Experiences

DBG3285

Active Member
Messages
888
Well, we have another year in the books. This year started no different then any of the past years. I watched unsuccessful emails roll in just as almost every year past. So it was just OTC elk and my final year in dedicated hunter in Utah.

The year has been an extremely busy year. Between an overloaded work schedule, remodeling the house and a few other things, I watched the archery hunt go by without being able to go out more than a few times.

I was able to hit the extended between the archery and the muzzle loader hunt. I had no luck but I had a lot of fun. The muzzleloader hunt started and I hunted the first 5 days. I had to leave town again for work and would be gone until shortly before the rifle hunt started.

I was able to get about a week of solid scouting in prior to the rifle opener (I scouted all summer too). I spent the entire week scouting with my boy, it really brought me back to earth.

During our time scouting my boy had informed me that I had to kill a deer this year, he needed to eat it and he needed a rack in his room, I promised I would do my best.

Opening day of the rifle hunt had came, I had a Target buck in mind and immediately went to that area, only to find I was the only person there, no competition, and also no deer. Saturday was a bust, Sunday showed no greater promise other then a few more deer and a really nice 4x4 that I couldn't seal the deal on. Monday was no better.

Tuesday came and I found a really unique buck that actually had some size to him, there was also a good 4x4 with him. I put him to bed and then repositioned myself for when he got up to feed that evening, Tuesday night came and went, not a single deer sighting.

This year had already been a very trying year, with everything. This hunt was proving to be no exception.

Wednesday. At first light I spotted the 4x4 that had been with the freak the day before. I decided I was going to take him. I got set for the shot and when he stepped out I pulled the trigger. He vanished, but I had not heard that unmistakable sound of a solid hit. I followed up the shot by walking up to where I had taken the shot, there was no blood no sign of a hit at all. I started to follow his tracks through the soft soil he had been traveling in. Out of the blue, I hear deer going for the ridge top. I hastily made may way to the top.

Upon cresting the ridge it became very evident I had not hit the buck, as there he was, making his escape. Along with multiple other bucks.

I glanced over the deer to assess what was what, I immediately was able to recognize many of the deer, from previous scouting trips. But one deer stood out above all, a deer I had never laid eyes on nor heard rumor about, a deer I could not believe was in my general hunt unit......

Flash back, over the years we (my family, friends and myself) have killed some large bucks, including 1 200" typical. And many other large typical and non typical bucks.

Here right in front of me was a moment I had personally always dreamed about. THE PERFECT 4x4 buck. He had everything, mass, hieght, width, tine length I have only seen in magazines. This was the largest typical I had ever laid eyes on. Big, symmetrical, not a viable flaw. I had him right where I needed him. Under 300 yards, broad side and at a slow walk.........
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-31-17 AT 12:00PM (MST)[p]Ah, he got him...why else would he post the teaser story?

Can wait to see pics!!!!!
 
I try to calm my nerves and slow my breathing from the steep ascent. I get settled in and start to time my breathing, then it happens, somehow some way I lose focus and find myself staring at the antlers. I again lose all composure and panick.

The first shot rings out, a clean miss over the unsuspecting buck's back. He trots out a few yards and stops. Now panick has completely set in. The fear and emotion that was engulfing my very existence had not overcome me this way since I was in my teens.

A second shot, shortly thereafter followed by a third, then a fourth. That fourth shot, it had it, i had heard that hollow thud of a bullet finding its mark. All the other deer that were now in close proximity, bolt from the pines they were in our through a more open quake basin.

I am scanning the trees counting the deer looking for the buck. I count as they slowly funnel through the low pass: 1. 2. 3. And so forth all the way to the magical number, one buck is still unaccounted for, the buck I had been shooting at. The buck that could make any hunter on any unit have dreams or night mares.

I start to make my way over to where the buck was last standing, excited and anxious. Full of emotions, as I got to where the buck had last been, one emotion leapt to the front of the pack...

Disappointment!!

There was no dead buck, just tracks walking away through the pines and over the ridge that was a mere 40 yards beyond his last known location.

Back up a minute: I had taken some falls in the steep, rocky and snow cover faces in the days prior and even today. This was all I could think about as I made a completely defeated walk out of that hell hole I had descended into. I was physically hurt, and emotionally and mentally drained. To only find tracks of this magical buck of my now nightmares walking off. I followed his tracks through the snow for hundreds of yards until he had left the north face and went to an easterly face with no snow. No blood, no hair, pretty sure he never even broke a sweat or had to breathe hard to get into his new found seclusion and away from my spastic and uncontrollable self.

It was only Wednesday I had 4 more days to relocate this buck.

BUT FIRST back to the range!!!

After a short stop at the range, it was apparent that the rifle nor the ammunition were to blame for my previous fauxpa.

Time to get back at it and see what I can stir up!
 
Sorry DBG!

I Missed Your Call!

And Tried Calling back a couple Times!

But the Calls won't go Through!

I'm Hoping & Praying You Got that BIG SOB!









Back Me Off to 1,700 Yards,650 is a Little Close & I'm Not Comfortable with it!

A GUT SHOT at 1,700 Yards will Still Make Some Good BRAGGIN Rights so I Can Say I At Least Hit Him!


90087hankjr.jpg
 
Thursday was a rough day, as previously stated I was emotionally and mental defeated, I had actually injured myself on the prior day as well, so Thursday was a take it easier and try to locate the deer again.

It was a slow day with very few sightings of anything, a few does and fawns, a couple of small bucks and a 145-150 4x4. I had my boy with me, he spotted the 4x4 he really wanted me to shoot any of the bucks we had seen. I just could not do it, not after the prior day.

Friday, I was back in the dark, steep timber, slipping and sliding my way through the rocks and snow. Again a slow day, even less spotted.

Saturday came, I expected to see more pressure, but to my surprise it was just my father and I in the area. We split, he went to the escape route and I slowly hunted through the timber and rocks.

Due to the lack of deer sign and deer I had seen in the previous days, where I had expected the wise bucks to be, I decided I would see if they had went back to their previous hideout.

It was a bust. We saw 12 moose and not a single deer. I was perplexed. Lost, and had no idea where to go from here.

Sunday found myself in search of the bucks again. It was the final day. I had promised my boy he could hunt with me on that last day.

The day crept by, almost as if a slow motion video in fast forward. My boy and I saw a plethora of animals through the day. Elk, deer, moose, coyotes and the list goes on.

Hunting with my boy has taught me lots of things. It also completely reinvigorated me. It reminded me of what it was like when I was that little boy hunting with my father, it reminded me of why most of us do this, and what got us started.

It was closing down to the final minutes of a hunt that had put me trough the ringer. It had me at the lowest of lows. I was sitting there with my boy, in a daze thinking about how the hunt had went and other things.

I heard my boy say, "Dad there are some deer!!!" In his quiet voice of course.

As I looked to where he was pointing I immediately saw one was a buck. As I stated he was a buck, my boy (again in his "quiet" voice) told me to shoot it!

I found a dead rest and put the cross hairs on the vitals, and let a round go....
 
With 10 minutes left in the hunt, and with my boy by my side, I had done it. I had killed.

It was the buck I was after, not necessarily in the literal sense, but none the less it was the buck I was after!

All in the same year I had missed the biggest buck I have ever had an encounter with while having a tag in my pocket, and I took the smallest buck I have ever taken.

Even with it not being the "typical trophy" as what most people would think with the social media frenzy we are in now. This was the best trophy (deer) I had taken. My boy was with me for one of my Wasatch LE tags and was with me for this tag.

To my favorite trophy deer so far.
44508img3528.jpg


PS. My phone battery was dead, it was late and we both were exhausted. So try not to mid the crappy picture.
 
Nice Job there DBG Jr!

Sometimes You Gotta Show Dad a Buck He Won't Get Buck Fever With!:D







Back Me Off to 1,700 Yards,650 is a Little Close & I'm Not Comfortable with it!

A GUT SHOT at 1,700 Yards will Still Make Some Good BRAGGIN Rights so I Can Say I At Least Hit Him!


90087hankjr.jpg
 
Welcome to the club! I missed an incredible typical one year and it still stings, and that was back in 2006!

So... how big was it!? }>
 
>Welcome to the club! I missed
>an incredible typical one year
>and it still stings, and
>that was back in 2006!
>
>
>So... how big was it!? }>


Well as stated in the first post. We have a 200 inch typical (gross) on the wall, this deer was noticeably larger then that. Better mass, way better g1s and about 3 inches wider I would guesstimate.
 
Ya That's gotta Hurt DGB!

But I Agree!

Them Times with your Son are of the Best Times & You/He will Never Forget them!









Back Me Off to 1,700 Yards,650 is a Little Close & I'm Not Comfortable with it!

A GUT SHOT at 1,700 Yards will Still Make Some Good BRAGGIN Rights so I Can Say I At Least Hit Him!


90087hankjr.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-01-17 AT 06:11PM (MST)[p]>Damn straight you have your priorities
>in order.... congratulations on the
>memories ??


Thanks for the remarks guys/gals.

You know, I have always been a "trophy" hunter. But over the last couple of years my opinion on what a trophy truly is has changed. I will always still hung big bucks and bulls, but my forked horn this year, it will be a better trophy in my lifetime then MY "Dream Buck" could have ever amounted to.

At heart I will always be looking for the bigger buck, and I told my boy this will be the last little buck I kill for him, but in my heart I know that's not true. The way he lit up as that buck fell will be an always cherished memory, it will forever be in replay in my mind, but I wish I had a video for others to see.
 
Hey DBG!

I Think The OATH You make them Swear to Silence Scares some of them & That's why you never Hear Back from them!:D:D:D

And I Don't Blame You One Damn Bit!





She Don't Just Rain She Pours!

That Girl Right There's The Perfect Storm!


90087hankjr.jpg
 
I loved your account.I have had some wonderful hunting experiences over the 40+ years I have hunted.For several years now, I have photographed and videoed some really neat bucks, so when I drew a trophy area where I've seen some beautiful bucks I thought I would finally have a chance at a "wall hanger". Well I hunted as much as I could, passed on dozens of small bucks; I also saw lots and lots of deer and bucks, but as my luck would be, I never saw even one big buck, and half the time never even unshouldered my rifle! I hadn't even killed a deer since 2001.So I don't know why I did it- maybe out of frustration and longing to "tag out", but one afternoon after several days of small bucks once again, and hundreds of does, I spotted antler moving through some trees in an area where I had seen a small 4pt. Like you, the "buck fever" kicked in. "Oh gosh, it's a buck!" Nervous as a first-year kid hunting, I fumbled with my rifle, forgot my shooting sticks, not even thinking about "glassing him" and piled out of the truck. I couldn't even get my scope to settle on him! Finally locating the target and settling down somewhat, I did make a spot-on shot/kill. A bit disappointed that he was a small buck, but overall pretty happy and satisfied with my hunt. Deer hunting...ALWAYS an adventure!
21133petesbuck2017.jpg

Here's one of the bucks I passed up on the first TEN mins. of my hunt:
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Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
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