Mule Deer in the truck

[ronlaughlin]

Today i finally managed to put a deer into the truck. It was 19 degrees this morning when the hike began at the far upper right on the map. The rifle had been loaded for a week, with 90g Blackhorn, 270g Deep Curl, crush rib sabot, W209 primer. Leaving the truck, i dropped down to the South. The track shows i trespassed, but in real life, i never crossed the fence.

Nine deer were spotted grazing near the bottom. There was no way to get closer without being spotted, unless i went up and away. The jogs to the North, in the bottom track, show where i dipped down so to see the deer. They kept moving up the drainage as they grazed. It took quite awhile to get ahead of them grazing deer. The last jog just before waypoint 153, i almost blew it, because the deer left the bottom, and were bedded on the hill, unbeknownst to me, and i virtually walked right into their view. At that point i had a 220 yard shot, but it seemed i could get closer, so i gave it a try. The deer spotted me sneaking behind Juniper near waypoint 153, but only stood up, and did not run. The range finder say they were at 155 yard, so the elevation dial was turned up 4 moa. The shot was taken from waypoint 153. At the shot, the deer kicked it's hind legs in the air like they do on TV, when lung shot. The blood spatter on the snow was not very pronounced. After the deer ran about 100 yard up hill, i kinda started worrying. After it ran about 150 yard, It died, but the autopsy revealed minimal bullet damage.

The deer was drug through the snow on the upper path until about 2800' , at that point the hill became too steep for me to move the deer. Then i walked to the truck to get the cart, and came back. It was necessary for me to get the deer to the truck before dark, because a week ago i killed another deer, and left it out over night. The coyotes devoured that deer, and when i came with the cart to take it to the truck, all that was left was the back bone, and teeth. The devoured deer looked like a snake.

The deer on the cart was too heavy for me to pull up hill, so i had to turn around, and pull it the same way one pulls a loaded hand truck up stairs. It wasn't much fun. When i arrived at the truck i was too weak to load the deer, but luckily i was able to back the truck so the back tires fell into the borrow pit, and the tailgate went within 12" of the road. There was a substantial North East breeze, and the temperature was 12, when i finished loading the deer, and headed home. It seemed like my face was frozen some, but it wasn't.

 

[03mossy]

Wow sounds like it was an adventure! Congrats on putting meat in the freezer.

 

[ronlaughlin]

Indeed it was fun stalking them deer, albeit a little tense. You wrote in another thread, that testing bullet impact in different temperatures, is good. Confidence, and knowledge i achieved, by shooting the load in all kinda temperature, was critical to making the hit.

 

[doggzoe]

Holy moley, I got cold and tired just reading this. Congtats.
Don

 

[SteveH]

Nice job! Sounds like you got a workout. Shot with the X7?

 

[ronlaughlin]

Yes. Here is a lousy photo taken just before dawn this morning.

 

[ronlaughlin]

The camera wouldn't work this morning. It has been in the truck through days of bitter cold. For the fun of it i drove out to where i killed them 2 deer, and walked in, taking pictures all the way. Kinda as a test of the camera, and kinda to see if i could find any pieces of the first deer.

The first picture was taken kinda toward SW from where one legally drive.

The second picture was taken about 1/4 mile from the truck at the top of the hill, and shows the cart tracks.

This next picture is looking up the drainage where the deer were grazing and kinda shows the drag trail

The next picture shows the drag trail with coyote tracks in it taken in the bottom of the drainage.

I found the skull

Looking up the hill where the second deer expired. The herd was bedded on the hill at the far left when i shot

This next picture was taken just before starting back to the truck which can't be seen, but is beyond the top of the hill kinda centered.

On the way home.

The drag trail can kinda be seen up the hill left of the juniper

Here is where i quit dragging the deer, and went to the truck to get the cart. Some blood spilled out of the hole in the pelvis when the drag steepened. The deer was loaded on the cart up there in the trampled area.

This last picture is at the top of the hill looking North

 

[River Rat]

Ron love your post! That was an awesome read congrats! Also look at the jet sleds that you use for ice fishing. In the snow it is way better than pulling a cart!

Congrats!

RR

 

[ShawnT]

Very cool hunt Ron! Us Eastern hunters would find that country a little challenging to hunt. There are no Trees to hide behind! :lol: You can really see in those picks how you have to really use the contours of the land to do your stalks.

 

[ronlaughlin]

....................you have to really use the contours of the land to do your stalks.

Indeed!

Binocular are very necessary. Rangefinder is quite helpful. Non-magnified scope requirements seem daunting, but a willingness to hunt day after day, without getting close, or even seeing anything, kinda helps.

The deer the coyotes claimed, was seen from about 3/4 mile, using binocular, then the 'terrain' was utilized to get the shot.

 

[JStanley]

That is an awesome hunt and story, Ron! I'm with ShawnT, where you hunt is a whole 'nuther world - congrats!

 

[rockram]

Brrrrrrr! Nice story great pics. congrats!

 

[ronlaughlin]

Back at you!