Finally got my depredation tags for deer & antelope Saturday so I thought I might go hunting yesterday, little did I know it would turn into an all night ordeal. I got there kind of late, saw a few deer as soon as I unloaded the 4 wheeler but they were gone in a hurry, seemed pretty spooky & in this treeless, wide open country they can see you for a long ways.
I wanted to see if the sprinklers were still on the Alfalfa like it was last year so I drove up there first. I spotted one herd of about 10 & they were at least 800-900 yds off, I didn't even range them. Where they were at they were pretty safe from a guy with an iron sighted short barreled six gun. I didn't have much daylight so I started hunting the sagebrush draws (coulees) & the tall weed patches that line some of the bottom ground. This stuff is thick & it's where I almost tipped over last year after shooting a doe in some real thick stuff & then trying to drive through it. I ended up standing my 4 wheeler right on it's nose. I was going really slow but still managed to drop the front end into about a 6 ft drop off. I got high centered or I would have went over for sure.
As I approached this same spot I seen a huge skunk & he was on the fight, he wasn't trying to escape, he was bluffing me & making some kind of a noise & was maybe the largest skunk I've ever seen. Last year when I shot that doe laying in this stuff I flushed a huge skunk out the other side, this might be the very same skunk. Anyway, I turned off the 4 wheeler & drew the 41 & he started making little hops towards me & making that funny sound, he was really on the fight. At about 12-15 yds I gave him a 213 gr HP right in the face, that calmed him down pretty good.
I drove around, got off & walked slowly along the rims of the draws, made some fawn bleats, nothing, it was pretty quiet & I was running out of time. I headed down along a narrow road along the stream towards my truck & across the stream a very large doe started walking away from me in the tall grass/weeds. This stuff has a hard, thick stalk to it, similar to a bamboo stalk. I was sitting at an awkward angle & she was walking when I took the shot & it went high making a big splat in the mud behind her. That stopped her dead still & the next shot was one of the fastest drops I've ever made. When they go down that fast it has to be a head shot or a spine shot. I ranged her after the shot at 88 yds. I don't know if you would call it an offhand shot, an offhand turned shot or an offhand turned, twisting shot, probably all of the above. It was difficult because I was quite a bit past her.
Anyway, I knew I had a bit of a problem because there was a lot of deep water between me & her & it was almost dark, I had maybe 20 minutes to cross over & get her & that wasn't possible. I went back & got my truck & got my pack & looked for the best place to try & cross, everywhere looked deep & both banks looked very muddy. I left my pack, wallet, cellphone, & socks on the bank & slide my way out into the stream with my walking stick. I had my headlamp & my Croc's, nothing else. I was sinking into the mud really deep, I fell down a couple of times getting into the water but once I got in the bottom was hard but very slick.
Soon I was clear up to my neck going across, I never went completely under but I was sliding all over that stream trying to stand up, without the walking stick I couldn't have done it. When I got over there it was almost dark, I walked back down & found the deer & decided I had better cross in a different spot, it was just too muddy back where my pack was at.
As always I never gut one before crossing, that way they will float. I floated her across, again up to my neck & I had a terrible time climbing the muddy bank on the other side. I left the deer part way in the water to help her cool & walked up to he truck & rested for 30 minutes & drank some cold drinks. Then all hell broke loose, I started down in the dark to find my gear so I could call home & also get my other lights & knives but I couldn't find them & I sunk clear up tto my hips in the worst mud you could ever imagine. I had to lean on one side to keep from sinking deeper. I finally got loose & tried to find another way but in a few minutes I did the exact same thing only this time it was worse, I sank deeper. I was exhausted & I could lean over & touch the mud with my nose. I finally worked my left leg up out of the mud & my Croc was still on. I started working on my right leg & when I finally got it loose the Croc was gone! I laid out on my stomach & reached down in the hole to try & find the Croc but I couldn't reach it, I reached over & took the left one & threw it in the stream.
All my life I've had very tender feet, I can hardly stand to walk on grass, now I am bare foot & in some of the worst stuff you could imagine. there are sticks & cockle burrs everywhere & for the next 2 hours I'm walking around in the dark & rain trying to find my gear. My headlight is starting to go dim.
I need a break, I work my way slowly back up to the truck, sinking in mud but not as bad, I knew one more bad one & I would be there all night. When I got to the truck I really wasn't tired but my body sure was!
I drove 3-4 miles to a farm house & borrowed a phone so I could call my wife & let her know I was going to be a little bit late & not to worry. The lady loaned me a spot light & I went back & located my gear & then in a pouring rain found my deer, gutted it, drug it up to the road & here comes the farmer lady with one of her daughters, they had got worried about me & came to help. We threw the deer in my truck, I thanked them & got home at 1am.
Looking at the deer this morning with my bloody feet, I had hit the doe at the base of the neck, breaking it & killing her instantly, I did see all 4 legs buckle at the same time, it was impressive. First kill with this OM 41 shorty that had been worked over by Bobby Tyler, complete with that great 2dogs front sight & a 213 gr HP, what a combination.
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