| For the avid New England deer hunter, fall is a very special time of year. With the changing of the leaves comes the first frost of the year. This can only mean deer season is just around the corner. For this hunter, deer season came a little bit early in 1997. Booking my very first western hunt almost two years earlier, judgment day was almost here. For most of us, a western hunt is an expensive endeavor. Being my first trip, it was hard to imagine what to expect, what to bring, and how to prepare. My adventure began in north central Wyoming at the base of the Big Horn Mountains in a town called Sheridan. The outfitter�s wife, Julia, picked me up at the airport, and after a short ride we were at their home. Once the other hunters arrived, it was off to the shooting range to see how our rifles weathered the flight. We were suppose to have our rifles sighted in one to two inches high at 100 yards. Shooting a Winchester Model 70 in a .30-06 with Federal 180-grain shells, I opted two inches high because of the heavier bullet. After some minor adjustments I was ready to roll. Camp was located on a 120,000 acre cattle ranch, which was about 50 miles east of Sheridan. Camp consisted of five wall tents, a cook tent, and a couple of campers. The tents had cots and propane heaters in them. The cook tent consisted of a propane oven and stovetop as well as a couple of tables where we ate our meals. Jim, our camp cook, prepared excellent meals and was very creative with the menu. Our day began with a 5:00 AM wake-up call. We would gather in the cook tent for a full breakfast. Legal shooting time began at 6:30 AM, so we would head out shortly after six. The style of hunting is all spot and stalk. We would hike into the bluffs at daybreak and begin glassing the rugged countryside. Good optics are a MUST. I had a Bausch & Lomb 9x25 binoculars, which wasn�t enough for the distance that we were glassing. We were glassing distances as far as a mile away. October first was opening day, and at daybreak we were on top of a bluff glassing the draws for movement. We saw several whitetails, some mule deer doe, a flock of turkeys, a flock of Canada geese, and some Sand Hill cranes. About 7:30, we spotted some movement coming out of a draw about 300 yards away. Out of the draw walked a mulie doe, no ten doe, wait 25 doe! There ended up being 29 doe and five bucks. We were looking down on the deer from a bluff and the wind was in our face. We had a few minutes to glass the herd and determine if there was a �shooter� in the bunch. The outfitter didn�t want any bucks taken with less than a 20 inch spread. The way to judge a mule deer�s rack is by its� ears. The distance between the ear tips when they are alert is approximately 19 to 21 inches. We definitely had a shooter in the bunch. The buck appeared to have a 24 to 26 inch outside spread. He was a typical 5 x 5 with a split right brow tine. He also had two sticker points, one on each side. I decided to try and take this trophy. For safety reasons we could keep shells in the magazine, but couldn�t chamber a round until we were ready to fire. Unlike eastern whitetail hunting, there is plenty of time to chamber a round and set up for a shot. I was using my backpack as a rest and settled the cross hairs behind the buck�s shoulder. The other deer kept walking in front of and behind the buck. They were quartering into us and about 285 yards away now. Some of the deer began to enter another draw. If the buck got into the draw and came up on the other side, he would be close to 400 yards away and out of my comfort level for a shot. The deer finally cleared from around the mature buck. At 265 yards away I squeezed the trigger. The roar of my Winchester broke the silence of the morning and the herd of mule deer scattered. The buck stumbled but was still standing. My guide, Cory Gusaas, said �reload and hit him again�. I followed orders and hit him a second time behind the shoulder. This time the buck swirled around offering quartering away shot at the vitals. At 300 yards, my very first mule deer hunt came to an end. The buck ended up with a 25 inch outside spread and 13 (6x7) scoreable points. Its� gross green score was 160 2/8 � B&C. The buck dressed out at 160 pounds and was 5 1/2 years old. The buck ended up with the largest rack of eleven deer taken in camp that week. There were several racks that scored in the 140�s. There was also a large bodied mule deer brought in which dressed out at 196 pounds. This deer was estimated at 7 1/2 years old. As a bonus, I was able to take a nice 12-inch pronghorn antelope with 6�� bases at about 200 yards. The antelope dressed out at 90 pounds and that too was the largest taken in camp that week. For the average hunter, these guided hunts are somewhat expensive. When all is said and done you could have anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 into the hunt. However, if you are only going to do this hunt once in a great while and only have a week�s vacation time to spend it is worth every penny. The area is scouted and the guides put you right on the animals the first morning instead of spending days trying to locate them. They know the buck�s patterns, where certain buck are located, and how to hunt them. It is a totally different type of hunting than us �eastern hunters� are use to. There is public land to hunt, but there seems to be more tracts of large private ranches that hold a lot of mature bucks. The outfitters who lease the hunting rights from the ranchers (for a price) try to take only mature trophy animals and the occasional management buck so the herd will stay strong and produce trophies year after year. The guides work extremely hard and give you 100% all of the time. They will hunt as hard as you want to. My guide Cory asked me one morning if I wanted to go back to the truck and take a nap. I replied that I can nap at home, I came to Wyoming to hunt. He smiled and said, �that�s what I like to hear�. We proceeded to walk for three more hours. Here are some helpful hints if you do decide to try a western mule deer hunt: ? Tags are by lottery. Deer and Antelope applications are due in March for Wyoming. Have the outfitter review the application to be sure it is filled out correctly. ? Practice, practice, and more practice. You owe it to yourself, the guide, and the trophy to be as accurate as possible. Be prepared for two to three hundred yard shots. ? Get in shape. You will put on A LOT of miles. I walked two miles a day, four to five time a week seven months prior to my trip. ? Bring good optics for all of that glassing you will do. The guides have spotting scopes, but an extra pair of eyes is always helpful. 10x42 binoculars are my preference for long range glassing. ? Bring a hydration pack or water bottle. The first two days had temperatures near 90 degrees. ? Bring a quiet backpack or fanny pack to carry your gear, extra socks, and water. My pack doubled as a rifle rest. Saddle Cloth, Fleece or wool works well because it is so quiet. ? Break in you boots before you go! You will put many miles on them. There are a lot of prickly pear cactus that can tear your rubber sole boots. I had 9� leather boots that worked well. Don�t sit or lean on the cactus, it hurts! ? Temperature varies between 40 and 80 degrees on average. Remember you will be walking allot, so bring more lighter clothes such as chamois and cotton instead of heavier wool clothes. It wouldn�t hurt to throw in a pair of wool socks or a wool shirt just in case the weather turns cold. ? Bring a camera to capture that special moment. The disposable cameras work well and are waterproof. Throw one in your pack and forget about it until you need it. ? A range finder is very helpful. The guides are good judges of distance, but an accurate range finder takes all of the guesswork out of it. Outfitter: The Trophy Connection Lao & Julia Dube� 440 Adkins Valley Lane Sheridan, Wyoming 82801 |