Folks,

I've spent 5 days hunting a specific mulie buck and am feeling like he owns me. Saw him once while hunting birds in Oct. and twice during deer season. He's a pretty cool dude, happy to sit tight and let you go by. The last time I saw him, I'd spent 1/2 hr crawling around less than 50 m from him without a hint he was there. When I changed position, he got up and left without offering a decent shot. Of course he'd offered a shot earlier in the day, when I had reason to believe there were no deer around. We were heading to town for a few days and I had decided to take the dog with me to set out a trail cam. and maybe shoot a coyote or 2. I'm too much a prud to take the shot with the dog along.

He just plain beat me again this morning. To greatly summarise, I thought there were only a baby buck and 3 does in our north quarter this morning. Would still think that too, but my wife and mother happenned to see the end off the morning hunt. Turns out, while I was trying to be a tree and not to spook the baby buck, the one I'm after was likely 100m away on the other side of the hill I'd wanted to sit on. Later, confident I'd seen what there was to see, I gently bumped the does, hoping they'd maybe move something I'd missed. The does trotted off and not seeing anything else move, I headed in. My wife happenned to be looking out the window and saw the does trotting along. By the time she got the binoculars out, the buck I was after had joined them and was following them in to the bush. She figures the buck would have been just in range from the house.

I don't think the buck would have seen or smelt me, or be particularily concerned if he had. Since the deer weren't scared or running hard, I think I have a good idea where they'll have holed up. Maybe I'll get another crack at him in an hour or so.

Trying to keep confident,
Dean

And he still owns me.

Dean

don't give up, he'll screw up eventually.

Funny thing is I'm not sure I'll actually shoot him if I get the chance. He is the dominant buck on the block, but I think a bit young (good width, but I'm not sure he has much mass). Owning land in the area, I like the idea of having some old bucks around. With venison in the freezer courtesy of my wife, there is no pressure to shoot. I'll try him again in a week or so. Hopefully I'll have to make a decision on shooting or not.

Dean

Yo, Amigo !!

Did you whack him ???

Richard

Scruffy,

No joy on the buck yet. Will try the last couple of days of the season. Plan to hunt on snow shoes. Ky will have a buck tag next year, and more time to hunt, so if I don't get him this year, she'll have a go. She'll probably lean over the back fence of the yard to whack him. I'll post the story of how she filled the freezer for us (again) this year. She's going to be insufferable if I don't fill a tag .

Dean

So here I am in the office instead of having one last crack at that buck. It is going to be a long winter eating the wife's venison while she gloats and lays her plans to collect him next season.

Dean

Don't feel bad, this year was fallow for me as well and wasn't for lack of deer it was just so busy at work that I only got out for maybe 2 days during the whole season.
Cheers

I find the wifes venison tastes just as good as any I shoot.

I normally place her in the best spots to shoot one.

Yes she has shot a few out of the house.