Let the fun begin.
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DrMike
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- Nov 8, 2006
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Lovely country. Lots of places for game to hide. No doubt ensuring a good hunt. Wishing you every success.
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, I am sure there is going to be a great story with Photos.- Thread starter
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After 2 days of scouting the countryside, we finished our hunt in 3 days. To start, I figured I would update the scouting time a bit.
We spent most of 2 days looking into creek bottoms draining into the Cheyenne River. Beautiful country, but tough hunting conditions. The breaks and draws were filled with cedar trees and buck brush. We knew the easier hunting opportunities would be filled with hunters, so the best opportunities would require several miles of hiking into the "wild country." We had planned a light hunt without camping equipment so we opted not to dig in deep.
We continued scouting the higher country closer to the Badlands. We found lots of open country with little cover. And yet surprisingly, we saw some nice whitetail bucks.
The two track into the area was entertaining at times.
Since my buddy and I are natural born whitetail killers, we instinctively settled on some transition ground between the river breaks and the Badlands. There were some agricultural fields spread out in this area and were lots of cuts and draws offering cover close by. This is the area we saw the most deer activity and the most big bucks. Here is a little better quality pic of the buck in an earlier post. His right main beam is split so he was very intriguing to say the least.
We spent most of 2 days looking into creek bottoms draining into the Cheyenne River. Beautiful country, but tough hunting conditions. The breaks and draws were filled with cedar trees and buck brush. We knew the easier hunting opportunities would be filled with hunters, so the best opportunities would require several miles of hiking into the "wild country." We had planned a light hunt without camping equipment so we opted not to dig in deep.
We continued scouting the higher country closer to the Badlands. We found lots of open country with little cover. And yet surprisingly, we saw some nice whitetail bucks.
The two track into the area was entertaining at times.
Since my buddy and I are natural born whitetail killers, we instinctively settled on some transition ground between the river breaks and the Badlands. There were some agricultural fields spread out in this area and were lots of cuts and draws offering cover close by. This is the area we saw the most deer activity and the most big bucks. Here is a little better quality pic of the buck in an earlier post. His right main beam is split so he was very intriguing to say the least.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
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That is, indeed, a good looking buck. Quite respectabole.
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Saturday was opening day. We set up to the east side of our chosen spot. We were set up for a spot and stalk or spot and long range shot type of hunt.
We had a quick "Wheres Waldo" moment with a little lost mulie buck.
From previous experience, jumping into the cuts to try pop up hunting was not going to be very effective. The cover was heavy enough you would probably need to step on a deer to get it moving. They would hold and circle away once you pass. Unfortunately, another group of hunters came from the west and did not feel the same way. I moved to the north and my hunting partner moved to the south to watch for escapees into the open country. I watched 6 does and a smaller buck we affectionately named Shrinky Dink later in the hunt skin out through the thick cover to the north. Scot watched Mr. Whitey and his doe rocket off to the southwest in one group, another group of does headed straight south, a third group of deer snuck around and circled in behind the other hunters, and then a last group of one buck and one doe that circled around the knob he had set up on.
Scot drew first blood at 380 yards with his Savage 300 WSM and piled up this last buck with one shot.
Since temperatures were climbing rapidly into the 60s, we drug the buck out to the road and caped and boned it out in the field to finish the morning out. The other hunters came up and were surprised we had an animal. They had only spotted one doe and one coyote, which they shot, all morning.
In the afternoon I worked out to some cover to the south to see if I could track down Mr. Whitey with no luck.
In the evening we circled around to the west to play the sun and wind. Only saw a few does milling around.
We had a quick "Wheres Waldo" moment with a little lost mulie buck.
From previous experience, jumping into the cuts to try pop up hunting was not going to be very effective. The cover was heavy enough you would probably need to step on a deer to get it moving. They would hold and circle away once you pass. Unfortunately, another group of hunters came from the west and did not feel the same way. I moved to the north and my hunting partner moved to the south to watch for escapees into the open country. I watched 6 does and a smaller buck we affectionately named Shrinky Dink later in the hunt skin out through the thick cover to the north. Scot watched Mr. Whitey and his doe rocket off to the southwest in one group, another group of does headed straight south, a third group of deer snuck around and circled in behind the other hunters, and then a last group of one buck and one doe that circled around the knob he had set up on.
Scot drew first blood at 380 yards with his Savage 300 WSM and piled up this last buck with one shot.
Since temperatures were climbing rapidly into the 60s, we drug the buck out to the road and caped and boned it out in the field to finish the morning out. The other hunters came up and were surprised we had an animal. They had only spotted one doe and one coyote, which they shot, all morning.
In the afternoon I worked out to some cover to the south to see if I could track down Mr. Whitey with no luck.
In the evening we circled around to the west to play the sun and wind. Only saw a few does milling around.
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Day 2 started slow. We once again proved we could think like deer, but not humans. In the expectation that some hunters would repeat what they did the day before, we set up on the south side of the area to act as blockers for the drivers in the thick stuff. The hunters never showed up. It was amazing that from the vantage point we took up you could hardly see the thick cover to the north.
There was one nice opening in the cuts where we spotted a couple of does and one 4x4 buck early in the morning. Range was 600 to 680 yards depending on the part of the opening. Here I am deciding the buck is not the one I want.
Around noon, we spotted a crazy little buck off to our west running through a prairie dog town. He was bird doggin and circling with his nose to the ground. I kid you not, this little guy spun circles for close to 20 minutes with his nose dragging on the ground the whole time. Given his smaller status and his first rut as a mature buck, I named him Shrinky Dink and it stuck. Never did get a picture of him, but will never forget him.
In the evening, we moved to the south to watch for deer moving to the fields. Another hunter had joined us on the ridge. With an hour left to hunt, he got up and went to road hunt the back of the property. Had a strange feeling he would impact our hunt later on. Boy was I right.
I was on a monster working towards us at 650 yards. He was right on the private property line so I was taking my time making sure where the line was. He closed to about 475 but was behind some cover. Still right on the line. With about 20 minutes of shooting time, I had counted a nice 6x6 a couple of inches wider than his ears, I was still hoping for him to work down and to the west a bit so he would be clearly on public ground. The hunter that drove back into the property had since turned around and was beating feet for the highway. As he drove by, the big buck bedded down in the thick cover never to be seen by me again.
We closed the evening watching Shrinky Dink turning circles in the hay field. Boy must have some brain damage...
There was one nice opening in the cuts where we spotted a couple of does and one 4x4 buck early in the morning. Range was 600 to 680 yards depending on the part of the opening. Here I am deciding the buck is not the one I want.
Around noon, we spotted a crazy little buck off to our west running through a prairie dog town. He was bird doggin and circling with his nose to the ground. I kid you not, this little guy spun circles for close to 20 minutes with his nose dragging on the ground the whole time. Given his smaller status and his first rut as a mature buck, I named him Shrinky Dink and it stuck. Never did get a picture of him, but will never forget him.
In the evening, we moved to the south to watch for deer moving to the fields. Another hunter had joined us on the ridge. With an hour left to hunt, he got up and went to road hunt the back of the property. Had a strange feeling he would impact our hunt later on. Boy was I right.
I was on a monster working towards us at 650 yards. He was right on the private property line so I was taking my time making sure where the line was. He closed to about 475 but was behind some cover. Still right on the line. With about 20 minutes of shooting time, I had counted a nice 6x6 a couple of inches wider than his ears, I was still hoping for him to work down and to the west a bit so he would be clearly on public ground. The hunter that drove back into the property had since turned around and was beating feet for the highway. As he drove by, the big buck bedded down in the thick cover never to be seen by me again.
We closed the evening watching Shrinky Dink turning circles in the hay field. Boy must have some brain damage...
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,420
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I'm sure enjoying your hunt. Scot's buck is a great animal. You played the game right, letting the newbies drive the animals to you. Congratulations to Scot.
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- #16
Day 3. After having agonized most of the night that I was wrong on the property line the night before and could have clearly harvested the big boy before he got to cover, we started the day on the southeast just like day 1. Within 10 minutes of first light we were on a group of five bucks with two does. One dominant buck was in the center protecting one doe from the smaller bucks while the other doe was 50 yards off on some higher ground standing sentinel. The range was right at 1100 yards. The dominant buck bedded down on a saddle between two ridges with cover above and below him. The doe stood close. Two smaller bucks worked up to the left and started sparring. The second largest buck stood up to the right tempting the doe. And Shrinky Dink was 50 yards off to the left walking in circles again.
I decided to work down into the draws in hopes of working around and coming up a cut half way to the group. Scot stayed put on the spotting scope to watch their movement. After a forty minute stalk, I came up to the second ridge with the sun at my back. Crawled into a shooting position and set up prone on the bipod. I spotted the group. They had moved down and to the east a bit putting them right at 600 yards or so. The dominant buck was a base 5x5 and I decided worth the long drag to the road. As I settled my breathing, Scot worked out to me as I had left the range finder with him (stupid rookie mistake). Ranging with the MIL setup on my scope had a 600 yard estimate. Once Scot showed up with the range finder it ranged 580 to the buck.
At this point, I had been on this deer for well over an hour and a half. The adrenaline had worn off and I was getting the post rush shivers. Ate a candy bar to get the blood sugar back up and waited for him to stand up. I could see half of his neck and his head. It is so much fun watching their behavior, I love it when a buck bends his head back to scratch his back with his antlers. The number 2 buck started to run the doe a bit and the other bucks and doe had worked deeper into cover. As the smaller buck started to try to mount the doe, the dominant buck stood up. GRINS!!! Rem 700, 7mm STW, 180g Berger VLD-H, 580 yards, spine shot, money!
Here is a pic through the spotter using a cell phone at 1100 yards when we first spotted the buck working down into cover.
And here is the little bugger
I decided to work down into the draws in hopes of working around and coming up a cut half way to the group. Scot stayed put on the spotting scope to watch their movement. After a forty minute stalk, I came up to the second ridge with the sun at my back. Crawled into a shooting position and set up prone on the bipod. I spotted the group. They had moved down and to the east a bit putting them right at 600 yards or so. The dominant buck was a base 5x5 and I decided worth the long drag to the road. As I settled my breathing, Scot worked out to me as I had left the range finder with him (stupid rookie mistake). Ranging with the MIL setup on my scope had a 600 yard estimate. Once Scot showed up with the range finder it ranged 580 to the buck.
At this point, I had been on this deer for well over an hour and a half. The adrenaline had worn off and I was getting the post rush shivers. Ate a candy bar to get the blood sugar back up and waited for him to stand up. I could see half of his neck and his head. It is so much fun watching their behavior, I love it when a buck bends his head back to scratch his back with his antlers. The number 2 buck started to run the doe a bit and the other bucks and doe had worked deeper into cover. As the smaller buck started to try to mount the doe, the dominant buck stood up. GRINS!!! Rem 700, 7mm STW, 180g Berger VLD-H, 580 yards, spine shot, money!
Here is a pic through the spotter using a cell phone at 1100 yards when we first spotted the buck working down into cover.
And here is the little bugger
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- #17
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,420
- 6,297
A lovely buck. You persevered and scored big. Congratulations. I truly enjoyed your account and the pictures are superb.
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- #19
Thank DR Mike. I figured people would enjoy the story of the hunt. But as you know, there is a books worth of material that gets left out. I shared some of the videos we took while scouting with my wife and she got to see the true side of hunting. The goofy moments, the hard work, the frustrations, the beauty of the land and most importantly, the bond between old friends. She really wants to go hunting now.
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- #20
One last story. I had the pleasure of being one of the 1263 hunters that got inspected at the multi-state, multi-organization game check stop in White Lake, SD on Interstate 90. Wow. What a setup. There were officers from Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Federal Department of Wildlife, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. All traffic was diverted off the interstate through the rest stop. They split hunting vehicles off to the truck parking area where they had 8 stations set up. We went through station 8.
I have to give a huge than you to these men and women. They were kind, courteous, through, and expedient. They caught 148 violations, including one dumb... that was transporting 9 bucks on 3 tags out of Wyoming. Also caught another group chucking pheasants out of their windows as they approached the stop. The vast majority of violations were improperly tagged game where people forgot to notch the dates or sign them, but they caught a couple of big stains on our sport.
I have to give a huge than you to these men and women. They were kind, courteous, through, and expedient. They caught 148 violations, including one dumb... that was transporting 9 bucks on 3 tags out of Wyoming. Also caught another group chucking pheasants out of their windows as they approached the stop. The vast majority of violations were improperly tagged game where people forgot to notch the dates or sign them, but they caught a couple of big stains on our sport.
