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Book Cliffs

Heading up to the Books this weekend to look around with the family.

Can't wait to start seeing some buck and hopefully a few shooters for the archery season. Anyone been up there already this summer scouting?

Thanks for the info. Were heading up in 2 weeks looking for Trophy Bulls.. U go down Railroad Canyon at all? Will you keep me posted? I shall do the same..

We stay above it to look down into it. Saw a herd of elk in bottom bedded in the open in afternoon and saw a herd in morning feeding out on point on top of it.

Was great getting out and seeing all the different game for the family. We get back up again towards end of the month for some serious spotting and checking out several more areas.

Just returned from three days of scouting. Saw a lot of elk and two nice bulls. Saw a bunch of bucks but only a few nice ones and one potential shooter.

It's time to head for the mountains...a little like waiting for Christmas morning with the closer you get the slower the time goes by and with work the bigger the pile to get through so can hit the road. Good luck to all and don't get stuck in the mud!!!

Well finally have a a chance to think on 2014 hunt. We saw a lot of bucks and a few very nice bucks. I got within 350 of my number one buck on opening morning but the wind was wrong and when I dropped off opposite ridge I spooked a deer that busted up the stock. Day three right at first light saw a 160 buck and missed first shot and then on follow up shot hit him. Spend a whole day searching, tracked 900 yards and then spent rest of day searching whole hillside looking in all the spots he could of bedded. I didn't hit anything vital though had a good blood trail. My son is becoming a great tracker.

We decided on day four to hunt before storms hit and then try to get out before it got to bad. Went back looking for the buck lost but no luck. Did see the widest buck from all scouting and hunting- a 3 year old 36 inch 3X4 with double eye guards. Tried a sneak but he followed does and was in a non-stockable area. On way out saw a real nice 4X4 and did a stock but he went down instead of up on ridge and got busted at 180. Saw another group of 8 bucks and passed up shot at a small 4X4 and tried to get closer to the bigger 4X4 but in the rain and wind was busted by a smaller guy.

So resigned that would be coming back up. As we were driving out saw a lot of smaller bucks but nothing of interest.

As we started down Seep Ridge road we saw two bucks right by the road that weren't moving. We turned around and my son knowing he wouldn't be able to come back due to start of school said shot him. Well I missed and the buck didn't leave but keep looking to the left. I took another shot and hit him and when he ran off my son noticed something was wrong. It was then I looked to the left since the small forkie wasn't leaving yet and I saw a huge domestic dog that appeared to have gone wild. After a great tracking job by the boy we found the nice 3X3 and he said there is something wrong with the buck. It was then he said he noticed something when I hit him wrong with hind quarter. One third of the hind quarter had just been torn out.

The dog had been hunted the buck so we ended up ending his suffering and will put his meat to go use. Packing him out we flagged down the DWR to tell them about the dog. He was huge 150 lbs dog that looked like the one on Turner and Hooch. So we did a good ethical thing on the hunt. I was just sad that I had passed up a lot of bucks bigger but we did the right thing. Hope the DWR found that dog.

You had a great experience and your son will remember it for ever.

Thanks for sharing.

Good luck, Robb

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