The freezer is getting filled!!!

[wiscbowhntr]

To get the full picture of this hunt you have to go back to the 2009 season when I drew my mule deer tag. I trained for the mountains, shot my bow religiously, and read every book I could get my hands on about mountain mule deer hunting. My hunting partner drew a once in a lifetime elk tag for the same time period as our hunt so I loaded up the chevy impala and headed towards the Rockies solo. That’s where things started to go wrong. In Denver my ears didn’t equalize and my ear drums ripped open due to the pressure (I flew before, and hunted the mountains for elk and never had this issue so it was definitely a surprise). I stopped at the ER and they gave me some meds and I was on my way to camp. I set camp and was into good deer right away. On the second day I started getting a loud ring in my ears, third day some pain, and fourth day unbearable pain. I went into town and the doc told me I had double ear infections and had to get out of the elevation before things got worse…MY HUNT WAS DONE. I drove home bleeding out of both ears! Fast forward to June 2012 and I checked the mail to find that I drew my mountain mule deer tag. First thing I did is I called my doctor and made an appointment to get the ear situation ironed out. I had a minor operation done and had permanent ear tubes put in so that I would equalize. I already started training and shooting since I anticipated drawing the tag. I loaded up the ford ranger on August 23rd, picked up m buddy and headed west. I arrived in camp with ears intact and made camp. Glassing a couple of areas revealed the deer were much lower than last time I was out. The drought was worse in this part of CO than it was in WI. Things were slow until the 4th day I had a good buck bed 30 yards away from me at 9:45 and I sat there until 1:00 when the wind revealed there was an intruder in his bedroom and he took off. On the fifth day I glassed a giant come to a water hole and I decided to sit that water hole the next evening. I got to the waterhole early and had does coming in almost instantly and then there was a couple of hours of nothing. About 45mins before dark I had 5 does and a fawn come in drinking and playing around but they kept looking down the drainage. I thought I heard something and slowly turned to see what it was and it was a buck and definitely one I was willing to take on the second to last day of my hunt. He bumped all the deer of the waterhole and started to drink. I ranged him at 36 yards and had a quartering away shot. I settled my pin and let the arrow fly and I lost it in flight 2/3 of the way to the deer, but it looked that it was going to find its mark. He jumped higher than Michael Jordan could and took off and stopped at 60 yards and hunched up and walked like he was gut shot. I recovered the arrow and it revealed a gutty smell, but a lot of dark blood. I assumed gut and liver. I backed out and had some dinner and told the guys at camp and we went back to look. I didn’t want to wait too long in fear of the black bears and coyotes finding him. My friend Mike came with and we were getting near the water hole when Mike shined the opposite side of the drainage and I saw an eye glow. We got closer and it was my buck. It went 125 yards and piled up. We quartered it up and loaded our packs. I was curious so I checked the guts and I nicked the guts, hit liver, and one lung with my shot. When I wrapped my hands on those velvet antlers the training, practicing, and research came full circle. I finally placed the last piece of the mule deer puzzle and can’t wait to start putting together the puzzle to the 2015 mule deer hunt. Good luck to everyone this upcoming season and stay safe.

[Black Squirrel]

Awsome! Love those hard to get Velvet antlers. Congrats to the first beast kill of the year!

[Dewey]

Congrats!

Sounds like a great hunt. Sorry to hear about your past ear problems. That really sucks!

[dan]

Hard core hunting! I love it! your a Beast!

[backstraps]

Man that is the way a hunt should go down!! Congrats!
Awesome carpeted Muley.

[bk123]

Good job!!! What a way to start the season.

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[Edcyclopedia]

Awesome hunt and great story - congrats!

[hoyt]

Good Shoot'n!

[solocam88]

Great buck and story!

[Brad]

What a nice buck and a great story, glad to hear you got your ear issues figured out, that had to be unbearable pain. Congrats on a fine trophy!

[BigHunt]

congrats

[Jackson Marsh]

Awesome story! Great buck! It sure is sweet when you earn your trophy after adversity. PERSEVERANCE!

Congrats!!

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[U.P. MAN]

Congrats on a hard earned buck!

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[Stanley]

Good job.

[Ack]

Congratulations!