Colorado Mule Deer Double

By Adam Parr –

Being the indecisive person that I am, I elected not to put in for a deer tag during Colorado’s big game draw application process in March, as I was unsure of where and when to hunt. My girlfriend Jenna and I put in for preference points and called it good. Fast forward to August, we both picked up left-over deer tags for second season rifle and looked forward to opening day in late October.

“This feels good” I mutter to myself after getting my rifle dialed in a few weeks ago at Clifford’s house. There’s an overwhelming sense of empowerment that consumes me while holding a long range rifle in my hands and knowing that my shooting radius has increased 10-fold. As a bowhunter, I’m not used to this but I have to admit I like it. My mind races with excitement that my Browning 7mm may finally be put to good use.

My buddy Clifford runs a gun shop out of his basement and helped me get sighted in for opening day.

The game plan for the opening weekend was to hunt Jenna’s family ranch. She held a private land either sex tag and I held a unit-wide buck tag, meaning I could hunt both private and the surrounding public lands. The anticipation for the hunt was high.

October 20th

Opening morning, we make the hour-long drive up to the ranch and arrive just in time before shooting light. We load up the four-wheeler and head up a two-track to the top of the property to gain a vantage point. Within minutes, we spotted movement on the opposite hillside. I grab my binoculars and discover they are all does; Jenna is looking for a buck. We keep picking apart the canyons with our glass and catch movement again, but this time the body is bigger and the deer is much closer. We determine he is a nice buck and Jenna quickly moves into position for a shot. Boom! Her 30-06 rings loud as we watch the deer run off and tip over in the sage. Within the first 30 minutes of opening morning, she had a beautiful mule deer on the ground. I lean over and say “Wow – that was fast.” She nods as she sets her gun down, soaking in the sunrise. We walk up to the buck minutes later and she thanks the universe for blessing us with this beautiful specimen.

Jenna’s buck was a heavy bodied 4×4 with a massive neck.

After snapping a few photos and cherishing the moment, it’s time to get to work. We each grab a knife and begin to skin and quarter the buck on the mountainside. By 11 am, we are on the road headed back home. Did that really just happen?

Admiration at its finest – Jenna takes time to reflect, cherish, and appreciate this amazing animal.

October 21st

The following morning, it’s my turn to swing the bat. The game plan is the same as the day prior and we immediately begin the search at first light to reveal the same group of does as yesterday. After 10 minutes of picking apart each hillside and drainage, we move on to the next vantage point to unveil new terrain. Within minutes we spot a group of deer further down the mountain about a half mile away on the neighboring BLM land and after closer examination, I can tell one is a good buck feeding in the open sage. We make a game plan and begin to move closer, cutting the distance with each step.

My heart begins to race as we crest the final hill. I grab my rangefinder and discover we are within 150 yards of the buck so I settle in for the shot on the buck’s chest. Boom! I see him mule kick through the scope and I can tell he is hit hard as he stumbles down into a small ravine out of sight. “Holy hell – did that just happen again?” At that moment I can’t believe I just shot my first mule deer within an hour of my first hunt. After watching from a distance, we walk up to my buck and simply admire his beauty for the next 10 minutes. It’s a magical moment in time. A few (hundred) photos later, we begin the same quartering and skinning process as the day before and arrive back to the truck by noon.

Letting it all soak in.

Reflection and Gratitude

This was a hunt I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. Getting to share this unbelievable adventure with Jenna and harvesting two great mule deer on back to back days is hard to comprehend. Both of us are still taking it all in and processing the magnitude of what happened, but we know without a doubt we are grateful. Beyond the memories, both animals will provide many meals for our bodies and we will share the bounty with close friends and family. I am so fortunate and thankful to be a hunter.