Another great day in what I consider my back yard. I can't get enough of the Angeles NF. When I'm not hunting in it I'm running in it! Well fortunately for me I have Friday's off and it pays off again.
I started out early to been on a ridge top at first light. There weren't any vehicles parked anywhere near the area so figured I might have it all to myself. Well should've known better but that's all right, things happen for a reason.
About 7:30 or so I spot a doe and not too far behind her a buck hounding her a bit. I couldn't tell how big until I put the spotting scope on them. He was a well defined fork on one side and a smaller fork on the other. The picture is through the scope holding my phone by hand with deer out about 500 yds so sorry for the quality. I watched for a while to see if she would attract anything bigger but to no avail and they moved off to WATER and out of sight. I kept glassing when I heard a shot far off to my north the direction i was heading to the next vantage point. I decided to move and get to a knob that gave me a great view and started glassing couldn't see much movement so kept moving along a connecting ridge and glassing as I went. I had moved about 50 yards off the high point when I heard a shot way closer than I expected anyone to be but couldn't find the shooter. I figured they were in the canyon adjacent to me so moved slowly down the ridge glassing for any movement. I knew the face of the ridge I had come off of had some great cover and would be shaded so made a move to glass that area and as I was getting into position I looked down the canyon and spot a buck bedded. It looked close but pulled the range finder out to confirm and got a reading of 100 yds. I set up my shooting sticks and laid my rifle down ready to shoot. As I looked through the scope I could see a decent rack but wasn't sure I wanted to take the shot so brought the rifle down and looked through the binos to see if I would see something to change my mind and I did his fork was more visible as he turned slightly helping me decide. The buck was bedded facing away from me at a slight angle, my shot entered on his right side at the top of his rib cage and exited the chest. He never moved from the bed. He's not the biggest but was big enough for me today! D-11 and the Crest have been good to me I went out 2 times with the rifle and spotted 3 legal bucks, not a bad deal! I love getting out there during the week and hunting the hills where I've made so many memories and great adventures. Good luck everyone! I used my Savage Model 116 in 300 Win Mag topped with Burris Fullfield II BPlex 3.5-10 x 50mm with 165 Grn GMX Hornady Superformance.
I started out early to been on a ridge top at first light. There weren't any vehicles parked anywhere near the area so figured I might have it all to myself. Well should've known better but that's all right, things happen for a reason.
About 7:30 or so I spot a doe and not too far behind her a buck hounding her a bit. I couldn't tell how big until I put the spotting scope on them. He was a well defined fork on one side and a smaller fork on the other. The picture is through the scope holding my phone by hand with deer out about 500 yds so sorry for the quality. I watched for a while to see if she would attract anything bigger but to no avail and they moved off to WATER and out of sight. I kept glassing when I heard a shot far off to my north the direction i was heading to the next vantage point. I decided to move and get to a knob that gave me a great view and started glassing couldn't see much movement so kept moving along a connecting ridge and glassing as I went. I had moved about 50 yards off the high point when I heard a shot way closer than I expected anyone to be but couldn't find the shooter. I figured they were in the canyon adjacent to me so moved slowly down the ridge glassing for any movement. I knew the face of the ridge I had come off of had some great cover and would be shaded so made a move to glass that area and as I was getting into position I looked down the canyon and spot a buck bedded. It looked close but pulled the range finder out to confirm and got a reading of 100 yds. I set up my shooting sticks and laid my rifle down ready to shoot. As I looked through the scope I could see a decent rack but wasn't sure I wanted to take the shot so brought the rifle down and looked through the binos to see if I would see something to change my mind and I did his fork was more visible as he turned slightly helping me decide. The buck was bedded facing away from me at a slight angle, my shot entered on his right side at the top of his rib cage and exited the chest. He never moved from the bed. He's not the biggest but was big enough for me today! D-11 and the Crest have been good to me I went out 2 times with the rifle and spotted 3 legal bucks, not a bad deal! I love getting out there during the week and hunting the hills where I've made so many memories and great adventures. Good luck everyone! I used my Savage Model 116 in 300 Win Mag topped with Burris Fullfield II BPlex 3.5-10 x 50mm with 165 Grn GMX Hornady Superformance.
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