Opening weekend of any season is always a great time. This hunt however, was one of the most exciting hunts we have been on. We started off by driving up to our spot on Friday night. Right off the bat, we were greeted at our campsite by a monster buck feeding 10 yards away. Too bad the season had not started yet! However, this confirmed that we were in the right area.
Saturday morning, we were up at 6 am. We quickly spotted a group of three bucks 60 yards from our camp. Without any time to eat breakfast, we grabbed our packs and bow and started making a game plan. The deer were making their way down a draw, feeding. We planned to move to the bottom of the draw and engage when they became close enough. Our plan was abruptly busted by a camper who was making a lot of noise nearby.
The bucks broke, so we began our stalk. After over two hours of spotting and stalking this group of bucks, it became clear that they were on to us. We were not able to get close enough, so we decided to head back to camp to eat. After eating, it was 10 am and was starting it get hot. We knew the deer would bed at this point, so we decided to resume scouting in the evening. Later that day, we went back out looking for our buck but had no luck. The following day we decided to go out around 5 am. This time we were able to quickly spot a group of bucks 350 yards off the road. We parked the truck and started hiking up the hill.
After strategically placing ourselves between a rock and bush to remain concealed, we were less than 150 yards from a small buck and a doe. At this point, we would have been happy with a doe. The buck was bedded, but the doe was up and looking directly at us. For this reason, we decided to remain at our spot and wait for the doe to bed, to avoid busting the buck. After remaining still for over 30 minutes, Scott looked to our left and spotted a buck on the other side of the rock, less than 10 yards away. Remaining extremely still, we waited for the buck to continue around the rock.
We knew there were several beds on the other side of this rock, so we assumed that he would bed in this area. Scott removed his shoes to remain quiet and began climbing up the rock to get a better view of the buck. There he was, bedded down less than 6 yards away. Scott drew back his arrow and filled the freezer. This hunt was completed using Sitka Gear TTW clothing and Stone Glacier packs.
