bigorange Report post Posted December 10, 2012 This hunt started last year when 4 of us decided to put in together. We drew leftovers for the early November hunt in a unit where one of us had hunted before. After some good tips on the forum and pre-season scouting we had a great time camping and hunting on a cold, windy hunt with every type of precipitation imaginable. After arriving in freezing rain and quickly setting up our borrowed popup camper, we decided to set out on the ridges near camp. Within a mile of camp on the first morning we had spotted a nice buck, but lost it before we could get a shot. That morning we learned a couple of valuable lessons…when you have 2 radios and 2 rangefinders in a group of 4, make sure they’re evenly dispersed when you divide up into pairs…the pair that spotted the buck had no rangefinder and both radios. We finished out the hunt spotting another nice buck in the same general area but also lost that one before getting a shot. Elkhunter1 came down on our last day of the hunt and helped glass and showed us a couple of other areas, but still couldn’t get it done. We went home empty-handed but had a great time and learned a lot on that first hunt. Cumulatively we had very little hunting experience between us. All of us were basically new hunters except me, and after 20 years out of the game I might as well be a new hunter too. Whitetail hunting out west is a lot different than the whitetail hunting I learned in Tennessee! This year due to work schedules and life in general none of us had time to do any scouting, so we decided to go back to the same area since we had seen a couple of nice bucks there last year and no other hunters in the immediate area. We chose the late November/early December hunt thinking that the 2 weekends available would make for more opportunity. Little did we know that family schedules with the holidays and work schedules would play havoc with that plan and we were lucky to get out for the first weekend. One of our group was sick in bed all weekend, so 3 of us took advantage of a generous friend’s cabin near the area (big improvement over last year’s popup camper ) and headed down for opening weekend. Saturday morning found us in the same familiar area as last year looking for bucks. It was an unseasonably warm, sunny day after a full moon so we expected to have to find bedded bucks. After a long morning of glassing and hiking we enjoyed lunch and a short nap in a shady spot on a high hill. We had only one doe to show for the morning’s efforts. After weighing our options we decided to work our way back toward the truck, glassing along the way and time our arrival shortly before dark. At our second glassing spot of the afternoon, I hear Cameron on the radio almost immediately that he has glassed a buck. Knowing that we’re not 100 yards apart I look away from my binos and can see the buck with naked eye right in front of me in the open. I get the binos on him while Cameron tries to set up for a shot. Cameron is having trouble finding the buck in his scope and it keeps wandering in and out of view…then decides to bed down. Luckily I’m watching when the buck beds down, otherwise we might never have seen it. You can see part of the head and antlers in the clearing just left of center, sticking up above the branch coming out from the tree to the left. Close-up…can see the antlers a little better. Cameron and Daniel have now both set up for the shot and the waiting game begins. As I’m watching the buck I texted our sick hunting partner Drew, elkhunter1, and a couple of other hunting buddies including one of the close-up photos. Lots of advice and encouragement coming back and we appreciated it. According to the text log the buck bedded at about 3:30. We waited over an hour as the buck fed and looked around from his bed. I could tell he was a pretty nice buck from his right side which I could pretty clearly see and the glimpses of left side when he turned his head. I didn’t tell Cameron and Daniel what I thought, since I knew this would be the first deer for either of them and I didn’t want to add to the nerves or excitement. I can hear Cameron and Daniel discussing who will shoot and taking turns resting from staying in the scope. I’m doing my best to keep my eyes in the binos in case the buck moves even though by now my phone is going crazy with all the return texts of encouragement and wanting to know details. About 4:30 I see the buck’s head move forward and the rear end start to rise…I know it’s time so I tell the guys to get ready to shoot. Clear broadside shot as he stands up…I hear one shot…nothing. The buck is still standing there and I’m almost shouting to shoot again…nothing. What felt like an eternity and fearing the buck will disappear at any moment and finally I hear the second shot and the buck drops in its tracks. At this point I have no idea who shot but I am yelling that they got him and am still watching in the binos to make sure he doesn’t get up. At one point I see his head come back up and we get ready for another shot, but it isn’t necessary. Now I tell Cameron and Daniel how nice I think the buck is. It turns out that Daniel shot first and then couldn’t find the buck again in his scope. That was the source of the delay on the second shot…finally Cameron took the second shot and dropped him. The hit was a little back, but destroyed the spine so the buck dropped on the spot. A few inches higher would have been a miss and a few inches lower would have been a gut shot and a potentially difficult track job. But no worries…a good hit and the buck was down! I spotted for Cameron and Daniel as they hiked over to the buck and walked them to the spot. Then I quickly made my way over to join them. This nice 3x3 is Cameron’s first deer, but we all agreed it was a team effort and felt like it was “our” buck. Now the fun began…neither Cameron nor Daniel had ever been involved in caring for a downed deer before, and it’s been 20 years since I’ve field-dressed a deer. Needless to say I’m wishing I’d paid more attention to quartering instructions or the gutless method videos as I’m thinking about the ½ mile hike to the truck. Not wanting to risk screwing up a quartering or gutless job, we plunge in with a “good old field dressing” like I learned on my uncle’s farm in Tennessee. Funny how it comes right back to you even after 20 years. Not the greatest or fastest gut job ever, but we got it done just in time to haul the buck out in the dark. Luckily we’d walked these ridges enough that we knew the way and just had to pay attention to the boulders and thick brush. Made for a very interesting hike out and stopping every 50 yards or so to rest and re-assess the route to make sure we could make it through the obstacles with the deer. We hung the deer overnight since the temps were in the high 30’s and Cameron drove it into town to the processor on Sunday. Daniel and I hunted Sunday and glassed another nice buck in the same area, but couldn’t get a shot before he disappeared. I had to get back to work on Monday, but Cameron and Daniel hunted all day Monday and Tuesday morning trying to find another buck for Daniel. A few more does and some Goulds turkeys were all they managed to glass up. This was a great hunt with great friends. I’m very proud of the team effort and our first buck…I’ve always said that I’ll let the other guys shoot first because I hunt archery and they don’t, so this hunt is their only opportunity of the year. Both of them have returned the favor and gone along on archery hunts with me just to help glass and have helped me on a couple of really close stalks. This is why I hunt…the success of the hunt has nothing to do with bringing home a buck. It’s the great friendships and great times had in the outdoors. I can’t wait for next year’s hunt with this great group of guys. Sorry this is a bit long. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Bradley 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elkhunter1 Report post Posted December 10, 2012 You guys ad a great time and thanks for the real time updates throughout your hunt via text messaging. My excitement was almost as though I was there with you. GREAT FIRST COUES!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cvw789 Report post Posted December 10, 2012 Very cool Congrats guys. Cole Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loco4coues Report post Posted December 10, 2012 great job! Nice buck for sure and thanks for sharing your hunt with us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mocha1545 Report post Posted December 10, 2012 Great story and pics. Thanks for sharing. Congrats on your success. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted December 11, 2012 Nice write up. Congratulations on a beauty of a buck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted December 11, 2012 Congratulations on a great first buck! Nice job on the write up and it sounds like you have a good group of friends to share many more hunts with. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
khaller Report post Posted December 11, 2012 Nice write up and very nice buck! Thanks for sharing, congratulations! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucky2hunt Report post Posted December 11, 2012 Congratulations on a very successful hunt! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pine Donkey Report post Posted December 11, 2012 Very nice! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randyolson Report post Posted December 11, 2012 Congradulations that was just awesome!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted January 25, 2013 Updating the thread with a photo of the skull...turned out great! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted November 7, 2014 Bumping this one up for the memories...Daniel and I will be on this same ridge tomorrow morning looking for his second coues buck. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancetkenyon Report post Posted November 7, 2014 Wow, I did not realize this was almost a two year old thread. Nice first buck, good luck for #2! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az_shooter Report post Posted November 8, 2014 Zombie!!! But good luck, and congrats on your 2012 success. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
