We all have those certain days in the field that stand out as those times where everything just goes right. Perfect weather, perfect conditions, a perfect strategy that you know will work, and everything coming together exactly how you dreamt it up. The kind of day that will live forever in your hunting memories. I thought I’d start a thread to let people share the one day that stands out the most to them. I’ll go first.
My most “successful” day and the inspiration for this thread actually occurred this year in Colorado’s 3rd Rifle. The second day of the season found myself and my brother side by side on a huge rock face overlooking the conversion of 3 huge ridges into an aspen-choked bottom with a watering hole. It’s about as beautiful of a spot as you can imagine for glassing and spotting animals all day long due to the abundance natural funnels and perfect habitat.
The weather was beautiful, with blue skies and a crisp 16 degrees with no wind. We chose to sit about 40 yards apart in order to be able to cover all three ridges completely. Around 8:00, I decided to walk around the corner to him to stretch my legs and just spend some time. Like any seasoned and expert hunter would do, I left my rifle propped on its bipod at my glassing spot.
While standing there talking to little brother, I jokingly made the comment “I’m standing here with I rifle, and elk are probably about to come around that corner any minute.” Not three minutes later, I heard a LOUD stick break in the aspens below us, and shortly thereafter saw an elk walking from right to left on the ridge across from us. My brother told me it was a legal bull, and our custom is whoever spots the animal gets first choice at shooting it. I had already stated before our arrival that I was shooting any legal bull for the meat, and I would pursue mule deer for antlers. Once he told me it was a legal bull (4x5) and asked if I wanted it, I told him “Might as well” and made a mad dash for my gun.
My 4.32 40 yard dash was followed up by a much slower and out of breath fast walk back to my brother’s position, and as I rounded the corner he excitedly told me, “There’s two more, and they are bigger!” Game on. I plopped down beside him and got on my gun as the other two came into the first opening where I had spotted the original bull. I told him I was on the middle bull, and he said he was on the other. On the count of three, we simultaneously pulled the trigger on our Proof Research 7mm PRCs, and the two bulls hit the dirt at a little over 350 yards. That was one hug I will never forget!
After getting the bulls out and to the processor, my brother joined me as another set of eyes to try and fill my mule deer tag since he had already tagged his mule deer on opening day and was tagged out. We made our way to a corner of the property where we had spotted a nice buck pushing does on the neighboring property in a wheat field the day before. The property we have access to is the only property around with any real water, and my brother told me our best bet was that the buck would break a doe from the herd and maybe push her to our side for water and cover in the sage.
We glassed the field from the road and found what appeared to be the same doe group already feeding, but there was no buck in sight. No sooner than we found the does, my brother said “There’s two deer right here.” And then, “That’s a good buck with a doe!” I was still trying to find the deer he was talking about in the field, and he said “No, at the bottom of the hill and coming right at us!” Sure enough, I looked down the hill and there was the buck we were looking for, pushing a doe straight at us! The buck was still on the neighboring property, but making a beeline for our property and I hoped the doe would keep leading him to me.
We quickly devised a plan, and I circled around a hill in hopes of catching up to the buck on his current path once he made it to our side of the fence. I eased over the ridge and found the doe quickly, and shortly batter the buck appeared from behind a small rise and pushed her directly my direction. One freehand shot from 125 yards and I was tagged out. My biggest bull ever that morning, and my second largest mule deer ever that evening, with a bonus of my brother’s biggest bull ever all in one day! One incredible day!
Share your most successful day ever!
My most “successful” day and the inspiration for this thread actually occurred this year in Colorado’s 3rd Rifle. The second day of the season found myself and my brother side by side on a huge rock face overlooking the conversion of 3 huge ridges into an aspen-choked bottom with a watering hole. It’s about as beautiful of a spot as you can imagine for glassing and spotting animals all day long due to the abundance natural funnels and perfect habitat.
The weather was beautiful, with blue skies and a crisp 16 degrees with no wind. We chose to sit about 40 yards apart in order to be able to cover all three ridges completely. Around 8:00, I decided to walk around the corner to him to stretch my legs and just spend some time. Like any seasoned and expert hunter would do, I left my rifle propped on its bipod at my glassing spot.
While standing there talking to little brother, I jokingly made the comment “I’m standing here with I rifle, and elk are probably about to come around that corner any minute.” Not three minutes later, I heard a LOUD stick break in the aspens below us, and shortly thereafter saw an elk walking from right to left on the ridge across from us. My brother told me it was a legal bull, and our custom is whoever spots the animal gets first choice at shooting it. I had already stated before our arrival that I was shooting any legal bull for the meat, and I would pursue mule deer for antlers. Once he told me it was a legal bull (4x5) and asked if I wanted it, I told him “Might as well” and made a mad dash for my gun.
My 4.32 40 yard dash was followed up by a much slower and out of breath fast walk back to my brother’s position, and as I rounded the corner he excitedly told me, “There’s two more, and they are bigger!” Game on. I plopped down beside him and got on my gun as the other two came into the first opening where I had spotted the original bull. I told him I was on the middle bull, and he said he was on the other. On the count of three, we simultaneously pulled the trigger on our Proof Research 7mm PRCs, and the two bulls hit the dirt at a little over 350 yards. That was one hug I will never forget!
After getting the bulls out and to the processor, my brother joined me as another set of eyes to try and fill my mule deer tag since he had already tagged his mule deer on opening day and was tagged out. We made our way to a corner of the property where we had spotted a nice buck pushing does on the neighboring property in a wheat field the day before. The property we have access to is the only property around with any real water, and my brother told me our best bet was that the buck would break a doe from the herd and maybe push her to our side for water and cover in the sage.
We glassed the field from the road and found what appeared to be the same doe group already feeding, but there was no buck in sight. No sooner than we found the does, my brother said “There’s two deer right here.” And then, “That’s a good buck with a doe!” I was still trying to find the deer he was talking about in the field, and he said “No, at the bottom of the hill and coming right at us!” Sure enough, I looked down the hill and there was the buck we were looking for, pushing a doe straight at us! The buck was still on the neighboring property, but making a beeline for our property and I hoped the doe would keep leading him to me.
We quickly devised a plan, and I circled around a hill in hopes of catching up to the buck on his current path once he made it to our side of the fence. I eased over the ridge and found the doe quickly, and shortly batter the buck appeared from behind a small rise and pushed her directly my direction. One freehand shot from 125 yards and I was tagged out. My biggest bull ever that morning, and my second largest mule deer ever that evening, with a bonus of my brother’s biggest bull ever all in one day! One incredible day!
Share your most successful day ever!
