Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Mule Deer Hunting Story.. thought you might enjoy

Well, long season for me. Not much Hunting due to the Outfitter who leases our Ranch is well.... lets just say he isn’t going to be here next year... anyway here's how things went....
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<br>The alarm sounds like a giant bumble bee in my ear... ugghhh 3:30 a.m. already.... ok. Ok coffee, coffee....
<br>I stumble around the lodge trying to focus on my intent. I have one day to find a buck that will tickle my fancy. I have shot hundreds of rounds this year and anything inside of 750 is in my trophy book....
<br>Ok off to the mountain behind my house. It’s going to be a long walk today.... walking through the foothills I see movement all around me on my long walk. hmmmm, deer moving from the fields already. Sort of seems almost like they waited for me this year...
<br>I start the climb to my setup... takes a while and sometimes I wonder why I climb as high up these cliffs as I do... but my questions are answered as soon as the sun begins to pour her life giving rays over the mountains and canyons... WOW what a view...
<br>It doesn't take long for me to start to see movement on the hills. I quick check my temps, barometric pressures, winds, altitude, Humidity levels and enter all the data in to the handspring visor A1trag.... I start to quickly laser objects in the areas I usually see bucks in and commit them to memory. Once I see him I'll get specific distances... I set up the Nighthawk and fill her full of the loads I practiced with all year... (The same loads that dusted PD's out to 1200 yards)
<br>As I scan the hills I see a lot of does in the morning light... no bucks yet but I didn't expect to see the bucks this morning...seems as this year they travel under the blanket of darkness.....
<br>It then hits me.... this day has already been successful. I just look at the view. Look where I am... The morning passes and I see about 50 or so deer mostly does and small bucks 2 points (4 points eastern) and some small 3 points (6 points eastern)
<br>I take about an hour nap and arise about 12:30 p.m. I'm greeted by a band of Bighorn Sheep... I watch them nibble and play on the East slope... kind of amusing how easily they handle the steep cliffs...
<br>OK now back to the Mule deer things. I begin glass the hills and see that several of the does are now out feeding again and the movement begins to pick up as time passes more and more deer are now headed back to the foothills and pastures. It's about 3:30 p.m. the bucks should start to move soon.. I re-check all my data and find the humidity levels and Barometric pressures have changed some... I re-enter the data into the A1trag software....
<br>there he is a nice buck slipping thought the timber. Damn not what I want only about 26-27 inches...big heavy bodied though. Several smaller bucks follow his route and disappear in the canyon....
<br>I have about an hour till dark now. It’s 5:00 pm. I catch some movement across the canyon and pick up the binoculars for a closer look. I see 3 does slip in to a patch of timber, and.. OH Man there he is, hot on their trail. I only got a glimpse but he was big... I wait patiently for them to exit the timber. The does quietly slipped out the east side. Where's the big boy.... with about 20 min. of light left I see him moving out the back side of the timber. MAN is he huge... after about 10 min. of glassing him. I estimate he's about 29- 31 inches. Definitely what I want. He has dark heavy horns with a lot of mass. He’s about 22-24" high too.... he's starts to feed along the back slope. My rig is already set up so I range him.... to make the final calculations.. 856 yards. DAMN... he's father than what I have practiced at... he's also farther than my ballistic performance will quickly kill a deer of his size... all I can do is watch and hope he wanders inside of 750 yards... with the light quickly fading .. Things look dim....
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<br>For the next 15 min., I watched the majestic monster feed along the ridge.... he then disappeared into the blanket darkness of called night...
<br>Maybe, Maybe next year.....
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Tough break...Maybe next time....

Frankly, I'm much more impressed that you didn't take the shot than if you had and connected.

nvm

Being able to know your capabilities and adhering to your values so as to prevent wounding and not recovering an animal is the hallmark of an ethical hunter and you Sir epitomize that in your story! When that Buck does find himself in range you’ll have earned that trophy in all the best ways. 👍

Great job and write up.

You all realize this is nearly a 20 year old thread and the OP hasn't posted in 12 years, right?

Carry on, I guess.

glad you pointed this out ,i kinda thought i read something the same as this years ago.thank you ,Pete53

Too bad you weren't able to connect on that outstanding trophy. But you had a wonderful hunt in some of the most beautiful country the world has to offer. Seeing Bighorns must have been the cherry on top.

Thanks for posting a great read !