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Haven't posted in a while , but I wanted to share my experience with you guys and Gals. This is a Pacific Hybred area, so it's got mule deer and blacktail mixed together. I'd rather been huntin AZ Coues Bucks but tis the season here ! I wrapped up my first deer hunt of 2012 on Sunday afternoon . The weather was hot , but not as hot as normal. High temps topped out in the Mid 90's, a real cold snap compared to the normal temps that I usually get to hunt in which run 105 -110. After running a couple of trail cameras earlier this month that confirmed that the deer were using a little cattail spring that I frequent I headed over Friday mid day to set my blind up inside a Juniper tree that gives me a nice view point and good wind. Because of wind considerations and the openess of the area around the spring , the best setup that I have is 50 yards from the reeds. It's a long poke , but after a few years of getting busted , it's the best setup that I have been able to come up with. Looking back from the spring the blind blends in well with the semi centered Juniper Tree in the next Pic. It's a little hard to see but it's the darker spot in the medium Juniper half way up the hill I can get away with quite a bit of movement in my hidy hole as long as i"m quiet. Looking out of the shooting window That I formed, there is nice view of the Cattails that the deer and other critters slip into for some liquid refreshment. Saturday Morning I hiked the 1 1/2 miles in to my setup and settled in around 5:30 A. M. at first light. My Trail cams had indicated that action generally started up a little after 6:00 A.M , but very seldom would any bucks show until after 7:00 The brief history from the cam Pics I had, showeed that a Small forked horn showed up daily at around 7:30 A.M. and would hang around quite a while hogging the water hole as does and spikes stood back waiting their turn. Other bigger bucks would come in at random times in the A.M. , but with no regular pattern and some days not at all. Having 2 tags in my pocket , I was semi prepared to shoot the first buck that met my requirements ( legal and made of Meat ) so's I could put some venison in our freezer that seems to have a rapidly dwindling supply. That decision was made for me as no forkys showed as scheduled ! The first action happened around 6:15 with a doe slipping in for a drink followed by a doe with a spike in tow about a half an hour later. Random deer filterd in an out until about 8:00 A.M. with a head count of 8 . Still no legal bucks had showed as a trio fed up the the hill after taking their turn at the water hole. As I watched them feed off I caught movement on a ridge that runs down to the reeds . I slowly swiveled my line of sight to the ridge line and spotted a Buck that was surveying the situation below . He stood there quite a while locked up , as he picked the area apart with his gaze. I waited until he finally made a move and as he disappeared behind some brush I slowly reached over to my right and retrieved my Bow. I sat still and waited what seemed like an eternity as the Buck finally popped out from behind a juniper about 80 yards out. He took his sweet time working his way on down to a flat spot just above the Spring. He was nervous as as a cat in a room full of pitbulls as he danced around on the flat over looking the spring. He acted like he was expecting to see the boogey monster jump out at him at any moment ! I was starting to get mighty nervous myself as I watched the tap dance going on below . I hooked up and slowly started the draw cycle on The Hoyt Element and and when I got to about two thirds draw , the buck stopped dancing and locked onto my movement. I stopped right there in "no mans land" as the buck stared me down. I waited until I couldn't hold the spot any longer and eased ever so slowly on back into the "Wall" Ah! sweet relief "Let off" I guess I moved slowly enough and got away with it because it wasn't long until the buck turned his attention back to the water below. As I held my draw the buck made a couple of steps down towards the reeds and stopped again. I made the decision to make the shot as I considered the distance in my mind. I had pre range the cattails at 50 yards and the buck was standing right above and just on the other side of my mark. My muddled mind said 55 yards as I split the 50- 60 pins and settled on the center of the lungs just behind the front leg. Making sure I had the sight ring centered in the peep as I checked the bubble level and buit in no-Peep on my IQ sight. I held as steady as my excitement would allow and pulled through the shot to a surprise release. My Gold Tip 75/95 XT tipped with a 1 1/8 " Wasp "Boss" 3 blade , zipped across the void to the buck as he spun a 180 to escape. My old eyes didn"t really see what had happened as the arrow arrived, so I wasn't sure of a good hit or as far as that goe a hit at all. He took off up the side of the ridge at a dead run and I was unable to tell by body language whether or not my arrow had found its's mark. At 25 yards I thought I saw a little waver in his step as he crashed through a small Juniper . He did a pretty nice stumble , but recovered quickly and headed on up the hill and as he did I got a broadside view that showed he was painted up pretty good in red on the lower third of his body. At thirty yards his legs turned to noodles and he went into staggering mode , followed by a radical backwards roll down the hill crashing through Brush and Junipers . As he disapperared from sight all went slilent . At that point all I could do is sit there and review what had just occured and let my heart rate slow down. I was pretty stoked and thought to myself. " Wow that was Awsome " I waited a few minutes , and there stiil was no sound or movement and I knew that the buck was done for . I must have waited a whole 10 minutes until I couldn't stand it any more , and then , I put on my pack , picked up my bow and headed up look at my arrow. The arrow lay Just passed where the Buck had been standing and had a bent blede from striking a rock, I took the opportunity to range back to my blind from where the buck had been standing and it was 57 yards . I was 2 yards short on my guess. I had good blood on the arrow and on the ground. It was Time to follow out the blood even though I knew where the Buck went down . There was no way I was going cheat myself out of the track , after the preparation and work I'd put in. 2nd blood. 3rd blood Last Blood My first look at the the downed Buck He took a pretty good tumble down the hill. Through the heart The The Elements's first Buck. 4x3 and Me . The Buck on the Covert Cam Before the Hunt. After the photo session of the Buck and the buck and myself with the camera self timer , I drug the buck away from the spring several hundred yards, parted him out with the gutless method , then gutted him , pulled the tenderloins , heart and liver , and packed him back to the truck. I put him on ice and had lunch. About 4:00 P.M. I headed back out for an evening hunt until last light. I had small a forked horn, some does and spikes come in and water but didn't fill the second tag . Another hunt Sunday morning until about 10:30 A.M. and I headed on back home . My deer is ceartainly no Giant ,but he's a pretty decent buck for public BLM land on the Ca Coast Range where I hunt. The Genetics don't generally produce huge deer over there , but there are a few biguns around. I still have one tag left , so I'll make a couple more excursions over later in the season ! I'd like to tag out early so's I can concentrate on the upcoming Archery Bear season In August.