Mule Deer Success Thread!

bigsky2

Member
Mar 9, 2011
103
2
Sorry about the blurry picture earlier, I forgot I had a Photobucket account. Here are a couple better ones.





I had been hunting this area hard for a few years without any success, but it is the type of country where deer can get big and I knew if I kept hunting it hard then one day it would pay off. It is really rough country and has low deer densities but it seems like every year I hear of someone seeing a big one in the area. On opening morning I was set up behind the spotting scope as the sun was coming up and I spotted this deer walking over the top and into another drainage while it was barely light out. I only saw him for about 10 seconds and only got to see him going straight away. I went after him but the wind was wrong and I was worried about bumping him so I backed out. I hiked back in there late in the afternoon and set up on a good vantage point hoping to see him come out of his bedding area for the evening but he never showed himself. The next morning I wanted to be set up on the same vantage point as the sun was coming up so I left my vehicle about an hour before daylight to make sure I could get there in time. I was able to spot all the same deer from the previous morning but not the big buck. There were other hunters nearby driving all over on the other side of the drainage and I heard them shoot three times and was worried they had found him. The three hunters weren't even wearing orange so I was hoping this deer wasn't taken by some guys that don't even follow the law. All the deer I saw seemed to be bedded down for the day so I started walking back to the pickup trying not to bump the other deer. I was cutting across a steep draw off the main drainage and I spotted him laying down in the bottom staring right at me. He was quartering towards me so I put it on the front of his shoulder and shot and he got up and was out of sight right away. I could see into the bottom where the draw ran into the main drainage but I never saw the buck come out there so I was pretty confident he went down. I got a hold of my dad and told him where I was and to bring the frame packs. As I waited for him I had my rifle ready in case the buck was still alive and tried to leave the draw. After about an hour my dad showed up and we found the buck laying about 15 yards from where I shot him. After four hours and a good hike with heavy packs we had him back to the pickup.
 

mnhoundman

Veteran member
Oct 25, 2012
1,282
99
Minnesota


Finally was able to find a Wyoming buck, found him bedded up high from a ridge about 3/4 mile away. A little planning and I was off down the mountain and up the rock slide and over to where I thought he was. No sign of him I was worried he slipped out, but after 5 minutes of waiting he walked out of the pine trees. Never had a clue I was there, everything just went right.

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk
 

Gr8bawana

Veteran member
Aug 14, 2014
2,634
518
Nevada
Sorry about the blurry picture earlier, I forgot I had a Photobucket account. Here are a couple better ones.





I had been hunting this area hard for a few years without any success, but it is the type of country where deer can get big and I knew if I kept hunting it hard then one day it would pay off. It is really rough country and has low deer densities but it seems like every year I hear of someone seeing a big one in the area. On opening morning I was set up behind the spotting scope as the sun was coming up and I spotted this deer walking over the top and into another drainage while it was barely light out. I only saw him for about 10 seconds and only got to see him going straight away. I went after him but the wind was wrong and I was worried about bumping him so I backed out. I hiked back in there late in the afternoon and set up on a good vantage point hoping to see him come out of his bedding area for the evening but he never showed himself. The next morning I wanted to be set up on the same vantage point as the sun was coming up so I left my vehicle about an hour before daylight to make sure I could get there in time. I was able to spot all the same deer from the previous morning but not the big buck. There were other hunters nearby driving all over on the other side of the drainage and I heard them shoot three times and was worried they had found him. The three hunters weren't even wearing orange so I was hoping this deer wasn't taken by some guys that don't even follow the law. All the deer I saw seemed to be bedded down for the day so I started walking back to the pickup trying not to bump the other deer. I was cutting across a steep draw off the main drainage and I spotted him laying down in the bottom staring right at me. He was quartering towards me so I put it on the front of his shoulder and shot and he got up and was out of sight right away. I could see into the bottom where the draw ran into the main drainage but I never saw the buck come out there so I was pretty confident he went down. I got a hold of my dad and told him where I was and to bring the frame packs. As I waited for him I had my rifle ready in case the buck was still alive and tried to leave the draw. After about an hour my dad showed up and we found the buck laying about 15 yards from where I shot him. After four hours and a good hike with heavy packs we had him back to the pickup.
That is one stud of a buck bigsky2. Thank you for taking an honest picture. What I mean by that is that you didn't pose the deer and then sit 10 feet behind it to make it look bigger. Congrats on a great buck.
 

Retterath

Veteran member
Dec 24, 2013
1,440
1
South Dakota
Had an awesome day with a buddy out hunting. the guy behind the antlers is my buddy that shot it and I'm sitting on the left.
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Retterath

Veteran member
Dec 24, 2013
1,440
1
South Dakota
Fantastic deer retterath! You must be good luck lol... South Dakota?
yes it is South Dakota, i hope my luck continues through this next weekend so i can go after a good one. Im pretty sure there is still another good one in there not this good but very nice. We will see
 

ScottR

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Staff member
Feb 3, 2014
7,679
2,569
www.eastmans.com
yes it is South Dakota, i hope my luck continues through this next weekend so i can go after a good one. Im pretty sure there is still another good one in there not this good but very nice. We will see
Did you get some good pictures with that buck? Pretty sure Dan will want to see it, if you did send them in to editorial@eastmans.com and he will let you know if he can use it and help you with the submission process.