Deucebump
WKR
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2021
- Messages
- 454
What a trip it was! This trip was years in the making. My now 10yr old Grandson, Benson, has been dreaming of this hunt for years. He was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 3 and went through a lot over the next 5 yrs. Some years ago, I told him if he was seizure free by the time he was 10, I would take him mule deer hunting. After his 2nd brain surgery 2 years ago, he has been seizure free ever since. And I kept my promise.
After 2 days of driving from PA to MT we got out for some glassing the evening we got there and he passed up a large forky. (His goal was to shoot one bigger than his dads 3x3 that was taken with me in 2021) The next day we saw some more small forkies and 1 nice shooter that was just out of his range and moving too fast. Day 3 we saw the large forky again and he decided he really wanted to shoot it so off we went. After a good stalk, buck fever got the best of him and he missed it, and was pretty defeated. So we went to town late that morning for fuel. On the way back to camp, I decided to glass some BLM that looked promising. And in short order I saw a lone deer bedded about a 1/2 mile off the road in the sage. A quick look with the spotter confirmed it was worth a stalk.
This seemed like a long shot of a stalk because there was very little cover or terrain features between us and the buck and he was down wind of us, but we had to try. Luckily for us the buck was asleep for most of the stalk and we were able to close the distance to 250 yards and get all set up. Then the wait started. After a 1/2 hr or so he wanted me to try to get it to stand up and I tried but with no luck. So we waited some more. Finally the buck stood, and the shot rang….another miss! But the buck never even flinched. Frustrated, I ran the bolt for him and told him to steady, breathe and squeeze. This time the shot was perfect on the slight quartering away buck and it dropped in its tracks!
God meant for this to be Benson’s buck. We never should have found it, we never should have been able to make the stalk we did, and the buck should have never stayed for another shot.
After lots of pics, hugs, and celebrating, we made the long drag back to the truck. (Dumb move on my part, should have packed it out!) Through out the entire trip he was a rock star, he hiked everwhere I thought we should go, did everything I asked and never complained 1 time. The next day we did some prairie dog hunting while his meat was being processed. The following day we headed East with a memory that we will both cherish for a lifetime!
After 2 days of driving from PA to MT we got out for some glassing the evening we got there and he passed up a large forky. (His goal was to shoot one bigger than his dads 3x3 that was taken with me in 2021) The next day we saw some more small forkies and 1 nice shooter that was just out of his range and moving too fast. Day 3 we saw the large forky again and he decided he really wanted to shoot it so off we went. After a good stalk, buck fever got the best of him and he missed it, and was pretty defeated. So we went to town late that morning for fuel. On the way back to camp, I decided to glass some BLM that looked promising. And in short order I saw a lone deer bedded about a 1/2 mile off the road in the sage. A quick look with the spotter confirmed it was worth a stalk.
This seemed like a long shot of a stalk because there was very little cover or terrain features between us and the buck and he was down wind of us, but we had to try. Luckily for us the buck was asleep for most of the stalk and we were able to close the distance to 250 yards and get all set up. Then the wait started. After a 1/2 hr or so he wanted me to try to get it to stand up and I tried but with no luck. So we waited some more. Finally the buck stood, and the shot rang….another miss! But the buck never even flinched. Frustrated, I ran the bolt for him and told him to steady, breathe and squeeze. This time the shot was perfect on the slight quartering away buck and it dropped in its tracks!
God meant for this to be Benson’s buck. We never should have found it, we never should have been able to make the stalk we did, and the buck should have never stayed for another shot.
After lots of pics, hugs, and celebrating, we made the long drag back to the truck. (Dumb move on my part, should have packed it out!) Through out the entire trip he was a rock star, he hiked everwhere I thought we should go, did everything I asked and never complained 1 time. The next day we did some prairie dog hunting while his meat was being processed. The following day we headed East with a memory that we will both cherish for a lifetime!
