1st Deer
1st Deer
Last year the wife decided that she wanted to start hunting big game after watching a show about the meat process - so she wanted to get out to put some healthy meat on the table. Another reason was to be able to get out in the hills to hunt the deer/elk that we hike to see, I will post the story of it all and has been a super fun process for us both. To top it all off she was able to take her first mule deer ever and she is super excited.
Here are the pics.
Here are the pics.
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MuleyMadness
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Re: 1st Deer
Well done very cool, looks like nice hunting weather. 
Thanks for the pics.
Thanks for the pics.
Re: 1st Deer
Nice buck for sure, and being her first its even better. I think you might have a new hunting partner now
Watch your top knot!
Re: 1st Deer
Nice looking first buck. Wild meat is definitely one of the healthiest things around. I saw a thing the other day that mule deer has the lowest fat content of any wild meat in North America I believe it was.
Re: 1st Deer
Thanks guys and tomorrow we will be finishing with processing and making the jerky.
This spring before we put in for tags she started shooting a few guns and calibers to settle on what she thought she could shoot well. After a few sessions at the range shooting various calibers she settled on a .257 weatherby mag. We are shooting 115 or 120 gr bullets. Well she drew her bull elk tag and she got good shooting off a pack to 500 yds on metal targets. Well the elk season came and went and although we were into the elk we just could not get a shot at a legal bull. Great hunt but she was a bit disappointed that she did not get a shot at a elk. She still had the deer tag for 3rd season so I had my fingers crossed for her to get a shot at a buck.
In the weeks before the season we were only able to turn up a few good bucks but every few days there were more and more bucks showing up. Her first choice was a big palmated 4x that scouting had turned up. He was a good buck and the reason my pics have stopped is that my 2 year old decided to put my camera into my coffee at elk camp. Well I will get another here soon and I wish I had a pic of this buck as he is a real heavy pry solid 28" wide 180 class straight typical buck.
Since she could not hunt sat I located the buck Sat am and was happy to see no other hunter around so we were set for our Sunday hunt. Sunday just after first light we were able to locate the buck and ranged him at 349 yards as he was feeding in some pinon trees. First we set up to shoot prone on a pack but that did not work out so we set up on my tri pod for spotting scope and he was still just feeding. Finally she got him in the scope but lost him when she took off the safety the gun moved, the process started over, and he moved. He came out again and she could not locate him in the scope for a bit then when she did he was feeding in a tree and she could not see his head. She hesitated and he walked over the hill. Heart breaker of a hunt but a lesson well learned for her.
The next couple of hunts turned up a bunch of doe's and small bucks but no shooters. We did see a couple of bucks fighting and every day more bucks were showing up. It was our hope to see the big palmated 4 again soon as we were hunting the same area. On the 3rd day of the hunt we came across 3 different small bucks and I told her that it was her choice if she wanted to shoot but with a few days left to hunt she passed on the opportunity. While still glassing I turned up this buck and another that was larger on a ridge a half a mile or more off so we were off. When we arrived the bigger buck had moved down into the bottom of the valley and this one was feeding and that way. She said this was the buck so we set up for the 230 yd shot. After a bit of work she found him in the scope and settled for the shot. As the buck stopped broadside all the work of the summer was realized as the .257 barked. I watched the buck dip down and take off running I knew she missed him! The shaking foot was a sure sign of buck fever.. I said If you can and if he stops take another shot. Well he took a look back and the 2nd shot hit its mark.
While it was not the biggest buck we were around and while it would have been interesting to see what we could have turned up later this week it was a buck well earned and the 3 mile pack out was well worth it.
This spring before we put in for tags she started shooting a few guns and calibers to settle on what she thought she could shoot well. After a few sessions at the range shooting various calibers she settled on a .257 weatherby mag. We are shooting 115 or 120 gr bullets. Well she drew her bull elk tag and she got good shooting off a pack to 500 yds on metal targets. Well the elk season came and went and although we were into the elk we just could not get a shot at a legal bull. Great hunt but she was a bit disappointed that she did not get a shot at a elk. She still had the deer tag for 3rd season so I had my fingers crossed for her to get a shot at a buck.
In the weeks before the season we were only able to turn up a few good bucks but every few days there were more and more bucks showing up. Her first choice was a big palmated 4x that scouting had turned up. He was a good buck and the reason my pics have stopped is that my 2 year old decided to put my camera into my coffee at elk camp. Well I will get another here soon and I wish I had a pic of this buck as he is a real heavy pry solid 28" wide 180 class straight typical buck.
Since she could not hunt sat I located the buck Sat am and was happy to see no other hunter around so we were set for our Sunday hunt. Sunday just after first light we were able to locate the buck and ranged him at 349 yards as he was feeding in some pinon trees. First we set up to shoot prone on a pack but that did not work out so we set up on my tri pod for spotting scope and he was still just feeding. Finally she got him in the scope but lost him when she took off the safety the gun moved, the process started over, and he moved. He came out again and she could not locate him in the scope for a bit then when she did he was feeding in a tree and she could not see his head. She hesitated and he walked over the hill. Heart breaker of a hunt but a lesson well learned for her.
The next couple of hunts turned up a bunch of doe's and small bucks but no shooters. We did see a couple of bucks fighting and every day more bucks were showing up. It was our hope to see the big palmated 4 again soon as we were hunting the same area. On the 3rd day of the hunt we came across 3 different small bucks and I told her that it was her choice if she wanted to shoot but with a few days left to hunt she passed on the opportunity. While still glassing I turned up this buck and another that was larger on a ridge a half a mile or more off so we were off. When we arrived the bigger buck had moved down into the bottom of the valley and this one was feeding and that way. She said this was the buck so we set up for the 230 yd shot. After a bit of work she found him in the scope and settled for the shot. As the buck stopped broadside all the work of the summer was realized as the .257 barked. I watched the buck dip down and take off running I knew she missed him! The shaking foot was a sure sign of buck fever.. I said If you can and if he stops take another shot. Well he took a look back and the 2nd shot hit its mark.
While it was not the biggest buck we were around and while it would have been interesting to see what we could have turned up later this week it was a buck well earned and the 3 mile pack out was well worth it.