Live Hunts - Wyoming Archery Mule Deer Hunt - September 28

Live Hunts - Wyoming Archery Mule Deer Hunt - September 28 - Day 5

September 28 - Day 5
Wyoming Archery Mule Deer Hunt

Friday A.M.
This morning I went after the big buck seen last evening. I got out extra early and made a very big circle in the dark to get into the woods this group of deer have been heading into each morning to bed. That makes it sound like I know where, exactly, they're going to enter. That couldn't be further from the truth. It's a huge forest, and they could enter anywhere. My plan this morning was to get in a small opening in the forest where I could see a large portion of the slope where they've been feeding, and try to determine where they're going to hit the woods and get in front and ambush them.

Following the group of deer this morning

It was a good plan, and it almost worked. I stayed well back into the woods, far enough that the deer couldn't see me paralleling them, yet close enough that I could keep tabs on them through the maze of trees to see where they were. This particular morning they headed to an area I hadn't seen them go to yet this week. It was about half a mile further down the forest than where they have been entering. I watched them close and kept up with them, though. The only problem, though, is that I couldn't move as quickly as they could, since I was trying to be quiet in the crunchy pine woods. After walking parallel to the forest for about 600 yards, they finally entered at an angle and headed up the hill. Unfortunately, they were too far ahead of me. They entered about 100 yards away from me, and as they slowly fed up the hill, I was able to get within about 60 yards of a 2x2, but then a fawn spotted me and didn't like what it saw. The whole group moved off. There was only one problem. The big buck wasn't with them. With that in mind, I was hoping he'd be along any minute and I would get a shot at him by himself. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Friday P.M.

The meadow where I stalked the nice 3x3

This evening I was determined to get a shot at a legal buck. And I got close, twice. First stalk was on a spike. I got to about 45 yards from him, then the wind switched and that was the end of that stalk. Next I found a good 3x3 and a 2x2 in a good position for a stalk. They were in a small meadow, and the wind was right to come in on them from the direction of the woods (which was the only way I COULD come in on them). I was within about 100 yards, when a vehicle stopped beside the road to gawk at the bucks, and the bucks didn't like that too much. They shuffled off into the woods and out of my sight. The truck only stopped for a minute or so, though, so I figured the bucks didn't go far. I didn't know where they were for about 15 minutes, then I spotted them again. They had basically turned the corner of the meadow away from the truck and gone back out to munch. The bigger buck, the 3x3, was farther than the 2x2, so I was going to try and take whichever I had a shot at first. Unfortunately, I got busted by a fawn in the group again, and the whole group took off when I was still 50 yards away. Not sure if the wind or a noise busted me. I don't think they saw me, I was moving like a snail. I'll give it another try tomorrow!

Mountain Antelope!

- Go to Day 6 of the Hunt -

Trip Notes
This hunt takes place in Region C of Wyoming, in and around the eastern side of the Bighorn Mountains. I may also do some hunting on the plains, depending on what I find in the foothills and the mountains. I'll be hunting on a mixture of National Forest and BLM land. I did some research and found this to be an area with good numbers of mule deer with some pretty nice bucks too. I'll be real pleased to take any decent 4x4. This is new country in a part of Wyoming that I've not hunted before, and that's always fun. This is primarily going to be a spot and stalk hunt, with the slight possibility of using my ICE ground blind if I find a really good trail.

Equipment
I'm shooting a Martin Jaguar bow, set at 72 lbs. Arrows are 29-inch Easton 3-60 ACC's, with Wasp 125 gr. 3-blade SST Hammer broadheads. Depending on the terrain, I'm wearing almost exclusively Predator camoflauge. I have Fall Gray, Spring Green, Fall Brown, and Evolution with me on the trip, and will probably use all of them. Predator is awesome, and particularly in the Rocky Mountain West. I've also got a new Master Guide backpack made by Crooked Horn Outfitters that I'm eager to try out.

e-mail Joshua Flournoy

This site is designed by Hunting Information Systems for use with Netscape or Internet Explorer

Click here for technical help or to send us feedback.