Post by RAF on Dec 12, 2008 10:31:30 GMT -5
Was a bust 
Well not really, I did take one whitetail doe.
First off the regs here changed slightly this year. There was no draw for mule deer in the zone I hunt because of the concern for Cronic wasting disease(CWD) and the over population of deer, especially mule deer. A white tail either sex tag could be bought over the counter plus this year you could buy a doe tag. Mule deer doe tags were available over the counter and you got 2 for the price of one. Mulie buck tags could be earned by turning in two head, hopefully mulie does but the white tail doe counted.
Now the land that I hunt is usually overrun with mulie deer and in past years it was not uncommon to see 15 or more in the first hour of the morning. Whitetail were fairly common but not like the mule deer. So off I went, got to my blind thinking this should be a piece of cake to earn a buck tag. Well you know the saying... the best laid plan of mice and men
. That first morning I saw 2 mulie does at 300 yds at first light, not a shot I feel comfortable with and didn't take. No matter there would be plenty more. WRONG. No more mule deer. A parade of white tail does came my followed by 2 bucks. One a nice 4 x 4 that was closely followed by a big 6 X 6. He walked by at about 50 yds and stopped standing broadside. I was tempted but the focus at this early time of the season was mulie does. Never saw one. So went home after the first day empty handed. Got thinking about the white tail buck and maybe I should have taken him but figured he'd be by again and next time I'd take him.
Next time out I saw him again only this time he was at a 100 yds and walked between two sets of poplar trees and I didn't have time to even raise the rifle. Oh no mulie does seen that day either. After leaving my stand my hunting partner decided to drive to another part of the pasture. On the was spotted a deer at 30 yds laying down in a small clearing. I turned out to be a whitetail fawn. Got out and watched it and then saw the doe in the trees. Manoevered myself to get a clear shot and one shot from the savage and the 250 bonded shock wave and she was on the ground. There, that's 1 head.
A couple more trips with the same results, no mulie does and lots of white tail does. Only bucks were little spikes. Had one group come to within 10 yds and browse on the top of a tree I'd cut down to clear a shooting lane.
Decided to try an afternoon hunt when the deer came back to go out and feed. Did see my first mulie doe within range and that's when I had my first ever misfire with the Savage
.
During the season saw plenty of mulie bucks, some were really big but, no tag.
If you count success by the number of tags filled I guess I had a bad year. However for me it always a pleasure to be out there and I do have one deer in the freezer and it wasn't that many years ago that's all you were allowed for the whole season.
Well not really, I did take one whitetail doe. First off the regs here changed slightly this year. There was no draw for mule deer in the zone I hunt because of the concern for Cronic wasting disease(CWD) and the over population of deer, especially mule deer. A white tail either sex tag could be bought over the counter plus this year you could buy a doe tag. Mule deer doe tags were available over the counter and you got 2 for the price of one. Mulie buck tags could be earned by turning in two head, hopefully mulie does but the white tail doe counted.
Now the land that I hunt is usually overrun with mulie deer and in past years it was not uncommon to see 15 or more in the first hour of the morning. Whitetail were fairly common but not like the mule deer. So off I went, got to my blind thinking this should be a piece of cake to earn a buck tag. Well you know the saying... the best laid plan of mice and men
. That first morning I saw 2 mulie does at 300 yds at first light, not a shot I feel comfortable with and didn't take. No matter there would be plenty more. WRONG. No more mule deer. A parade of white tail does came my followed by 2 bucks. One a nice 4 x 4 that was closely followed by a big 6 X 6. He walked by at about 50 yds and stopped standing broadside. I was tempted but the focus at this early time of the season was mulie does. Never saw one. So went home after the first day empty handed. Got thinking about the white tail buck and maybe I should have taken him but figured he'd be by again and next time I'd take him.Next time out I saw him again only this time he was at a 100 yds and walked between two sets of poplar trees and I didn't have time to even raise the rifle. Oh no mulie does seen that day either. After leaving my stand my hunting partner decided to drive to another part of the pasture. On the was spotted a deer at 30 yds laying down in a small clearing. I turned out to be a whitetail fawn. Got out and watched it and then saw the doe in the trees. Manoevered myself to get a clear shot and one shot from the savage and the 250 bonded shock wave and she was on the ground. There, that's 1 head.
A couple more trips with the same results, no mulie does and lots of white tail does. Only bucks were little spikes. Had one group come to within 10 yds and browse on the top of a tree I'd cut down to clear a shooting lane.
Decided to try an afternoon hunt when the deer came back to go out and feed. Did see my first mulie doe within range and that's when I had my first ever misfire with the Savage
.During the season saw plenty of mulie bucks, some were really big but, no tag.
If you count success by the number of tags filled I guess I had a bad year. However for me it always a pleasure to be out there and I do have one deer in the freezer and it wasn't that many years ago that's all you were allowed for the whole season.
