I've got four that I'd like to get back. And since its a slow morning at work, here they all are:
In 2004 I was rifle hunting a small piece of land up Chalk Creek. It was the middle of the hunt and I was alone on the mountain. I had been hiking all morning, seeing lots of deer, including a heavy, dark-horned 3 point that let me get to about 150 yards before leaving his bed. (I passed him cuz my cousin had already killed a nice 3x4 with a cheater opening day, and I wanted to do better if I could). I was more than a mile from camp and crested over a ridge when I saw a buck laying out in the mid-morning sun. Back then I didn't know score or anything, but this buck was a solid four, wide, deep forks, and now I'd guess he was at least 180". He was about 400-450 yards away. I laid down, took careful aim, and then my radio crackled. My dad was in camp and wanted to know what I was doing. I turned off the radio, and when I looked through my scope, the buck was looking right at me. I rested the hairs high on his shoulder and let it rip. The snow at his belly exploded, and he whirled out of there and was gone in a flash. I killed a 21" 4-point the next day, my last day.
In 2005 I was bow hunting with family in Northeast Utah. An opening day tradition our family once had was to rise at 2am, drive all the way out to the Uintas and drive around hunting from the back of the truck. My uncle dubbed it "The Red Eye Run". In all the years my dad and brothers did this growing up, they never once harvested a deer on that opening day. We figured we would do our best to relive those days. Our expectations for deer were low, but we knew it'd be fun to be together and see some country. (Also, we DID NOT hunt from the bed of a truck). About 11am, we were trying to find a good, shady spot to stop for lunch. We were on a rutty old back road and new it didn't matter much, but we wanted to be able to lay in the shade. Suddenly, my cousin says, "Big Buck!" All the windows were down, and as I looked, the buck was standing just 15 yards from the little dirt road, head up, looking at all of us in the truck. He was heavy, 27" wide, and great forks. Definitely a 165-170" deer. The biggest deer I'd ever seen in the area. Frankly, we were all dumbfounded. We must have all had our mouths dropped open. No one said a word. I suddenly remembered I had my bow, and a tag. I exited the vehicle on the opposite side of the truck (my luck to be sitting there). The buck walked just behind a small aspen. We now noticed there were 3 other deer in this small patch of aspens, all bucks, including another 4 point. Normally, my dad would have driven away as I ducked down, but like I said, we were all stupid with surprise. So I walked up the side of the truck as I knocked an arrow. The big buck's vitals were covered by the small aspens, buck I could see his big grey body just standing there, his huge rack staring back in our direction. Then one by one, the bucks trotted away. I stood and watched him trot through the young trees, never even drawing my bow. Like I said, stupid with surprise.
The following weekend, I decided to return to that same area with my dad. At the break of dawn we were slowly making our way up the little dirt road again, when I spotted three bucks well off the road. It looked like the bucks that were with the big one the week before. Frankly, I was going to shoot any of them, but the 22" 4-point, about 150" was looking very good to me. I decided that I would attempt to ambush the three bucks. I made my way about a quarter mile ahead of them and then began working my way back towards them. The wind was perfect for me. Once I found a good ambush spot, I stayed put, and let them browse towards me. My dad drove the truck back and watched the bucks from a distance. He did this for a while before deciding they were not moving towards my position fast enough, so, he started walking towards them. The plan worked. The bucks decided to get away from him and began trotting my way. I was standing in a young pine tree surrounded by some open ground and little patches of pines. I heard the deer coming. Then I saw them. The 4 point was in the lead, followed by his two 3 point friends (one of which had bloody antlers as he had just rubbed his velvet that morning). They were coming through the pines and I new when I would draw, and hope I could stop the bucks with a little bleet. As the four point ducked his head at the last pine before a clearing at just 20 yards, I drew back. With the just rising sun at my back, My shadow must have spooked the buck. He jumped and trotted out to 40 yards and stopped broadside. His companions cleared the pines and stood at 20 yards, broadside and looking away at him. I was at full draw and I chose my target. I released my arrow and the 4-point "ducked" like I had never seen before. My fletchings were well lit in the sunlight and I watched as my arrow just cleared his back. He and his companions were off in a flash.
In 2006, while hunting southern Utah with a bow. I found a nice 4x5 laying in his bed in mid afternoon. He wasn't wide, only about 22", but he had great forks, and his fifth was a perfect inline between his G2 and G3. He was probably only about 155-160" but that's a trophy to me, especially with a bow. He was in some pines enjoying the shade. I started a stalk from around the mountainside. I came over a crest and could see him laying in the same spot as before. As I got closer, a 2 point friend of his suddenly stood and began to browse. Every chance I got I would take just a step or two. The adrenaline of coming to 50 yards, then 40 yards of this great buck was definitely the moment I realized how much fun archery hunting was. I got to about 30 yards and held. He rose from his bed and began to browse with the 2 point. I realized that some of the low-hanging pine bows were obstructing my shot. I opted to move a little to make it happen. BAM!! Busted by the 2 point. He stared at me for a second then whirled and ran off. The 4x5 watched him go like, "what the heck is that young'un doing..?" But after a moment he trotted off after him. The next day I killed my first ever archery deer, a small 3 point. But it was an awesome trip which I repeated with more family the next 3 years in a row.
Thanks for reading, those who did.
"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
