bonepicker
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I posted up in the Oregon forum that I had been watching a buck on Monday the 3rd and I was flip flopping on wheather to take him or not. He looked like a clean 4x4 with eyeguards, great front forks and fair height but weaker back forks. He was about the same width as his ears so I was giving him a 22" spread. My best guess was that he was a 145" buck. Decent, but I was really looking for a mature buck, not just a willow-horned 4 point. So I passed on him Monday, thinking I'd wait for a bigger one. On Tuesday, even though I knew the temptation would be pretty strong, I took my boys out (aged 5 and 6 & 1/2) and we went back to the same ridge, hoping that maybe another bigger buck had joined him. No such luck, the buck was still there, very clearly the same buck. They really wanted me to take him. I glassed him a little more and thought maybe he was a little bigger than I thought on Monday, I noticed that he was still only as wide as his ears though, as hard as I tried to make him wider, so probably only a 22" spread. I was thinking now that he might be close to 150" (though I realized that it might be buck fever, so I tried to think rationally) He went to the top of the opposite ridge (a much easier pack out) so I finally decided to do the deed. He really started looking bigger now, I was sure that I was totally fevered up and I almost backed out again but my boys still really wanted me to go for it. So I got set up prone with a hunk of sage as my rest. I ranged him up: 285 yards, I decided on a 130 grain load for my 270. I held 6" above his back, took a breath and let it fly. He never even took a step, he was done.
We started the long hike over to him, down the rim and back up to the top of the other side. Here's what I walked up on.
Let me tell you there was no ground shrinkage on this guy! I was a little surprised to say the least, but surprised in the best kind of way. Here are a few more pics of him (and my boys).
Here are a few more pics at my house.
The final stats: Score 165" gross, 26" outside spread (yes his ears were 26.5" tip to tip! Crazy.) 18.5" tall, and a huge, 210 pound body. He may not be much compared to the bad boys from Utah, Colorado, etc but for Oregon, I'm very pleased. He's everything I was looking for, can't believe I let him go on Monday and almost let him walk again! Apparently I need to practice my field judging. But, my boys kept me on track, never doubt the instincts of a 6 year old
We started the long hike over to him, down the rim and back up to the top of the other side. Here's what I walked up on.
Let me tell you there was no ground shrinkage on this guy! I was a little surprised to say the least, but surprised in the best kind of way. Here are a few more pics of him (and my boys).
Here are a few more pics at my house.
The final stats: Score 165" gross, 26" outside spread (yes his ears were 26.5" tip to tip! Crazy.) 18.5" tall, and a huge, 210 pound body. He may not be much compared to the bad boys from Utah, Colorado, etc but for Oregon, I'm very pleased. He's everything I was looking for, can't believe I let him go on Monday and almost let him walk again! Apparently I need to practice my field judging. But, my boys kept me on track, never doubt the instincts of a 6 year old