pyroducksx3
Well-Known Member
Well I started the modern firearm season in the high country. I ended up passing on a decent 3x4 muley because in the high country Im looking for that special deer. The regular modern firearms season is a different story though, 3 point or better is all I'm looking for. The start of the general modern firearm season started off with my 5 yr old and I looking for deer and figuring out as many spots as I could so that when my buddy came out I would have a number of options for him. This would be my friends 3rd season and he has yet to harvest an animal. For the past two years I have been working on his shooting and extending his range. Last year he was out to five and this year I had him making hits consistently out to 700 with up to 7 mph crosswinds, so we were feeling pretty good about the season. So the goal of this year was to get him his deer. After two days of making him walk all over we had yet to see a legal buck. We had seen 3 spikes, a 2x2, 1x2, 10 does and over 120 elk but that buck was eluding us. Thursday evening he was tired and wanted to stay close to the truck so we could listen to the hawks game on the radio. I picked a spot that I thought had little chance of producing a deer but that would likely get the radio channel and some targets so if we didn't see anything we could check our zeros and have a little fun confirming drops. At 530 I spot a deer way way off(est 2000-2500 yards) at the bottom of a canyon so I brake out the ziess 85. At first glance he looks like a 2x2 my buddy checks and agrees he thinks its a 2x2. With nothing else to look at I just study the deer and think I see a little crab claw on the left side. I look at my buddy and tell him I thinks its legal so we need to get closer. He isn't as excited as me about the sidehilling and working down to the bottom of the canyon but he is game and he tells me to get to a shooting spot and he will catch up. I get to the first spot I think would work and range him at 950 or something, to far for my buddy but while Im waiting for him I set up the spotter again and get a better look at the buck and has a little crab claw so we are good to go. My buddy gets there and I tell him the distance, he is tired and says just take the shot here. I told him we have time and we can get closer, this is your buck. He says ok and we are off again. with difficult drainages to cross it tool us much longer to get to the next and as it would turn out last shooting spot. Running low on light and no more hill to hide behind this is it 630 yards to the deer. I get him set up and have what I feel is a good position, the rifle on the pod and a rear bag. My buddy made this shot just a week earlier so I am feeling confident this deer is as good as dead. I get the scope on him enter all the data and give him his drops, zero wind so that one less things to worry about. My buddy gets set and I tell him the deer is inb a good position and to send it when he is ready. BAM! Clean miss high and left. the deer is confused and moves away. I look to my buddy and ask how he felt he said good so we set up again. This time at 7 and again a clean miss. I can see that he is done physically and mentally and he says take it because Im done. So I breakout my rifle and put him on the spotter I range him at 916 now and get my rifle setup and dialed in. My buddy says the deer is in perfect position so I range again real quick, still at 916, so I get set for the shot. I check the bubble and get the target perfect for a high shoulder and then I feel that push without even having to think about pulling the trigger. The scope comes right back down on the target and for a second I thought I missed because he is just standing there. I forgot about the long bullet travel and see the deer jump straight in the air he turns and goes 6 feet and then my buddy says he's belly up. I feel sorry that my buddy wasn't able to harvest this buck but man what a shot.
