300 yard crawling stalk to 11 yard bow shot (pic added)

[Okanagan]

On Friday I watched the best stalk I've ever seen. A 20 year old friend crawled well over 300 yards up a gentle grass slope toward three mule deer bucks facing him all the way, and shot the biggest one at 11 yards with a bow, a dandy 5x7.

First photo inserted here Sept 30.  Original story left below photo.   I have computer access for a few hours again. 



The young man, his father and I spotted two bucks from a farm grid road that cut across the lower end of a grass strip that ran up a gentle slope in the middle of a big stubble field, a slight swale. The swale ran straight south uphill, and a light, quiet breeze was blowing down it toward the north. The bucks were lying near the top edge, facing downhill, looking down the grass strip and almost bare wheat field toward the road. The breeze warned them by scent of anything that came in across the stubble field above and behind them.

A very nice buck was bedded near a smaller one, both of them facing us. We weren't stopped more than 30 seconds at the lower end of the swale when the smaller buck got up, nervous. So we drove on. A half mile away and out of sight, the young man said that he would crawl up the grass strip. To go back down the road would put him in view of the bucks as he got out of the vehicle so he hopped on the rear bumper of the van we were driving and slung his body on the side away from the bucks by hanging on the roof rack as we drove back past. His Dad slowed to under 10 mph and the hunter dropped off flat on his belly with his bow, and crawled into the grass as we drove on.

We drove to a low hill 3/4 mile away and watched the entire stalk with binoculars. It took him most of an hour. There is not a single bush, tree nor shrub of any kind anywhere in the swale. The grass averages a little more than knee high, with the tallest section a small area at the top where the bucks were bedded in waist high grass. The hunter took off his boots within the first 100 yards. Three times a buck stood up and we thought it was game over but they would feed a few bites and move their bed to deeper shade in the noon sun.

When the hunter got inside of 30 yards of the top, he stood to a crouch with an arrow nocked and walked toward the bucks which he had not seen in quite awhile. He thought they had moved out. We hadn't seen either of them in the last ten minutes since they had hidden in taller grass. The hunter wanted to make a buck stand up and hope it would give him time for a shot as it rose.

He spotted a deer ear and dropped to his knees at full draw while making a fawn bleat with his voice. A fork horn buck stood up. Wrong buck! He aimed at the forkie and stood up, keeping the bow drawn. He looked around with his eyes while keeping his aim on the two point, and spotted tall antlers coming out of a big tuft of grass, with ears on each side. He bleated again and the 5x7 stood up at 11 yards, quartering toward him. He told me he picked a hair in the crease where neck joins shoulder, and saw the nock disappear into the spot.

From my viewpoint, we could not see any deer and watched him hold at full draw for a long time. Then bucks started bounding out of the grass into the stubble field. Three came out of the grass, one we had not seen before. The wounded buck ran up toward a grassy fence line and two more bucks jumped up and took off. The 5x7 went 120 yards, hit through heart and the edge of one lung, and fell in the open stubble.

What a rush to watch.

I'm on the road, using a friend's computer, and didn't take a camera so have no photos of my own. When I get home in about ten days or so I'll try to get a photo of the buck and post it.

[Hawks Feather]

WOW.  That must have been quite a show to watch.  Thanks for the post.

Jerry

[HaMeR]

That would be cool to do & watch!! Wish I coulda been there. Oh wait!! I was & Thanks for taking me!!     

Congratulations to the young man on a hunt well done!! 

[KySongDog]

What a great story!   Congratulations to the young man!   

[FinsnFur]

Drove by and he jumped off the bumper letting go of the cargo rack and rolled into the ditch with his bow. :roflmao:

I started to hear the James Bond theme music when I got to that part. Man that would have been some great footage. Sounds to me like the boys got a lot of heart for hunting. Congrats to all involved.

[JohnP]

Super story, anxiously awaiting photo's.

[alscalls]

 

[LORDDAL]

Drove by and he jumped off the bumper letting go of the cargo rack and rolled into the ditch with his bow. :roflmao:

I started to hear the James Bond theme music when I got to that part. Man that would have been some great footage. Sounds to me like the boys got a lot of heart for hunting. Congrats to all involved.

Awsome Story and congrats on a great buck to your young friend and Jimbo right idea wrong theme music I was thinkin Mission Immpossible da da da da da dada 

[possumal]

Kudos to the young bowhunter. That takes a lot of determination and stamina!  He'll never forget that stalk, and you guys won't either.   

[pitw]

Great story and I'm glad you didnt manage to screw it up like I probably would have.  Congrats to the man on a job well executed.

[Frogman]

WOW!!  What a great story and stalk.

Jim

[Okanagan]

Thanks for the kudos to a fine young man.  Am near a computer for a few hours again and will add a photo the hunter e-mailed me.  On second thought, will insert it with the story at the start of this thread.

[HaMeR]

That is a nice buck!! 

[SCcoyotehunter]

What a great story, Nothing like a good successful stalk. WTG!!!!

[Okanagan]

Another pic.  The green trace straight above the buck is the upper end of the grassy swale where the buck was bedded when the archer crawled up to him.  The swale runs down to the left in the photo.

[vvarmitr]

Now that's hunting!

Great job!
BTW don't forget to get a pix of the stalking route.

[FinsnFur]

Wow......real nice buck too.

[golfertrout]