Gus Engeling 10/31/2017 - 11/04/2017

[bk913]

Heck yea, great example of a guy sticking with it & killing a great deer with most people telling him he won't see anything on this tract. Congrats to the hunter.

[Deathrow Jethro]

Congrats on a huge buck...

[bullets13]

Any total numbers for the hunt?

[Sideler]

Great job.

[Redlegwar]

Here’s a few photos close to my setup. Doe and Hog


This was my target buck. He was actually 18yds from me Saturday morning but it was too dark to shoot. I watched the big black blob walk around for a few minutes then mosey off. DANGEEET!

Here he is walking past my camera right towards me. Look in the top right corner that’s me standing. It was overcast that morning so there wasn’t good light until later in the morning. I was so close but yet so far, maybe next year...

We left on a good note! After gathering up our equipment from the field our camp chef had, toast, eggs, onions, ham, bacon and the famous 90 weight gravy waiting on us! Good times!





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[BTLowry]

Looks like a great time

[uncle jesse]

Congrats on a great drawn hunt deer!

[Mr. Public]

Thanks for all the congratulating remarks!They sure feel good to read! [emoji2]

I'm going to write up a story to share. It'll be a bit embarrassing for me(not afraid), but educational for all. Nonetheless, success is success.


Some folks were a bit negative about hunting Gus Engeling WMA, and there usually will be nay-sayers in every public hunting area you get the opportunity to go to. Perhaps, they know the quality there and want to try to "stop the bleeding" by steering folks away, increasing their own chances of drawing again. (One guy admitted that to me there)

I'll always take advice, but I'll also leave it. Some folks who speak negatively about an area may have had a negative expereince, that's unfortunate but not definitive of the future experiences other hunters will have or can expect. Yet, it can be beneficial to hear nay-sayers out sometimes. Why? Because it prepares you better. It'll create more motivation to not be that guy who did not see/harvest anything. (Perhaps he/she may be inexperienced, lacking basic scouting knowledge, misinformed, had bad weather/compartment or flat out isn't a good hunter.) It'll equip you with more drive to prescout, scout further, deeper, break brush, and hunt longer and harder, and try more than just sitting quietly, which is what got my last 2 mature public land bucks infront of me.

Overall, the administration, staff, manager and biologist at GEWMA get a 10 out of 10 rating. They were each very professional, experienced and extremely courteous to us all. The orientation was precise, clear and covered all information. It was organized and executed better than I've ever seen before. The preparations done by the staff at GEWMA is remarkable. They are increasing the quality of habitat in more ways than I can describe. I witnessed just a few of their vegetation management practices, utilizing forestry equipment for mulching underbrush and clearing trees & shredding. The shredding was utilize by any hunter as means of access or by being an area to hunt. I've never seen a place like GEWMA that does that much work and offer that much information for the sole success of the hunters! (LANWR could learn a tremendous amount from GEWMA Admin.) GEWMA staff knows exactly what they are doing! [emoji106]



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[louieagarcia]

Congrats again on a great buck and great info on GE!

[Hank Hill]

Couldn't agree more about the management, great staff that have clearly put a great deal of effort into making it an enjoyable experience. I wasn't in a "hot spot" of a compartment but I still managed to spot a nice 8pt, just couldn't close the range.

Full moon and unseasonably hot weather were working against us, much respect to those that got it done.

[Killer]

congrats

[Mr. Public]

Alright, finally for the story. Long read!

On the first morning of the hunt I had this buck come out at 80 yards with another smaller buck. I made a few contact grunts and he came into 40 yards and winded me. The winds on this hunt were ever changing, the survey flagging hanging from trees always showed me how often it varied. Once he winded me at 40yds, he turned around spooked and began back tracking back to where he came from. I did not have my binoculars the first morning, as I lent them to my father as he forgot his. So I was unsure if the buck met the requirements of being outside his ears and did not want to be that guy brining in an illegal buck on the first morning. He ended up stopping at 55yards so I just took a short video of him. I ended up getting multiple game camera photos of the buck, mostly at night and one at 2:50pm(when i took a break to go have lunch with my group. One game camera photo of him looking straight on confirmed he was outside his ears. I knew the deer was not immature, I guessed him at 4.5yrs, my taxidermist agrees from the looks of the teeth. We had pics of much larger bucks. I did not get eyes on, but a couple of my partners did. Finally, the last morning of the hunt...it was humid, muggy and hot...and for the first morning hunt I had not seen a deer at all by 8:30am. I decided to start pulling out the last minute desperation tactics..

I blew a few contact grunts to see if I had any close by before rattling. No one answered.

So, if you've read my previous rattling success story last year, you know I don't bang rattling antlers like like a monkey with a pair of tambourines. I lightly click, imitating a sparring more than full blown knock down drag out fight. Surprise! Not 1 but 2 couldn't take it and were curious to come check it out.

The immature buck stayed behind my shooter. The buck I was targeting acted as I've seen before. Cautious and alert but anxious to locate the sound he heard. He'd walk a few steps stop and listen, ears flickering. Repeat. He crossed the draw and I stood bow in hand maneuvering myself clockwise as I'm a right handed shooter.

I knew my lanes were narrow and my shot would have to be in one lane prior to him getting down wind of me and winding me again. It'd be a fast shot.

He stepped past a few trees allowing me a chance to come to full draw and stopped without any shot. He took a few steps and stopped to listen again. Now he's broadside at 35 yards and I trigger the release and watched. He stepped forward and I saw the point of impact that knocked him smooth on his @SS, he got up immediately and ran. Arrow stuck in him I saw him breifly run without ease. HORRIBLE. It hit his rear right hind. I said every terrible word under the sun. My heart sank, I felt disgusted. I was so upset with myself. Why didn't I STOP the buck!? Cussing myself, I texted my group what just happened. I then immediately pulled up a deer vitals image from the web and circled where it him. I knew there was a chance I hit the femoral artery. I read a recovery thread on how to track a deer depending on where its hit. It advised tracking immediately.

I told the guys what I thought after 35 minutes and got down to examine the point of impact. I could distinctly see his tracks from getting knocked down and back to his feet. I peered the direction he ran. Saw blood from where he stood...walked another 10 yards couldn't believe it. There was the most pronounced heaviest blood trail I've ever seen! Every 3 or 4 steps looked as if someone reached into a bucket and slapped out a handful. Then I knew, the femoral artery was severed and I'd be recovering this buck. I kept my stealth and tracked with an arrow knocked incase I encountered him. I tracked for about 150 yards going down hill to a bigger draw and stopped at the vegetation line to scan before breaking brush 30 yards. There he was! Lucky shot. I'll admit it.

He piled up face down rear up... I kneeled down beside and texted my partners. While exchanging, I had 2 legal bucks come within 30 yards to investigate!

We got him out, snapped some photos and got to the check station as the last deer checked in.

Judgement calls on shots can be made better, I know. That's the worst shot I've ever had but also the luckiest. I share these details for other TBH's to also learn from like I have. Stop the deer.

Here's a few additional photos I feel are better quality that Bow in Tow photographed. Outstanding photography skills as usual, Bow in Tow! Thanks!


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[Mr. Public]

Some references

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[Capstone]

Congrats!

Nice write up. Things happen and it turned out well. Thanks for telling the story for others to learn from.

[BTLowry]

Congrats again

Glad you were able to recover him

No shame in owning a poor shot and making the best of it either