(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010129.jpg)
I never had much time to hunt mule deer during the September archery season because of a bison and sheep tag in my pocket. I had to devote all my free time to those very important tags. With work being really busy, I only had two days during the rifle season in October to find a buck to stalk. I chose this area because there are no roads going in here, and that keeps the gun hunters out.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010130.jpg)
A couple photos of the area I hunted.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010133.jpg)
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010136.jpg)
The first morning I spotted a buck working his way up between these two ridges. He was a nice 4 point on one side, and the other side was a giant fork is all. Not alot of deer in this country, so beggars cannot be choosers. I went for him.
I ran clean around about 3/4 mile total, to get the wind right and set-up on him. My plan worked. I just got to the spot when I seen him coming. I was stuck skylined on the little ridge to the right. He didn't see me until I drew back on him. He looked right up at me, and I let the arrow go. He spun as fast as a whitetail, and my Woodsman Elite tipped Douglas Fir smashed into the rocks. I couldn't believe it! I have had every other mulie that caught me, stand there and take the arrow. On one good note, I didn't wound him, and my arrow and broadhead came out fine. Just my pride was hurt.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010140-1.jpg)
I spent the rest of the day hiking and glassing a bunch of country without seeing another deer.
Great so far and I am hoping there is more!!!
Some fine country there and great pics showing how vast it is.
No on with the rest of the story!!
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010134.jpg)
I did find this nice bull hiding back in these badlands.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010152.jpg)
...and this nice pronghorn.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010147.jpg)
There is some really neet stuff back in here.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010156.jpg)
The next day I started hunting farther to the north of this area. I glassed from this ridge and found a decent buck with several does and fawns. I watched them for about an hour waiting to see where the buck would bed. In the pic, the deer were about 3/4 mile away from me. They were in the sage below the tree filled ridge.
The buck ended up going down in a wash, and never came out. I figured he bedded in there somewhere, but where?
I headed clean around the backside of the tree filled ridge, got on top, and glassed down in the wash. I found the does bedded up in the sagebrush, but no buck yet.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010162.jpg)
Here is a view of the wash from above. This pic was taken with my 12X camera. I could not see the buck with my 8x30 swaros, so I got my Nikon 13-30x50 spotting scope out.
There he was, I spotted just a fork of his antlers in the shaded area. Time to make my move!
I had two problems though. The buck was bedded with the wind at his back, and those does were spread out everywhere around him.
The only way I could possibly make this work, was to sneak up the wash with him facing that direction.
:campfire:
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010167.jpg)
The wash had a few bends in it which helped a bunch. I was able to get 30 yards from him, until I could not move any closer.
I waited with an arrow nocked, hoping he would get up soon to pee, or move once the sun started hitting him. After about 30 minutes he got up and started feeding my way. My heart was pounding, and I thought he would hear it! At 25 yards, he turned broadside and I got the shot.
He was bedded about center of pic in the shade under the sage.
Great pics and story! Can't wait for the rest...hey is that a shed laying there in your 4th post? :)
I bet that bull doesn't get much pressure out there :)
:campfire:
and then....
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010168.jpg)
Here is a closer look at his bed.
At the shot, I heard a loud crack, and the buck ran up out of the wash out of my sight. I got up out of there and saw him about 50 yards away about to fall over. I let him be, and hiked back to the top of the ridge to get my pack. I glassed for him from up there, but could not see him.
I waited about 30 minutes and headed back to the spot where I shot him. I found the last 1/3rd of my arrow. I thought I had a passthrough, but I guess not. I then followed the blood trail, and spotted the buck not 20 yards from where I last saw him. I checked him through my binos, and saw he was still alive, as his belly was moving. His eyes were closed, and I nocked an arrow and tried to get another shot in him. Because of the brush he was in, I had to get close, like about 7-8 yards. Then he seen me, got up running, I shot, hit him high through the backstraps, cussed myself, then watched him fall after around 75 yards.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010180.jpg)
I found on the first shot, the arrow hit his leg bone, glanced back through one lung and liver. That is what the loud crack was I heard.
Very cool pic's and great story. :campfire:
:campfire:
Nice deer and story. Congratulations.
Fantastic story great buck! :thumbsup:
Great buck Tracy!! Congrats!! :thumbsup:
You sure are deadly . Congrats on a beautiful, beautiful animal.
Great job and story. Congrats on a fine animal.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010176.jpg)
I got some pics, got him quartered, loaded the backstraps and one front quarter in my Bison Gear pack, and headed the mile plus, all up hill, to the truck.
Nice thread. You tell a nice story and move it along with pictures at the right time. Congrats on a nice buck. Bet it felt good hauling him out through the rifle hunters.
I returned with my big freighter pack for the rest of the meat and head.
What a fine day!
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010182.jpg)
What kind of quiver is that? How many arrows does it hold.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010186.jpg)
On my way out with that last load, I found this little seep full of antelope tracks. Great spot for an ambush! I will be here this coming August, you can bet on that.
Thanks for looking.
:campfire:
Awesome! What a great story and buck :campfire:
FANTASTIC!
chris <><
Great story and pics. Real nice deer too. :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by awbowman:
What kind of quiver is that? How many arrows does it hold.
That quiver a friend made for me. It is for 3 blade heads, all leather except for one screw and the rubber arrow gripper. It holds 2 arrows. I have a Bison Gear pack with the optional back quiver, and I keep a couple blunts, and a couple extra broadhead tipped arrows in there. This system works well for me.
Nicely done congratulations
WOOOO HOOOOO! Great story, and a great buck. Thanks for sharing. I'm impressed that you thought to compose and take photos as you are stalking that guy-I would have been to anxious to even think of my camera until it was over. :thumbsup:
Awsome!Congrats :clapper:
Love seeing those prairie badlands, and nice story telling, and not a bad buck, either. :campfire:
Good strategy!Well planned hunt.Congrats.
So cool ! thanks for the travel !
Congrats! Thanks for the story and pics :campfire:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :notworthy: :notworthy: Well done..........
NICE,,,,
Great hunt thanks for sharing. Congrats
Great story, did you have any encounters with rifle hunters while you were there, how far were you from the road total?
great story and deer and pictures ,can't wait to hear the antelope stories
Oh, I want to hunt those wide open spaces sooooo bad.
Beautiful buck!
I have max deer points in WY, so have been looking at different areas
Do you have any pictures showing your pack and quiver set up?
Great story and pics :campfire:
Yeah mule deer hunt is something I've been dreaming about. Great hunt and story.
Great story, pictures and of course buck.
Jack
Nice story and pictures. Good luck on the antelope...August is just a few short months away.
great story and thank you for sharing!!!
Very Cool :thumbsup:
Very nice.Thanks for taking us along.
Leland
Great job all the way around.
your getting me all worked up about deer huntin way to early in the year, great story and pics, thanks.
Great story, beautiful pictures, and an awesome buck.
Thanks for taking us along.
Fantastic story and pics.....thanks for sharing.
Congrats!!
What a great story and wonderful pics...this needs to be in a magazine. Thank you for taking the time to share.
persistance pays off.way to go.
Awesome Tracy just Awesome thank you.
What a story!
Thanks! :thumbsup:
Outstanding job!!!!
legbone or no, a dead deer is a dead deer :archer2: congrats
Good plan, great execution. Wonderful story and pics. Would be a dream hunt for me. Thank you for sharing this adventure.
Gerald
Way to go sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Outstanding!
:bigsmyl: Well done! That is a beautiful deer. I take it you had no elk tag for the area?
Very impressive!
Great buck ,and great story.I can never get enough MULE DEER storys.Thanks for sharing. :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Makes me excited for deer season... Thanks
Great story and pic's, one good looking buck. Utah has about the same country, no wonder I moved here from California.
Great, great story!
I am always amazed to see good, and some times great bucks bed down in little more than a ditch where they can't see any distance at all.
I use to think they would only bed on sage knolls or high places where they could have a commanding view.
And to get around without spooking the does!
Great story, photos! Think I will apply for Nevada this week!
Bob
Great deer and hunt. :thumbsup:
Very nice Deer :thumbsup:
Fantastic buck and story! Well done!! :thumbsup:
Very well done sir. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
What a great story and fantastic pictures! You have a way with words and taking us along on your hunts. Wyoming has some beautiful country. Once again you have shown us what a really good hunter can do to complete a successful hunt. Thanks for sharing!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Great story, pics, and buck. Congrats on a job well done. :archer2:
Cool, great mulie and pics congrats!
congrats on a great hunt.
That was just awesome!! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome hunt, thanks for taking us along!
What a great story. Well done. That area looks so great,Congratulations.
Chuck
That was great! What afine buck too!
Dang I miss wyoming.
Thats a fine buck and fine story. Those pic's sure make me miss the Big Wonderful.
Sure makes a body draw a deep breath just lookin at that awesome scenery.
Great ride along! Thanks and Congrats!
That's what I'm talkin about! Great hunt, story and deer. Well done sir!
Love the pics, I want to hunt out west so bad i can taste it. thanks for a great post
:clapper: Outstanding! Great pics and story.
:bigsmyl: :thumbsup: Too cool, Great story and picks Tracy!!
Tracy
AWESOME!!!! :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by Steve O:
Oh, I want to hunt those wide open spaces sooooo bad.
Beautiful buck!
I have max deer points in WY, so have been looking at different areas
Do you have any pictures showing your pack and quiver set up?
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/IMG_2084.jpg)
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/IMG_2175.jpg)
Here ya go Steve O, and PM will be sent about a good deer area for you.
Thanks Tracy! I am going to have to talk to Angelo a little more about that setup.
that looks pretty good!
Very nice muley buck! Great story and pics too! Congrats!
Excellent, I love the stories with good photos, and I'm partial to windy Wyoming. Did I miss your earlier stories about the sheep and bison hunts?
Is that little seep gonna be me and 4Fingers spot:) LOL!
It just may be Keith! Only the best spots for you two.
Jeff, I did a thread on my bison hunt, I'll try to find it.
Great story and loved the pic's. What bow are you shooting and what were the spec's? Thanks
I shot one of my Pronghorns, 60", 59 @ 28".
Thanks for all the fine replies. Thanks to FerretWYO for showing me how to post pics! I hope to share more in the future.
WONDERFUL PICS and Story Tracy!!!!!
Congratulations :clapper:
Great story Great Hunt Great Buck!
Great hunt! Very very well done. Congratulations he is a dandy! :clapper: :clapper:
Nice buck and good hunt story. Thanks
Great thread here. Tracy nows how to tell a story with pictures for sure.
I was looking for this story. Thanks for bringing it back to the top.
Great story, pics, and buck! Nice job, Tracy!
WTH! I don't get the title of this thread.
QuoteMy 2010 rifle season mule deer with story & pics
:dunno:
Great read and pics! Congrats
Congratulations on a dandy buck, and great pics.
thanks, Barry
Just re-read your story. I'm just as impressed as the first time I read it. Beautiful buck, and impressive country. Great photos, too.
QuoteOriginally posted by MikeW:
WTH! I don't get the title of this thread.
QuoteMy 2010 rifle season mule deer with story & pics
:dunno: [/b]
Not sure what your missing. Read the story. He took a great deer with his bow on public land during rifle season.
great story and thank you for sharing!!!
Tracy,
Thanks for sharing photos and story on TradGang!
Great hunting, good shooting and a great buck!
Larry :archer:
Great story, Thanks!