OneCam
Well-Known Member
An account of a fantanstic semi-live Mule deer hunt from September 2004 - Moved from the PMA Forum
As most of you know I've been out hunting the last week in Colorado. I wanted to share our daily account of one of my most memorable hunts even though I didn't even draw my bow. Stay tuned for this great PMA exclusive . . .
OLD BUCK and ONECAM Colorado Public Land Mule Deer hunt 2004
We pulled into town somewhat late Saturday evening and wouldn't you know I couldn't find a store to purchase an elk tag. I didn't draw a mule deer tag for the trip so I decided to assist with Larry's mule deer hunt on day one. After finding a fairly remote camp around 11pm we managed to get a few hours of shuteye before heading out for our first hunt.
Day 1 - We found ourselves at a trailhead of our 'secret' wilderness area at first light but much to our shi-grin we were the 3rd set of hunters there and more were coming up the hill behind us. All in all most of the hunters were after elk and we were able to move past them to some higher ground. Once we were able to start glassing above tree line Larry began pointing out a number of bucks on the mountain slopes. "There's a group" "There's a buck" - I was doing all I could that first morning trying to keep up with Larry as he spotted new and better bucks. I was amazed as we spotted 25+ bucks that morning along with a group of elk. What was even more amazing was the fact that 6 of the bucks would have scored more than 165". We decided to find the right buck and acclimate ourselves prior to trying a stalk as they can be very physically demanding.
After the morning hunt I decided that I wanted to hunt with Larry and help take a Mule deer rather than venture on my own and fight the crowds for elk.
When we returned to camp Larry suggested a new location. So we proceeded to pull camp and head 20+ miles away for a new look. Now you can probably imagine my thoughts as we just spotted some monster Mule deer with the top one or two exceeding 180" and Old Buck wanted to try a new spot.
We'll I have to admit the new spot was pretty darn good as we spotted 25+ more bucks that afternoon with one being a brute 3 x 3 with an extra main beam. We estimated he was well into his prime 6-9 years old. Again no stalks presented themselves.
Even with all of the bucks we had seen Larry seemed to have an Ace up his sleeve as we planned to yet try another location the following morning using the same base camp.
Stay tuned for daily updates of our six-day hunt . . . hope you enjoy.
Day 2 - Discovering 'Cheater'
On Sunday morning we found ourselves climbing our most difficult trail yet. It wasn't until 8:30 am when we ascended the ridge and it didn't take long to begin spotting bucks on the opposite Mountain.
Like the day before the mature bucks preferred the highest of altitudes above tree-line while eating and bedding in patches of willows surrounded by rock slides and steep slopes.
We immediately spotted a good 4x4 and began to plan our first stalk of the day. As we watched the buck work his way up into a thick patch of willows below a rock slide he disturbed some hidden bucks and got them on their feet. Before we knew it we were looking at 6 new bucks - four of which were larger than the 4 x 4. Three stood out especially; one great 3 x 4 that was massive antlered and had an absolutely huge body, a super wide 4 x 4 that was deep forked and main beams that went forever, and the third buck which we dubbed 'Cheater' really stood out for us as not only did it have great front and back forks but it also had nice brow tines and stickers inside it's forks or cheater points as they are called out West.
Most of the bucks bedded within 50 yards of each other directly around, on or under a rock face. Most notably was Cheater as he bedded directly under the 15' rock face. We elected to pass on the stalk because of the wind and number of bucks surrounding our target bucks.
At this point we were feeling pretty good as we found 3 bucks that we thought would go around 185" - 190". Later that day we decided to try to find a alternative route to the ridge above the deer we spotted that morning and in route we ran into two other lucky bowhunters that had both connected on 150" - 160" bucks the day before in the same area. In fact they tipped us off on even more big bucks and areas that we had yet to see. The day's total for sightings was almost 30 bucks most of which would score more than 140".
Based on our new outlook for the area we had a great game plan for day 3 . . . stay tuned!
Day 3 - Let the stalks begin
Shortly after sunrise we crested a hill on the backside of the mountain we glassed the day prior. We quickly spotted a group of great bucks on the adjacent ridge. As they slowly walked out of view we anxiously devised a game plan.
One of the bucks we spotted was enormous - in fact it was unmistakably the buck the other group of hunters spoke of the day before. It had 14" tines that made up the front forks plus an additional 6" tine on its right side that looked like a g4 on a whitetail. With long main beams and a 3" kicker shooting straight out the side of the rack he had a 30" outside spread. Thus we had another target buck that was dubbed "Thirty".
We quickly paralleled the group of bucks and headed to a vantage point that would give us a good look at the "bowl" they were headed to.
Once in position we immediately spotted "Thirty" along with another even large bodied 4x4. After they bedded for the day we planned our first stalk.
I stayed in my current position and used a series of flags and signals to help assist in the stalk and Larry circled around to approach from above.
As Larry closed the distance neither buck had a clue and soon the distance that separated them was 80 yards. From my perspective this was extremely exciting as the action happened.
A truly mature mule deer is a very difficult animal to hunt - it has very keen eyesight, hearing and sense of smell. I know we all hear stories of how "dumb" these animals can be but most of those stories are reflective of a 2 or 3-year-old animal. When it comes to hunting a 5+-year-old buck it's no different than our whitetails - it's tough - really tough.
At sixty yards Larry ran out of brush to hide behind and was waiting for the moment to cover some open ground when the wind switched. Once Larry felt the breeze on his neck he knew the gig was up and the bucks both arose from their beds heading for parts unknown.
Had it not been for that down draft we would have had "Thirty" very early into the hunt but then again we would not have had the chance to experience the days to come . . . stay tuned for day 4.
Day 4 - "So many bucks so little time"
I don't believe I've stressed this during my previous updates enough but we were hunting above treeline which is 11,000 -12,000 feet above see level. This takes alot of effort for a couple of Iowa flatlanders.
On the fourth Morning of the hunt we slept in a little and made it to our first vantage point around 8am. We managed to find a few good bucks - one being a thin but nice 4x4 with around a 28" spread - but we were looking for "thirty" as we had a score to settle from the day before.
We hiked another 1/2 mile and reached a rather new area and immediately found bucks - I was amazed as we saw more than 10 bucks with 4 or 5 being shooters. Now when I say shooter we were being very selective and I mean very selective as you will later find out. But we were staring at 5 deer that would score more than 170" - and some of you wonder why I didn't buy an elk tag.
In the bowl in front of us we found "Cheater" along with another stud of a 3x4 and some lesser bucks. And on a ridge that made up the left side of the bowl we found 2 other great bucks. The first had a rack that looked more like an Elk than a deer - it had forks in it's forks and probably had 18" back tines. He was very unique and very mature we estimated he would score around 170" - he was dubbed "Moose". The other had a very typical 4 point fraim with a sticker on his left side in-between his back forks that formed a triangle. He had a 28"+ spread and was very massive as was his body. We dubbed him "Forty Five". There were some other great bucks but they went over the ridge before we got a good look.
We stayed in position and watched for the bucks to begin bedding. Cheater and his buddy bedded in a very approachable position but that would mean Larry would have to ascend a very steep hill. Both Moose and Forty-five bedded under a juniper that could be approached from below. After a short discussion we elected to go after Cheater first then try for forty-five or Moose. As we planned the stalk I noticed a lesser buck bedded below Cheater staring in our direction. We were 1/2 mile away but he was alertly staring in our direction. We really didn't pay much attention as we figured they were to far away from our current position to spook. As Larry descended the back side of the ridge and up the Mountain I moved slightly to a new position. Once I put the scope back on that buck he just didn't like what he saw and decided to walk up and over the Mountain taking Cheater and some other bucks with him. After alerting Larry - we decided to go after Forty-Five and Moose. We also learned a lesson on the extreme sensitivity of these animals.
As Larry made his way toward our new location I backed off ever so carefully to get a better vantage point of the ridge and beyond. Once I got in position Larry was also in position about 175 yards below the bucks.
As I began glassing the ridge I couldn't believe my eyes - not only were Moose and Forty-Five laying right below that juniper but I was also looking at an incredible group of bucks that were just out of view before. To be honest at that point I was pretty flustered as my job was to help guide/assist Larry with his stalk and there were so many bucks and they appeared to be much bigger than both Moose and Forty-Five. In fact there were 6 more huge bucks two of which were giant 4x4's with spreads of more than 30". What was most incredible about these two bucks was their front forks which appeared to be just as long as their back forks - incredible is all I can say.
Now at this point I know what some of you are thinking - "there is no way they are seeing this many bucks". I understand this and am still amazed myself. In fact what is more amazing is the fact that our score estimates were very conservative, as you will later find out.
After some hard deliberating I finally figured there was no way to reach some of the really big bucks because of all of the animals on the ridge. So using my flags I directed Larry toward the two bedded bucks.
Watching Larry stalk is really a learning experience - he is very deliberate, moves very slow, glasses very often, and seems to blends in with his leafy camo and custom camo hat. He takes advantage of any background noise available - making his move during a sudden wind gust or a airplane flying above. As Larry worked slowly toward these our "target" bucks I notice a tine in the shadows while glassing. After further review and much deliberation I finally realized we had - Wow "Thirty" less than eighty yards away.
Right then my attention was solely on "Thirty" and trying to get Larry's attention. I immediately changed my flagging to "Thirty's" position and tried so desperately to get Larry's attention. Since Larry knew where the Juniper was he rarely relied on my signals and he was now only 40 yards away from Moose and "45". Finally I was able to get Larry's attention and I could only imagine what he thought I was trying to tell him. I even tried to spell out "30" with toilet paper. With the new flagging, which he was relying on, he started focusing on "Thirty's" location. Now here's where it gets interesting - on route to try and spot "Thirty" from above Larry snuck within 20 yards or less of both Moose and Forty-Five. Had Larry known this and wanted to he could have just stayed put and waited for one to stand up - game over. These tempters were not on his mind as he soon spotted Thirty and the stalk was on.
When stalking these deer you have to fool their eyes, ears and last but not least their nose. Fooling the eyes and ears really lies on the stalkers shoulders but when it comes to the nose you are really at the mercy of Mother Nature and the ever-shifting winds.
At Forty Yards Larry could see the rack but once again the wind switched and the buck rose to his feet. Within range but he did not present a clear shot and then just like that he was once again out of our grasp.
After the stalk we both watched as the bucks worked over the ridge and into the next bowl - there were 18 bucks in that group and all together we saw a total of 30+ bucks and 11 we figured were shooters.
When I finally met up with Larry I apologized for pulling him off of "45" and Moose but he just smiled when I told him as we discussed our game plan for the next day and the new target - one of those huge 4x4's caught Larry's eye
Day 5 - "So Close"
Around 8:30 we reached the same vantage point as the day before and quickly spotted bucks - in fact we spotted one of the huge 4x4's from the day before. To be honest we were so impressed with this deer, in fact mesmerized, that a name never really stuck. I guessed his rack was 5" or 6" outside of his ears on each side!
Looking back at our hunt in Colorado it was interesting to point out that our time spent a field was very different than most would expect. Most of our hunting time was spent between 8:30am and 5pm without heading back to camp for lunch. This is almost the exact opposite of the other elk hunters staying near our camp that were concentrating their efforts at lower elevations. These hours complimented our hunting style well as we were able to bed the deer down and await the steady and stronger winds of the mid-day.
Back to the big one - we watched in awe as he made his way toward a very approachable bedding area in the same bowl that we saw "Cheater" in the day prior. Not only did he bed down in a great spot but he also was nearly alone with only a few other bucks bedding below him.
Larry quickly made his move and began his long climb up the mountain and above the buck. An hour later found Larry quickly within 80 yards as he used the steady breeze to his advantage.
At this point in the stalk I was unable to see the buck as he was in some very deep cover but both Larry and I knew approximately where he was laying. At 35 yards Larry glassed and glassed an finally found him - he actually found antler tips. At this point it seemed as if time stood still as both seemed content to sit all day if need be. It was incredible to witness a hunt of this caliber unfold before my eyes. At times Larry would check yardages, move his position slightly with bow raised or practice draw and each time my heart beat soared. Larry was positioned above the deer at a very steep angle and the wind was very steady, maybe even a bit stronger than needed.
Finally the buck rose to his feet and Larry positioned himself and drew back. The buck offered a narrow shooting window through the brush and the arrow was on its way.
It was however a clean miss as it struck brush and flew over the buck's back.
I will never forget how that deer reacted after the shot - he ran well out of range and turned around and glared back in the direction of his near fatal encounter. His posture seemed almost as if he was trying to learn from this meeting while at the same time making a strong point that this was not the first arrow he has dodged in his lifetime.
Larry made one more stalk on the way back to meet up with me. He approached within 15 yards of a nice 4x4 that would score around 150" but this is not the buck we were after.
We met at the trail head and discussed the encounter, how lucky we were to just be able to hunt such and animal, why things happen for a reason, what was in store for us and how we would persevere. We also discussed downward shooting and the clinometer
Needless to say we arrived back in camp in time to shoot some arrows at extreme downward angles and develop a distance and pin selection strategy for the following days hunt.
Stay tuned for the conclusion of our 6-day hunt.
Day 6 - "Good News and Bad News"
Once again we found ourselves glassing a few secluded bowls that had hidden so many bucks the days prior. Today however the bucks were no where to be found - between the pressure we had put on them and the stronger than normal winds blowing straight into the hillside the majority of the bucks cleared out of the immediate area.
After a long assessment we decided to hike to the top of the ridge/mountain and try the spotting something on the other side. In fact we had seen nice bucks going to the other side of the Mountain throughout our hunt and if you remember on day 2 we actually started out on the other side and first spotted "Cheater".
From our vantage point we saw only a few bucks and nothing of size that we wanted to go after. It was now 10:30 and for the first time in the hunt we hadn't seen a shooter buck. Yesterday's hunt started to sink in a bit and it would have been easy to get discouraged and give up for the day.
At 12,000 feet and 5 days of hard hunting under your belt it takes a toll on you - both physically and mentally. To top it off we both had bouts of altitude sickness, dehydration, malnutrition and cold/flew like symptoms. Each day of the hunt was hard yet so very rewarding. At the end of each day we would always discuss perseverance, our resolve and determination throughout our hunt. Larry had continually mentioned getting a break and the possibility that our hunt would end with a stalk of a buck from literally above and be able to shoot him while he was still in his bed.
Back to the Mountain - on the peek we discussed a plan that would have us split up and meet back in camp 5 hours later. I would leave Larry to still-hunt toward a rock slide that we had glassed on day 2 while I went to look at some new locations. Our plans were to rendezvous at around 3:30 that afternoon.
Larry came rolling into camp just after 3pm - at first I didn't think much of it until I noticed he didn't have his bow or pack.
Then with an unmistakable grin Larry proclaimed "I've got good news and I've got bad news".
Noticing the blood on his arms I just smiled larger than life and my once exhausted body became recharged. I then blurted out "I want to hear the good news because I'm sure the bad news is you didn't shoot him by the road"
"The good news is they are bigger than we thought" smiled Larry. "I got Cheater".
The celebration began, as it was such a thrill to hear about such a successful ending to such a great hunt.
Larry still hunted to the topside of a rockslide we had watched 4 days prior and when he peaked over there was "Cheater" laying right below him. After positioning himself for a shot, Larry rose back into position and made it count on the bedded buck. Cheater expired after only 20 yards.
note that the buck was laying below the rock face in the background
Congratulations Larry on a super trophy not just because of it's score but because of the incredible 6 days of hard hunting that I was privileged to share in your pursuit.
* on a side note we had estimated Cheater's gross score prior to shooting him at around 185" with a 27" spread - he ended up scoring 200" with a 27" spread.
As most of you know I've been out hunting the last week in Colorado. I wanted to share our daily account of one of my most memorable hunts even though I didn't even draw my bow. Stay tuned for this great PMA exclusive . . .
OLD BUCK and ONECAM Colorado Public Land Mule Deer hunt 2004
We pulled into town somewhat late Saturday evening and wouldn't you know I couldn't find a store to purchase an elk tag. I didn't draw a mule deer tag for the trip so I decided to assist with Larry's mule deer hunt on day one. After finding a fairly remote camp around 11pm we managed to get a few hours of shuteye before heading out for our first hunt.
Day 1 - We found ourselves at a trailhead of our 'secret' wilderness area at first light but much to our shi-grin we were the 3rd set of hunters there and more were coming up the hill behind us. All in all most of the hunters were after elk and we were able to move past them to some higher ground. Once we were able to start glassing above tree line Larry began pointing out a number of bucks on the mountain slopes. "There's a group" "There's a buck" - I was doing all I could that first morning trying to keep up with Larry as he spotted new and better bucks. I was amazed as we spotted 25+ bucks that morning along with a group of elk. What was even more amazing was the fact that 6 of the bucks would have scored more than 165". We decided to find the right buck and acclimate ourselves prior to trying a stalk as they can be very physically demanding.
After the morning hunt I decided that I wanted to hunt with Larry and help take a Mule deer rather than venture on my own and fight the crowds for elk.
When we returned to camp Larry suggested a new location. So we proceeded to pull camp and head 20+ miles away for a new look. Now you can probably imagine my thoughts as we just spotted some monster Mule deer with the top one or two exceeding 180" and Old Buck wanted to try a new spot.
We'll I have to admit the new spot was pretty darn good as we spotted 25+ more bucks that afternoon with one being a brute 3 x 3 with an extra main beam. We estimated he was well into his prime 6-9 years old. Again no stalks presented themselves.
Even with all of the bucks we had seen Larry seemed to have an Ace up his sleeve as we planned to yet try another location the following morning using the same base camp.
Stay tuned for daily updates of our six-day hunt . . . hope you enjoy.
Day 2 - Discovering 'Cheater'
On Sunday morning we found ourselves climbing our most difficult trail yet. It wasn't until 8:30 am when we ascended the ridge and it didn't take long to begin spotting bucks on the opposite Mountain.
Like the day before the mature bucks preferred the highest of altitudes above tree-line while eating and bedding in patches of willows surrounded by rock slides and steep slopes.
We immediately spotted a good 4x4 and began to plan our first stalk of the day. As we watched the buck work his way up into a thick patch of willows below a rock slide he disturbed some hidden bucks and got them on their feet. Before we knew it we were looking at 6 new bucks - four of which were larger than the 4 x 4. Three stood out especially; one great 3 x 4 that was massive antlered and had an absolutely huge body, a super wide 4 x 4 that was deep forked and main beams that went forever, and the third buck which we dubbed 'Cheater' really stood out for us as not only did it have great front and back forks but it also had nice brow tines and stickers inside it's forks or cheater points as they are called out West.
Most of the bucks bedded within 50 yards of each other directly around, on or under a rock face. Most notably was Cheater as he bedded directly under the 15' rock face. We elected to pass on the stalk because of the wind and number of bucks surrounding our target bucks.
At this point we were feeling pretty good as we found 3 bucks that we thought would go around 185" - 190". Later that day we decided to try to find a alternative route to the ridge above the deer we spotted that morning and in route we ran into two other lucky bowhunters that had both connected on 150" - 160" bucks the day before in the same area. In fact they tipped us off on even more big bucks and areas that we had yet to see. The day's total for sightings was almost 30 bucks most of which would score more than 140".
Based on our new outlook for the area we had a great game plan for day 3 . . . stay tuned!
Day 3 - Let the stalks begin
Shortly after sunrise we crested a hill on the backside of the mountain we glassed the day prior. We quickly spotted a group of great bucks on the adjacent ridge. As they slowly walked out of view we anxiously devised a game plan.
One of the bucks we spotted was enormous - in fact it was unmistakably the buck the other group of hunters spoke of the day before. It had 14" tines that made up the front forks plus an additional 6" tine on its right side that looked like a g4 on a whitetail. With long main beams and a 3" kicker shooting straight out the side of the rack he had a 30" outside spread. Thus we had another target buck that was dubbed "Thirty".
We quickly paralleled the group of bucks and headed to a vantage point that would give us a good look at the "bowl" they were headed to.
Once in position we immediately spotted "Thirty" along with another even large bodied 4x4. After they bedded for the day we planned our first stalk.
I stayed in my current position and used a series of flags and signals to help assist in the stalk and Larry circled around to approach from above.
As Larry closed the distance neither buck had a clue and soon the distance that separated them was 80 yards. From my perspective this was extremely exciting as the action happened.
A truly mature mule deer is a very difficult animal to hunt - it has very keen eyesight, hearing and sense of smell. I know we all hear stories of how "dumb" these animals can be but most of those stories are reflective of a 2 or 3-year-old animal. When it comes to hunting a 5+-year-old buck it's no different than our whitetails - it's tough - really tough.
At sixty yards Larry ran out of brush to hide behind and was waiting for the moment to cover some open ground when the wind switched. Once Larry felt the breeze on his neck he knew the gig was up and the bucks both arose from their beds heading for parts unknown.
Had it not been for that down draft we would have had "Thirty" very early into the hunt but then again we would not have had the chance to experience the days to come . . . stay tuned for day 4.
Day 4 - "So many bucks so little time"
I don't believe I've stressed this during my previous updates enough but we were hunting above treeline which is 11,000 -12,000 feet above see level. This takes alot of effort for a couple of Iowa flatlanders.
On the fourth Morning of the hunt we slept in a little and made it to our first vantage point around 8am. We managed to find a few good bucks - one being a thin but nice 4x4 with around a 28" spread - but we were looking for "thirty" as we had a score to settle from the day before.
We hiked another 1/2 mile and reached a rather new area and immediately found bucks - I was amazed as we saw more than 10 bucks with 4 or 5 being shooters. Now when I say shooter we were being very selective and I mean very selective as you will later find out. But we were staring at 5 deer that would score more than 170" - and some of you wonder why I didn't buy an elk tag.
In the bowl in front of us we found "Cheater" along with another stud of a 3x4 and some lesser bucks. And on a ridge that made up the left side of the bowl we found 2 other great bucks. The first had a rack that looked more like an Elk than a deer - it had forks in it's forks and probably had 18" back tines. He was very unique and very mature we estimated he would score around 170" - he was dubbed "Moose". The other had a very typical 4 point fraim with a sticker on his left side in-between his back forks that formed a triangle. He had a 28"+ spread and was very massive as was his body. We dubbed him "Forty Five". There were some other great bucks but they went over the ridge before we got a good look.
We stayed in position and watched for the bucks to begin bedding. Cheater and his buddy bedded in a very approachable position but that would mean Larry would have to ascend a very steep hill. Both Moose and Forty-five bedded under a juniper that could be approached from below. After a short discussion we elected to go after Cheater first then try for forty-five or Moose. As we planned the stalk I noticed a lesser buck bedded below Cheater staring in our direction. We were 1/2 mile away but he was alertly staring in our direction. We really didn't pay much attention as we figured they were to far away from our current position to spook. As Larry descended the back side of the ridge and up the Mountain I moved slightly to a new position. Once I put the scope back on that buck he just didn't like what he saw and decided to walk up and over the Mountain taking Cheater and some other bucks with him. After alerting Larry - we decided to go after Forty-Five and Moose. We also learned a lesson on the extreme sensitivity of these animals.
As Larry made his way toward our new location I backed off ever so carefully to get a better vantage point of the ridge and beyond. Once I got in position Larry was also in position about 175 yards below the bucks.
As I began glassing the ridge I couldn't believe my eyes - not only were Moose and Forty-Five laying right below that juniper but I was also looking at an incredible group of bucks that were just out of view before. To be honest at that point I was pretty flustered as my job was to help guide/assist Larry with his stalk and there were so many bucks and they appeared to be much bigger than both Moose and Forty-Five. In fact there were 6 more huge bucks two of which were giant 4x4's with spreads of more than 30". What was most incredible about these two bucks was their front forks which appeared to be just as long as their back forks - incredible is all I can say.
Now at this point I know what some of you are thinking - "there is no way they are seeing this many bucks". I understand this and am still amazed myself. In fact what is more amazing is the fact that our score estimates were very conservative, as you will later find out.
After some hard deliberating I finally figured there was no way to reach some of the really big bucks because of all of the animals on the ridge. So using my flags I directed Larry toward the two bedded bucks.
Watching Larry stalk is really a learning experience - he is very deliberate, moves very slow, glasses very often, and seems to blends in with his leafy camo and custom camo hat. He takes advantage of any background noise available - making his move during a sudden wind gust or a airplane flying above. As Larry worked slowly toward these our "target" bucks I notice a tine in the shadows while glassing. After further review and much deliberation I finally realized we had - Wow "Thirty" less than eighty yards away.
Right then my attention was solely on "Thirty" and trying to get Larry's attention. I immediately changed my flagging to "Thirty's" position and tried so desperately to get Larry's attention. Since Larry knew where the Juniper was he rarely relied on my signals and he was now only 40 yards away from Moose and "45". Finally I was able to get Larry's attention and I could only imagine what he thought I was trying to tell him. I even tried to spell out "30" with toilet paper. With the new flagging, which he was relying on, he started focusing on "Thirty's" location. Now here's where it gets interesting - on route to try and spot "Thirty" from above Larry snuck within 20 yards or less of both Moose and Forty-Five. Had Larry known this and wanted to he could have just stayed put and waited for one to stand up - game over. These tempters were not on his mind as he soon spotted Thirty and the stalk was on.
When stalking these deer you have to fool their eyes, ears and last but not least their nose. Fooling the eyes and ears really lies on the stalkers shoulders but when it comes to the nose you are really at the mercy of Mother Nature and the ever-shifting winds.
At Forty Yards Larry could see the rack but once again the wind switched and the buck rose to his feet. Within range but he did not present a clear shot and then just like that he was once again out of our grasp.
After the stalk we both watched as the bucks worked over the ridge and into the next bowl - there were 18 bucks in that group and all together we saw a total of 30+ bucks and 11 we figured were shooters.
When I finally met up with Larry I apologized for pulling him off of "45" and Moose but he just smiled when I told him as we discussed our game plan for the next day and the new target - one of those huge 4x4's caught Larry's eye
Day 5 - "So Close"
Around 8:30 we reached the same vantage point as the day before and quickly spotted bucks - in fact we spotted one of the huge 4x4's from the day before. To be honest we were so impressed with this deer, in fact mesmerized, that a name never really stuck. I guessed his rack was 5" or 6" outside of his ears on each side!
Looking back at our hunt in Colorado it was interesting to point out that our time spent a field was very different than most would expect. Most of our hunting time was spent between 8:30am and 5pm without heading back to camp for lunch. This is almost the exact opposite of the other elk hunters staying near our camp that were concentrating their efforts at lower elevations. These hours complimented our hunting style well as we were able to bed the deer down and await the steady and stronger winds of the mid-day.
Back to the big one - we watched in awe as he made his way toward a very approachable bedding area in the same bowl that we saw "Cheater" in the day prior. Not only did he bed down in a great spot but he also was nearly alone with only a few other bucks bedding below him.
Larry quickly made his move and began his long climb up the mountain and above the buck. An hour later found Larry quickly within 80 yards as he used the steady breeze to his advantage.
At this point in the stalk I was unable to see the buck as he was in some very deep cover but both Larry and I knew approximately where he was laying. At 35 yards Larry glassed and glassed an finally found him - he actually found antler tips. At this point it seemed as if time stood still as both seemed content to sit all day if need be. It was incredible to witness a hunt of this caliber unfold before my eyes. At times Larry would check yardages, move his position slightly with bow raised or practice draw and each time my heart beat soared. Larry was positioned above the deer at a very steep angle and the wind was very steady, maybe even a bit stronger than needed.
Finally the buck rose to his feet and Larry positioned himself and drew back. The buck offered a narrow shooting window through the brush and the arrow was on its way.
It was however a clean miss as it struck brush and flew over the buck's back.
I will never forget how that deer reacted after the shot - he ran well out of range and turned around and glared back in the direction of his near fatal encounter. His posture seemed almost as if he was trying to learn from this meeting while at the same time making a strong point that this was not the first arrow he has dodged in his lifetime.
Larry made one more stalk on the way back to meet up with me. He approached within 15 yards of a nice 4x4 that would score around 150" but this is not the buck we were after.
We met at the trail head and discussed the encounter, how lucky we were to just be able to hunt such and animal, why things happen for a reason, what was in store for us and how we would persevere. We also discussed downward shooting and the clinometer
Needless to say we arrived back in camp in time to shoot some arrows at extreme downward angles and develop a distance and pin selection strategy for the following days hunt.
Stay tuned for the conclusion of our 6-day hunt.
Day 6 - "Good News and Bad News"
Once again we found ourselves glassing a few secluded bowls that had hidden so many bucks the days prior. Today however the bucks were no where to be found - between the pressure we had put on them and the stronger than normal winds blowing straight into the hillside the majority of the bucks cleared out of the immediate area.
After a long assessment we decided to hike to the top of the ridge/mountain and try the spotting something on the other side. In fact we had seen nice bucks going to the other side of the Mountain throughout our hunt and if you remember on day 2 we actually started out on the other side and first spotted "Cheater".
From our vantage point we saw only a few bucks and nothing of size that we wanted to go after. It was now 10:30 and for the first time in the hunt we hadn't seen a shooter buck. Yesterday's hunt started to sink in a bit and it would have been easy to get discouraged and give up for the day.
At 12,000 feet and 5 days of hard hunting under your belt it takes a toll on you - both physically and mentally. To top it off we both had bouts of altitude sickness, dehydration, malnutrition and cold/flew like symptoms. Each day of the hunt was hard yet so very rewarding. At the end of each day we would always discuss perseverance, our resolve and determination throughout our hunt. Larry had continually mentioned getting a break and the possibility that our hunt would end with a stalk of a buck from literally above and be able to shoot him while he was still in his bed.
Back to the Mountain - on the peek we discussed a plan that would have us split up and meet back in camp 5 hours later. I would leave Larry to still-hunt toward a rock slide that we had glassed on day 2 while I went to look at some new locations. Our plans were to rendezvous at around 3:30 that afternoon.
Larry came rolling into camp just after 3pm - at first I didn't think much of it until I noticed he didn't have his bow or pack.
Then with an unmistakable grin Larry proclaimed "I've got good news and I've got bad news".
Noticing the blood on his arms I just smiled larger than life and my once exhausted body became recharged. I then blurted out "I want to hear the good news because I'm sure the bad news is you didn't shoot him by the road"
"The good news is they are bigger than we thought" smiled Larry. "I got Cheater".
The celebration began, as it was such a thrill to hear about such a successful ending to such a great hunt.
Larry still hunted to the topside of a rockslide we had watched 4 days prior and when he peaked over there was "Cheater" laying right below him. After positioning himself for a shot, Larry rose back into position and made it count on the bedded buck. Cheater expired after only 20 yards.
note that the buck was laying below the rock face in the background
Congratulations Larry on a super trophy not just because of it's score but because of the incredible 6 days of hard hunting that I was privileged to share in your pursuit.
* on a side note we had estimated Cheater's gross score prior to shooting him at around 185" with a 27" spread - he ended up scoring 200" with a 27" spread.