quote:

Originally posted by chain:
I just returned from my mule deer hunt in Montana, successful. I learned alot while I was there, I also have a new respect for you long range shooters. I learned a little bit about wind at extended ranges(for me).
We left camp on the first day and spotted the buck I eventually took about 3 miles away. I didn't get a good look at his antlers but my guide said he was a shooter. We had conversations the night prior on what I would shoot and what I wouldn't on the first day. So the stalk was on, the buck was feeding and moving into the wind with about 8 does. We used the broken terrain to get to about 420 yds before we ran out of cover. I wanted to get closer and belly crawled to about 360 before I ran out of sage. My guide, after watching me shoot the night prior,wanted me to take the shot. I wasn't concerned about the distance, I had a drop chart made and felt confident I could kill this buck ON A CALM DAY. The winds were strong and gusting stronger from right to left. I finally thought I would take the shot but I would try for a neck shot, so I would kill or miss cleanly. I missed cleanly, my elevation was perfect but I misjudged the wind. Clean miss by 4 inches. Buck runs towards Canada. I tell guide that we need to get closer in this wind, guide then tells me he is an archery hunter and doesn't have the best grasp on ballistics. His advice at the shot was to hold 2" into the wind. I held almost two mils.
Stalk resumes and after jumping the buck a couple times, thanks to the does, we lost him. We are now ahead of the buck, wind not in our favor and I am thinking we are screwed.We ate a snack and the guide asked me what I wanted to do. I suggested we head diagonally back to where we started and try again. It was quite a hike and we came around the back side of a hill to start glassing, about 50 yds to my left the buck jumps up from a low spot and takes off like a house a fire. Well at least we found him. We kept the glasses on him and he stopped about a mile and a half away. The stalk was on again, we were able to take advantage of the wind and terrain and as we were belly crawling up a ridge, we spooked a smaller buck and doe that we didn't know were there. All deer head out of there and fast. We watch as the buck we are looking for lays down about a mile away on a shelf overlooking a large bowl that resembles the lunar landscape. After evaluating our options and the time of day we decide to stalk from a direction that is out of the bucks vision but not the does. We are crawling along and the does bust us. They are dancing around trying to make up their minds on which way to go. If they go left the buck will be gone with them, if they go to the right we might be OK. We are now behind a little knoll and we should be able to get in postion for a shot. After what seemed like a half hour theyt went to the right. We HIGH FIVED and crawled the last 400 yds.We came to a lip near the shelf he was laying on, he was 210 yds away and his ass was towards me, he was looking back towards us. I was nervous, the guide says kill him NOW as he looks like he is going to high tail it out of there. I am winded, excited and shaking like a leaf. I tell guide, "Give me a minute to get my shit together", I finally eased up and got on him prone, I aimed where the wrinkle was in the closest shoulder and touched her off. The 180 gr SGK hit him at the point of aim and exited the front of his chest, he ran about 75 yds and piled up. I think I was more relieved at that moment than anything. The stalk started st 0730 and ended at 1430.I am a computer idiot or I would post a picture. He is a 3 X 3 about 23" wide and pretty tall. I am hooked, I will chase mule deer like this every year I can. Thanks for all the help and advice you guys gave me the last year.

quote:

Originally posted by Brent:
I think you mean "stotting". No?
Brent

quote:

Originally posted by chain:
I just returned from my mule deer hunt in Montana, successful.
.
.
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I am hooked, I will chase mule deer like this every year I can. Thanks for all the help and advice you guys gave me the last year.