After a breakfast of flapjacks, Jim and I hit the road. Bill came along, but with the only tag left to fill being mine, it was mulie or bust!
We went back out to the west ranch, this time getting there without any extraneous turns or missteps. As we got in the area, we could see two important things. First, the yard mule deer had moved on somewhere. Second, with the cold night over and temperatures rising in the sunny morning, mule deer were on the move and were scattered all over.
We started at the small ranch where I was unable to shoot at the big mule deer. We drove most of this "small" ranch and saw several groups of mule deer. There were a couple of decent bucks, but nothing that Jim said was worth spending time on. I was starting to wonder if his standards were higher than mine. And they are... With no Mr. Big on the property, we went back to the larger ranch.
Once on the larger property, we started seeing mule deer all over. We quickly saw the crab claw deer nosing after a doe. I still thought it was a pretty deer, but with lots of time left, we kept going.
A short time later and after seeing several more small groups of deer, we saw a larger group to the right as we crested a blown-out levy. In that group, we saw a really wide mulie. Jim put the spotting scope on him, and he said he was a 3x4. Jim looked a few more minutes and said he had good mass; then he finished with, "I would shoot that one." He wasn't as excited as the big mulie the previous day, but it did look like a good mule deer and definitely one of the better ones we've seen on the hunt - certainly wider.
Jim slowly backed off and we got behind a large bluff. Jim and I got out of the truck and got ready for a stalk. I chambered a round and put on some additional layers of clothes as it was still very cold.
We slowly climbed the hill, with me staying a few steps behind Jim. I could catch a few glimpses of the deer, while we maneuvered to where Jim was happy with the view and amount of cover.
Jim said we were going to crawl ahead the final 30 yards. He warned me to watch out for cacti. I tried, but they seem to be the Wyoming gift that keeps on giving; I pulled several stickers out of myself throughout the rest of the day. Jim took his day pack off and set it in front of me as a rest. "They are at 150 yards," he said. "High shoulder when you have a clear shot and are rock steady and comfortable."
The deer were milling around happily, I settled the crosshairs high, but a little closer to center of body. I felt excited, but also surprisingly calm as I snapped the safety off.
I love the way rifles sound in the huge Wyoming sky. It is nothing like how they sound at home in the heavy woodlots or at the range. The rifle report is more of a low boom than a sharp crack, and it echoes off the surrounding hills, both close and distant. Magical.
My first shot hit him hard, but it was a bit low. One went over his back, but two more in quick succession put him on the ground for good.
We stood and observed him and walked back to the truck. Jim congratulated me. I was excited and elated. The walk back to the truck seemed much shorter than the stalk up. But it was long at the same time.
I won't claim it was my finest shooting ever, as I did need one finisher after we drove up on him to end things quickly. I was thrilled. I still am. Mule deer has been on my bucket list for a long time, not just the animal, but the whole experience. He was a very wide 3x4 with good mass. Perhaps more importantly, I got the Wyoming experience I was hoping for. Seeing many mule deer to look over, a stalk with snow on the ground and a cold Western wind. And taking the deer at a relatively long range.
150 yards - long range? Well ... about that. Jim later told me it was actually 250 yards and that is why he stressed a high shoulder shot. His tactic worked - I would have had less confidence in the shot if I had known it was longer than I had thought. Quite the guide, that Jim.
We spent some time taking pictures before heading back to town with my mule deer buck in the truck. One the way out of the property, we again saw the land owner. We stopped so he could see my deer and we talked a bit. Even though Jim leases hunting rights, I thanked him for the opportunity to hunt on his beautiful land and for the great experience that it was. He seemed pretty happy to see the deer as well.
We went to the taxidermist in Hulett, who was the same guy who did my pronghorn several years previous. That work was excellent, so I knew my mulie would be too. Looking at several mule deer in progress at the shop, mine showed actually quite well. Northeast Wyoming mulies are a little lighter in mass than what would be expected in agricultural areas or in parts of New Mexico, but it was a great deer and a greater experience. He was still all mulie with the white face with grey on top, and he was definitely a mature deer which is what Jim strives to take.
Back at the lodge we ate lunch. Then Jim helped me quarter my deer. Temperatures were right around freezing with a cooling wind, so the meat should be good until evening where overnight temperatures were again expected to be well below freezing. The plan would be to pick up dry ice somewhere early to keep things cold for the trip home.
As it got dark, Jim and I sat on the road to look for good deer and "patrol" for road poachers. We happen to sit in a spot with decent cell phone coverage so I could at least update SO as to the plans to leave on Monday.
Dinner that night was succulent ribs with corn and potatoes. With the time change the previous night, it was dark, and I was tired early. But I forced myself to stay awake for a while before turning in for my last night in Wyoming.
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