Melissa Bachman Arrows a Second Big Muley in 2024

This is Melissa Bachman’s second big mule deer buck this fall, and she killed it on the first stalk of her hunt with Story Creek Outfitters in Colorado. Photo courtesy of Melissa Bachman.

When Melissa Bachman and her husband, Ben, arrived home following their successful Alberta mule deer hunt, she left all of her gear in the truck. After all, she had only one day to spend with her family before hitting the road again, this time to chase mule deer near Walsenburg, Colorado with Story Creek Outfitters. It’s an annual stop for Bachman and her show, Winchester Deadly Passion, and one she’s always excited to hunt.

Her dog, Pork Chop, traveled with her on this hunt, too. In Colorado Springs, they picked up her cameraman and then finished out the drive.

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At Story Creek Outfitters, they met with friend and outfitter, Joey Menegatti, to discuss plans for the week. Bachman had both an antelope and a mule deer tag, so they studied the weather forecast before making a plan. With rain impending, they decided the best bet was to start the hunt by sitting in a ground blind all day for antelope.

“We put in a few dark-to-dark hunts,” she said. “Unfortunately, we were unable to get any antelope to come in and drink at the waterhole. So, we began hunting mule deer in the mornings and evenings and sat for antelope during the midday hours.”

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On the first evening of chasing mule deer, a couple of nice groups of deer were spotted, but not in good locations for a stalk. “You have to catch them in the right place in order to make a successful stalk,” Bachman says. The following morning, they found the deer in a much better location, and the largest buck of the bunch was lagging behind the rest of the herd with a few does, and in a good spot for a stalk.

From 50 yards, the arrow found its mark perfectly, and the buck didn’t run far. Photo courtesy of Melissa Bachman.

Archery hunting mule deer is difficult, and most of the time you can plan on multiple unsuccessful stalks before it finally comes together. But this time, the first stalk of the trip put Bachman within striking distance.

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“We were able to get in close,” she said. “We were about 30 yards away, but he was quartering away pretty hard. I wasn’t quite comfortable with shooting, so I decided not to shoot. The deer continued feeding a little bit farther out, and I got set up with some bushes between them and me. I watched the buck as he fed quartering away from me. When he presented a better shot angle, I ranged him at 50 yards. I was able to take the shot and hit him perfectly. Just like my Alberta buck, he’s a beautiful buck with a nice, big frame.”

While Bachman didn’t get her antelope in Colorado, a highlight — in addition to arrowing an outstanding mule deer buck — was that her dog, Pork Chop, was along on the hunt. “Pork Chop wasn’t very impressed with all of the hours logged in the antelope blind,” she explained. “As soon as I got the mule deer, though, we let her come out and play. Overall, it was a really memorable hunt, and it was so awesome to kill my second huge velvet buck of the season with my Mathews bow.”