We've got 2 tags in the basin for second rifle mule deer. Couple of days away from pointing the truck towards the central CO.
Starting this tread to document all of the pre-trip, scouting days, and season day happenings. Its the longest hunting trip I've had planned, with 3 scout days plus the Sat to Sun season that CO gives to the 2nd rifle guys. We have plans to stay as long as needed, but wont hesitate to end the trip early on a mature buck.
Which brings me to my expectations for the hunt:
1) Have fun.
2) Be strategic.
3) Don't shoot a young buck.
Have fun: This is at the top of my list for obvious reasons. Its beautiful country, and I get wake up each morning, put on hunting boots, grab a gun, and go sit behind my binos while the sun comes up. I don't know about all the guys on this forum, but that is WAY different than my daily grind at home. So I'm damn sure going to enjoy that.
Be Strategic: E-Scouting and talking to past hunters tells me there are roads, more roads, and then even more roads. Finding pockets of country to glass away from those roads can be a challenge, but there is plenty of it. Even if those pockets are small. I want to stick with my plan to use the road system to locate pockets of deer, then located glassing points in the general area where I might get eyes on something that isn't going to be seen from the truck window. Main goal here is to not just go hiking through the country blowing deer out. Be strategic. Have a plan with each move. Burn my eye balls into my binos before burning boot rubber.
Don't shoot a young buck. Pretty simple - I'd rather eat tag soup than shoot a 2 year old. I've been told that I will, from day 1, see deer to shoot. This isn't one of those "oh I couldn't find a buck to tag" kind of hunts. So my expectations for a shooter is based on maturity. I want to locate and hunt down an older buck, score is secondary. I realize that these words may get harder and harder to live by if the season drags on without sight of an older deer, but from my armchair a week and change away from opening day, its what I'm feeling like.
Follow up posts will be about gear, packing, etc. And then our scouting days, and the season, posting as I can.
Hope you guys will get something from this, as I'm hoping to enjoy logging my hunt on this thread.
Starting this tread to document all of the pre-trip, scouting days, and season day happenings. Its the longest hunting trip I've had planned, with 3 scout days plus the Sat to Sun season that CO gives to the 2nd rifle guys. We have plans to stay as long as needed, but wont hesitate to end the trip early on a mature buck.
Which brings me to my expectations for the hunt:
1) Have fun.
2) Be strategic.
3) Don't shoot a young buck.
Have fun: This is at the top of my list for obvious reasons. Its beautiful country, and I get wake up each morning, put on hunting boots, grab a gun, and go sit behind my binos while the sun comes up. I don't know about all the guys on this forum, but that is WAY different than my daily grind at home. So I'm damn sure going to enjoy that.
Be Strategic: E-Scouting and talking to past hunters tells me there are roads, more roads, and then even more roads. Finding pockets of country to glass away from those roads can be a challenge, but there is plenty of it. Even if those pockets are small. I want to stick with my plan to use the road system to locate pockets of deer, then located glassing points in the general area where I might get eyes on something that isn't going to be seen from the truck window. Main goal here is to not just go hiking through the country blowing deer out. Be strategic. Have a plan with each move. Burn my eye balls into my binos before burning boot rubber.
Don't shoot a young buck. Pretty simple - I'd rather eat tag soup than shoot a 2 year old. I've been told that I will, from day 1, see deer to shoot. This isn't one of those "oh I couldn't find a buck to tag" kind of hunts. So my expectations for a shooter is based on maturity. I want to locate and hunt down an older buck, score is secondary. I realize that these words may get harder and harder to live by if the season drags on without sight of an older deer, but from my armchair a week and change away from opening day, its what I'm feeling like.
Follow up posts will be about gear, packing, etc. And then our scouting days, and the season, posting as I can.
Hope you guys will get something from this, as I'm hoping to enjoy logging my hunt on this thread.
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