Coues Sniper

I think your black dot is a tad too far forward and high. I think ideal spot is about 3" below your pink dot. Having said that, I too believe the cat is dead, and like Casey said, I bet you walked right past him and didn't know it. Also, FWIW, I killed a lion at a similar angle a few years ago. 210 Berger out of a 300 RUM at 120 yards. Impact was just inside his onside leg, and into chest. Bullet lodged into hide just forward of offside hip (didn't hit bone). Cat jumped at impact and bolted until out of sight. I was floored when I found him about 80 yards from where he was hit. When I did the hero photo holding him up, it was like holding up a water balloon - vitals were mush and liquid. They can go a fair ways dead on their feet.

Anything is possible, it just takes $$$ . I recommend Western Precision to anyone who will listen to me. I've never had a rig shoot as well as the 300 Norma they built for me. Great guys as well.

Oh wow. That thing is awesome.

So what did your buck score?

Nice buck. Geat mass. High teens? Congrats on you and your lady's success

Dawn of The Walking Dead... Crazy buck Bridger. I had a friend kill a similar sized deer in MX, he thought the buck was in the high teens, but probably didn't break 80", and couldn't have weighed 60 lbs. Just a miniature version of a monster buck. I was proud of him for being able to hit the dam thing. I don't think he kept the liver, and he gave the meat to the cowboys on the ranch, so can't speak to that.

your FirstCouesWas80

Now THAT's awesome. Well done Dad.

Are there anymore pictures? Would love to see a pic of that buck just skull and antlers.

I agree with this. Although I have held tangible proof in my hands that the antlers themselves do in fact shrink. The shrinkage occurs mostly at the mass measurements from what I have seen. I do think that once the velvet is peeled, the antlers shrink continuously, they're literally text book bones and when a bone becomes exposed to the elements it shrinks and cracks over time. But isn't the bone exposed as soon as velvet is stripped? I do agree that the skull cap shrinks, but there is shrinking of actual bone happening as well.

So there are veins/blood flow in the antlers, even after the velvet is stripped? The blood flow slows dramatically and gradually declines to zero internally, when the antlers harden. When they are dropped, the pedicels (the points on the head from which they grow) still has blood and they look and act like flesh wounds, scabbing over and then being replaced by regrowth of the skin until the next antler cycle begins. Gotcha. So if there's no flow, what keeps the antlers "moist" when they are still attached? i.e., why wouldn't they dry out on the animal (back to trphyhntr's initial question)?

So there are veins/blood flow in the antlers, even after the velvet is stripped?

Nice job Garrett, but your old man is right - hook him up.

Looks like it was a tough recovery? Awesome buck, Utah is on fire this year.

Wow, that's awesome, good for you Marvin. I'd hire a guide for that hunt as well, no question.