bigbuckfever

Congrats on a great buck. Sounds like you found an awesome spot. ( I volunteer to guard that spot for you, just send coordinates. ) lol

Looks like a hybrid to me too. Either way, it's a beauty

Here's some pics of Dylan's toad and my 3x5

I was on a rifle hunt for coues at one of my favorite hillsides about 20 years ago. I got settled into my little spot on the side of the hill I had carved out on a previous trip and spotted five of six deer right away. One of the bucks was about a 110 buck and I was pretty excited. I laid down with the bipod extended and squeezed off the shot at about 250 yards. I lost sight of him at the flinch of the shot and when I looked where he should have been, I saw nothing. He had been standing at the front edge of the clearing and I wondered if he had fallen back into the brush along the edge. I felt good about the shot but couldn't see him. A few minutes later a doe walked over to where he was standing and cautiously sniffed and poked around the edge of the bushes where I just knew him to be. She wandered off and another doe did the same thing. This was all I needed to confirm I had a 110 buck down. As I sat shaking I noticed another buck walk out of some scrub bushes on the slope. He was a TOAD. His body dwarfed the other deer still on the slope and his antlers were Oh My God size. Here I am with an awesome buck down (yeah, right) and I can't shoot at one of the biggest deer I had ever seen. He wasn't spooked so I crawled out of there and went back towards camp to find my hunting buddy Dylan to see if we could possibly get him on the toad. He had heard my shot and was walking my direction. We crawled back into my spot and he was still there. The buck was walking away from us and about to crest the open hill. I told Dylan not to shoot unless he gives him a good broadside shot, as a buck of this caliber deserves a clean kill. At the last minute before disappearing, he turned to eat some fruit off a staghorn cholla, putting him broadside at 340 yards. Dylan made the shot so we went to get out two downed deer. When we got down there, there wasn't a sign of my deer. Nothing! No blood, no deer, nothing. I must have missed him after all. After spending what seemed like an eternity looking for my deer, we made our way over to Dylan's cactus and found blood. The buck was only about 50 yards from the cactus and he didn't disappoint. I went back the next morning and shot a nice 3x5 at my same spot. His antlers could fit inside Dylans buck. Some mistakes are still painful after 20 years, lol.

I got a decent mulie in January , so I get to wait till Jan again. Not complaining. Going to check two cameras sometime next week. Pretty excited to see what they show me. Good luck to all and take plenty of pics. I have to live vicariously for now.

My hunting partners and I fared pretty well this past season. I managed to take a nice forkey (it is the biggest couse forkey I have seen) with my bow in September. My brother Don took a mighty fine palmated buck with a triple eyeguard in November with a rifle, and our friend Joe took a real nice three pointer on the same morning. I was pretty well whipped by the end of that day as I packed out both hind quarters for each of them. That's what I get for tagging out earlier than them!

Everyone of us dreams of arrowing one that nice, Congrats

Two things I can suggest for you if you've never seen a couse deer before. One is bring the best optics you can afford and be patient glassing. You can glass a hillside or bowl for an hour and suddenly see one (or part of one) where you had looked 20 times before. The other piece of advice is to study the difference between a mulie and a couse. Be positive and double check the tail (and antler configuration) It can ruin your hunt in a hurry if you make the mistake I made once. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy (well, maybe one or two, lol). Hope you find what you're looking for! Best of luck.

Here are a few more pics of Don's buck

Great buck! Way to stick it out and seal the deal. Thanks for sharing the story too.

Still my best. I have seen another that would top it , but he was too far to get to and it was a scouting trip.

My first deer back in 1985. Still look at him just about every day and realize how fortunate I am. Grossed 126. That set the Couse hook pretty hard.

Doubling up with your Dad is hard to beat. Congrats!

Pretty awesome bucks for a new unit. Wonder if you'll hunt it again, lol.

very nice buck, congratulations.

132 7/8

106 5/8

I'd have gotten buck fever just picking it up. My wild guess is 137 3/8

nice buck, how bout 126

118 4/8

sign me up for the buck contest. I'm feeling lucky

he's a keeper. 133 5/8