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MY three boys hiking in on opening morning.
Some bucks we saw across the canyon on a CWMU.
Me and the boys having fun hunting.
Dallen's 2016 mule deer.
Landen's first mule deer.
Two days after coming off the mountain from elk hunting with the boys we were headed back out. This time for mule deer. Opening morning we decided to drive up in the dark and do a day hike down one of my favorite canyons. As it was just getting light, we set out down the canyon. Within minutes we found a bunch of deer and a couple bucks but they were right on the corner of a CWMU so I had to tell the boys to just ignore the deer and lets get down around the corner to see what else we could find. As we were passing by these deer we walked right up on a couple of other hunters setup watching the deer. I tried some small talk with them and they didn't say a word back. Awkward silence.. Ok then. Guess they weren't too happy we were parading past them. I didn't want to hang around so we headed past them and down the canyon.
Surprisingly once we got further down into the canyon we found other hunters had hiked way down into the middle of the canyon in the dark. So much for seeing any deer in that big canyon, with them already in there. We watched the canyon for a few hours and only found one deer. Usually there are a bunch of deer in that canyon but you can't go down into the middle of it in the dark, you just scare everything out while you can't see it. Oh well, the joys of public land hunting in Northern Utah. There are a lot of people crammed into very little public land options. We did find a few more deer way out in the distance but all on the private CWMU.
Around midday after watching the guys in the bottom of the canyon hike all around down in there and not kick up a single deer we headed back out.
With the young boys in school on Monday we decided to make wait till Thursday night and pack into some other public land to hunt through Saturday night.
Thursday night we loaded up or gear and headed up the mountain. We glassed for deer along the way in the sage brush draws but just like the weekend before we could only find deer on the other side of the fences. Public land traffic bumps the deer to where they aren't messed with. That is does.
After dark we made it in a couple miles to where I wanted to make camp we setup our Browning four man Greystone tent for the night.
The next morning we were up early and out glassing for deer. It was nice to actually find more deer than hunters and we were finding plenty of deer. After a while we setup on a point to glass in a spot where the deer were funneling through. By mid morning we had spotted right at sixty two does but no bucks. Dallen decided to walk around the corner a little to be able to look down a canyon better. It was just then that he startled Landen, KB and myself by firing his rifle across the canyon. It didn't sound like he connected on whatever he was shooting at. Dallen was just 30 yards or so from us and I was able to find were he was shooting. It looked like a decent buck and I ranged it at 330 yards and yelled over to him the range while also working with Landen to setup for a shot. Now with the reange Dallen's second shot made a solid hit but it appeared to be a gut shot as the deer was now very sick looking and not wanting to move.
While the buck was still standing Landen was able to get a shot off and I could hear it hit. I later found that Landen hit it in the front leg just below the shoulder. Then Dallen sent another 200 Gr ELD-X through the heart followed by a fifty-yard death run down the hill.
Dallen ended up hitting the buck twice a little far back and his final shot through the boiler room. We teased him about getting excited and not using his range finder before flinging lead. We nicknamed this buck "First Try" with a rough, deep Batman voice. Dallen had a range finder and a diagram of yardages for his Nikon BDC reticle laminated to the side of his rifle scope. He just needed to take a few seconds to get the range. Buck fever will get you excited and excited he sure got. Dallen now had a critter taken with his new X-Bolt 300 WSM. He was really itching to shoot something with it this year.
The buck turned out to be a nice little 4x5. Landen was happy for Dallen but at the same time a little sad he hadn't got a buck or elk yet. Understandable, very understandable.
We boned out the deer and Dallen hauled it back to camp. At camp we refuel for the evening hunt and Dallen headed off the mountain with his buck as it started to rain.
KB, Landen and myself did setup that evening and glassed that evening spotting a bunch more does. Where are all the bucks?
Back in the tent that night the little boys and I chowed down on Chicken and Dumpling Mountain House dinners. It was raining quite heavy on the tent and in the dark and rain Dallen made it back to camp and crawled into the tent with us.
Dallen was a trooper hauling his deer a couple miles off the mountain by himself back to the Montero. He then drove home 20 miles, came back and hiked a couple miles back up the mountain in heavy rain in the dark back up to help his little brother get a buck. It was around 10pm with me and the two young boys snug in our sleeping bags listening to the rain when Dallen made it back. I was a very impressed, proud father that Dallen came back to help his little brother with it being so wet and dark. Thank you Dallen.
The next morning we were up extra early because it was Saturday and we knew we would have a lot more orange on the mountain and that we did. We initially setup where Dallen took his buck but after a half hour we spotted a small buck way across the canyon and we decided to take off after him.
As we crossed the canyon and popped up over a rise where we could see the deer passing from across the canyon. As we did a 18 inch variety of buck came around and stopped broadside just over 200 yards away. I'm not sure what happened. We had Landen on the shooting sticks, it all looked good but we were rushing to help him get positioned and ready. Whatever the case he missed and the buck moved into some brush. As we were waiting for the buck to clear the brush two hunters walked around the bend right in between us and where we were shooting. Ahh! We had to get up and chase after the buck. The two hunter hadn't seen nor knew we were there but after they saw us they changed course and we were able to chase after the buck without having to worry about them chasing it also.
As we crested some brush the buck got out at around 150 yards away. I tried to get Landen on the buck but he just couldn't find it in the scope. Things that come with experience. One of the reasons I like to take the kids prairie dog hunting to learn to shoot under a little pressure.
So off to the races we went again trying to make it to the next draw on this side of the canyon in hopes that we could see the buck in that draw. Nope, too late so on to the next. We were getting a workout. In the next draw we could see the group of deer a thousand or so yards ahead of us. We slowed it down and started crossing through the bottom of the draw when a couple deer jumped up out of the tall sage brush above us. I glassed them up and the last one was a spike. Landen said he wanted to get him so we setup on the sticks again. The buck was broadside right at 200 yards and miss. Landen put another shell in and as the buck paused now going straight away he quickly fired and bam, down goes the buck. What a shot. Not the most optimal angle but it proved to be very effective. I like how Landen loaded and took the shot all on his own. But we have since talked about waiting for a better broadside shot in the future.
Just after he dropped the little buck a larger two-point came around the hill just above the downed buck. Then just after we walked up to the buck I four point comes around and stops in the spot where Landen had shot from. Oh well, Landen and Dad were excited for the buck he was able to harvest. As it turned out the buck had some little forks. We kidded about using the antlers as utensils like a spork and the name of "Sporky" was giving to Landen's first buck.
In the chase for the buck Dallen had been kind enough help KB along.
After we had the deer boned out we headed back to camp. It was a small buck and the meat only weighed 40 pounds and then the head was at least five pounds.
Back at camp we broke down the tent and loaded everything up for the trip off the mountain.
As I look back at this hunt it will be one that was really special to me. Having all three boys with me, both of them getting bucks, Landen getting his first deer, sleeping in the tent in the rain. The whole experience was just awesome.
I can't wait to take the boys out again next year after deer. They have been talking a lot about packing in the extra couple miles next year to be in a better position to get larger bucks. I can't wait.
Landen's lucky horseshoe.
Landen notching his first tag.
My boys walking up to Dallen's buck.
The buck that showed up right after Landen shot his first deer.
Boning out Landen's deer.
Looking back at camp from across the canyon.
My favorite hunting knife, a Russ Kommer custom small skinner.
I love hunting in trail running shoes. I rarely put boots on anymore unless there is snow or really bad weather.
What's left of the 80 Gr. TTSX bullet that was shot at 3,550 fps out of a 243 WSSM.
Comparing the recovered 80 Gr. TTSX to an unfired one.
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Had a great time hiking around the mountain with these three boys looking for elk. We know they are in this thick stuff from my Browning Trail Cams but we weren't been able to cross paths this weekend.
Landen looking down our favorite canyon for elk.
Two young tough hunting buds! Sorry your Dad failed to get you on an elk for your first big game hunt Landen. I tried, I tried...
Sun setting the last evening of the hunt.
Landen finding elk rubs.
Coming just off my exciting muzzleloader mule deer hunt I was looking forward at taking Landen on his first big game hunt.
Landen will be starting his hunting career out with my Browning A-Bolt Stainless Hunter in 243 WSSM. In this rifle I have 80 Gr Tipped Triple Shock bullet going 3,550 FPS. These bullets are awesome on deer and elk out to around 300 yards. This bullet going this fast just crushes through bone and penetrates like no other.
Dallen was itching to shoot something with his new X-Bolt Gray Laminate Long Range Hunter in 300 WSM. In the two or so weeks we had this rifle before the season we tried some HSM 185 GR Bergers that just shot horrible groups. I ordered some 200 Gr Hornady ELD-X bullets and loaded them up and Holy Cow. My first three completely different powder charges all shot right at 1/2 inch or better. (check out the groups shown below) Holy Cow!!! I have never seen anything shoot this good with the very first loads I ever tried. Holy Cow!!! Did I say that already? Anyhow Dallen was liking his new rifle and so was Dad.
Dallen's new X-Bolt 300 WSM and Hornady 200 Gr ELD-X bullets. 0.376, 0.565, 0.550 inch 100 yard groups. Shot off sand bags in breezy conditions. I'm amazed! I just used Hornady's recommended COAL and three different powder charges of IMR 4350. L-R shooting at second row of targets - 59 Gr then adjusted scope up and to right and let rifle cool while I shot another rifle, then 61 Gr and last 63 Gr shot right after the 61 Gr group with no cool down in between. Holy Crap! 200 ELD-X bullets rock!!! See: 300 WSM Handloads
The night before the opener all of us boys headed up the mountain and set up my Browning Greystone four-man tent to spend the night. That night we discussed the nice six-point bull that we captured a bunch of images and video of on my Browning trail cameras, he was our #1. We also discussed a goofy little 7x4 bull as the bull the boys hoped to find as their number two bull on the hit list.
Early the next morning we were up and hiking up the mountain. Dallen being a veteran hunter with a view season under his belt chose to hunt by himself for the morning looking out over an oak brush filled canyon.
KB, Landen and I headed up to where several of my trail cameras are located to hunt for the morning. Things were really quiet all morning until just after 10 when we had a calf, cow and bull come over a ridge and into the canyon we were watching. They were only around 200 yards away however they were in some quaking aspens and not clearly visible to take a clear shot. They appeared to be headed towards a clearing that Landen was setup on shooting sticks all ready to take the bull. Then something happened and the bull made a cough like sound and they all turned around and headed right back where they came from. What the heck just happened? They couldn't smell us... then a couple of minutes after they left I found the answer — a black bear. Stinking bears! Right where we had just watched the elk I watched a black bear follow the path the elk had taken over the ridge and out of the canyon.
Dallen didn't see anything that morning so he came up to hang out with us for the afternoon and evening. Unfortunately, we didn't find any elk that evening. Before we left we pulled the SD cards from my cameras to see what had been in the area.
That next week Dallen went up on the mountain by himself and hunted for a couple of days. I was proud of him going on his first hunt by himself and sleeping in a tent all by himself. Dallen returned from the mountain with stories of an elk sneaking in silently and spooking. And stories of a bull that answered his cow call just before dark. He was pretty excited but again no elk again.
The following weekend the four of us boys were out again looking for some elk. The little boys were troopers hiking up and down the mountain. We learned on this trip that a little five point was out in the open the day before Dallen went hunting during the week. If Dallen had been there the day before he could have easily seen this bull with several cows. This is also the bull that evaded Landen on the opener thanks to the help of the black bear.
The last couple days of the hunt the boys had school off so I took off work and headed back up with them in hopes of finding a bull, especially for Landen. This trip we decided to hunt and area that gets more hunting pressure but also has a lot more elk. I tend to shy away from this location just to stay away from other hunters.
The first night we hiked way over and down into the canyon. That evening we did see a cow elk way out across the canyon on a CWMU. We set up in more of a thick bow hunting area and called hoping to get a bull to sneak in. At one point we were pretty sure a bull came in behind us as it sounded like antlers hitting the maple trees but we never saw what it was. I also called in a hunter right to where we wanted the elk to show up but again no elk.
On the last day we did a lot more hiking around exploring but just weren't in the right place at the right time. We later found out that a five-point was shot in the spot we had been the night before.
Sorry, your Dad failed you on getting an elk your first year Landen. I still had a lot of fun spending time with all three of my boys on the mountain. I wish I had more time to spend with them doing things like this.
Just one day to rest and the opener of deer season. I'll get you on a buck Landen, don't worry, we'll find you a buck.
See: 2016 Utah Rifle Deer Season — Landen's First Buck
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3 shot 100 yard group with CVA accura V2 and 300 Gr Aerolite Powerbelt belts.
Couple bucks at sunset.
Not a great scoring buck but the most mature buck I could find on this hunt. Unfortunately, he outsmarted me.
This year I have muzzleloader deer and elk tags like last year. I was hopeful to get a muley on the ground and end my mule deer dry spell dating back to 2011.
This year Utah opened up muzzleloaders to have variable power optics. While this is nice option to have, I really would have preferred that a 1x restriction would have stayed in place. Not that I don't like the variable power, just that I know more people will be out hunting with muzzleloaders, something I'm sure the DWR knew would happen, taking a little pressure off the rifle season.
This year I had Dallen come with me on my pack trip in the high country. With heavy amounts of early snow in the high country we had to start hiking a mile further because of impassable snow drifts in the road. With this extra mile and the deep snow to hike through we decided to hunt our way across the mountain for four days instead of just hiking the full six miles in and only hunting in that area.
The night before the opener Dallen and I seen a few deer, a small four and three point were out feeding not far from where we camped. We went to sleep dreaming of big bucks come morning.
Opening morning we woke and hiked out to a point to glass a basin for deer. We found around ten bucks with a couple four point bucks in the 22 inch wide size. We decided they weren't what I was looking for and picked up camp and headed in another mile to check out some other canyons for the afternoon and evening.
That afternoon we watched a bunch more deer including a beautiful four point buck that tempted me really hard to go after. He again was right around 22 inches wide but had larger very even forks with a very symmetrical frame. We decided to save him for a possible rifle season trip with Dallen and Landen my 12 year old who will be hunting for the first time later in October.
That evening we had a whopper of a lightning storm move in on us. It was pretty intense but just before the storm started dumping on us, the sun was setting with light coming in under the dark storm clouds. It made for some amazing photos that I quickly took of Dallen just before we scrambled to get a tarp out to wrap around us and ride out the lightning storm.
The next morning we hiked up and down some canyons looking for a good buck. All we found were does, so midday we broke camp and started headed further down the trail.
As we were hiking down the trail we crested a ridge line and busted a mature 3x4 buck in a area I never see deer at before. I dropped my gear and took off to try and circle the canyon and get a shot at this nice buck. When I got to within about 150 yards of where I last saw the buck I started slipping my way down through jack pines and snow covered ground. As I was slipping, literally slipping in the snow trying to be as quiet as possible I heard something go out the other side where I couldn't see. I figured it was him but I kept sneaking in to see what I might find. As I got to the spot I found two small bucks both young 3x4's. I was able to sneak to within 40 or so yards of them and get some fun photos but they weren't nearly large enough for me to want to shoot.
That evening we finished packing in the full six miles... make that seven miles this year thanks to the snow.
The next morning we climbed into and glassed a couple basins finding lots of bucks across one canyon all safely located on a CWMU. After glassing this basin for an hour or so I looked down to our side of the canyon and there was a 4 point right below us that must have been bedded and decided to stand up. He wasn't the largest four point. Probably in the 22 inch wide range but he was in a very easy spot to get him boned out and up to a ridge line where we could haul him off the mountain. With all this in mind Dallen ranged him at 166 yards and a 31 degree downhill cross hill shot. I plugged in the information into Strelok Pro and sent a bullet right over his back. What the heck was that?!? 166 yards was a chip shot with my sub MOA shooting 300 Gr Aerolite bullets, CVA Accura V2 with Vortex 4-16x50 HS LR scope. What just happened?!? I could hit milk jugs out to 310 yards just fine while practicing.
One thing I didn't factor is the lift I would get from the fairly strong wind that was blowing into the steep sidehill. I have learned that shooting across a slope that has a wind blowing against it deflects some of the wind upward creating lift. I had held a little for the crosswind but not thought of any lift at the time of the shot. This alone would account for maybe a couple inches at this range. Second, I obviously may have just pulled the shot, but the shot didn't feel like I pulled it??? And Third, something I have been reading and studying about. If you want to shoot long range with a muzzleloader you need to load it just before you take the shot. Having a load in the barrel over night and various temperature changes must create moisture and something that greatly effects the accuracy. I have read where it is best to discharge your muzzleloader every evening and load a fresh load in the morning. I talked with a guy on the mountain that talked about only loading the muzzleloader after spotting the deer. More on this third item in a minute.
Oh, one of the things I found from going out and shooting the 300 Gr Aerolite bullets is that the published BC of .222 for this bullet is not what I was getting with respect to actual bullet drops. My calculation from using Strelok Pro was that the BC was somewhere around .195 for this bullet. I later received an email confirming this from PowerBelt Bullets that the .222 published was incorrect and that their data had the BC at .197. Not the greatest BC for this bullet but the accuracy is amazing!
After missing the shot we hiked down to verify that I hadn't just sent the bullet right through him when Dallen spotted the bullet hit the cliffs behind him. Sure enough a clean miss right over his back. I have spent a lot of time running this miss through my head... I wasn't too upset about not getting this buck as he wasn't a huge buck but missing has been driving me crazy. Anyhow back to the hunt.
After missing I wanted to head down into some untouched canyons. We spent most of the day going into some awesome canyons. We found another four point and another 3x4. The four point wasn't wide but had decent mass and forks however he was right on the private property line according to my maps in Back Country Navigator Pro and the KML I downloaded from the DWR of the CWMU boundaries. So I let the buck walk just to be safe.
When we were down in these canyons we bumped a doe that climbed up a few yards and stopped right out in the open a little over 100 yards from us. The strangest thing I have ever seen with a deer's behavior during a hunting season then happened. The doe was right in the path of where we needed to go, to climb out of the canyon, so we just kept hiking towards her and she never moved, in fact she started chewing her cud and browsing on some of the vegetation by her. It was really steep where we were at as we slowly hiked past her. She was probably only 40 yards away as we hiked past her. It was like she was a pet deer in a national park or something. Kind of strange experience for me on this mountain.
Latter that evening we glassed a bunch more bucks with one in particular that I wanted to shoot. The group of bucks was feeding out of the CWMU and onto the public ground at the last light of the day. I felt that it best to wake up extra early the next morning and slip into the area and cut off the route back to the CWMU hoping they would be there the next morning.
Well it sounded like a good plan but the deer had all disappeared except one small buck come morning. It appeared that they moved back into the CWMU long before daylight and were already bedded at daylight. Curses!!!
This was my last day to hunt and hike off the mountain. We stopped and hiked through some nasty thick small quaking aspens trying to check out some different canyons on the way off the mountain but never found a deer.
So yet another year that I come up short getting a mule deer. There's always next year I guess. I've been saying that for a few years now.
So back to accuracy issues with a load that sits in your muzzleloader for an extended period of time. After the hunt I went shooting some reloads in some rifles and I also needed to empty my muzzleloader. I setup the chronograph and fired the load that had been sitting in my muzzleloader for several days. That shot missed the bullseye by near four inches to the right. I loaded up the muzzleloader and fired again. This fresh load only missed a perfect center shot by only 1/2 inch. The velocities (which I wrote down and can't find now) were both around 20 fps of one another so that wsn't a problem. So what caused the inaccuracy of the sitting charge?
At a minimum I will be discharging my muzzleloader at each day's end on future hunts. If I can get a quick system to load my muzzleloader I may hunt with an unloaded gun in the future. I also wonder if I ran a spit batch down the bore on top of a sitting charge just before taking a shot would bring the accuracy back to where it should be. It's kind of hard to do a lot of field testing on this. Load a gun leave it outside for a few days the shoot it and then repeat... This could take forever to get good data on what is going on.
Next up Landen's first elk hunt.
CVA accura V2 at sunrise with a Vortex Viper scope.
Dallen glassing.
One of many bucks we saw on opening day.
Another buck in the snow below us.
I was very tempted to go after this buck but decided to pass.
Dallen making me neverous looking off some cliffs.
I probably would have shot this buck if he wasn't right on the public land boundary.
View of camp from above.
Two bucks I snuck in on.
Selfie of Dallen and I.
Group of several bucks on a CWMU.
My CVA Accura V2.
Small 3x4 buck I snuck in on.