Thanks for the kind responses everyone.
I retrieved some of the history on this buck and it was my grandfather who took this fine beast back in the mid 60's. Not great grand papi. Sorry, that's another big buck and I will post picks of it when I find them.
It took place in northern Utah. Grandpa would often hunt this area and climb up the mountain every day to find the monster bucks that would bed and brows just under the cliff ledges at the top of the mountain. I remember hunting the same area he took this buck back when I was 17 years old. I have never been back since because it is now private land and an outfitter runs some primo hunting on it.
The climb to get to the deer is about 1,500 vertical feet almost strait up. It is no wonder grandpa shot so many big bucks up there as one has to grab hold of the maple limbs and pull himself up the nearly 70% incline as you try and crawl under all the heavy brush. As you climb half way up the mountain and begin to feel the burn in your thighs and calves with sweat beading up under the brim of your hat, you begin to wonder if all this work is worth it. Suddenly you're reminded of running stairs during practice in high school. At last you get to the cliffs, a few pockets open up and you can move from ridge to ridge with a little less noise and burning in your legs.
Grandpa made the climb on a dally basis during the deer hunt and told stories of filling every tag in camp some years because no one could find deer except him and they would not make the climb up the mountain with him. When he shot the buck that is posted above he spotted him bedded down under a spruce tree across the draw. One shot with his 270 and the buck never got out of his bed. Grandpa passed that same 270 on to me and is the only high power rifle I have. I can only imagine the number of deer and elk that have been shot with that gun.
I remember a storage room above grandpa's garage filled with antlers that I never really appreciated as much as I do now. All the slides he used to show us of hunting and fishing trips when he was younger would keep my attention for hours. I hope to find time and put all of that history on cd to preserve so much work of others before me. A remount and scoring of this buck and one other are on my list of things to do for sure. And if anyone can recommend a good taxidermist with reasonable prices I would be grateful.
I started visiting MM a year ago and all the stories and photo's everyone has posted here has given me a greater respect for trophy mule deer, elk, and hunters that share the same passion for the outdoors as I do. My hats off to all of you who share your experience and strive to preserve a deteriorating opportunity, in the love for hunting and outdoors. I will contribute more to this site as time affords and look forward to more from all of you.
Thanks again, Jaysen
