General Season Buck '17

Maxxy

Active Member
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211
Ive been meaning to post up some pics and the story from last years hunt. I tend to be more of an elk guy, but have always enjoyed the deer hunt. That probably stems from hunting an area my whole life that doesn't produce a high percentage of older bucks. But my family enjoys spending time on the mountain together and if one of us find the needle in the haystack then that makes it that much better. After sitting out the deer hunt for a few years with other obligations/hunts, I used my 3 GS points and expected to spend time with Family on the Mtn.

We spent the first weekend seeing more deer than usual, and I personally saw more Bucks than I had seen in years. I passed on a few smaller bucks through the weekend. Everyone left me to go back to work for Monday but I had a couple days to burn. I decided to work the same area I had spent the past 2 days. I tend to "over hunt" an area with the thought that they are there, its just a matter of one making a mistake.

I had logged about 23 miles in the first 2.5 days of the hunt but decided to hunt the same route I did on Sunday night. 4 miles later I was 45 minutes from dark and had seen a few 2 and 3 year old bucks but nothing worth hanging my tag on.

I was about 1000 vertical feet below my truck, but in a spot I really felt was promising. I got to a familiar fence line and phone buzzed. My wife was checking in on me as she knew I was alone. I quietly walked and talked with her for a good quarter mile, when I looked 500 yards ahead in a sage brush flat and saw a deer with his head down. His body looked abnormally large and I quickly threw my binos up and saw antler and wished my wife farewell. I wanted a better look with two hands on the binos and that's when I knew this was the deer I had been looking for. From my vantage point I knew he was good and I thought he was alone. I quickly checked the wind and quietly started to close the gap. I know guys shoot that distance all the time, but I know my limitations and I wanted to be under 300 if possible. I also knew he was 30 yards from the top of a ridge that dropped into thick pines and if he beat me there he was gone for good. I quickly made my way up the fence line with the cover of some scrub oak. I checked him at 300 but felt I could get closer with the wind in my favor. As I closed in on 175, I could see my cover would soon be gone. I found a dead rest as I peeked around the corner, only to see 10 deer, all their heads down and no antlers in sight.

Buck fever was in full effect. My largest deer was in the same general area, nearly 20 years earlier as a 16 year old and he was a solid 160 inch buck that I still love to look at. As I threw my scope up, I could not find the buck for the life of me. I started to panic. I finally calmed myself down, told myself to breath and I put my gun down. I took a breath and looked through my binos and located the buck as he lifted his head from feeding. Knowing where he was, I again took a look through the scope, and took my time. One loud bang from my 300 WSM and he was down in his tracks.

At this point all I knew was I had shot a mature buck. I watched his does walk away and kept an eye in case the shot wasn't fatal. I Called my wife and let her know it would be a late night and then headed his direction.

I walked up on him just before dark and I was excited as could be. He grew. I took some quick pics and decided to gut him and come back in the AM to quarter and cape and haul him out as it was in the low 30's each night.

I called my Dad who immediately offered to come help. My Dad grew up on that Mtn and taught me everything I know. It was good to have him come and enjoy the next morning and help me out.

He had character all over, something somewhat unusual for the area. Hook cheater, "inward (un)cheater??? Gnarly right base. As we caped him we could see why he grew different on his right side as he had a broken pedicle. He is insanely tall and I LOVE tall bucks.

I know you hear this all the time, but pictures do not do this guy justice. I literally stare at him everyday in my office and he is so Damn cool of a buck. Hes not 200", but for me, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Spending time with my family in an area that is like a home away from home is about as good as it gets.

He actually grosses 186 on the button.

Right
MB=22 6/8
G1=3 7/8
G2=19 5/8
G3=11 5/8
G4=2 2/8
H1=7 0/8
H2=5 0/8
H3=5 0/8
H4=4 2/8
Abnormal=5 2/8
Total Right Gross=86 5/8

Left
MB=24 4/8
G1=2 3/8
G2=16 4/8
G3=10 0/8
G4=11 1/8
H1=5 1/8
H2=4 6/8
H3=4 0/8
H4=4 4/8
Abnormal=1 2/8
Total Left Gross=84 1/8

Inside Spread =15 2/8

Total Gross=186 0/8

I know he doesn't look it. Im hoping to get him aged sometime soon and I think he is an extremely old deer, especially for the area.

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Ill probably never kill another deer on this unit that big, but as long as I can take my boy hunting and share all the memories I have, I couldn't care less.

Its nice when you get to go home to Family!

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It just so happens my Older Brother drew the CWMU for Deer close to where I shot this buck. As he was only given five days to hunt, he was fortunate enough to break those 5 days into 2 separate times. We were there in early September for 3 days and saw very few deer. I was able to take some pics of a good buck but it was 2 miles away. We tried to turn him up but were unsuccessful. My brother decided to wait until the last 2 days he was allowed to hunt and hope to catch the beginning of the rut.

He headed down on the 2nd to last day with my Dad (he is always a part of the story) and with about 30 minutes of shooting light, they spotted 2 bucks feeding at 700 yards. There was very little in between them and the bucks, but were able to get a good look and decide they were both shooters and almost identical deer. They closed the gap the best they could and my brothers first shot connected but they were unsure how good as he disappeared into the oak. They waited as long as they could and went in after dark and searched for an hour with no luck, no blood.

My Brother is about as ethical of a hunter and person as you will find. He called me sick that night. My Dad had to go home and I headed down to see what we could turn up with the buck. He was confident he made a good shot. But was more distraught when he realized he made a 400 yard shot on 3 power. He was sick, more that he may have injured a deer he wouldn't recover than he wasnt going to be successful.

We arrived at the location at first light and he replayed the entire scenario for me. He stayed where he shot from and guided me to where the deer was standing. I searched for 30 minutes with no luck. As he came to join me, I decided to drop down a couple patches of Oak. I ran into blood. This was a good sign, but still seemed like a long shot. It was definitely hit, but very little blood. We made a game plan of the only possible (we thought) route he could have taken without being seen.

As we planned and walked that area, I happen to look down and saw one lone drop of blood on a rock...

It was headed 90 degrees from where we had planned to go. It was dumb luck. We pulled out the orange tape and marked it and found a 2nd drop that gave us a good idea of direction. The blood was so sparse, but it was consistent at about 5-10 feet apart. We meticulously trailed blood for 3 hours over the course of over 2.5 miles.

Then it stopped. Nothing. It made no sense. My brother was sick. I was sick. The deer was dead somewhere and we had no idea where. We spent the next 2 hours trying to get into an injured deer's brain, to no avail. The thick scrub oak didn't help. 3 miles later we circled back to the last spot of blood. We couldn't figure it out. He had used the path of least resistance for 2 miles, mainly downhill and mainly out in the open. I decided to take a 90 degree turn uphill...

20 yards was a pool of blood. We were ecstatic. It was on again. while it didn't make sense, it didn't matter.

And there he was, 30 yards from that point of confusion. It sucks to wound an animal. But it sucks even more not to find that animal. We were so relieved and thankful we saw that first drop of blood. My Brother was more than happy with him. It was one of those memories I will cherish for a long time.

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Thanks for Reading
 
Congrats, great story on two nice bucks. Wish my dad was around to go hunt with. I too learned everything about getting into a deer's mind from him but he passed away one year after retirement. Nice time with family!
 
Thanks everyone. I happen to have the Same CWMU deer tag this year and I am headed out shortly. Only after 2 bucks, assuming they survived last year. Hope to have another post to write.

Snoop, he had great beams, but very little mass, and no eye guards. I think he scored 165ish???
 
I really appreciate posts such as yours.It's like we were along with you on your (and your brother's hunts). I love deer hunting, and have a lifetime's worth of memories. Not even a "big buck hunter",I will take whatever opportunity lets me. In more than 50 years of hunting now, I would take either of those bucks in a heartbeat, as I have had hundreds of opportunities, but missed shots,spooked deer, deer shot by another hunter, etc. have precluded me taking a nice buck. After finally drawing a prime trophy Area after 10 yrs., and confident I would finally get a crack at a dandy, it wasn't in the cards, as I settled for a "forky and one" (a 3x2). For the fun of it, I went out the next day to videotape, and saw TWO nice bucks I could have easily killed!And to top it off, a guide friend called to say he had a big buck pegged for me to go hunt! Deer Hunting: for me, ALWAYS an adventure!
 
Great read, REALLY glad it turned out great for you guys,
That what brothers are for helping and packing LOL.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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Update
So I was able to spend 2 days on the Mtn. I am not a huge Archery guy (yet) but Ive always wanted a velvet buck. This was my chance with a rifle to accomplish that and not sure if this is the right way to say it, but I completely blew it. I hadn't been hiking more than 20 minutes, first time out and I don't know if my mind wasn't right or what. I may have been looking at too many pics of big bucks. I found an awesome little spot and had a buck jump up 40 yards, broadside and stare at me. He reminded me a lot of my deer I posted above, but not as deep of forks, but very narrow and extremely tall (could have been his Brother), and a ton of mass. For some reason I didn't pull the trigger. I don't know if I didn't want it to be over, or what. He was in full velvet and was pretty as they come.

Needless to say I spent the next 2 days trying to find him again, to no avail.

Not sure disappointed is the right word, I just instinctively passed the opportunity. Hope It was the right decision, as the next 2 days and close to 20 miles on boots only yielded 12 deer, and ONE other buck...

Hope I can find that 2nd needle :)
 
Experiences...accept them, learn from them and next time you may have more clarity in the moment. Enjoy your hikes with your gun-- I do. ?
 
Thanks for sharing a couple of awesome bucks and experiences..!! Great photos and hope you guys find more success this year..!!

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 

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