September 2026
Finally My Turn: A First Archery Mule Deer in Idaho
Hunter: Jay Blackburn
Species: Mule Deer
Location: Idaho
Method: Archery, spot and stalk
August 15, the opening day of archery season, hit different that year. Not just because it was my first archery mule deer hunt, but because it was the day before my birthday. It felt like everything had been building toward that moment.
I’d spent years watching it happen. My dad. My brothers. They had killed incredible mule deer over the years, bucks I’ll never forget. I was always there, watching, learning, helping…waiting.
A Month of Scouting
This time, it was finally my turn. I had put in the work. For about a month leading up to the opener, I was scouting hard, glassing mornings and evenings, trying to find a buck that really stood out. I had a couple of good ones located—bucks most people would be fired up about—but none of them gave me that feeling of “that’s the one.”
The Buck Bedded by Himself
Ten days into the hunt, we were set up, watching one of the bucks we had been keeping a close eye on. We’d been on him all morning, just sitting back, glassing, watching him feed, and waiting for him to bed so that we could make a move.
That’s when everything changed. Off to the side, I picked up another buck. He was bedded completely by himself. The second I saw him, I knew. He was the one.
We dropped the original plan right there. We still kept an eye on the buck we’d been watching, but all our focus shifted to this new one.
A Family Stalk to Fifty Yards
Since we all had the same tag, we worked together on it. My dad stayed up high on the glass. My older brother looped around to a spot where we figured the buck would go if he blew out; if anything went wrong, he might be able to keep an eye on him.
Everything was set. The stalk was tough. Slow movement, using every bit of cover I could find. I worked my way in carefully until I got to about fifty yards.
And then I had to wait. He was still bedded. No shot. No movement. Just time to sit there and stay patient.
Finally, he stood up. Everything slowed down for a second. I drew back. Settled in. Picked my spot. And let it fly.
The arrow hit exactly where it needed to. He didn’t go far: less than a hundred yards.
Finally My Turn
Walking up on that buck was something I won’t forget. All the years of watching my dad and brothers. All the time spent scouting. All the missed chances earlier in the hunt. And now I was standing over my first archery mule deer.
It wasn’t just about the buck. It was about finally getting my shot and making it count.