Post by handgunhuntingafield on Oct 28, 2022 12:19:17 GMT -5
I drove up into the Black Hills of Wyoming the day before my season started and made camp in the bed of the truck. I awoke to a 20 ish degree morning and quickly got ready and headed into the woods at first light. I have hunted this area several times before and I chose this area due to the steep climb in that reduces and almost eliminates foot traffic and the USFS has banned vehicles in the area. This area is about 1.5 miles square of forest with some old fire/log roads within it. Recent burns have left a lot of deadfall that gives plenty of bedding cover for both deer and elk.
I began slowly working through the woods trying but failing to avoid the crunchy snow. I would work up to a vantage point and often spook deer on the way due to the crunch of the snow. I would hit the rattle bag on the vantage points and called in deer several times. I continued to do this all day. Around 2 pm the snow finally softened from the warmth of the day and stalking became much easier. I climbed upon a flat and started working through some short spaced out pine when I finally spotted a whitetail I was happy with hanging my last tag of the season on. He was making a scrape in a small open area and I was concealed amongst the short pines. I had one perfect shot lane I was stalking along as he worked around in the opening. I sneaked within 45-50 yards and squatted to be bellow the bottom limbs of the pines and have a clear shot window. He was sniffing along a deer path and stepped into my shot lane. I placed the 2.5moa dot of the Trijicon SRO on his shoulder and let the 240 sierra do its work. The buck flipped onto his back then made a short 15-20 yard dash and collapsed. The bullet entered mid shoulder and exited off side in the lungs/high heart. The icing on the cake is it was only a 1.5 mile pack out and one trip....I have packed enough elk this season which made this seem easy
I began slowly working through the woods trying but failing to avoid the crunchy snow. I would work up to a vantage point and often spook deer on the way due to the crunch of the snow. I would hit the rattle bag on the vantage points and called in deer several times. I continued to do this all day. Around 2 pm the snow finally softened from the warmth of the day and stalking became much easier. I climbed upon a flat and started working through some short spaced out pine when I finally spotted a whitetail I was happy with hanging my last tag of the season on. He was making a scrape in a small open area and I was concealed amongst the short pines. I had one perfect shot lane I was stalking along as he worked around in the opening. I sneaked within 45-50 yards and squatted to be bellow the bottom limbs of the pines and have a clear shot window. He was sniffing along a deer path and stepped into my shot lane. I placed the 2.5moa dot of the Trijicon SRO on his shoulder and let the 240 sierra do its work. The buck flipped onto his back then made a short 15-20 yard dash and collapsed. The bullet entered mid shoulder and exited off side in the lungs/high heart. The icing on the cake is it was only a 1.5 mile pack out and one trip....I have packed enough elk this season which made this seem easy
