Words cannot describe the incredible trip my brother and me had opening week in b zone. We had a total of 8 days to get it done and somehow accomplished everything opening day of archery season. We packed in Wednesday morning and spent the next 3 days glassing all morning and all evening trying to turn something up that would work for an archery stalk. Finally on Friday morning my brother spotted a group of bucks about a mile away feeding in a small opening we watched the deer for an hour and a half until they slipped into some bedding timber. We devised a game plan for Saturday that would wind up getting my brother in the perfect position for a 55 yard shot. After hours of silence my brother finally gets of the radio and said he stuck a buck! I begin my hike down and over to him and finally meet up with him, after catching my breath we began tracking the buck. About 100 yards straight down the hill we found him piled up in, the amount of happiness that goes through your body when you get to lay your hands on the deer for the first time is amazing. Some quick pictures were taken then it was time to start butchering and get back to camp. We got back around 2:30pm and rested in the shade and ate a mountain house meal and rehydrated. For some unknown reason I change my mind on a easy evening hunt and decide to leave my brother to glass the area near camp and I was going to make a mile and a half climb to the top of mountain to glass some new country for my evening hunt. After an hour hike up with tired legs I made it to the top and within seconds I spot a smaller buck bedded 300 yards below me. After watching him for a little I heard a rumble and I knew I wasn’t just hungry; I looked over my shoulder and see a very mean looking thunderstorm moving in on me fast. I quickly became very close and friendly with a small pine tree that I took shelter under for the 40 minutes of hell. I’ve never had lightning hit so close that it shakes the ground and the sound of thunder is more like a gunshot overhead. Part 1/2 the rest in the comments
After enduring hell it quickly became peaceful outside, I scrambled back to the top of the mountain to my glassing spot. Within seconds I spot a buck very similar to my brothers and another good buck. They were feeding on an open face that had small depressions where the deer would drop into for about 10-15 minutes at a time as they headed towards the timber.
I quickly decided I would try and make a stalk of these bucks; I radioed my brother and told him I was going on a stalk and I’d hike back up if I stuck one and let him know. At 7:30pm I began my stalk down into the canyon making it to a predetermined point where I’d need to get out of the gully, it was a shear rock cliff that took a little more time to navigate than expected. After not falling off the cliff I crept up to the edge where I spotted the patch of trees where they should be and ranged the tree tops at 50 yards, I nocked an arrow and slowly stood; sure enough the deer weren’t there. As I scan around looking for the deer I spot the face of one staring at me from down below behind a small pine tree. After what felt like eternity the buck goes back to feeding, I quietly reposition my feet for the shot and get a range on him at 62 yards. I draw back and settle nerves and my pin, slowly squeezing the trigger and the arrow releases. Everything happened in slow motion as the arrow flew away from me and towards the buck; the deer scattered and I watched as my buck went 20 yards before piling up. Adrenaline raced through my body as I was overjoyed that we both made it happen on amazing bucks. I dropped everything and sprinted up the mountain and radioed my brother that I got one! After describing where I was to him he grabbed his pack to come help me out. I took some very poor pictures of my deer with fading light and began butchering the buck. My brother finally got to me at 930 and we finished deboning and loading the packs by 10pm. We didn’t step foot into camp until 12:30am, exhausted and hungry we sat down and had the most amazing mountain house lasagna before passing out. The next morning we woke up early to sore muscles as we began taking down taking down our home for the past 5 days in the wilderness. With heavy pack we slowly trudged our way back towards the trailhead and back to a comfy car seat.
What an amazing trip that I got to share with my brother, still in disbelief that we were both able to harvest our largest blacktails to date. We hiked over 35 miles in some rugged country and the hike out we had 115lb packs on our backs for 5 hours of the most rewarding hell we have ever endured. Thankful for being able to have the privilege to hunt and feed our families with meat that is special to us.
After enduring hell it quickly became peaceful outside, I scrambled back to the top of the mountain to my glassing spot. Within seconds I spot a buck very similar to my brothers and another good buck. They were feeding on an open face that had small depressions where the deer would drop into for about 10-15 minutes at a time as they headed towards the timber.
I quickly decided I would try and make a stalk of these bucks; I radioed my brother and told him I was going on a stalk and I’d hike back up if I stuck one and let him know. At 7:30pm I began my stalk down into the canyon making it to a predetermined point where I’d need to get out of the gully, it was a shear rock cliff that took a little more time to navigate than expected. After not falling off the cliff I crept up to the edge where I spotted the patch of trees where they should be and ranged the tree tops at 50 yards, I nocked an arrow and slowly stood; sure enough the deer weren’t there. As I scan around looking for the deer I spot the face of one staring at me from down below behind a small pine tree. After what felt like eternity the buck goes back to feeding, I quietly reposition my feet for the shot and get a range on him at 62 yards. I draw back and settle nerves and my pin, slowly squeezing the trigger and the arrow releases. Everything happened in slow motion as the arrow flew away from me and towards the buck; the deer scattered and I watched as my buck went 20 yards before piling up. Adrenaline raced through my body as I was overjoyed that we both made it happen on amazing bucks. I dropped everything and sprinted up the mountain and radioed my brother that I got one! After describing where I was to him he grabbed his pack to come help me out. I took some very poor pictures of my deer with fading light and began butchering the buck. My brother finally got to me at 930 and we finished deboning and loading the packs by 10pm. We didn’t step foot into camp until 12:30am, exhausted and hungry we sat down and had the most amazing mountain house lasagna before passing out. The next morning we woke up early to sore muscles as we began taking down taking down our home for the past 5 days in the wilderness. With heavy pack we slowly trudged our way back towards the trailhead and back to a comfy car seat.
What an amazing trip that I got to share with my brother, still in disbelief that we were both able to harvest our largest blacktails to date. We hiked over 35 miles in some rugged country and the hike out we had 115lb packs on our backs for 5 hours of the most rewarding hell we have ever endured. Thankful for being able to have the privilege to hunt and feed our families with meat that is special to us.
