Early on in my hunting career, more often than not, the larger bucks always seemed to get away. However, with that being said, over the course of the past three decades I have learned a lot about this amazing animal while chasing them around in high country and I can proudly say, more often than not, I end up getting the buck I am after. This reversal took lots of research, many years of trial and error and fine–tuning of hunting methods. Over the course of this series, I am really looking forward to sharing a good amount of this information with Alti2ude members. I am hoping that the information contained in this series will in fact give you The Edge over other hunters in your quest for a trophy high country mule deer and will give you the ability to harvest trophy bucks on a regular basis.
Recently, I was asked by another writer who was working on an article, “In your opinion, why do you think that certain individuals are able to harvest trophy animals on a consistent basis?” Without hesitation, I stated the following three (3) reasons:
- Amount of time spent in the field
- Proficient glassing skills and techniques
- Behavioral knowledge of the animal they are hunting
- Sacrifices – this is a big one! In order to kill good bucks on a consistent basis, you must be willing to put in the needed time and effort. This includes spending many days of researching, scouting and hunting which will mean a lot of time spent away from your family. Trust me when I say this, having a very understanding spouse is critical. I am very fortunate that my wife Cheryl has allowed me to spend so much time pursuing my passion.
- Cost – It will cost a lot of money. Making numerous scouting trips, hunting trips and purchasing quality gear can put a dent in your pocketbook. Even the smaller things like fuel, food, out of state licenses, etc can add up to a significant amount of money.
This is a picture of my first 30" buck from way back when.....I was hooked!
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