Although the snow and cold has hit Minnesota, it's a different story in Montana.
So my plans of chasing elk changed to going after my first mule deer. And yes I decided this half way across North Dakota. And this time I made the right decision.
Arriving with a few minutes of light left we found a spot to camp and spotted some deer, only the morning could tell if our plan would come together. At first light I had a chance at a nice 10-point white-tailed deer, but I'm glad I waited. A half hour later I missed a nice six-point muley-at 700 yards. I guess I should have taken a better rest.
But as luck would have it, I filled my tag by 10 a.m. on my first mule deer. Not the biggest, but one I will be very proud of. This time I took a good rest and a deep breath and 312 yards away my eight-pointer dropped immediately. The rest of my friends spent the remainder of that day and the next filling their tags as well. From a 10-point to does, everyone got to see plenty of deer. I do have to say we had great timing. The rut was on full bore. I got to see big bucks fighting, chasing does and just plain acting crazy. It might sound like an easy hunt but it definitely takes teamwork to shoot long range. From glassing to ranging and measuring wind. And doing that quickly can make or break your day. So now it's muzzleloader time-and with the snow it's going to be a good one.
