We let the sun come up and decided to move along. Within a mile or two we spotted a group of deer. We made a play on them but they soon ditched us in the thick juniper and pinnon forest. After several hours of driving and glassing we decided to head out to the canyons and try to spot some bighorn sheep for fun as we were not seeing any deer.
It was approaching noon by the time we got into the canyon area that holds a large population of bighorns. My mind was on making a sandwich and taking a break while lazily glassing for sheep during the heat of the day. I was totally checked out and day dreaming when Mrs. H&H casually said “Deer, right there in the shade of the that tree up ahead.”
Sure enough up ahead we’re two visible deer taking a nap in the shade of a large juniper. I stoped the truck, pulled off the two track and ranged them at 277 yards. Mrs. H&H slid her rifle out of its soft case stepped out of the truck and was settling in for a shot. As often happens with mule deer they stuck around just long enough to let her get settled then bolted into the draw they were resting near. I turned off the truck grabbed my standing sticks and with Mrs. H&H in tow crossed over to the down wind side of the draw and started to walk and glass.
We went about 300 yards and the draw was quickly turning into a deep canyon. I said “let’s turn around, I think they ditched us.” Just as I offered those sage words of hunter wisdom Mrs. H&H whispered “Freeze!” Right across from us on the far side of the draw was a mule deer. I slowly set up the shooting sticks as Mrs. H&H shouldered her rifle and snuggled into the rest. “187 yards... But don’t shoot, it’s a spike buck”. He hadn’t seen us and soon wandered off over the ridge. We quickly gathered ourselves and as carefully as possible snuck over the ridge. As we started down into the trees on the other side I noticed that there was a little valley below several hundred yards from us.
I thought to myself, this would be an awesome place to catch these deer! And sure enough as we approached the opening I saw a grey body on the opposite tree line. We snuck to the edge of the trees and once again set up the sticks. As we were getting ready to shoot the little spike suddenly turned and pegged us and the doe he was with disappeared into the brush line. My hunter was already set up on her sticks. I whispered, just hold perfectly still, do not move. The stare down lasted for an eternity.I didn’t time it but it had to of been 5 minutes or more. The spike buck never diverted his stare.
I was intently watching the buck who was intently watching me when Mrs. H&H whispered there she is! A big doe had appeared out of the three line to left of the spike. Her curiosity was to much to bear, she had to come stare at what the spike was staring at. I slowly ranged her. “157”. The doe was straight on to us. Mrs. H&H clicked off the safety and whispered, I’ve got to much wobble to take the shot. With that I braced my hands to together and placed them under her trigger hand elbow. I was in the process of asking her if that was better when the rifle barked and the doe immediately dropped to the ground. She was stone cold dead with a broken neck and a bullet through the top of the heart.
“Excellent shot, but stay on her just in case” I said. There was no need. The hunter had made a clean shot.
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