Tough Decision
Tough Decision
About 5 weeks ago (last week of the archery hunt), I took my son out for an overnight camping trip. I had a friend that had an archery tag for the same unit I was hunting and was not having much luck finding the bucks.
I took my son to a place that was easier to hike and even though it got more hunting pressure, I thought I could still find a buck or two.
What I ended up finding was one of the biggest bucks I have ever seen during a hunting season.
I tried to contact my friend but he would not answer. When I talked to him the next day, he informed me that he was done for the year and he had been out hunting on another mountain with no phone signal.
So here's the deal, I've been out three different days looking for this buck, including the opener of the muzzy hunt and yesterday with no sign of it.
Yesterday, there was a flock of magpies eating on something in the very same clearing that I had seen the buck in before, so maybe someone got him.
I've decided to concede the fact that most likely I won't see him again and have decided to stick with plan "b" and hunt another area during the rifle hunt that is about an hour away from this location. The plan "b" canyon has some really nice bucks in it too, so I feel good about our chances of maybe getting a couple a nice bucks, just not that buck of a lifetime.
Would you guys do the same thing or stick it out to the end and keep looking for this monster buck?
I took my son to a place that was easier to hike and even though it got more hunting pressure, I thought I could still find a buck or two.
What I ended up finding was one of the biggest bucks I have ever seen during a hunting season.
I tried to contact my friend but he would not answer. When I talked to him the next day, he informed me that he was done for the year and he had been out hunting on another mountain with no phone signal.
So here's the deal, I've been out three different days looking for this buck, including the opener of the muzzy hunt and yesterday with no sign of it.
Yesterday, there was a flock of magpies eating on something in the very same clearing that I had seen the buck in before, so maybe someone got him.
I've decided to concede the fact that most likely I won't see him again and have decided to stick with plan "b" and hunt another area during the rifle hunt that is about an hour away from this location. The plan "b" canyon has some really nice bucks in it too, so I feel good about our chances of maybe getting a couple a nice bucks, just not that buck of a lifetime.
Would you guys do the same thing or stick it out to the end and keep looking for this monster buck?
There's always next year
-
MuleyMadness
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9997
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 9:34 pm
- Location: St. George, UT
- Contact:
Re: Tough Decision
Sounds exciting and fun, tough call for sure. I would have spent a fair amount of time looking for the monster, that's what I usually do and then I don't kill anything. 
That being said, plan "b" sounds good to and I'll probably go there without any sightings of the big guy. Best of luck.
That being said, plan "b" sounds good to and I'll probably go there without any sightings of the big guy. Best of luck.
Re: Tough Decision
I did the same thing sort of. I had been hunting a buck for two years with a few sightings of him but I could never get a shot at him. I spent the first week of the bow hunt this year trying to turn him up but he never showed. One day I'd just got back to my truck after another unsuccessful hike up the ridge after the buck, a guy pulled up and started chatting with me. Pretty soon he pulls out his phone and shows me a pick of a buck he had killed on the muzzle loader hunt, off the side of the road last fall, in the same general area. Sure enough there was my buck, dead.
It did suck to have spent all the time hunting a dead buck but all the same I'd rather spend my time going after the "one". So I'm with Brett I'd give the big guy at least one more shot and hope for the best.
It did suck to have spent all the time hunting a dead buck but all the same I'd rather spend my time going after the "one". So I'm with Brett I'd give the big guy at least one more shot and hope for the best.