It Begins!!! A Mule Deer Vacation 2015

[Tim]

Dave.....he does not want to shoot him, but rather use him for breeding stock.  LOL.....you're seeing this my way buddy!  Continue to check in...

[Tim]

So I glance down at my phone to see Mark's text message.  

"I'm covered up with deer and several nice bucks.  They are headed towards your stand over here.  If you hurry you can probably beat them there."

No need to ask twice!  Down I come to hustle across the 1/4 mile field.  Just as I was slipping through the high grass and juniper bush I see Mark making his way towards me.  

Mark said, "They are still in the field but look like they want to come this way".  He tucked himself into some juniper and I made my way another 100 yards and into my stand.  I glanced into the field and 200 yards out saw this!!!

   

[Izzy]

Originally posted by Tim:
Izzy my friend, I turned the corner in town and there it was!  Gotta luv it.  You are the first thing that came to mind!

No cop jokes!  Be careful out there buddy and all of you other police officers that make this world a safer place!              

Thank you brother! Beautiful women at your sides, blue skies overhead, deer in front of you!!! What more can a man ask for? Im tuned in and hope you get to hunt til the last minute and then fill your tag with Grandpas cousin!

[Tim]

The deer knew something was up, one doe in particular, that convinced every doe in the group to look our way.  The big stare down lasted for about 20 minutes before they faded back into the field.  

I sat for another 30 minutes pleading for the Gods of the Hunt to smile upon me and send them back.  The one buck was a good one, a very good one.  

There was still one buck in the field off by himself that was still worth a try.  I got down and started his way.  Low and behold, not 10 steps in his direction and the other group of deer came out of a depression and were headed over to join him.  Back in the game!!!

I dropped deeper into the woods and beat feet it down the field edge.  I got to about as far as I could go and still hunted back to the edge.  I didn't have very good visibility but could see a couple of does.  Again I stood my ground, fingers crossed.  A solid hour into it I caved and started home.  They had won the front nine.  Back to the house to recharge.

Here are few other guys that came into range of my Canon.

   

   

[Doc Nock]

Breeding stock... hmmm...well, that lasts so long unless your milking sperm, otherwise, it dies with them...

Sounds like Grandpa passed on plenty of genes into the deep end of the pool and could serve a higher purpose were the opportunity presented...alas, neighbor relations are important...

Seeing such great critters while afield is reward enough sometimes....sometimes!    :rolleyes:    

[Jayrod]

looking good tim!!!I am enjoying every minute of it I have a feeling that theres gonna be a MULEY on the ground soon for one of you guys...keep the pics coming that's GODS COUNTRY!!

[maineac]

What a grand trip!  Good luck and thanks for taking us along.

[Tim]

Not a whole lot to report in this evenings hunt.  ALMOST about sums it up.  

Cathy and I hung a stand in a funnel that connects two green fields.  I hunted this area last year and its a great travel corridor.  Last year I saw mostly does but did have several occasions when a few bucks would come through.  

We had some heavy rain this afternoon which blew out around 3:00.  I headed out the door around 4:00 figuring I'd catch the early crowd headed to the fields.  I hadn't even settled in when a doe and a fawn came through at 5 yards.  I had deer around me most of the night, maybe 15 in total.  

The stand provides great cover but they come from in back of me, so I had to really be paying attention.   The first thing I saw was his front leg.  He just appeared without a sound and he was close.....maybe 8 yards.  I was ready and only had to slide my lead foot to the right and tighten up on the string.  

There was no need for an antler check, I knew he was a good one right away.  He was still in velvet and although he wasn't too wide he was high and his horns where heavy.   Just a solid gorgeous 4x4, most likely in the 170 inch range.

I remember smiling to myself as I tightened on the string.... I gotcha I said to myself.  

[ANick]

That one poor deer a few posts up needs to be helped.  Dang fool somehow got a tree growin outta his forehead...

Hep the poor thing.  

Enjoy the heck out that trip!!

Nick

[Doc Nock]

Close counts in horseshoes, quoits, hand grenades, napalm and archery...

As ole Charlie Lamb used to say, "Being there was good enough..."

kudos on the restraint  

[Tim]

A beautiful morning here in Norwood.  We woke up to about 52 degrees and clear.  Mark and I hunted the same field edge this morning hoping to catch one of the bucks shown in the early picture.   We were probably 300 yards apart.  

Not a thing moved for the first 1 1/2 on stand.  About 7:45 several groups of does began to appear out of the high grass.  One moment nothing, the next the field is filling up.  Early not there was one decent buck and maybe 20 plus does.  About 8:30 a group of 4 large bucks showed up and began to filter down towards us.  I was set back aways and pretty much out of the game, unless they crossed the fence.  Mark on the other hand was right in the middle of it.

Mark had all four of the bucks walk right to the fence in front of him.  They wanted to cross but something in back of him had their attention but not enough for them to jump over.  So there they were, 4 very nice bucks standing face to face with Mark at 15 yards.  All 4 lined up with nothing exposed but their chest.  Mark waited and waited......

All at once they swapped ends and walked away.  He tightened up on the string, but it was too late.  Tightened up again and again, too late.  End of story was they just walked away.

An hour later two of them returned to Mark's stand, both walked in head on and spun and walked directly away.  As Mark said,  "I'm too old for this kind of stress"!

Again.....no tags filled so back at we go!

[Jayrod]

Darn       you had me on the edge of my seat Tim now GET IT DONE!!

[Doc Nock]

Jarrod,

AFter years of sitting in woods watching it fill up with fallen leaves and see nothing but squirrels to flutter my heart, being in those guys situation with good deer and that many deer, THAT close, seems pretty much what it's all about...

Used to be I felt archery was a "game of inches"...then it seemed it's a game of counties

Indeed, that proximity would definitely get your juices flowing!

[Huntrdfk]

Love this vacation/hunt Tim! Really want to see you and/or Mark put something on the ground, but man, what a hunt already!
Thanks for taking the time to share.

David

[Cool Springer]

Keep at it Tim.  Really enjoying the pics and stories.

[Tim]

Whoa....what a hopping night I had this evening!

I set a new stand in the corner of a high grass field that is maybe 2 acres in size.  The bucks like to use this corner to access the alfalfa field.  I got settled in early and was all fired up.  It was a great location and the stand settled into the tree wonderfully, just enough cant in the tree gave it a lounge chair feel...oh yea!

I settled in around 4:30, only to find that the tree was crawling with black ants!        Everywhere I looked was an ant!  I just decided to stick it out and stand all night.  Every few minutes I find one climbing up my leg.  Nothing big, just an annoyance.

Here's my incredible view.

   

Things happened early as a string of does and young bucks filtered into the field 80 yards from me.   One of the bucks had some kind of red netting woven throughout his rack.  If you zoom in on one of the pictures you should be able to see it.

A doe and fawn cut through not far from my stand so I snapped a nice picture.

   

[Tim]

Not long after I snapped the picture of the doe and yearling another group of bucks showed up.  I don't even remember what the "other" bucks looked like, only because the one had my full attention.  What a beauty!

 
 
 

I watched him for a good half an hour before he and the other 25+ deer moved around the corner and out of sight.

I was back praying to the Gods of the Hunt, but knew they had no reason to come back my way.  Another mis-calculation.

So I sat and waited and waited.  With about half an hour of daylight left I got down and quietly snuck through the woods.  I got about halfway down the tree line and took a chance and crept towards the edge.  With only 10 yards to go to the field I noticed a nice 4x4 30 yards into the field.  He had no idea I was there.    

I kid you not.....laying 5 foot from the buck was the big one, all I could see was his rack!

[Tim]

Just as I got settled in trying to figure out my next move a neighbor came down the adjacent stone lane.  Several of the does that were closer to the lane bumped in my direction.  The big buck stood up and turned my way.  I go that "holy sh..." feeling!  

Unfortunately he and his buddy cut into the woods 20 yards below me and I never got the chance.  What another incredible night on stand!  

 

[sheephunter]

Dang! At least you are getting into 'em!

[ChiefStingingArrow]

Aww man where is the rest of this story! Cant wait to hear what happened