CO ghost

marley

Very Active Member
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The past 5 years haven’t been great for finding the big bucks of the past so I didn’t have high expectations of finding anything real big this year prior to my CO muzzy tag. About three weeks before my hunt I found this buck 5 miles away as the crow flies. With the distance and heat waves I really couldn’t tell what he had other than a giant frame.
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One week before my hunt I went in from a different direction that put me two miles from where I had seen that buck hoping to turn him up again. I was pleasantly surprised to see him again no more than 200 yards from where I had seen him two weeks prior. This time I could see what he had and it was a dream buck. It was encouraging to see that he hadn’t moved.

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I decided that I needed to babysit him until opening day. I hiked in there every single day for the week before my hunt and throughout the week of my hunt and never turned him up again. Total heartbreaker. The two bucks he had been hanging out with were there but he vanished on me. I turned that place upside down from every angle I could.

On the 2nd to last day of my hunt I bedded a really good bull for the unit about two hours before dark 2 miles in. I didn’t have an elk tag but my nephew did and had been struggling to find a bull. I told him to get his butt to me as fast as he could. About an hour and a half later he showed up at my glassing point wearing “hey dudes”.
-“Sage where are your boots?”
- “you told me to hurry.”

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We had about 30 mins to close 1000 yards of distance between us and the bull. At 210 yards, my nephew used my muzzy to drop this bull back into his bed when he stood up. This will always be a great memory for me with my nephew. He had worked his butt off this season. You couldn’t smack the grin off his face.
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On the last trip of packing out his bull, a decent buck rounded the top of the hill 60 yards from me. I really wish he wouldn’t have. My body was screaming at me and I had a moment of brain fog and shot the buck. I should’ve let this buck walk for many reasons but I still had a great hunt and I’m thankful for the time I got to spend with my nephew.

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I really need to find that ghost bucks hidey hole. This isn’t the first time I’ve lost a big buck in this same area. I named him “Keith”. If you’ve seen the movie “IF” you’ll understand the name.
 
Ol' Marley needs no help--bastard. ;) Still pops a consolation buck that many folks would tag on day 1.

If he survies, I'm sure Keith will be on your hitlist next year and we'll see the glorious pics.

Oh, by the way, congrats to the nephew on a fatty bull.
 
Ol' Marley needs no help--bastard. ;) Still pops a consolation buck that many folks would tag on day 1.

If he survies, I'm sure Keith will be on your hitlist next year and we'll see the glorious pics.

Oh, by the way, congrats to the nephew on a fatty bull.
I was pretty much just saying I’d love to be a part of a buck like that if he wants help if any kind. Not saying he needs my help.
 
The past 5 years haven’t been great for finding the big bucks of the past so I didn’t have high expectations of finding anything real big this year prior to my CO muzzy tag. About three weeks before my hunt I found this buck 5 miles away as the crow flies. With the distance and heat waves I really couldn’t tell what he had other than a giant frame.
View attachment 159366

One week before my hunt I went in from a different direction that put me two miles from where I had seen that buck hoping to turn him up again. I was pleasantly surprised to see him again no more than 200 yards from where I had seen him two weeks prior. This time I could see what he had and it was a dream buck. It was encouraging to see that he hadn’t moved.

View attachment 159367
View attachment 159368
I decided that I needed to babysit him until opening day. I hiked in there every single day for the week before my hunt and throughout the week of my hunt and never turned him up again. Total heartbreaker. The two bucks he had been hanging out with were there but he vanished on me. I turned that place upside down from every angle I could.

On the 2nd to last day of my hunt I bedded a really good bull for the unit about two hours before dark 2 miles in. I didn’t have an elk tag but my nephew did and had been struggling to find a bull. I told him to get his butt to me as fast as he could. About an hour and a half later he showed up at my glassing point wearing “hey dudes”.
-“Sage where are your boots?”
- “you told me to hurry.”

View attachment 159370

We had about 30 mins to close 1000 yards of distance between us and the bull. At 210 yards, my nephew used my muzzy to drop this bull back into his bed when he stood up. This will always be a great memory for me with my nephew. He had worked his butt off this season. You couldn’t smack the grin off his face.
View attachment 159372


On the last trip of packing out his bull, a decent buck rounded the top of the hill 60 yards from me. I really wish he wouldn’t have. My body was screaming at me and I had a moment of brain fog and shot the buck. I should’ve let this buck walk for many reasons but I still had a great hunt and I’m thankful for the time I got to spend with my nephew.

View attachment 159371

I really need to find that ghost bucks hidey hole. This isn’t the first time I’ve lost a big buck in this same area. I named him “Keith”. If you’ve seen the movie “IF” you’ll understand the name.
How was your nephews experience packing out in hey dudes? Great story and congratulations.
 
I've never had a big boy slip away...never really seen one on the hoof! LOL

Congrats to your nephew on a stud bull and I agree with the post before that says you kill a buck you should have let go but most of us would kill on opening morning. Cool post....thanks!
 
Great story and pics. Bummer about that buck. My buddy and I were talking about a high country deer hunt next year or year after and we were discussing archery or muzzleloader. I said I wanna go archery the 1st week. CO muzzle is too late to catch those big guys in velvet. By the time CO muzzy season opens, those big deer are or have rubbed off and turn to ghosts, plus 2 weeks of pressure on em already. Gimme an archery tag and go after them the first week while they are still playing dumb. Thats an amazing buck for colorado (or anywhere) though. Just finding that deer is an accomplishment.
 
Congrats to both of you. Envy you living out west and being able to get in those mountains and just glass up game. Finding a good one is pretty exciting. Killing him would just be icing on the cake. What gun set up were you using?
 
Dang, nice buck you found they are hard to keep tabs on. I'm in a similar situation spotted a nice one for my kid and can't find him now. Nice job on the elk and your buck!
 
I seen one of there Centerfire Builds. Didn’t realize they did muzzy's
I got his first one. I had Ty spin me up a 50 caliber barrel that screws right into my custom 6.5 SST. Swap the barrel and pull the extractor spring and we’re good to go. The second pic is a 300 yard group
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He told him to get there fast. An hour and a half later he got there. Phone or radio? Somehow word was transferred. Just asking. mtmuley
Gotcha. Did miss that. I don't know of any state that it's illegal to call someone on your phone and have them meet you somewhere that you have animals found. Radio is illegal if being used to make plays on animals.
 
Gotcha. Did miss that. I don't know of any state that it's illegal to call someone on your phone and have them meet you somewhere that you have animals found. Radio is illegal if being used to make plays on animals.
Radio illegal but phone is OK? Both illegal in Montana. mtmuley
 
Radio illegal but phone is OK? mtmuley
Radio illegal to tell so and so where bull is while so and so is making a play on animal. Make sense? Not to tell someone to get to a location and then go after it.

If you're in the field and your glassing a bull and your buddy is making a play on said bull and you have a radio and go "ok, you need to go up 50 yards and keep heading straight" that's illegal.

If you have a phone or radio and say "hey it's little Debbie here, I got a bull over here meet me at so and so location and we can make a play" that's legal.
 
Radio illegal to tell so and so where bull is while so and so is making a play on animal. Make sense? Not to tell someone to get to a location and then go after it.

If you're in the field and your glassing a bull and your buddy is making a play on said bull and you have a radio and go "ok, you need to go up 50 yards and keep heading straight" that's illegal.

If you have a phone or radio and say "hey it's little Debbie here, I got a bull over here meet me at so and so location and we can make a play" that's legal.
Show me. mtmuley
 
Actually I was wrong, it's not illegal at all. It's only illegal to use them in violation of other laws. Very broad wording, but I don't see it anywhere saying even to guide a hunter to an animal that it's illegal. Use Google mtmuley. I believe in you.
I did look around. Pretty vague. Not something I would do. Should be illegal in every state. mtmuley
 
Actually I was wrong, it's not illegal at all. It's only illegal to use them in violation of other laws. Very broad wording, but I don't see it anywhere saying even to guide a hunter to an animal that it's illegal. Use Google mtmuley. I believe in you.
Post a pic of the regulations. mtmuley
 
Perfectly legal to use a cell phone or radio to call someone to you or to direct someone into an animal in CO and every other state I’ve hunted in the west (never hunted MT so never looked up the rule).

I’m not going to waste my time looking up the regs for you. You’re a big boy I’m sure you can find them. As to whether you think it should be illegal……I don’t care.
 
Perfectly legal to use a cell phone or radio to call someone to you or to direct someone into an animal in CO and every other state I’ve hunted in the west (never hunted MT so never looked up the rule).

I’m not going to waste my time looking up the regs for you. You’re a big boy I’m sure you can find them. As to whether you think it should be illegal……I don’t care.
Great hunt. Give my congrats to the "shooter". 🤣 mtmuley
 
Heck, I had to look up what Hey Dude’s were.
Least he did not show up in flip flops, tank top, and shorts. 🤣🤣
You really have them muzzys dialed in.
 
Total dream buck right there!
I bet your nephew won't soon forget that pack out in his Hey Dudes!
 
Awesome buck you were chasing! A true brute! Nice bull for your nephew. Congrats, and sometimes the trigger finger gets a bit itchy haha 😆
 
Let's see the specific rule for Montana since you brought it up.
Congrats on two fine animals!

I think Montana is the only state I have seen that is very specific that it is illegal to use cell phones and radios for hunting game, the rest I have looked at have been very general on usage.

Montana Law:

Two-way Communication (ARM 12.6.1010)

The use of two- way electronic communication is prohibited:
While in the act of hunting game animals or wolves to aid in the taking or locating of live animals.
 
For those who like to see how a bullet performs here you go. This was the first time using the 340 grain ELDX .50 cal bullets. I think they performed well and made a mess of the insides. The left one was just under the hide of the far side shoulder of my deer and is as flat as a penny. The right one was just under the hide of the far shoulder of my nephews elk.

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The gunsmith is Ty Shaw with Flatline Precision. The ignition system is a primer module that you use regular magnum rifle primers with that you can get off of arrowhead muzzleloader website.
 

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