The Journey 2012

"THE JOURNEY"

I still don’t know what it is that drives me so crazy about chasing these little deer but I have the coues sickness and it’s a growing disease. 

I started this journey in January of 2012. I ve spent the last few years dedicating myself to the coues deer and only the coues deer. Ive had lots of help along the way. Many very knowledgable coues hunters have taught me the ropes. I learned everything I could about the coues deer but still after all the time in the field I know I still have lots to learn. 

After striking out on the first part of the archery 2012 hunt and watching my opportunity come and go so quickly at a 130” buck I made a promise to myself that I would remember the mistakes I made and never make them again. A very knowledgable and experienced hunter posted on the forum, “ Don’t try and make it happen, Let it happen”. I never forgot those words of advice . Never did I know those words would help me in becoming succesfull on a 2012 archery buck. 

The 2nd half of the season started for me days after the 2012 January Archery hunt was over. Big Country, Collin Steiner I hit the hills hard. We spent countless hours hiking the hills, glassing ,setting trail cameras and everything we could do to locate another shooter buck so come August 24th 2012 I would be ready.The scouting obviously paid off as many giant deer were located but from experience we knew just because we glassed up a buck or got some trail camera pictures of certain buck it didn’t guarantee successs. 

As the days to the hunt drew close I was asked to help a friend first thing opening morning. I agreed. After I was done with my comittment I headed in to Chasing a Dream Outfitters Archery Shop and asked Jeremy Ulmer if he could help get me tuned and sighted in for the evening hunt. Jeremy recommend I purchase the Ulmer Edge Broadheads and knowing his history and success with coues deer I said, lets do it. I shot my first arrow and hit bulls eye. I looked at Jeremy and said, heck ya. I purchased another box loaded on the arrows and headed to the hills.

I got to my tree stand in the early afternoon . I spent the next few hours on rutnhard until my phone went dead. I was hoping for a chance at my giant buck that I had scouted. Hours in I got a text from Big Country, “ hows the weather over there and are you getting rained out”? I said rain won't get me out of my stand! Man was i wrong! Well about 2 minutes later a lightning strike hits right next to my tree and I just about wet myself. I looked north and I could see a nasty cloud of rain headed right for me. I started powering out and trying to get down the stand. I got half way down the tree and I was getting pelted by hail! I started the mile hike out and I was running but couldn't really see where I was going because how hard it was raining. I finally got to the truck soaking wet! I headed out down the road and about 10 miles down the road I see some elk feeding a few hundred yards off the road!

The rain has now let up to just a light drizzle and I decide to glass the elk up because on my camera near by the elk have been running with the Coues deer. To my surprise there was a good buck running with elk. I called Big Country and told him to come over and shoot this buck but he was to far away. I had another friend sitting a blind near by and I called him to come and shoot the buck but there was no answer. Finally I decided I would pursue the buck and I started the stalk in. I sneak to within 20 yards from the cows and they are feeding right to me Im hoping the big coues follows . , I here the words “ Don’t try and make it happen, Let it happen”. I am hunched down behind a bush for about 20 minutes. As the last cow feeds through I decide here is my chance to close the distance down to the Coues as I step to left I look back at where the cow elks were and there's the Coues at 20 yards moving quickly. I draw my bow back and settle the 20 yard pin on his vitals. (Here is the unedited part of the story) I posted on “The Journey thread that I passed this buck up. 

I Lied! Sorry!

I realize his vitals are clearly in the Manzanita bush and the only shot I have is to try and slip it in from the side and hugging the Manzanita bush. I decide Im shooting. I let the arrow fly just as the coues takes a step forward, “WHACK” I could here the Ulmer Edge barry itself deep into the deer. It appears to be a bad shot. Im heartbroken again. I sit there in disgust but still with hope that the Ulmer Edge would do its Job even on a misplaced shot. I slowly and quietly head over to fetch my arrow and find that it completely passed through the deer and there was blood on the ground. The fletching were filled with meat. I decided to back out and wait tell morning.

The next morning Big Country, Jeremy Ulmer, his son and dog and I head to the area to look for blood and locate the buck. We spent hours on our hands and knees looking and though we found some blood it wasn’t allot. We all agreed that the deer probably would live. I was heart broken at that moment that I had made another mistake that could cost me a nice buck. 
I told a few hunters in the area that I shot a buck and if they see one let me know. 

I get a phone call from “LarDog” aka Matress Face. “Hey Ronnie I think my friend found your buck”. I said really where at? He said right where you said you shot that 3x3. I was skeptical but after a brief discussion with the hunter that found my buck it was confirmed he had my buck. I was relieved that he had my buck and recovered it. The meat was a complete loss and I wasn’t very thrilled about that but the antlers were recovered with just a small tear at the base of one horn. The hunter said my shot was in the Rump and it appeared the arrow did a pretty good job at putting the buck out of commission. 

I finally got to put my hands on the buck today and I was so excited and he was everything I have dreamed about since January. The buck unofficially scores 115” . 

I would like to thank first and foremost LarDog and Jesse for helping me recover my buck and Jeremy Ulmer and his family for everything they have done for me from educating me about the coues deer to letting me sleep many countless nights at there house. Also a big thanks to Big Country for never complaining when I loaded his pack up with 100lbs of corn and salt and helping me every part of the way. 

Also a big thanks to my lifelong hunting partners Kevin Michael,Collin Steiner and Aaron Davis for helping me make a dream come true again. Thanks to my wife and kids for supporting me and understanding my coues sickness. And thanks to all the rutnhard members who cheered for me or against me. It pushed me beyond limits I knew I had to get another coues whitetail buck on the ground. Another Dream Coues is in the Books. I cant wait to start my 2013 journey in January. Thanks for reading my story and following “The Journey”.