First Mulie Buck
I mentioned I’d check in again with the full story from South Dakota and some better
pics!
Winding back 12 days prior, I jumped off two planes from work, a few energy drinks in
tow, and with a 7hr drive ahead of me I was off on my first South Dakota adventure with
good friend Joe McDougal.
I’d be bowhunting the rifle season, wearing orange for the first time in a while and to say
the country terrain was brand new to me in a sense is an understatement.
We’d be mainly hunting canyon country, relying on Joe’s efforts all season behind the
spotting scope and strategizing on how to still bow hunt effectively all the while facing a
few hurdles out of our control at the same time.
The First Morning
The first morning began with our target deer holding a hot doe for over an hour at
115yds in the bottom of the canyon, so we patiently kept on over the next few days. It
was apparent the we were definitely facing severe lockdown with some of our most
mature deer and it would be a game of patience and whether or not it would be “right
place, right time, hot doe tugging one by, etc.”
The Third Morning
Fast forward to the third morning, I got to hear Joe’s trusty 30-06 ring out in the adjacent
canyon and the text came through...” I got HIM” .... Joe’s best deer of his life among
some of his greats already, and his smile and glassy eyes made it that much more fun
to load him up and pay the respects we did to that canyon monarch!
With Joe’s buck down, and lockdown still holding strong we moved onto day 9. I asked,
“how would you feel about helping me chase my first mulie buck?” This was to be back
closer to where Joe lived on a different piece of ground.
That evening we glassed up some great up and comer’s, and one super mature deer
that Joe has had history with for many years now. Darkness finally came over us and as
we thought we knew where to be in the AM, we had two plans in motion.
We would go place a blind quick, as I would sit a few hours in the morning and Joe
would try to find one to possibly stalk if need be within the spotting scope.
As the sun rose, I had a dozen mule deer doe and a 4yr old 3X4 at 17yds and I was
taking it all in and decided to hold off for the mature one we knew couldn’t be too far off
somewhere.
I decided to sit until about 10:30 and Joe picked me up with a grin on his face and the
question I was waiting for ....” I found our deer, are you ready to try stalking him!?”
We were able to get a great look at the buck, as he was holding 5 doe along a strip of
round bales, and Joe and I figured with a perfect wind in my face scenario, I might be
able to loop nearly 500yds behind the bales looking to angle in and peer around the far
end trying to figure out what would come next.
It’s been awhile since I felt that different rush of adrenaline induced by the long stalk
and racing thoughts, all mixed with the small pep talks and prayers that I could close the
distance quietly yet also be self-filming the entire stalk. Joe had the big camera
watching from a distance.
As I neared the bails and placed an action cam on a bail behind me, my stabilizer cam
was rolling also, and I removed my quiver and readied a second arrow along side of me
for that anything could happen feeling that I had.
All I can say is wow, as my heart was running fast and things were definitely starting to
unfold as I couldn’t believe my eyes once I peered over the bail to catch his tines, just
21yds away! He was almost in a full sneak position looking dead away and panting in a
sense and we all know what they look like when they are going away, so I was now
committed on trying him once the opportunity presented itself.
As I readied myself, and worked closer to the end of the bail, I noticed a small fork horn
at only 8yds bedded broadside and I began to hook up the release.
The forky rose from his bed and bounced off a bit as I got to my anchor point and side
stepped around the bails only to see our guy jogging away like a dog about to pick up
his tennis ball on a slow roll....as he stopped at a hard quarter, I found his off leg and
gapped my pins for 35ish. I watched the Lumenok bury up to the fletching and I
immediately was loading my second arrow.
As the buck stopped at exactly 65.6yds his hind end was drooping already, and so I
dialed my React Trio to 70yds, gapped my pins and let another one 12 ring him through
everything and seconds later I was watching my first Mulie buck pile up, and reflecting
on the fact we finally did it after 10 days of madness!
Joe managed to catch the shots, specifically the blow through coming at him on the
second shot and between three camera angles and the entire experience in general. I’m
excited to share the footage with ya’s soon enough!
Getting up to the buck, it was only then that I understood how old this buck was based
on Joe’s history with him and a neck/body/face that you only dream of might carry a 30”
frame one day.
The experience was epic in my eyes, especially after closing in on a great buck in Iowa
just weeks prior and I couldn’t be more thankful for another “first” of many more type
experiences.
I want to thank Joe and Neil Hylla again for welcoming me on my SD experience and I
also want to thank all the companies that support me and help me be the bowhunter I
strive to be. I also want to thank you all for your support, and I’m hoping y’all are having
some great hunts of your own out there!
Let’s continue pushing on into late season the best we can. Thanks again for sharing in
all this with me, and y’all have a great Thanksgiving in the meantime!
God bless!
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