Another one back from Colorado w/ pics I hope
crousebow
9/27/06 7:45pm
I'm back from my trip with some mixed results. I saw some great deer, as well as some elk, bear and turkeys. I was unable to get within bow range of any mule deer bucks, let alone a great one like my buddy shot.
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We gross scored this at right over 200 inches, and it looks like he'll net right around 190. We knew there were some exceptional bucks in the area we were hunting, but I think this exceeded either of our expectations.
I have a few more pictures I will post, as well as some more detail on the hunt. I'll try to post up some more in the next few days. (Long day at work) As usual, Colorado was AWESOME! :thumb
We gross scored this at right over 200 inches, and it looks like he'll net right around 190. We knew there were some exceptional bucks in the area we were hunting, but I think this exceeded either of our expectations.
I have a few more pictures I will post, as well as some more detail on the hunt. I'll try to post up some more in the next few days. (Long day at work) As usual, Colorado was AWESOME! :thumb
12,280
Love that velvet hanging off. :thumb
As that picture was loading on my screen, I honestly thought those were elk tines. That is a sweet buck.
Tell your buddy...nicely done.....another fine CO Muley down.
CN
Here is a photo that shows the type of terrain we were hunting in.
We pretty much would spread apart, so we would occassionaly see each other, and walk cross hill into the wind. We were successful at stalking up on many does, bears and even a few elk. Mule deer bucks like the one my buddy Ken got, were a little tougher. We did see two or three that approached the size of the one he got, and quite a few others that I would not have hesitated to take. The terrain had quite a bit of timber, so glassing and stalking didn't seem to be too fruitful. Most of the deer seemed to be hanging in the timber.
I think it was the fifth day of the hunt. We had already cover at least a couple of miles and it was getting to be around 10:30. We split up to cover the last piece of the morning, and I chose the easy path on the old skid road. Ken chose the tougher path and walked up on this buck bedded at about 30 yards down hill. We think he may have heard my walking below him, because he stood up and started moving around. He ended up walking straight up the hill and presented Ken with a 7 yard front on shot. he pretty much had to shoot or the deer was going to bust him for sure. It was a very lethal shot, entering the front of the chest and penetrating all the way back through the diaphram. The buck ran 58 yards straight down hill, to where the first picture was taken. 7000 acres to hunt and we got this buck probably 400 yards from the cabin. (as the crow flies) Couldn't have lived more than 5 seconds. Here is a nicely posed picture of Ken with the buck.
I'm not sure exactly how many animals we saw, but I'm sure it was over 100 elk, 8 or 9 bears, countless turkeys and a bunch of mule deer. This is something like a 7000 acre ranch, and I think they only hunt 4 mule deer a year. They manage the ranch very closely, that's why they have such good animals. Rick and his wife Diane took excellent care of us at the cabin. (More like a nicely furnished home) It was really a good time and I hope to get the chance to do it again some day. Getting a deer like that is certainly reason enough to do it again, let alone the nice accomodations and good people.
Congrats again and thanks for sharing the story.
I give it to you bow hunters, I couldnt hold still long enough..
congrats.