Entertaining Morning

[elkhunter11]

I took a newer hunter on his first mule deer hunt this morning. We pulled up to a friends field about ten minutes before legal time, and fifty yards away, a nice 4x3 mule buck is walking in the field. He continues on his way , and five minutes before legal time, he jumps the fence onto property we don't have permission for. We went around to the other side of the field and slowly walked in. Fifty yards away a small mule buck trots into the brush. We walk a little farther, and I see a whitetail doe watching us. We continued on, and saw a nice whitetail buck walking across the field about 400 yards out. My friend didn't think to get a whitetail tag, so we headed to the city to get one. As we drive from the field we see a large 3x3 mule buck on the neighbors field, again no permission. We get a whitetail tag, some lunch, and head back to the field. We sat down, and watched the brush, and a smaller mule buck got up, and walked over to a slough a couple of hundred yards away. We made a stalk, and when I glassed the brush along the slough, I saw the buck 75 yards away. My friend looked it over, and decided not to use his tag on the first day, after seeing two large mule bucks in our hunting area. He didn't fire a shot, but seeing three nice bucks, and having a chance to shoot a legal buck, my friend was very pleased with our morning in the field. The plan is to head out again next weekend, and give it another try.

[KBF]

Perfect day for new folks entering the sport.

[Justfishin73]

Passing up a chance at one of three nice bucks?....

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Justfishin73

Passing up a chance at one of three nice bucks?....

He passed on the smaller buck, he would have taken either of the larger mule bucks, if they were on the right side of the fence, or the whitetail buck, if he had a whitetail tag.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Very nice story.

[KegRiver]

Taking a new hunter out and putting them on game can be as exciting as a solo hunt can't it!

Congratulations on a succesful hunt. Yeah it was a success even though he didn't drop the hammer.

A tip of my hat to you sir, you did a good thing. Mighty good Sportsmanship for sure.

Oh yeah, and a fun stroy to read too!

[Justfishin73]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

He passed on the smaller buck, he would have taken either of the larger mule bucks, if they were on the right side of the fence, or the whitetail buck, if he had a whitetail tag.

Ah, gotcha. Good on ya, good day too.

[roper1]

Well done, Elk!

[elkhunter11]

We gave it a second try this morning, with similar results. Within ten minutes, we had a fork horn staring at us at 50 yards, but we passed. Then we found eight to ten mule deer on the edge of a slough, but there were too many deer moving to get a good shot on the mature buck.
We went for lunch, and came back mid afternoon and planned to sit on a ridge and glass, but eight deer came out from the cover we left them in before lunch, before we were in place, and they passed within 100 yards, but all we could see clearly were heads and the tops of their backs. They stopped on a hill, but the buck was behind brush offering no shot. They had no idea we were there, so we waited, as they moved off into the field to feed. We worked our way into position to see them, but they moved, and were now between us, and my friends house. We tried to work around to get a safe shooting angle, but they saw us crossing an opening, and headed across the road. No shots fired, but another fun day. Next week, we will give it another try.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

We gave it a second try this morning, with similar results. Within ten minutes, we had a fork horn staring at us at 50 yards, but we passed. Then we found eight to ten mule deer on the edge of a slough, but there were too many deer moving to get a good shot on the mature buck.
We went for lunch, and came back mid afternoon and planned to sit on a ridge and glass, but eight deer came out from the cover we left them in before lunch, before we were in place, and they passed within 100 yards, but all we could see clearly were heads and the tops of their backs. They stopped on a hill, but the buck was behind brush offering no shot. They had no idea we were there, so we waited, as they moved off into the field to feed. We worked our way into position to see them, but they moved, and were now between us, and my friends house. We tried to work around to get a safe shooting angle, but they saw us crossing an opening, and headed across the road. No shots fired, but another fun day. Next week, we will give it another try.

Great hunting stories, it’s the time afield that makes the harvest special!

BW

[elkhunter11]

And on to chapter three, we show up at the field to glass, ten minutes before legal time, and I see the same mature buck, following a doe towards the road . We drive down to the corner, and turn down the road, and park in the path of the two deer, and they stop and look at us. Then they slowly start walking parallel to us, so we move slowly ahead, and they stop and stare at us again. Five minutes until legal time, and they are 100 yards inside the fence, then they head over the hill back into our field. We head back around to the other side and see three deer , including a small buck, 150 yards from us. We could easily shoot the small buck , but we looked farther out to see five more deer, including our buck. At 400 yards, I can only see the head and antlers of the buck, so we slowly move 100 yards closer. I set up the shooting sticks, and we wait. All of the deer are fully in view, except the buck, then he trots over into the herd, and they move off towards the bush. We walk parallel to them, hoping that they will stop, but when they hit the bushline, they run towards, and cross the road.
We continued walking, and looked around the bush, and saw a nice whitetail buck trotting just across the fence, he stops at stares at 300 yards, but is on the wrong side of the fence. We head back to the truck, and head over to scout some more land, and see a smaller whitetail buck trotting alongside us, in a field where we don't have permission. We call it a hunt, and head home to eat before shooting skeet. Three days, and three easy shots on a small buck passed, still hoping for a mature buck. Now we wait until next Saturday for the next hunt

[Scottmisfits]

Great times for sure.

We were out yesterday for whitetail. We saw 13 mule deer trot in front of us at about 40 yards. One decent buck, 5 or 6 fawns, and then the rest were mature does. Just watching them not even care about us was pretty awe inspiring.

[Scottmisfits]

A little ways off in the pic but still a cool.sight to see

[KegRiver]

Great stories Elk!

That's the stuff that sticks with you for life.

I don't know anyone that talks about the monster they shot from the road but I hear many a story about just average bucks that were trophies for the hunter that took them. I even have a few such stories myself.

The chase is ten times more exciting then the antlers on every hunt I've been on. And I've been in on a couple of hunts that bagged some book sized animals. Mostly Moose.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Great stories Elk!

That's the stuff that sticks with you for life.

I don't know anyone that talks about the monster they shot from the road but I hear many a story about just average bucks that were trophies for the hunter that took them. I even have a few such stories myself.

The chase is ten times more exciting then the antlers on every hunt I've been on. And I've been in on a couple of hunts that bagged some book sized animals. Mostly Moose.

Today, and two weeks ago, my friend could have shot the same buck from the road, five minutes before legal time, but that isn't how we hunt. He did turn down the same small buck all three days, but we decided to take a mature buck, so we are sticking with that plan. And if he doesn't fill his tag, he isn't going to regret passing up the young buck, not taking shots, because other deer were at risk of being hit, or not doing something illegal. The priority is on enjoying the time in the field, and if he kills a good buck, it will be a bonus.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Today, and two weeks ago, my friend could have shot the same buck from the road, five minutes before legal time, but that isn't how we hunt. He did turn down the same small buck all three days, but we decided to take a mature buck, so we are sticking with that plan. And if he doesn't fill his tag, he isn't going to regret passing up the young buck, not taking shots, because other deer were at risk of being hit, or not doing something illegal. The priority is on enjoying the time in the field, and if he kills a good buck, it will be a bonus.

I have no doubt that he couldn't have a better hunting partner.

You are doing a good thing. A very good thing.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I have no doubt that he couldn't have a better hunting partner.

You are doing a good thing. A very good thing.

I will say this. There is no better mentor than Elk11. Over the last number of years I have watched him mentor many young, and newer hunters. All have walked away with an excitement for hunting, and a good deal of knowledge too.

[thumper]

Well done EHunter11 ! Sounds like you're having just as much fun as your new hunter!

[elkhunter11]

This morning made for chapter four, the last chapter for 2019. For the first time, we saw no deer as we drove up to the field. We parked the truck, and slowly walked into the pasture, while glassing the creek. We had almost made it to the end of the pasture, when we saw a single deer across the creek, on the edge of the field. I had a good look, and it was a small buck, so we looked around to see if there were any more deer around. We did locate two does, but there were no mature bucks around. We had a brief discussion, and given that there was a safe shot, and recovery would be easy, and we had been invited to hunt there, because the deer had been eating the landowners shrubs and garden, we decided to take the buck. I looked around, and finally found a small opening to shoot through the trees with no chance of hitting a branch, and set up the trigger sticks. I ranged the deer, at 205 yards, and my friend took the shot. The deer dropped instantly, rolled a few yards down the hill, and lay still. We watched for a minute or so, to make sure that it was dead, then walked back to the truck, and drove around to the other side of the creek. We found the deer, tagged it, then loaded it up, ad drove to the far end of the field to clean it. We unloaded the deer, and with me instructing, my fiend skinned and cleaned the deer. Then we loaded everything up, and my friend headed back to Edmonton, where he will hang the deer, and drop the head off for the mandatory CWD testing. It was only a small deer, but we enjoyed our four mornings hunting, my friend learned a lot about hunting deer, and cleaning and skinning, and there will be one less deer eating the shrubs and garden.

[Gboe8]

Nice work! That should be good eating congrats to you both!

[58thecat]

learning all the skills of hunting.....awesome.

[ganderblaster]

looks like the meat will be fantastic on a young buck like that!

[KazIce]

Congrats! Always great to teach somebody the craft and to help a landowner too

[elkhunter11]

My friend enjoys trying new types of hunting. He doesn't go a lot, usually only a few days per year, but he likes to learn to hunt different species, and to take care of the meat. The landowner hasn't allowed big game hunting on the property for many years, and he is very fussy about who hunts his property, but we have been shooting skeet and sporting clays with him for a few years.