>The buck I was after in
>2015 was similar to this
>buck in conformation. He
>had the tripod on his
>right rear forks like this
>buck but was ~30" wide
>with more depth on the
>'tripod'. I had been
>scouring steer ridge for weeks
>and found several bucks worth
>sticking an arrow in.
>Including a double drop tine
>buck. The double drop
>buck was probably only 140"
>but how often do you
>get a chance to put
>a double dropper on the
>wall? I never saw
>the dropper buck during the
>hunt. I met Tyler
>Hill, an air force math
>man from Idaho on the
>hunt and he actually got
>to put a stalk on
>double dropper as well as
>a beautiful buck that had
>been hanging around the state
>cabin on steer. Actually
>hope that double dropper made
>it through 2015 and added
>some inches last year.
>Anybody hear of him being
>taken last year?
>Night before the hunt I was
>out hiking and spotted a
>few deer at last light.
> I was curious why
>these deer were where they
>were and looked around through
>my binos. That's when
>I caught a glimmer off
>the spring and caught my
>first glimpse of tripod.
>Setting aside all of the
>other bucks I had been
>seeing on steer ridge, I
>knew this was the buck
>I was going after.
>Lots of guys were driving
>steer ridge hunting but this
>buck was off the beaten
>path and I knew where
>he was coming to water.
>
>Opening day I hiked to the
>spring and built a improvised
>blind in the oak and
>the deer started pouring in.
> For the first hour
>each day the deer would
>hit this seep. A
>couple of other good bucks
>were coming in. That
>first morning another buck came
>in and held up about
>70 yards uphill. His
>back left fork was twisted
>with one fork sticking straight
>out. I waited and
>waited for him to come
>to the water and he
>just held up with another
>old 30" three point.
>I made the decision to
>take a shot at him
>as a was not 100%
>confident I'd ever see tripod
>again. Missed the long
>shot at this buck.
>That buck with the 6"
>straight out kicker teased me
>the rest of the hunt.
> I think he was
>a gambler and was having
>fun with me. He
>turned up everywhere I went.
> In three different drainages
>this buck popped up on
>me. Everytime tempting me
>with 80-100 yard shots.
>One particular night I had
>hiked back out to my
>bike and he was grazing
>10 feet from my bike.
>Really makes me wish Utah
>had some sort of system
>that would allow you to
>hunt a region (limited entry)
>for a couple of years.
> Let a hunter get
>to know an area and
>the bucks and have a
>go at them as they
>grow for a few years.
> Maybe they could give
>you the limited entry tag
>and allow you to kill
>one buck in a two/three
>year period.
>Back to tripod....
>After missing the big kicker buck
>opening morning, I settled in
>and decided I wasn't going
>to let other bucks distract
>me. I wanted tripod.
> I sat in my
>makeshift blind from dawn to
>dusk thinking it'd just be
>a matter of time before
>he showed up. He
>had been there Friday night,
>the eve of the hunt.
> I reckoned he'd have
>to hit water every 48
>hours as hot as it
>was during the archery season.
> Sure enough, Sunday evening
>he showed up, coming off
>the top of the ridge
>as anybody who's archery hunted
>the books will tell you.
> The deer are on
>the tops. I was able
>to watch him come down
>a well worn wild horse
>trail and get a good
>luck at him for the
>first time. Granted still
>in velvet, he carried a
>heavy rack, deep fronts with
>that big old tripod on
>his right rear. Hunting
>deer in Utah my since
>childhood, I'd never taken a
>'big' buck. Yes I
>have a couple of 4
>points on the wall including
>a 150 class archery buck
>but this was my first
>chance to bag a big
>boy. I settled into
>a good position, calmed myself
>down and went into archery
>mode, thankful for the winters
>I'd shot league. The
>shot would be just one
>of thousands taken with my
>old browning eclipse.
>Tripod walked by at 20 yards
>heading down hill on my
>right to the spring.
>I figured I'd wait til
>he was at the water
>before I drew. Worked
>as planned. He got
>to the water, lowered his
>head and I drew.
>I simply didn't compensate enough
>for the downhill shot and
>sent the arrow across his
>back. He ran uphill
>away from me and held
>up. Perhaps he'd come
>back I thought. No
>luck. While the smaller
>buck with him returned to
>satiate his thirst, tripod casually
>headed into the oak leaving
>me with nothing but a
>photo of my luminock glowing
>where the arrow was stuck
>in the mud.
>We've all been there I guess.
> Angry at ourselves. Frustrated.
> Wondering what should have
>been. Oh well.
>Only thing to do is
>keep hunting. There were,
>after all, lots of bucks
>on the books. I
>hiked out and met with
>Tyler, his cousin and uncle
>at camp, ate dinner and
>swapped stories for the day.
> I'd head back to
>the spring in the morning.
> Tyler and his family
>had been on the books
>before while this was my
>first hunt there. A
>friend, Dale had convinced me
>to burn 12 points on
>archery books after he and
>his brother Tom had a
>great hunt the previous year.
> Others thought I was
>crazy to burn the points
>when most guys were drawing
>the tag with 6-7 points.
> Tom was also willing
>to show me around some
>of the areas they had
>seen good bucks when he
>had a free day.
>By late July, Tom and
>I still hadn't found a
>day to get to the
>books so I dug out
>a map and my wife
>and I made the four
>hour drive into unknown territory.
> We were on top
>of the books as dusk
>arrived and begin seeing bucks,
>elk and a glimpse of
>a bear. We were
>able to see of a
>couple of wall hangers.
>The following weekend Tom came
>out with me and showed
>me around. We arrived
>early and had the whole
>day to glass. I'd
>never seen so many trashy
>bucks. Not sure what
>it was about the books
>that year, perhaps it's always
>like it, but it seemed
>that every other buck had
>extras... inlines, kickers, droptines,
>double droptines, cactus bucks...
>you name it. I
>had been questioning burning those
>12 points on this tag
>but, seeing all of those
>cool bucks told me I
>was in for an awesome
>hunt.
>Two days later, against all odds,
>he returned. He approached
>from a different angle.
>I had all ready decided
>that if he returned and
>approached from the same side,
> I was going to
>take the shot as he
>walked in front of my
>'blind' at closer range.
>Just as he was coming
>into my shot window, he
>turned and came straight at
>me. There was no
>way I could turn to
>get the shot so I
>just froze hoping he'd not
>see/hear/smell me and return to
>the spring. Instead he
>walked right up behind where
>I was hiding in the
>oak and stuck his head
>in, blew snot and busted
>outta there.
>I sat that spring for two
>more days before returning to
>work, spent 8 more days
>hunting it over the archery
>season but tripod must have
>found a different spring to
>hit. I did get
>another chance at ambushing him
>as I located him in
>a large group of deer
>coming up to feed on
>the top of the many
>ridges on the book cliffs.
> I stalked within 100
>yards and was patiently waiting
>for him to feed my
>way only to have a
>side by side drive down
>the ridge and chase the
>herd away. But that's
>hunting in Utah.
>There's the short story explaining why
>I'm curious if anybody bagged
>that buck or has seen
>him. Perhaps somebody smoked
>him on the muzzleloader hunt
>or tagged him in 2016.
> If so, I'd love
>to see this buck and
>congratulate the hunter. Perhaps
>with a bit of jealousy.
> All said, I thoroughly
>enjoyed my time packing my
>bow around the book cliffs.
>
He Blew Snot all over you but you never got a Shot!
Shoulda Tuned that TARD on that Side X Side!
"""WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"""