2010 High Country Buck

C

claallen

Guest
I had three different deer in mind and could have harvested any of the three opening morning. There Was a wide, a heavy and a 190" typ without eyeguards. I really did not like the 190 after he shed his velvet. So my options were the heavy or the wide. After looking through the pictures of them all I noticed that the wide was by far the largest bodied deer of them all which made me think he was probally the oldest. After watching them for 3 more days the wide still had his velvet and I had always wanted a velvet buck. The heavy was a 7X8 that had tons of mass and palminated and bladed. On the night before opening morning I watched the bucks until dark and had made up my mind. If the wide still had velvet in the morning I would try to harvest him. As the sun came up the first buck I saw was the 190" buck without eyeguards. I ranged him at just over 300 yrds. I sat glassing for another ten minutes and as the basin floor started to lighten up I found the wide buck with all his velvet still intact. A few minutes later I spotted the heavy buck bedded about 30 yrds behind the wide. I started getting concerned that someone else was going to push into the basin and blow the deer out of there so I made a quick hike around to the easiest access to the deer. As I made my way around the hill I noticed the wide and the heavy were up feeding. At this point I lost all rationality and sat down and ranged the buck. He was at 480yrds. Now I do practice at 500 yrds all the time but not at a 80 degree slope. Long story short I missed not once but three times. I did not take the angle into concideration. While I regained my rational thinking I watched the buck disappear into the timber and down further in the basin. I gave it about 15 minutes and went to the last place I seen him. I stayed above the cliffs and just inched my way through the timber. I started noticing a few does and fawns feeding so I started glassing after every step. I went over a small knoll and noticed a big velvet rack feeding away from me at 70 yrds. I picked up my riffle and confirmed that it was the buck I was looking for and shot. Before the buck hit the ground I put an insurance shot into him. When I started moving him around to take pictures he went another 20yrds down the mountain. Then when I started caping him he went another 20 yrds down the mountain. 4 hours later he was caped and boned and back at camp. Then a 4 hour hike the next morning he was at the truck. Which one would you have taken?
Here is the 190" buck
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Here is Mr. Heavy
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http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/39656/2657722610045296783S425x425Q85.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
And Wide Willie
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http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/46472/2437168170045296783S425x425Q85.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
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http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/38141/2379741520045296783S425x425Q85.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
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Great story and pics. What a predicament to be in! That's a tough call...I think I'd take the first one within rifle range. The heavy trash buck would appeal to me personally. Looks like some rugged country. What state? Congrats.
 
From your pic's, i'd probably try to take that 190 buck. He looks the best to me but my my, you do have the grail of honey holes! All of them, great bucks!

Congrats!!

Joey
 
you ended up with a buck that I would shoot in most places, but the first one would have been my choice with out a doubt, nothing i love more than a big typical. congrats on a succesfull hunt
 
You have to remember that of the three bucks the one I shot was the largest bodied and in my opinion the oldest. The other two both good genetics can be hunted next year. Part of my decision was based on the years to come.
 
i understand where your coming from, i just dont think that i would have it in me to pass him up in hopes for next year, 190 4 points arn't something that i see on a regular basis
 
I really did not like the looks of the 190 after he shed his velvet he looked real young and his horns although long were not heavy at all. He will be a great buck in the future. The heavy I think has the potential to be a great non-typical if he gets a couple more years under his belt. The heavy and wide were standing side by side and the wide looked to out weigh the heavy by 30 pounds. I know it is all guess work but dont think the 30 would ever be much more than what he was. Regardless I love the velvet on his wide frame.
 
thats what its all about, it's about what makes the hunter tick, if your happy with it thats what matters, congrats on an awesome hunt
 
I would have shot the heavy one, but goodjob on taking the mature bucka nd letting the 2 younger have a shot at getting bigger. Its a tough thing to pass, but if you find even one of them next year, you might be rewarded with pig!
 
Great buck. But it looks like you stripped the velvet? It that right? If so, I thought you wanted a buck in velvet. The one pic looks like he was starting to strip.
 
Nice adventure and pictures, congrats! I'm guessing the stripping process was started when the buck rolled down the hill....
 
As stated in the story the buck took a couple tumbles after he was shot. Moving the deer around on the steep terrain he took a couple of rolls down the mountain. The velvet had never started stripping until he went down the first time. On September 15 if the deer have not stripped there velvet then they are close to it. I know you can get the fake velvet put on by Research Manikins.
 
All shooters no doubt but since you asked, the 190 excites me the most. Congrats on a great buck.
 
Haha, had to add this. I was showing my 5 year old son the deer pics and on pic number 1, he asked "is that Popeye dad?" So you know which on he would have shot. Its pretty cool when my boy knows about the Wyoming Living Legends, except when I come home with my deer and he says, "Nice deer dad! But not as big as Popeye" Kids say the funniest things!
 
Matt you are creating a monster. Better take him with us if we ever team up. I love seeing the kids get involved and excited over big game. I thought I was going to get a relaxing week of desert muley hunting helping my son but I have in fact created a monster myself. Back to "The Pure" Thursday night.
 
Great looking buck.....I admire someone that shoots what makes HIM happy! Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

BOHNTR )))---------->
 
very cool! all 3 would make me happy, but if i had my choice i guess i would have to take the big typical. but you can bet your @&& that i would of gladly killed your buck if he presented the shot.

good job, great post, and awsome buck!! thanks
 
Great Buck and nice story too.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
 
Good story and pics. Thanks for sharing. I won't argue with your decision as I would probably have done the same thing. I try to shoot the older buck when I see several at the same time. But all of them are shooters in my book. Congrats again.
 

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