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February 2025
Story by Robert Butterfield
Hunters: Robert and Kolton Butterfield
State: Oregon
Species: Deer - Mule

Looking back, I can’t help but think how much fun this fall was. My son, Kolton, and I had drawn tags in different units, and I was also able to get a general deer tag in Idaho. I knew the unit for my Oregon tag, but the other two hunts were in areas we had never stepped foot in. We spent hours e-scouting and received many helpful tips from friends, primarily for Kolton’s hunt. I’ve learned so much chasing mule deer on public ground, and it’s always fun testing out that knowledge in new areas. Kolton drew a good tag, and with a later starting date, this hunt gives you a chance at bucks starting to rut. We couldn’t wait for his hunt to start, but up first were my hunts.
 
I spent opening weekend with the family at our wall tent camp. My wife, Julie, is an amazing cook, and our three kids, Kolton, Makayla, and Steven, looked forward to this trip all year. We were glad my father-in-law, Joe, could make it as well. Opening day, we made a play on a big buck, but like old bucks seem to do, he disappeared into the thick timber, never to be seen again. The following morning, I saw a buck bed down in an area I knew well. Oregon allows youth to mentor off an adult’s tag, so off Kolton and I went. Minutes before we got to the deer, another hunter bumped him. As we left, we repeatedly stopped and glassed. “Buck,” I said! About 350 yards behind us was a nice 20" 3x4. Kolton watched him in the scope and decided he needed another year. I was surprised at his self control as he would have to head back to school the next day.
 
The following day, I spike camped in an area that holds decent bucks. It must be something about the shale slides and noisy brush that leads them into this area. They like to bed below the canyon rims and stay on full alert looking for predators. I packed camp before dawn as I had a three-day roaming trip planned. At first light, I dropped into the first draw. Safety on and ear plugs in. (I get teased about this often, and I repeatedly say you don’t find deer with your ears!) My hopes were high as I’d let a nice 4-point walk here last year before taking a solid deer later in a different area. I hunt it like a cat would, as slow and cautious as possible. An hour in, I walked over a small rim and hit the brakes. Below me at 175 yards, a buck was bedded and staring at me. I froze for a while before he lost interest. I was able to get set up, and after two quick shots, he rolled into a small wash. He grew the closer I got and was the type of deer that pictures didn’t do justice. Photos and boning out the meat were challenging where he fell, but that’s part of the fun of solo hunting.
 
The following day, I packed up and headed to Idaho. The weather was supposed to be bad, but I knew having fresh snow was going to be a big advantage.
 
I got up early the next morning, and thanks to onX, I was able to hike into a secluded ridge in the dark. I spent the day hiking and glassing every chance I could. It looked so much better in person! By mid-afternoon, I’d got a good eight-mile hike in and covered both sides of the ridge. As I neared the point I’d drop off back to the pickup, the snow stopped and the sun came out. I paused to glass a few times at the end of a nice rim, which offered a great view across the drainage. Much to my surprise, I picked up three bucks grazing! One looked pretty decent, so I took a few quick videos, stripped a layer, and rushed down the ridge. I had about two hours of daylight left and was going to need all of it.
 
After a quick five-minute drive, I took off. The deer were somewhere above me up a timbered, steep, and brushy hillside. I wanted to climb above and to the side of them as coming in straight below would give them an advantage. I pushed as hard as I could as time wasn’t on my side. As I neared where I might be at their elevation, I went back into creeping like a cougar mode. Safety on, ear plugs in. I didn’t see anything after scanning a few times, so I decided to move up a bit more before turning towards them. I took a few steps out from behind a tree and froze. One hundred yards above me through broken timber I saw a buck grazing. He threw his head up about the time I stopped. Freezing wasn’t fooling him, and his eyes stayed locked on me as I tried to find a rest. The hill was so steep, and his vitals were covered by tall brush between us. I really needed a standing rest to thread a shot between tree branches. If I can’t hit what I’m aiming at for sure, I don’t shoot.
 
He gave me more time than most bucks on alert do. Being so steep, nothing was working! Finally, I stood my pack up on a small log, braced it with my knee, and set one side of my tall bipod on top. I tilted a tad for balance and got just steady enough to touch one off. I heard it hit, and as he locked his legs, I shot again, dropping him. As I hiked up to him, I couldn’t help but smile. I’d been in the unit for less than 24 hours, and I’d just taken my second public land deer in a few days.
 
To get a few photos on an open hillside, I got creative with my pack and Leatherman. Great phone holder for those who refuse to carry something fancy on their hunts. Even though I didn’t have much light left, I was grateful he was on an open hillside and that the truck was downhill. After boning him out, I loaded everything up and made it to the pickup a few hours later. What a great few days. I couldn’t wait to get home and prepare for Kolton’s hunt!
 
Before we knew it, his hunt opened, and we spent the first day driving around to get our bearings. Over the next few days, we were seeing plenty of deer, but they were mostly staying on private land. I kept telling him from my experience with deer that you just keep trying different ideas. It can turn around at any moment.
 
On our third day, we turned up a nice buck, and as we closed the distance, we bumped a few fawns. As they ran off, the buck went on alert and didn’t stick around. The rut was beginning, but they weren’t acting dumb yet. The following day, Kolton spotted a few bucks, including a neat club drop tine deer. Very unique, but not quite what he was hoping for. I let him make his own decisions, and he showed more patience than I would have at his age.
 
The next day, we hiked a handful of miles into a different area. We hadn’t seen much, and after a quick lunch, we noticed a few does off in the distance. Briefly, a buck flashed between trees. We didn’t know what he was but wanted to get a better look. As we closed in, we needed to cross an open flat. As luck would have it, the deer walked behind two wide trees. Without hesitating, we moved straight at them. It was risky, but all six of them were out of sight and I knew that wouldn’t last. As we got closer, a doe stepped out and pegged us. This started a long stare down. As one doe would lose interest and step behind a tree, another would get curious and step out. After repeating this process a few times, the buck briefly became visible through a small gap. I eased up my binoculars, and my heart began to race. He was not only a shooter, but one of the largest deer I’d ever seen! I leaned over and whispered, “Shooter,” to Kolton. A minute later, the does decided to head out, and he trailed behind. As he briefly paused, Kolton made two great shots to bring him down. It was an amazing moment that we will both never forget. Putting a tag on a 30" public land buck is a bucket list goal for many of us. Checking that off the list at 14 might be a hard one to top!