HuntGuide.com Visits
Timberline
Outfitters Guide Service
Mule Deer Hunting! When Dennis Latsha, co-owner of HuntGuide.Com, told me about an invitation he received to hunt mule deer in Nevada with Timberline Outfitters Guide Service, I didn't hesitate in making my decision. I was going!! Of course, before I could pack my equipment, I had to be lucky enough to draw a tag.
It was February 2001, and while the weather was bitter cold in Pennsylvania, I was starting to make plans for the fall hunt. I contacted Kent Brunson, co-owner of Timberline Outfitters Guide Service, and he assisted me with filling out the necessary application. I would be applying for a 2001 Restricted Nonresident Guided Hunt tag for mule deer. Since Kent is a licensed master guide in the state of Nevada, Timberline is able to offer guided hunt tags to their clients. Applying for a guided nonresident license would hopefully improve my odds of drawing a tag. I completed the necessary paperwork and mailed the application before the deadline of March 09, 2001. A few weeks later, with luck on my side, I received a call from Kent informing me I had drawn a tag for unit 121.
Since my hunt would take place in October, I had plenty of time to make my preparations. After making airline reservations, hotel reservations, practicing at the rifle range and several conversations with Kent over the summer, I was ready to hunt Nevada!
I arrived at Salt Lake City international airport on October 20th, 2001. I picked up my rental car and made the 4 hour drive to McGill, Nevada, home base for Timberline Outfitters. The scenery along my drive was magnificent. Large open expanses of salt flats near Salt Lake City lead into tumbleweed prairies, rolling foothills and high mountain peaks in the Humboldt National Forest. I was greeted by Kent and his wife, Pat, in their spacious living room, which was filled with mule deer, elk and antelope trophies taken by family members over the years. After enjoying a wonderful dinner prepared by Pat, and discussing our "plan of attack" for the week, I checked into my hotel in the nearby town of Ely. Let the hunt begin!
My first day of hunting began at 4:30 AM when Eddie Spear, a sub-guide for Timberline, picked me up at the hotel. We picked Kent up at his house and headed to the northern tier of unit 121, where we would be hunting on BLM land. Unfortunately, the area of the state where I was hunting had been experiencing a very dry year. The weather was also very warm, with temperatures ranging in the 60s during the afternoon. Since the drive to our hunting grounds required over 40 miles of paved rode and 20 miles of dirt road, the unseasonably warm, dry weather had taken a toll on the backcountry roads. I was glad we were in a 4X4 pickup. Near the base of the hunting range, we met up with Kent's son, Thomas Brunson, who is also a licensed master guide and co-owner of Timberline Outfitters Guide Service. Thomas had been camped at the base of the mountain range with another client, Ryan Krampl of Alberta, Canada. The five of us would drive, via 4-wheel drive, to the top of a nearby mountain in the Butte Valley, where we would be spending the entire day.
As we reached the top of the mountain, the sun was just beginning to rise. Our initial glassing efforts spotted five doe and two small buck on top of a ridgeline. Since we were looking for a mature buck, we decided to start hiking along the ridgeline. We hadn't walked very far when Kent and Thomas spotted a group of four deer feeding on a hill directly below us at about 800 yards. Thomas set up his spotting scope and determined that it was a bachelor group of bucks. At least three of the bucks had decent size racks. One of the three bucks was a 4X4 with about a 25 inch spread. Both Ryan and I decided the bucks were worth a closer look.
We moved down the mountain to a ridgeline, which positioned us about 400 yards above where we had last seen the bucks feeding. Unfortunately, the bucks had moved into the timber and we could no longer see them. Kent, Thomas and Eddie decided that the best course of action was to try and drive the deer back into the open so we could get a better look and possibly a shot. Ryan, Thomas and I took up a position on a high point overlooking a large draw, while Kent and Eddie attempted to push the deer out of the timber. As we all know, deer can be unpredictable, and as such, was the case with this group. The bucks foiled our plan and broke out of the timber in a different direction.
2x2 with a 29 inch spread and 4 inch eye guards
While we waited for Kent and Eddie to return from their walk, I had a chance to speak with Ryan about his experience with Timberline. Ryan had met Thomas Brunson while the two were attending taxidermy school in Montana. In addition to providing guide services, Thomas is also a licensed taxidermist in the state of Nevada. Ryan had been hunting for three days prior to my arrival, and he had seen an average of about nine bucks per day. He indicated that several of the bucks sported a 21 to 23 inch spread. Ryan was holding out for a trophy size mule deer.
After Kent and Eddie returned, we decided to eat an early lunch and spend the rest of the day hiking around the mountains. To say we had a light lunch was an understatement. The lunch, which was provided throughout my entire stay, was fantastic. Pat does not want any client going hungry while they are under the care of Timberline Outfitters. She had fresh baked croissants, home roasted turkey and roast beef, frog eye salad, pretzels, pumpkin cake, Oreo cookie granola bars, and apple crumb muffins….just to mention a few of the items.
After lunch, Thomas and Ryan decided to hunt the western side of the mountain while Kent, Eddie and I hunted the eastern side of the mountain. The warm temperatures were working against us all week. The deer would spend the first two hours of daylight feeding, then bed down for the rest of the day. Typically, the deer didn't move much again until the last hour of daylight. By the end of the day, we saw two more buck, a small 3X3 and a nice 4X4 with a 23-24 inch spread. Unfortunately, the buck was too far away to attempt a stalk before daylight faded. Thomas and Ryan had also glassed another buck, but they decided to pass as well.
The second day of my hunt, we decided to try the same general area, but employ a different technique. Thomas and Ryan would drive to the top of the same mountain we hunted the previous day, while Kent and I would park at the bottom and walk our way up through several draws and saddles. As Kent and I left the truck at daybreak and headed up the mountain, we could hear the distant howls of coyotes as they returned to their dens from a night of hunting. We glassed several good canyons as we followed the wide trails made by the wild mustangs, which inhabit the area. As we made our way back to the truck for lunch, we had only counted three deer that morning. We hoped that Thomas and Ryan had a better day.
A better day they had indeed! The good news was waiting on Kent's voice mail….Ryan had killed a nice buck. Thomas and Ryan had spotted the wide racked buck feeding early in the morning. They watched the buck bed down on the side of hill and stalked to within shooting distance. At 9:30am, Ryan made an excellent shot at 351 yards to kill the buck where he had bedded. The buck was an old 2X2 that had a 29-inch spread. The tine lengths on the buck were unbelievable. It took Thomas and Ryan until 3:30 that afternoon to cape, quarter and pack the deer back to the truck.
Kent and I finished out the day in some mountains near McGill. We saw twelve doe and two buck, a 2X2 and a 3X3. Even though I had an opportunity for a kill, I opted to pass on the bucks in hopes of finding a bigger one.
On day three of my hunt, Ray Sawyer, another sub-guide for Timberline Outfitters, joined Kent and me. We decided to hunt a different area in Unit 121, one that Ray was quite familiar with. Ray had glassed several good bucks and one outstanding buck, while he had been hunting the area earlier this year during the muzzleloader season. While the temperatures dropped slightly, which was a good thing for us, the winds picked up considerably. Needless to say, when you hunt at an elevation of nearly 9800 feet above sea level, the air seems much colder. It felt like the temperatures were in the teens with the wind chill. We covered a lot of ground this day, but no buck could be found. By the end of the day, we had glassed over twenty doe.
Day four started out early with an exciting, but tiring stalk on a nice 3X4 buck. I was guided today by both Kent and Thomas. Thomas had glassed this buck earlier in the week while hunting with Ryan, so we decided to see if he was still feeding in the same area. Sure enough, when we parked the truck in the canyon, we were able to see several deer feeding on top of a nearby mountain. Thomas pulled out his spotting scope and identified the 23-inch wide buck as the one he had spotted before. I studied the buck through the scope and decided that he was worth a shot.
I must admit, it looked much easier standing at the base of the mountain than actually trying to climb up to where the buck was feeding. Since I'm always up for a challenge, I gave it my best effort. Thomas remained near the base of the mountain to keep an eye on the buck while Kent and I made the difficult stalk. We knew the buck wouldn't stay out in the open long, so we kicked it into overdrive hiking up the mountain. At 500 yards from where we had last seen the buck feeding, we stopped to re-establish his position. Knowing the shot was still too long, we continued up the mountain. When we finally had ourselves positioned within 230 yards of where the buck had been, we could not locate him. He had moved into the timber.
Since we had worked so hard to make it to this point, we were not about to give up. Kent decided we should try to work our way above where the buck had been, and try to sneak into his bedding area. So up the mountain we climbed….almost to the peak. We slowly crept down the mountain, directly above where we thought the buck might have bedded. We spent almost an hour sneaking down the side of the mountain, but we couldn't find the buck. We finally arrived back at our starting point around noon. Thomas had watched the buck during our stalk, and he said the buck disappeared into the timber about 5 minutes before we made it into effective shooting range. After that, he never saw the buck again.
We finished the day by glassing and walking several nearby canyons. By the time the sun went down, we saw another fifteen doe and one young 3X4 buck. Needless to say, I was completely exhausted by the time this day was over.
On the fifth day of my hunt, it was just Thomas and myself. With an Elk hunt approaching on Saturday, Kent needed to prepare the camping equipment for the hunt. Thomas decided we should return to the area where Ryan had shot his buck earlier in the week. We were on top of the mountain as the sun was starting to lighten the morning sky. The wind was so cold, I thought my ears would freeze and fall off. Boy, do I love hunting! We spent the morning glassing several good saddles and draws on both sides of the mountain. We saw several does and a young 2X3 buck with about a 15-inch spread. Based on the way the rack looked, it appeared this young buck was the offspring of the buck Ryan had harvested. Again, I opted to pass on this buck.
After having lunch, we decided to head back to the southern end of unit 121, near McGill. We stopped at home base to pick up Nicholas Brunson, also a sub-guide for Timberline Outfitters. Thomas's younger brother, Nicholas was home from college for the weekend. Nicholas suggested we try a local canyon where two good bucks had been seen the week prior. One of the bucks was a stag, having three main beams still covered in velvet and the second buck a nice 4X4.
We drove into the canyon and glassed several hills. We found a stag, but not the one Nicholas had heard about. As we were walking back to the truck, we kicked out several deer from some thick timber. One of the deer was a small stag with a spike on one side and three points on the other, both still covered in velvet. We saw several more doe, but no buck.
On the sixth and last day of my hunt, Nicholas Brunson would guide me. We spent the morning driving to several different areas, making small hikes and glassing multiple canyons. We decided to return to the area we hunted the previous evening, in search of the large stag. Around 9:00 am, as we were walking along the top of a small ridgeline, I glassed a nice size buck directly across the canyon from us. I didn't hesitate pulling the gun off my shoulder. Nicholas thought the buck was about 250 yards away, so I held the cross hairs right on the shoulder. After regaining my composure from the kick of the 300 Winchester Magnum, I asked Nicholas if I had hit the buck. He said the buck bolted down the backside of the far mountain, so he wasn't sure if my shot had connected. We gathered our gear, and made the hike across the canyon to search for sign of a hit.
Upon reaching the spot where the buck had been standing, both Nicholas and I knew the shot had been accurate. We found the telltale sign of a lung shot deer. We followed the blood trail for about 40 yards and found the buck under a large mahogany tree. Both Nicholas and I were ecstatic. After a physically demanding week of hunting the high mountains of Nevada, I was extremely proud of the nice 4X4 buck I had just harvested.
If you're looking for an exciting hunt in Nevada for trophy mule deer, you'll definitely want to give Timberline Outfitters Guide Service a call. In their second year of business, Timberline Outfitters Guide Service provides hunts for mule deer, elk, antelope and mountain lion. Since over 80% of Nevada hunting grounds are public, they provide high quality hunts on BLM and forest service lands. As licensed master guides, Kent and Thomas provide guide services in areas 10, 11, 12, 13, 22 & 23. In addition, Thomas offers a 10% discount on taxidermy services for clients who book with Timberline Outfitters Guide Service.
I had the opportunity to hunt with five different guides throughout my week with Timberline Outfitters. I was very impressed with their knowledge of the area, the friendly atmosphere and their desire to help the hunter be successful. While I chose to make my hunt very physically demanding, they will tailor the hunt to the capabilities of the hunter. During 2000, their first year of business, they had a 50% success rate for both mule deer and antelope. Elk hunting is definitely one of their passions. For 2000, they attained a 100% success rate with the average bull scoring 350 B&C. Due to their overwhelming success in the 2000 elk season, they have expanded their business in 2001 to include ten sub-guides for elk hunting. So far this year, the antelope season yielded a 100% success rate and of the seven mule deer hunters, who have completed their hunts this year, five have taken home a buck.
Happy Hunting,
Shawn Klinger
HuntGuide.com Prostaff
