So i've always hunted with my Dad growing up here in Indiana. I've only ever hunted small game though, rabbit and squirrel. I absolutely love rabbit hunting, and actually am not the best suited for deer hunting. I have problems sitting still for that long.
My best friend's Dad was stationed out in Cheyenne, Wyoming 20 years ago and has been mule deer hunting out there every year since then. He originally just started on state ground up around Medicine Bow State Park. Over the years he has got permission to hunt on a couple local rancher's property. This year I was talked into going along and trying to take my first deer. I got my tag online, bought all my gear, packed everything up and then headed out for the 18 hour drive out to Glendo, Wyoming. My first thread here was actually one to ask advice on what caliber gun to buy for this hunt. I settled on a 30-06 and couldn't have been happier with the purchase. I put about 100 rounds through it in preparation for the hunt.
The very first day of the open season we started out before the sun came up, we walked into our spot on some state ground next to a rancher whose property we were hunting as well. I sat up with my best friend and hunkered down on a ridge overlooking a plateau. There were draws coming off this plateau up into the hills. We set up at the top of one of these draws in some trees and waited.
We saw a group of does come out about 8:30 that very morning and then 4 bucks popped out behind then about 5 minutes later. They were about 1000 yards away when we first saw them. Our biggest obstacle was the fact they were on someone else's land when we first saw them. They took their time making their way to us (which was luck in the first place, it was like we had them on a string, they came right to where we were sitting#. I have this entire hunt on video, 45 minutes worth of footage. We're set up on the state ground area and about 30 yards in from the private ground we can't hunt. We can't shoot anything at all until they jump this fence.
Long story short #not really#. They made their way to the fence, the 2 large bucks actually stopped and locked up antlers twice on the way over. Well my buddy taking video was about 10 yards closer to the fence than I was. He saw them jump the fence #I couldn't see from my position because a couple trees were in my way#. I thought he was going to spook them from his excitement. I was already set up with my gun on a set of shooting sticks. The large buck that we wanted to take came out first. He stopped behing a tree where i could just see his neck sticking out in a clearing. My buddy #who hunts often) tells me, "bust him the next step he takes."
He takes 2 more steps out into a window and I bust him right in both lungs. He ran about 30 yards and then dropped right there. Needless to say I was a little excited! My first deer ever was a 280 pound mule deer.
We processed the entire thing ourselves, zip loc bags and a large cooler to get everything back to Indiana. I get the mount back sometime this week.
My best friend's Dad was stationed out in Cheyenne, Wyoming 20 years ago and has been mule deer hunting out there every year since then. He originally just started on state ground up around Medicine Bow State Park. Over the years he has got permission to hunt on a couple local rancher's property. This year I was talked into going along and trying to take my first deer. I got my tag online, bought all my gear, packed everything up and then headed out for the 18 hour drive out to Glendo, Wyoming. My first thread here was actually one to ask advice on what caliber gun to buy for this hunt. I settled on a 30-06 and couldn't have been happier with the purchase. I put about 100 rounds through it in preparation for the hunt.
The very first day of the open season we started out before the sun came up, we walked into our spot on some state ground next to a rancher whose property we were hunting as well. I sat up with my best friend and hunkered down on a ridge overlooking a plateau. There were draws coming off this plateau up into the hills. We set up at the top of one of these draws in some trees and waited.
We saw a group of does come out about 8:30 that very morning and then 4 bucks popped out behind then about 5 minutes later. They were about 1000 yards away when we first saw them. Our biggest obstacle was the fact they were on someone else's land when we first saw them. They took their time making their way to us (which was luck in the first place, it was like we had them on a string, they came right to where we were sitting#. I have this entire hunt on video, 45 minutes worth of footage. We're set up on the state ground area and about 30 yards in from the private ground we can't hunt. We can't shoot anything at all until they jump this fence.
Long story short #not really#. They made their way to the fence, the 2 large bucks actually stopped and locked up antlers twice on the way over. Well my buddy taking video was about 10 yards closer to the fence than I was. He saw them jump the fence #I couldn't see from my position because a couple trees were in my way#. I thought he was going to spook them from his excitement. I was already set up with my gun on a set of shooting sticks. The large buck that we wanted to take came out first. He stopped behing a tree where i could just see his neck sticking out in a clearing. My buddy #who hunts often) tells me, "bust him the next step he takes."
He takes 2 more steps out into a window and I bust him right in both lungs. He ran about 30 yards and then dropped right there. Needless to say I was a little excited! My first deer ever was a 280 pound mule deer.
We processed the entire thing ourselves, zip loc bags and a large cooler to get everything back to Indiana. I get the mount back sometime this week.
