MuleyFever
WKR
Just got back from CO and had a great hunt. Thought I would share a rundown. Sorry if its long.
Friday I hiked in a few miles to to this area and started glassing. Thought it would be great to find one the day before the opener. I glassed this for 2 days with no deer seen so I decided to move on Sunday. I found a group of bucks on the ridge behind me that I hiked over with an average 4 point but didnt want to pull the trigger on average on day one.
Sunday I glassed in the AM then headed back to the truck to move to another area. On my way out at the bottom of the ridge there is a stream I crossed then a small patch of young aspens. While hiking past the aspens I heard the unmistakable sound of a deer jump. I dropped my poles and grabbed my gun. The Kifaru gun bearer is slick. I could see antler tips but he was blocked by the aspens. He finally started up the other ridge and I saw he was a good buck with kickers and decided to shoot. At about 100yds he stopped and I missed. I was hiking hard and was out of breath and just couldnt get my breathing under control. I looked hard for sign of a hit but nothing. Rejected I went back to the truck. I decided maybe he bedded up top of the ridge he went up and decided to do some still hunting in the aspens. I didnt turn him up but found this guy and a 3x? about the same size.
That night I also saw 3 bucks with one good one crossing an opening from the patch I was in to another just about 100yds away. Being into deer I decided to stay in the area and hunt from the truck. From there things went south and the deer just dried up. Monday I hunted the area I saw the good buck go into the night before but it only produced only 3 small bucks. I decided to give the area a rest and drive to another area of more sage that the biologist told me about. Got over there late and parked about halfway in and slept. In the AM it was raining and the dirt/clay roads were too slick to drive without risk of sliding off. I was stranded until it dried up. The morning was wasted.
The area did not look good so I went back to where I started and hunted. No deer but saw my first moose. I was really excited and it lifted my spirits a bit. I always wanted to see a moose and to see one where I was had to be very lucky. He wasnt big but having him walk by at 20 yds was plenty special to me.
That high off the moose was soon crushed by not seeing a single deer on Wednesday. I was told by someone who hunted the area before that the deer would not leave the aspens and I had discovered the same thing. The only deer I saw in the open were the ones Sunday night just crossing. They fed and bedded in the aspens. This led to me still hunting for 6+ hours every day and I was beat up both physically and mentally. Wednesday afternoon I headed around to the other side of the mountain to an area I was tipped to by a member here.
I made it up there just in time to hunt a few hours that night. In the AM I headed for the spot I was told about. The terrain was steep and after the morning hunt didnt turn up anything and I hiked up out of there I was hitting bottom. My knee was acting up, I was sore, and not seeing a deer for a few days was bring my drive down. I decided I had to go back to where I started again. The deer had to be there and I knew the area now. I could hike back to where I was on day one and hit some more country and if nothing else maybe get that 4 point I saw. At this point average was sounding just fine.
I decided I would wait until later in the day to hike over and maybe I would catch something on the way. I got packed up for the last 3 days and headed out. I will admit I didnt want to go. I was hurting and some easy day hunts from the truck sounded good. Home even started to sound good. About half way I was coming to the stream. I was remembering the buck I missed. He jumped from the aspens just ahead. Man, I could have been home days ago if I just could have made that shot. I thought what are the chances there is a deer there again? One in a million I bet. I decided to swing around above the aspens just to be safe.
Holy S@#! there is a buck right in the aspens at 50 yds. I caught a glimpse of the spread of his antlers and knew it was a decent buck at worst. In a split second I dropped my poles and got my gun shouldered. While I looked away he had turned and I couldnt see his head. I aimed and BOOM! Through the smoke I saw him jump but he didnt run. I reloaded as fast as my shaking hand could go. He laid down. His head was waving, its down. Then it came back up. I waited and he stood. Boom! He went down for good. Emotion overcame me. I couldnt believe it. When I walked up, wow, no ground shrinkage. He was more than I expected, everything I hoped I would leave Colorado with.
I got down on myself after that miss and a few days of hunting for hours and hours with no deer. I have never hunted as hard as I did on this trip. There were no lazy afternoons in camp. I knew that I had to be looking for a deer. Every second I was out there was an opportunity. I kept telling myself the next step could be it, that moment when it happens. Well, it finally was.
Thanks for reading.
Friday I hiked in a few miles to to this area and started glassing. Thought it would be great to find one the day before the opener. I glassed this for 2 days with no deer seen so I decided to move on Sunday. I found a group of bucks on the ridge behind me that I hiked over with an average 4 point but didnt want to pull the trigger on average on day one.
Sunday I glassed in the AM then headed back to the truck to move to another area. On my way out at the bottom of the ridge there is a stream I crossed then a small patch of young aspens. While hiking past the aspens I heard the unmistakable sound of a deer jump. I dropped my poles and grabbed my gun. The Kifaru gun bearer is slick. I could see antler tips but he was blocked by the aspens. He finally started up the other ridge and I saw he was a good buck with kickers and decided to shoot. At about 100yds he stopped and I missed. I was hiking hard and was out of breath and just couldnt get my breathing under control. I looked hard for sign of a hit but nothing. Rejected I went back to the truck. I decided maybe he bedded up top of the ridge he went up and decided to do some still hunting in the aspens. I didnt turn him up but found this guy and a 3x? about the same size.
That night I also saw 3 bucks with one good one crossing an opening from the patch I was in to another just about 100yds away. Being into deer I decided to stay in the area and hunt from the truck. From there things went south and the deer just dried up. Monday I hunted the area I saw the good buck go into the night before but it only produced only 3 small bucks. I decided to give the area a rest and drive to another area of more sage that the biologist told me about. Got over there late and parked about halfway in and slept. In the AM it was raining and the dirt/clay roads were too slick to drive without risk of sliding off. I was stranded until it dried up. The morning was wasted.
The area did not look good so I went back to where I started and hunted. No deer but saw my first moose. I was really excited and it lifted my spirits a bit. I always wanted to see a moose and to see one where I was had to be very lucky. He wasnt big but having him walk by at 20 yds was plenty special to me.
That high off the moose was soon crushed by not seeing a single deer on Wednesday. I was told by someone who hunted the area before that the deer would not leave the aspens and I had discovered the same thing. The only deer I saw in the open were the ones Sunday night just crossing. They fed and bedded in the aspens. This led to me still hunting for 6+ hours every day and I was beat up both physically and mentally. Wednesday afternoon I headed around to the other side of the mountain to an area I was tipped to by a member here.
I made it up there just in time to hunt a few hours that night. In the AM I headed for the spot I was told about. The terrain was steep and after the morning hunt didnt turn up anything and I hiked up out of there I was hitting bottom. My knee was acting up, I was sore, and not seeing a deer for a few days was bring my drive down. I decided I had to go back to where I started again. The deer had to be there and I knew the area now. I could hike back to where I was on day one and hit some more country and if nothing else maybe get that 4 point I saw. At this point average was sounding just fine.
I decided I would wait until later in the day to hike over and maybe I would catch something on the way. I got packed up for the last 3 days and headed out. I will admit I didnt want to go. I was hurting and some easy day hunts from the truck sounded good. Home even started to sound good. About half way I was coming to the stream. I was remembering the buck I missed. He jumped from the aspens just ahead. Man, I could have been home days ago if I just could have made that shot. I thought what are the chances there is a deer there again? One in a million I bet. I decided to swing around above the aspens just to be safe.
Holy S@#! there is a buck right in the aspens at 50 yds. I caught a glimpse of the spread of his antlers and knew it was a decent buck at worst. In a split second I dropped my poles and got my gun shouldered. While I looked away he had turned and I couldnt see his head. I aimed and BOOM! Through the smoke I saw him jump but he didnt run. I reloaded as fast as my shaking hand could go. He laid down. His head was waving, its down. Then it came back up. I waited and he stood. Boom! He went down for good. Emotion overcame me. I couldnt believe it. When I walked up, wow, no ground shrinkage. He was more than I expected, everything I hoped I would leave Colorado with.
I got down on myself after that miss and a few days of hunting for hours and hours with no deer. I have never hunted as hard as I did on this trip. There were no lazy afternoons in camp. I knew that I had to be looking for a deer. Every second I was out there was an opportunity. I kept telling myself the next step could be it, that moment when it happens. Well, it finally was.
Thanks for reading.
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