Camofreak
FNG
- Joined
- May 7, 2014
- Messages
- 80
Going into this hunt I had high expectations to shoot a big buck. My buddies i was hunting with were actually guides, and i had helped them out quite a bit earlier in the elk seasons, videoing, killing etc. We totaled about 3 bulls and 2 cows for the early season and jr hunt. So they were nice enough to help me on my own hunt.
Im not really a fan of shooting small animals (antlers) because ive already had my share (no offense at all). But sometimes you gotta give in.
We started off opening morning glassing off this knob, and low and behold we glassed 3 NIICE bucks! But they would NOT stop, they just kept going and going, and finally when they got way up and went into this big tree we thought they had bedded up. So off we went, we went all the way around this drainage and up, about 1.1 mile from the base of the mountain and 1500 vertical feet later we got to where we wanted to be. We sat up there the whole day and glassed and glassed. Taking turns as we take naps, about 330-4 rolls around and we decided they must have slipped out of here somehow on our way up. So we go to the edge on our way back and i get setup, my buddy throws a couple rocks down hoping they will jump out of there tree a few hundred yards away, and nada. So discouraged we begin our trek back down the big nasty mountain, finally getting back to a road in the dark.
The next morning was a little different, we were all whooped from our journey the day before, but we still ht it hard. My dad had a tag as well, and with his knee's i decided he couldnt do these mountains we were doing, especially after his fall the day before, so we hit some flats that morning that he could walk. Right at first light we glassed up about 5 or so deer, a couple little bucks that he was willing to settle for, being he is slower then us it took us longer to get to them, and by the time we got there we lost the bucks. So we kinda just kept glassing for the rest of the morning.
WE recieved a tet while we were up there from one of our other buddies in another area glassing and he said they had a little buck bedded if i wanted to come shoot it. So we headed that way. We busted our butts to get where he was glassing from, and once i saw the buck wayyyy up there i decided it was a no go, i fifgured a buck that big wasnt worth the trek, especially when my buddy glassed 5 bigger bucks playing around in a bowl about 5-700ft above him, i said ill go after theose ones for that trek but the little guy wasnt worth it, because he had a late december rifle tag in there he said No, but thats fine, i was appreciative for all the help he was giving me.
The next morning all of us went to where we were the morning before, and tried finding a deer, all we found where stink pigs. But at the last moment we glassed up a lone buck, way off to our right way up on the hill ,and so i decided to give it a go. My buddy Henry and I tokk off after him after playing cat and mouse, the other 2 guys were back watching him for us. After our death hike to get in position before he moved again we setup and had crosshairs on the bush he was in. I had grass in m scope and it was a little blurry but i could still see good. After a few minutes a deer stands up, the guys are on the radio yelling SHOOT SHOOT, but i coldnt see antlers on it, My buddy Henry had his swaro 15's on him and said its a doe! Then a minute later a buck pops out of their, and theyre yelling SHOOT SHOOT again, i wait and wait, and then he offers me a decent shot and i took it....NOTHING happened. Then he walks down the hill shaking his head and offers me a even better broadside shot at 330 yards, BOOM i shoot and he runs towards us down the hill a little bit, i was like WHAT THE HECK?! Then he was standing behind an ocotillo and i shoot and we can see its extremely high and to the right, I rack another one in and shoot low and back right and DROPPED him!
Well, my buddy wanted me to use his gun on that trip it was a tikka t3 in 300wsm, he said it was dialed in to 600yrds, its what he lets some clients use. He siad i must have bumped the scope but i said no im pretty sure i didnt. Sure enough when he went to the range it was way high and right. I had a tikka in .270 there i shouldve just used, learned my lesson, dont shoot others guns becuase you dont know where they shoot.
So pretty much what happened was the first shot, shot through the end of his ear and blew his left antler off. I was pretty pissed. But i said to my self, This is what happens when you want big antlers that badly, God was just telling to cool it and dont get wrapped up in that.
After that we made it up to the deer, took a few photos, and quarted him up and packed him out. Gutless method is whats up if you guys have never one it!
It was a memorable hunt and quite a workout at that! Cant wait for the next one!
Im not really a fan of shooting small animals (antlers) because ive already had my share (no offense at all). But sometimes you gotta give in.
We started off opening morning glassing off this knob, and low and behold we glassed 3 NIICE bucks! But they would NOT stop, they just kept going and going, and finally when they got way up and went into this big tree we thought they had bedded up. So off we went, we went all the way around this drainage and up, about 1.1 mile from the base of the mountain and 1500 vertical feet later we got to where we wanted to be. We sat up there the whole day and glassed and glassed. Taking turns as we take naps, about 330-4 rolls around and we decided they must have slipped out of here somehow on our way up. So we go to the edge on our way back and i get setup, my buddy throws a couple rocks down hoping they will jump out of there tree a few hundred yards away, and nada. So discouraged we begin our trek back down the big nasty mountain, finally getting back to a road in the dark.
The next morning was a little different, we were all whooped from our journey the day before, but we still ht it hard. My dad had a tag as well, and with his knee's i decided he couldnt do these mountains we were doing, especially after his fall the day before, so we hit some flats that morning that he could walk. Right at first light we glassed up about 5 or so deer, a couple little bucks that he was willing to settle for, being he is slower then us it took us longer to get to them, and by the time we got there we lost the bucks. So we kinda just kept glassing for the rest of the morning.
WE recieved a tet while we were up there from one of our other buddies in another area glassing and he said they had a little buck bedded if i wanted to come shoot it. So we headed that way. We busted our butts to get where he was glassing from, and once i saw the buck wayyyy up there i decided it was a no go, i fifgured a buck that big wasnt worth the trek, especially when my buddy glassed 5 bigger bucks playing around in a bowl about 5-700ft above him, i said ill go after theose ones for that trek but the little guy wasnt worth it, because he had a late december rifle tag in there he said No, but thats fine, i was appreciative for all the help he was giving me.
The next morning all of us went to where we were the morning before, and tried finding a deer, all we found where stink pigs. But at the last moment we glassed up a lone buck, way off to our right way up on the hill ,and so i decided to give it a go. My buddy Henry and I tokk off after him after playing cat and mouse, the other 2 guys were back watching him for us. After our death hike to get in position before he moved again we setup and had crosshairs on the bush he was in. I had grass in m scope and it was a little blurry but i could still see good. After a few minutes a deer stands up, the guys are on the radio yelling SHOOT SHOOT, but i coldnt see antlers on it, My buddy Henry had his swaro 15's on him and said its a doe! Then a minute later a buck pops out of their, and theyre yelling SHOOT SHOOT again, i wait and wait, and then he offers me a decent shot and i took it....NOTHING happened. Then he walks down the hill shaking his head and offers me a even better broadside shot at 330 yards, BOOM i shoot and he runs towards us down the hill a little bit, i was like WHAT THE HECK?! Then he was standing behind an ocotillo and i shoot and we can see its extremely high and to the right, I rack another one in and shoot low and back right and DROPPED him!
Well, my buddy wanted me to use his gun on that trip it was a tikka t3 in 300wsm, he said it was dialed in to 600yrds, its what he lets some clients use. He siad i must have bumped the scope but i said no im pretty sure i didnt. Sure enough when he went to the range it was way high and right. I had a tikka in .270 there i shouldve just used, learned my lesson, dont shoot others guns becuase you dont know where they shoot.
So pretty much what happened was the first shot, shot through the end of his ear and blew his left antler off. I was pretty pissed. But i said to my self, This is what happens when you want big antlers that badly, God was just telling to cool it and dont get wrapped up in that.
After that we made it up to the deer, took a few photos, and quarted him up and packed him out. Gutless method is whats up if you guys have never one it!
It was a memorable hunt and quite a workout at that! Cant wait for the next one!
