Wyoming 2010

P

pinenut

Guest
I was fortunate to take a solid buck on my Wyoming 2010 hunt. I had not hunted the Wyoming high country since 2006 because of a series of Utah LE elk hunts by myself and other family/friends that overlap the WY season but early in 2010 two buddies and myself decided to go for it. Unfortunately one of the two buddies broke his leg just a few weeks ago so there was just two of us heading out. I was looking forward to downing another mule deer...I had not killed one since Nevada 2007 (some probably remember video on here of a buck rolling down the mountain to Browtine?s wonderful commentary).

The weather was HOT and deer were in the trees very early but generally would feed around in the shade for another hour or two. I spotted a nice buck early opening morning (Wednesday) but he was about two miles away and heading for the trees. I did not hear any shooting where he was at the rest of the opener and decided to hunt over there on the 2nd morning. After passing on a solid 27 inch 170 class 4x4 that got shot about 10 seconds after I passed him I hiked up to the next little basin. I had sat glassing for a few minutes, and spotted a few little bucks feeding, when a nice velvet covered 180 class 4x4 jumped up right below me. I figure the deer was either bedded or standing and watching me the whole time and I didn't see him until he moved. Anyways I proceeded to miss him twice as he made his escape from the small basin...I figure it was the poorest deer killing attempt I had made in like 10 years. 8 or 9 times out of 10 I put that buck on the ground but I missed him and was kicking myself for the next day and a half.

Between the heat and 1.5 days of being hunted the bucks were not coming out in the open much during daylight hours. So I decided to still hunt a mile long relatively flat ridge that usually holds some bucks. The nice thing about this ridge is it is pretty heavily timbered but it also has plenty of 100 to 200 yard wide clearings intermixed which are impossible to glass from a distance. Thursday night I bumped another nice velvet buck I would have shot but he got to safety in a hurry before I could shoot. I saw 3 or 4 other decent bucks that night too. Friday morning I made pretty much the same loop and saw another 3 decent bucks...all different deer than I had seen the night before. Friday night I decided what the heck and I hunted the same trees again.

I had made it to the end of the trees with about an hour of light left without seeing a deer so I moved 300 yards East and was slowly making way back to camp checking different clearings/draws. With about a half hour of light left I was approaching a 150 yard wide clearing and I spotted a deer feeding near the trees on the opposite side. I quickly determined it was a 22 inch 4x4. However another buck promptly stepped out of the trees and I knew immediately I was going to try to take him. A quick look through glass showed split G3?s on each side...a configuration I have always wanted to take. However before I could shoot both bucks moved behind a small clump of pines in the middle of the clearing.

For a minute or two I could hear the bucks clanking antlers together and then finally the smaller buck backed out into the open and the larger buck stepped out to confront him again. That is when I fired my .270 ending the sparring match.

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I made way over to the deer and noticed in addition to the split G3?s he had a 6th point on one side too. Without eye guards he is a 5x6 that I taped at 192 inches. Based off body size and facial appearance I believe this was a young deer that could have been something very special in a year or two but I wasn?t about to pass him. It was nice to have ponies to pack him out the 5 miles (a little different than 2006 when I had to carry my buck out by myself)...thanks Brett!

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Back at home the kids enjoyed watching me finish caping the buck. ?Daddy...why you cut his face off??

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WOw..!!! What a fantastic buck...!! Congrats on a fine trophy..! Is this in a generall area...?? Amazing animal

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
Ryan, WOW, that is a very special buck. Congrats man. I filmed a buck for 4 years that had very similar genetics. 5x5 inline, and no eyguards. Your buck is better on the fronts though.

Yelum

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Good for you Ryan! That is a great buck. Them tines are long...neat.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
 
Eye guards are over rated but considering the amount of bone, kinda different to be totally slick like that. No matter, that's a Great buck, Congrats!!

Joey
 
Congrats Ryan!!! Love those split 3rds. And you are a lucky dog having horses there. Great story and awesome buck!!

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Later, Brandon
 
Thanks all for the comments. Yes he was killed on public land in an area that is general season to Wyoming residents but as a non-resident I had to draw my tag. Yelum, that buck sure is similar...pretty crazy.

The place I hunted is certainly not what it was 10 years ago but you cannot deny it is beautiful deer country and I feel very fortunate to take a buck approaching the caliber of deer that used to be fairly common in this area. I hope the good ole? days make a comeback at some point but it cannot happen without reducing resident permits or reducing our ?killability?. How about muzzleloader only in all or some big portions of this area...how sweet would the hunting be after those regs were in place for 5 years? I would rather hunt every year or two and have to really work at it then hunt every 5th year and have a nearly guaranteed crack at a 180 buck with my rifle. Our technology and drive has advanced far enough that the ?size? of the country up there can no longer keep bucks safe from the crowds to regularly obtain 4-6 years of age...we have to simply reduce hunter numbers big time or reduce our technology...I vote for less technology and to keep hunting.

-RPinenut
 
Great buck and you are on track. I still say I won't go back to that country until Wyo G&F makes management changes. And it looks like I won't live long enough to see positive change. There are lots of things they could do, but nothing changes.
 
Congrats Ry! That's sweet! I sure miss the old days of pounding the high country. Hopefully you can swing by this week to see the bull and I can droll on your buck!
 
I bet youre glad you missed the 180 class buck. What an awesome buck. Congrats to you. I hope to hunt Wyoming on of these years.
 

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