Dustin's First Archery Mule Deer, "The Barefoot Buck"

Well, Saturday was the first day I could get out and do a little bow hunting. I have wanted to get a nice Mule Deer with my bow for a few years now, and with no special permits, your choices are pretty limited in Idaho. There isn't a lot of great opportunities for over the counter trophy Mulies. However, there is a unit that has a archery season that has some good Mule Deer opportunities. I decided to go into a spot that is very steep, comprised of rocky bluffs intermingled with thick brush. The bucks like to bed at the base of the bluffs and if you can spot one bedded, there is a chance to get above and gain a shot opportunity.
When my alarm went off on Saturday, I thought of a million reasons to sleep in; it’s going to be too hot……I’m too tired……….maybe I should just sleep in? But that’s really not my style; I live for this stuff, so here I go, up and at ‘em. I walked out through the freshly harvested wheat field and headed out towards the breaks of the canyon. As I make my way around the steep canyon, I didn’t see a whole lot, mostly does and small bucks. The sun was up and once the sun hits those deer they are looking to bed somewhere cool. I was thinking about hiking out and coming back for an evening hunt when a couple deer caught my eye. One look at the lead deer and I knew he was a shooter for me with my bow. I have taken some decent bucks with my rifle, but have never taken a buck with Archery. They were headed for a draw with a lot of bluffs and really thick brush. I thought that if I could cut them off by ambushing them atop one of the bluffs, I might have my opportunity. Well, no such luck. By the time I spotted the herd, they were well out of range with no opportunity to get closer. There are a lot of rock slides and I don’t care how you try it, you can’t be silent in that stuff. I spotted the biggest buck and he seemed to have split off from his buddies and was feeding towards the top end of this canyon…….a box canyon with 100+ foot cliffs! When he fed behind some smaller bluffs, I saw my opportunity to close the distance. I figured if I spooked him oh well, I can’t shoot him at 150 yards; I needed to take the chance. It was real noisy going and I ended up spooking the other five deer, they were running and thrashing making their way through the thick stuff. My heart sank……..I surely blew it; no way would that buck be in the last place I saw him right? I decided to sneak up and peek over the bluff as if I expected him to be there. I couldn’t believe it; there he was, bedded and looking in my direction! He must have heard me and decided to stay put to see what was making that noise. I sat and watched him at 86 yards for about an hour. I stayed hunkered down to make sure as not to spook him. He finally got up and made his way to bed at the top of the box canyon……….right below the big cliffs!

It took me about half an hour to navigate through the rough stuff to the top of the mountain to where I could see into the top of the box canyon. I knew was bedded in some really thick stuff. Many different strategies ran through my head, I wasn’t sure if I would even be able to see him once I got above him. When I go to the top, I used my binocs to try to glass him in the thick stuff. I almost couldn’t believe my luck, I had stopped at the perfect angle and I could see his tail and hindquarters in the brush. I could see the edge of the cliff below me and I figured that might put me in range. As I got towards the edge I got that real dizzy feeling, I don’t really like heights all that well, but this is the kind of cliff you only fall off of one time………your last time! So here is the buck I’ve been bird doggin’ for two hours, bedded straight below me, quartered away, but with some brush over his vitals. I decide right there that would wait him out all day if that’s what it took. I looked at my watch, it was 10:00…………I had to ask myself, why did I only bring one bottle of water and leave my lunch in the truck? I sat there until twelve and decided that he probably wouldn’t be getting up until the afternoon early evening feed. I decide to go grab more water and my lunch if I was going to be on stakeout for the rest of the day.

I got back to my perch around 1:00 and saw the buck was still bedded……he had moved while I was gone. I cursed myself for being impatient. Now he was bedded facing me, I figured I would have to wait until evening when he left to go feed before I would get my chance. The sun was beating down and my feet were hot and sweaty. I thought since I was sitting doing nothing, I might as well take off my shoes, and dry out my socks in the sun. About 3:15 the buck started to stir. Barefoot, I grabbed my bow and knocked an arrow. I figured with the steep downward angle that I would lose about ten yards from the trajectory. He started to quarter away, I drew back took careful aim and let her rip! This had to be one of the coolest things I had ever seen. Watching that arrow drop out of space, this buck has no clue in the world that danger is above him. I felt like a cougar waiting to pounce this thing! I watched my arrow drift into space and crack! Down he went, right in his tracks! I didn’t want to take any chances…..so I put another arrow in him. He started to thrash around and got his antlers tangled in a tree (what a blessing!) he kicked for a few minutes and that was that. I couldn’t believe it, first buck with a bow! Now I just had to get him out…….all by myself. I finally got to the truck about 8:00 that night, tired but happy. I wish one of these days I would shoot something that I could ride or drive to…………especially if I’m gonna pull this stuff by myself. Oh well, if you’re gonna be stupid you gotta be tough!