Part 2 recap:
We were barely off the highway when right next to a juniper bush was a doe bedded. I threw the truck in reverse and told Charlie to get his rifle ready. We hopped out and snuck to about 40 yards when she stood up. I set up the bipod and Charlie lined up the shot. BOOM. His shot went low through the chest and broke a front leg. She hopped a few yards as I told him to hit her again. His second shot sealed the deal. We shook hands and I could tell he was a little overwhelmed as are all that shoot their first deer...
A few quick pictures and we got her cleaned and into the truck bed. We met up with my dad, Doc, Devin, and Lindsay at our old campsite to hang and skin Charlie's deer. To my surprise my dad had shot a buck that morning. I was admittedly a little disappointed in him as it was a very small fork horn but he's not much for trophy hunting so I let it slide.
Stellar Heart Shot
After getting the two deer taken care of it was time to get Brad his doe. We made a play on a group just off the highway only to get blown by a couple of elk hunters walking back to their truck. It was all good as they gave us some intel on where they thought the elk were. We had plenty of daylight so we went to do a little glassing. Sure enough we found a sizable group of elk bedded in the timber. Unfortunately they were on the wrong side of the drainage and by the time we found them the day was getting short but we had a plan for the next day. We found a group of does on the way home and Brad made a stellar heart shot. After getting to the doe we discovered she had a GPS tracking collar on. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife uses them to study migration patterns and causes of mortality. It had been a successful day filling deer tags. I was now under a decent bit of pressure as I had two days left to fill my buck tag and we still had four cow tags.
More Elk
Saturday morning we all split up. I was on my own looking for a buck. My dad would take Brad and Charlie who still had a cow tag. Doc, Devin and Lindsay would be in position for the elk we spotted the afternoon before. I was driving along the center pivot when I noticed movement up the hill. Elk. I spun around and headed down to the road my dad was headed up and radioed to have them turn around. We hauled back to the small pull off and I dragged Charlie over the cattle fence and up the hill to cut the elk off. We didn't make it before they cleared the ridge. We headed back to where my dad got his cow hoping they would take the same path. Unfortunately, the elk didn't show. I made a couple of stalks on decent bucks that morning without success. The crew headed home that afternoon to pack as they had to leave Sunday morning but Lindsay stayed with me on the off chance some elk appeared.
A Solid Animal
The shadows were getting long and it was time for one more look at the hill across from the center pivot. I was driving slowly looking for deer when a couple of does caught my attention, next to them was a buck with its head down. I couldn't tell exactly how big he was but I could see there was a little bit of mass to his antlers. Lifting his head up I could see he was a thick 2x3. Not the giant 4x4s that were around but I was running out of time and he was a solid animal. I pulled over and grabbed my rifle while tossing my keys at Lindsay.
Sneaking up the hill using a big juniper bush as cover I got to within 60 yards and tried lining up a shot. The buck pegged my movement and started wandering up into the timber. This went on for fifteen or so minutes while working my way up the steep hill. Every time I had a shot he would have a stick or bush covering his vitals and move off after getting suspicious. The timber was getting thick but I was within 50 yards of the buck. I was just thinking I had lost him when movement caught my eye. I spotted the buck along with a small 2x2 in a thick stand of pines. I set up on the bipod and waited. The bigger buck went off to the right where I couldn't see him. Crap. The smaller 2x2 started feeding out into an opening about 40 yards away. I seriously contemplated shooting that deer but something stayed my finger. Sure enough, following in the steps of the smaller buck was the one I was after. As he stepped out broadside I lined up and pulled the trigger. BOOM.
I knew the shot was good when he immediately shuddered and started rolling down the steep rocky slope. I worked the bolt and made my way to the buck where he was wrapped around a tree. The adrenaline was flowing as I sat next to the buck and took a moment realizing my achievement. I had successfully hunted and ethically killed a deer with a rifle made in 1917 in its original military configuration just like my grandfather. I had a huge degree of respect for my grandfather before but as I sat with the buck for a moment it reached a whole new level. I stepped through my front door that evening bloody and sweaty but about as happy as I've ever been. Stories were told over a few drinks and we all reveled in what an amazing hunt everyone had.
Military Surplus Firearms
Using a 105 year old rifle has given me a wildly new perspective on not just hunting but the history of it. With modern equipment a 400 yard shot is well within most peoples wheelhouse. At 400 yards the front sights would have completely obscured any deer I could have shot at. The red deer my grandfather hunted are larger than mule deer but I would wager any shot past 200 yards would have been a bit of a toss up for Harry. I highly encourage anybody who wants to challenge themselves in a unique way to hunt with military surplus firearms. Ideally one like your grandfather slogged through the hills with. This hunt was an amazing experience and way to better connect with my grandfather and his legacy. I will think back to this hunt every time I step into the woods for a long time to come.
