Went 0-4, Tough Hunt This Year

[huntingfool]

I've been chomping at the bit to go deer hunting since about July, I got a new scope set up on my deer rifle and extended my killing range from 250 yards to about 500 yards. I practiced a lot, shot over 50 rounds of the new load I've worked up and this was my year to shoot a nice buck. Also this was my first year with a tripod, boy what a difference. I don't know how I functioned without one all this time. To top it off I took the whole seven days off and was gonna kill a buck, wasn't gonna shoot a little one (like usual) until Tuesday. Thursday (Nov 4th) was like Christmas eve for me, my Dad and Brother-in-law James were down for the hunt and my buddy Clark was hunting with us too. This was Clark's first hunt and I was determined to find him a buck to shoot...

 

Casey was able to come out with Clark and I first morning and it was just a tough hunt from the get-go. We didn't see beans until about 3:30pm opening day, and we were glassing some great country. We were joking that if this last spot didn't produce deer we would be the worst hunters around having driven the length of Ruby road without glassing a single deer. But we did end up seeing 7 does total, here's the view as I saw it:

 

Also on Day 1 I got a text from James that he had a lion ten yards from him! He was sitting and looked over and there was a "large weener dog lookin' thing" crawling thru the brush next to him. He realized what it was and as he stood up to shoot it, it beat it out of sight. He was on a thick canyon side so there was a lot of cover.

 

Day 2 wasn't much better. We were in a different area that I've seen a bunch of deer and bucks in but still after a whole day of glassing we'd seen only a handful of does when right before dark I glassed up 3 little bucks at around 750 yards. It was a bad situation, the wind was wrong, it was getting dark and there was not much cover between us. We tried and actually almost got one. Busted them at 200 yards, I didn't even expect that much. Here's the view from that spot, although the bucks were out of the picture to the right:

 

Day 3 all we saw were does, except the bucks that got shot about 500 yards under us. I had a tree in my way so I couldn't see the bucks...yet. My old man was pulling a sneak on them and actually had one in the binos when it got clocked. They were headed right down below me and James. I've seen bucks get clocked from that point during previous seasons so I've named it "Clobber Point." later that day we hit an old spot in border muley/coues country and had 7 mulies walk up on us:

 

Day 4 found me and James hiking to Clobber Point before sunup. It's a good lookout in a good area. By 8:30am we had seen only a handful of does when I decided to glass the saddle where we usually sit. Right away I could see an animal that wasn't a deer. Not a deer, not a coyote...then I could make out the face of a lion. He came on thru the saddle and walked broadside for me for about 20 yards. What a sight, first lion I've ever seen, FINALLY glassed one up. Nice big one, only one hill over from where James saw his. We're thinking it was the same one. I got prone to fling some lead at him from 650 yards and he disappeared. The kicker is that the saddle he was in is 200 yards below where we usually sit. We watched for just over an hour and I decided to leave James glassing the saddle and I'd hike around/above and try to blast him. I made the stalk but he wasn't there. As I was standing there where he had been, disappointed but still full of adrenaline I saw movement on the adjacent hillside. Not a lion obviously but I saw a masked face and thought it was a badger. As I got on my sticks I saw a long tail so I knew it wasn't a badger, so I was pretty sure it must be a Coatimundi. I got on him and busted him, mostly out of frustration. I felt pretty bad since I've never seen one before but now that he's skinned I think the pelt and skull will turn out really nice. Good claws and some wicked teeth:

 

Day 5 I only had until around 11am, James had to leave that day and I had to babysit while my wife worked. Clark and I hiked up to a good viewpoint over a big bowl that always holds deer. It was cloudy and cool which was nice. The previous 4 days were really hot. At around 8:15am I glassed up two bucks with what appeared to be a doe and fawn. I think they were at least small 3 points, but the one looked like he may have been a tad bigger. Thought I saw a beam curl and a little mass. Of course they were a good 1000 yards away, we pulled a steep/thick brush stalk and ended up 500 yards from where they had been...but they had moved. I could see one deer's body in a thick mesquite thicket and I think I saw antlers on it the one time I glimpsed the head. He vanished in the thicket and there was no good way to him. We saw 2 more pairs of does right below us and after looking them over it was time to head out. Once again skunked. Here's the view from the spot where I glassed them, they were out behind where the binos are:

 

Day 6 I poked around Ruby again and saw ten does. They were up a lot that day, it was windy and cold but all I could find were does. Ten of them.

 

Day 7 (today) I only had until noon so Clark and I tried to make the most of it. We hiked out into that bowl where I'd seen the previous two bucks to the spot we stalked to. I've seen bucks head to that spot before while scouting and we were there just after sunup. Sure enough there were already deer there, and as we watched more came. All does. We jumped two does on the way back to the truck and one stopped just right in front of some dead branches and it looked like a buck for a second...I had the deer in my scope when Clark said "it's a buck." Since I couldn't see antlers it's a darn good thing I said "are you sure?" and he said "no." Always know for yourself! After 7 days of hunting I was almost ready to take his word for it. It was a doe, when it turned it's head I was sure glad I didn't shoot. The branches did look like antlers but I could tell something wasn't right.

 

Anyway although nobody filled their tags I still had a good time. I glassed my rear end off for 7 days and only saw 6 bucks the whole hunt. I forgot to mention another buck I glassed at like 1000 yards on day 3, little guy and soooo far from the truck. Hunting beats working any way you slice it, and I just love being out in the hills with the deer. I got to see my first lion and my first Coati on the same day, and I get a good pelt out of the deal. Best part is that I get to do it all again in two weeks, I'm taking two weeks off for James's Rifle bull hunt and my cow hunt the next week. We have 6 elk tags in the family and I'll have some elk to butcher!

 

Oops forgot my favorite picture of the whole hunt. I hunted hard guys, I only took two naps the whole season. The best one was at this spot, under an oak tree. Pretty country, can't wait to get back in it:

[Simple Hunter]

I feel you man...I've been there. Last year for example.

 

Great story, I think sometimes we expect that all the stories need to be about success, but you certainly highlighted some of the many things we take for granted when we are so focused on tagging our trophy coues - the landscape, the other wildlife, the solitude we have away from the daily grind. All wonderful things.

 

 

[Coach]

I feel you man...I've been there. Last year for example.

 

Great story, I think sometimes we expect that all the stories need to be about success, but you certainly highlighted some of the many things we take for granted when we are so focused on tagging our trophy coues - the landscape, the other wildlife, the solitude we have away from the daily grind. All wonderful things.

 

 

+1

 

Great write-up. It sounds like you had a great time chasing coues with familiy and friends. Thanks for sharing the story with us.

[CouesWhitetail]

That's some beautiful country you were hunting in! Thanks for sharing your hunt. Good luck with the elk!

[COOSEFAN]

Thanks for sharing the story and photos! JIM>

[bonecollector]

Good write up and nice looking photos. Hunting is not all about tagging out all the time imo, its about having fun being with friends and family in gods country. Thanks for sharing.

[firstcoueswas80]

It was rough this year dude! I would have bet my paycheck we would have one down by 9 or 10 am Friday morning, especially with Clark shooting anythink with horns!

 

You put the time in, it SHOULD have happened.... Now, get a 4x4 truck and we will make it happen next year!

[Jimmer Negamanee]

Great write up! Thanks for sharing your story. Of course you wanted a buck but you have great perspective and clearly know what hunting's all about. (+ getting a coati is cool!) Thanks again.