Saturday A.M.
 there were 2 nice bucks in this group over a mile away This morning we decided to try and get on the bucks I saw last evening, as they came out of the field and headed back to bed. Murray (the guide) got on one point, and I got on another point over a mile away. We both watched the field, and about 6:45 we both saw the bucks (2 big ones and 2 small ones) headed out of the field and down to bed. I watched them for about half an hour until they were out of my sight but Murray could still see them. Shortly he motioned for me to join him. I made a wide berth and came around to him about an hour later. He told me the bucks were bedding, but had changed beds already several times. We watched them for a few minutes and then decided now or never. I mentally planned my stalking route and headed out.  trying to locate our bucks again About halfway into my stalk Murray came and found me to tell me the bucks had moved to different beds. He said they were bedded at the bottom of a ravine, in a pretty stalkable position. We peeked over the rise to see them, and sure enough they were still there. Right about then the bucks stood in their beds and looked in our direction, but not at us. Something behind and above us had spooked them, but we couldn't figure out what. They definitely couldn't smell us. We were above them and the wind was blowing up out of the ravine. We watched them trot over top of the hill, then went and tried to find them again, to no avail. By now it was close to noon, and we decided not to push them anymore, in hopes they would come out into the wheat field again this evening.  the water every buck went to last night in the natural depression in the wheat field Last evening every buck I saw had gone into a natural depression in the field and dropped out of my sight. Murray and I walked over there to see what the big attraction was. What we found was an old slough bed holding water and lots of green aquatic vegetation, and a huge deer trail leading to it with lots of very fresh tracks. This was the big spot. Our only option here (wheat stubble) was to build a pit blind. We got the shovel and got started digging. We dug far enough down for me to hide my legs and a large part of my torso. My head will still be above the hole. We dug up some sagebrush and weeds in the area and made a ring of brush around the blind until it blended in as well as it was going to. I cut one small shooting hole and measured the distance from the blind to the trail as 20 yards. If the wind stays like it was this morning, it will be too late for the deer by the time he smells me - at least that's the plan. Considering the trail and the fact that all the deer I saw yesterday evening going to this spot, I'm fairly confident about this evening's hunt. I hope I can pull it out on the last evening of the hunt.  Murray making good use of his shovel  the finished product - my blind for this evening Saturday P.M.  the view from inside my blind This evening I had a lot of activity past my blind, and came about as close to killing a big buck as possible without actually getting it done.  Starting about an hour before dark I had half a dozen does and fawns and a few little bucks parade past my stand at 20 yards, just like planned. Then, with about 10 minutes of legal shooting light left, I saw the two big bucks from this morning coming down the trail. My heart started beating faster, and I got ready to draw as the lead buck got closer. He was the smaller of the two, but still plenty big enough to make me happy, probably close to 160". He was a little wary of the pit blind, and very slowly worked his way closer, weaving off and on the trail. Finally, he was making the approach to my shooting lane. Right before his head came out into the open of my shooting lane, I drew my bow. Unfortunately, he saw the movement and stopped dead in his tracks, still two steps from being fully in my shooting lane. I leaned to the right to try and find a clear shot at him where he stood, but he bolted. He ran out of range and didn't know what to think. He even started to come back once, but never came close enough, and then finally decided he didn't like the situation. The last minutes of legal shooting light faded away, and so my hunt was ended.   a small forky we saw this morning also Hunt Conclusion There were four bowhunters total on this hunt, including myself. Five shots at nice bucks were missed, and a number of stalks were made between all the hunters. One buck was killed. As chance would have it, I was the only hunter that didn't get a clean shot at a good buck. No matter, that's why it's called hunting. There are a lot of really nice bucks in the areas that Primitive Outfitting hunts, it's just a matter of the stars lining up, some preparation, good spot and stalk skills and good shooting. I'll be back here again in the future, no doubt. I would highly recommend a hunt with Primitive Outfitting if you want a great bowhunt for Mule Deer. Check out www.livehunts.com again next week and come along as we do a live archery Pronghorn Antelope hunt in eastern Montana!
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