It was after dark by the time I had camp set. With no lightning in the forecast, I chose to camp right on top under a billion shining stars. I stayed about a mile from the buck country so I wouldn’t pollute it with my scent and noise.
First light comes early this time of year and you only have a few hours to see bucks before they head for the timber to avoid the heat of the day. Sunrise is around 6:30 so I planned to be in glassing position by 5:45 to maximize my chances. I set my alarm for 4:30 and fell asleep with only a quiet breeze and the faint sounds of the horses tied in the timber 20 yards from camp…
You can see that although I use horses to access the backcountry, I walked from camp to do my actual scouting. As I wrote in, “Hunting Big Mule Deer,” riding a clomping saddle horse in deer country is a good way to spook bucks and flush your scouting trip down the drain.
As mentioned, I’m putting the Vortex 15×56 Vultures binoculars through the paces on this hunt. I plan on comparing them to their big brother, the Kaibab 15x56s this fall, so make sure you “Subscribe to blog,” upper right under Fitness/Other links.
You can find “Hunting Big Mule Deer: How to Take the Best Buck of Your Life,” on Amazon by clicking on the cover below
