Deer hunting BS thread

Well no pics of my wifes deer finished. We had a medical Emergency that will probably bench me for the rest of the season. Had to leave work and my buddy took all the heads home. Might get it this weekend. Will post pics when I get it!

 

Take care of yourself first Man

 

Got my first mule deer buck this last weekend in Kremmling, CO on GMU 181.

 

Word. Thankfully everyone is ok, we're just on high alert ATM.

Congrats on the buck!

Glad you weren't near GMU 27

https://www.9news.com/article/news/...mling/73-4b82ae32-afbc-459d-b2cd-7d4a0844e01d

 

Had a first happen just a bit ago. Getting all set up in my stand. I take my quiver off the bow. Go to hang it on a hook and not paying attention. Quiver falls and lands straight up. Climb down and retrieve the quiver. Had to clean the mud out of the knocks.
First and last time for everything.

 

Get eyes on the East Troublesome burn at all while you were up there?

 

I did not, most of the area has reopened and the fire has died down substantially over the last few weeks fortunately. I shed hunt near where it started.

 

Cole and I are going in the morning with his rifle. Hopefully to get him his first buck. We gave them some warning shots last week with the muzzle loader so there’s that

 

good luck!

 

I'm new here but gotta jump in on this thread as I'm an avid bow hunter. Here's a nice buck I killed and how it went down.

October 17th started with another cold morning, temps below freezing. Off to a late start I was feeling a sense of urgency high stepping it down the trail towards my stand passing 3 other hunters. I knew I was in trouble when I saw two of them shining white lights and one carrying a cross bow. Morning light was already creeping in and I glanced down to see my sight pins already talking to me. As I started down my path skirting the thicket I heard a grunt, a buck grunt, and it was CLOSE! I froze and seconds later was gifted a single wheeze topped with a white tail disappearing into the thicket. CRAP! I quickly covered the remaining ground to my tree and as I climbed my steps were no longer silent in these cold temps and I heard another deer run off from the right corner of the thicket. CRAP!! At this point I’m kicking myself in the ass for being late. Then as I got situated in my stand I heard another deer run thru the corner of the thicket. CRAP!!!

All goes quiet and I’m on the edge of my seat as the sun rises. Birds are plentiful and keeping me company as I started to slowly relax. More time goes by and I occasionally heard what I thought was deer movement but it goes unconfirmed. More time passed and by now I’m guessing deer activity was over and, not ready to leave, I’m content to bird watch and take in the fall colors. Brown thrashers, chickadees vie for my attention and when I did look up I instantly locked onto a stationary rectangular blob in the thicket shadows. I questioned what I was seeing as every muscle in my body was instantly charged, ready. The head came up revealing antlers and I drew my bow. He was on that same trail I watched the deer use the last few times I hunted this spot and was only a step away from a small opening I’d cleared of branches a few days earlier. He started easing forward and my 30 pin was waiting for him. He eased forward one more time and without thought my arrow flew in a perfect line and hit right behind the shoulder.

Like a rocket he bolted with complete disregard for anything in his path. Brush tops and saplings shook as he went over the edge and down into the marsh followed by sounds of more brush breaking…then silence. I sat in disbelief. It happened so fast and took several moments to process what had just happened. Excitement hit me and I was shaking like a leaf as I packed up my gear anxious to climb down and find my buck. Did I waited 30 minutes? Hell no, waiting is for pansies…or poor shots!

Climbing down I slipped into the thicket to retrieve my arrow and saw half of it on the ground several yards from where I shot. I looked closer and saw NO blood on the fletching but good blood on the front end of the remaining arrow shaft. Hmmm. I began to track and found only a few drops of blood then nothing, staring to worry. I then went to where he ran over the edge and down into the marsh to hopefully find a blood trail. Walked back and forth but found nothing, not a drop. CRAP! I took a moment to reassess and based on what I heard concluded he'd followed the brush line down the embankment and into the marsh.

Starting down the embankment I found his tracks along with a few drops of blood, and then a good bit more...feeling better. I had a blood trail and knew this is where he went into the marsh, "If he’s in there I WILL find him" I convinced myself. After a few more drops the blood trail vanished again until I happened to look up and find blood on top of a clump of brush over 4’ high. Looking at it again I realized he'd actually jumped over that brush. On the other side the blood search continued and I found more drops headed deeper into thick marsh. Focusing on the trail right in front of me I slowly made my way deeper into the marsh and when I glanced up was almost startled seeing a white tail a few steps in front of me.

It turned out my shot was good and he only went about 50 yards. The arrow hit just behind the front shoulder, top of the heart, and broke the offside shoulder. He's a big bodied main frame 8pt with a 2" abnormal point on the left main beam likely damaged during velvet. He tipped the scale at 207 field dressed and I left part of me in the woods dragging him out. And the hardest part of the recovery was getting this fatty into the back of my truck my myself. Seems I can no longer accomplish the big buck 'clean and jerk'.

 

Great story writing and congrats. It always happens so damn fast.

 

Struck out on the first sit of the youth hunt... I talked her in to a morning hunt as long as she can sleep till the deer come out... Should be quieter anyway lol

 

Heck of a deer and a first post btw

 

He was ready to go this morning at 5:30, now he’s gone. Windows are fogging up.

 

Came out and a good friend who hunts across the street had killed this one. Stopped and help him load it in his truck.

 

Another friend stopped by to show me his. He hunts a different zone and it’s still muzzle loader. He didn’t load his gun back and said as he was looking for this one that one bigger came trailing the same doe this one was chasing. He said had his gun been loaded he could have shot it too.

 

Evening hunt time.

 

Back to the deer processing topic......picked mine up today from the butcher. Dropped it off on the 4th.....upper 60's after I killed it. No place to hang it and keep it cool - different than gun season or later (another 2 weeks here).

Basic processing is $90 for a large deer (141 field dressed) - steaks, roasts, back straps, tender loins, burger (plain) and $65 for 25 lbs. of mild smoked sticks ($2.60/lb). Sorry, but can't beat that.

 

Same here.