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Dave and I headed up to the South Ridge at dawn. We immediatley began spotting bucks. Dave had a quick stalk on a very nice 3x3 that was perhaps 26" wide - and very tall. He may have made the book as a 3 point due to mass alone. We spotted another couple of bucks later who were sparring. Dave put the stalk on. The two bucks were headed up to the fenceline to bed while Dave waited in ambush. Unfortunately the wind was wrong and the deer winded Dave before he could get a shot.
View video of this buck as it winds Dave (1.2mb)We drove down to another area South of the Ridge. Parker spotted a batchelor group of mule deer below us. One of the bucks was a massive 4x4 and I wanted him. We watched them for an hour until the batchelor group hooked up with a group of does. They moved off and I decided to pass on this stalk - too many deer to ever pull it off.
At midday Parker took us to a new section of the ranch. The area had a long watery draw that was lush with green grass. I took the left side while Dave took the right. We still-hunted upwind of each side. Within 5 minutes I had blown out 4 does. I continued up the draw and spotted a mule deer hiding in the bushes. The small buck was on to me and busted out. I continued up the draw a few hundred yards, practically stepping on a bedded fawn. By the end of my still hunt, I had spotted one more buck and one doe - both whom had me before I had them. I also busted out 27 pronghorn. Whatever magic I had pulled off yesterday with my two yard stalk, was gone. Back to reality.
Dave, Parker and I hunted hard the rest of the afternoon. We spotted more pronghorns and a few decent mulies but overall the afternoon was slow. As the sun was going down, we headed back to the South Ridge where we had seen the bucks in the morning. Dave spotted a lone buck heading into the timber. I glassed him and could only see one side of his rack. While it looked OK from a distance, I could not tell if he was a shooter. We discussed the options and I decided to stalk the buck and get a better look.
I moved down the hill quickly, crossing a gulch of dark-timber, and coming up the other side where the deer had last been seen. Having no idea where the buck went, I still-hunted down through the trees until I was nearly at the end. I spotted the buck, now forty yards from me, and decided to pass on him. He was a small 3 point with thin horns and no spread. The buck never knew I was there as I sneaked back to the truck. Another fun day.
Second Day's Harvest John Croom, KS (Double Trouble)
Jim Caldwell, MI (Gas Chamber)
