Well, I am sad to say that I won't be making it up to the NZ for the last weekend of Big Game Season Sad.
I was up over thanksgiving weekend though. I had a great time and saw lots of deer. I also learned a good lesson.
I was hiking back to a little beaver dam on the back side of the mountain by our camp. There was a spot of fresh snow on the ground which helped with tracking, but the leaves themselves were nice and frozen. Just thinking about walking on them made lots of noise.
I decided to utilize a small trail on my way back in, to eliminate some of my walking noise. While on the trail out, I cut a bunch of deer tracks in the new snow. 20 min into my journey, I see two does leaving the trail and cutting across the creek down from the trail. I had to look a couple times to make sure that the trailing deer wasn't a buck because it was a large deer.
After letting them do their thing, I continued on my way. Later on down the trail, I neared the first of the two beaver ponds. There is a finger of the mountain that runs right down to the end of this pond and it is used heavily by creatures of the woods to traverse the mountain.
I stopped to soak-in my surroundings. While standing there enjoying the woods I was thinking to myself, "It would be really nice to see a nice black bear just wander over the crest of the ridge right here." Just as I thought that, I see something move about 30 yards in front of me. I see a big bodied buck poking along just in time for him to step behind a giant beech tree and a car size boulder.
I didn't get a chance to count the rack, but it was big enough to tell that it was at least a big crotch horn. It possibly could have been a 6-8, but I don't think it was more than that. I had about a second before he disappeared behind the rock/tree where I could have gut shot him, which I passed on. (not sure there are many people that would take a gut shot)
This buck had no idea I was there. I immediately get all excited with visions of grandeur in my head; for three reasons
1) He was a big, close buck that was unaware of my presence.
2) I was right off a trail close to camp (easier dragging)
3) My parents who were at camp for the week had left as I was heading out and would return later that night. I jokingly told my dad I would have the big one in thee tree waiting for him when they returned that night. I was already picturing his surprise seeing the buck in the tree.
I drew my .35 up to the right of the boulder and placed the sights in an opening between the trees and wait. I wait a couple seconds. I wait a few more seconds. I wait for what seems like a lifetime. Now I am starting to shake a bit; Partly from my excitement but more so because I had been holding my rifle up for a good couple minutes.
I desperately wanted to run up to that damn boulder and see what happened to the deer. I decided to just sit put and wait. He couldn't have gone anywhere without me seeing him. After another couple minutes I see brown movement farther up the slope and to my left. After a quick assessment I determine that it is a doe making her way around the mountain side. I watch her for another minute or two.
As I watch the doe go up over the crest of this finger/ridge I see the buck hot on her trail. At this point I am thinking that must be Houdini's pet deer, wondering how he went from being 30 yards away to almost a hundred yards away up the side of the hill.
I let them go over the ridge and then I go up to the boulder to see what the tracks had to say. Well, as it turns out, that doe had perfect timing. That buck had either heard or smelled her right when he stepped behind that boulder. He then, in what amazes me, walked in a perfectly straight line up the slope with the boulder and tree directly between us. I couldn't believe it. This was the luckiest buck in the woods that day for sure.
I am still excited though and continue tracking them up the finger where I can hopefully catch them wandering around in the saddle between two ridges of the mountain top.
I get up onto the part of this finger where they crossed and where I can see where the southern end of this saddle empties out. I sit here for a few minutes taking in my surroundings, looking for those deer. After not too long I hear the un-mistakable sound "ssht ssht - ssht ssht" (deer walking on crunchy leaves) coming out of the saddle to my left.
I couple seconds later I see the deer that was making these sounds. A spike horn! I couldn't believe it. Two bucks, close to camp and within a half hour. That is almost unheard of. There are seasons where you go without seeing any bucks up there!
So, I watch this guy. He also has no clue to my presence. I watch him for a good 15 minutes. He meanders all over the side of the mountain; around the back side by the beaver pond, then he cuts that doe's trail. He starts making his way along her trail until he was standing ten yards in front of me. I probably could have shot this poor fellow half a dozen times over with out even thinking about it.
I decided to let him go in hopes of finding his bigger brother. I watch him do his thing a little longer until he disappears up on top of the mountain. I then continue to track the buck as best as possible, until I lose their tracks.
To make this long story a little shorter, I go back to camp. I go back sad that I was without deer, but fully charged that I had just seen 5 deer in 2.5 hours; Two of them being bucks; A great way to end my NZ big game season.
Lesson Learned: A spike horn in the hand is worth more than the bigger buck on the next ridge.
I was up over thanksgiving weekend though. I had a great time and saw lots of deer. I also learned a good lesson.
I was hiking back to a little beaver dam on the back side of the mountain by our camp. There was a spot of fresh snow on the ground which helped with tracking, but the leaves themselves were nice and frozen. Just thinking about walking on them made lots of noise.
I decided to utilize a small trail on my way back in, to eliminate some of my walking noise. While on the trail out, I cut a bunch of deer tracks in the new snow. 20 min into my journey, I see two does leaving the trail and cutting across the creek down from the trail. I had to look a couple times to make sure that the trailing deer wasn't a buck because it was a large deer.
After letting them do their thing, I continued on my way. Later on down the trail, I neared the first of the two beaver ponds. There is a finger of the mountain that runs right down to the end of this pond and it is used heavily by creatures of the woods to traverse the mountain.
I stopped to soak-in my surroundings. While standing there enjoying the woods I was thinking to myself, "It would be really nice to see a nice black bear just wander over the crest of the ridge right here." Just as I thought that, I see something move about 30 yards in front of me. I see a big bodied buck poking along just in time for him to step behind a giant beech tree and a car size boulder.
I didn't get a chance to count the rack, but it was big enough to tell that it was at least a big crotch horn. It possibly could have been a 6-8, but I don't think it was more than that. I had about a second before he disappeared behind the rock/tree where I could have gut shot him, which I passed on. (not sure there are many people that would take a gut shot)
This buck had no idea I was there. I immediately get all excited with visions of grandeur in my head; for three reasons
1) He was a big, close buck that was unaware of my presence.
2) I was right off a trail close to camp (easier dragging)
3) My parents who were at camp for the week had left as I was heading out and would return later that night. I jokingly told my dad I would have the big one in thee tree waiting for him when they returned that night. I was already picturing his surprise seeing the buck in the tree.
I drew my .35 up to the right of the boulder and placed the sights in an opening between the trees and wait. I wait a couple seconds. I wait a few more seconds. I wait for what seems like a lifetime. Now I am starting to shake a bit; Partly from my excitement but more so because I had been holding my rifle up for a good couple minutes.
I desperately wanted to run up to that damn boulder and see what happened to the deer. I decided to just sit put and wait. He couldn't have gone anywhere without me seeing him. After another couple minutes I see brown movement farther up the slope and to my left. After a quick assessment I determine that it is a doe making her way around the mountain side. I watch her for another minute or two.
As I watch the doe go up over the crest of this finger/ridge I see the buck hot on her trail. At this point I am thinking that must be Houdini's pet deer, wondering how he went from being 30 yards away to almost a hundred yards away up the side of the hill.
I let them go over the ridge and then I go up to the boulder to see what the tracks had to say. Well, as it turns out, that doe had perfect timing. That buck had either heard or smelled her right when he stepped behind that boulder. He then, in what amazes me, walked in a perfectly straight line up the slope with the boulder and tree directly between us. I couldn't believe it. This was the luckiest buck in the woods that day for sure.
I am still excited though and continue tracking them up the finger where I can hopefully catch them wandering around in the saddle between two ridges of the mountain top.
I get up onto the part of this finger where they crossed and where I can see where the southern end of this saddle empties out. I sit here for a few minutes taking in my surroundings, looking for those deer. After not too long I hear the un-mistakable sound "ssht ssht - ssht ssht" (deer walking on crunchy leaves) coming out of the saddle to my left.
I couple seconds later I see the deer that was making these sounds. A spike horn! I couldn't believe it. Two bucks, close to camp and within a half hour. That is almost unheard of. There are seasons where you go without seeing any bucks up there!
So, I watch this guy. He also has no clue to my presence. I watch him for a good 15 minutes. He meanders all over the side of the mountain; around the back side by the beaver pond, then he cuts that doe's trail. He starts making his way along her trail until he was standing ten yards in front of me. I probably could have shot this poor fellow half a dozen times over with out even thinking about it.
I decided to let him go in hopes of finding his bigger brother. I watch him do his thing a little longer until he disappears up on top of the mountain. I then continue to track the buck as best as possible, until I lose their tracks.
To make this long story a little shorter, I go back to camp. I go back sad that I was without deer, but fully charged that I had just seen 5 deer in 2.5 hours; Two of them being bucks; A great way to end my NZ big game season.
Lesson Learned: A spike horn in the hand is worth more than the bigger buck on the next ridge.
We were past the six mile mark from camp at 2:30.....
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