Hello Fellow BIG10, team members.

From what I read only a couple of us in the big 10 are able to hunt right now as most of your opening days are just around the corner. I wish all of you the best and hope all your final preparations are coming together for you smoothly.

I wanted to report a little on what is going on in my hunts thus far. Our season opened August 30th. I have 5 areas I hunt. and about 3 stand sites in each area..each area has approximately 6-8 bucks I have watched and of course there are more I havent seen... also my areas have elk in them... I am predominately targeting whitetail bucks right now but if the right bull shows up I will work him and get on the ground if needed to get after him.

Day 1. I hunted the evening. I had 3 bucks feed out below me about 100 yards... ranging from 115 to 135 gross pope and young / boone and crockett inches... I just watched them. Not bucks I want to harvest

I had a small bull elk 3x4 rag horn) and several cows... (11 ) feed out under my stand that same evening..the small bull was trying to get some attention from cows but they weren't interested...he was chuckling but not bugling..

Day 2. August 31, I had two bucks walk under me at about 15 yards 1/2 before last shooting light... 125 and a 135 class grossing bucks, I passed.

Day 3. Sept 1 , a cow and calf fed out early.. about 6 pm. during the last hour of light one of the bucks I am targeting fed out below me about 75 yards... with his sidekick a smaller buck.. the buck looked great... 145 net inch 5x5 forsure... he is nice and wide, 19 to 20 inside... his g-2s are his greatest tines at 10+ inches on each side, his mains are probably 23ish... maybe 24 but I doubt it.. maybe .......the big boy started feeding my way... at 40 yards..I could have taken a shot..but elected not to as he was still feeding my way..I told myself ten more yards and hes a dead deer... at about 37 yards..he turned and noticed his little friend below him feeding out away from him into the clearcut... he turned...my heart sank as he swung back and followed the younger buck out and left me with my bow in hand..I thought...buddy its your lucky day... I really wanted a 30 yard shot on that buck since he was SLIGHTLY quarting toward me.. almost broadside...hes a dandy buck..an is easily 230+ lbs in my estimation.. he is a hawg body mountain deer for these parts..

Day 4. Sept 3rd... doe fawn, 3 younger bucks... 115-125 ish...range... fed behind my stand at 25 yards.. passed on em..

Day 5. Sept 4th...(different buck different area from the afformentioned 5x5) this typical that I videoed and am targeting... 5x5 was standing under my stand as I approached.. 3 hours before dark... I believe the low pressure system that moved in had em up and moving ... Deer and elk were everywhere on my hike in.. I counted 60 head of elk in private land owners oats patch below the mountain I hunt on... and all of them were out 3 hours before dark...this is not normal routine for these bucks or elk... anyway he, the 5x5 looks AWESOME.. hes pushing the high 160s..grossing typical.. should net in the mid to low 160s net ... after all deductions.. he may even suprise me and gross close to 170.. Hes got long mains.. 24s , and all of his tines G-2, G-3s and G-4s are 9+ inches..candle sticks all the way across..no short tines.. up to 11's on possibly on the 2's.... Hes 20+ inches inside... just a beautiful buck.. at 40 yards I really got to look him over..He looks alot like my 184 inch grossing buck from last season and he has the same kind of genetics..hes long out in his g-4s... as my last archery buck was.. he is from the same mountain as well... he went ahead and moved off and I waited a bit to slip into that stand... didnt spook him..but only saw a doe and fawn later that night...


Day 6. Sept 5th... Hunted a ground blind.. didn't see a thing..

Hunting again tonight... Gonna hunt the 145 inch bucks spot...and then the big boy 5x5 (160 class deer)... On Sat...

Good luck all.. !

Troy aka shed