Pass

I was incredibly fortunate to be granted permission to hunt a local ranch yesterday. I was looking for a big mule deer. I'm not a trophy hunter but I would like to get one for the wall. I think it would be cool to get a good representation of each animal I've hunted for throughout the years for display but obviously, I'd still use the meat. While hiking around I spotted this guy hiding in the brush. When I first saw him he was 77 yards away. With the wind howling, he didn't hear me or smell me. I was coming up from above and behind him.

He wasn't exactly what I was looking for but he was a really nice whitetail so I thought I'd try to move in closer to see if I could get a shot. I slid on my ass for forty-five minutes trying to close the distance. This was at about fifty yards. By the way, lots of prickly pears on this ranch...

 

 

And then forty...

 





 

I was able to get about 35 yards and actually drew my bow back on this guy but he's not what I came out here for so I gave him a pass.

 



 

I certainly didn't plan on being out as long as I was. I did a pretty epic hike through some crazy country and saw some amazing whitetails but the mulies are still chilling where I can't get to them. I will go back when they decide to start chasing does. 

 

When I was working for AYA, we had a ritual of stopping at the first gas station we came to for a junk-food fix. Exhausted and sore, this was breakfast and lunch for me. Ahh...the good life.

 







Keep 'em where they live...