daiello91
FNG
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2019
- Messages
- 14
— F I V E — H O U R S —
“I’ve got a deer. Would you grab the spotting scope out of my pack? Ooh, it’s a big buck, big buck!”
I spotted this buck’s snout in the grass on a rock ledge way up on a hill face on Sunday night. We watched him for two hours until we couldn’t see him anymore. At about 6:45 am on Monday morning I relocated him several hundred yards from where we left him. As we watched him, we anticipated where he may lay down for the afternoon. With every change of direction as he fed we plotted possible ways to get within range. Ultimately, he picked one of the last spots we hoped he would bed. Nonetheless, at 8:30 am the stalk was on.
First we had to get to the base of the hill without being spotted. Using the bottoms of rolling terrain we made it without getting busted. When we reached the base of hillside, Asha stayed at the bottom with the packs and Joel and I started the big climb up. After crossing two rock screes, climbing two small rock faces, and gaining 700 feet in elevation I was crawling on hands and knees to a rock ledge across canyon. As I peeked over the edge through grass, I located him. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a good place to be on the gun and I was a little too far below him. I backed out and moved further up. Once again I crawled on my hands and knees to the edge. I had a much better spot to be on the gun and was almost level with him. So at 9:30 am I settled in, steadied the gun and found him in my scope.
I had one butt cheek on a rock, my dominant leg was fully extended with little grip, my other leg bent at the knee with the ankle on its side, and my torso faced down hill with my head and shoulder turned left towards the buck. I was soaked in sweat from the hike up, it was overcast, 40 some degrees, and breezy. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I was shivering. I could see the buck’s face and antlers but nothing else. After about 90 minutes of not leaving the scope I began to wonder if I had the mental fortitude to outlast this buck. Every few minutes I was tensing my entire body and releasing to try and stave off the painful cold. I had a puffy jacket with me, but it was being used as the backrest for my gun. In that moment, the potential shot was more important than my comfort, but I finally caved.
After putting on the jacket, I started looking for other things to use as a backrest. The only other gear I had with me was my rangefinder. My off hand, rocks, the rangefinder — none of it worked. After a while longer, I hear Joel stand up about 20 yards behind me (out of the buck’s vision). He made an eating motion with his hands which I took to mean that he was going back down the hill for food. As he began the descent, I got back on the gun but only for a few moments at a time. I would rotate between intensely watching the ledge with my bare eyes and through the scope. I was intent on memorizing every aspect of that ledge. I wasn’t sure how long my opportunity was going to be to take a shot, so I wasn’t going to waste a moment of it. As time slowly ticked by I fruitlessly kept trying to will him to stand. After an unknown amount of time, Joel returned with much needed items. He crawled over to me with Asha’s day pack containing jerky, a quarter zip sweatshirt, and beanie. I was only really excited about the sweatshirt because I could use it as a backrest for the rifle!
“I’ve already taken two naps. I wonder how much longer before he stands up?”, Joel said.
I shrugged in response, but again wondering if I could outlast the buck. Trying to ward off such thoughts I told myself snipers wait for days at a time in situations like this, I can do a couple more hours!
I quickly scarfed the homemade jerky and went back to watching and waiting.
11:30.
12:30.
1:30.
I could only see the buck’s face and antlers, but every now and then I noticed his antlers and head sideways on the ground. He would doze off, but not for long. He’d wake up, listen, look, and chew cud.
I finally convinced myself that it didn’t matter if I sat there until dark, I wasn’t moving.
2:30.
My neck and back needed a break. They have been turned across my body for five hours, give or take a few moments here and there. They both hurt. So I repositioned myself into a more comfortable position off the rifle to take a short break. I looked down at my nails and picked the dirt out from under a couple nails as I drifted into a day dream. It was only moments, but I snapped myself out of it. Just then I saw it out of the corner of my vision. Something was different on the rock ledge, and I knew immediately the buck has stood up. In split second I was back on the gun looking at the buck. I looked through the scope and the cross hairs were already on his ribs behind the shoulder, and I wasted no time in squeezing.
“BANG, THUMP”
“Reload”
The recoil of the rifle on the rocks moved me off the deer, but I quickly adjusted and found him back in the scope. He was on the rocks 5 yards below where he had been laying and visibly hit, but was slowly walking quartered away.
“BANG, THUMP”
I put another round in him to ensure he passed quickly. Through the scope I saw him take one more step and fall over.
I jump up and turn around to an excited and wide eyed Joel.
“I was dead asleep, and I heard the first shot in my dream!”, he yelled.
“I got him! He’s dead.”, I replied. I looked at my phone, it was 2:32 pm. I had been watching the buck for five hours for that moment.
With Asha at the base of the hill, we both shouted “YEEEEESSS” to let her know it was a success.
#PublicLand #DIY
“I’ve got a deer. Would you grab the spotting scope out of my pack? Ooh, it’s a big buck, big buck!”
I spotted this buck’s snout in the grass on a rock ledge way up on a hill face on Sunday night. We watched him for two hours until we couldn’t see him anymore. At about 6:45 am on Monday morning I relocated him several hundred yards from where we left him. As we watched him, we anticipated where he may lay down for the afternoon. With every change of direction as he fed we plotted possible ways to get within range. Ultimately, he picked one of the last spots we hoped he would bed. Nonetheless, at 8:30 am the stalk was on.
First we had to get to the base of the hill without being spotted. Using the bottoms of rolling terrain we made it without getting busted. When we reached the base of hillside, Asha stayed at the bottom with the packs and Joel and I started the big climb up. After crossing two rock screes, climbing two small rock faces, and gaining 700 feet in elevation I was crawling on hands and knees to a rock ledge across canyon. As I peeked over the edge through grass, I located him. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a good place to be on the gun and I was a little too far below him. I backed out and moved further up. Once again I crawled on my hands and knees to the edge. I had a much better spot to be on the gun and was almost level with him. So at 9:30 am I settled in, steadied the gun and found him in my scope.
I had one butt cheek on a rock, my dominant leg was fully extended with little grip, my other leg bent at the knee with the ankle on its side, and my torso faced down hill with my head and shoulder turned left towards the buck. I was soaked in sweat from the hike up, it was overcast, 40 some degrees, and breezy. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I was shivering. I could see the buck’s face and antlers but nothing else. After about 90 minutes of not leaving the scope I began to wonder if I had the mental fortitude to outlast this buck. Every few minutes I was tensing my entire body and releasing to try and stave off the painful cold. I had a puffy jacket with me, but it was being used as the backrest for my gun. In that moment, the potential shot was more important than my comfort, but I finally caved.
After putting on the jacket, I started looking for other things to use as a backrest. The only other gear I had with me was my rangefinder. My off hand, rocks, the rangefinder — none of it worked. After a while longer, I hear Joel stand up about 20 yards behind me (out of the buck’s vision). He made an eating motion with his hands which I took to mean that he was going back down the hill for food. As he began the descent, I got back on the gun but only for a few moments at a time. I would rotate between intensely watching the ledge with my bare eyes and through the scope. I was intent on memorizing every aspect of that ledge. I wasn’t sure how long my opportunity was going to be to take a shot, so I wasn’t going to waste a moment of it. As time slowly ticked by I fruitlessly kept trying to will him to stand. After an unknown amount of time, Joel returned with much needed items. He crawled over to me with Asha’s day pack containing jerky, a quarter zip sweatshirt, and beanie. I was only really excited about the sweatshirt because I could use it as a backrest for the rifle!
“I’ve already taken two naps. I wonder how much longer before he stands up?”, Joel said.
I shrugged in response, but again wondering if I could outlast the buck. Trying to ward off such thoughts I told myself snipers wait for days at a time in situations like this, I can do a couple more hours!
I quickly scarfed the homemade jerky and went back to watching and waiting.
11:30.
12:30.
1:30.
I could only see the buck’s face and antlers, but every now and then I noticed his antlers and head sideways on the ground. He would doze off, but not for long. He’d wake up, listen, look, and chew cud.
I finally convinced myself that it didn’t matter if I sat there until dark, I wasn’t moving.
2:30.
My neck and back needed a break. They have been turned across my body for five hours, give or take a few moments here and there. They both hurt. So I repositioned myself into a more comfortable position off the rifle to take a short break. I looked down at my nails and picked the dirt out from under a couple nails as I drifted into a day dream. It was only moments, but I snapped myself out of it. Just then I saw it out of the corner of my vision. Something was different on the rock ledge, and I knew immediately the buck has stood up. In split second I was back on the gun looking at the buck. I looked through the scope and the cross hairs were already on his ribs behind the shoulder, and I wasted no time in squeezing.
“BANG, THUMP”
“Reload”
The recoil of the rifle on the rocks moved me off the deer, but I quickly adjusted and found him back in the scope. He was on the rocks 5 yards below where he had been laying and visibly hit, but was slowly walking quartered away.
“BANG, THUMP”
I put another round in him to ensure he passed quickly. Through the scope I saw him take one more step and fall over.
I jump up and turn around to an excited and wide eyed Joel.
“I was dead asleep, and I heard the first shot in my dream!”, he yelled.
“I got him! He’s dead.”, I replied. I looked at my phone, it was 2:32 pm. I had been watching the buck for five hours for that moment.
With Asha at the base of the hill, we both shouted “YEEEEESSS” to let her know it was a success.
#PublicLand #DIY
