OneCam
Well-Known Member
2006 High Country Muley Hunt
Semi-Live update taken from the pages of our PMA conference. If you enjoy the story of our hunt please consider becoming a PMA Member so you can track our 2007 hunt. Semi live updates will also be available in the PMA Conference in early September 07'.
-----------------------------------------
Each and every year Larry and I look forward to our annual rendezvous out West in search of monster muleys. This year was no exception because unlike years past we both had a tag to fill - thus Double Trouble and we were looking forward to escaping the day to day stresses of life. Past hunts included Larry shooting a 200” monster as well as my first serious muley hunt last year when I learned the ropes.
We certainly hope you enjoy this years recollection of another great adventure!
Pre-Season
We drove through the night and anxiously arrived at the trail head by 1pm … by 3pm our physically exhausted Iowa bodies and lungs arrived in our old standby glassing ridge where we've had such great luck in the past. The weather was overcast, cool and the undergrowth was still damp from the previous day’s rain.
Unlike previous years the Western Mountain Regions received plenty of rain over the summer. Lush green meadows abound throughout the entire mountain range because of the moist weather as apposed to the traditional higher elevation locations which hold snow latter into the year. This coupled with the increased intense lightning storms above tree-line seemed to increase the range for mature bucks and drive them at or below tree-line when typically they could be found above tree-line.
So there we were after a 20+ hour straight drive and hike to our favorite glassing area and we only managed to find few immature bucks. Needless to say we were hoping for better results but we new going into it this year could be different and we may have to adapt. We had one more day to scout prior our hunting season so we packed out and went to camp for a good nights sleep.
Day 2 of scouting was spent covering new ground in search of bucks above treeline. We covered much ground but the results were much the same - lack of our usual above treeline sightings. Larry was able to spot a couple of bucks on a remote mountain side that were mature but it was still to early to single them out as target bucks.
At the end of the day we were left in dismay and without a comfortable gameplan for our first day of actual hunting as rain and snow was in the forecast. Although we hadn't seen what we were hoping our spirits were high - we ultimately decided to try our old faithful spot one more time for the first day of hunting ...
------------------------------------------
Day 1 Hunting
We awoke at 4:30am to a steady rain and thick fog. In previous years
our hunting consisted of glassing for hours - watching and waiting to
find the right bucks and for them to move to a stalkable position.
The thought of sitting in the rain and fog didn't appeal to Larry or I much
so after not much debate we decided to make way for the nearest town in
search of additional rain gear and to restock our Gatorade supply.
By 10am the rain cleared and we were headed back up the Mountain to our
trail head. With snow forecasted later that evening and cloudy skies to our West were on our way to our old reliable location. A half hour into our hike the rain really kicked in and we found ourselves hiding under a couple of spruce trees for what seemed an hour. I awoke to Larry saying "let's go" as the rain let up.
We soon made it to our spot and we began glassing the high basins but nothing good was spotted immediately. We agreed to separate then touch base in an hour or so. Larry stayed put and I moved around the Mountain to get a better angle on a far ridge.
As I rounded the corner I immediately began to catch glimpses of bucks directly below me about 400 yards away. Realizing a good buck may be in the group I quickly moved to stealth mode, easing toward a cluster of brush directly above the group. Half way to my destination a great buck appeared – it had great tine length, deep front & back forks and looked to be nearly 30" wide – he was moving away toward a group of spruce and you guessed it, below tree-line. Then it started raining, then sleeting – I eventually made it to my destination and sunk in amongst the brush for cover from the weather.
I had 3 smaller bucks bedded with 60 yards directly below and the bigger buck which would have been within 50 yards 20 minutes earlier was now 150 yards away bedded under a spruce. A few other bucks were also bedded in between making a stalk difficult at best especially with the weather and possible unpredictable winds.
As we’ve learned in the past the best days for stalking are clear days as the wind is steady and more predictable. Overcast skies and fronts moving through make for inconsistent wind directions.
Soon after the sleet and rain subsided I backed out and Larry and I discussed our sightings. I had seen the only shooter buck and we decided to head down the mountain and back to camp as another front was closing in fast.
-----------------------------------------
Day 2 Hunt
We awoke to very cool weather with frost/snow on the ground. Our game plan for the day was to once again cover new ground in search of a big buck or two.
Once again we spent long hours and many miles without finding the caliber of bucks we were looking for.
It was a long day and uneventful day and we finally came to the realization that we were going to have to focus on the area we knew the best as we knew this year we had our work cut out for us.
The one positive note on the day was weather cleared up by midday and tomorrow’s forecast called for even more clear weather.
-----------------------------------------
Day 3 Hunt
We had an early start to day three with a revitalized game plan – I would go to our old reliable spot and Larry would take position on the opposite side of the Mountain. We planned to hunt separately in the AM and meet up around 1 o’clock.
I arrived just after Sunrise and immediately spotted multiple bucks feeding in the basin across from me. As if a switch was flipped there seemed to be shooter bucks coming out the woodwork. Then I recognized the big buck I had seen the first day of the hunt and he seemed to be heading back from feeding in the willow hillsides to the same location he was two days prior. I wasted little time as I packed my stalking gear and circled around to beat the buck back to his bedding area. With a steady cross wind I made it to an elevated patch of spruce within 50 yards where I expected the buck to come through.
Meanwhile Larry was glassing an area we hadn’t seen for more than two years. Things were definitely looking up as the clear weather seemed to draw the bucks out of the timber back into the high country. Old buck found a few big ones but nothing presented itself within a stakable position.
In my hideout I began to see smaller bucks through the trees below but nothing came close. About an hour into the stalk doubts swept through my mind and I slowly moved a few yards to a location where I could view the area better. Within 15 minutes in the new location I spotted movement 200 yards in the direction the bucks were coming from. There were 3 big bucks two of which I could make out fairly well as they bedded down in an unstalkable position.
By 10 o’clock the wind/thermals switched but as planned I was in the clear as I still had a side wind. With 3 big bucks bedded 200 yards away yet unstalkable I started thinking about an exit plan. I knew there would be a few bucks in the high meadows which I had seen earlier which would be in a better position for a stalk.
If you remember last year I was covered in big bucks every day and it was still tough going. I learned about every hard lesson there was to learn while letting these big bucks slip through my fingers – hopefully those lessons stuck as it was apparent this year started off with fewer opportunities. In fact day 3 was the first serious day of hunting and this was my first “stalk” of the hunt.
At 10:15 I decided to move up the hill a few yards to get a better view of the Mountainside in hopes of finding a few new bucks. As I reached my new location just a short distance away I noticed one of the original bucks getting up from his bed and the others had already gone – did I spook them? That’s when I noticed the big buck from day 1 step into the clearing I had just been sitting above and watching. I obviously moved to soon and hopefully I could redeem myself. Making up for my actions - I quietly snuck back down to my previous location.
The buck was now slowly feeding along in the original clearing I had been watching all morning. I had all the time in the world as I ranged the buck, caught my breath a played the shot through in my head. When I was ready I drew back, leveled the bow and settled the pin. The shot felt good but the buck seemed to jump the string and I heard a distinct high pitch crack as if I had hit a log or rock. How could I have missed - I thought to myself. In almost disbelief I gathered my gear and headed down to retrieve my arrow. That’s when I noticed the blood – I didn’t dare follow as I wasn’t sure of the hit so I backed out and made my way my original glassing point and my meeting spot with Larry.
While waiting for Larry I was nervous and unsure of the situation and I hoped for the best. I had a sense of confidence for the mere fact the shot felt so good which has always been a good indication in the past. So I waited, wondered and glassed.
Wow – look at that great buck! I found a shooter on the opposite Mountainside – very old, massive and wide.
Larry arrived an hour later and I recounted the story to him several times – we both were optimistic but new from experience it would be best to give him some time in case the hit wasn’t perfect. That’s when I showed him the buck on the Mountain and Larry was impressed. It didn’t take him long to decide to try his first stalk of the hunt as well. We set up our flagging system and he was on his way.
The weather was perfect and Larry was as sneaky as ever - within an hour and a half only 23 yards separated Old buck and his quarry.
-----------------------------------------
Getting a shot at the bedded buck proved to be impossible for Larry and he eventually settled in above the bedded buck(s) waiting for him to stand. What Larry did not know was the fact that our target buck actually switched beds with another good sized buck - Larry was watching the antler tips of a different buck. Because both bucks were shooter caliber and I was unable to see the original buck I decided to leave this fact out of my ground flagging instructions as to not confuse the situation.
Over the past few years Larry and I have had learned quite a few lessons trying to navigate each other into shooting opportunities. We finally found that multiple colors flags indicating our target buck, a common land mark, the hunter and other shooter and non-shooter deer. We would position the flags on the opposite hillside mirroring the stalking hunter while trying to replay actions with the flags as they happen. This approach really makes it interesting and intense for both hunters.
While Larry was at a stand still in his stalk I was able to capture a few pictures through the spotting scope, cat nap and of course replay my shot earlier that day. My shot was long distance (nearly 55 yards) downhill and it felt right – at the shot the deer ran over the hill and out of sight. I remember hearing the deer run stop and then a bit more noise before all seemed to be silent. When I reached the shot location though the blood was dark and almost seemed grainy at first – I only followed 5 yards into it for fear of jumping a wounded buck. As I looked ahead I did notice more blood on both sides of the trial. My mind wandered and I eventually came to the conclusion the deer jumped the string and I had hit the deer to far back entering in the guts and exiting the hip (which would have explained the loud crack after the shot).
While watching Larry’s stalk a couple of scenarios bring you back to reality while raising your heart rate in an instant: one is when Larry would practice draw his bow and the other when the target buck stands! As you can guess both happened throughout this stalk but when the target buck stood this was not a false alarm we had to take action. The flags started flying as the buck started feeding out on the opposite from which Larry was watching. I signaled to Larry using his color flag to move across the slope while repositioning the feeding buck’s flag indicating his new position and he was standing.
I caught Larry’s attention and he moved perfectly back across the mountainside – this is where things got a little hairy. Larry was expecting the buck in a slightly different location and just as Larry spotted the buck the buck also spotted Larry. The buck was unsure what it had seen as it only caught movement of Larry head.
Larry and I discussed a similar scenario prior to this stalk and we agreed that I would start making my best imitation of elk noises in efforts of distracting the buck and this is what I proceeded to do. With my lame imitations of an elk echoing through the valley the buck I was able to distract/confuse the buck a little. The buck was 30 yards away from Larry and in an instant he bounded down the hill – but as so many Muleys do he made a fatal mistake and stopped quartering at 40 yards - Larry did not hesitate and released the arrow just as the buck came to a stop after initially bounding off. What a scene unraveling through the spotting scope – and huge buck and my hunting partner matching wits – it was intense to say the least and Larry came through once again under extreme pressure. The shot was perfect and the big brute bulldozed down the mountain on his death run – we both saw the buck go down /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
When we approached the buck (I was about a half hour behind Larry) the buck grew – he was huge. Not only was his rack massive and wide but his body was tremendous. On this day Larry killed the oldest buck (and he says wisest buck on the mountain /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif Hugs and high fives were well deserved and after a picture session we started preparing the deer for the long haul out.
The buck had outstanding mass and a 31” outside spread!
It was now about 4pm and we both knew we had to concentrate on looking for my buck. As we arrived at the site of the shot early that day – I quickly replayed the events. Larry suggested I follow the blood and he would scan ahead. After 5 hours from the shot the blood started out tough to spot but we still followed smoothly. We were only 40 yards from the location of the hit and Larry calmly said, “Look , Look” .
There he was lying on his back under a log only 50 yards from the hit. The arrow had hit perfect – double lung! What a great buck with long tines and an outside spread of 29 ½”
After replaying the shot I know realize what I had seen – instead of the buck jumping the string he was actually reacting to the hit and the noise was from the arrow carrying enough momentum after passing through the buck as it hit rocks or a tree. At first I was a little down on myself for misreading the shot as we could have recovered the deer within minutes of the shot but then it was apparent that had we done that Larry would not have stalked his monster – it worked out perfect!
We had another great hunt which we were happy to share!
2006 Double – High Country Muley's
Semi-Live update taken from the pages of our PMA conference. If you enjoy the story of our hunt please consider becoming a PMA Member so you can track our 2007 hunt. Semi live updates will also be available in the PMA Conference in early September 07'.
-----------------------------------------
Each and every year Larry and I look forward to our annual rendezvous out West in search of monster muleys. This year was no exception because unlike years past we both had a tag to fill - thus Double Trouble and we were looking forward to escaping the day to day stresses of life. Past hunts included Larry shooting a 200” monster as well as my first serious muley hunt last year when I learned the ropes.
We certainly hope you enjoy this years recollection of another great adventure!
Pre-Season
We drove through the night and anxiously arrived at the trail head by 1pm … by 3pm our physically exhausted Iowa bodies and lungs arrived in our old standby glassing ridge where we've had such great luck in the past. The weather was overcast, cool and the undergrowth was still damp from the previous day’s rain.
Unlike previous years the Western Mountain Regions received plenty of rain over the summer. Lush green meadows abound throughout the entire mountain range because of the moist weather as apposed to the traditional higher elevation locations which hold snow latter into the year. This coupled with the increased intense lightning storms above tree-line seemed to increase the range for mature bucks and drive them at or below tree-line when typically they could be found above tree-line.
So there we were after a 20+ hour straight drive and hike to our favorite glassing area and we only managed to find few immature bucks. Needless to say we were hoping for better results but we new going into it this year could be different and we may have to adapt. We had one more day to scout prior our hunting season so we packed out and went to camp for a good nights sleep.
Day 2 of scouting was spent covering new ground in search of bucks above treeline. We covered much ground but the results were much the same - lack of our usual above treeline sightings. Larry was able to spot a couple of bucks on a remote mountain side that were mature but it was still to early to single them out as target bucks.
At the end of the day we were left in dismay and without a comfortable gameplan for our first day of actual hunting as rain and snow was in the forecast. Although we hadn't seen what we were hoping our spirits were high - we ultimately decided to try our old faithful spot one more time for the first day of hunting ...
------------------------------------------
Day 1 Hunting
We awoke at 4:30am to a steady rain and thick fog. In previous years
our hunting consisted of glassing for hours - watching and waiting to
find the right bucks and for them to move to a stalkable position.
The thought of sitting in the rain and fog didn't appeal to Larry or I much
so after not much debate we decided to make way for the nearest town in
search of additional rain gear and to restock our Gatorade supply.
By 10am the rain cleared and we were headed back up the Mountain to our
trail head. With snow forecasted later that evening and cloudy skies to our West were on our way to our old reliable location. A half hour into our hike the rain really kicked in and we found ourselves hiding under a couple of spruce trees for what seemed an hour. I awoke to Larry saying "let's go" as the rain let up.
We soon made it to our spot and we began glassing the high basins but nothing good was spotted immediately. We agreed to separate then touch base in an hour or so. Larry stayed put and I moved around the Mountain to get a better angle on a far ridge.
As I rounded the corner I immediately began to catch glimpses of bucks directly below me about 400 yards away. Realizing a good buck may be in the group I quickly moved to stealth mode, easing toward a cluster of brush directly above the group. Half way to my destination a great buck appeared – it had great tine length, deep front & back forks and looked to be nearly 30" wide – he was moving away toward a group of spruce and you guessed it, below tree-line. Then it started raining, then sleeting – I eventually made it to my destination and sunk in amongst the brush for cover from the weather.
I had 3 smaller bucks bedded with 60 yards directly below and the bigger buck which would have been within 50 yards 20 minutes earlier was now 150 yards away bedded under a spruce. A few other bucks were also bedded in between making a stalk difficult at best especially with the weather and possible unpredictable winds.
As we’ve learned in the past the best days for stalking are clear days as the wind is steady and more predictable. Overcast skies and fronts moving through make for inconsistent wind directions.
Soon after the sleet and rain subsided I backed out and Larry and I discussed our sightings. I had seen the only shooter buck and we decided to head down the mountain and back to camp as another front was closing in fast.
-----------------------------------------
Day 2 Hunt
We awoke to very cool weather with frost/snow on the ground. Our game plan for the day was to once again cover new ground in search of a big buck or two.
Once again we spent long hours and many miles without finding the caliber of bucks we were looking for.
It was a long day and uneventful day and we finally came to the realization that we were going to have to focus on the area we knew the best as we knew this year we had our work cut out for us.
The one positive note on the day was weather cleared up by midday and tomorrow’s forecast called for even more clear weather.
-----------------------------------------
Day 3 Hunt
We had an early start to day three with a revitalized game plan – I would go to our old reliable spot and Larry would take position on the opposite side of the Mountain. We planned to hunt separately in the AM and meet up around 1 o’clock.
I arrived just after Sunrise and immediately spotted multiple bucks feeding in the basin across from me. As if a switch was flipped there seemed to be shooter bucks coming out the woodwork. Then I recognized the big buck I had seen the first day of the hunt and he seemed to be heading back from feeding in the willow hillsides to the same location he was two days prior. I wasted little time as I packed my stalking gear and circled around to beat the buck back to his bedding area. With a steady cross wind I made it to an elevated patch of spruce within 50 yards where I expected the buck to come through.
Meanwhile Larry was glassing an area we hadn’t seen for more than two years. Things were definitely looking up as the clear weather seemed to draw the bucks out of the timber back into the high country. Old buck found a few big ones but nothing presented itself within a stakable position.
In my hideout I began to see smaller bucks through the trees below but nothing came close. About an hour into the stalk doubts swept through my mind and I slowly moved a few yards to a location where I could view the area better. Within 15 minutes in the new location I spotted movement 200 yards in the direction the bucks were coming from. There were 3 big bucks two of which I could make out fairly well as they bedded down in an unstalkable position.
By 10 o’clock the wind/thermals switched but as planned I was in the clear as I still had a side wind. With 3 big bucks bedded 200 yards away yet unstalkable I started thinking about an exit plan. I knew there would be a few bucks in the high meadows which I had seen earlier which would be in a better position for a stalk.
If you remember last year I was covered in big bucks every day and it was still tough going. I learned about every hard lesson there was to learn while letting these big bucks slip through my fingers – hopefully those lessons stuck as it was apparent this year started off with fewer opportunities. In fact day 3 was the first serious day of hunting and this was my first “stalk” of the hunt.
At 10:15 I decided to move up the hill a few yards to get a better view of the Mountainside in hopes of finding a few new bucks. As I reached my new location just a short distance away I noticed one of the original bucks getting up from his bed and the others had already gone – did I spook them? That’s when I noticed the big buck from day 1 step into the clearing I had just been sitting above and watching. I obviously moved to soon and hopefully I could redeem myself. Making up for my actions - I quietly snuck back down to my previous location.
The buck was now slowly feeding along in the original clearing I had been watching all morning. I had all the time in the world as I ranged the buck, caught my breath a played the shot through in my head. When I was ready I drew back, leveled the bow and settled the pin. The shot felt good but the buck seemed to jump the string and I heard a distinct high pitch crack as if I had hit a log or rock. How could I have missed - I thought to myself. In almost disbelief I gathered my gear and headed down to retrieve my arrow. That’s when I noticed the blood – I didn’t dare follow as I wasn’t sure of the hit so I backed out and made my way my original glassing point and my meeting spot with Larry.
While waiting for Larry I was nervous and unsure of the situation and I hoped for the best. I had a sense of confidence for the mere fact the shot felt so good which has always been a good indication in the past. So I waited, wondered and glassed.
Wow – look at that great buck! I found a shooter on the opposite Mountainside – very old, massive and wide.
Larry arrived an hour later and I recounted the story to him several times – we both were optimistic but new from experience it would be best to give him some time in case the hit wasn’t perfect. That’s when I showed him the buck on the Mountain and Larry was impressed. It didn’t take him long to decide to try his first stalk of the hunt as well. We set up our flagging system and he was on his way.
The weather was perfect and Larry was as sneaky as ever - within an hour and a half only 23 yards separated Old buck and his quarry.
-----------------------------------------
Getting a shot at the bedded buck proved to be impossible for Larry and he eventually settled in above the bedded buck(s) waiting for him to stand. What Larry did not know was the fact that our target buck actually switched beds with another good sized buck - Larry was watching the antler tips of a different buck. Because both bucks were shooter caliber and I was unable to see the original buck I decided to leave this fact out of my ground flagging instructions as to not confuse the situation.
Over the past few years Larry and I have had learned quite a few lessons trying to navigate each other into shooting opportunities. We finally found that multiple colors flags indicating our target buck, a common land mark, the hunter and other shooter and non-shooter deer. We would position the flags on the opposite hillside mirroring the stalking hunter while trying to replay actions with the flags as they happen. This approach really makes it interesting and intense for both hunters.
While Larry was at a stand still in his stalk I was able to capture a few pictures through the spotting scope, cat nap and of course replay my shot earlier that day. My shot was long distance (nearly 55 yards) downhill and it felt right – at the shot the deer ran over the hill and out of sight. I remember hearing the deer run stop and then a bit more noise before all seemed to be silent. When I reached the shot location though the blood was dark and almost seemed grainy at first – I only followed 5 yards into it for fear of jumping a wounded buck. As I looked ahead I did notice more blood on both sides of the trial. My mind wandered and I eventually came to the conclusion the deer jumped the string and I had hit the deer to far back entering in the guts and exiting the hip (which would have explained the loud crack after the shot).
While watching Larry’s stalk a couple of scenarios bring you back to reality while raising your heart rate in an instant: one is when Larry would practice draw his bow and the other when the target buck stands! As you can guess both happened throughout this stalk but when the target buck stood this was not a false alarm we had to take action. The flags started flying as the buck started feeding out on the opposite from which Larry was watching. I signaled to Larry using his color flag to move across the slope while repositioning the feeding buck’s flag indicating his new position and he was standing.
I caught Larry’s attention and he moved perfectly back across the mountainside – this is where things got a little hairy. Larry was expecting the buck in a slightly different location and just as Larry spotted the buck the buck also spotted Larry. The buck was unsure what it had seen as it only caught movement of Larry head.
Larry and I discussed a similar scenario prior to this stalk and we agreed that I would start making my best imitation of elk noises in efforts of distracting the buck and this is what I proceeded to do. With my lame imitations of an elk echoing through the valley the buck I was able to distract/confuse the buck a little. The buck was 30 yards away from Larry and in an instant he bounded down the hill – but as so many Muleys do he made a fatal mistake and stopped quartering at 40 yards - Larry did not hesitate and released the arrow just as the buck came to a stop after initially bounding off. What a scene unraveling through the spotting scope – and huge buck and my hunting partner matching wits – it was intense to say the least and Larry came through once again under extreme pressure. The shot was perfect and the big brute bulldozed down the mountain on his death run – we both saw the buck go down /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
When we approached the buck (I was about a half hour behind Larry) the buck grew – he was huge. Not only was his rack massive and wide but his body was tremendous. On this day Larry killed the oldest buck (and he says wisest buck on the mountain /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif Hugs and high fives were well deserved and after a picture session we started preparing the deer for the long haul out.
The buck had outstanding mass and a 31” outside spread!
It was now about 4pm and we both knew we had to concentrate on looking for my buck. As we arrived at the site of the shot early that day – I quickly replayed the events. Larry suggested I follow the blood and he would scan ahead. After 5 hours from the shot the blood started out tough to spot but we still followed smoothly. We were only 40 yards from the location of the hit and Larry calmly said, “Look , Look” .
There he was lying on his back under a log only 50 yards from the hit. The arrow had hit perfect – double lung! What a great buck with long tines and an outside spread of 29 ½”
After replaying the shot I know realize what I had seen – instead of the buck jumping the string he was actually reacting to the hit and the noise was from the arrow carrying enough momentum after passing through the buck as it hit rocks or a tree. At first I was a little down on myself for misreading the shot as we could have recovered the deer within minutes of the shot but then it was apparent that had we done that Larry would not have stalked his monster – it worked out perfect!
We had another great hunt which we were happy to share!
2006 Double – High Country Muley's