A day like no other - part two

We rambled along a four wheel road out through the sage brush to an area I had marked on the map while I was scouting on Google Earth the week before.  It looked promising, it was a huge area of bitterbrush and juniper surrounded by a vast plain of sage brush.  As soon as we started hunting it looked like exactly what would hold some game, there were a lot of rubs, and fresh droppings all over.  It was easy to see that the deer were spending a lot of time in this area.  Fortune smiled on us as the wind was in our favor as we headed through the brush.  We spent the next few hours working our way out through the scrub brush, glassing carefully and often.  It's a tough thing trying to keep the hopes of a 12 year old alive.

As we stopped for another glassing session I picked up on some movement along the treeline, it was well over a thousand yards out, but it was enough to put a smile on my daughters face, and give us both a second wind.

As we watched I saw another deer come out to join the first.  At this point I'm wishing I had a spotting scope, as my 10x42's weren't getting me zoomed in as close as I would've liked to have been to see if it was a buck or not.

We decided to move in closer, and were able to cover a third of the distance.  The wind was still in our favor and the deer still had not been alerted to our presence.  The problem now was that it was all open sage brush in between us and them, there was no way we could make it to them without being seen.  As we watched them they moved back into the brush.  We decided to backtrack and circle around them and try to come in from them from another direction.  When we finally caught sight of them it ended up being a doe and her two yearlings.  We searched hard and long for any signs of a buck but saw nothing, so we continued hunting.

On the way out we saw the same doe and yearlings, but a buck was silhouetted on the horizon about 75 yards back from them.  Taylor was getting set up with her bi-pod as he stepped out into the open and stopped and looked at us.  Taylor dialed in on him and fired a shot, and his ears perked up.  I could tell it was a miss.  As she chambered another round he took off.  I whistled to him loudly and he stopped in his tracks after he was about another 25 yards.  As he looked like he was ready to take off again I let loose with another whistle, and he decided to do a very strange thing...he ran back to where she originally shot at him.  This time she was ready and let loose with another round.  This time he jolted and I knew that she had hit him.  As she stood up and we started towards where she had shot him she was full of emotion.  I can only imagine how many feelings must have been going through her mind and body as all of this had unfolded easily in less then 10 minutes even though it seemed like forever!  I threw the scope up as we headed towards the area to see if I could see him anywhere and I saw antlers on the ground.  When I let her know she was more excited then I had ever seen her in her entire life, and I don't think I've ever been more proud of her.

As we walked up to him we could see he was a nice buck, nicer then we thought he was when we first spotted him.  He was a very nice four pointer, and fell well within her original criteria for what she wanted at the beginning of the season.

It was well after dark when we finally made it back out to the main road and were heading home.  My wife hadn't heard from us in almost 24 hours as there was no cell reception in Grand View either.  I'm sure she was very surprised when I sent her back a picture of Taylor with her deer.  We made it probably a third of the way back home before Taylor was out like a light.  It was a long weekend for her, lots of ups and downs, and lots of emotion, but she was a trooper.  She's a tough girl, and when it came right down to it she get's the job done.  She's made her mom and dad very proud of her.

She's already talking about spring bear hunting, and wanting to get an elk next year.  I think you could say she's already addicted to hunting.  That's my girl!