Sunday morning we had been sitting in our blinds for a few hours. We had decide to give it to a certain time then we were going to go hike and explore an area around us to see what was there. The time we decided on came and passed. I started getting packed up and ready to hike when Todd showed up at my blind. I was so restless. After so many hours in the last two day of sitting there and seeing NOTHING I was ready to get out and explore. We started hiking to the area we wanted and just exploring. Taking our time. We figured there had to be water in there somewhere since they were coming out. We started trying to find a water hole. We werent too far in there when we saw this buck run across the top of the hill and then stop broadside. Todd asked how far I thought it was and I guessed 70 yards. He shot and his arrow dropped right before it got to the deer and it pranced down the hill. We walked up and found his arrow and kept walking where we were headed.
Not too much further we saw that deer again. Quartering to us and just looking at us. Todd had his bow out and asked how far it was. I guessed about 45 yards. The deer just stood starring at us. Todd didnt have a clear shot where he was and I did. So I told him to back up to where I was and he could shoot from there. The deer was starring at me so he went down the hill some from where I was and the deer kept watching me. He snuck to where he had a clear shot and the deer and I stood frozen looking at each other with a standoff. He knelt down and shot at the deer. I swore he missed it because I heard a twig snap and saw his arrow bend and bounce and the deer took off running down hill. I thought he had hit a stick right in front of the deer that diverted his arrow. We went and looked for any sign of blood or his arrow. We could find neither. I could hear something crashing around thrashing for a minute in the thick brush and trees below us. I told him maybe you did hit it? Because if not it wouldn't be that close and loud still. We searched and searched for his arrow and couldn't find it. There was no blood trail either. We found his tracks and started following them. Todd stayed on the tracks and I went to the side a little bit in case we lost them in the thick trees. All of a sudden Todd yells out "So you didnt think I could hit him huh! Well here he is!" He had ran maybe 20 yards. He had shot a very nice 5 pt buck! We were so excited! This is his first archery deer ever.
Then the work began. We were a few miles in. We couldnt get Chris or Taylor on the radio to help us pack it out. I had two options. Either go the long way back around which would add probably a mile at least or go straight up the hill and see where that put me at. We had a pretty good idea where it would drop me out and it was a lot closer to camp. So I packed up with the radios and left Todd to gut and quarter the deer. This hike is straight up hill at a pretty good angle and was COVERED in heavy deadfall. I walked back to this draw where the two side hills came together and walked up the draw. I wasnt able to get a hold of Chris til I was at the very top of the hill. When I hit the top I stopped and stripped off all my under layers. I had on scentlok baselayers and they are like a fuzzy layer of insulation. I debated walking back naked. It felt so nice to take off those hot sweaty clothes. I was exhausted. The hike up the hill was a bitch. It took me an hour to hike out. I walked out to where I knew I was and waited for the boys. My backpack is loaded full. My pants pockets are full of two radios and flagging tape to mark my trail out. I still am carrying my bow. I sat on a stump and waited.
After a few minutes they met me and I told them I believed it would be easier if we just dropped off this hill right here I came up instead of going back to the draw. Todd should be just about right below us. Chris says ok and takes off down the hill. Taylor and I tried to keep up but it was no use. Chris was way ahead of us. I kept telling him he needed to go more to his left. He was too far to the east. Well he was on the radio with his dad and Todd didn't know where I popped out at the top of the canyon at. He thought were were coming back down the draw so he kept telling Chris to go to the east (his right) We got WAY to far over to the east by the the time we finally caught Chris enough to tell him he was going the wrong way and I was pretty sure we were too low. Todd couldn't hear us and we couldn't hear him. We are in thick thick trees and brush and steep terrain. We stop to try and tell Chris to slow down and go back the other way when he realizes he lost the game sacks he had on the back of his pack frame. So he leaves me the radio and takes off to go find them. Todd's trying to ask us where we are on the radio. We've lost Chris. We tied some flagging to a tree and waited until he finally showed back up. Then we had to go back quite a ways and finally Todd could hear us.. but we had dropped way below him and had to hike back up hill to him. We probably added an extra mile or two that wasn't needed. We finally got to Todd and his deer. He had it quartered and hanging in a tree. The flies were thick already. We loaded up the two pack frames. One with a half and the other with a half and the head.
Then Todd wanted some pictures with his crew. I was deemed his guide and rangefinder.
The boys were his pack mules since they carried the deer out. Todd and I's packs were full of gear. Plus we had our bows.
So we started the trek straight up the mountain.We decided that was probably going to be the easiest way since we knew where the top lead to. Dad and Phil met us at one spot with the deer cart once we made that hike out. They loaded the deer on the cart. Taylor took my pack. Phil carried Todd and I's bows. I was beat. Having to do that hike TWICE was rough. The angle itself was bad but add in all that thick dead fall and bushes.. we were all dragging and exhausted.
We headed back to camp.
We had to hurry and put all the meat and the head in the freezer. Since the deer is in velvet still you have to cool the antlers immediately or some of the velvet starts to die. We finally got some breakfast, finished packing up camp and headed home!
Way to go Dad! What a great first archery deer!
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