Sunday A.M.
This morning I hunted my blind in the new location, and for the first time this week I had a buck in bow range. Unfortunately, he came by my blind when it was still very much too dark to shoot, and I just had to watch him walk on by. Other than that, all I saw were some very distant does and fawns this morning.
Sunday P.M.
This evening I sat in my ground blind again, hoping against hope that the bachelor group of bucks from last evening would come to the same spot again. They didn't. The sun set on the last day of this hunt.
Hunt Conclusion
I've been on several mule deer hunts in different states, and I saw more bucks and more deer on this hunt than any of the others. The stalking conditions were simply horrible, though. According to a friend of mine who lives locally, this was an unbelievably dry summer, and the forest floor was a testament to that. I would definitely come and hunt this area again, but I think I would spend more time scouting before the hunt and then more time hunting from ground blinds/tree stands, less time stalking. I'm not real fond of stalking deer in the forest when they're on the move. I prefer stalking bedded deer. It's a little easier to take your time and hopefully make less mistakes in a situation like that. All in all, though, this hunt was very enjoyable, with multiple deer sightings every day and stalking opportunities every day. I hope you enjoyed the hunt as well.
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.
Equipment
This section is to tell you about some equipment that I've used extensively and highly recommend. I'm not a paid representative of any hunting product manufacturer, so these are honest-to-goodness reviews of quality equipment. In case you're interested in trying out some of this equipment for yourself, I've made links to places on the Internet where you can buy them at good prices. Just click on the photo or the name of the product.
 
Bausch & Lomb® 7x42 Binoculars
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I've had a pair of B&L 7x42 Discoverer's for 5 years and have given them a real beating in a large variety of climates and conditions. I am very impressed with the overall quality. Compared side by side with Swarovski Binoculars in the field, the only noticeable difference was the price. They will cost you about $500 less than Swarovski's.
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Garmin® GPS 12
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Buying a Garmin GPS 12 was one of the best purchases I ever made. It has so many uses, and is so easy to use. In unfamiliar hunting areas, just mark your vehicle, hunt anywhere you want, and at the end of the day, get back to your vehicle with no problem. It's also great for marking downed animals to return to later. My GPS goes with me on EVERY hunting outing.
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Wasp Hammer SST 125 Gr. Broadheads
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I've used probably 10 different makes and models of broadheads in the last 10 years. The Wasp SST Hammer is the best Fixed, Replaceable blade broadhead I've ever used. I used to use Thunderheads, and took several animals with them. On a friends recommendation, however, I tried the Wasp. That was 2 years and a dozen or so animals ago, and I haven't tried another broadhead since. The Wasp has given me better blood trails, by far, than any of the other heads I've tried. They are tough, penetrate well (complete pass-throughs on all but one animal) and fly great. What more could you ask?
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Double Bull Titan I.C.E. Blind
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There is no question that hunting from my Titan blind has made my success rate as a bowhunter much higher. The Predator Deception pattern fairly melts into the brush. I've shot animals less than 5 yards from the blind. Also the best thing for Turkey Bowhunters since the Box Call. Light, very portable, strong, and conceals movement very well. Great for increasing the amount of time you spend in the woods.
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Olympus D-450 Zoom Digital Camera
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If you're interested in getting a very high-quality Digital Camera, the Olympus D-450 or one of it's successors is a great choice. I've had my D-450 for about 3 years now, and have taken all of the photos for all my Live Hunts with this camera. It's not cheap, but this is one instance where you definitely get what you pay for. I highly recommend this camera.
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e-mail Joshua Flournoy
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