Wife's first Nevada Muley

nv_mulies · Nov 10, 2012

My wife was lucky enough to draw a tag that was very close to our home here in southern Nevada. So I have been doing lots of scouting and looking for the biggest buck we could find almost every other day for the last two weeks. I hadn't seen anything really big yet but knew there would be some nice bucks if we did some hiking and got away from the roads. I didn't know how this would go over with my wife who is from the big city and having her first Muley tag I didn't know if she would like all the hiking. Boy was I wrong.

Last night I hurried home from work in time to go hit one spot I had seen deer in. Right off the bat we spotted lots of deer. We found a buck that was working his way ahead of us. It was a smaller buck so we let it go. Amazingly my wife was a trooper when we were hiking and didn't complain once.

This morning we went to a spot I had found over 30 deer in one canyon. There was 2" of snow on the ground so I thought we were gonna find some nice deer out. Much to my surprise we didn't see one deer in the two canyons I had seen them in on Tuesday. Maybe the weather or pressure was the factor, the deer were no where to be found. So what do we do? Take off hiking and we went close to 2 miles when we finally seen 3 little bucks. Still no complaints from my sweetheart.

So I went to my ole faithful spot. We stop and glass and its about 11:00 am so pretty sure everything is bedded cuz we didn't spot anything. My wife pipes up and says let's go hike!! Wow!! She is loving this! So we take off get about 3/4 of a mile back into the mountain. We sit down and start glassing, haven't seen anything when we hear 7 gun shots way down in the flats. So we start talking not even whispering. Then I look right across from us and there 220 yds from us bedded under some scrub oak is this buck looking right at us. We had been there for over 30 min and this buck never moved once. I was looking way over him the entire time. Well my wife got the 240 weatherby up and steady the rest is history. She shot him right through the shoulder he jumped up went 15-20 yds and tipped over!!

My wife is hooked and was so excited to have taken a very nice first buck. He is a 27" 5x3. He has an extra point right below his left eye guard. I want to thank my two brothers for coming and helping me spot and there for all the excitement. I'm just glad to have a wife willing to join me in doing something I love! Congrats Natalie on your first of many more monster Muleys to come!!

Wife with my two brothers.

My wife was grateful to have her three personal guides!

dedg · Nov 11, 2012

That is really cool, somedays make you wonder who the tough one is. You got her hooked and looks like you two are gonna have one hell of adventure in the future. Nicely Done

BaldBeaver · Nov 11, 2012

That is a fantastic story, and a great buck. Congrats, wish I could get my wife to hunt with me.

~Jason Peterson
Mossy Oak ProStaff

"No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength."~Jack Kerouac

joevegas · Nov 11, 2012

Congrats to Natalie and her 3 guides!! Assuming that was area 26? Hopefully she's a bird hunter as well because it's looking like a it's going to be a good year down here. Great story and congrat again.

fatrooster · Nov 11, 2012

A very respectable first buck. Congrats to both you and your wife on a great hunt. fatrooster.

nv_mulies · Nov 11, 2012

Yes sir this buck was taken in 26 up on Mt charleston! It was so crazy hunting so close to home. I'm used to hunting up north, so when she drew it out I was stoked to have the opportunity to learn more about it and where the deer hold up on the Mt. Let me tell ya I learned quite a bit. I could have told her to pass this buck up but when you get a shot at a decent buck bedded and not moving for a first time shooter you take it. Man it was a fun hunt, one all of us will not forget.

mlycrzy · Nov 12, 2012

Way to go Natalie! Glad to see you shoot better than your hubby

jeremydhinds · Nov 12, 2012

Right on!!...Congrats to your wife on a great muley!...

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all."

azbiggame · Nov 14, 2012

tell Natalie "Job Well Done",Larry.Solid buck for unit 26 ... My hunter took an OLD 27" 3X3 on N. end of unit on the 12th.Now off to unit 27 to finish up on deer and then head over to Az. to hit the Opener on general elk.Again "Congrats" to "You and Natalie" ... Bruce & SilverGrand

nv_mulies · Nov 14, 2012

Hey Bruce that's awesome. Do you mind posting a pic of the buck? if not I understand. I scouted up on the north end the week before the hunt and seen a decent buck from a long ways away and didn't have my spotting scope on me because it was getting fixed. Did you hunt all weekend up there too? If so we may have seen you depending on where you were. We were in my brother Cortneys Tan f150, sat morning, we were up there till bout 10ish before we made our way to where she got her buck.

Anyways, thanks for your adavice on summer range info, it was fun taking my boys out to see all the deer. It was a fun hunt and glad she got a good buck. Good luck in 27 and in Az.

azbiggame · Nov 15, 2012

only saw a couple of vehicles on Sat.Do not remember a Tan one ?and another 2 on Mon ... a sleeper hunt for sure and could be Great hunt towards end of Month ??? Had to use the dates We hunted to fit ALL other hunts in or would have been there at end of Month = "RUT".Again good job,especially THE SHOOTER !!! Bruce & SilverGrand

CAelknuts · Nov 17, 2012

Congratulations to your wife! What a wonderful first deer, and it sounds like you guys had a nice hunt. You're in for some great times together in the future.

Tsessions · Dec 3, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Dec-03-12 AT 09:58AM (MST)[p]My wife just took her hunter safety class with our 11 year old son this weeked 12/1/12, super stoked!!!

I really dont see her wanting to go up North to hunt so Right now just planning on putting her in for Mt Charleston for ELk and Deer. Both of our parents have places in Cold Creek so it should make it pretty easy.

@ nv_mulies i think we have a few of the same friends.... pm me and I will tell you who.