I got hit with Cancer, reaching out for Prayer

[apache12]

Strange by fun hunt. I've never hunted in a open mesa like that and it took me a day or so to figure out the patterns a bit. It was crazy, the deer were just out in the middle of the mesa feeding like antelope, as a matter of fact i saw antelope and mule deer in my glass at the same time. I thought they'd be down in the smaller finger canyons that came out of the really massive canyons, and they did use those but early am and late pm the were right out in the flats. The smaller bucks, smaller forky and a some small 3x3 would travel with groups of 8 to 12 does. I thought that was wierd for it not being rut, it was like rag horn elk staying with cows. I hunt coues deer more I've never seen that. anyway because it was so wide open we did our best to work the wind and try to close the distance to 300 or 350 but they always just teased us and would stay 500 to 800 yards off.

Finally last day or two hard days or hunting with my boys packing food and water for the entire day and not going back to camp unitl dark, I went the higest spot I could find and glassed across a deep part of Pinkey canyon and saw a massive buck, it was just a 3x3 but I think it was an older buck that was strating to regress because his body was huge, his eye guards were 6 to 8 inches and g2 g3 were 20 inches it seems with a real wide spread it was just a beauty. We new that if we shot him we'd have to go all the way around the canyon until we could cross bone him out pack in in a three packs and then we were 2 hrs back to the truck but it was worth it and my 15 year old really stepped up and humped most of the gear for me. My 13 year old hung tough.

So anyway we were 800 away but the wind was perfect in our face and we could back off our point and get in a low spot and work all the way to the edge of the canyon. my 13 year old stayed on the glass and radio and kept on eye on the buck and would radio if we spoked him. we crept in slow and got to the edge climbed on to some lava rock to perch and got below the horizon. I ranged him at 225. he had no idea we were there and we sat there and realized just how nice he was and were waiting for him to turn so we could get onto a flat rock and put his pack down for a rest. All of a sudden with no reason we picked his head up and turned 180 and decided it was time to roll. he just started going right back up the ridge his was on, not running be fast walk with a purpose. I got my boy down on the pack and he chambered a rounnd I ranged him a 300 and told him to hurry. he couldnt locate him and I told him to go naked eye and find him. finally at the top of the ridge he was at 411 and still moving. My son let one fly and it hit low right below his feet and he bounced twice and hopped over the top and gone. We felt just sick. he was just a smart old buck that beat us. I've gone over it a hundred times and just can't figure out what I did wrong. did we get to close? Did he wind us anyway even though the wind was in our face? Did he just catch us against the rocks even though we were burried? I have no idea. I'm so bummed. but we had a good hunt and learned a new area.

any thoughts on what we did wrong on the big buck? Or just an old wise buck?

 

His image is haunting me and my 13 year old wants to go again this weekend before his tag runs out. My 15 will be in TX.

 

Again, thanks for all the great comments and offers. Much appreaciated!

[sjvcon]

Prayers for you and your family.

 

Glad you got to make the hunt with your boys. Now do yourself a favor and get geared up for that Chemo. Stay strong mentally and spiritually. Your body will have some reactions to Chemo, and that can suck, but use your mind and spirit to power you through it. The tougher you can hang with aggressive treatment, the better that treatment generally works. Friend of my Dad's had a 25 year old son with a VERY aggressive form of Lymphoma. When he was diagnosed, they said it was likely terminal (gave him a single digit percentage chance to last a year), but he toughed out a treatment they didn't think he could handle and he's still going strong 15 years later ... Cancer Free.

 

I'd say Good Luck, but I'd rather say Strong Faith ... that is what will pull you through. If you ever need anything, give a yell.

[ragu]

Best of luck to you and prayers for a recovery.

[Coues Archer]

May god bless you, and help you overcome this disease! My prayers along with my families are with you! Have faith in our lord Jesus Christ, he can do extraordinary things!

[Chef]

I don't know what you could have done wrong while on that big 3x3.

Sometimes that's just the way the cookie crumbles while hunting.

I know how bummed you must feel as I've played and re-played scenarios in my head before too.

Best part is, you got to spend some quality time out there with your boys.

 

Best of luck in your fight against cancer. Prayers are with you.