MEMORABLE OPENING WEEK IN NOR-CAL!!!
Mule Deer
Our Nor-Cal blacktail (just E of 5) opener has come and gone and is in the books as a great weekend. We had good friend and great bow hunter Cindy Krug hunting with us. If you don’t know who Cindy is or what she has done, let me just say she has more bow kills including some tremendous trophies then most female bow hunters I know of. It started with this guy making a showing on opening morning right on schedule.
At 25 yards Cindy made a great shot on the bruiser, which bedded down 100 yards away. Cindy’s arrow went right through the lungs of this buck and surprisingly still managed to stay alive for an hour. Cindy stalked in on the buck and finished him off. It is her biggest bow kill buck to date. Heavy and tall! I was able to watch the action from across a meadow and up on the opposite hillside. It was a pleasure to be there with Cindy on her short but great hunt. Cindy was first on the board. Congrats Cindy!
I had been seeing this buck periodically as he was moved at night majority of the time. Opening day evening, he emerged from his bed down one of his commonly used trails a little too early and paid the price. At 25 yards I shot him quartering away and he died within seconds 50 yards away. I shot him using a new model 125 grain VPA broadhead, which passed through the buck and berried 8 inches into the ground on the other side of the deer. I was pleased with the results.
Beautiful Deer. that is great!
The buck is very very heavy from his bases all the way up and has a cool unique basket rack. Im very happy with him!
Beautiful buck!! No doubt she is a happy camper.
It was a great opener for us and I really enjoyed seeing Cindy's success! Next for me is elk in Arizona and Montana. I cant wait!!!! I will let Joe finish off this opening weekend thread with his heavy hitter hunting story.
I had to work Saturday so I didn't get to hunt til Sunday eve. First night in my chosen stand was very slow. Only saw 3 deer the whole night. Monday night however the action lit up an I let a few bucks walk that nite that have potential in a few years. 2 nights in the stand an no shooters have shown themselves. I have always wanted a super heavy buck an this guy fit that script....
Third night temps were significantly cooler an I had high hopes third time would be charm. Might I add I had already given up on killing the heavy guy cuz it had been over 2 weeks since any sign of him on our cameras. So I had my mind on another buck. The entire evening was fairly slow until last light the heavy guy made an appearance all by himself. I was shocked to see him. At 27 yards I grunted to stop him and sent the 100 grain vpa home. Arrow somehow glanced forward on impact an went thru the spine an came out the opposite scapula droppin him like a box of rocks. His mass is unreal as his bases almost touch. After seeing him up close I am glad to put my tag on him. We estimated him to be 7-9 years old.
Some weird stuff goin on at his bases
Great week and nice to see Cindy. Glad she got her buck as she deserves it. Now the hunt is on for my second tag :-)
Those are some awesome bucks! Way to go!
very nice! Congrats to all 3 of you.
Superfreak buck...Wow! Love it.
Congrats Joe and Chris...you guys didn't mess around this Season! And congrats to Cindy as well.
Best of Luck, Jeff (Bowsite Sponsor)
Great hunts, great deer and, as always, great photography.
Ain't it just amazing, what a few seconds of site prep and clean up, and some simple fill-flash can do for kill photography. Nice.
You know, sometime you need to have someone photographing the photographer, too, to show how you're doing it. How close, what angle, how many angles, etc.
Interested, though, how the buck lived another hour after a double lung shot? Most of those end in a matter of seconds because the animal quits getting oxygen to its blood supply and/or it bleeds out quickly.
You Cali guys have bow-killed enough stuff to have opinions. It's just pure curiosity that has me asking, nothing else.
Congrats to all. I really look forward to this every year it seems to be a tradition for us - it marks the start of bow season in general with my nj season only 4 weeks away. You guys get it done every year and really do your scouting in advance. Well done!
writer, im not sure why or how the buck lasted so long. before she finished him we watched him do the head bob from the ground up, back down, up, back down, for 25 minutes.. she decided to sneak in and finish him instead of waiting. he was deff tough. the medical explanation i can not give you. and thanks for the kind words guys!
Guys, congrats again, you guys certainly have those Cali bucks dialed in. What is the average body weight to the bucks you guys are taking?
Any chance her BH was dull? Never seen a double lung do anything except bleed a lot and die within 20 seconds
Congrats on some awesome animals!
Jack she was shooting a sharp wacm...
Nj buck, average mature 4-6 year olds about 140-165 and 6+ year old usually 165-185 on the hoof. The 185 range give or take 10 is the largest ive seen. Hangin meat carcass for a 4-6 yr old abt 80-100, 6+ year old abt 100-115.
Jack
That was my thoughts and I would have to agree with your comments. I shot a pig in south Texas and returned the arrow to my quiver. Shot at a rabbit with the arrow a day later with the same arrow. We were sitting in a blind when some does came by. My friend reminded me that we had doe tags. I was going to wait but he pulled an arrow and handed it to me. He was pumped to get the meat.
She was double lunged and took off through the pasture. Ran way to far and died in too long of a time. Upon inspection, the shot was good, but I was horrified to see he had grabed an arrow in the middle of my quiver. It was the dull and used broadhead
Tykyslr
Great work on these deer. A great primer for sure. Those velvet bucks are awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Congrats Chris and Joe...you two wasted no time at all.
That's what great preparation will get you!
Awesome bucks guys!! Congrats
absolutely gorgeous bucks!!! love to see the start of a season!!!! great work.
Wow. You guys never let me down and lending a helping hand. That's what its all about. Good Karma. Congrats. HUNT
Awesome work... you guys know how to get it done. Congratulations. Ed F
Awesome guys. I can't imagine the homework you guys are doing to have such consistent results, year after year. Congrats!
thanks guys!we love and live for this stuff. we scout year around and even more so 2 months before season.
Dude---
You folks OWN those blackie's year in--year out!!
Congrats
Good luck, Robb
Dang boys! You're getting VERY predictable. Ya'll go huntn=something dies almost immediately. Congrats!
Good looking bucks....with some unique antler configurations. Congratulations my friends!
Awesome bucks! Congrats to all. I can't wait to get out there and see that countryside.
Solid as always! Great work gents!!!!
Very nice bucks and pics! Grats guys!
Joe, have you put a tape on that right antler base above the gnarly stuff?
Very cool, bucks! Congrats to all!
Thanks for the comments guys!!! Kyle it will be green not gold :-)
Congrats guys, another great season going for you. Dude you made my skin crawl with that buck on your shoulders. Ticks, ticks, ticks+poison oak.
Great looking bucks, almost makes me miss CA! Congrats!
Trkyslr,
The last time that I hunted for deer in California, a young girl killed a beautiful blacktail that was in full velvet. Her father wanted to mount the buck in velvet, and we were quite a ways from the road. I carried that buck out up and down the hills, to preserve the velvet for them, just like you with that buck on your shoulders....
....and the very next day, I have poison oak all over my neck and upper shoulders. Her buck must have still had the stuff all over his fur. I hope that you had a different outcome!!!
Ticks, fleas and poison oak on deer. The devils Trifecta.
Sweet! thanks for sharing love that camo on that first bow...
Congratulations to all!!!
Congrats! I really like the trophy pics! I didn't learn how important trophy pics are until about ten years ago! Well done! C
Thanks guys... DL im made of deet! ;-)
Great stuff Chris. Congrats on a great hunt.
Thanks cory... Congrats again on your ram!
Those are some great bucks! Congrats to all!
Congratulations. ..all of you.
Do you guys have these buttercup burrs down there? My pants were solid burrs this year from above my knees to my boots. If you get them in your hair on your arms or head you just about have to rip it out.
Badass bucks! Super cool!
Dl lotta hitch hikers! Lol... Thanks guys!
Thanks everyone. With so much anticipation an preparation we always sit around an wonder how it's gonna play out. Lookin back now with the memories behind us, openin week couldn't have went any better. We live for this stuff!!
Getting work done son! Great looking bucks guys/gal, good luck on the rest of your tags!
bucks have been transitioning to acorns (mostly white oaks)and last week I found one raining acorns with lots of deer sign. yesterday put brent (passthru) in a blind on this tree and this guy eventually came in and brent made a great shot! congrats buddy!
Yes Sir! Thanks a million CS! Your plan worked to perfection. Brad Farris isn't the only one with a game plan, lol!
Congrats Brent. The elk are in trouble!
Nicely done, guys!
Best of Luck, Jeff
Congratulations Brent... nice buck. Ed F
Mission complete! Good job BM!
Congratulations! You guys are always getting it done!
Great deer! Congrats to all!
