TEAM BUCKS....
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
We just had to keep the "Team" theme rolling as the following hunts were definitely a team effort with knowledge of habits and flat out having sharp eyes at the right time... Joe's story.....
From: joehunter8301
14-Oct-15
Let's take a second to go back here was tag #1 I punched this year. By far my biggest and heaviest buck ever in CA. We did a thread about it earlier so I won't go into much detail on the hunt.
From: joehunter8301
14-Oct-15
After punching my first CA tag I had my mind made up on buck #2 and I wasn't going to shoot any other buck, besides him until the last week of the season. This was a buck we've chased for two years and he had returned to his summer area for 2015. Here was a mid day pic of him on a trail coming into one of the meadows he frequented before the season. This pic was about a week before the season and was the last picture we got of him before the season opened.
From: joehunter8301
14-Oct-15
Having 3 days off from work each week and it being the last full week of the CA archery season I decided to sit a stand where he was last year during the late season hoping to get lucky, more so just as something to do and pass the time. No expectations of seeing him. I hunted one night and only saw a few does. Pretty uneventful.
From: joehunter8301
14-Oct-15
But night #2 luck was on my side as the hardhorn bruiser came down the trail past my stand and gave me a 16 yard shot. I was caught so off guard that i got the worse case of the shakes I've had in years after I launched my arrow thru him. I couldn't even send out a text my hands were shaking so bad. The blood trail indicated a well placed arrow...
From: joehunter8301
14-Oct-15
50 yards later I found this
From: joehunter8301
14-Oct-15
I got him all cleaned up and Chris met up with me for some sunset pix. They turned out great.....
From: joehunter8301
14-Oct-15
He hit the tape at 26 3/4" wide on the outside. My widest yet...
From: joehunter8301
14-Oct-15
Cool frame on this old guy
From: joehunter8301
14-Oct-15
My 2015 CA season proved to be my best yet. Very fortunate for the memories made and I will not soon forget it. Now Chris will continue with his story....
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Here's tag #1 volunteer... Now on to número douce.
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
I still had one tag not filled, which I took into the bang bang season here in Northern California in search of a hardhorned buck that got my attention. Year after year joe and I learn a little more about these deer we hunt.. One of the things we see is they usually summer in same area, once acorns are dropping and they get hardhorned they move to their favorite area consisting of mature white and black oaks raining down acorns, and then they rut and winter in the same areas. Usually these areas are different locations, which range in 3-10 miles from their summer to rut areas. This is of the things we look for this time of the year.....
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Last year around this time we saw a great young buck with major potential. This bucks points were long and curved inward like spider legs so we named him spidey. We hoped this year he would return to the same area and he was one Id be interested in. Here's a pic of him this year I got scouting back in July.
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
If you find this with a lot of deer sign, set up and be ready for action....
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Fast forward to a few days ago, I get a phone call from joe who was scouting, telling me in his super quiet hunting voice with a lot of urgency he spotted spidey with a couple others bedded in the same area we saw him last year. I hurried home, changed, grabbed my gear and met up with joe who kept eyes on the buck from a distance. The group of deer and spidey were bedded under a cluster of trees consisting of one giant black oak and some smaller white oaks.
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
I then used the consistent west wind, and a low brushy creek bottom to stalk to 60 yards of the trees he was bedded under. I then had to stalk through the 3 feet tall weeds and manzanita up a little hill to get into a position to view the bucks. After I ranged the oak tree's upper trunk of the tree over the tall weeds at 30 yards, I rose to my knees and saw spidey was on his feet feeding on acorns under the same oak. I then came to full draw and made what I thought was a perfect shot.
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Long story short the buck ran about 250 yards in a big circle before bedding 150 yards from me and in view. Over the next hour he would stand, bed, stand, bed, then he started laying his head down for minutes at a time. After briefing the situation up, I stalked in and put another arrow into him finishing him off. We figured my first shot was just behind the heart and hit the bottom of the lungs.. Deer can be tough!
Both entrance and exit of first shot was in same approximate spot.... If the shot was more forward I would have hit heart or higher would been better lungs. This pic was taken after blood was wiped off the coat near the wound for pics.
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Joe and I were pumped and I was grateful he spotted him and got on the horn to notify me. Deff a team effort! Doing what we love!
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Cool little point coming off his left base.
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Resharpen and ready for the next hunt.... Turkeys in a month.
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
A great animal! ........
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Admiration and respect for such a great animal.....
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Is given and enjoyed in many ways! Cheers!
From: GhostBird
14-Oct-15
Way to go fellows... you guys are killers!!!
From: Dooner
14-Oct-15
Awesome story. Thanks for posting:-)
From: IdyllwildArcher
14-Oct-15
Great bucks guys! Grats!
I read that CA AO tags have a success rate somewhere around 5%? And you guys have filled two of them on mature bucks now... I think 3 years in a row on DIY hunts? Any single one of those bucks are impressive. To do it with consistency like you do is tremendous. Grats again. My hat is off to you guys.
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
THanks guys and Ike! Yes always diy on our nor cal bucks.
From: BOWUNTR
14-Oct-15
Boom.... you guys are incredible... congrats. Ed F
From: iceman
14-Oct-15
Hell of a season, fellas. Thanks for sharing.
From: Julius K
14-Oct-15
Awesome bucks guys. I still have a hard time believing you get so many awesome bucks in CA.... but, I have come to accept it.
Chris, I hit a doe in the same spot a few years ago with a rage. I said dead deer.... well there was a dead deer after finding her an hour later alive and bedded. I followed up quickly. Just goes to show, you never know. I had nicked liver and that was about it. Did you hit liver on him?
Julius
From: wildwilderness
14-Oct-15
Congrats on great Blacktail!
That shot location is why many years back BB did the whole thing on going straight up the leg. Vitals are more forward than most think. I saw a friend loose a bull elk with a hit near that same location. I also hit a Pacific Hybrid in that same spot with a 12ga slug. the deer was still alive when I found it and had to finish it off.
From: orionsbrother
14-Oct-15
Great job again!
From: trkyslr
14-Oct-15
Thanks guys!
Julius best we could tell I hit bottom lungs by the damage and pink bubbles coming out of the wounds. Shot was forward of the liver. Also a lot of great deer in cali, check out california hunting facebook as there's a ton of nice ones posted.
From: Willieboat
14-Oct-15
As always guys awesome job !!! Great photos ...Great deer..!!
Some day your gonna have to come north...;)
From: Mark Watkins
14-Oct-15
You guys are on a roll!!! Congrats!!!! Go buy as many tags as you can and keep hunting!!!
Mark
From: HUNT MAN
14-Oct-15
Like clockwork. Congrats guys on a great season. Hunt
From: LUNG$HOT
15-Oct-15
Wow great season fellas. I must say, I'm kinda envious. Didn't get in much hunting this year.
From: midwest
15-Oct-15
great pics!
From: otcWill
15-Oct-15
Y'all are automatic! Congrats
From: Brotsky
15-Oct-15
Congrats Chris and Joe! Thanks for sharing! Good friends and good memories make for a good life. You gentlemen are blessed.
From: Genesis
15-Oct-15
I like them boys....
From: T Mac
15-Oct-15
Wow great bucks and enjoy your short concise write-ups!
From: kota-man
15-Oct-15
Another great season for you guys. Congrats...Great bucks.
From: trkyslr
15-Oct-15
Thanks gents!
From: Zackman
16-Oct-15
Congrats boys!
From: njbuck
16-Oct-15
Way to go again guys, you guys sure have those deer dialed in.
From: Wirehair
16-Oct-15
U guys make it look too easy! Congrats to you both! Excellent!
