SPOTnSTALKs Muley 2014

Still heart broken...
Shot the Buck of a lifetime Saturday Jan. 4th 2014 before lunch at 96 yards. Gave him time and moved to locate him. Bumped the 14 does he was with and he ran off in chase up the ridge, above mid hill but below the top. No blood, no tracks. Follow up shot at 110 yards missed by a hair and that arrow was recovered. Glassed him up from across the valley where he bedded. I knew he would be done by the time I got there. Waited, picked spots of reference, waited and moved on him. On the accent bumped a herd of ELK .. crashing and branch breaking .. got in the area. No Buck! .. looked everywhere, covered some ground, sunset. Sunday returned. Covered a ton of ground, ridges, back to the shot location, glassed, covered the next ridge and valley, circled, glassed, sunset and home.
Tuesday..back on the scene. More glassing, covered areas not looked at prior. Glassed and my garmin 62s looks like a kids coloring board. Same thing Wednesday .. all day. No Buck! Thursday hunting..no luck and chased the 19 does that my buck was with..no new bucks in the area. There were 14 original does with my buck. 19 were counted banded together Tuesday through Thursday. Season is finished for me this round and I am heart sick about this buck. I think about Rivers Divide and after looking at the post shot pics from my junky little camera can only hope that it was in the shoulder and he has made it. If only there were some birds in the air, a coyote, something to confirm. Nothing...
I think he may have made it and is bullet proof.
Now it's personal...
Preparing for the Fall.

Full video of hunt pics on You Tube. Link to in signature below for the channel, (whitnessing perfection) mis spelled this way.

 

The pic dates are the 3rd but there was a battery change and like I said, junky little camera. It was Saturday the 4th 2014.

 

The video on channel is:
D.I.Y. Backcountry Bowhunter (45) .. (46) is the follow up days.

 

96 yards? Is that a typical shot for you?

 

That's what I was thinking. First I wondered if he was talking about a gun hunt, then he mentioned a second arrow.

 

Yes it is.
This buck was for certain. If I am over 100 then I try to stalk in closer to the 60-75 yard range.

 

D.I.Y. Backcountry Bowhunter (45) - YouTube

Link to the Hunt.

After scrutinizing the post shot picks it looked like the arrow hit low in front of the shoulder (?) and pushed skin on the opposite side slightly high. Hit on Right side .. most pics show left side.
3 1/2 Days looking for this Buck in that entire area. No sign of him but it is a big area. I think this Buck just might have made it and I hope this is the case. 19 does spotted in the area the last trip.
Add to the List:
Scope
Tripod
Better Camera
Lighted Nocks
Extra Pack a Slick Tricks
Vortex Binos

It will be a Long Summer.........

 

96 yards? Seriously? I'd better stop here...

 

Thanks..
This guy would have been my first Buck. Replay is nonstop..still don't know how he walked..ran..then disappeared. I have seen many other shots, longer ranges, different places drop deer.
D.V.s Rivers Divide helped tonight.

 

BTW My good friend and Avid Bow Hunter absolutely Smoked a Big Muley Buck in 2012 at 130 yards. Dropped in his tracks. Fact.

 

That doesn't mean he should have taken that shot...you are on the wrong site if you are going to take shots like that...ou will not find much support.

Also, did you know you spelled Witnessing wrong?

 

Make no mistake here PT this is a bloodsport.
There is always optimism, critics, and room to grow and learn.

Yes, it was intentional...thanks.

BTW I mostly hunt solo, on the ground, spot and stalk, out west...the support I receive is sufficient.

 

LOL.. 130 yards... All products of the Chris Brackett era of bowhunting...

 

Whatever floats your boat, too bad you didn't find it but lost deer happen to guys shooting within even 40 yards.

That said I personally do feel a shot on a deer out past 60 yards, even for the most seasoned veteran hunter is getting into iffy, possibly, unethical territory and unrecoverable deer are going to be the norm if you're going to risk shots that long and longer. Doesn't matter where a person is hunting, "out west" or "back east". The son of my bow shop owner takes 100 yard shots on white tails here and I think he has a recovery rate of about 40%. Everyone gives him a hard time about it but he just ignores them, his dad was on his case the last time I was in the shop.

 

First three words, top of the thread.

 

I have no idea what or who you are LOLing about....and at 63# I might lol myself to in this case.

 

How do you know where the arrow hit when you're a football field away?

 

Photos

 

My poundage has little to do with this subject, which is you being an unethical and most definitely idiotic 'hunter'. I can shoot upwards of 75 lbs or so, but there is literally no reason to do so.
IMO, what you are doing is FAR from hunting. Instead, you and your "friend" are merely just shooting and praying you hit something. Most likely because you lack the actual ability to get within reasonable distances to put an ethical shot on your targeted game. But hey man, it's a blood sport out there, make no mistake!

 

The AZ muley in my avatar pic was killed at 12 yards, with a 40# bow. Just saying...