nympher
12-04-2016, 07:23 PM
After reading other people's stories with excitement, i figured it was time to share my own. I apologize if it gets longwinded, hope you enjoy my story. I also wanted to say thank you to those who still take the time to help others on this site and try to keep it positive around here.
A bit of background, i took up hunting 5 years ago after reading countless posts on here and books & magazines for advise. It has been a self taught struggle of trial and error and frustrations, averaging 7-8 or more days a season in the field, i have been able to find deer, but always spook them before i can get a shot, especially the whitetails. During this time, hunting has become about far more than just meat gathering me, and much more about hoping to one day bask in the satisfaction of finally defeating a wary whitetail. As each season came & went, i have learned more & more and gotten closer to being successful each year. Last year i was fortunate enough to fill an antlerless draw mule tag down south as they are obviously not as spooky as the whitetail. While hunting for a mule doe last year, i found a few mule bucks there as well. This led me to pull my antlered mule tag in the same zone this year.
I lined up permission again for the spot i wanted to hunt & got out there on the second day of the season this year. I snuck into the nice open coulee before light, but managed to scare a family of coyotes out of their den nearby. After their non-stop yipping and howling at me for the next half hour, there was no deer to be seen the rest of the day.
The following day, with heavy wind and plus 15, as i was working my way into the same coulee just as legal light was starting, i spooked 3 mule does, who quickly made their way 200 yards down the coulee and over the fence to land where the landowner does not give permission. Hoping that there would be a buck nearby watching the does, i crawled the last 30-40 yards into the coulee and watched and waited. I watched the does feed just across the fence, where they were soon joined by 5 more does, a 3x3 buck, and a spiker. This definitely got the adrenaline going as i decided right then and there that if the 3x3 came to my side of the fence i was gonna take him. I watched them thru binos feeding for the next hour before they bedded for the day. I spent the next 8 hrs that seemed like forever, waiting for them to get out of bed, but im guessing the 40-50 km/h wind and 15 degree sunny weather kept them from moving. Throughout the day, a couple deer at a time would stand and feed briefly berore bedding back down. Eventually all of them went to sleep, and the only thing visible in the tall grass was the occasional dark ear flicking briefly. Also visible above the grass was the top of the 3x3 antlers.
Finally around 4:30 they all got up and started feeding back towards the fence. One by one the does jumped the fence and continued feeding slowly towards me, while the 3x3 buck fed up and down along the fence, even going so far as to seemingly taunt me by rubbing his antlers on the barbed wire fence for a while.
An agonizing 20 minutes later, the 3x3 finally jumped to my side of the fence and began feeding towards the does, who were 100 yards from me now, and mostly out of sight in a curve in the coulee. The hope was to let them get as far from the fence as possible to make for a shorter drag to the truck.
As i tried crawling a bit further into the coulee to get an eye on them, one of the does caught me moving, and she started walking away from the group and back towards the fence. This caught the attention of the 3x3 who started to follow her away from me and back towards the fence as well. I decided it was time to take him, so I levelled my .308 on the bipod as best as possible on the slope, took a few deep breaths to relax while getting him lined up in the scope, and took the shot. The does scattered at the sound, and the buck just stood there as i chambered a second round. Then through the scope, I saw his back legs buckle, and then he crumpled to the ground and tilted over. I was so excited, and then the reality set in that now the real work was about to begin, with less than an hour of light left and my trophy in the bottom of the coulee and 700 yards from the road. A quick thank you for my successful harvest, and a couple pics from a shooting stick and it was time to gut it and start dragging.
No records broken here, but definitely a trophy to me forever. I cant wait to get my euro mount back, and the meat I've had so far makes the most rewarding meals yet.
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x429/robsmossberg/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_3504.jpg
A week after I filled my antlered mule deer draw tag on oct 27, i figured it was time to do something about my fifth season of trying unsuccessfully for a whitetail. I found a nice area south of the city last season where i spooked a doe and her yearling, and decided that would be a great place to try again. I contacted a couple of leaseholders again, both of whom were quite accomodating, and lined up access for the following morning. The next day, I got out to my spot about 15 min before legal light, sat against a tree, and waited. Another unseasonally warm day with the breeze mostly in my face.
1/2 hour into legal light, i suddenly caught movement near a patch of willow bushes, and it looked like it had antlers. I had already ranged the spot at 175 yards. Right away the adrenaline got going, and after hearing stories of fails and misses from "buck fever" i made myself focus on the tail instead to make sure it was a whitetail. I had already decided a few seasons ago that I would be very happy with any whitetail. When i saw thru the binos that it was definitely a whitetail i put the binos down and found an opening in the trees ahead of where the deer was travelling. While the deer was walking and feeding, as soon as the deer's front legs crossed thru the opening in the trees, i pulled the trigger.
As i chambered a second round just in case and looked at where the deer had been, there was no sign of it. Right away i began to second guess my shot, and to make it worse, as i looked around the hill behind where the deer had been, i saw a forker and a doe making a bee-line for the top of the hill. Wondering if i had gotten too excited and missed, i landmarked my spot and picked up all my stuff and walked towards where the deer had just been. Even knowing that if it was down but not yet dead, i risked spooking it into running and possibly tracking it, and yet i was so excited by the prospect of taking my first whitetail i headed straight for the spot anyway. I know, rookie mistake. As i walked up on the spot i had last seen it, looking between all the deadfall trees and tall grass, i suddenly saw the body of my first whitetail laying in the grass. I cautiously approached the still body with open eyes and gave one of the eyes a poke with the barrel to make sure it was dead. When i got no response, i again said a quick thank you, took some pics, gutted my trophy, and began the 600 yard drag back to my truck. Once again, no records broken here, but a trophy to me and amazing memories years in the making. Should look nice having the 2 euro mounts side by side. For a whitetail success 5 years in the making, I'm super pleased with him.
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x429/robsmossberg/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_3527.jpg
A bit of background, i took up hunting 5 years ago after reading countless posts on here and books & magazines for advise. It has been a self taught struggle of trial and error and frustrations, averaging 7-8 or more days a season in the field, i have been able to find deer, but always spook them before i can get a shot, especially the whitetails. During this time, hunting has become about far more than just meat gathering me, and much more about hoping to one day bask in the satisfaction of finally defeating a wary whitetail. As each season came & went, i have learned more & more and gotten closer to being successful each year. Last year i was fortunate enough to fill an antlerless draw mule tag down south as they are obviously not as spooky as the whitetail. While hunting for a mule doe last year, i found a few mule bucks there as well. This led me to pull my antlered mule tag in the same zone this year.
I lined up permission again for the spot i wanted to hunt & got out there on the second day of the season this year. I snuck into the nice open coulee before light, but managed to scare a family of coyotes out of their den nearby. After their non-stop yipping and howling at me for the next half hour, there was no deer to be seen the rest of the day.
The following day, with heavy wind and plus 15, as i was working my way into the same coulee just as legal light was starting, i spooked 3 mule does, who quickly made their way 200 yards down the coulee and over the fence to land where the landowner does not give permission. Hoping that there would be a buck nearby watching the does, i crawled the last 30-40 yards into the coulee and watched and waited. I watched the does feed just across the fence, where they were soon joined by 5 more does, a 3x3 buck, and a spiker. This definitely got the adrenaline going as i decided right then and there that if the 3x3 came to my side of the fence i was gonna take him. I watched them thru binos feeding for the next hour before they bedded for the day. I spent the next 8 hrs that seemed like forever, waiting for them to get out of bed, but im guessing the 40-50 km/h wind and 15 degree sunny weather kept them from moving. Throughout the day, a couple deer at a time would stand and feed briefly berore bedding back down. Eventually all of them went to sleep, and the only thing visible in the tall grass was the occasional dark ear flicking briefly. Also visible above the grass was the top of the 3x3 antlers.
Finally around 4:30 they all got up and started feeding back towards the fence. One by one the does jumped the fence and continued feeding slowly towards me, while the 3x3 buck fed up and down along the fence, even going so far as to seemingly taunt me by rubbing his antlers on the barbed wire fence for a while.
An agonizing 20 minutes later, the 3x3 finally jumped to my side of the fence and began feeding towards the does, who were 100 yards from me now, and mostly out of sight in a curve in the coulee. The hope was to let them get as far from the fence as possible to make for a shorter drag to the truck.
As i tried crawling a bit further into the coulee to get an eye on them, one of the does caught me moving, and she started walking away from the group and back towards the fence. This caught the attention of the 3x3 who started to follow her away from me and back towards the fence as well. I decided it was time to take him, so I levelled my .308 on the bipod as best as possible on the slope, took a few deep breaths to relax while getting him lined up in the scope, and took the shot. The does scattered at the sound, and the buck just stood there as i chambered a second round. Then through the scope, I saw his back legs buckle, and then he crumpled to the ground and tilted over. I was so excited, and then the reality set in that now the real work was about to begin, with less than an hour of light left and my trophy in the bottom of the coulee and 700 yards from the road. A quick thank you for my successful harvest, and a couple pics from a shooting stick and it was time to gut it and start dragging.
No records broken here, but definitely a trophy to me forever. I cant wait to get my euro mount back, and the meat I've had so far makes the most rewarding meals yet.
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x429/robsmossberg/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_3504.jpg
A week after I filled my antlered mule deer draw tag on oct 27, i figured it was time to do something about my fifth season of trying unsuccessfully for a whitetail. I found a nice area south of the city last season where i spooked a doe and her yearling, and decided that would be a great place to try again. I contacted a couple of leaseholders again, both of whom were quite accomodating, and lined up access for the following morning. The next day, I got out to my spot about 15 min before legal light, sat against a tree, and waited. Another unseasonally warm day with the breeze mostly in my face.
1/2 hour into legal light, i suddenly caught movement near a patch of willow bushes, and it looked like it had antlers. I had already ranged the spot at 175 yards. Right away the adrenaline got going, and after hearing stories of fails and misses from "buck fever" i made myself focus on the tail instead to make sure it was a whitetail. I had already decided a few seasons ago that I would be very happy with any whitetail. When i saw thru the binos that it was definitely a whitetail i put the binos down and found an opening in the trees ahead of where the deer was travelling. While the deer was walking and feeding, as soon as the deer's front legs crossed thru the opening in the trees, i pulled the trigger.
As i chambered a second round just in case and looked at where the deer had been, there was no sign of it. Right away i began to second guess my shot, and to make it worse, as i looked around the hill behind where the deer had been, i saw a forker and a doe making a bee-line for the top of the hill. Wondering if i had gotten too excited and missed, i landmarked my spot and picked up all my stuff and walked towards where the deer had just been. Even knowing that if it was down but not yet dead, i risked spooking it into running and possibly tracking it, and yet i was so excited by the prospect of taking my first whitetail i headed straight for the spot anyway. I know, rookie mistake. As i walked up on the spot i had last seen it, looking between all the deadfall trees and tall grass, i suddenly saw the body of my first whitetail laying in the grass. I cautiously approached the still body with open eyes and gave one of the eyes a poke with the barrel to make sure it was dead. When i got no response, i again said a quick thank you, took some pics, gutted my trophy, and began the 600 yard drag back to my truck. Once again, no records broken here, but a trophy to me and amazing memories years in the making. Should look nice having the 2 euro mounts side by side. For a whitetail success 5 years in the making, I'm super pleased with him.
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x429/robsmossberg/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_3527.jpg