Dawg

Won't be able to hunt any this weekend. Rain is forecast for the next few days. Up to 5" is what the weather folks are predicting. If it shows any breaks I'll slip out to the public land down the road from the house.

He's a little better than an OK buck.....he's a great buck! Congrats!

Hunted a couple of times this weekend but nothing to show for it. Deer movement has slowed it seems. Jumped one deer up on some public land by the house, nothing seen at the lease.

Awesome! Is he going on your wall?

That makes sense....I found two sets of fresh tracks in the area where I heard the deer blow.

Congrats! Made the first hunt yesterday evening at the lease. Nothing to show for it. Back at it again this morning. Had a deer blow several times but I'm sure it wasn't at me. Wind was blowing from the deer to me. Not sure what had it spooked. Nothing since then except for birds.

Hey Jeff! Where you at? Did you draw any western state tags this year?

Thanks HH

I'll be making my first hunt on my little lease by the house this weekend. I have absolutely no idea what bucks I have coming in as the batteries in my camera died and I just realized it this past Friday. Should be good hunting Sunday morning.

Most of your scents are just gimmicks these days. Hunt the wind right and you won't have to worry with a cover scent. I've never had any success using a scent as an attractant.

It could go both ways. Hi Chris!

Maybe over time some will return. I'm afraid the big stink a few years ago drove some away for good.

You are gaining some attention Al! http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=620288

That's awesome Al! Congrats!

You aren't Tominator either....

Kinda like the numbers on your Jitterbug? [emoji16]

As I approached the edge of the opening/field/pasture/whatever you want to call it, I spotted a doe. I watched her then another deer walked into view....a small buck. Then I spotted another doe and another small buck. I decided to ease down to the bottom of the road to get the rest of the opening in my view. The road had high banks on either side so my movement was concealed from sight of the deer. Once I reached the bottom I eased my way up the knoll to my left and immediately spotted a decent buck just at the wood line following what I think was another doe. I looked him over and decided I wasn't going to chance it, I guesstimated the range to be ~75 yards (forgot my rangefinder at camp) and set up my Bog Pod tripod at kneeling height, got the crosshairs settled on the base of his neck and squeezed off a round. The buck dropped in his tracks, kicked a few times and it was lights out. The shot ended up being 111 yards so I hit just a touch low but it was still a deadly shot. Filled out my tag and now it was time for photo ops.... All in all it was a great trip. I was able to sit with my dad when he killed his deer. We sat at the same spot I sat Saturday evening. It was a tall narrow 3x3. We watched two small bucks (the two I saw when I killed my buck) and I spotted the 3x3 easing out of the wood line. Dad said when he turned broadside he would take the shot. However, the deer walked straight toward us and never turned so dad shot him just below the neck. The shot severed his spine and he hit the ground with a thud. The other two bucks ran ~25 yards and went back to feeding. Dad sent Bubba, who was ~400 yards behind us at the bottom of another draw. a text and asked if he wanted to come shoot one of these bucks. Bubba eased toward us but spotted another buck in a lane behind dad and me. He signaled to us that he spotted him, took his shot and we had two bucks on the ground. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!!!!!! Dad, Bubba and I had to get on the road Thursday morning but three other guys were going to stay at camp until they tagged out or the season ended (Sunday). Friday night I receive this picture of my cousin with an absolute brute of a mule deer: One of the biggest that has been killed in our camp.

After not seeing any sign of a deer in the acres upon acres upon acres that I could glass I decide to follow a four wheeler trail down into the canyon below. This morning just had that "feel" to it. A light frost on the ground, no wind and fairly clear skies......something had to be moving somewhere. As I make my way down the trail I'm seeing a few tracks here and there but nothing that is getting me excited. This trail goes down into the bottom of the canyon which plays out into ~20 acre opening........lunch time. TO BE CONTINUED.......

Sunday morning 11/6/16: I head back out in front of the ranch house but instead of going to the ridge between the draws I opt to sit on the first ridge overlooking the first draw where I saw the deer the evening prior. As daylight approaches I can hear antlers tinkling to my left. Once it is light enough to see through the binos I spot two very small young bucks sparring ~100 yards from me. As the light grew brighter I watched these two young 'uns plus another small buck make their way out of the draw and over the other side of the ridge. Just as they top the ridge a decent 4x4 comes from the other side and meets them. He pays them no mind and heads down the draw in front of me ~200 yards out. I put the crosshairs on him a few times but decide to let him walk in hopes of a bigger buck in the future. He makes his way into the canyon below. I head out and back to camp. This is the small bucks. Picture is grainy due to zooming in with cell phone. Sunday evening: After a lot of thinking and debating with myself I have decided I'm going to shoot the 4x4 if he makes an appearance this evening. Much to my surprise, nothing shows and I get skunked. Monday morning 11/7/16: I'm back in the same spot as Sunday evening. As the sunlight peaks over the trees it is evident nothing is in the draw nor making it's way into the draw. I'm getting frustrated a little so I decide to do a little walking. Another picture of the mountains from the ridge I was on:

Saturday 11/5/16, Opening Day: Alarm sounds off at 4:00am. We grunt and growl our way out of our bunks and into the cook tent for some coffee. Head out for our selected areas at 4:30am. I'm hunting the mid portion of a ranch. Dad is about 1/2 mile away and Bubba heads to the back 40. The rest of the guys are hunting pieces of property about 10 miles away. We arrive at the gate and it begins to sprinkle but the radar doesn't show anything heavy so I hop out of the truck and decide to seek shelter under some scrub oaks. 30 minutes in and the rain has increased and is steady. Dad and Bubba make their way back to me and we wait out the rain in the truck. Just at good seeing light, the rain stops and we head out again. I see one deer this morning. Dad and Bubba get skunked. I managed to get a couple of pics of the mountains in the distance. Back at camp by 10:00am. Saturday evening: We head back to the ranch at 3:00pm. I sit a different spot this time. It's out in front of the ranch house ~400 yards on a ridge looking into a small draw that drops off into a canyon to the right. Some decent bucks have been seen here in years past. As darkness falls I see nothing but bushes and birds. As I'm making my way back to the ranch house to be picked up I spot 4 deer making their way out of the canyon and up the draw behind me. I watch as they make their way all the way up to the house.....literally less than 100 yards from the front door step. 3 small bucks and a doe. I ease out without spooking them too much.

Wednesday 11/2/16: Alarm sounds off at 3:30am. I jump out of bed and get everything loaded and hit the road to meet my dad and our friend Bubba at my dad's house for a 4:30am departure. Packed and ready to roll: We hit the road on time and arrive in Aztec, NM at 8:45pm (9:45pm CST) that night. Full ~17 hour uneventful trip. New Mexican Territory: Thursday 11/3/16: Up at 6:00am, top off the fuel tank and hit the road for the 45 minute drive into camp. Not much happened today. We got camp set up and did a little scouting. 11/4/16: Up at 6:00am. Breakfast of pan sausage, fried eggs, hashbrowns, bacon and biscuits. On to do more scouting. Not seeing much and getting a little worried this might be a hard hunt this year. Back to camp to finish unpacking and getting rifles dialed in. Hit the sack at 9:00pm.

Well crap.....pics are posting like I thought they would. Hang tight and I'll see if I can get them posted.

Wednesday 11/2/16: Alarm sounds off at 3:30am. I jump out of bed and get everything loaded and hit the road to meet my dad and our friend Bubba at my dad's house for a 4:30am departure. Packed and ready to roll: https://pix.sfly.com/F8PkPr We hit the road on time and arrive in Aztec, NM at 8:45pm (9:45pm CST) that night. Full ~17 hour uneventful trip. New Mexican Territory: https://pix.sfly.com/ou71F8 https://pix.sfly.com/5AY-mF https://pix.sfly.com/9tt4os https://pix.sfly.com/7DcEpu Thursday 11/3/16: Up at 6:00am, top off the fuel tank and hit the road for the 45 minute drive into camp. https://pix.sfly.com/diyUJu https://pix.sfly.com/X-HEXa https://pix.sfly.com/cM1-1Z Not much happened today. We got camp set up and did a little scouting. 11/4/16: Up at 6:00am. Breakfast of pan sausage, fried eggs, hashbrowns, bacon and biscuits. On to do more scouting. Not seeing much and getting a little worried this might be a hard hunt this year. https://pix.sfly.com/Vdwegb Back to camp to finish unpacking and getting rifles dialed in. https://pix.sfly.com/E233sm https://pix.sfly.com/mbf2uy https://pix.sfly.com/yVzgHB Hit the sack at 9:00pm.

Bob Gato

Dawg Team 3 Colorado mule deer buck, 8 scoreable points