# Opening weekend.



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Well I just got back from my opening weekend hunting trip. It was an enjoyable one but no success for me. The first morning was the only down fall of the whole trip. Got up at 4:30am and left camp to go to the trail we were going to hike. I thought I was in good condition but as we started up this trail I soon realized that wasn't the case as I started to get winded. We finally made it out to a point over looking the canyons we wanted to hunt in and set up as it was getting light. We spotted a nice three and a smaller buck on one hill side but was sure if it was worth going after. We seen a few more smaller bucks and a giant 2 point then decided to move up the ridge further to get a better look at the three. 
We hiked for another 1000 yards up the ridge, stopped and set up to glass again this time we were pretty close to the three point and I decided that it was a buck that I would like to take. So as we planned our move on him we glassed another buck about 2000 yard away that was clearly a giant. He had to smaller buck with him so we changed our goal to him and started making our way toward him. Everything was going great we had made great timing in closing the distance and he had just bedded down in a very reachable area. Wind was blowing from him toward us so that was a plus. We go around one point and knew that he would be just around the next point so we dropped our packs and got arrows nocked. We snuck around the corner and was about 20 yards above where they bedded down. I peaked over the brush and noticed they had moved about 50 yards further around the point, so I motioned to my cousin of there location and we got down and moved to within 40 yards. My cousin was in the lead so I told him to take the first shot and I will get set on one of the smaller bucks. He stood up just enough to range the big one and says that the other two are to far away, so I told him to just take the shot. He stood up and released his arrow. He knew from the moment he shot it was off and he sailed right over its back. 
After the deer bolt around the next corner we sat down and talked about what had happenend and why he missed he said that his range find said 77 yards and to aim like it was 60. I said that there was no way that was that far and he said he knew the same. 
Now is when my day turned to crap as we went to look for the buck we located it in the next canyon feeding lower. I went down one ridge while my cousin went down the other. It was very steep and I kept slipping and I ended up falling and landing on my bow which broke the quiver. I didn't know at that point so I crawled down a little further and sat down. I saw my cousin moving over toward the deer and knew that they would be coming toward me. 
And just then I seen the antlers and grabbed and arrow, nocked it , and got my release ready. Just as I was drawing back my quiver falls off my bow and lands in the bushes and startles the deer. They are looking right at me at less than 20 yards as I draw back again I slipped and fell. The deer were long gone and I was mad. I started to hike back toward the road but kept falling cause of how steep and all the vegitation. When I got to the road I laid down on it and my cousin asked what happenend to my quiver, I said it broke. Then he asked where my arrows were I said in my pack with my broken quiver. Nope they had fallen out somewhere up the hill side. By this point I wanted to just yell. I figured I was done I was going to have to go down the mountain and get some arrows and a new quiver. Turned out my arrows were only a 100 yards up and I was able to borrow a quiver. The rest of the time we got on the animals but I couldn't get a shot. I was very proud of myself though for sticking to my goal of hiking up into the areas we did everyday. It was worth every step. My cousin did end up getting a deer and not to shabby of one at that.


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

Any pictures of your cousin's buck?


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

I'm trying to upload one but the file is to big.


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

send it to my [email protected] and I'll resize it and post if you are having problems.


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## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

Wow what a rollercoaster day!


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Here it is.


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## HunterDavid (Sep 10, 2007)

You're not kidding! Nice buck! Way to stick with it, hopefully you can go back out and stick that buck you were chasing!


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

HunterDavid said:


> You're not kidding! Nice buck! Way to stick with it, hopefully you can go back out and stick that buck you were chasing!


I hope so, I won't be able to get back up there until the first of sept though. Man I hate work sometimes really cuts into the hunting!


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## duckhunter1096 (Sep 25, 2007)

Am I seeing things, or is this deer in a driveway, with all of it's guts still in it's body? I can't see any sign of it having been field dressed...

Great story though!


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Its in a driveway but the deer is field dressed.


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