Quest is finally over!

[muleyslayer52]

The quest for Optimus is over! I was able to harvest a buck that I have been after for 3 years.
Year 1: I harvested a 193? buck the first weekend of the archery season. I found Optimus in November during the rut. I helped a few buddies chase him with a bow for the remainder of the season.
Year 2: My goal was to find this buck during the summer and hunt him. I was able to find him and pattern him. Opening weekend I was heartbroken. I stalked up to him at 30 yards. He ducked my arrow and I hit him in the shoulder in ?no mans land.? For the next few weeks I attempted to locate him with no luck. It wasn?t until the rut that I found him alive and well chasing does. I hunted him hard and often. Getting close a lot and sometimes not. On one occasion I was able to sneak up on him in his bed and get off a 50 yard shot and missed. To this day I don't know where I shot or where the arrow went. I kept tabs on him after the season to hopefully find his sheds-no luck.
Year 3: This summer I was able to find Optimus in the same area as the previous year. He was in the same patterns and draw systems as the previous year. Come hunting season I was able to get within 35 yards from him and got an arrow in him. My shot placement was perfect except he was quartering towards me more than I thought. After a sleepless night I was able to find my buck

He exceeded my expectations. He has more mass than I can imagine. I thought he was going to gross score around 185-190. I underestimated him and he actually gross scored 205? with 50" of mass!!!!!!!!!!!!!


2014

2015

2016:

 

[heartshot]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-07-16 AT 11:28AM (MST)[p]Pure Sweetness. I like the last pic of you taking it all in. I remember your heartache last year trying to find him. What a great ending to the journey.

 

[Broadside_Shot]

That's Pretty Cool!!! Congratulations!!!

 

[Founder]

Absolutely awesome, awesome, awesome. You got it done. Good for you. What a great high you've got to be on.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
LIKE MonsterMuleys.com on Facebook!

 

[elkhunterUT]

Congrats!! Stud buck!!

 

[osu92]

Stud buck and cool story - congrats!!!

Was there any big buildup of scar tissue in his shoulder from the previous years wound? Or had it pretty much completely healed up?

 

[SLIVER]

Awesome man! Congrats to you! I am envious of your accomplishment!

}}-SLIVER-->

 

[Hawkeye]

Congratulations on an awesome buck! You have your reward for sticking with it over the last couple of years.

-Hawkeye-

 

[ICMDEER]

One of my all-time favorite MM stories. BIG congrats to you for your effort and perseverance. Great buck and a better story.

One question............... when you took off his hide, could you see where you hit him last year and what did it look like?

 

[backpackin]

Great story. Congrats! Thanks for sharing!

 

[NorthernUtahGreyGhost]

You should submit this story and photos to Eastman's magazine. I think this is a quest that all hunters should read about. Awesome job! Congrats!

 

[Wapitiwilly]

What a story! And what a buck!
Congratulations on a buck of several lifetimes??

 

[12point]

Congratulations, that's called "gettin it done.

 

[Tikka]

That last picture says a lot about what kind of hunter you are...Paying respect to a great animal... Good job!!!

 

[WestNDMuleys]

Awesome ND buck! Fun to be able to follow along. A buck of a lifetime Muleyslayer!

 

[BrowningRage]

One of the coolest stories to follow on MM for a while my friend. And you were definitely rewarded with a true Giant..!!

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

 

[RipnFlip]

What an amazing story. Congrats on a stud. You deserve him.

 

[dillon]

Congratulations. I know you have been chasing this buck for a long time. He is a very impressive buck.

Dillon

 

[hornkiller]

Great job man! I knew he would break the 200 mark when you posted the first pics of him this year. On a side note don't let eastmans screw you like they did my brother! They promised him a cover for 6 months straight only to cancel him the day before they published the issue.

 

[nvbones]

Your saga with this buck in the last year has motivated me and I'm sure others for the season. I have respect for your determination and perseverance when things didn't go your way. Congrats on a trophy I'm sure you won't soon forget.

 

[WillardHunter]

>One of the coolest stories to
>follow on MM for a
>while my friend. And you
>were definitely rewarded with a
>true Giant..!!
+1!!!!!! What a great story. I have been following this story from the beginning. Congrats to a great dedicated hunter.

 

[Muleyfanatic]

Awesome! Congratulations, I remember following your story very closely last year to see if you'd find him. I would also be interested in hearing about or seeing pictures if you have them of where you whacked him the first time.

 

[muleyslayer52]

>Awesome! Congratulations, I remember following your
>story very closely last year
>to see if you'd find
>him. I would also be
>interested in hearing about or
>seeing pictures if you have
>them of where you whacked
>him the first time.


just the scar is visible in last years pix. There was a little muscle atrophy this year but no real big scar. When he gets mounted i hope it shows a little.

 

[BOHNTR]

Awesome quest, awesome story, and awesome buck! Congratulations.

BOHNTR )))---------->

 

[deweyL]

congrats on a beautiful buck

 

[Longun]

was "optimus" on private ground all this time or public?

 

[muleyslayer52]

>was "optimus" on private ground all
>this time or public?



Public land buck!!

 

[YBO]

Like Hornkiller said, I'd contact Muley Crazy (ask for Steve 435 644 2486). The thousands od subscribers would live to read your exciting story and fantastic photos. Well done.

 

[mntman]

An awesome adventure and countless memories you have now, congrats!!! Sometimes things don't work out the way we wish but often times they are better cause they don't

True giant of a buck!

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

 

[browtine]

This is such an epic story! Huge congrats on this quest. Thanks for sharing and what a trophy awesome buck of a lifetime. You should try to track down that bucks sheds.

 

[Robiland]

That is SOOO AWESOME!!! Congrats! That right there is what its all about.

 

[MrDoe]

Awesome job! New state archery record?!

 

[dogdoc]

Very Nice!!

 

[muleyslayer52]

>Awesome job! New state archery record?!
>


unfortunately no..but top 5 for sure!

probably in velvet category its #1

 

[Deer1975]

Stud Buck for sure and even better story to go with the trophy.

 

[YELUM]

Dang, love his mass. Congrats

Yelum

YBU

 

[elkassassin]

Curious if You Recovered Both Broadheads?








[font color="blue"]She put a Big F.U. in My Future,Ya She's got a
way with Words[/font]

 

[WestNDMuleys]

What was the official score?!

 

[muleyslayer52]

>What was the official score?!

don't know official score. I am betting he will net around the 192-195 range depending on if his small kickers are scored and count against his net.


(nets are for fish-i believe if he grew it it should count-oh well)

 

[Lurch]

Congrats on an awesome buck! My buddy killed a buck last year that had been shot in "no mans land" before. Tough animals for sure..

 

[WestNDMuleys]

I am truly not a score guy but I was just curious about how it would go. An amazing buck!

 

[BuglesNGrunts]

This is one hell of a story! Loved reading every bit of it! Absolute stud of a deer and the story to go alongside is truly great. I personally think it speaks to your character as a hunter and the respect you hole for the animals and the nature of what we do(especially that last pic of you reminiscing about the entire experience and having it all come to fruition.

Great work! Hope to see the next monster quest soon!

 

[Desest Dog]

Congrats on a stud of a buck and a story like that goes with it makes it that much better. I also agree give'em what he has gross inch's all the way. a trophy is in the eye of the beholder and this is indeed a trophy no matter the score.