My 2012 Review..

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ridgetop
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by ridgetop » Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:37 pm

That's a really nice position you found yourself in.
Thanks for sharing. 10sign:
There's always next year

waspocrew
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by waspocrew » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:51 am

Killer post for sure! Those are some monsters!

ColoradoV
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by ColoradoV » Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:17 am

Thanks for the kind words.

Image



The way archery season works for me is that I am fortunate enough to have my job slow down due to lack of work in the fall so I can spend quite a bit of time in the hills. I like to dedicate as much time over the first 10 days to deer. Then work for 4-5 solid days. Mid Sept I join my father and some friends at a otc elk camp for a week or so and then spend that last week hunting for either elk or deer if I have not filled my tag. I either hunt alone or with my 68 yr old father.

Also once I start hunting I do not carry the set up I use to take the pics as caring around a 85mm zeiss spotter has its drawbacks. I know the bucks I am going to hunt on sight so I switch to a small nikon ed that is great. Anyway I do not get as many pics once the season starts as hunting is the first priority.

So knew I had a week solid to dedicate to this drop tine buck. Once I found him I pulled all the "favors" I could and my wife/family was supper supportive helping watch my 14 month old while I made the plan to put in the time to chase dropper!

The last sighting I had of dropper he was in a basin/area with a trail and how I hate basins with trails. Friday night there was no one at the trailhead but as I was glassing I looked down about 8 am on the opener and up came 4 elk hunters with 6 horses. Public land hunting is what it is and as I listened to the rocks roll off the hill and watched them set up a camp in the basin dropper was in I knew that he would be on the move again.

So I headed out and tried to figure out what way he would head. Next 2 days I had no luck locating him in the surrounding area so I decided to go back to where I had first seen him on the 3rd day of the season. This was about 5 or more miles away and I saw nothing not even a doe on day 3...

Ok right about now I am chasing a ghost that was pressured and the thoughts of that big typical are starting to mess with me.. So on day 4 I had a decision to make. Chase a ghost or go to a basin where I have a good chance at a actual stalk. Easy decision as I go back to the original sighting area of dropper!

The area I hunted on day 4 is thick timber with a creek so my plan was to still hunt the creek and hope I get lucky, see a big track, anything. I work 2 miles of this creek slowly with the wind perfect and nothing. On my way back it was about 11 am and I am in thick willows when I hear something move. Then I see the rack stand up 30 yds in front of me no doubt dropper I walked up on him in his bed. I get the arrow nocked and the dang willows are so thick all I can see is the top of his head and that rack!! For what had to be 5 min but could have been 30 seconds - he stood there at attention starting in my direction the he started to move.. Then I drew. Come on walk to your right, your right, just take 2 steps he started to walk into the opening and stopped again. I was at full draw when I felt the wind blow ever so slightly on the back of my neck and that giant rack spun around..... BOOM BLAM SLAM.. crud....

As I walked back to the camp I knew I was chasing a ghost that had been bumped 2x and one time bad by me...

ColoradoV
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by ColoradoV » Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:42 am

I was down on myself at this point as I knew I would have to give dropper at least a day to calm down and move to somewhere that it would take him a day or so to get. Then find him again. I only had 7 days total this time and that put me right at the end of the time I had this session.

For the rest of day 4. I decided to pack up, walk out, and drive across the unit to hunt the other bucks on the list as I knew that maybe I could see dropper again or I could spend 2 days and not see a deer. By the time I got packed up, drove over a hr on dirt roads and got re set up it was after dark so I would have to wait to see if the big typical would be there when the sun came up.

For as hard as it was to leave dropper I just love to be up in the high country. As the sun came up I knew I had made the right decision!

Image


Also as soon as I can see I start to see deer. Several bucks but not the big typical. That is when I see this guy alone in the perfect spot.

Image


Image


And here is a video of him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb5AyTxIerk


He beds down in a perfect spot for a stalk and the wind was perfect. I spent the next 30 min watching the and not turning up the big typical - when he got the best of me and I started my first stalk of the season! He was only 300 yds away when I came over the rise and I had a rise that would put my 30 - 40 yds from him if he did not move.


I had decided to carry the big spotter as I was not far from camp I was able to get this last pic before I started my stalk.

Image

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brn2hunt
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by brn2hunt » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:34 pm

These breaks in the story are killing me! keeps getting more and more interesting! 10sign:
"Ne A La Chasse"

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MuleyMadness
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by MuleyMadness » Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:35 pm

Keep em coming, what a sweet thread. Can't believe you bumped dropper at 30 yards, crazy stuff. Cool you had him that close though.

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Springville Shooter
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by Springville Shooter » Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:55 pm

Wow! I am a latecomer to this thread, but I must say that it's made for the most exciting 15 minutes of my day. Thanks a million for sharing and now that I'm caught up with the masses, I also will anxiuosly await the conclusion.-------SS
"Only accurate rifles are interesting"-----Col. Townsend Whelen

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Huntnfool7
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by Huntnfool7 » Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:12 pm

This has to be one of my favorite threads. Your a very good writer and I can't wait to read the rest sucks you bumped dropper

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Hiker
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by Hiker » Sat Jan 26, 2013 7:05 am

Really good read. Thanks for bringing us along.
Hiker

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Big Moose
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Re: My 2012 Review..

Post by Big Moose » Sun Jan 27, 2013 11:07 am

Awesome hunt and great photos! You got me hangin' on.... :thumb
Every hunting season you miss is one you can not make up

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