Don’t get out much with work and three kids. Took advantage of getting a G10 tag for first time rifle hunting in SoCal.
Had my 8 and 5yo with me early and passed on four does. They were getting restless but couldn’t hack the terrain. I took them home and was back in hills by 10.
Spent a good hour glassing and waiting for two buddies to link back up with me. We decided to walk ridges and glass for bedded deer or bump one to each other. I put them on the closest ridge with best probability of them getting a shot since they have limited time to hunt.
I took the further ridge and pushed about a mile down it. Saw nothing and didn’t want to drop elevation so decided to head bsck to the top. Wind was perfect in my face or slightly from my right as I was going down the ridge.
As I decided to head back I thought I’d look over the other windward side of the ridge I didn’t pay much attention to. It was slightly shaded and knew I couldn’t glass it so I was looking at the next ridge to my north. I looked below me in the shade and see a doe sticking her neck out to browse on some leaves. It’s now 1:40 and warming up. My guess is the sun hit her bed and she decided to move.
I call my buddy and told him to come on over, I’d watch her so he could fill his tag, unless a buck stood up. As soon as I hung up I went back to the area where I saw her. Reception sucked so I had to seek a little higher ground to call. I got sat down and slid closer to where I could see, she was gone but just then I saw another deer. Not having time to range but just enough time get binos up and see that was a legal buck. Tried to use poles as a bipod but wouldn’t stay and now the buck is looking at me wondering what was going on.
Finally, I said the hell with it, I figured it to be under 100 and at about a 20 degree decline from me (on a really steep slope) so I just left it on 3 power and let the 175gr LRX fly.
Heard the whop and him slump, knew he was donezo. Then the worst, I see hooves in the air and crashing. He tumbled about 40yds down the slope.
In the thick veg it was tough to find him. One buddy saw me signaling that I’d got a deer down so he headed bsck to the trucks to get the sled. I’ll thee buddy made it to me just after I got it gutted. It took he and I a long time to drag/tank/lift the deer 100yds up the 70-80% incline. Just as we got him to do he top, buddy one shows up with sled. A couple of happy snaps and we started the 2 mile drag back.
Great time and glad to have the tag filled but I don’t know if I’ll shoot a deer on such a rugged slope, as you can see the pic with the ocean horizon in the background. Had one antler wrapped around a tree to keep him from sliding further down the ravine.
Sorry Hatchet, no shakas. He wasn’t a forky, he has a crap on his front. The other cool thing was he still had velvet on both tips.
Good luck out there, thanks for your support.
Had my 8 and 5yo with me early and passed on four does. They were getting restless but couldn’t hack the terrain. I took them home and was back in hills by 10.
Spent a good hour glassing and waiting for two buddies to link back up with me. We decided to walk ridges and glass for bedded deer or bump one to each other. I put them on the closest ridge with best probability of them getting a shot since they have limited time to hunt.
I took the further ridge and pushed about a mile down it. Saw nothing and didn’t want to drop elevation so decided to head bsck to the top. Wind was perfect in my face or slightly from my right as I was going down the ridge.
As I decided to head back I thought I’d look over the other windward side of the ridge I didn’t pay much attention to. It was slightly shaded and knew I couldn’t glass it so I was looking at the next ridge to my north. I looked below me in the shade and see a doe sticking her neck out to browse on some leaves. It’s now 1:40 and warming up. My guess is the sun hit her bed and she decided to move.
I call my buddy and told him to come on over, I’d watch her so he could fill his tag, unless a buck stood up. As soon as I hung up I went back to the area where I saw her. Reception sucked so I had to seek a little higher ground to call. I got sat down and slid closer to where I could see, she was gone but just then I saw another deer. Not having time to range but just enough time get binos up and see that was a legal buck. Tried to use poles as a bipod but wouldn’t stay and now the buck is looking at me wondering what was going on.
Finally, I said the hell with it, I figured it to be under 100 and at about a 20 degree decline from me (on a really steep slope) so I just left it on 3 power and let the 175gr LRX fly.
Heard the whop and him slump, knew he was donezo. Then the worst, I see hooves in the air and crashing. He tumbled about 40yds down the slope.
In the thick veg it was tough to find him. One buddy saw me signaling that I’d got a deer down so he headed bsck to the trucks to get the sled. I’ll thee buddy made it to me just after I got it gutted. It took he and I a long time to drag/tank/lift the deer 100yds up the 70-80% incline. Just as we got him to do he top, buddy one shows up with sled. A couple of happy snaps and we started the 2 mile drag back.
Great time and glad to have the tag filled but I don’t know if I’ll shoot a deer on such a rugged slope, as you can see the pic with the ocean horizon in the background. Had one antler wrapped around a tree to keep him from sliding further down the ravine.
Sorry Hatchet, no shakas. He wasn’t a forky, he has a crap on his front. The other cool thing was he still had velvet on both tips.
Good luck out there, thanks for your support.
