Sunday, October 14

It was the last day of Wyoming deer season, so I was ready to lower my standards. I decided to return to the same general part of the Ranch, but to hunt Horn Gulch. I was still hunting from dark to dark, and was getting tired. But this was the last day of the season!

We were up before sunrise as usual, frost on the ground. Fast breakfast then out onto the county road, for a trip to the South Gate, about 5 or so miles. Some rain had fallen the previous day or so, and the road was muddy. I drove only about 15 miles an hour, but still managed to slide entirely off the road at one point.

I parked at the gate, just off the map above, south of the Pond. The rain had made the road beyond the gate a mess, and it was a mess in the best of times (there are lots of grooves from the differential dragging along in the middle of the road). I decided not to risk anything with my tinhorn 4 x 4 (it was a mere shadow of a 4 x 4 compared to Bill's or Craig's), and hiked north along the road (blue line in above map) to Horn Gulch.

I hunted walking along the west side of Horn, just above the aspens on the west side, and looking over the hillsides and aspens on the east side.

The aspens on the west side of Horn Gulch, at the entry into the canyon.

There is a single patch of cactus there, one of the few I have seen on the Ranch. (There are also some in the Little Savory and one in Five Buttes Draw).

Cactus growing in a cluster.

As I rounded one grove of aspen, I noted a buck rub.

There may have been a buck there once, rubbing, but not now. I saw nada.

I got to the end of the peninsula between Horn and Waterfall, and rounded the point (red "X" on the map). I was now on the same ridge as the Shooter from the previous day, down canyon from where I saw him. While examining the far side, I spotted a deer at a distance of 900 yards, just in the sage of the plateau on the far side (red "O" on the map). I started to check him out with the spotting scope, he had really high backs, but his fronts were lost in the sage background. Before I could get a good look, he disappeared over a ridge, into chest-high sage. 

This is the view I had across Waterfall Canyon. The deer was at the X.

I was not sure of his size, but it was the last day. Hmmm. I had the choice of either going after one that I knew was there or continuing along the ridge, looking for one I did not know was there.  Also, it would be a stalk in chest-high sage, meaning an offhand shot, possibly at a bounding deer.  Craig had missed such a shot just a few days previously, and I knew I was not a good offhand shot.  Also, I would not know which way he went once he had hit the plateau, so it was not the same thing as a stalk after a bedded buck. Finally, I decided to go for it. 

 

I noted some landmarks, so I would know where to go once I got over to the far side of the canyon (knowing things always look different when you are there), and took off after him.  I went down into Waterfall Canyon, the creek was too wide to jump. I descended the embankment, got across the water, and found a way up the other embankment.

Waterfall Creek where I crossed. Too wide to jump! It is about 5 feet deep.

This is the view up Waterfall Canyon.

After 25 minutes, I had crossed a canyon and climbed up the other side, to where I last saw him.  Based on the movement of some deer in the area I had seen a few days previously, I thought I might know where he went, so I cautiously moved through the sage, taking 10 steps and scanning the horizon, expecting him to jump up on me at any time.  I was lucky, in that there was a road going in the right general direction (road is dotted line on the map).  This allowed me to move faster and quieter than I could have moved through the chest-high sage that was there.

 

After about 75 yards and 15 minutes, he did pop up but just stood there, at 75 yards, looking at me.  I was lucky: I missed on the first off-hand shot, but unbelievably he held still for about another 4 seconds, enough to take a second shot.  He simply disappeared.  I did not know if I had gotten him, but had not noticed him bounding away. It was a mystery.  I marked the ground with my heel, so I would know where I had shot from.  I ranger-finder-ed the distance to where I thought he had been, so I could reference this point.  I picked out a high piece of sage as a landmark and started toward toward it.  Nothing when I got there: no deer, no blood, no nothing.  Zip.  I marked the sage with a piece of medical tape (from my emergency kit in my pack; the surveyor's tape that was supposed to be there for this purpose was missing; later, I found it in the back of my vehicle).  This would be my reference point, and I started making every widening circles, looking for sign.  I was about at the 30 feet circle when I spotted him, down and dead.  When I approached, I could see the frothy blood that marks a lung shot, plus hoof marking from the front hooves marking a spine shot. (Located at "K" on the map.)

The entry wound was too high and too far back, but still lethal. He is a 4 x 3, with very high backs.

This is the smallest buck I have taken, but the longest stalk and the only offhand shot.

I was about 8" too far behind the foreleg, and about 6" too high (I was aiming for the junction of the lower and middle thirds), but still took out both lungs and the spine.  I cleared out the sage so I would have a clear field, then skinned and quartered him, while the sky took to raining a bit and then cleared.  I got it done in 90 minutes.  I then took all my gear plus one quarter and began the 2 mile + hike back to the car.  It was long and hard, and I was tired. But I had my buck, so I was happy.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the car. Apparently all the bucks knew I was tagged out! This is what I saw as I climbed up Horn Ridge:

These two monarchs were staring at me from the ridgetop, daring me to shoot now that my tag was filled.
They stood there about 10 minutes, and only moved off when I resumed my hike up the hill.

It was a very long way, and I was very glad I had packed a brewski in case of a success.  I drove back to camp and met Bill.  We decided that we might try the road through to Long Ridge (Craig had pioneered the way earlier in the week, said it was passable with some effort), but put it off to the next day.  We were able to drive there, so I was spared a very long walk with a very heavy load.  First time this has happened at the Five Buttes Ranch for me.  All the previous ones have been tough packouts.

 

I am not a good off-hand shot, but was lucky. He is a 4x3, light, not too big, but the spot and stalk was exciting and challenging.  I will remember this hunt.