CO Archery Mule Deer Hunt

[AntlerObsession]

What a memorable Labor Day Weekend! Packed up and ready to go, we left the Friday afternoon heat in SE Arizona for the long drive to our cabin near Silverton, CO. After sleeping in, we woke up to a beautifully crisp and clear morning full of excitement and anticipation.

 

 

I had processed our one remaining archery voucher, and was hoping the bucks we have been watching the last few seasons would be in their usual areas. With some luck, and providence, perhaps I would be able to close the distance on a decent buck, and maintain my composure enough to get a clean shot! I hiked to a nearby trail camera I had setup a month prior to see what kind of activity we might have had in the area. A lot of bucks and does, and some bucks with real potential if they finished strong the last 3-4 weeks of growth.

 

 

If this was indicative of the kind of action I was going to have, it was going to be a great weekend!

 

I hurried to the trail head and verified that my Badlands 4500 held everything that I was going to need, and that my PSE Bruin was the instrument of precision I had tuned it to be during the long summer. As I shouldered my pack, my mind went to the 13,500' peaks rising up above me, and the ordeals, and opportunities they would present to me.

 

 

As I rose in elevation through the dense, hardwood forest, the oxygen, as well as the trees, began to thin, opening up into treeless bowls and gulches, well above timberline.

 

 

I retrieved my Kaibabs from my pack, and set up for some serious glassing. I spot several does, many with fawns, as I scan through the mountain meadows. I finally come across several gray-bodied bucks, bedded high against a rocky cascade: the biggest being a large 3-point buck, around 155-160, a smaller 4-point buck, and a yearling. They begin to feed across the basin, single file on a steep game trail. As I continue to look, I find a solitary bachelor group bedded up on a granite promontory, below a long, rocky ledge. 3 bucks, consisting of 2 Tall 3-pointers, and a brute 4-point: great mass, width at least a few inches outside his ears, tall and very symmetrical! He was well worth the hike if I could get to him!

 

 

As the afternoon began to turn into evening, I found myself within about 250 yards of my quarry. They had milled about all afternoon, making it hard to read how, or if, they would move off the top of the mountain. However, about 5:00pm, they committed to a game trail that would take them just above where I was at. I dropped my pack, untethered my bow, and quickly moved into position. With them moving towards me at about 120 yds, I had to cover a 10 yd exposed hillside to really optimize my shooting position. I had on my Mossy Oak 3-D Leaf Suit on, but I was not taking any chances. The bucks would move a bit, and I would inch my bow further down the slope. Then they would look as though they were looking right at me. I held very awkward positions several times so as not to move while they were looking my direction. I finally got into position on a small, rocky promontory just above them and was able to take one last picture before we reached the point of no return.

 

 

As the Bucks passed below me, it was a matter of stepping from behind my rocky cover, and placing my pre-ranged 50 yard pin on his vitals and easing my shoulder blades together, releasing the arrow. The arrow, green fletched rose, arcing subtly, as it dropped directly into the upper ribs of the buck's right side and into its far lung. I watched as the buck exploded away down the mountain, slowing to cross a shallow stream bed, and stopping 150 yds away. He looked around for about 12 seconds, before he started to lose his feet and lay down there, where he perished.

 

 

I made my way to him, filled with increasing excitement, and humility, at the sight of this buck growing before my eyes. I cleaned him, and made my way back to the cabin. I would return early the next morning with my dad to cape and quarter him, and finish what was an unforgettable day in the San Juan Mts. of Colorado. I could not be happier with my experience, my beautiful buck and the beautiful mountains I had the privilege of seeing.

 

 

[briant_az]

Nice buck! That looks like an awesome hunt.

[youngbuck]

Nice pics and great buck. My face would be stuck like that too, looks like you had a miserable time.

[270wsm]

Sounds like you had an awesome hunt. Thanks for the story and pics

[azstroops]

Nice buck!

[CouesWhitetail]

HOLY SMOKES! that is awesome! Congratulations and thanks so much for sharing the story and all those pics, it really takes us along with you!! And you know of course I love the CWT tshirt pics with that giant buck!! AWESOME BUCK AND HUNT!! WOW!

[Muley62]

Great buck, great pictures and great story!

[Coach]

Truly awesome! What a great buck and a very well written story to go along with it! Nicely done!

[AZHUNTERRENT4]

FREAKIN AWESOME BUCK!!!! Cool story, Congrats!!

[Kaffer62]

Wow! Sounds like an awesome time, way to get in there and fill your tag! Always wanted to hunt CO, never knew where to start.

 

Congrats on a awesome Mulie!

[loco4coues]

Great job Adam! Thanks for sharing the pics and the story. Now you have another awesome buck to join the one on your wall already. I want to go next year!!

[Oak]

Heck of a nice buck! Way to go!

[DesertBull]

How many points does it take to get the tag in the draw?

[palivs2hnt]

Great buck and fantastic write-up! Congrats!

[dieselroe]

Man this is a great story and a great buck! I've been thinking about doing a CO archery hunt. Would you be willing to take somebody with next year? I'm superfit and backpack hunt frequently. Just personal message me man! Seriously! I'll just shot your scraps man, still might be better then what I've been seeing lately.

 

ryanpatrickroe@gmail.com