Colorado 2016

If you've followed my last few Colorado trips, this one wasn't much different that the others: Tyler slept a lot, we worked our tails off to find big bucks, Jared killed the biggest buck, and we all had a great time!!!

We hunted high and low and struggled finding where the deer where. Pretty much they were strung across the mountain at all elevations making it tough to narrow down any patterns.

The highlights of these Colorado trips is being able to hang with two of my good friends Jared and Tyler. Also, we've hunted the area enough to know a couple little spots that the deer like. It's exciting every year to go in there and see what kind of bucks are around.

This year's highlight was when I saw my buck of a lifetime. I just ran out of light. Of course I wish that buck was dead, but the dream of killing a dream buck is still a dream but keeps me motivated to do it again next year.

The second to the last day, I would have been content to go home empty handed but told myself anything with cool character or big would probably get shot starting this morning. 2 miles into my hike, I was tickled to spy a buck bedded in some junipers below me over 300 yards away. His does were out and about shopping around in the heavy browse. I laid the 7 rem mag and with only getting a quick glimpse of one side of the antler, I needled a bullet in between the limbs into the base of the neck.

With every year I hunt mule deer, I find the littlest parts of the hunt usually leave the most lasting memories. Sitting on the ridges, enjoying the migrating accipiters, watching a pair of fawns following their mother's instinct to migrate, and all the other trivial moments that were never even a second thought when I was younger.

I sat next to the downed buck, that rolled into a steep ravine where it was cool and shaded. I spent way too much time marveling at the old warriors scars, worn teeth, and almost goofy' regressed 27" antlers.  Those pack out's alone hauling out a quartered-up deer seem to be getting heavier every year, but as enjoyable as ever.