Well I got skunked. I passed bucks i shouldn't have. For those that smirked, look up my strip hunt, I am not right in the head.
Yesterday, I hiked in 2.5 miles in the dark. got to my glassing spot at the edge of the rez and after an hour and a half found a buck I would be happy with. It had eyeguards that looked longer than my hand. Set up for a shot @431 yards. I actually practiced upto 440 yards in preparation. I setup with a very solid rest, squeezed the trigger and the bucks disappeared. After checking for an hour or so. No signs of a hit, whatsoever.
What I learned
1 - there is no rut in December
2 - hunters treat a December coues tag like a September elk tag. With a lot of helpers
3 - setting up for a long range shot solo is very hard
4 - practice shooting angles as much as distance.
5 - be persistent. No matter how boring looking at the same spot is, eventually something will walk by.
No regrets. I will go back to still hunting for a bit.