Good Solid Buck

[singleshot]

Suzy was good fortuned enough to draw the last allotted tag in her first choice unit this year. Being a devoted wife, mother of four, and a fifty hour a week office manager, we were excited that we would have the opportunity to spend more than just a day here and there in the field together.

We were able to get out on Saturday of opening weekend and spent the day trying to keep our balance in the 40 mile an hour wind gusts. Harry, a good friend of ours glassed up two spikes and a doe, and though we covered some pretty serious ground that day, those three were the only coues we saw. We did find two different groups of mule deer does in the same area we were hunting and were kind of surprised no bucks had shown up yet.

Sunday, the weather had taken a turn for the worst and we went out for a while in the 26 degree snowstorm and never saw a deer.

Katie, our oldest daughter, had mentioned that she was concerned about staying in shape over the holiday's because the Karate school she attends and teaches at was closing until the new year, and Suzy convinced her that a day out hunting with us was just the ticket. Yesterday found the three of us leaving the truck a little after daylight and we started climbing up into the cactus strewn, rough, nasty stuff that keeps the majority of people out and gives the bucks a chance to mature.

Fifteen minutes into the hunt I picked up a doe on a distant hillside and set up my tripod to see what else might be lurking amongst the boulders. I picked up a couple of other deer but could not make out any antlers. Katie came over and looked through my bino's and when she figured out just how far away they were declared me insane. ( And i thought it was just a good spot, I didn't know I was CRAZY! )

We continued on and jumped a curious Grey fox that hung around long enough to admire his winter coat at ten yards, and made our way up the ridge. We set up to glass and I caught three does running across the hillside at about 600 yards and thought that we must have buggered them. They made a tight circle back too where I had originally seen them and a couple of more ran out. In all twelve different does eventually apperaed and played the same game of tag across the hillside, in groups, and alone.

I knew what was going on but it took me about twenty minutes to find him. He was located at home base in the game of tag, hooking a mesquite tree and acting like Billy bad arse!! One of those does was really hot and had the whole countryside excited. A three point joined in on the saddle above them but I liked the looks of the first buck better.

We made our move and got into 405 yards but because of the terrain we could not relocate the better buck. We waited for 30 minutes or so because every once in awhile I would catch a glimpse of a doe, but eventually crossed the canyon to try and make something happen. A few does went out in front of us but I had a feeling that he must have crossed the saddle into the next bowl. The three of us crawled over the top being careful not to skyline ourselves and a minute later I had him across the bowl standing under a mesquite.

Why do they always bed down, step behind brush, disappear into a cut, before you can get set up? Why do they do that? I spent several hours weeks earlier waiting for a great buck to stand up that our daughter Sarah eventually killed and here we go again. He bedded, we waited. I took our daypacks and placed one under the foreend, and the other under the buttstock of Suzy's 257 Roberts, cranked the Leoupold up to 9 and settled in for the duration. We could see just his antlers over the grass and when I picked up the three point that we had seen earlier, bedded under a mesquite, was able to compare the two bucks. Both were mature, both had decent mass, but the two point was over twice as tall as his ears, decent width, good main beam, and we just liked him.

To make an even longer story shorter, the three point got up, the two point got up and started hooking a tree, and Suzy let the air out of him at 376 yards with a 115 grain Nosler ballistic tip backed by 46 grains of 4831.

Oh and then there's Katie, the Karate kid, well it turns out that she is one heck of a deer dragger. She's a little sore today in places she never thought about, but I'm a lot less sore than if she hadn't been there!

Thank's Katie!!

 

[josh]

Congratulations that is a very cool looking buck, and awesome shot!

[WFGinNM]

Thanks for sharing the story, that is a real nice looking buck.

 

Congratulations,

--Bill

[Eagle Eye]

Thats one BIG two point. What does he score?

[bearbait]

Nice job to the three of you!

[elpepe25]

That thing is awesom, well done

[firstcoueswas80]

Awesome! That is one heck of a two point!

[Coues Sniper]

I love big two points, and that one is a Stud! Congrats on a heck of a deer.

[cramerhunts]

Wow great buck and good job on the write up! Congrats to her on a fine buck.

 

Phil

[WadeNAZ]

He even looks like a Billy Badarse! what a 2 Pointer. Congrats to the family!

[Browning'sCustomMeat]

Those big forks never cease to amaze me. Super buck!

 

-Jeremy-

[SO I HUNT]

Thanks for the story and what a great buck!

[bchoitz]

Nice family outing!

 

That was a great story, thanks for sharing.

 

And a real fine buck too!

 

Congratulations.

 

Bret

[Coues Archer]

Congrats on a buck of a lifetime.

[Ernesto C]

Excellent Job! Congratulations!

 

Ernesto C