My 2011 Archery Hunt

Hey, I haven't been on this site for a while but thought I would share my Archery 2011 Mule deer hunt with you guys. It was one of the most exciting hunts that I have ever been on. Through the beginning of my season I started off mostly just watching the deer moving around, trying to figure out their habbits and trying to get them on film. As the colder weather started coming the deer started to show up in the fields a little earlier at night so I decided to head down to the corner of a little set of trees in hopes that they would come down from their bedding areas above me and into the fields. I miss judged where they would come down as about a hour into my hunt there was a group of 4 bucks out in the field to the West of me that never came down by me. With time running low and them starting to make their way towards me I thought I would try to move across the open area and setup behind some really small bushes/weeds by the fence line in hopes they would come my way. I slowly made my way to the fence and got to where I wanted to be without anything seeing me. They were about 100 yards away and just grazing. Just as I was getting to where I wanted to be, a local in the area decided to ride his bike while walking his dog across the back of the field. He made it across, hit the fence line than started heading South down the far West fence line. This got the bucks attention and actually pushed them right to me. The ended up making their way 20 yards away from me and still coming closer. Only problem was that they were facing me. I got myself ready to draw back if I ever had a chance with all of their heads down in hopes to hold and full draw until they turned sideways. Just as I raised my bow up a small spiker in the group caught me and stared me down, than the big buck I was after who was closest to me locked onto me as well. 2 spikers in the group had enough of me and bounced away so I took time to draw my bow back. As I came to full draw with the big guy still quartering towards me, he saw me draw and took off as well. They ran through the field behind me and crossed the fence I was at and went up the hills behind me. After getting so close without getting a shot I was determined to track him down. I gathered all my gear, and ran my butt off to the top of the hill and was able to find the big guy moving across the other side of a small valley and I could figure out his path of travel. Above these hills covered in trees were some small rolling hills that were very open. I saw where the spikers went to and knew that he would try to get to them so I ran over the hill and kept the small rolling hills between me and the big guy to try and keep myself hidden. I ran around this one small mound and cut infront of him at about 50 yards. I think he heard me move in as his head was up looking to see what I was. I settled down in the long grass and waited. He was more curious than anything and ended up walking right at me. Not wanting the same thing to happen I drew early and ended up holding my bow for what felt like a hour, but probably a minute, minute and a half while he stared me down at 30 yards. I was so tired and shakey from holding my bow so long that I ended up having to take brakes while resting the bow on my knee still at full draw and tucking my arm in closer. Finally he had enough and started to turn and walk away. This was when I raised my bow, aimed and shot. All I could hear was a very loud crack sound and saw him run off. He only ended up going about 100 yards than went down. I went and got my brother who was hunting with me and saw me go running off after the big guy, and we went back, got the truck and came back to him. He was more than I could ask for in my second ever Muley, and the hunt experience itself and having my brother there who was the one that originally got me into hunting just made it that much better. Here are some pictures and a video I got of him walking around the one day.

Thanks for reading

A picture just before they made their way to me by the fence.

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My route I had to take.

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Video

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Now him

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