Archived Posts » 59,726,163
Success or Skunked
12/1/2011 6:20:22 PM
How have you done this year? I know some places have many more deer and much less regulation with hunting them then some other places. Like here in AZ we can only shoot bucks and only 1 a year. No bagging a deer with archery and again with a rifle. So to say it is difficult is an understatement, a lot of luck involved, especially with Coues White Tail. I did everything right as far as I can tell but never ran into a buck. I came across 15 white tails all within 150 yards and as close as 20 yards but all were does.
I spent 37 hours (in 6 days, my hunt was only 7 days long) hiking and glassing, lots of hiking out here.
I was using a 20" AR with iron sights. While I was comfortable with all shots that would have been presented I am definitely using a scoped rifle next year. Would have made it easier to ID them in the thick brush (an excuse to finally buy that Rem 700 I've wanted since I was a kid
).
Until next year...
I spent 37 hours (in 6 days, my hunt was only 7 days long) hiking and glassing, lots of hiking out here.
I was using a 20" AR with iron sights. While I was comfortable with all shots that would have been presented I am definitely using a scoped rifle next year. Would have made it easier to ID them in the thick brush (an excuse to finally buy that Rem 700 I've wanted since I was a kid
).
Until next year...
12/1/2011 7:07:35 PM
I got 2 bucks. A button and a small 7pt.
12/1/2011 7:20:30 PM
Originally Posted By ScottyPotty:
I got 2 bucks. A button and a small 7pt.
I got 2 bucks. A button and a small 7pt.
Lucky
12/1/2011 7:34:14 PM
I killed my first ever Mule Deer in Wyoming on Oct. 2nd, a nice 4x4
Got a 4x5 Whitetail here in ID on Nov. 12, and I still have an extra doe tag thats good until Dec. 31st
Got a 4x5 Whitetail here in ID on Nov. 12, and I still have an extra doe tag thats good until Dec. 31st
12/1/2011 7:48:30 PM
Got a little spike this year, 50 yards, dropped right in his tracks. Not bad for my first buck.
12/1/2011 9:06:16 PM
I took 5 does and a good 8-point buck this year –– all with a bow. My hunting log indicates 18 hours on stand total.
12/1/2011 9:10:02 PM
Decent 10 pointer
12/1/2011 9:17:20 PM
I have spent about 130 hours hunting this year, 9 days a month since Oct about 7hrs a day and have only shot a doe. That being said I do see deer everytime I go out, it's just the same few deer 90% of the time and nothing I really want to shoot for one reason or the other. This is my third season back since I was a teen and it is my most frustrating season so far. I have put too much pressure on myself to kill a big buck and have taken the enjoyment out of it at times. I am thankful for being able to do what I do though and have seen some deer that will be awesome if they make it a few more years.
12/1/2011 9:17:36 PM
Got a good size buck.
Didn't see shit after that though.
Didn't see shit after that though.
12/1/2011 9:24:05 PM
I killed the 7 pt today - he was 75 yards away and coming directly at me. He stopped and was looking in my direction and I was afraid he may have spotted me sitting in my lawn chair. So I aimed at his neck and as the trigger broke I saw him drop his head. I blew his brains out - hit hit directly between the antlers above his eyes, brains were all over the ground. the bullet went through the skull and broke the vertebra. Poor guy was dead before he hit the ground. It was my first kill with a muzzle loader.
12/1/2011 9:38:21 PM
Originally Posted By clharr:
I have spent about 130 hours hunting this year, 9 days a month since Oct about 7hrs a day and have only shot a doe. That being said I do see deer everytime I go out, it's just the same few deer 90% of the time and nothing I really want to shoot for one reason or the other. This is my third season back since I was a teen and it is my most frustrating season so far. I have put too much pressure on myself to kill a big buck and have taken the enjoyment out of it at times. I am thankful for being able to do what I do though and have seen some deer that will be awesome if they make it a few more years.
I have spent about 130 hours hunting this year, 9 days a month since Oct about 7hrs a day and have only shot a doe. That being said I do see deer everytime I go out, it's just the same few deer 90% of the time and nothing I really want to shoot for one reason or the other. This is my third season back since I was a teen and it is my most frustrating season so far. I have put too much pressure on myself to kill a big buck and have taken the enjoyment out of it at times. I am thankful for being able to do what I do though and have seen some deer that will be awesome if they make it a few more years.
My first since being a teen. I put aside a solid week to increase my odds but just didn't make it happen. Just didn't find that buck
Got real frustrated one day after tweaking my knee and running across 4 doe early in the day. I don't care about the rack. I want the meat...
12/1/2011 10:05:01 PM
Originally Posted By BillyDoubleU:
My first since being a teen. I put aside a solid week to increase my odds but just didn't make it happen. Just didn't find that buck
Got real frustrated one day after tweaking my knee and running across 4 doe early in the day. I don't care about the rack. I want the meat...
Originally Posted By clharr:
I have spent about 130 hours hunting this year, 9 days a month since Oct about 7hrs a day and have only shot a doe. That being said I do see deer everytime I go out, it's just the same few deer 90% of the time and nothing I really want to shoot for one reason or the other. This is my third season back since I was a teen and it is my most frustrating season so far. I have put too much pressure on myself to kill a big buck and have taken the enjoyment out of it at times. I am thankful for being able to do what I do though and have seen some deer that will be awesome if they make it a few more years.
I have spent about 130 hours hunting this year, 9 days a month since Oct about 7hrs a day and have only shot a doe. That being said I do see deer everytime I go out, it's just the same few deer 90% of the time and nothing I really want to shoot for one reason or the other. This is my third season back since I was a teen and it is my most frustrating season so far. I have put too much pressure on myself to kill a big buck and have taken the enjoyment out of it at times. I am thankful for being able to do what I do though and have seen some deer that will be awesome if they make it a few more years.
My first since being a teen. I put aside a solid week to increase my odds but just didn't make it happen. Just didn't find that buck
Got real frustrated one day after tweaking my knee and running across 4 doe early in the day. I don't care about the rack. I want the meat...
It sucks that you can't shoot a doe. I can get meat just about anytime I go out but I am also keeping management of the herd in mind. This year I wanted something nice to hang on my wall. I get good pics on my camera of nice bucks but they are nocturnal. Since I'm planning on going back to school for the next few years this year was the year to do it. I have three more weeks.
Like I said though I am very thankful for being able to hunt as much as I do, for free, see my best friend, watch animals and just get away from the city.
12/1/2011 11:35:24 PM
Heading out tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some positive news on Monday.
12/2/2011 4:46:50 AM
So far I've spent about 27 hrs in the field. I've seen 3 Doe and one small buck. Haven't been able to get a shot off.
Thankfully I still have 3 1/2 months of hunting left. Just no Sundays.
Heading out now for a few hours this morning.
Thankfully I still have 3 1/2 months of hunting left. Just no Sundays.
Heading out now for a few hours this morning.
12/2/2011 7:03:12 AM
Shot a button buck with my 870. We can only shoot one per year and antlerless is by lottery. I saw a total of 9. I mostly still hunt but sit some too. Took my ten year old son most of the time. He saw eleven this year 
He also hunted with my dad and my brother.
He also hunted with my dad and my brother.
12/2/2011 9:24:10 AM
I bagged a small 6 point with my crossbow, my son has been slamming them. He has bagged a nice 6yo 10 point buck, 3.5 yo 9 point buck and a doe also shot with a crossbow.
12/2/2011 10:34:54 AM
I am nearing 140 hours spent hunting this year so far. I saw 8 different shooter bucks and managed to take one of them. I have shot 2 does, but that number will climb over the next couple of weeks.
12/2/2011 10:41:20 AM
If I were to ever move (highly unlikely) it would be to a state with good hunting. Shit, my uncle is up in montana and is huntin wolves...
I hunt a lot of dove and quail but their ain't much else out here to hunt for food.
I hunt a lot of dove and quail but their ain't much else out here to hunt for food.
12/2/2011 10:57:20 AM
1 doe so far; that's somewhere in between.
12/2/2011 12:29:55 PM
I've killed two does and a spike with my bow this year. I had two encounters with a big mature buck. First at five yards and the next day at fifty. The first time I couldn't draw without being seen, the second time he caught my wind. I hate to do it, but I'm going to take a rifle for the first time tonight.
12/2/2011 5:36:17 PM
Originally Posted By buckfever34:
I am nearing 140 hours spent hunting this year so far.
I am nearing 140 hours spent hunting this year so far.
Is your ass sore?
12/2/2011 7:02:27 PM
I got 2 buck fawns with a rifle this year, and I shot a doe with my bow but I never found her. I definitely don't always get deer though.
12/2/2011 10:03:59 PM
This years buck.
12/2/2011 10:12:01 PM
Originally Posted By crashlanding:
This years buck.
<a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/716/pb190527.jpg/" target="_blank">http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/6387/pb190527.jpg</a>
This years buck.
<a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/716/pb190527.jpg/" target="_blank">http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/6387/pb190527.jpg</a>
Damn! How much is a non-res deer tag in CO!?! That's not that far a drive from here
12/3/2011 2:09:44 PM
I have spent 47 hours hunting. I have seen 40 deer during legal shooting time. I just got access to a family member's farm this year and it is whitetail paradise in west-central IL. I've had shots on 3 adult deer. Missed a doe - combination of jumping the string and me overestimating the distance by 5 yards. Missed a young buck - hit a branch. Didn't shoot on one because there were two other deer @ 5 yards and didn't think I could move without spooking them all. Those were my first shots at deer with a bow after 4 seasons of hunting public land without success. During gun season I didn't see much, only deer I saw were on the neighbor's property. This is the second weekend of gun season, but I had some things to do so I couldn't head out. Thankfully, I have 1.5 months of archery left and I have a long weekend coming up where hopefully I'll score. Also, I shot two pheasants last Sunday over my dog so that makes the season enjoyable.
12/3/2011 7:37:28 PM
Killed 2 early. 1 each the first 2 days of bow season. Haven't been in the hunting for 4 weeks now though, to busy at work. Maybe I'll get go next week
12/3/2011 7:55:59 PM
Billy, I hunted the unit north of the one you were in. In the 4 days I spent in the field, I saw two does. The nearest landmark to them that my rangefinder would mark was 1147 yards.
Bit far, even if we could shoot does here.
I'd hiked almost three hours to sit on that ridge. It was quite a pull back to the truck that evening, but at least I saw some deer.
I only saw them because of the binoculars I was using. I borrowed a pair of Leupold Gold Rings that were fantastic. I was able to determine that they weren't bucks because of the spotting scope and tripod I was using, which saved me packing my gear and hiking down the mountain into the canyon they were headed for.
I'm no expert at Coues hunting, but ... optics are where it's at. There's still a lot of hiking, though. I am still beat.
My buddy and his wife were sitting on a saddle in Carr Canyon last Sunday when a little spike walked out of the brush less than 20 yards from her. Little guy saw her lift her rifle and trotted back into the brush. Buddy made a mama grunt at him, and he came back while she was still aiming at the spot he came out of.
Bang-flop, 6.8 SPC AR, 400 yards from their jeep.
Just how it goes, you know.
Bit far, even if we could shoot does here.
I'd hiked almost three hours to sit on that ridge. It was quite a pull back to the truck that evening, but at least I saw some deer.
I only saw them because of the binoculars I was using. I borrowed a pair of Leupold Gold Rings that were fantastic. I was able to determine that they weren't bucks because of the spotting scope and tripod I was using, which saved me packing my gear and hiking down the mountain into the canyon they were headed for.
I'm no expert at Coues hunting, but ... optics are where it's at. There's still a lot of hiking, though. I am still beat.
My buddy and his wife were sitting on a saddle in Carr Canyon last Sunday when a little spike walked out of the brush less than 20 yards from her. Little guy saw her lift her rifle and trotted back into the brush. Buddy made a mama grunt at him, and he came back while she was still aiming at the spot he came out of.
Bang-flop, 6.8 SPC AR, 400 yards from their jeep.
Just how it goes, you know.
12/3/2011 10:56:39 PM
Originally Posted By sixgunner455:
Billy, I hunted the unit north of the one you were in. In the 4 days I spent in the field, I saw two does. The nearest landmark to them that my rangefinder would mark was 1147 yards.
Bit far, even if we could shoot does here.
I'd hiked almost three hours to sit on that ridge. It was quite a pull back to the truck that evening, but at least I saw some deer.
I only saw them because of the binoculars I was using. I borrowed a pair of Leupold Gold Rings that were fantastic. I was able to determine that they weren't bucks because of the spotting scope and tripod I was using, which saved me packing my gear and hiking down the mountain into the canyon they were headed for.
I'm no expert at Coues hunting, but ... optics are where it's at. There's still a lot of hiking, though. I am still beat.
My buddy and his wife were sitting on a saddle in Carr Canyon last Sunday when a little spike walked out of the brush less than 20 yards from her. Little guy saw her lift her rifle and trotted back into the brush. Buddy made a mama grunt at him, and he came back while she was still aiming at the spot he came out of.
Bang-flop, 6.8 SPC AR, 400 yards from their jeep.
Just how it goes, you know.
Billy, I hunted the unit north of the one you were in. In the 4 days I spent in the field, I saw two does. The nearest landmark to them that my rangefinder would mark was 1147 yards.
Bit far, even if we could shoot does here.
I'd hiked almost three hours to sit on that ridge. It was quite a pull back to the truck that evening, but at least I saw some deer.
I only saw them because of the binoculars I was using. I borrowed a pair of Leupold Gold Rings that were fantastic. I was able to determine that they weren't bucks because of the spotting scope and tripod I was using, which saved me packing my gear and hiking down the mountain into the canyon they were headed for.
I'm no expert at Coues hunting, but ... optics are where it's at. There's still a lot of hiking, though. I am still beat.
My buddy and his wife were sitting on a saddle in Carr Canyon last Sunday when a little spike walked out of the brush less than 20 yards from her. Little guy saw her lift her rifle and trotted back into the brush. Buddy made a mama grunt at him, and he came back while she was still aiming at the spot he came out of.
Bang-flop, 6.8 SPC AR, 400 yards from their jeep.
Just how it goes, you know.
Yeah tell me bout it.
35A had some good areas and plenty if deer just was never in the right spot for a buck. It was encouraging to get so close to so many coues does at least. Furthest one was 150 yards, average distance was 75 yards and one as close as 20 yards. Good shots on all but 2 of them could have been had
Shit, could ran up and knifed a couple of javelina too
Even more crazy were the 20 White Nosed Coati I saw. Had I known I could have harvested one I would have...
Next year.
12/4/2011 12:14:19 AM
Originally Posted By BillyDoubleU:
Damn! How much is a non-res deer tag in CO!?! That's not that far a drive from here
Originally Posted By crashlanding:
This years buck.
<a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/716/pb190527.jpg/" target="_blank">http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/6387/pb190527.jpg</a>
This years buck.
<a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/716/pb190527.jpg/" target="_blank">http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/6387/pb190527.jpg</a>
Damn! How much is a non-res deer tag in CO!?! That's not that far a drive from here
Dude, you've got the Kaibab Plateau down there in AZ., get on it!
12/4/2011 11:52:31 AM
Skunked for two years straight now. Hunting the 14" minimum area is beginning to payoff though, I've seen more deer and sign than I've seen the lasy 8 years, just nothing with a 14" spread.
