Nick87
Well-known member
Not if you want to repeat offend.
Pink camo, #dadbodhunter, and a whole lotta stupid!
- Thread starter Dsnow9
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Ended the day seeing over 20 bucks. Only one was a maybe. We watched him most of the evening and will likely be a last day type of buck. @SwaggyD is having me hold out for a big one despite my begging, pleading, and convincing. We are holding out for a mature deer, the headgear is just a bonus. Had a rooster come visit at one point. Great wildlife viewing today.
We left the river bottom about ten minutes before legal shooting light ended. The river bottom was getting to dark to see. We stopped the truck about 30 yards before the irrigation ditch separating the river bottom and the fields above. I spotted a couple does about 200 yards away and made my way down the ditch to shrink the distance with the light disappearing quickly. (I picked up two white tail doe tags the night before we started hunting when I found it I could) I popped up about 50 yards from the two does. I set up for the shot and when the larger doe cleared I took the shot. She ran about 50 yards before she died.
We left the river bottom about ten minutes before legal shooting light ended. The river bottom was getting to dark to see. We stopped the truck about 30 yards before the irrigation ditch separating the river bottom and the fields above. I spotted a couple does about 200 yards away and made my way down the ditch to shrink the distance with the light disappearing quickly. (I picked up two white tail doe tags the night before we started hunting when I found it I could) I popped up about 50 yards from the two does. I set up for the shot and when the larger doe cleared I took the shot. She ran about 50 yards before she died.
SwaggyD
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Good thing. That finger was really starting to cramp up.
We finished the day out yesterday seeing so many bucks of the 3.5 year old and younger age bracket and a couple glimpses of some 4.5 year olds. The bigger bucks were only making a quick appearance at over 400 yards but @SwaggyD had so many rules it was really more of just deer watching than hunting.That one is going to be great next year…
That one is to small…
Nice but to young…
Not today….
Only dry does….
No fawns…
Your to loud….
Be quiet…
I’m sure there were a lot more rules that I forgot about but this was my first white tail buck hunt, it was on private property and the property was managed a certain way. The potential for an amazing deer was always there so I followed the rules and tried to stay as patient as possible.
I probably asked if I can shoot that one a hundred times.
Just before last light we made our way out to the road and stopped at the irrigation ditch overlooked an alfalfa field. I jumped out and covered a few hundred yards and spotted a small doe out in the field solo. The light was almost gone and I spent some time making sure it wasn’t a young buck. I set up my tripod and was half out of the ditch to keep my profile low.
I lined up the shot and then shot right over its back. The light had dropped enough that I think I just missed the crosshairs in my rushing.
Today, Monday we went back to the same blind and stuck with the same plan. We saw a number of new bucks each day, very few repeats. At any moment the fields would go from dead quiet to blowing up with deer. We watched a number of does and a few bucks pushing them around in the early morning. There was a great buck that came out early but he was a young deer with huge potential, so when he worked around the slough into 250 yards and right into my crosshairs. It was a blast and I let him walk. Then right after that a nice 5x5, made its way out of my life. @SwaggyD asked if I was mad at him? I wasn’t, and told him that. It’s not my property and not my rules. It just crushed my soul and moral.
The wind started to pick up
mid morning and we hadn’t seen anything move for a while so we went to check out a different field.
There was a stack of hay bails, big rolls, in the new spot. We climbed up a couple bails on the stack and my height definitely came in handy. We only saw a small buck cruising and decided to go back to where we were.
The wind started to pick up
mid morning and we hadn’t seen anything move for a while so we went to check out a different field.
There was a stack of hay bails, big rolls, in the new spot. We climbed up a couple bails on the stack and my height definitely came in handy. We only saw a small buck cruising and decided to go back to where we were.
SwaggyD
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Hangin on for my life and you’re taking pictures…..
We got back to the other spot and the wind was whipping. We sat for over an hour before a fawn came into the field and then and then a back for a quick flash.
It was then silent for another hour or so and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had been looking at on and wanted to set up with a high vantage over the area of the back corner of the field we had been watching. 450 yards from the blind.
We ended up looping around and then snuck through an irrigation ditch to the point I wanted to check out. @SwaggyD has been trying to talk me out of this but went along. It all made sense while we sat in the long grass. He asked when we were going to go still hunt?
I assured him I just wanted to spend the ebony at that spot and have a less that 200 yards elevated shot to the area we had seen all the big bucks.
We were set up and having some snacks around 2:30. We didn’t see anything for about 45 minutes. I was starting to lay down in the ditch for a quick shut eye and Swaggy was already laying down. I shut my eyes for a couple seconds and hear footsteps.
It was then silent for another hour or so and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had been looking at on and wanted to set up with a high vantage over the area of the back corner of the field we had been watching. 450 yards from the blind.
We ended up looping around and then snuck through an irrigation ditch to the point I wanted to check out. @SwaggyD has been trying to talk me out of this but went along. It all made sense while we sat in the long grass. He asked when we were going to go still hunt?
I assured him I just wanted to spend the ebony at that spot and have a less that 200 yards elevated shot to the area we had seen all the big bucks.
We were set up and having some snacks around 2:30. We didn’t see anything for about 45 minutes. I was starting to lay down in the ditch for a quick shut eye and Swaggy was already laying down. I shut my eyes for a couple seconds and hear footsteps.
SwaggyD
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Miscommunication because I thought you wanted to do something completely different.
I roll over, grab my gun, and slowly start to raise out of the grass and see a buck less that 50 yards. All I see is his head and he turns towards me. I am still in the long grass and Swaggy is right behind me. He turns and goes back towards the field and I law back down on my pack. He doesn’t pop out, he might be gone, I might have just missed my only opportunity at a buck since I have to be on the road tomorrow morning.
I got the call mid day that my truck was done. Bad fuel injector.
Then I sit up and see the antler tips back were the buck just was. He is standing on the high side of the irrigation ditch I am sitting in. He is quartering towards me hard and I can see the top of his shoulders, neck, and head. If he takes a step any other direction he will be gone. I shoulder my rifle, eye to my scope, and get up tall on my knees. I can see the lower part of his chest now. He is less than 50 yards away and I took the shot free handed. The thwack was loud and I wonder if the large cottonwood got it. My confidence from the night before was low.
A doe popped out right then and Swaggy told me to take it. I was still worried about the buck and decided to pass and go find the blood trail.
Found the blood trail where he was standing and followed it another 50 yards or so. Bright red blood and very consistent. Found him down the hill shortly after.
I got the call mid day that my truck was done. Bad fuel injector.
Then I sit up and see the antler tips back were the buck just was. He is standing on the high side of the irrigation ditch I am sitting in. He is quartering towards me hard and I can see the top of his shoulders, neck, and head. If he takes a step any other direction he will be gone. I shoulder my rifle, eye to my scope, and get up tall on my knees. I can see the lower part of his chest now. He is less than 50 yards away and I took the shot free handed. The thwack was loud and I wonder if the large cottonwood got it. My confidence from the night before was low.
A doe popped out right then and Swaggy told me to take it. I was still worried about the buck and decided to pass and go find the blood trail.
Found the blood trail where he was standing and followed it another 50 yards or so. Bright red blood and very consistent. Found him down the hill shortly after.
It was more of a frontal shot, he was facing slightly left. I should have taken photos but the hammer hht absolutely exploded the back shoulder. The entrance hole was between the shoulders. The wild thing that we ended up finding the bullet back on the inside of the passenger side hind right under the skin by his pecker. We were worried the guts would be exploded but they weren’t even leaking. Not sure how any of that happens but pretty wild.
And then we dragged him out into the field and staged him in the field. The sunset cooperated amazingly!
OverlordBear
Well-known member
Congrats what a great buck. Awesome season and thanks for taking us along on with a great write up.
My first white tail and a great time hunting a completely different style than I’m used to. We weren’t able to close the deal on a big one with the limited time but had a blast with @SwaggyD.
With the late addition of the two white tail doe tags I finished this trip with quite the hall.
Uhaul van is almost loaded up and planning on heading out early in the morning to go back to billings and pick up my truck. Then head straight back to my Colorado elk and deer hunts. I will get there after dark tomorrow night (Tuesday) and the season opens Wednesday.
With the late addition of the two white tail doe tags I finished this trip with quite the hall.
Uhaul van is almost loaded up and planning on heading out early in the morning to go back to billings and pick up my truck. Then head straight back to my Colorado elk and deer hunts. I will get there after dark tomorrow night (Tuesday) and the season opens Wednesday.
Yep, only one buck was off limits for the last 3 hours of my hunt.
We were both on the same page man. When you get invited to hunt a property that someone has permission on you hunt it however they say. We both were holding out for a stud and it didn’t happen with our limited schedule. I’m glad he made me wait. I saw a ton of deer and all age classes of bucks, got to learn about tendencies and patterns, the challenges of wind direction with river bottom white tail, and at the end of the day we were having a blast. I’m glad it lasted till the last possible hours of the hunt.I don't think any of us really believed that @SwaggyD would have the ability to hold onto your bullets forever. You were going to sneak one into the chamber at some point before you left!
duckhunt
Well-known member
Sounds like you two had a blast.
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