As I have learned from past experiences if your going to be successful out west on a DIY trip you will have to spend about half your time scouting, glassing, planning, and talking to the local farmers and ranchers (uncle and cousins) will do in this case. It all started right behind the house and I mean out the kitchen window as the sun was peeking up the first day I could see a good sized deer chasing does nothing really to get excited about its only the first day. So I let it get a light enough to see what he actually is and make note of this run of the mill standard 4 point buck for this part of the country. After riding around all day and scouting and going over possible bucks to stalk and options we see the deer again a mile down the road in my uncles corn field. Ok this is doable now theres some sort of cover. As we are glassing out nowhere come this young 7 x 5 buck and is wanting to challenge the other buck. They circle like dogs getting ready to fight only they smell each others rears. Ears pinned and the 7x5 said he didnt want any this year. Darkness falls and my blood is boiling.
Day Two I awake to different weather its now blowing a mix of snow sleet and rain. Another perfect day to ride around in the truck scouting. I look out the kitchen window and low and behold theres these two same bucks out in the wheat field getting a little salad and then off to the corn and a nap. Ok I might be onto a plan here. I talk it over with my father in law and uncle and they said to wait another day to see if he does it again before I try to get on one of them. So we wait around till the afternoon and here they are in the same corn field again. Darkness falls. Ok on the mile ride back to the house I said I have to try it in the morning.
Day Three I awake to clear and very cold conditions (19 degrees) and wind is a steady 20. So we all had come up with a plan and we drove down to the cornfield where we had seen these deer but its still dark. As we drive through the wheat field to get to the corn field I can make out bodies of deer all around me. Luckily they didnt run off they are used to big trucks and tractor and the likes. Ok heres the master plan We park at my uncles combine and act like we are there to work on it and get ready to pick corn. Its now getting light and can see lots of deer heading our way from the winter wheat. I ease out of the truck and quietly walk down the turn rows to get to where theres a bunch of trees and wait for them to come up out of the finger into the corn field. The wind is directly in my face and its pretty darn raw at 19* and theres deer filtering into the field like popcorn on a string down the game trail. All I have to do is wait my turn and not get busted. I sit crouched down next to a cottonwood for what seemed to be an eternity but was only 30 min and heres comes a hot doe and she stops around 18 yards and pees. I think to myself man this plan is really coming together now this is perfect. Not a min later I see some nice antler tips coming through the draw and I ready myself for the shot I have made this shot a million times in my head already and I'm already at half draw with my one piece longbow and hoping he will stop broadside and smell the natural fermones of my little lady friend. He stops and kinda has a grin on his face, curls his lips, and sniffs the spot and then looks directly at me but its too late 630 grains of cedar and steel are in flight. My arrow dissapears into the boiler room and as I watch him stuble away I am in awe and now standing and talking out loud to myself saying "Oh my thats a dead deer right there, come on go down" My arrow snaps off and plugs the hole (One of the downfalls of wood arrows) He has wheeled a 180 and is now bounding away and clears a fence with ease. My heart sinks as I watch him dissapear into the next pasture over and around the bend about 100 yards. I stop and listen and I can hear him coughing and I hear him struggling and kicking the grass and brush. He's down I'll go to the truck and warm up for about 15 min and give him some time. I wait and I claim my prize not the biggest but what I have learned out west is that you take any shot that presents itself and especially when its with a trad bow.
The first pics are some pics of the deer in the fields as I scouted them. Some are grainy and sorry for that but some pics are close to 1000 yards away. and then the last are pics of a what easterners call a 10 point. The deer was harvested with "Ole Trusty" this is a 55 pound one piece longbow that I built. I dont know what the deer scores and really am not all that interested in knowing but if any of you feel like throwing out a # heres a few of the measurements.
spread 25
beams 24
forks 13 and 14
mass 30 and 30
10 scorable points
The best thing about this hunt is that I was able to harvest both deer with two different bow that I hand crafter in my little shop. Awesome feeling!!!
thanks for looking
Shawn
A young 7 x 5 that will be a stud one day if he makes it.
The buck I was fortunate enough to harvest
I was able to sucessfully take this big old nanny too so the freezer is good
Topic: 5X5 Muley and Doe (Read 1113 times)
