WHITETAIL WEDNESDAY continued

[SunDevil]

some say it is better to be lucky than good. this hunt was a combination of the two. after an uneventful opening weekend (and two months of relatively uneventful scouting), to say I was discouraged would be putting it lightly. luckily we were now camped in an area with lots of potential that apparently had very little hunting pressure during the opening weekend. this combination had me optimistic and my hopes running high.

 

shortly after first glassing light I glassed up a good buck. Larry got his spotter on it before me and his comment was 'that buck is a no brainer'. I confirmed we were looking at the same buck and took a very quick look at it before getting my stuff packed up to go after it. I hiked up to the next hill in front of us and checked in with Larry. He informed me the buck had moved around the ridge and into the next cut. Larry caught up to me and we relocated a couple of times before we found the best vantage point to continue searching for the buck. Fortunately Larry had got some good video of the buck before he moved out of sight.

 

http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l302/sco...hursBuck040.mp4

 

fast forward to after Larry had taken his nice buck and I was back on the hill glassing for my buck. within a few minutes I had him. he was maybe 50 - 75 yards away from where we saw him earlier that morning. My pack was full of all of my gear and all of Larry's gear. I had to scramble to pull out all the essentials I would need to stalk and shoot this buck. Larry was not answering his radio and I knew I was going solo on this one. Earlier in the day we had ranged the hill above us and I knew the buck was about 800 yards away. I was going to have to cut that distance at least in half if not more. After twenty minutes the buck bedded and I knew this was my chance. I stashed my pack and took off.

 

after sneaking around for awhile I was able to find a spot in the shade where I could get set up. The buck was still bedded and had a good vantage point to see down the hill towards where I was. He was 385 yards away. Getting closer was not going to be an option. I got set up and was sitting on a nice, big flat rock. My gun was resting on my tripod handle and my elbows were resting on my knees. All I could see was his head sticking up out of the tall yellow grass. Larry was still not answering his radio. The waiting game had begun. At one point I could hear Larry walking across the ridge down below me.

 

I remember looking at my watch, seeing it was 4:45 and thinking I had about an hour left before it would be dark. When I looked back in my scope the buck was up. I took the gun off safety, fired and quickly relocated the buck in my scope, miss. I fired again and quickly relocated, Miss. I fired again and quickly relocated, MISSED AGAIN. I reloaded a couple more shells into my rifle, got back on the buck, fired and quickly relocated, ANOTHER MISS. What the heck? Fortunely he had not bolted during all this target practice. I told myself to hold a little higher this time and fired. This time when I relocated him I could see his back legs were down, then he fell over and did a couple death rolls down the hill. What a relief!!!

 

Larry finally called me on the radio and asked if that was me doing all the shooting. I told him yes and that I had been trying to call him on the radio for the last hour and a half. He asked if I got him and I confirmed. I hiked up the hill to find another nice buck down for the afternoon. I dragged him down the hill, cleaned him out and we got him hung in a tree for the evening. It took us an hour and forty five minutes of bushwhacking in the dark to get back to camp (no moon this dark night). We returned in the morning to get some pics and haul him out. What a great couple of days!!!

 

I am lucky/fortuante that: A) my two biggest bucks have been 4x4s, I have video of both of these bucks prior to harvesting them, C) I have such a great hunting partner and finally, D) I have such a great and understanding wife who puts up with my coues craziness.

 

Gotta give thanks to all the people who talked to us about new places to go. Also gotta give thanks to Chris and Dave for going out with Larry on Sunday and to Lee for going out with me on Monday.

 

Here are a couple of pictures from our Wednesday whitetails. Enjoy. Chris.

 

 

[scoutm]

It was a great day of hunting!! First time in almost 15 years of hunting that we've tagged out on the same day and one of only a few times we've tagged deer during the same hunt. (Excluding Antelope)

 

Thanks for being a great hunting partner and congrats on another outstanding 4x4. I'm already looking forward to next years hunt!

[shaynec]

I hav'nt seen a lot of 4x4's and that is a nice one. Congrats! Shayne

[daryl_s]

Wow, great story, videos, pictures and write up. Those are 2 outstanding bucks.

[azbow]

That was a good day! I really like the 4x4, they are pretty rare.

 

Also like the fact that you live in OV and use the name SunDevil. Got any ASU stickers on your truck?? All I see are those big A stickers and hats around there....

[Hunterdan]

Congrats! Very Nice.

[SunDevil]

I'm already looking forward to next years hunt!

 

April will come sooner than you think. Quail between now and then. Hopefully next year we can draw a few more tags.

[Ernesto C]

You guys never stop impressing me. You two are the "Dinamick Duo" of Coues Whitetail.com! Yes like Batman and Robin.!

 

Congratulations on a great hunt and great bucks. Nice story Chris, you and Larry rock!

 

Ernesto C

[Chef]

Much congrats on two fantastic bucks.

[motoxno53]

Great story Chris. I can say that you can Larry put in the time and it payed off. Congrats to both of you!

[draggingnuts]

Nice bucks and to get them both on the same day, WOW congrats!!!

[Coues Archer]

Wow that is one awesome buck!! what did it score..

[cramerhunts]

Congrats on a couple of great bucks Chris and Larry, looks like the persistance paid off big time!

[lacouesniper]

Sick bucks, looks like you guys had a good time.