Was out hunting since Veterans Day, got back last night. Went out to Westby with a few friends and hunted ditch pigeons from Friday until Sunday. I took my girl Pearl who is either really, really good, or really, really bad. This time she was the latter. My friends GSP's did all the heavy lifting this time.
I headed to a ranch farther west on the Canadian border that I have permission to hunt, and without the long story I wound up gaining access to another private parcel that was holding a herd of mule deer. The area was in an exceptional drought and another rancher had a parcel that was green with wild oats- that's where the bulk of the deer I saw were holding.
It is a long story- involves two days of SUPER high winds- like 50mph sustained, lots of searching, some attempts at drawing those deer out of that drainage (before I had permission to hunt it), some trespassers who ruined another guys hunt... Heck of a deal..
ANYWAY... Friday morning I got onto the private parcel up high and parked in a hidey hole I scouted the day before. I was there at 5:00 a.m. well before shooting light. As they day started to rise I was greeted by a welcome group of visitors.
Love is in the air!! Isn't that a cool shot? They had no idea I was there. Pretty soon I could see dozens and dozens more- most 400-500 yards away- all headed towards those oats. Bingo! I waited until the deer activity around me died down then I went out on foot to glass them from the ditches and see if there was a good buck in the group. After about 45 minutes of stalking the drainage and popping my head up and glassing the stubble/oats I managed to see 3 distinct mature bucks, and one I had the crosshairs on one at 250 yards and said to myself- "Oh yeah- you're the bad boy around here right now". He was hot on a doe and I could not make an ethical shot, so I pulled back, went back to the truck grabbed some coffee and hatched another plan. I wanted that old buck.
To make a long morning story short I made a 1.5 mile stalk following drainages and topography to move west literally 1,000 yards or less. I grabbed a big ball of tumbleweed and pulled up a sage bush and had in my left hand as I hauled my rifle in my right. I moved over and up into a big drainage that cuts two of these fields- I had 2-3 does 400 yards away watching me but not alarmed- yet. I followed the edge of the high field until I began to crest and see a wider view. I could see a dozen or so deer- 500 yards or more out. I was in a crappy place to shoot so I went old school and put my junk in the dirt and dragged my rifle about 75-100 yards to a better vantage. I saw this-
The rut was full on and those three big bucks were running hot does in circles. Deer were pouring out from my right up the hill to my left. You can see that two track-
Where that deer is standing to the far left is where that one big buck I spied ran to (I had ditched the camera at this point and was getting set to shoot). Basically one hill closer. I hit him with the rangefinder- 398yards.
I got comfy, dialed 400yards on the scope of my 7mm-mag, loaded the bi-pod and locked the stock in my shoulder, he stood still just long enough...
He's a heavy old troll of a buck. Non-typical, still shedding some velvet- awesome character on the rack.
I loaded him up, went back to the ranch, thanked everyone and told them I'd be back with a friend after thanksgiving to hunt some does.