhere that I saw the previous evening. I also noticed a small black object moving across the flat too my east that was silhouetted by the just now rising sun. I raised my bino's, just as I suspected, the other hunter who had patterned these deer also was trying too beat me too them..... so I sat back and watched, the doe's I had mentioned earlier spooked from the skylined person, and well the whole deal was over kind of. The Doe's blew out but the bucks did not seam too really care, they kept feeding in the spot I last saw them, as I watch the "person" sneak on these bucks I noticed he was coming over in the wrong spot, he had seen them before they moved too there now feeding location. I circled around too the west too hopefully cut off an escape route. As I climbed up onto the bench/flat the "person" spotted me and walked over. We had a few words and I left and headed back too my 4 wheeler. I circled around too where the "persons" camp was and spotted the 3 bucks crossing the trail. I figured that the "person" was not far behind. I waited and also watched the buck's, non of which were the one I was after. He walked down too the trail we talked than I wanted too help and so we walked over too where we last saw the bucks go over a ridge 1/2 mile away, turns out there was 2 more ridge's after that. Long story short we did not locate the bucks again. I chatted with the "person" a bit after I gave him a ride too his camp and I elected that I would leave/change locations. And that was the end of that. On a good note the guy that I traded carp too shot that toad of an Antelope that I had told him about, it went about 78 and some change P&Y. Glad too hear that. Went back too the camper that mid morning packed all my crap up and got the camper and trailer situated and off I went.
I ended up in Sheep country, some lots of deer, the female variety, some small bucks the next 3 days, nothing too get me even close too excited. I packed up camp again and moved too a 3rd location that I had thought about trying. I made it there for a quick evening scouting trip, saw some Doe's and small bucks and decided I would go too my 4th location, due too there was another camper there from Cali that I figured was deer hunting and I thought I knew the guy but he did not roll in till late, I was in bed by then. So I got up early and was on the road in the dark for about 30 min. as I got close too where I thought I wanted too camp I came up a small rise and looked out the window and lookie there. A nice buck with a couple other's. Cool, so I went onto where I wanted too camp, got most of my stuff unloaded and got my camo on and decided too go see how big this buck was too no avail he and the other bucks had disappeared, spent the next 4 days giving it my best and never did find that deer. Saw alot of Doe's, small bucks, and about 150 elk, including a monster, biggest elk I have ever seen, luckily I had Eastman's rack bracketing DVD and watched it and figured it was a 380" bull. Very cool, ended up meeting up with the Cali guy he camped with me for an evening at camp 5. Was great too meet him and chat. I headed home on the afternoon of Day 10. All in all a great time, since on my way out I found a toad of a buck not too far from camp 4. Very tall, narrow with some trash on the R. side, figured he would go 190 or so. If you check my facebook page you can see the pics from the hunt.
Took a 2 day break at home and went back for another 4, fairly uneventful, lots of Doe's, Antelope, Elk, small bucks, coyotes, ton of cotton tail bunnies out there this year, and I probably should not have went with a full moon and hot. But I wanted one last try at a velvet deer, but it was not too be. So i'm waiting for Sept. 7th too roll around and i'm headed back out for 5-6 days for both deer and antelope. :W:
Matt
