Colorado Mule Deer Hunt

[creed_az_88]

Good luck Brent. You'll be ready. Can't wait to hear how it goes

[cohofishing]

Thanks guys.

 

Here's the story. Not much of a writer but I will do my best. Honestly, I don't think my words or pictures will do this hunt justice but I will try.

 

Day one

Left Tucson at 100am and got to the trailhead at 400pm. Threw the pack on and hit the trail. Got in about 4 miles before dark and made camp while listening to elk bugle. They were all around me and kept at it all thru the night.

 

Day two

Broke camp and started back at it around 400am. After hiking a couple of miles, I finally hit the edge of my unit. Now I can start scouting. This is the first time I actually laid eyes on where I would be hunting. Spent the day high I as I could get and honestly felt disappointed. I knew because of the "super moon", most everything would be bedded during the day, but after glassing I had only seen a few deer and elk. I made camp by a meadow and a stream. It was a beautiful night but I still had no plan for the opening day. While eating my mountain house, I got to watch three moose and two small bucks feed in the evening light. I went to bed feeling a little better.

 

 

Day three

Woke up with the feeling that only other hunters can understand. Opening day. Broke camp and hit the trail at 600am. As the sun rose, it found me at 12300' glassing over a big bowl.

 

 

I started glassing up elk right away. I think I saw four bulls and twenty or so cows in two groups. About 800am, I found my first buck. Actually three of them. One was a big 4x4 and the stalk was on. After loading the muzzleloader, I managed to close the distance to 180 yards before they noticed the blob carrying a 60lb pack trying to sneak up to them. They were gone. I glassed till noon and hit the trail. I still hadn't found what I was looking for.

 

 

I crossed over the top at 12863' and made it into the next valley. I glassed up two horse camps and spent the day picking apart the country side and wondering what to do. After glassing up a number of does and small bucks, I finally found two big bucks across the valley. It was to far to try a stalk that night so at dark I made it down to valley floor and made camp. I was home. Here was where I would stay until I killed or ran out of food.

 

The next morning, I made it above where I seen the bucks the night before and waited for the sun. It was cold. The night before, everything froze and it was so cold, that when I poured water into my jet boil for breakfast, it formed ice crystals.

 

I started glassing and within five minutes found a big buck 160 yards away. After the thermals blew that stalk, I scratched my head. I was learning. Glassing up three more bucks, the race was on again. Same result.

 

 

The evening found me back on the same hill. I was hoping that the bucks from the night before would appear. I hadn't gone thru that part of the valley so I was hopeful. As sun got lower, I started doubting that they would appear. Getting that feeling, I got up and starting glassing the other direction.

 

 

There was a buck high on the hill. He was a good buck but in a bad spot to make a stalk. As I watched, he stopped eating and bedded back down. I could hardly see him. The wind was blowing and in the right direction, so I threw everything in the pack and dropped down and back up to him. I made it to my chosen rock breathing hard and still hopeful. Not being able to see I worked closer.

 

 

At 32 yards, I saw his horns in the brush. I sat down and got ready. Half an hour later, he still hadn't moved. It was 530pm and getting late and I was a long way from camp. Three rocks later, he finally lifted his head above the brush a looked over the valley. I shot him right below his ear and he didn't even move out of his bed.

 

 

He was beautiful. Old, full velvet, three point with eye guards that is a little over 28 inches. My first muzzleloader buck! One of the downfalls of hunting solo is there is no one to share the moment with. I texted my family with my delorme and started the real work. I got him boned out before dark and put the head light on. Two hours later, I made it to camp. Hung the meat in a tree and hit the bed. I knew I needed my rest for the morning. It was so cold that night that the meat was frozen when I woke up. I found out later that the low hit 18 degrees.

 

Packing up camp, I tried to lift my pack. This was going to be painful. My gps said I was 11.60 miles from the truck and I had to roll my pack on to my back. This was going to hurt.

 

 

I ran into a elk hunter a couple hours later. He had a string of pack goats and he was kind of laughing at me in friendly way. He pointed out the what I already knew. No one in their right mind goes into this country with out someone or something to help pack back out. He took my picture for me and went on his way.

 

 

Ten hours later, I had only gone six miles. I had dropped 2000' in elevation and I was done. I hung the meat and make camp. Popped a few pm's and tried to sleep. I was sore. My gps said only 5.60 miles to go but I knew the worst was behind me. I had already hiked that part of the trail and I knew what I was in for.

 

Waking up at 300am I broke camp and hit the trail. Six hours later, I saw the most beautiful sight in the world.

 

 

I had made it.

 

It was a awesome hunt. I meet some great people and covered over 30 miles of trails. Beautiful country and I would love to do it again. Couple things for those would like to try it. Altitude is no joke. Most of the time I had to stop and catch my breath after a hundred feet or so. Also, get a packer. My pack weighed a little over a hundred pounds and being 150lbs on my best day, it almost broke me.

 

I hope I did you guys justice with my story. I took over two hundred pictures so I tried to pick the best. Here's a couple of selfies that I took when I was bored

 

 

 

[Big Browns]

Your the man! I dream of doing a hunt like that some day. Congrats!

 

Adam

[HUNTnTAT2]

Congrats! What a feat to accomplish. Thank you for taking us along! Big old 3's are awesome.

[brndog1]

Great story buddy. I knew it would work out into a great adventure for you. Way to use that scabbard!!

[223VARMINTER]

Awesome job. Congrats on a nice buck.

[Heat]

Great story and pics! Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. Congratulations on your nice wilderness backpack buck!

[cramerhunts]

Congratulations! Great job on the recap and the pictures. That picture of your pack on the way out looks awful heavy, I can see why the truck looked so good. Nice job for sure.

[jonscaife]

Seriously rad right up and story! I enjoyed it thoroughly! I'm so jealous of you right now, sounds like an awesome trip.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Man very nice. Tons of congrats. You are an animal.

[PRDATR]

WOW. That's some serious work. Glad you were able to score.

[8OWHUNT247]

Not sure which one is a bigger stud...???.... That big a$$ buck or YOU!!!!!

 

Well Done!!!!

 

Chaulk it up to another safe & successful adventure!

[bwp22]

Awesome! You, sir, are a BEAST!

[stanley]

VERY, VERY AWESOME!!!!!!

 

Great story and great pics! Congrats on a very cool adventure!!

 

Thanks for sharing with the site.

 

S.

 

[Shedhunteraz]

That is a great story with just enough detail. Very envious of you and that hunt. Would love to try that some day. Congrats to you on an awesome hunt it sounds like and a great trophy and tons of memories. Thanks for documenting it and sharing with all of us.