indiana50
New member
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2016
- Messages
- 45
A SE Montana deer hunt has been near the top of my list for the last 8 years or so but last fall sitting around camp in Missouri discussing where we would go this fall, the guys and I decided we needed to get west to start the learning process.
After drawing the tag, I began to dive deeper into the research and networking to narrow down where we would be going to hunt specifically. In the process, I had a client of mine from central MT reach out to a friend who invited us onto his small ranch that was bordered by a fairly large tract of BLM land. In all honesty it felt a little weird, like cheating almost, to go hunt private ground and not have to go through the entire process. I rarely have gotten to hunt private even here in IN and prefer the feeling of freedom I get on public land. But, it was an opportunity I knew I would be crazy to turn down.
We arrived the first day and went on a drive with the rancher to check things out, deer were every where, it was on. We spent the first day getting a feel for things and setting up camp. The first morning I climbed a hay stack to just observe as much ground as I could and get a feel for things. 20 minutes into the sit and I saw a mule deer that would be a trophy in most any one's eye, 165+, that was the first mule deer I had ever seen in my life. After watching him bed and letting things calmed down, I decided to make a stalk on him. 2 hours later I was within range, as I went to range him, the smaller buck he was with stood up alerting him and he was up next followed by 5 other bucks his size or bigger that I had no idea were there. I put down my range finder and drew my bow. I estimated him to be between 40-50 yards, settled my pins and squeezed the release. The arrow flew cleanly over his back. As he ran off, I ranged where he had stood. 27 yards... I was way off. I practice a lot without my range finder for similar situations. In hindsight I think I misjudged in part because I never imagined getting in that close on the first stalk on a big game animal in my life and I'm usually in a tree. I am okay in knowing that that deer got away because many very good hunters may never have an opportunity on a deer like that, I don't deserve it yet.
The next 5 days I left camp to chase mule deer, while the other 2 guys stand hunted. I had many successful stalks but just not on deer that I felt were quite mature enough and blew some on some more nice deer. The guys had similar experiences, a lot of encounters with deer, just not many in bow range that they felt to be mature.
As usual, things all happened the last minute. Scheduled to leave Friday afternoon, I had told my self that Thursday morning I would switch to what I know and hunt white tails. I slipped into a spot Thursday morning where I had seen a nice buck feeding the night prior. Shortly after sunrise, the buck walk past at 7 yards, I put the arrow where it belonged and watched the buck stagger down into the river bottom. I headed back to camp and met up with one of the other guys on the way back, he too had shot a buck early morning, but was less confident in the shot placement. So we went and took care of my deer, and got it back to camp. Shortly after starting to track his deer we found him bedded and he was able to arrow him a second time. 2 down.. 1 to go with just under 20 hours left.
On Friday morning, as I was enjoying a much needed morning of sleeping in, I was woken up by my buddy running back to camp yelling "get the butcher knives out boys" in the most excited voice I have ever heard out of him. Best damn thing to wake up to, we went 3 for 3!
Thanks to Randy and many of you who answered any questions I may have had. Making a DIY trip west, even for something as simple as a whitetail, can be pretty daunting for some one from the East, but resources like this help a lot for those of us who are willing to put in the work.
After drawing the tag, I began to dive deeper into the research and networking to narrow down where we would be going to hunt specifically. In the process, I had a client of mine from central MT reach out to a friend who invited us onto his small ranch that was bordered by a fairly large tract of BLM land. In all honesty it felt a little weird, like cheating almost, to go hunt private ground and not have to go through the entire process. I rarely have gotten to hunt private even here in IN and prefer the feeling of freedom I get on public land. But, it was an opportunity I knew I would be crazy to turn down.
We arrived the first day and went on a drive with the rancher to check things out, deer were every where, it was on. We spent the first day getting a feel for things and setting up camp. The first morning I climbed a hay stack to just observe as much ground as I could and get a feel for things. 20 minutes into the sit and I saw a mule deer that would be a trophy in most any one's eye, 165+, that was the first mule deer I had ever seen in my life. After watching him bed and letting things calmed down, I decided to make a stalk on him. 2 hours later I was within range, as I went to range him, the smaller buck he was with stood up alerting him and he was up next followed by 5 other bucks his size or bigger that I had no idea were there. I put down my range finder and drew my bow. I estimated him to be between 40-50 yards, settled my pins and squeezed the release. The arrow flew cleanly over his back. As he ran off, I ranged where he had stood. 27 yards... I was way off. I practice a lot without my range finder for similar situations. In hindsight I think I misjudged in part because I never imagined getting in that close on the first stalk on a big game animal in my life and I'm usually in a tree. I am okay in knowing that that deer got away because many very good hunters may never have an opportunity on a deer like that, I don't deserve it yet.
The next 5 days I left camp to chase mule deer, while the other 2 guys stand hunted. I had many successful stalks but just not on deer that I felt were quite mature enough and blew some on some more nice deer. The guys had similar experiences, a lot of encounters with deer, just not many in bow range that they felt to be mature.
As usual, things all happened the last minute. Scheduled to leave Friday afternoon, I had told my self that Thursday morning I would switch to what I know and hunt white tails. I slipped into a spot Thursday morning where I had seen a nice buck feeding the night prior. Shortly after sunrise, the buck walk past at 7 yards, I put the arrow where it belonged and watched the buck stagger down into the river bottom. I headed back to camp and met up with one of the other guys on the way back, he too had shot a buck early morning, but was less confident in the shot placement. So we went and took care of my deer, and got it back to camp. Shortly after starting to track his deer we found him bedded and he was able to arrow him a second time. 2 down.. 1 to go with just under 20 hours left.
On Friday morning, as I was enjoying a much needed morning of sleeping in, I was woken up by my buddy running back to camp yelling "get the butcher knives out boys" in the most excited voice I have ever heard out of him. Best damn thing to wake up to, we went 3 for 3!
Thanks to Randy and many of you who answered any questions I may have had. Making a DIY trip west, even for something as simple as a whitetail, can be pretty daunting for some one from the East, but resources like this help a lot for those of us who are willing to put in the work.
