HoldMyBeer
FNG
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2021
- Messages
- 2
This deer was a long list of first for me along with tons of luck and recollection of information that I covered in preparation for this trip that made the drive from SC to WY worth it.This was my first:
Post here
Hunt outside of my home state
Solo road trip
Western hunt
Public land hunt
Mule deer
Time quartering game
Pack out
This hunt started out around this time last year when I bought my first WY preference points and dove into reading and watching anything I could find on western hunting. In this search I came across rokslide and Robby’s book on mule deer. I did my research and applied for antelope and deer tags in an area that I had pretty good chances of getting both. Fast forward to results coming out and I had my first WY deer tag in hand, time for more research.
One week before rifle opener and I was packed up and heading west leaving me with 4 days to scout an area I had never seen in person. My expectations were fairly low but I was ready to work for it. A couple days into scouting I found a few pieces of public land that were holding deer and even glassed what I thought was a nice 4x4 for the area. Opening morning came and I was in place for what I thought was going to be a great morning hunt only to get pushed out by a group of antelope hunters that obviously needed more time at the range. I packed my things up and headed back to my truck to get deeper into some roads less traveled. That’s where I came across a decent piece of public land that had great terrain features that I’d somehow not noticed all week. It was mid morning and getting hot so I knew deer would be bedded. I grabbed my pack and rifle and went to hiking to what looked like a decent glassing point about 3/4 of a mile in. Much to my surprise I quickly spotted a few deer bedded in a cut close to a creek bed and could tell they were bucks. I started getting close and could tell they were young and not really what I was looking for. Then it happened, as I turned to hike towards a different glassing point I jumped the biggest buck I’d seen all week and he knew right where the public land ended. I sat there with my head low for a while then decided to take a look at where he was bedded and tracks going to and from. I hiked back out and went to unsuccessfully glass another spot for the afternoon.
The next morning without much of a plan I went to an area I’d seen a few deer earlier in the week without much luck. I headed back to where I had jumped the deer the day before and glassed for hours before I caught movement a few cuts over from where I’d seen the deer the day before. I gathered my things and went to get a closer look. I’m nearing 2 miles back when I come over a hill to see a nice 4x4 rack sticking up over some brush at less than 50yds! I instantly dropped and took my pack off as quiet as possible which is never quiet enough. This couldn’t be happening I had been practicing for that 500yd shot everyone said I’d have to take. The buck heard me moving around and stood up to investigate but he was too late I was already set and ready for the shot. I dropped the hammer on not only the biggest buck I’d seen all week but my first muley buck.
Then the real work began with my first quarter, cape, and pack out. My first pack out, a solo pack out, I one tripped it the 2 miles and I’m honestly stoked that I was able to do this. I will say seeing the truck at the end of the pack out felt almost as good as watching my buck drop.
This may be the best photo from the hunt but the pile of others with bad lighting or shadows in the wrong places are the ones that really tell the story of my first solo diy public land western hunt.
