Well, rifle deer season here in Nebraska got started on Nov. 16th and ran through to the 24th. I have not been on the forums here because I have been out to deer camp with my friends and hunting with my dad this past weekend, and I just finished cutting the last of my deer up today and got them packaged up for the freezer.
Opening weekend I was out to camp with my buddy. We had a great time camping out and sharing stories at night, cooking on the grill, and generally roughing it in the evenings. There were a few cold ones consumed around the fire. The days were all business. My friend got a whitetail doe first thing on opening morning. We didn't see much the rest of the day, but that is why they call it hunting.
The second day the wind was blowing about 50 mph, but I was able to shoot a fat muley doe at 218 yards that afternoon. We were beginning to get a little frustrated because we just had not seen any shooter bucks, either whitetail or muley.
The third day of camp we set out in the morning, and we saw quite a few deer on the way to the ranch that we wanted to hunt that day. I did have an opportunity at a 646 yard shot on a mule deer doe, but decided to pass because the wind was still blowing up to 25 miles per hour. When we got to the ranch that we wanted to hunt for the day we saw a wide 5x5 whitetail buck, and we decided that he was a shooter. We watched from the truck as he followed a doe over a hill about 3/4 of a mile away. Being as it was the only shooter buck that we had seen on ground that we had permission to hunt we got geared up and took off on foot.
We found the buck bedded down with the other deer about 500 yards from where we had last seen them go over the hill. My friend crawled up to a soap weed overlooking the cut, and was able to get on his shooting sticks 220ish yards from the buck. He took his time and made a good shot. The big bodied whitetail ran about 50 yards before expiring. It was a good hunt with a good friend!
I have been taking my dad out on the second weekend of rifle season for about 4 years now. We go on the second weekend because I have deer camp with the boys first weekend, and by the second weekend there is less hunting pressure, which usually makes for a better hunt.
Friday night I went out after school and got my longest shot of the season. I was hoping for something longer being as the wind was only 3 miles per hour, but 401 yards was all that was offered. I consulted my drop chart and dialed for the shot, waited for the doe to turn a bit, and put her down where she stood. I have made longer shots on deer in the past, but it was awesome to watch the bullet hit the doe exactly where I intended it to do so.
Dad and I arrived at the ranch we planned to hunt first about 20 minutes before shooting time this past Saturday, which was enough time for him and I to finish our coffee and make sure we had all of our gear in order. A little bit after legal shooting time we exited the truck for our walkabout.
About half way up the first hill we spotted about 25 head of mule deer does and fork horn bucks leaving the corn pivot for the hill we were on. After walking a bit further we spotted a 4x mule deer, with his left side broken completely off, walking above us on the hill. We waited for them to get out of sight before looking over the next crest.
At the next crest I spotted 8 deer in the shade of a valley, and in that group I spotted a very nice mule deer buck. I called dad up to my vantage point, and then had him belly crawl up the him to a point where he was about 250 yards from the buck.
The buck saw my dad and was very interested in figuring out what he was. The buck began to walk closer and closer to the old man
After about 5 minutes the buck was broadside, and within 200 yards, but my dad has lost sight of him as he lay prone. I crawled up by dad and pointed the buck out as the deer moved higher on a crest. That was all it took. Dad put the 150 gr Nosler BT right in the boiler room, and the buck ran about 75 yards before flopping over deader than a door nail
Now, I have shot enough deer that I only get a tiny bit of buck fever when I am looking at a trophy deer through the crosshairs, but as I watched my dad I realized that my breathing was getting faster and faster and raspier with each breath! I was super excited for my dad!!!
Pictures 1-3 are from deer camp. I am the one with the beard.
Picture 4 is my friend and I up in the hills. Whoever said that Montana was the only big sky country
Pic 5 is my buddies whitey buck, and pic 6 is my dad and his muley buck (I tried to get him to smile and he declined).
It was a great week of hunting with family and friends. I can't wait until my son and daughter are old enough to go!
Opening weekend I was out to camp with my buddy. We had a great time camping out and sharing stories at night, cooking on the grill, and generally roughing it in the evenings. There were a few cold ones consumed around the fire. The days were all business. My friend got a whitetail doe first thing on opening morning. We didn't see much the rest of the day, but that is why they call it hunting.
The second day the wind was blowing about 50 mph, but I was able to shoot a fat muley doe at 218 yards that afternoon. We were beginning to get a little frustrated because we just had not seen any shooter bucks, either whitetail or muley.
The third day of camp we set out in the morning, and we saw quite a few deer on the way to the ranch that we wanted to hunt that day. I did have an opportunity at a 646 yard shot on a mule deer doe, but decided to pass because the wind was still blowing up to 25 miles per hour. When we got to the ranch that we wanted to hunt for the day we saw a wide 5x5 whitetail buck, and we decided that he was a shooter. We watched from the truck as he followed a doe over a hill about 3/4 of a mile away. Being as it was the only shooter buck that we had seen on ground that we had permission to hunt we got geared up and took off on foot.
We found the buck bedded down with the other deer about 500 yards from where we had last seen them go over the hill. My friend crawled up to a soap weed overlooking the cut, and was able to get on his shooting sticks 220ish yards from the buck. He took his time and made a good shot. The big bodied whitetail ran about 50 yards before expiring. It was a good hunt with a good friend!
I have been taking my dad out on the second weekend of rifle season for about 4 years now. We go on the second weekend because I have deer camp with the boys first weekend, and by the second weekend there is less hunting pressure, which usually makes for a better hunt.
Friday night I went out after school and got my longest shot of the season. I was hoping for something longer being as the wind was only 3 miles per hour, but 401 yards was all that was offered. I consulted my drop chart and dialed for the shot, waited for the doe to turn a bit, and put her down where she stood. I have made longer shots on deer in the past, but it was awesome to watch the bullet hit the doe exactly where I intended it to do so.
Dad and I arrived at the ranch we planned to hunt first about 20 minutes before shooting time this past Saturday, which was enough time for him and I to finish our coffee and make sure we had all of our gear in order. A little bit after legal shooting time we exited the truck for our walkabout.
About half way up the first hill we spotted about 25 head of mule deer does and fork horn bucks leaving the corn pivot for the hill we were on. After walking a bit further we spotted a 4x mule deer, with his left side broken completely off, walking above us on the hill. We waited for them to get out of sight before looking over the next crest.
At the next crest I spotted 8 deer in the shade of a valley, and in that group I spotted a very nice mule deer buck. I called dad up to my vantage point, and then had him belly crawl up the him to a point where he was about 250 yards from the buck.
The buck saw my dad and was very interested in figuring out what he was. The buck began to walk closer and closer to the old man
After about 5 minutes the buck was broadside, and within 200 yards, but my dad has lost sight of him as he lay prone. I crawled up by dad and pointed the buck out as the deer moved higher on a crest. That was all it took. Dad put the 150 gr Nosler BT right in the boiler room, and the buck ran about 75 yards before flopping over deader than a door nail Now, I have shot enough deer that I only get a tiny bit of buck fever when I am looking at a trophy deer through the crosshairs, but as I watched my dad I realized that my breathing was getting faster and faster and raspier with each breath! I was super excited for my dad!!!
Pictures 1-3 are from deer camp. I am the one with the beard.
Picture 4 is my friend and I up in the hills. Whoever said that Montana was the only big sky country
Pic 5 is my buddies whitey buck, and pic 6 is my dad and his muley buck (I tried to get him to smile and he declined
).It was a great week of hunting with family and friends. I can't wait until my son and daughter are old enough to go!
