Seems I see posts on here how technology is a problem in hunting. I say to each their own; do what makes you happy. I thought I would share the details on the hunt I recently had for the first buck I've killed in 5 yrs that was decidedly low tech.
I ran 5 cell cameras for 5 days in October and found the buck I was looking for. Knew him well and had watched him for 5 yrs. Arrived at the ranch for the Thanksgiving holidays and while riding round with my wife and dog and in a rare moment spotted him at about 500 yds. No gun. No camera, but at least I learned his general neighborhood which was important because over the years I've seen him roam over 3000 acres.
While I knew he looked big I wanted a closer look and preferably a little video to better assess what I was looking at. I'm generally just as happy to video rather than shoot. Over the next week I same him 3 more times. The next time I saw him he just walked across the road at about 200 yds. My reaction; **** he looked big. Saw him again couple days later and took off to get video to have a better idea what I was looking at. As luck would have it a coyote stepped between us just as I was crawling out and he spotted me giving me only about 30 secs of video at a couple hundred yards.
Now for the 4th time I spotted him and the Low Tech hunt.
I had:
No blind
No camo
No scent control
No lure
No rattling antlers or grunt tube
No cell cam used for 2 months
Only tennis shoes, a canon Xa 60 video camera mounted on a Manfretto tripod. a Sako .270 with a bipod and Zeiss binocs. And yep...a little corn { Well that ruins it for so many }
After sitting the same place morning night for days I spotted him at about 250 yds. Grabbed my camera, gun and binocs and started sneaking. Was able to use heavy brush to cover me for the first hundred yards but then got on my hands and knees and crawled another hundred yards. Then on my belly the last 15-20 yards to the sendero. I crawled into some 4ft high grass and peaked out as best I could and naturally.... there was a spike starring at me . My buck was the last in a group of about 10 deer. I turned the camera on and all the deer started busting out of road.My buck was looking the other way so I rolled out with him about 100 yds and had a brief stair down with him head on before he busted off the road. I did not take the head on shot. But I did suffer a massive heart attack with severe case of the shakes.
I didn't think the buck really saw me or know what I was so I crawled back into the grass and sat amongst the thorn for about an hour with camera in a good position and rifle on bipods in good position. Indeed the buck did come back out at about 75 yards and naturally was facing my way. I waited till he settled then bent over out of the grass to turn the camera on and he caught my movement. Another massive heart attack I remained motionless fairly well hidden in a most awkward position for what seemed like an eternity . Shaking like a Leaf!!! Even though I was fairly well hidden he didnt like the movement and started moving offf the road behind a mesquite tree . The second he turned his head I rolled out navy seal style lying on the ground, had a hole thru the brush at about 75 yards and the rest is history.
Self filmed one of the largest typical whitetails in the world! Perhaps the biggest typical ever filmed. From the ground. After sneaking up on it . Low technology { minus cool camera gear and a rifle }
I ran 5 cell cameras for 5 days in October and found the buck I was looking for. Knew him well and had watched him for 5 yrs. Arrived at the ranch for the Thanksgiving holidays and while riding round with my wife and dog and in a rare moment spotted him at about 500 yds. No gun. No camera, but at least I learned his general neighborhood which was important because over the years I've seen him roam over 3000 acres.
While I knew he looked big I wanted a closer look and preferably a little video to better assess what I was looking at. I'm generally just as happy to video rather than shoot. Over the next week I same him 3 more times. The next time I saw him he just walked across the road at about 200 yds. My reaction; **** he looked big. Saw him again couple days later and took off to get video to have a better idea what I was looking at. As luck would have it a coyote stepped between us just as I was crawling out and he spotted me giving me only about 30 secs of video at a couple hundred yards.
Now for the 4th time I spotted him and the Low Tech hunt.
I had:
No blind
No camo
No scent control
No lure
No rattling antlers or grunt tube
No cell cam used for 2 months
Only tennis shoes, a canon Xa 60 video camera mounted on a Manfretto tripod. a Sako .270 with a bipod and Zeiss binocs. And yep...a little corn { Well that ruins it for so many }
After sitting the same place morning night for days I spotted him at about 250 yds. Grabbed my camera, gun and binocs and started sneaking. Was able to use heavy brush to cover me for the first hundred yards but then got on my hands and knees and crawled another hundred yards. Then on my belly the last 15-20 yards to the sendero. I crawled into some 4ft high grass and peaked out as best I could and naturally.... there was a spike starring at me . My buck was the last in a group of about 10 deer. I turned the camera on and all the deer started busting out of road.My buck was looking the other way so I rolled out with him about 100 yds and had a brief stair down with him head on before he busted off the road. I did not take the head on shot. But I did suffer a massive heart attack with severe case of the shakes.
I didn't think the buck really saw me or know what I was so I crawled back into the grass and sat amongst the thorn for about an hour with camera in a good position and rifle on bipods in good position. Indeed the buck did come back out at about 75 yards and naturally was facing my way. I waited till he settled then bent over out of the grass to turn the camera on and he caught my movement. Another massive heart attack I remained motionless fairly well hidden in a most awkward position for what seemed like an eternity . Shaking like a Leaf!!! Even though I was fairly well hidden he didnt like the movement and started moving offf the road behind a mesquite tree . The second he turned his head I rolled out navy seal style lying on the ground, had a hole thru the brush at about 75 yards and the rest is history.
Self filmed one of the largest typical whitetails in the world! Perhaps the biggest typical ever filmed. From the ground. After sneaking up on it . Low technology { minus cool camera gear and a rifle }
Congratulations, that's an awesome buck.
