We'll my freezer was not running low on meat, so this season I was going Big or going home. Yesterday was going to be it for me and my partner and it happen for him on the last hour of our last day....
Saturday morning I posted up on one of my look out points and glassed the morning by my self , my partner was held up for the morning and could not hunt. I quickly spotted a group of 5 deer and waited for the sun to hit them so I could get a good look at them. As the sun came up a hunter suddenly appeared on the same mountain the group was on and instantly the deer winded him and began to bolt. I could see the path they were taking, a sunny ridge they were gonna go over. I zoomed into the ridge and watched one by one as they went over. Big 3by3 then a small fork and 3 does in that order went over. Game on!
I get geared up and began hiking in. I'm confident the group is in a canyon just over the ridge they went over. It's a long steep hike and I make it to the ridge about 11am. I call my partner up to see what his status is and let him know I may have a group pinned and we can shoot for a double! Partner shows up and parks his jeep about 12:30 and I guide him in to where it's gonna go down. We decide it's best he stays low in case this group had made it through the canyon with out me seeing them.
The sun starts to cool off about 3pm and I see 3 does come out to feed above me at 600yards. There is a steep hill with a nob between us. I can not see the bucks , but I'm confident it is the same group and the bucks may just not be in view with the hill between us. I use the hill to my advantage and began to hike up to the nob. I figure if I get to the nob of the hill with out being busted it will be an easy 200 yards shot. I get to the top and see the does still feeding in the same area. I'm looking and see no bucks I figure they must be bedded still close by. Was not long before the wind shifts and I am busted. The does began to get nervous and began to trot out of view. I let my partner know what happen and to be ready because the bucks are some where close.
It's 4 now and the sun is setting, I am still standing on the top of this hill glassing and waiting for something to just come over a ridge. I have 200 to 300 yards shots all around me surrounded by ridges. My partner sends me a text saying its "magic hour" LOL. About 4:30 I hear a real fast short BOOM! The kind that you know something was hit at close range. I wait 5 minutes and no other shots ring out. I call him up and ask if that was him. I can hear the excitement in his voice and he tells me he put one down less than 100 yards. He said the buck was spooked and came running right into his lap LOL. After the wounded deer he went through a few weeks ago I recommended he switch to some different ammo. It blew a hole the size of a dinner plate! Close range. Wasted some meat but his deer was down and he filled his tag. Looks like tag soup for me , but his success is what I really needed. He was in a bad streak the past few years and it's over now. Congrats BRO!
Saturday morning I posted up on one of my look out points and glassed the morning by my self , my partner was held up for the morning and could not hunt. I quickly spotted a group of 5 deer and waited for the sun to hit them so I could get a good look at them. As the sun came up a hunter suddenly appeared on the same mountain the group was on and instantly the deer winded him and began to bolt. I could see the path they were taking, a sunny ridge they were gonna go over. I zoomed into the ridge and watched one by one as they went over. Big 3by3 then a small fork and 3 does in that order went over. Game on!
I get geared up and began hiking in. I'm confident the group is in a canyon just over the ridge they went over. It's a long steep hike and I make it to the ridge about 11am. I call my partner up to see what his status is and let him know I may have a group pinned and we can shoot for a double! Partner shows up and parks his jeep about 12:30 and I guide him in to where it's gonna go down. We decide it's best he stays low in case this group had made it through the canyon with out me seeing them.
The sun starts to cool off about 3pm and I see 3 does come out to feed above me at 600yards. There is a steep hill with a nob between us. I can not see the bucks , but I'm confident it is the same group and the bucks may just not be in view with the hill between us. I use the hill to my advantage and began to hike up to the nob. I figure if I get to the nob of the hill with out being busted it will be an easy 200 yards shot. I get to the top and see the does still feeding in the same area. I'm looking and see no bucks I figure they must be bedded still close by. Was not long before the wind shifts and I am busted. The does began to get nervous and began to trot out of view. I let my partner know what happen and to be ready because the bucks are some where close.
It's 4 now and the sun is setting, I am still standing on the top of this hill glassing and waiting for something to just come over a ridge. I have 200 to 300 yards shots all around me surrounded by ridges. My partner sends me a text saying its "magic hour" LOL. About 4:30 I hear a real fast short BOOM! The kind that you know something was hit at close range. I wait 5 minutes and no other shots ring out. I call him up and ask if that was him. I can hear the excitement in his voice and he tells me he put one down less than 100 yards. He said the buck was spooked and came running right into his lap LOL. After the wounded deer he went through a few weeks ago I recommended he switch to some different ammo. It blew a hole the size of a dinner plate! Close range. Wasted some meat but his deer was down and he filled his tag. Looks like tag soup for me , but his success is what I really needed. He was in a bad streak the past few years and it's over now. Congrats BRO!
