Back from Wyoming and Colorado
a3dhunter
10/3/07 10:23pm
I spent the last weekend of the season(Sept 21-23), in Colorado trying to fill my OTC elk tag with no luck. Ended up taking a bad fall in some downed timber that put a big hurt in my back. On to Wyoming for mule deer after that.
My wife was on her first hunt ever, and she wanted to take a muley with her bow. She decided she would rather take a doe with her bow that wait for the rifle season to take a buck, so we knew she really was committed to getting a deer with her bow.
I on the other hand just wanted to get a good buck, so didn't mind waiting for rifle season or taking a meat buck at the end of my hunt if I had to.
The biggest thrill I had was when my wife spotted a big buck feeding 155 yards downhill near some aspens. The hillside had a few trees that allowed us to get within 75 yards and we decided to wait as it was only about 5pm and we had almost 2 hours of daylight left. After watching him a little while he bedded facing away from us. That was exactly what we needed, so I told her to go get him!
This shocked her pretty good, but away she went. On an open sagebrush hillside she was able to close to 28 yards before the buck turned his head and looked at her. As the buck stood my wife drew her bow, with the buck broadside and a clear shot her nerves got the best of her and she missed high. The buck bolted away unharmed but definitely not happy!
Just the scene of watching her put the stalk on the animal had me excited for days.
After 5 days of hunting she had a great shot opportunity on a small spike buck and took him at 3:30pm. The buck went down within sight of her so no tracking was needed.
http://www.myfilestash.com/userfiles/a3dhunter/s%20buck.JPG " alt="" />
This left me three days of archery hunting and one day of rifle season before we had to leave. The rifle hunters arrived for the weekend even though the season didn't open until Monday, this ruined a lot of the hunting for me and made me real glad that my wife had taken her buck already. I hunted hard but always saw the big ones when they were about a mile away and couldn't get one withing shooting distance. On the last evening, I shot the smallest buck of my life during the last 10 minutes of the last night just to get the meat, since he was so young I know he will taste good!:wink: The little forkie had quite a bit of fat on him which surpirsed me.
http://www.myfilestash.com/userfiles/a3dhunter/jasons%20bucks%20antlers.JPG " alt="" />
We had snow three times with it dumping as much as 6"-8" just above camp. Storms were frequent and the weather changes quickly. After butchering my deer it started to snow and we knew we had to break camp and get out before being snowed in.
We started breaking camp at 10:30pm and by 11:30pm we had 3"-4" of snow on the ground. After getting hooked up to my travel trailer I started out of camp. We did some spinning but were getting traction as we started up the hill out of the canyon. The traction went away quickly and we almost ended up going off the road that would have rolled us into a a canyon. I stopped and put snow chains on and then we spent a couple hours getting down to town. Got to sleep at about 3am and I had been up since 5am the previous morning, had hiked over 6 miles throughout the day and then shot and butchered a deer before packing up camp. A long day that took a lot out of me! Wyoming definitely has some beautiful country though and I will be back next year.
http://www.myfilestash.com/userfiles/a3dhunter/wyoming%20mountains.JPG " alt="" />
My wife was on her first hunt ever, and she wanted to take a muley with her bow. She decided she would rather take a doe with her bow that wait for the rifle season to take a buck, so we knew she really was committed to getting a deer with her bow.
I on the other hand just wanted to get a good buck, so didn't mind waiting for rifle season or taking a meat buck at the end of my hunt if I had to.
The biggest thrill I had was when my wife spotted a big buck feeding 155 yards downhill near some aspens. The hillside had a few trees that allowed us to get within 75 yards and we decided to wait as it was only about 5pm and we had almost 2 hours of daylight left. After watching him a little while he bedded facing away from us. That was exactly what we needed, so I told her to go get him!
This shocked her pretty good, but away she went. On an open sagebrush hillside she was able to close to 28 yards before the buck turned his head and looked at her. As the buck stood my wife drew her bow, with the buck broadside and a clear shot her nerves got the best of her and she missed high. The buck bolted away unharmed but definitely not happy!
Just the scene of watching her put the stalk on the animal had me excited for days.
After 5 days of hunting she had a great shot opportunity on a small spike buck and took him at 3:30pm. The buck went down within sight of her so no tracking was needed.
This left me three days of archery hunting and one day of rifle season before we had to leave. The rifle hunters arrived for the weekend even though the season didn't open until Monday, this ruined a lot of the hunting for me and made me real glad that my wife had taken her buck already. I hunted hard but always saw the big ones when they were about a mile away and couldn't get one withing shooting distance. On the last evening, I shot the smallest buck of my life during the last 10 minutes of the last night just to get the meat, since he was so young I know he will taste good!
We had snow three times with it dumping as much as 6"-8" just above camp. Storms were frequent and the weather changes quickly. After butchering my deer it started to snow and we knew we had to break camp and get out before being snowed in.
We started breaking camp at 10:30pm and by 11:30pm we had 3"-4" of snow on the ground. After getting hooked up to my travel trailer I started out of camp. We did some spinning but were getting traction as we started up the hill out of the canyon. The traction went away quickly and we almost ended up going off the road that would have rolled us into a a canyon. I stopped and put snow chains on and then we spent a couple hours getting down to town. Got to sleep at about 3am and I had been up since 5am the previous morning, had hiked over 6 miles throughout the day and then shot and butchered a deer before packing up camp. A long day that took a lot out of me! Wyoming definitely has some beautiful country though and I will be back next year.
14,651
I know it was said once already, but I have never seen a buck that small with eyeguards either! He's got to be one of the smallest 3x3s out there.
Again, CONGRATS....they'll sure taste good come this winter!
I like taking a big buck just as much as anyone else, but I will not eat my tag just to let the little forkie #55 go by on the last evening of the hunt.
We saw somewhere around 20-30 deer per day with almost half of them being bucks, there are plenty of bucks in this unit, but I feel better letting a bigger three point or small four point go by and taking the smaller buck.
I don't just hunt for the antlers, and if you do then you shouldn't be hunting!
Well said. totally agree with ya
I was hoping I wasn't the only one that felt this way.
If you're happy with him then that's what matters, not what we think.
Myself, during my last three Muley hunts I've passed up the small ones in hopes of connecting on something bigger....and have been eating my tag for the last three years. In fact, I've already thought about trying not to be so picky this year...we'll see how it goes (7 more days!).
In other words, we all have choices to make. I'm as happy with mine as I am sure you are with yours.
Again, CONGRATS my friend on fillin' the freezer. Here's to hopein' I do the same!
Not to mention, although I am not a bow hunter I can certainly appreciate how much more difficult it is to connect with a bow vice a rifle. I think that also says a lot!!
I feel the same way! It's not all about the size of the horns on the head...heck I took a small guy last year. I wanted the meat in the freezer.
I have to say, even other hunters we met up there were happy for her taking that spike and congratulated her. She wore a grin ear to ear for a while and would make comments about not doing camp chores and stuff that she usually does, when I asked why she wasn't doing these things she would get that silly grin and reply "because I killed a buck!" then go off laughing at me!
As far as my deer, I am very happy with the meat in the freezer and that I had an opportunity to take what I consider a perfect meat buck, and I would do it again.
I can also say that I would not have shot that buck unless it was the last evening of my hunt, holding out for a better buck. When it comes down to the last night, I want the meat!
Some people say don't pass on a buck the first day that you will take the last day and I disagree with that. What I am looking for when hunting depends on the area I am in and what it is capable of producing, but come the last day of the hunt I want a deer.
I also want my hunt to last as well, in 2002 I shot a three point (my biggest buck killed at the time) on the second day of the hunt and then spent the next 7 days watching bigger bucks walk away from me that I couldn't do anything about.
For all those out there questioning those small bucks, ask yourself:
Do you really like the taste of the meat?
Do antlers matter more than steaks?
Do you have more time to hunt with that tag?
What will you be happy with in the end?
I am very proud of my wife and very happy with my buck!
Same thing goes for my Colorado tag, buck only. I am not going to pay another $300 just to get a doe tag.
While those of us who hunt bucks do care about antlers, it isn't reason enough to turn away the meat a $300 tag that is already purchased could put on the table. I passed up these small bucks for 8 days of hunting with a bow and for 11 hours of hunting with a rifle, if it hadn't been the last choice I wouldn't have taken him.
As I said before, good meat.
That'll really solve all the problems, kill the does that produce the BUCKS!!
Come on guys!
Stop the bickering, whining and complaining. They had a BUCK tag, which allows you to shoot any BUCK you choose. Not everyone is in it for the "HEAD".
-RON
i agree with letting the smaller bucks go, who knows what that buck couldve been!!!!
IMO its easier to tell a bucks trophy potential after 2-3 yrs, so why not shoot one of the "other" bucks ya had been seeing!
A bucks traits are passed no matter how old the buck is, if that 2 pt breeds a doe and he/she has good genes, the fawn has a chnace at being a good buck, it has nothing to do with age!
9er
ps, i have ate alot of tag soup, its an aquired tad!!!!!
Taken from the great state of MONTANA...Hunter Education manual.
I tried to find Utah's, cause I like some of the wording in it also...but couldn't find it online.
EVERYONE, is in a different stage in life and in hunting and the reasons they hunt!
Five Stages of the Hunter
Many hunters go through five stages. These are marked by
changes in attitudes and feelings about hunting. Many of the
things they enjoy about hunting are different in each stage including
success. Each stage is a part of our development as a
hunter.
Stage one: The shooting stage
Many beginning hunters are excited to begin hunting. Often they
want, more than anything, to be able to shoot an animal to test
their skills. They often judge success by the amount of shooting
they do. If you are in this stage, your first concern needs to be
safety.
Stage two: The limiting out stage
With practice it doesn’t take long to get good at shooting. An
experienced hunter can often take as many animals as the law
allows. This is called “limiting out.” They judge success by how
many animals they bring home. Hunters in this stage need to
remember the rules of safe gun handling, but they also need to
follow carefully hunting laws and regulations, which tell you
when you can hunt and how many animals you can take.
Stage three: The selective stage
Selective hunters don’t try to hunt for a lot of different animals.
Usually, they’re after one particular animal. This might be a
white-tailed deer with a particular set of antlers or a mountain
goat that’s difficult to get to. Selective hunters challenge themselves
by going after animals that are secretive or otherwise difficult
to hunt. These hunters judge success by their ability to
master a challenge.
Stage four: The method stage
Some hunters chose a particular method to hunt such as bow
hunting or muzzleloader hunting. These methods require hunters
to get very close to an animal before they can take a shot.
This makes hunting more difficult and more challenging. These
hunters judge success by their ability to learn and master a particular
method.
Stage five: The philosopher stage
As many hunters mature and gain experience, they look back on
a lifetime of hunting and find that what they enjoyed the most is
not one single thing. Instead, it’s a combination of many things.
Hunters in this stage might enjoy simply getting out, taking an
animal is not nearly as important. They enjoy passing on their
knowledge to new hunters. These hunters judge success by how
they feel about the entire hunting experience.
Unless it's close friends, family, who you know and trust and can take the constructive criticism.
As for the rest....to each his/her own. What they did was perfectly legal and well within thier right. Just because someone does not have the same view as you gives you no right to jump on thier back and chastise them for it.
I am one of you that has also let the small ones pass for the last three years in hopes of taging a big buck...and have eaten my tag all three years. However, I am extremely happy to see that a3dhunter and his wife filled thier tags and had an enjoyable hunt. We should all be happy for them!
Unless someone broke the law, let them be.
MuleyMadness has always been a site inwhich folks can log on and share thier experiences, share tactics and ideas, ask for advice and pointers, and enjoy the company of other hunters WITHOUT this sort of back-biting! If you can't be happy for a fellow hunter and outdoor enthusiast then maybe you need to frequent one of those other sites that allow this sort of stuff.
Brett, I think this thread needs to be locked.
Congratulations.