coatimundi01 Report post Posted October 29, 2013 Well, if you guys read my intro story, this isn't my first hunt but my first hunt since 1998 before my dad passed. Going solo, going to the same unit we used to hunt, and just going off what I learned as a kid, I came home empty handed. I was telling myself even though I was unsuccessful, the hunt wasn't a failure!I got to my campsite Thursday and glassed for a bit and didn't see anything. The spot looked too good so I came back opening morning. Jumped a doe in the dark on the hike there, jumped two more I never saw over the crest of the hill. Sat for a couple hrs and a a doe an we two fawns come feeding over the hill. No more than 20 mins later a forkie and two bigger bucks come over the same hill. They never gave me a shot, either bad angles or in the trees then they bedded down. Tried to sneak for a shot but jumped them. On the hike back for lunch I jumped the two I spooked over the hill early in the morning. So my first day I saw 9 deer, 3 bucks, and almost had a shot opportunity on opening morning! Not bad I'd say!Day two I invited a couple guys from this forum as they were getting hiked on all day and the hunters were thick in their area. They glassed up a nice 3x3 just sitting on a hill 450yds away and snuck around a hill to 318yds and he blasted him one shot one kill! Helped pack the deer out and we glassed later in the day at a different spot but only saw 5 does.Sunday morning I had a shot opportunity on the same forkie I saw Friday morning but buck fever got the best of me. I've never killed any big game so a 270yd, downhill, really windy, just hiked up a hill shot compounded by uncontrollable shaking from buck fever and I missed 3 shots! Ugh! I looked and looked for blood just in case but to no avail. I even had a bad dream Sunday night that some hunters told me they found a dead forkie the day before... So far three days and I'd seen antlers all three days I had a guy on a quad asked me if I'd seen anything other than does. Yup! And we had a kill sat morning!Monday I sat the same hill as Friday morning and only saw a doe and her fawn come feeding over. No bucks. I hiked and glassed my a$$ off but it wasn't happening.All in all, I had a fun time, had a couple opportunities at bucks, met two cool guys from the forum, helped then packout a sweet buck, and saw deer all 4 days. Like I said before, it was unsuccessful, but it was NOT a failure! Happy hunting guys and good luck to the rest of you! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coatimundi01 Report post Posted October 29, 2013 And apparently if you accidentally take a pic in square format with an iphone, it wants to upload upside down... Lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mocha1545 Report post Posted October 29, 2013 Great adventures. I like your outlook. Your Dad would have been proud! Thanks for sharing. Nice Pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PelaPapas Report post Posted October 29, 2013 Great story man! Sorry to hear you didn't tag out. Seems like you still had a good time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PelaPapas Report post Posted October 29, 2013 What unit were you in? Looks like some familiar country. If you ever need someone to go tag along to help glass let me know. I'm always willing to help out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coatimundi01 Report post Posted October 29, 2013 />What unit were you in? Looks like some familiar country. If you ever need someone to go tag along to help glass let me know. I'm always willing to help out. Sounds good man. I was in 35b Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doogan Report post Posted October 29, 2013 Congrats on a fun hunt! To me its just great to get out there and square off with a critter whose whole day is spent surviving till tomorrow. Success will come your way soon! Keep it up and keep having fun! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Kid Report post Posted October 29, 2013 Thanks again for the help Ben I'll post a story As soon as you get time to send me the good pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
5nRamirez Report post Posted October 29, 2013 Great story and nice buck.. It is all about the hunt not the kill.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coatimundi01 Report post Posted October 30, 2013 Well, on a whim I told the wife "hey let's drive down for the afternoon and I might get lucky" so we loaded up the kids, picked up prokid, and headed back to 35b for one last hurrah. We glassed for a little while, I got bit pretty hard in te hand by a barbed wire fence, ended up seeing 11 deer just driving up and down Harshaw Rd and not a single one had antlers... Oh well, you can't say we didn't try! Fun day driving around the back country at least. Always better than sitting at home! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElkyG Report post Posted October 30, 2013 Thanks for posting the pic's, hang in there buddy your time will come Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coatimundi01 Report post Posted October 30, 2013 I'll get one next year... For not having hunted in 15 years, I saw 31 deer in 4 1/2 days. Not too shabby, lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites