Mid September Beau and I rolled into the Solitude Ranch located in Devils Tower, Wyoming for a special Whitetail Deer / Mule Deer hunt with almost the entire Bighorn Team. We were a little skeptical of the promises of the number of deer we would be seeing from some of the other team members that had hunted the ranch in the past. None the less, we were still excited since we were going hunting and on top of that it was Beau's first experience out west.

When we finally arrived we were greeted by Mike Schmid and the rest of the Bighorn Team. We looked at maps, talked strategies and laid out all our options. Once satisfied with our plan, we headed to bed for some rest for the first day.

The first few days Beau and I were hunt scouting, and dialing in on a few nice mule deer bucks. Beau, wanting some extra meat to take home, took advantage of a cheap tag and harvested a management doe in the process. Also, Tom King and Bob Lott hooked up on two awesome bucks early in the hunt. From that point on, Beau and I had our own camera men, so we split up, Bob went with Beau and Tom went with me to increase our odds and allow us to capture our hunts on film.

Tom and I hunt scouted for a day and a half. We found two really nice bucks still running together, a ten point, and a nice eight point with ivory tips that was really cool looking. We spent the middle of the day setting our Treestands and ground blind in two different locations. Both sets were half way between the bedding areas and the Alfalfa field the deer were feeding in every evening. Both spots were text book pinch points between a creek and a fence line that were less than fifty yards apart. From both locations we selected, our shots were going to be 25 yards or less in either direction. Because of the wind direction, we knew we couldn't hunt either set until the next morning, so we backed out and went back to camp. On our drive back, Tom and I was pretty pumped because we knew I was going to fill my tag the next morning.

After returning to camp we talked about what to do for our evening hunt and decided to do a little ground and pounding, maybe with a little luck, we'd get a chance at a good buck. So we grabbed a bite to eat, and set out on our stalking mission.

After discussing some property boundaries with the Solitude staff, we were off on what would become a very memorable hunt. We began stalking around some of the rims of the deep canyons, glassing and peaking over the edges. We knew we were on to something when we were able to sneak up on several small bucks and does. I still had a doe tag to fill, and given the chance I would fill it.

After an hour or so of stalking around the rims we peaked over the edge, to find a mule deer doe, on her feet, and feeding our way. As we sat and waited for a good shot, she turned and headed the other way, giving me no opportunity. We stood up to move on, when Tom grabbed my shoulder and said,"Don't move, there's a good buck right under us." I eased up and peaked over the edge of the canyon, sure enough he was laying there facing the other direction. As I moved into position for the shot, Tom was busy getting situated with the camera. Once we were both in position, Tom gave me the ok, and I drew my bow, and eased over the edge, he was 40 yards and didn't have a clue we were there, I settled my pin and took the shot. The Grim Reaper found its mark and the deer ran less than 40 yards before crashing. After several high-fives we climbed down to check out my gorgeous Wyoming Whitetail.

Beau and I both Took two nice Wyoming bucks and both were taken from the ground. Everything we had been told about the Solitude Ranch was true. The Solitude ranch met and surpassed all of our expectations. Mike and his guides will help you any way they can to help make you fill right at home. It's a hunt I will never forget and I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in an affordable self guided adventure.

With a little effort you too will be successful on anything you want to hunt from Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Antelope, and Merriam Turkeys. You will have a hunt of a lifetime that is affordable for the average person.

Jim Bevins (AKA JB)