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This is the picture story of that hunt and most likely the last mule deer hunt I will ever have in that country. Hopefully soon I can draw a bear permit and at lest get one more shot in the Books.

I had lots of problems, with lots of equipment as you will see, but over all it was a great adventure in which I got to see a few bears, a few elk, and lots of deer.

Hopefully some of you will find my hunt enjoyable.

Have a great bowhunt. BB`

I was less than 20 miles from town when my 2007 Chev. Silverado Diesel with less than 20,000 miles shut down on me. I limped into Park City to a dealer there and they "fixed" the problem and by 1 pm I was again on my way. But my truck was not running right, and it was burning a ton of fuel. I made it to Roosevelt where I filled up and made the decision to continue on, even though I knew things weren't right.

About 10 pm that evening I arrived at the marginal edge of hunting country. It was far from where I wanted or planned to hunt, but my fuel gage told me that if I went any farther, I would not have enough fuel to get back to town..

I set up camp late that night and found out that on the way out the air filter bracket that was spot welded on the trailer generator had vibrated off and so I without electrical power in my trailer..

But early the next morning I was hunting a ridge and right after daylight I jumped a bear on that ridge. Later that morning I ran into an old guy, much like myself who had shot his buck on the ridge I was hunting. I stopped by his camp later that morning and took this photo of his buck.

I did have a back up bow but it was an older bow that was about 15 lbs heavier than the bow I had been shooting, so I could hardly pull that bow the first few times. I did get on to where it came back pretty easy, or at least I thought that was the case, but you will see later on it cost me a pretty nice buck.

I hunted the same general area that evening and again on Sunday, but I was not really seeing that much compared to others I had been talking with.

I happened to be camping next to an old friend of mine who has been an outfitter for many years, and his client killed a dandy buck on opening morning but he ask me not post any of the photos I took of that buck and of course I will honor his request. But it was a very nice buck and I sure wish I could show it to you guys as I know many of you would enjoy it.

Here's a a photo of his previous best buck.

I made the decision that evening to start carrying my camera around my neck and let my son be my eyes and so from that time on I have more photos. Here's a few I took in the next couple days.

Check out this freak buck. We saw him on several different occasions.

Anyway that night we decided to let his injuries heal a bit and go sit an old area I sat a few times when the Bookcliffs were still a general open area (almost 20 years earlier).

My son sat on the ground about 100 yards above at the head of the spring, and I sat the spring fed pond. My son saw a few small bucks and lots of does and fawns and I saw a 5 or 6 bucks and plenty of fawns.

I have a great video of this hard horned buck, but really don't know how to post it. Here are a few photos I took that evening as I chose to pass on these bucks.

I saw other bucks and lots of does and fawns that evening.

And here's a couple turkey's we saw that evening.

Like kota said, be safe... I'm guessing it's all got to be downhill from here. LOL Good luck to you, and thanks for sharing your hunt with us.

Early the next morning we found a good herd of bucks right after daylight. We hatched a plan but by the time Cody got to where the bucks were, they had moved over the ridge. I meant up withy him and told him where I thought they had gone and what I thought we should do.

As we snuck into the area where I had last seen the bucks head, I ran into two of the smaller bucks, within great bow range, but they were not the bucks I wanted, so I just let them walk.

Soon the group of bucks had headed across the large sagebrush valley and we watched as they ended up is a sage bowl.

Two were exceptional bucks for the Book Cliffs, and the others were just decent bucks.

Here's a photo of one of the two we were after at this time.

The bucks had ended up in a perfect stalk location and in no time Cody was within bow range of the bucks, as he neared their position by using a deep ravine to hide his presence. It was the best setup we had this whole hunt!

What a bummer!

We regrouped and again headed in the direction in which we had last seen the bucks go. We talked briefly with the other hunter, who was now on his way back from where he had come.

In an hour or so Cody had located two of the bucks bedded on an open hill and laying under a cedar tree. We again made a plan and Cody tried once again to get in on these bucks. They were not the two big ones we were after, but both were very respectable bucks and being he only had one about 1 day of hunting left and being it was so late in the morning, we decided I would stay on the hillside across from the bucks and he would head way back up the ridge, cross over and get above the bucks and I would hand signal him down to them.

After several hours of positioning, and the bucks still bedded, he began his stalk.

Here's what it looked like, from my position, after about an hour into his stalk. I have circled my son with red and made a red x near each of the bucks. Cody at this point is about 30 yards above the bucks and moving down the hill.

And my did they move when the wind suddenly switched and they picked up my son's scent. They blew out of their beds and were gone in an instance.

That afternoon we headed out early as this would be Cody's last evening of hunting as he had to be at work early Tuesday morning. I was surprise to say the least that he passed several decent bucks that evening as his time was almost over. Night fell, and he had but one morning in which to get the job done. He planned to head home about noon the next day and with his work he would not be able to return.

But as my friend---old 4finger---always likes to say, "Keep hunting till the "last day and the last ray", and in this case, that is exactly what Cody intended to do, even though the last ray would come about noon the next day.

Cody talked about the close encounters of yesterday and how fun it was stalking these mule deer. Even if he couldn't fill his tag, he had learned a great deal and he had had a great time, and after all that is what hunting should be about.

The last morning continued unusually slow until we finally found a good number of bucks in thick spot in an otherwise open area. We watched for a short time through out binoculars and make a plan which included heading to the next ridge west.

Once we got on that ridge I began to glass again to finalize his stalk, but I noticed two hunters moving in on the bucks. We were too late and Cody's time to fill hit Bookcliffs tag had seemed to run out.

I watched as the guys moved in on the deer and I told Cody if he dropped off the back side of the ridge and got in a little finger of vegetation that he might have a great chance as I felt when they spooked the bucks they would end up going that way.

Cody took off on a run and I just sat and watched. Soon the deer were running and heading in the direction of where Cody hopefully would be. Then I saw them scatter in several directions, with 4 or 5 bucks coming right by me. I watched as they held up in a tall sagebrush bowl, as others went over the ridge.

I waited and waited but could not see Cody, so finally I got on my bike and drove an old two track road down to its end. I began to glass the area where I thought my son might be, and low and behold I could see him laying on the ground, hunkered down and giving me a signal that his buck had laid down. I then assumed he had hit a buck and that he was watching it in its bed.

So I fell off the back side of the ridge and carefully crawled up to my son, to learn the bucks had gone about 100 yards above him and that he was watching a bedded buck under a cedar. I glassed the deer and could see it was just a very average buck, much smaller than many he had chose tipass, but this was his last hour and his time was running very short, so I told him I thought he should try for this buck.

The wind was blowing VERY hard, so it made getting close pretty easy. However, taking a shot in that wind would be very difficult. It was finally decided that he would stalk as close as he dared, get ready, and then wait on the wind until it died down, and then take his shot.

He got to within 25 yards and waited. The first time the wind let up a bit, he rose up, drew his bow and took aim, for what seemed to me to be an eternity. He finally released as I videoed his shot and I could see the deer bolt from its bed and then lost sight of him.

Cody pointed to the south and I looked to see his buck struggling on his death run and within about 5 seconds of his shot and 50-60 yards, the buck fell dead. It was now just after noon, the time he had planned to depart.

He cut it to the limit and made a great shot under lots of pressure. We took a few photos, quartered it up and headed back to camp for his departure.

Here’s a couple photos of his late moment buck.

It was not the buck he hoped for or had dreamed of taking, but it was excting nonetheless. He had refused to fill his tag by road hunting and at least ended filling his tag in the manner in which had dreamed and for that I respect him and his holding out to the very last. Your Dad is proud of you son, you did great! And it was so much fun for me to watch you in action and thanks for the great time you bestowed upon me. I love you. Thanks again. Dad

But not knowing what laid ahead, I just took his photo and let him do his thing and I continued on doing mine.

Well I have some things to do right now, but will try to finish this a bit later today.

Have a great bowhunt. BB

Best of Luck, Jeff (Bowsite Sponsor)

nd

But no flat tires?

If you look close on the first photo I posted of his buck, you see the exit wound, straight up the front leg. The exact place I try to shoot a broadside animal. He lived for a max of 5 seconds and perhaps even less. And boy was there a lot of blood on the critter and on the ground. It took a bit to clean him up for photos.

Here's a photo, taken from the oft hit side that shows the exit wound better. Shot from the other side you can see the blood better, but suffice to say there was goobs!

Thanks

So that afternoon I spent it leveling a small area I could set up my double bull blind. It was hard work but I got it done and that evening, for only the 3rd time in this whole hunt, I sat water.

Here are just a few of the deer I saw that evening.

But just as it got too dark to shoot, at least for me with my night blindness, I notice three nice bucks head down to the water. They watered straight across from and I could see they were the three best bucks that Cody and I had chased.

Then the largest, raised his head, walked on the burm and head towards me. I could not see him plainly as he silhouetted himself in the evening sky. I grabbed myu bow, raised and could plainly see my 30 yard pin. I knew if I were to place that pin on th bottom of his chest the hit would be perfect. He was now just 20 yards away and broadside.

I could not believe I was so lucky to have this happen after all the bad luck that had happened previously.

It was a cool night and I had been sitting a long time but now I had been given a gift from the hunting gods.

I knocked an arrow, ever so quiet, as he stood broadside no more than 20 yards from me. I then drew my bow, or I better say tried to draw my bow. It would not come back. I tried even harder, but had the same problem. The extra almost 15 lbs., after sitting all evening, was just too much for this old man to pull. In the mayhem the bucks scattered, never to be seen again by this old hunter.

I can not put into words how disappointed I was. In high school I had the strongest arms and shoulder of anyone and now I could not ever draw a 75 or 76lb. bow. For years I had shot 80 and even 90 lbs bows with no problem. But such was not longer the case, as I found out that evening.

But my bike was dead. Stone dead. I had nothing as far as electical power. And I had few tools, bad legs at this point, many miles from camp, and the mechinacl skills of an average 3rd grader. I took my blind down as I knew I could not leave it up and still have it there with all the cattle that were using this pond. The next morning I decided to just take a long hike and I worked hard that morning and with little sleep from the night before and with very high temperatures, my legs went in cramps and I wondered if I would ever get back to my bike. About noon that day I finally got the cramps worked out and got back to my bike. I was super dehydrated and drank plenty at my bike and then decided to head for camp and lunch.

But my bike was dead. Stone Dead. I had nothing as far as electrical power. And I had few tools, bad legs at this point, many miles from camp, and the mechanical skills of an average 3rd grader. And the pull start would not work either. After several hours of cleaning connections,, pulling on wires, adding water to the batter etc. I finally got it started and headed back to camp.

Once at camp I tried to start it over and over again, and each time it worked, so I was sure relived that at least I still had a bike that worked. But I had another problem that had been plaguing since Cody left. I was running very low on gasoline for the bike and I knew I really need to watch how much I rode my bike.

I decided that afternoon to go back to the waterhole I had sat the night before, but when I neared it I could see another pop up blind, set right in the level place I dug out. I was disappointed, but Cody and I had down another level place for a pop up at the waterhole where I had seen my first hard honed buck (see reflection photo above). It was long ways and I really didn’t have the fuel to do it, but I felt that was my best option at this point, so away I went.

Was I ever surprised to find another pop up blind sitting there too. So I just decided to go hunt the ridges in the area where Cody and I had spent a great deal of our time and in the general area where he had taken his buck.

So off I went and when I got to the turn off on the road that accesses this area, I noticed I had lost my blind chair on the rough roads. I was so low on gas that I didn’t feel I could go back and look so I just went hunting. I hunted the best ridge in that area and saw just a few small bucks. But there was still time to hit the next ridge west before daylight faded into blackness, but I would have to hurry.

I headed back at a fast pace to my bike and once I got there, it again would not start. I tightened connections and pulled and pushed wires and finally it started. On the way to camp I decided it best, under all the conditions, to head home and get things fixed. I left my machine running and readied my trailer to head home. I just hoped I had enough fuel to make it out, on the long ride to town. It was now dark and I was on my way home, but little did I know all the weird stuff that laid ahead.

I let the dust clear a bit and head on. Then all of a sudden I come around a corner and see the same guy stopped in the center of the road with his flashers blinking. I pull slowly to side and notice a bull elk lying in the road, just in front of his truck.

I ask if he was okay and he said yes. I ask if his truck still worked, but he informed me he had hit the elk with an arrow and it had died in the middle of the road and that his dad was on the way to help him and he just didn't want me to hit it with my truck.

I have seen some strange things, but on something like that, that one takes the cake.

I continued on as my fuel gauge got lower and lower and I questioned if I would ever hit town. My truck had little power, but it was still running and that was a good thing.

I was daylight by the time I had my one remaining spare on the trailer and limped home. I was tired but I realized I had really dodged a bullet.

I would get these things fixed and hopefully get back out there for the balance of the season.

It's my wives birthday today so I need to walk my dogs early and take her to dinner.

In the next session some pretty interesting stuff happened, not all good and not all bad, so stay tuned and see what happens. But I do have some pretty interestintg photos to post that some may enjoy.

Have a great bowhunt. BB

Man, what an adventure! Everything that might happen to you over thirty years happened to you on one hunt!

As for two flat tires, I know the feeling. In 2004 I had the CO bull elk I'd taken on Wednesday and a cool Books buck I'd taken late the next afternoon in the back of my truck and had started north out of the Books on the road to Ouray, at which point I got TWO flat tires and only had one spare. A call to AAA got a truck sent out and he arrived three hours later, having had a flat tire on his way to get me. The owner of the tire store met us in Roosevelt, replaced the two tires at 2:00 AM and I made it to Park City and to bed at 5:00 AM.

But I had one nagging problem on a loan that defaulted and left me holding the bag on an old home in Ogden Utah. It had been a pain in my side almost all summer but I finally got it sold and felt like I had things resolved with it and with Ogden City.

But just as I ready to leave I found out the purchaser had not brought in his EM and had not signed the contract, although he promised me he would. With some persuasion I he delivered and the closing was set up for late Wednesday afternoon. Tht meant I would have to stay in town for an extra 5 days, but it was just something I had to do.

So Labor Day Weekend, I jumped in my old truck and headed to Wyoming for a day and half antelope hunt. Although I didn't shoot an antelope on tha trip I saw plenty and took a lot of photos and you can see these if you haven't already by clicking on the above link or entering the following into your browser. http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=387364&messages=33&forum=8

Here's just three of the many photos I took on that short trip.

I came home from the antelope hunt early Sunday for a family dinner and then on late Wednesday my wife and I signed the final papers at the title company to a problem that had long plagued me and early the next morning I was off to finish my Bookcliffs hunt.

But until then I plan to tell the rest of my Bookcliffs deer hunt, but its time to take the wife to dinner and wish her a Happy Birthday.

Here's a photo I took on the last part of my hunt where I ended up mostly sitting water. I felt that was now my best chance at a buck and certainly my best photo opportunities.

Have a great bowhunt. BB

On Wednesday evening just before the title company closed the wife and I went in and signed the final papers and early the next morning I was on my way back to the Books.

The trip out was uneventful and by early that afternoon I had camp set up (same place) had plenty of gas, and got to practice shooting my bow before the evening hunt.

I returned to the general area where Cody and I had spent much of our time and could have shot a small four point right off the road, but I chose to pass. But I quickly noticee that evening and the next morning, that I was not seeing near the bucks I had seen earlier and the ones I saw were much smaller. By now all were hard horned.

So after two unsuccessful hunts in finding the bigger bucks, and knowing things change in mule deer country once the velvet is stripped, I made the decision to spend the rest of my time hunting waterholes. I felt that would give me my best chance of taking a respectable buck and at the same time I could take photos and for those that know me a bit, that is always high on my list of priorities.

It was a good decision in some ways but there were a couple problems too. First the waterhole was just off the main road and there was lots of traffic that went by and some people would see bucks there and stop and scare them. I had a number of incidents like that where several very decent bucks got scared.

Even worse than that was I knew the waterhole would not last in the heat and dry conditions that existed. It was drying up fast, to the point where I had to dig trenches to get the water to where the deer could water. That was both good and bad.

Here are just a few of the photos I took at that waterhole before I made the decision to find another.

On another occasion two guys pull up a in Rhino and yell something like, "Real men would get out that blind and hunt their buck!"

And still on another occasion a guy yelled down, "Anyone hunting out of that blind?" I bit my tongue and kept quiet, but I wanted to yell back, "Nope, just down here taking a sauna!"

Here are a few other photos I took as the waterhole continued to dry up.

I finally located one that had the best tracks I had seen. It wasn't that far off a main road either, but at least you could not see the pond from the road, and there was a tree on its east side that would be a good place for a treestand. So I ran back to camp and got a treestand and within a few hours I was ready once again to hunt a waterhole, and this time it had plenty of water.

Here's the view I had of that waterhole from the stand I just placed.

So after setting my treestand and since I was quite near his camp, I went over to see him, but he was not yet back from hunting.

So I played detective and found where he had parked his four wheeler and here is what I wrote on his four wheeler seat.

It says Real men hunt with stick bows, or something like that.

I then returned to his camp and left this message for him on is truck's shell rear window.

I then opened his bow case which was on the front of his bike and placed this stick in it.

Then it was back to camp where i ate and shot my bow.

Then that evening found me in the treestand at the new pond.

Early on it was much slower than the other pond, but about 7 pm things came alive and I saw a ton of deer. Here are just a few of the animals I saw that evening from my new perch.

By nights end I had seen over 10 bucks and several were pretty decent. I was really pumped, as at the last waterhole I sat, mornings were much better than evenings.

It's time to walk my dogs again, but I promise to finish this today. There's some pretty interesting stuff that happens so stay tuned.

Have a great bowhunt.

Best of Luck, Jeff (Bowsite Sponsor)

But when I got back to camp I used a friends cell phone to call home and found out the check from the closing had not been received.

After the mornings hunt, in which I did not have one deer come to water I returned to camp early to borrow my camping neighbors phone and found out the guy who was suppose to come in close his part of the transaction, had not been in, and that Ogden City was preparing to raze the building and charge me. The timing could not have been worse. It was now Wednesday morning and the last day of the hunt was Friday and I always try hard to prolong my hunts, as I wait all year for them and enjoy them so much.

After sitting that morning, without seeing one deer water, and with my business problems at home, I knew this hunt needed to end and I had to return home and take care of the mess that had developed in my absence.

The evening before had presented me with a number of shots at decent bucks, but I did not like the longer distances and the steep angle, so even before I received the information on the Ogden property, I had decided to put up a pop up blind in a nearer location, so I returned with an old ax and a shovel and embarked on choosing a new location for my pop up blind.

Just about that time, PAV came by and I ask for his help in selecting a location. I wanted something, closer, with far less angle and in a place where it would fit, without notice. It was a pretty big order to fill, but after looking things over pretty well, we both came to the conclusion that an old washed out ravine would be the prefect location. But a blind would not fit there without lots of work.

I thanked Paul for his advice, but he insisted on staying and helping me and that he did.

We gathered rocks, hundreds of rocks, that were laying around and filled the ravine up to a level where we could back fill it and in several hours, two, tired, guys seemed proud of what they had accomplished.

Here's a couple photos of fellow Bowsiter and now friend, Paul standing on the new pad, that would soon house my pop up blind.`

This third photo was taken the next morning just to show how the blind fit into the surrounding area. Not bad for a last minute setup huh? And being done by two worn out bowhunters!

But I did tell him that morning, that I was going to shoot a deer that night. I even called the shot I was going to take if it presented itself.

Paul came by camp for a late lunch and then hurried back to hunt elk.

While I was leaving I ran into another friend, who had a deer tag yet to fill. I had pretty well made up my mind that I would kill a deer that evening if one gave me a chance. And from what I had seen, I knew this friend could kill a deer there too and so in my mind, I planned to turn over this setup over to him the next day.

Well evening came and and wind blew and my pop up blew right off the pad and tumbled up hill. I retrieved it and set up and tied it down better and sat there holding it down in the stong wind. Here's a photo of how I held it once my arms tired.

The wind finally died down and it got to be 7 pm and I had not seen one deer. But then a buck made his way past my still hanging treestand and to the waters edge and watered 30 yards to my left.

Here's a photo of that buck as he watered.

Here's another photo of that same buck as he was leaving and stood just 20 yards from my treestand.

And here's yet another buck that came in that evening.

Things were starting to heat up it seemed.

Your photos are just amazing. As someone from the midwest I saw more mulies in this post then I have my whole life in the wild.

Glad you were able to enjoy sometime with your sons on this hunt.

A few does and fawns continued to come in, but it was now at a point where light was now becoming a huge, nevative, factor.

Yet another doe came in but this day's light was fast giving into darkness.

Can't wait for the rest of the story.

I took one final photo of him as he watered and then picked up my bow to see if I could still see my pin when placed upon him.

Here's the only photo I took of this buck as he watered.

So with that said, I have two very favorite shots in bowhunting. One, as many of you know, is the close front shot, a shot from which I have never lost a critter. And the other is a close, straight away shot, again a shot I have taken a number of times and again have never lost an animal and watched most go down in sight.

Earlier in the day I told Paul (PAV) that I was going to shoot my buck that evening with a straight away shot. He quizzed me a bit about the shot and I told him of my experiences and the devastating results if one could keep the shot where it belonged.

So that evening I raised my bow to see if I could see my pin in the area it belonged. And I could and so I drew my bow, took careful aim and released. The buck spung and ran back to his right and out of sight. I could hear him run for just a few seconds and then all went silent.

I got out of the blind and to give him some time, just in case my ears had betrayed me, I walked up to my bike and headed to find the camp where my freind with an unfilled tag had camped, to let him know he could use my blind and fill his tag. He as not at camp, so I returned and ran into Paul and a couple other guys who were hunting elk and they came and helped me pull my buck back down near the water hole. He had made it about 50-60 yards with a great blood trail to follow, even for me.

Here are the three who pulled my deer back to edge of the waterhole.

One of the brothers said that evening when we found the deer, "If you were aiming for the pooper, you got a 10 ringer!"

This is how I found my deer before moving or touching him.

If this photo offends anyone I will gladly remove it. I post it strictly for educational purposes.

I did not realize when I shot this buck that he was still in the velvet. That made him look very heavy. In pulling him down the velvet started to strip, but originally he was in full velvet, but just at the point of shedding it.

The brothers left and Paul agreed to go find my friend, ( Silent Stalker's Dad) who still had an unfilled tag and to tell him to come hunt this waterhole.

I took a couple photos and then began the task of boning and getting the buck back to camp.

Paul stopped back to inform me that our mutual friend had also filled his tag that very evening, so he would not need my blind or a place to hunt.

Here's a couple self portraits of the small buck I shot. I knew it wasn't big, and I have played this game many times. The only real regret I have on this whole hunt is that I had to cut it a few days short.

If I can help any of you on this tag, in the future, please feel free to contact me.

By the way here's how previous pond that I was hunting looked the morning I pulled my stand and picked up my ground blind. It's a darn good thing I moved when I did.

I stuck around to see how Paul did that morning and to give him help if needed, but he came back without a bull on the ground yet. He came down and had lunch and went back for his final few times at bat, and I headed home that afternoon.

Incidentally this time I got home with no problems.

Have a great bowhunt. BB

P.S. I will do a little editorial on what I think of the Books as time allows me. It still does remain a special and fun place, but finding a great buck is much tougher than I really believed it would be.

There are a lot of deer there however, and I only showed a very small part of what I saw. Thanks for coming along. BB

Thanks for the great story and pictorial, as always,

Ernie

Best of Luck, Jeff (Bowsite Sponsor)

BB is definitely a Bowsite treasure, but he is so much more in person. Integrity, honesty and ethic pours from his being. Pretty good cook too I might add....

Thanks BB for helping make my stay in the Book Cliffs of Utah such a memorable experience!

George Chase from New Brunswick turned me onto what he calls the "over the hip" shot that you take from a treestand on an animal going away from you. I've used that shot a few times now, with outstanding results.

Great story as always BB! I look forward to meeting you someday.

You are a Bowsite treasure! We learn volumes every time you post and we are inspired by your willingness to share your knowledge as well as your photography skills and story telling abilities.

When's your book coming out? PLEASE! ;^)

Kyle

Thx Bill in MI

Chad

Your photos are excellent; thank you for posting them.

I keep looking at all those bucks going, I'd shoot that one and that one and that one...

Now get out there and get Don V his first Lope!!!!! Good luck and thanks again

Rick M

Congratulations on a well earned, successful hunt.

You may not get to hunt it with a bow but your camera does just fine :) Thanks again for taking us on another good hunt and congrats to you and Cody!

I would never recommend the Books as a trophy area, not to say there are not some great deer out there, but in general it is not a trophy area. A guy can take a very decent buck with some hard hunting, but the real big guys, although some are there, are very few and far between.

But just for a fun hunt, in which one will see lots of deer and in many cases, could take a 4 point buck almost daily, it is a hard unit to beat. There were few days that either my son or I could not have taken a four point buck. There were several days when that was not true, but they were seldom. Where else can one say that these days in deer country with a bow?

I never really got to hunt the area I wanted to hunt with my truck problems, but I learned a lot about an other area and knowing what I know now I would have done a few things different.

Just last evening, our family did a joint celebration of my wife's, my daughters, and my grand daughters birthday, and as Cody and I sat and talked I told him if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know, I would have set up a waterhole, where the first evening he was there we watched as 5 or 6 very good bucks watered. It is away from the main action and I know a guy could take some great photos and a very decent buck there.

I also found a few places that would be great for a tree stand and with a good dose of patience I think the rewards would be handsome. The two, over a period of a week or two, would almost guarantee a chance at a whooper buck.

But hind sight is 20/20.

Well now its on to Wyoming and rutting antelope. I plan to meet Don V this Saturday and you can bet I will try to capture a bit of what happens. I just ordered the new Panasonic FZ-100 camera from Cameralandny and it should be here today. Cody will be the recipient of my old (ha ha) FZ-35. He too seems anxious to have a camera where he can get in on more shooting than just that of his bow.

And as I have said many times, to many of you, if you aren’t using your camera for more than trophy photos, you are missing a great part of your hunts.

Thanks for all the nice kudos and even for the PM's that aren't so kind about my choice of shot. I appreciate both and expected some of the latter. But I try to tell it like it really is and was.

I do have some pretty neat video that down the line I would like to post to this thread, but to do so I will need some help. So if any of you are interested in seeing it and understand how to post it, please help me with it. I won't have time until I return from the antleope hunt, but I should have some pretty video of that too. So if anyone out there is willing to teach this old dog a new trick, I just might tell you a good place to hunt. Ha Ha

Have a great bowhunt. BB

This is a very poor photo, taken quite late one evening, but it was the biggest bull elk I saw while hunting the Books.

I told PAV about him and when he went to find him there were already two guys after him.

Thanks for another great story and great pics! You sure had your share of trouble! I guess that makes it better in some ways, like when it's over and you can look back at it!

Great pics and a great story, hope all worked out when you got back home.

Just had to let you know how much these stories and pictures are appreciated. Thanks again.

There were two great bucks standing on the spot I shot this photo from the first morning. I got no shot, but this view will be burned deep into my memory until the day I die. Never have I seen an area that was so uniquely wild.

BB, you know exactly the spot I stood on when I took this photo, I'm sure.

This is an incredible thread. Thank you for bringing us along and sharing with us.

ptw

Randy

You are truly a Bowsite treasure, Bill. Thanks for sharing another great adventure.

Simply wonderful.

Good luck, Robb

Very dry this year. Holes that usually hold water well into the fall are already dry. We need the summer monsoons

I just got off the phone with Jeff, a good friend of mine, whom many have heard me talk about and some have heard me call him the human backhoe.

He drew an archery tag out this year and he's been out there scouting some of my favorite areas. Quoting him, he says, "It drier than a popcorn (you know what)!

So I have been telling him about some good springs, as all the push ponds are bone dry. He;s been out there for 4 days and trying to find a spring I have been helping him to locate. Finally just this afternoon he found it and he says it is "pounded" with both elk and deer tracks.

But I am trying hard to make him understand, that between now and then things could change big time. It will only take on big downpour in early August to change things big time and fill the hundreds of catch and push point in the Bookscliffs. So one needs to be prepared for that scenario should that happen.

For a guy who hasn't' spent much time in the Books, he now has a pretty good basis of some of the best Bookcliff country. I wish him well as I am sure many of you do too.

Incidentally he drew it with only 2 or 3 pints. So it does pay to apply as one never knows who will draw the random tags.

Now to address a few issues for jim/wa who pulled this thread back up.

If you and your Pops have rifle tags, I really can't help you a lot as I am strictly a bowhunter. I can give you some very valuable information though, and that is you are not going to get much help on this site, as about the 15th of Sept, the deer in the Bookcliffs, vacate the area they are in during the bow hunt and head lower off the tops into the cedar and jumper country.

It is amazing how many deer you see on the tops during the bow hunt, but by the rifle hunt, it would be most unusual to even see a deer let alone even a few.

My advise to you would be to post this on Monster Mulies and you will be3 addressing mostly rifle hunters who could give you some good solid information on where the herds are during the rifle season. I have always heard that Sundy School Canyon is good at that time of year, but I have never laid foot in the Bookcliffs during the rifle season, so that is purely hearsay, but I do think there is some merit to it as I have heard it a number of time over many years.

Best wishes to you and your Dad. Sorry I could not have helped you more.

Have a great rifle hunt. BB

P. S.

This is a photo of a buck that my son and I both passed, at very close bow range, and later that fall, a muzzleloader guy took him miles from where my son and I had the close encounter. He made a great looking "hard horned buck" as that is how he was when I the guy shot him. My son found the buck photo with the hunter of this buck on monstermulies.com I ended up sending the hunter a full size file photo of his buck.

Simply awesome!

Great story and pictures!

I could see if it was a monster or something and you haven't tagged out in 10 years, or you were starving...but with all the animals you've killed, I just don't get it...I guess some people just have to kill something, no matter the situation.

two thumbs down.

"I could see if it was a monster or something"

^ The definition of irony.

Cub- are you saying that the deer would have preferred to die with the textbook NBEF shot placement?

Hahahahahha, first time I laughed today! Thanks Cub! Mike

My comment about being a "monster" or something, would mean a hunter might have been driven by desperation or temporary insanity to do something like this. This is a tiny little buck, not even worth shooting in my book.

"And they die differently when shot thru the lungs from the side?" I would imagine so, Bob. How many elk have you seen killed where they just stand there, not knowing they are hit, and just fall over? It's called a heart shot, not a Tejas heart shot.

Listen, we went round and round on this forum about frontal shots, which BB has always been a proponent of(probably the original proponent here). Many here still disagree, but because of guys like BB, has become a much more accepted shot. IMO many "hunters" out there have no business shooting a frontal shot.

Now, we are teaching this.

two thumbs down."

Unit9er, it's clear you haven't actually paid attention to any of BB's outstanding posts over the years. Do you have ANY idea how many great animals he passes on just to take pictures? If you just joined the forum and don't know what a class act BB is, you're sort of forgiven, otherwise you're an ignorant fool...

You know I am a huge fan!

Hope you like the FZ 100. I purchased a FZ 35 on your prompting and really liked it. Later I upgraded to the 100 and don't like it nearly as well....hope it's just my 100 and you don't have the same experience.

He has never lost an animal with it. HE. What's to argue?

Ask anyone who knows me, I'm this way with you face to face also. It doesn't matter the forum, I'll call you out.

I pass on animals every year also, that's why I only have 11 Bull kills to my name, all DIY and on public land, most of them solo. Oh, and I don't shoot them in the ass either, though I could probably have another 300+ bull or two if I took the chance.

Defend away, the ass shot, you fools.

Fools? Because someone doesn't see it like you do?

Very nice.

We are all wired different. It doesn't mean we are bad guys or unethical IMO. We all make decisions based on how we were raised and who we hunt with. I am not judging one way or the other.

I am certain BB may not agree with my bad habit of looking down at my phone when a text comes in while on the road or other decisions I make. I live with my decisions everyday. At times I question a few I've made. I am sure BB may question the shot taken or maybe not.

IMO- anyone who takes a shot over 80 yards is making the wrong decision. I don't care how fast your shooting. But something they will have to live with.

Some great footage here. Enjoyed the pix and story.

Something to think about here, how did most of us react to the TBM Hamblaster shot?

This is the same rhetoric he used to justify the frontal shot, now, on this site it is a highly recommended shot. We cheer the young man on the youtube video who takes a questionable frontal shot (from what appeared to be 30 yards or so) and connects with a fatal hit.

How many more years will it take before someone is posting a "hole" shot on youtube and we're all congratulating him? Are we headed down the same road with this type of shot? I sure hope not.

The point to argue is my original one...What are we teaching the young hunters, advocating this type of shot?

You teach your kids this way, I'll teach mine another.

I'm done, opinion stated.

Do you teach your kids to belittle someone elses kill as well?

To you and others that disagree with the shot....what is your reason? Because that is what you were always taught so there's no reason ask "why not"?

I have a friend just like Bill who never read all the hunting books and magazines. He learned everything on his own from actually "doing" not following someone elses arbitrary, unwritten rules. He made a few mistakes along the way but he learned things the real world way. The guy is a killer and one of the best hunters I know. Just like Bill.

We won't all agree, but its safe to say that we all care deeply about hunting. If your getting close to 100% recovery on your legal hunting method, you have my support and attention!

I'd rather hunt with a guy comfortable taking shots I never would (as the one shown above) than a guy who belittles the kill of another and would take shots even they aren't comfortable with just because of the size of an animal. The former is much more in line with my definition of ethical than the latter.

You guys saw the photo of the buck watering straight away, right? Had BB waited for the buck to finish...it would have turned either left or right...and offered a broadside shot. The shot was not a last resort by any means.

This happened the last evening of BB's hunt. He had passed dozens upon dozens of bucks leading up to that evening hunt. When we set the blind that afternoon, BB told me there was a good chance he would get an opportunity for such a shot angle...and if it happened, he would take it.

This was not a first. BB told me that shot is as lethal as any broadside side shot...maybe more so. Of course, I had questions....but can vouch for BB's confidence in what he was saying. The man is very well versed on big game anatomy...and has the experience to back up what he says.

As you see in the photos, BB was true to his word. He took the shot as intended....and just as he predicted, the buck was down in seconds. Hard to argue with such results....especially when the man called it in advance.

As for the size of the buck, give me a freakin' break! The Books are BB's old stomping grounds. The unit is now a high demand draw area. A man well into his 70's draws what he knows is likely his last deer tag in that unit. He hunts almost the entire archery season and passes numerous shot opportunities. On the last evening of his hunt, he fills his tag on the best animal that provided an opportunity. Personally, I call that... getting the most from his tag.

Everyone hunts differently and has to live with the consequences. I have friends who take neck shots, one even shot a buck through the eye, as it was his only shot killing it dead in it's tracks. Does it mean I'm going to take a neck, eye or ass shot? Hell no.

To each his own.

I do have a problem posting this shot on a public hunting forum, by one of it's most respected members. That is all.

I have only hit and not recovered 1 animal in my lifetime and I felt truly horrible. That was a brisket shot from 45 yards at a very good bull, concidentally, during the last few minutes of the hunt that year. I don't want to feel that again.

I would however, given the right opportunity, take the frontal. For the confidence I now have in that shot, I credit BB.

First and foremost my father (BB) is one of if not the most ethical hunters you could ever be around. His love of this hobby is far greater then anyone I have ever met and he treats it as a privilege any time he gets to be part of a hunt, both his own and anyone he may be helping. You don't have to agree with his shot placement but I can promise you any arrow he lets loose he has all the confidence in the world its a clean and humane shot. He takes far less shots because of distance then anyone I have ever met. He is has studied the animals he hunts and when he lets an arrow fly he 100% confidence in that arrow.

Secondly I could not imagine a better teacher or role model with hunting! He has been at a long time and seen both the good and bad this sport can bring. He has taught me and many others to respect that animals we are hunting and to make sure we do our part to keep the doors open for those that follow us. He has taught to "smell the roses" along the way. It is way more then just killing an animal and punching a tag. He has taught me to always leave an area better then you found it. He taught me bowhunting is about being close and hitting your mark. He shoots heavy arrows and has always drawn a heavy poundage bow which in return opens more shot angles. More then anything he has taught me what the outdoors and bowhunting can add to ones life. The time in the outdoors can cleanse ones soul and never have I felt closer to my DAD or MAKER then being out hunting. He has and will continue to give back to this hobby every way he can....I am positive of that!

As far as the size of buck/bucks we killed, they are small bucks and far from what we had hoped to harvest. We hunted hard and both took our last opportunity to fill our tag in way that we wanted to. We could have killed much better bucks driving to and from camp off the road. That was not how we wanted to fill our tags. To each their own, I can say it was one of the most enjoyable times I have ever had hunting even with shooting small bucks!

Dad: I love you more then you could ever imagine and I for one am so thankful for everything you have taught me with hunting and the outdoors! I could not IMAGINE learning from anyone else! You are so gracious and passionate about hunting and I want you to know I hope to teach my young kids (when that time comes) the same values and ethics you have taught me! I love you!!!

Cody-buds

You are not the only person who feels that way about your dad. He is one heck of a bowhunter and an even better person. I feel lucky to have met and hunted with him.

Loved seeing this thread again, makes a guy dream :)

Cody, Great post! You're a lucky guy to have a dad like Bill.

Cody, you're one heck of a son. Loved the sentiment you shared for your Dad. And, your Dad is one heck of a hunter, photographer and writer... and Dad, obviously.

No one commands greater respect on the Bowsite than Bill Allard.

I am just getting ready to leave to Fish Lake, where I have Utah big bull tag and plan to spend much of my next two to three weeks, trying to arrow a bull elk. Just several months ago I had double knee replacement surgery, so I won't be very good at getting around or chasing them down, but I will give it all the effort that I can.

While I was gone on the antelope hunt I received emails, texts, and when I got home there were some PM's on the Bowsite concerning this thread. So I thought I would take a few minutes and address what's been said and how I feel about it. Take it for what its worth, and that might not be much coming from an old worn out man.

I started bowhunting in 1959 with an ole Herters recurve. I purchased that at the beginning of my freshman year. In those days there was no internet, and basically no bowhunting information like there is nowadays. I was basically on my own and I have learned what little I know from the school of hard knocks. It all been basically trial and error. And believe me I made many errors and still do. But one thing about me is I pay very close attention to the smallest of details and its helped me learn a ton. My bowhunting education is basically self taught stuff.

When I saw or see stuff, good or bad, it rings my bell and if its bad I try hard not to make the same mistake again. If good things come from stuff I do, I try to remember that and refine it if it works.

So thus I believe in close frontal shots and close rear shots. Its not something someone taught me or that I read it was good or bad, it was something I discovered by the results of my arrow. I listen far more to what my arrow and broad head tell me than I do to a writer, or a custom, or someone else's opinion. I have found that my arrow always tells me the truth. It does not have an ego, or an agenda of its own. It simply lays out the truth of each hit, be it good or bad!

Since I didn't have a coach or a source to tell me how to bow hunt I learned along the way and probably not very well. But I did learn a few things, and listening to what my arrow says is one of the most important lesson I learned.

It and its results told me the front shot was a good shot, providing one knows the anatomy, keeps it close and hunts with a good sharp broad head. Now keep in mind, there were no books or magazines in those days telling me not to take such shots. I learned by doing it and either suffering the consequences or being rewarded by the results. If the consequences were bad, I learned big time it was a no no. If they were good, I would employ that tactic. Its was much like any thing else we learned in life.

Many years ago I shot at and missed a big buck. He took a couple jumps and stopped, quartering severely away. I aimed and shot, hitting to the left of where I aimed, hitting the buck in the wrong spot, but I watched that buck dies within seconds. He had turned to leave as I released the arrow and with my mis aim and his movements it went right up his popper. LIke I said he died in seconds and made it very few yards.

Three things registered to me that night. My shot was too long but with a hit like that, the animal died much quicker than did most of my broadside hits and the blood trial was much shorter.

What would you do with that information? Well a dumb kid from Wyoming realized that long shots wound many critters for many reasons, and even lucky hits can kill things if they are hit in the right place.

So over time I quit taking long shots, learned how fatal the straight away hit is and will employ it under certain conditions.

I look at it far different than most guys. I understand that. It may not be a pretty shot or a pretty picture to most, but I learned the hard way, that to me, the end result is far more important for many reasons, than being politically correct, so to speak.

In other words, if I can kill an animal in a matter of seconds, rather than in a matter of minutes, hours, of days, I will always take shot that end the critters life in seconds. I have learned that shot does.

When an animal is facing straight away from you, his senses and ability to react to a released arrow is hampered greatly. His eyes, ears and nose are turned away from you and thus, hs is much less likey to react to the shot. Not true on frontal or broadside shots. Many times the animal is looking right at you and his hearing, eyesight etc is not nearly as compromised, as it is when he straight away from you.

I will never take that shot unless I am very close, but if I am, I don't let stigma get in the way of what my arrow tells me is a great shot if taken with the proper equipment and at a close range. I know its not pretty, but its results trumps the down side by far to me.

Just this past week i was on a hunt in which a hunter had basically a broadside shot. I watched as he drew the bow and released the arrow after range finding the distance. The animal moved, the arrow hit back farther than it was suppose to, and off he went. We followed it for about 3/4 of a mile on specks of blood. We finally spotted it laying down. And got in a position and watched as it lay there. It got up a couple times in the course of a couple hours. The guy I was with wanted to try to sneak in and get another arrow in it, I trumped that from past experience.

Finally the animal got up and headed another mile. We kept him in sight and watched him bed, waited him out and got him.

That is not the first time something like that has ever happened to me or to friends I was hunting with. But that has never happened to me on a frontal or a going straight away shot. I have recovered every single animal, in a very shot distance, with a great blood trial, and the animal was dead usually in seconds or with in a few minutes.

I know I am old fashion, but to me that is far more important and far more humane, that an animal die fast and not suffer, even though view wise, it might not be politically correct or the "proper thing to do"!

I apologize to those of you who were offended by the photo. I can understand how some might feel that way. Had I been book taught I am sure I would feel the same way. So please forgive me for posting that photo, but at least I hope some of you understand why I will continue to take that shot.

I have great respect for Unit 9er. We both have been on here for a long time and have some differences, but those aside, I think we would both be welcome to each others camp.

There is however, one poster on this thread, I have absolutely not one ounce of respect for. I won't say who it is, but he has earned his position with me, by his self serving ways, his thoughtlessness, his actions and his back stabbing. Let me just say sir, your folks named you very well.

Have a great bow hunt. BB