07yzryder
Lil-Rokslider
First buck ever, has been a long road here including racing to heal from a surgery to drain an abcess and remove a lypoma in my back a month before my surgery leaving a 2 inch wide 3 inch deep hole in my back that left me with no ability to hike the month prior (though i had been for a few months since im wayyy out of shape).
He wont win any awards but its meat in the freezer and considering I hunted the lower elevations due to my fatness (I am working on it as i want to come back and hunt the high ground where the big boys are next year!). First day out we did see anything, glassed for hours on end, valley after valley and nada. Day 2 0530 were on the road to another glassing spot i had marked on my ON X maps, at 0550 i see what i thought was a coyote racing up the hill, turns out it was a buck, (thank you light bar!) he stopped and stared at me for a big before continuing up the hill where we lost him (still pitch black) but the game was on. That morning we continued to where i wanted to glass to try and see if we could see anything coming in but NADA.... oh well, we head back to the mark on my map where we seen him and combed the hillside with a fine tooth comb. Nothing.
Instead of giving up we decided then and there that we were going to find the buck so we head up the hillside and find sign everywhere, beds, fresh poop, tracks you name it. Decided to hike along the game trail about 3 miles in, up and down the hill before we called it, didnt want to bump him. went back to camp and had lunch and got ready for night glassing where we saw the buck. 3 hours of glassing until pitch black and nothing!
Day 3, we were going to glass the hill side and try to find where it was bedding down hoping to catch him on the way back in on the side of the hill. We glass about 20 minutes, Nada, so we head around the front where we seen him the other day, as soon as we came over a ridge in my truck we seen him bouncing along with 2 does coming up the hill from my left, i slam the brakes hard jump out and grab my rifle, range him as im going towards the front of the truck, 323 to the tree he passed. dial to 350 and go prone, calm myself and pull the trigger. DRT watched the back legs collapse then the front, i immediately jumped up happy as can be, my brother jumps out of the truck and were both excited. Then i realize, crap...... i dont know exactly the location he dropped at.... I know the tree i ranged and he was up and to the right of that so up the hill we went.
Shot was a little farther back then i wanted, but i think in my excitement i jerked the trigger, Glad he didnt suffer but also still upset i was off about 6 inches back. I believe it went though both lungs and the liver at least, the 143gr ELD-x did its job in the 6.5CM. Not sure how to count the tines but it was at least a 2x2, had a third tine that was broken off. All in all i learned alot, and feel much more prepared for next season if i draw a tag.
and roasted the whole front shoulder the next day when we got home. salt pepper and charcoal.
beautiful area to be.
He wont win any awards but its meat in the freezer and considering I hunted the lower elevations due to my fatness (I am working on it as i want to come back and hunt the high ground where the big boys are next year!). First day out we did see anything, glassed for hours on end, valley after valley and nada. Day 2 0530 were on the road to another glassing spot i had marked on my ON X maps, at 0550 i see what i thought was a coyote racing up the hill, turns out it was a buck, (thank you light bar!) he stopped and stared at me for a big before continuing up the hill where we lost him (still pitch black) but the game was on. That morning we continued to where i wanted to glass to try and see if we could see anything coming in but NADA.... oh well, we head back to the mark on my map where we seen him and combed the hillside with a fine tooth comb. Nothing.
Instead of giving up we decided then and there that we were going to find the buck so we head up the hillside and find sign everywhere, beds, fresh poop, tracks you name it. Decided to hike along the game trail about 3 miles in, up and down the hill before we called it, didnt want to bump him. went back to camp and had lunch and got ready for night glassing where we saw the buck. 3 hours of glassing until pitch black and nothing!
Day 3, we were going to glass the hill side and try to find where it was bedding down hoping to catch him on the way back in on the side of the hill. We glass about 20 minutes, Nada, so we head around the front where we seen him the other day, as soon as we came over a ridge in my truck we seen him bouncing along with 2 does coming up the hill from my left, i slam the brakes hard jump out and grab my rifle, range him as im going towards the front of the truck, 323 to the tree he passed. dial to 350 and go prone, calm myself and pull the trigger. DRT watched the back legs collapse then the front, i immediately jumped up happy as can be, my brother jumps out of the truck and were both excited. Then i realize, crap...... i dont know exactly the location he dropped at.... I know the tree i ranged and he was up and to the right of that so up the hill we went.
Shot was a little farther back then i wanted, but i think in my excitement i jerked the trigger, Glad he didnt suffer but also still upset i was off about 6 inches back. I believe it went though both lungs and the liver at least, the 143gr ELD-x did its job in the 6.5CM. Not sure how to count the tines but it was at least a 2x2, had a third tine that was broken off. All in all i learned alot, and feel much more prepared for next season if i draw a tag.
and roasted the whole front shoulder the next day when we got home. salt pepper and charcoal.
beautiful area to be.
