and the long, cold sit continued. this was a total shock to me, i had seen so many bucks in there this morning, and they should be up! FINALLY, i heard something and readied myself, but alas, just 4 does fed on by. mid november and the rut in full swing i expected a buck at any time, but it just never happened. the sun was going down, there was a little on the hills in front of me but i was freezing in the shade. time to try to make something happen!
i got up, and hiked up behind me to the rim of the big canyon. i could see 3 or 4 does wayyyy down in the bottom, and heard something get up to leave from right below me in the thick buckbrush. i looped around the top to get in front of it, but was too late. and what a buck it was! no pics, but he was 27 inches or so wide, massive as heck, but not deep forked. he wouldnt have scored well, but this was a big old deer and i was busted. it hurt watching him bound away...
after that, i worked back behind me further, going over a nice looking plateau and dropping off into another when i saw a herd of deer. looked to be 10 or 11, and i saw one deer chasing a doe but couldnt see a rack on him in the distance. surely there was a herd buck with these guys?