The day started well. At 7:05 this morning on the drive in about a mile from where I was going to hunt, I saw a doe about to run in front of me. It was still dark so I had my bright lights on and as she crossed I saw a buck right on her heels. I was dead stopped as he ran 10 yards ahead in my high beams. Biggest buck I ever saw; at least 5 long points on both sides. Easy a 150 or 160 deer!
The trip to the stand was uneventful. The morning was rather slow though I did see 7 deer. Every time a doe started to get close; the haphazard wind would betray me. Funny thing about these deer is when say smell you they just slightly raise their flag and take a couple of those indignant prancing steps….and go back to feeding in another direction. I have yet had a deer stomp it’s feet or even snort!
This afternoon was very slow as I saw one doe. The wind is playing havoc as its extremely variable and every deer I saw today knew where I was at before they got close. This would have been a great day for sightings anywhere but here. You just expect more here.
People don’t come here just to see deer or shoot doe; they come from all over to kill the gagger bucks. Crestedbutte, they show a slide show first of the legendary bucks they have captured on trail cameras in the past; then the ones from this year. You will be impressed! That said I will have to give you a demerit for naming the area
No worries as it was a bad kept secret. I was dropping clues along the way. Once you buy a $447 non-resident license to try to draw one of the highly sought after 20 licenses in a given week; it becomes evident that it’s expensive spin at the roulette wheel.
I will close by saying I need a change of strategy as I’m not seeing the bucks and I’m being busted by the does. You do get two stand locations by order of your draw slip but I’m going for broke by moving my 2nd stand location next to my first one to have a bigger swath of assigned territory. Probably will just use one stand to easier move with the daily changing conditions.
With a little (lot of) luck maybe I will have a better report tomorrow. The bucks ought to really be chasing
next week for Crestedbutte.
