Tough start to my year, went out yesterday hoping to take a doe and didn't see a darn thing. This farm has me baffled, usually have good numbers of deer and several quality bucks on camera by now. The numbers just aren't there this year and the bucks are MIA. This property has about 200 acres of grassland that usually has a couple dozen cattle grazing, this year no cattle in the grassland and I've thought that it should pull in more deer.... from what i've seen so far it has had the opposite effect. Between less competition for food and NO human pressure I thought for sure the numbers would go up. Any thoughts? Anyone ever experience anything like this before?
Not much to report from my first outing. I got busted by a doe and her fawn in the first half hour of the season. No more sightings. Did some scouting and found some prime spots though!
Poor weather and other things going on this weekend kept me from going to the farm. Probably won't get a chance to pull the cards in the cameras until the start of season now. A little under 2 weeks for me now, and I'm ready....
I arrowed a very nice Muley this morning. Rob Swanson (Kodiakarcher) and I tracked him for nearly two hours. Sadly, I had to pull off the tracking job to get back to Denver (had to pick up my kids and then teach a class tonight. I also have a construction project due on 10-1. I need to spend two days with my crew). Rob was going to stay after him. I pray the deer is found! He's a heavy 26" wide typical 5x5 with trash and non-typical points everywhere. The shot looked good...Rob was standing next to me and I said "that's a dead deer" We found the arrow 20 yards down range. It had about 6 inches of good blood up the shaft and another 4 inches of the arrow was missing. Both Rob and I felt the arrow punched through the chest and hit the off front leg bone...maybe a tad low. It just looked so good in flight! I'm worried about the weather (rain)...promises to be a sleepless night. I cannot get back to the mountains until Thursday evening. The elk camp has been a barrel of laughs and good times. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves! We have been into elk for the last two days...about 17 blown opportunities so far. One of the Brits missed a 30 yard shot on a mule deer, and I finally saw a bear this morning. I really wish I could have stayed up there for the whole week (sucks when duty calls). I cannot wait to get back there Thursday. I'm guessing there'll be meat hanging from the game pole...
Here's what makes matters worse. In my rush to get back home, I forget to grab my cell phone from my packed gear. I left that gear on my bunk in elk camp. If the guys find the deer, they'll try to call that phone. I won't have a clue until Thursday. You can bet I'm blowing out of work early... I'm looking forward to viewing everyone's photos, and listening to their stories. The mountains are so beautiful right now. The color change of the aspens is breathtaking. Hearing the elk bugle is simply icing on the cake. It's killing me to be here rather than there! When I get to work, I'll post up a few of my photos... Thanks Tony. I know I left the job in top hands. I would have made different arrangements otherwise.
Hope you will have some good news waiting for you when return on Thursday. The buck sounds like a dandy.
Well, hopefully Will 's ankle will be OK an that he recovers that mulie he shot. So who is hunting this weekend and how long???
Yeah I'm hoping for some good news, and a picture of a dead mulie when I get home later tonight. This is my last weekend of no hunting. I actually will be at the farm Sunday to get the place mowed up a bit, and if I have time I will get the cards out of my cameras.
PT I am hoping for some pics of Will's mulie as well. I might be able to sneak out for an afternoon hunt on saturday, as for the next 3-6weeks my time in stand is going to be extremely limited as house reno's are scheduled to get underway starting this weekend. Best of luck fella's!!!
nothing yet huh? dang i hope he got em' nothing for me till next friday, looking to wack a doe. wash clothes up this week and go over my gear one last time
I was hoping for pics this morning too, hopefully he is too busy measuring. I'm hoping to get out Sunday afternoon with my son, sans my bow, gonna sit with him and hope he gets a crack at one.
Well if he's beck out where they are hunting, he probably won't have any means of connecting to us... (I do have his cell I can try to text him later... (If he does text?)) Until he gets back to civilization.
I'm not sure PT, but I'm anxious to hear what Will has to share, both with his mule deer, but also with the stories and pictures he will have from elk camp. I'm heading to the farm here in a bit. I got a little free time this afternoon, so I'm taking advantage of the awesome weather we are having here. I've got 5 cameras to check, so hopefully I have some new pics to post up when I get back. Also, after looking at some maps, and doing a lot of second guessing, I am going to move a set I hung a month ago a few hundred yards away on the opposite side of a brushy ridge. Looks like this spot may be easier to slip into, while also providing me with a better chance at catching a buck trying to slip into a doe bedding area during the rut.
