1999 Deer
Hunt
by Field
Editor Jim Benson
Being the
field editor for NevadAdventureS.com I get the opportunity to
spend time in a lot of hunting and fishing camps around the state
of Nevada. Meeting people that enjoy the same things I do is exciting,
but the solitude of hunting alone has it's own rewards.
The deer
season of 1999 was one I will always remember. I received a tag
for area 6 and already knew where I was going to hunt. Living
next to the southern border of area 6 I get a chance to watch
the winter ranges and have the opportunity to see some of the
trophy bucks in the area.
Mining activities
in area 6 have changed some of the hunting areas for the better
or worse, depending on how you want to look at it. Reclamation
of the mines has created some excellent food sources for wildlife.
One benefit is a higher calcium diet to promote larger horn growth.
Opening
day of deer season started out just as I planned. At first light
I was sitting on a group of seven bucks, the biggest being a 4x4
with an impressive 30"+ spread. It didn't end as planned,
but who can complain when a 15 year old boy gets his first deer
He was just a little faster getting to the canyon the deer were
in. I'm sure by the look of joy on his face that it was a hunt
that he will never forget.
The next
three weeks of the season were uneventful, the weather was hot
and dry with a full moon. The deer were very difficult to find.
They were feeding at night and brushed up during the day. Another
big buck I had spotted before the season was a no show, but on
Monday of the last week I spotted a real nice 5x4. I figured I
would try for him on the last day if I could not find any thing
larger.
Finally
on the Friday before the last weekend I got an opportunity for
the 5x4 that I could not pass up. I was walking through some bitter
brush that was as thick and tall as any I have been in when the
26 ½ x 20 ¼" buck stood up at 50 yards. He
was as startled as I was that anyone but him was that foolish
to be in there getting poked and scratched to no end. One shot
with my S.T.W. and the 1999 deer season came to an end.
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