SureShot's Hunt Adventure Challenge

[SureShot]

Whew! What a year it's been. After spending 320 out of the past 355 days in the field scouting, guiding or hunting monster muleys, it sure was nice to spend some quality time with my family enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend. I love my family and appreciate all of their support in my hunting passion. I couldn't do it without them.

I spend so much time in the field that I don't have a lot of time to keep up on things here at MonsterMuleys. However, I had some free time during the holiday break, so I decided to check in. As I browsed through the forums today hoping to see some pictures of some hot chicks with monster bucks (kind of like this one),

I noticed that Founder had added the new Hunt Adventure Challenge forum patterned after some of my past hunting tales. While I certainly don't need to win the guided hunt to Wyoming?heaven knows I already have access to plenty of private property and the most coveted limited entry units in the western states?I thought it would be fun to throw my hat in the ring anyway. Maybe if I win, I can donate the hunt to a less-fortunate hunter.

I'm over in Europe on business this week (and to do a little scouting), so I decided to take advantage of some free time in the airport and share my 2010 hunt adventure.

 

[SureShot]

So, I guess I'll start by sharing some pictures from my summer scouting trips. These are just a few of the many bucks I found this year.

 

[SureShot]

As you can see, I really cover lots of different country in my scouting. It's really important to search lots of different areas looking for just the right buck.

I've personally spent 320 out of the past 355 days in the field counting every single deer in the state of Utah. I can tell you the herd sizes published by the DWR are a bunch of crock. According to my personal count, there are actually only 275,689 deer in the state instead of the 301,700 being reported by the DWR. I know there are a few hundred deer that live close to the state line and cross back and forth, so it's hard to get an exact count at any given time, but there's no way it's over 25,000 head difference. Those guys need to get out from behind their desks and into the field instead of relying on their faulty computer models.

 

[SureShot]

Well, summer finally passed and the hunting seasons were quickly approaching. One day out of the blue, I got a call from my brother asking if I could guide him on his Utah muzzleloader hunt. I had a pretty busy fall schedule building up and didn't think I could squeeze another hunter in, but when I found out he was a bishop and a cancer survivor, I couldn't turn him down. Plus, I had a tag for the same area so I thought it might just work out.

I got to my hunting area a week before the season opened and got everything set up for a comfortable camp and then started scouting. I located several nice bucks in the 130-220 inch range and felt confident we would be able to get my brother on one. Not only was I excited to chase some monster muleys, but I was also looking forward to spending some quality time with family because that's what hunting is really all about.

When my brother arrived in camp the day before the opener, he realized he had forgotten his possibles bag with all of his ammo in it. My outfitter camp takes three days to get to, so going back to the trailhead wasn?t a very good option at this point. We were both pretty disappointed until he remembered that he hadn't unloaded his gun from last year, so he had one shot. We would have to make sure that one shot was a good one.

 

[SureShot]

Opening morning broke cold and clear. The fall colors were absolutely magnificent and the sound of bugling elk echoed off the canyon walls like the brass section in an orchestra. We paused to drink it all in and then started glassing for a big buck. Within a few minutes, we had two really nice bucks spotted. One was an absolute pig: 32 inches wide with 6 long points on one side and 8 on the other. He probably scored about 230. The other buck was even bigger, but we decided to pass on them both because it was opening morning and we didn't want to cut short this precious time we had set aside to pursue our passion.

The rest of the morning was uneventful and then a big storm rolled in. It rained solid for the next 6 days and we were socked in with fog. Most other hunters would have gotten discouraged and called it quits. In fact, my brother was about to throw in the towel, but I convinced him to keep at it by reminding him what our dad always told us: ?When the going gets tough, the tough put on their rain coats and keep going.? Sometimes, when he was a little slow getting out of camp in the morning, my dad would also say, ?Most big bucks are killed after ten o?clock.?

So, we kept hunting from daybreak until dark each day...although, with the dark clouds and heavy fog, it was hard to tell the difference between day and night. In the end, our dedication paid off. On the morning of our last day in camp, the rain finally broke and the clouds cleared. We eagerly hit the trail and headed to the top of the nearest peak. As we climbed higher and higher, I noticed something out of place on the opposite ridge. I threw my glasses up and spotted a patch of fur in the thick buck brush. I continued to stare and eventually made out the form of a deer. Since he was in the buck brush, I knew he must be a buck. After a few minutes, he stepped out and revealed a perfectly symmetrical frame with 4 long points on each side. He was a real bruiser, so we decided to put a stock/stalk on him.

 

[SureShot]

We closed the gap as far as we could and then set up to assess the situation. I pulled out my rangefinder and gave him the reading: 650 yards to the top of the hill. Luckily, the buck wasn?t on the top of the hill. He was straight across from us at 385 yards. Still a tough shot, but one my brother was confident in taking after all of his hours on the practice range.

Knowing that he had only one shot, he would have to make it count. Just as he was getting settled in for the shot, the wind shifted and the buck went on high alert. He was only a step away from disappearing back into the brush, so my brother quickly put the crosshairs 7.6 inches above his back and squeezed the trigger.

When the smoke cleared, the buck was still standing there. We stared in disbelief. My brother never misses that shot. The buck looked straight at us for a minute and then started to turn away. His first step was unsteady and he stopped. After catching his balance, the buck stood still on wobbly legs for another minute and then tumbled down the hill. When he came to rest, we jumped to our feet and gave each other high fives.

After the celebration, I looked down at my watch. It said 10:10 a.m. Dad, you sure know a thing or two.

 

[SureShot]

We weren't able to get any pictures at the kill site, but we did take this photo back at camp as we were ready to head out.

You can see he's a pretty good buck for a general season, public land tag in Utah. He was actually bigger on the hoof, but he broke off the tips of some of his tines when he tumbled down the hill. Even though he's not a booner, he's still a boomer.

 

[SureShot]

Next up was the rifle hunt. I had several high-paying clients wanting to book with me, but I also had 3 teenage nephews hoping to bag a buck. For me, hunting is all about the children. They are our future. So, despite the tough economic climate, I decided to forego the opportunity to line my wallet and instead chose to put these boys in a situation where they could feed their growing addiction to monster muleys.

Opening morning of the Utah general rifle hunt started with a small glitch. We had planned to wake up at 3:00 a.m. and ride our horses way back into a remote basin where I had previously spotted a bachelor group of 6 giant bucks. They ranged in size from 205-210 inches and I was certain nobody else knew about them. With a nasty snowstorm forecast to hit around mid-morning, the conditions were perfect. We were hoping to have 3 of the biggest bucks on the ground and be on our way out before the first snowflake fell.

Unfortunately, one of the horses didn't want to get in the trailer that morning, so, after a couple of frustrating hours, we decided to change our plans. Daylight found us perched high up on a low-lying ridge just above some apple orchards on the outskirts of town. It would prove to be a very fortunate location.

 

[SureShot]

As soon as it got light, the deer started to filter out of the orchards and up the oak-covered hillsides to find a place to bed for the morning. Some other hunters who hadn't gotten out of bed as early as us unknowingly bumped a heavy-horned, deep-forked, 26 inch 4-point buck as they made their way up the trail below us. The buck snuck up through the brush until he was almost even with us and then trotted across an open hillside about 125 yards away.

I told the boys right where he was going to come out and they were all laying down in a prone position with their rifles at the ready. It was quite the sight to see these young hunters laying side by side with their dads standing right behind them quietly whispering instructions. We watched as the big buck made his way across the open hillside and disappeared over the ridge. When he was gone, I lowered my binoculars and asked the boys if they were really going to be that picky on a public land, general rifle hunt.

Their responses were hilarious. It turns out each one of them was ready to take the buck. Two of them actually pulled the trigger, but the safeties were still on. The third boy never could find the buck in his scope as he trotted across the opening. I'm telling you what. It doesn't get any better than that.

 

[SureShot]

A few minutes later, I spotted 3 nice bucks cross over the ridge a couple of hundred yards above us, so we gathered up our gear and made a play on them. We decided to split up and see if we could surround them and get at least one boy a shot. Just as we were getting into position, a heavy cloud rolled in and the rain and snow began. There was absolutely no visibility, so we hunkered under some cover for 7 hours until it finally let up.

When the storm finally broke, there was 5 inches of fresh snow on the ground and deer after deer got out their beds and started to feed. About 100 yards above us, we spotted 5 bucks together. One of them was easily over 30 inches wide and was definitely a taker. However, there was a smaller two point right in front of him, preventing an ethical shot. I told my nephew to shoot over its head to scare it off. Unfortunately, he didn't aim quite high enough and hit it right in the head.

Even though it wasn?t the monster he was hoping to get, he was still very happy with it and we were all glad none of the meat was wasted. After all, you can't eat horns, and this tender buck would make excellent table fare for him and his family in the cold winter to come. Because of the head shot, we couldn't take any pictures at the kill site, but I did snap this photo as we were getting ready to head out.

A fine buck for a fine young man.

 

[SureShot]

These boys are very busy with school and sports, but we decided to pull them out of school one day the next week after another fresh snow storm to see if we could help them seal the deal on a nice buck.

We saddled the horses and started up the trail just after daylight. About an hour into our ride, we spotted some deer. I could tell what they were by the way they looked. One of them was a huge 6-point, but we decided to pass on him this early in the morning.

It was a good thing we passed on that buck, because the more we rode, the more deer we saw. By lunchtime, we had seen over 100 deer, 29 of which were bucks. If this is any indication of the buck-to-doe ratio in this area, I'm betting it's way over 15:100. I wish the wildlife board wouldn't change the hunt structure in Utah. Things are great the way they are. If you're not finding lots of bucks, you must not be a very good hunter.

Just after 10:00 a.m. we spotted a really wide 3 point bedded under a pine tree on the shady side of a ridge. Coincidence? I think not. One of my nephews was holding out for something bigger, but the other one wasn?t as picky. His biggest buck to date was a 25 inch 4-point and this one looked like it might be a bit wider.

 

[SureShot]

As soon as we got off our horses, the buck jumped out of his bed and took off. My nephew quickly pulled his gun out of the scabbard and made a great running shot at 385 yards. He hit it right in the head. You might think it was an unethical shot, but, believe me, he can make that shot at least 3 times out of 10. He practices shots just like this all the time. I spend at least 3 hours a day every day of the year at the target range and this kid is usually there before I arrive and after I leave.

What a buck! We were all really excited for him and felt like the day could be considered a success right then and there. We cleaned the buck and fried up his liver and heart on the spot and enjoyed a nice lunch together as a family joined together in the bonds of the fraternity we call hunting. That's what it's all about.

After lunch, we caped out the buck, then quartered him up, then de-boned him using the gutless method (no mess, no fuss), then loaded him on one our trusty steeds and headed back down the trail.

 

[SureShot]

On our way back down the hill, we spotted a huge-bodied deer all by himself way up at the top of the hill. His head was behind a tree and we couldn't see his antlers, but I knew it was a buck by the size of its massive body and the grey color of its fur.

We decided to press our luck and see if we could fill our final youth tag on this beautiful day in the majestic Rocky Mountains. My nephew slid up to a rock and, using my back as a rest, made a perfect shot on the buck. He dropped right in his tracks.

The pic doesn't do this buck justice. It was one of the biggest bodied deer I've ever seen. Notice how it carries its mass all the way to the top. What a perfect ending to a perfect day in the beautiful mountains with some of my favorite people in the world. That's what it's all about.

 

[SureShot]

So, what about me? I'm sure you're asking yourself after guiding these other hunters to such great bucks, how did I do for myself? Well, I'm in the second year of my dedicated hunter program. You probably remember the monster I killed last year. It was on so many magazine covers, how couldn't you remember it? Well, that means if I killed one this year, I wouldn't be able to hunt at all next year. I might try to get out sometime in the next few weeks on the Wasatch front extended archery hunt to see if I can find a monster, but, for practical purposes, my hunt for this year is pretty much done.

I saw a ton of big bucks this year, but nothing that was worth trading the dreams and anticipation of next year?s hunt. When it comes down to it, it's really all about spending time in the field in search of that next world record. Just behind that next hill, just above that next ledge, just beyond that next horizon...he might be right there. That's what it's all about. Of course, that, and the children. The children are our future. It's all about them.

 

[COLO3D]

Priceless...

 

[B_BOP_A_LU_LU]

The Thread started out real good (Not NE Region Bucks!)

But then I think you mighta ventured to the NE Region?

God is Great!
Life is Good!
And People are Crazy!

I love not acting my age,
Damn I love my NASCAR race,
And Hell yes I love my Truck!

 

[Devlin]

You must of wrote this in the airport bar.LOL.

 

[troutsniffer]

Another classic!

 

[eelgrass]

Great post SureShot, even though I'm sure you're out scouting for next year and won't read this until Spring time.

Eel

 

[bonedaddy]

Thank you that was hilarious

 

[KBKILLER]

funniest post of the year!!!

 

[accubond]

That was awesome! I almost pissed myself reading post #5. You have a gift!

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never has and never will be." -Thomas Jefferson

 

[nv_hunter]

That bachelor heard has a few dandys!



http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p248/nv_hunter/nevadaanimatedhelmetwd2.gif[/IMG]

 

[BridgerLake]

Sweet post!! Have you ever won anything for your writing?

 

[SureShot]

Nope. I never have. The only writing contests I've ever entered was the Reflections Contest in elementary school. I never did win anything in all those years of trying, which is still a tender spot in my soul today.

 

[Nimrod8800]

Best story of the year! I hope you win the grand prize.