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<\/a><\/p>\nSaturday November 13 – Up early and eventually back down to the lower ranch again. Right off we see a big 4×4 on a hill above us to our left. It\u2019s the Teacher again and this time I get a closer look. He’s huge! I\u2019m out and loading a round as he is moving below and to our right. We move to a grassy knob and I go prone but it\u2019s too late for a shot. He does seem like a smart buck. Moving on we come to a narrow opening that has a nice looking 3×3 with a doe. We watch him for a while and Dylan take some video. Back to the cabin for lunch with Clayton and Ashley. Kenny is setting up again on the dead cow but nothing\u2019s touched it so far. We\u2019re back out after lunch. We see a spike with a doe and then a big fork horn with a doe. A little further on we see an odd looking buck. He\u2019s a 4×3 and his left main beam hooks up. Dylan calls him \u2018Captain Hook\u2019 He\u2019s also with a doe. We start thinking he might be a good bow buck. We drive on and enter a narrow wooded area and stop near a 4×4 just inside the tree line watching us. I take some pictures. He\u2019s not a bad 4×4 although his backs are a little shallow. At the turn around we can see another ranch across the river and count 20 bucks in a clearing. Back to the Cabin for dinner with Holly, Clayton and Ashley, rib eyes off the bbq.<\/p>\n
Sunday November 14 – On our way out there is a 4×3 above the decrepit ranch house with 3 does. We move on and see spikes and some forkies. We pass by Hook with a doe and a spike. Further on we have a view of a distant hill side where a lone coyote is sunning himself in an open field. He\u2019s 800 yards so we leave him be. We pass a nice 3×3 with does.<\/p>\n
Coming back now Hook is on the knob just above the rock pit. We drive to the barbwire fence line and he\u2019s probably 100 yards from us. He\u2019s with a doe and staring right at us. At this point we decide to see if I can get him with my bow. I slip out and Dylan hands me my bow, I crouch with the bill of my hat covering my face and slowly start moving in a low crouch up the fence line. I have a post in mind to range from. I take my time hoping that he doesn\u2019t spook. I get to the post and take my rangefinder out and he\u2019s still standing there. He\u2019s at 55 yards. I estimate three posts to forty yards and start moving again. I get to my post and look up to range again. Still there. 39 yards. I start to clip my release on and as I do he turns endwise and puts his head down feeding! Now I\u2019m thinking I can get to 30. I move up two posts stand and as I draw he takes three steps forward putting him just over the horizon of the hill side. I move even closer and now he\u2019s broadside to me at 20 but I only see his back line. I contemplate shooting but decide against as I wouldn\u2019t be able to see the impact. It would make too much noise to cross the fence so I back out. Back to the truck Dylan asks why I didn\u2019t just shoot at 40. He says he\u2019s still there and to approach from the other side of the fence line and keep a tree in between me and the doe. I\u2019m off again, now my heart is pounding and I\u2019m shaking a little. Try to calm down as I creep to the tree. I\u2019m moving faster than before up to the tree but didn\u2019t see the buck or the doe as I got closer. I get to the tree and then step out. There he is broadside at 10 yards, the doe as well, neither spook. I clip on and draw, I have my twenty pin buried in his chest and just as I put my finger in front of the trigger he simply walks down the hillside and the doe follows. I move to the other side of the knob but don\u2019t have a shot. I should have drawn my bow before stepping out, should have believed that they were still there. Still, this was such an exciting stalk, one that I will be thinking about for the rest of the year.<\/p>\n