Successful Mule Deer Hunt

[BigDMT]

Went out hunting mule deer with my son for the first time this year. We planned on a 4 day trip to find a good trophy buck, but the weather was warm, moon was full with clear skies during the night, and storms were approaching the mountain pass on our return route home. So needless to say, deer were not moving very much at all during the daylight hours and we were not going to be very picky. Plus the freezer was empty after only shooting an antelope buck last year.

Spotted the buck looking right at us in a ravine just getting up to stretch his legs, a quick reading from the Leica told me he was 376 yards. Had a 10-15 mph crosswind with ocassional 20 mph gusts. Got lined up on him with my new 338-375 Ruger and held about 2 MOA into the wind. Touched the trigger and the 250gr Berger Elite Hunter VLD was on it's way. In the blink of an eye, it struck him right in the shoulder wiping his lungs out. He hobbled off about 20 yards and tipped over dead.

Got the buck back to the truck and spotted a couple does bedded down in the next ravine about 100 yards over from where we just shot the buck. I asked my boy if we should end the hunt right now and he very excitedly said "Shoot her Dad!!!" with a big wide eyed smile on his face. I hit her with the Leica and it told me she was 260 yards. I lined up on her, held about 1 MOA for the same crosswind, and touched the trigger once again. The 250gr Berger hit it's mark perfectly in the shoulder and never even let her get up from her bed. DRT.







Shot the buck all the way at the back of this crack in the ground.

 

[Jason Boersma]

nice buck and nice rifle

 

[dkhunt14]

Nice deer and sounds like that 338-375 Ruger did the job. Hunting here can be tough during full moon, seems sometimes like they crawl in a hole and pull it after.

 

[hogpatrol]

Congrats on a great hunt. A double is always nice. Hog

 

[SS427]

I would like to see the bucks you kill when you are picky. Very nice.

 

[pacificman]

Looks like you will have lots of venison for awhile. Good story and pics!

 

[BigDMT]

I would like to see the bucks you kill when you are picky. Very nice.

thanks, but if you look closely, you can see that the one side of his antlers is only a giant fork with a brow tine and small kicker at the base. If both sides would have been identical, he would have been a pretty decent buck being that he is 25" wide.

But the important thing to me was getting good kills with my son to teach him the art of hunting, recovery, and field dressing. I also wanted to make sure I gave him a very positive and exciting hunting experience to get him hooked right off the bat. He had an absolute blast being in on all that harvesting of game at once. So I think I did well in starting the creation of a future wildlife conservationist

 

[LKEYES]

Congrats on the double, and it's even sweeter when you have your young son along, very special and he will never forget it.

 

[jonbearman]

Nice looking buck right there,good job and you are lucky to share with your son as my son chose the wrong path.

 

[North Fork]

Why didn't you let your son shoot him

 

[pacificman]

Why didn't you let your son shoot him

I would imagine depending on the age of his son the recoil of a 338-375 would be a bit on the heavy side! ;D
I started my own Son with light recoiling rifles and worked up to what he enjoyed shooting. He can now shoot them all proficiently.
Just my thoughts.

 

[BigDMT]

Why didn't you let your son shoot him

my son just turned 9 years old in September and I hate muzzle brakes on hunting rifles so the recoil on my 338 is WAY too much for him. I have other lighter recoiling hunting rifles, but they were not with us. The back up rifle I brought on the trip was a 358 Norma Mag which is also way too much for him. Plus kids are not legally aloud to hunt here until they are 12 years old.

Only a few more years and he'll be pulling the trigger. I've had him shooting 22lr and varmint rifles in 20 cal since he was 5 years old and he is a heck of a shot. So by the time he is 12,he will be well prepared for the field.