COOSEFAN Report post Posted April 29, 2009 With work and side jobs i've had absolutely no free time to get up north this year and it's been killin' me! I barely have been able to sneak out and fish but that at least has kept me from going insane! I finally got a side job wrapped up and was able to head up north last Friday night to hit it hard on Saturday, hoping to at least find a small brownie that somebody missed. My brother and his family along with some friends of ours were heading up as well to get the kids out for the weekend so I knew that it would at least be fun to hang out with my nephews. My boy "Drake" begged me to take him along and as usual I was glad to take him, my other kids stayed home to keep momma company. Drake and I woke up early and headed out to a spot that gets quite a bit of shed-hunter pressure but it's thick enough to give the quad riders a hard time so I knew we at least wouldn't be crossing many quad tracks. We covered close to 4 miles and found nothing but a few "headless" dead elk, but it was freakin' awesome to be back in the woods after such a long time stuck down here! Here's Drake protesting the idea of jumping off the cliff like I did! We headed back to camp to grab lunch and then headed to another spot that tends to get overlooked by most and isn't very friendly to the quad riders. Drake and I zig zagged for about 2 miles finding nothing and by now I'm getting frustrated that I hadn't even found a rag brownie which is, at least, something to expect in this area this time of year! I was at that point when you start thinking about how could ALL the sheds get picked up? Why can't I just find one, heck I'd settle for a chalk white raggie at this point! I heard about several guys that took truck loads out of this area this year and I really started thinking they had indeed found them all! I think I was on auto-pilot and just aimlessly wandering around dreaming of big antlers when I came through a clearing and instantly something grabbed my attention to my left in the shade.......TINES....LOTS OF TINES! WHOOOHOOOO! My first glimpse! I didn't even move my feet before taking this "as it lay" pic! The sight of what lay just 15 yards away actually startled me and that addictive feeling of excitement and satisfaction rushed through me! I noticed right away it was a set from last year and I couldn't believe a huge set like this had sat here through all the elk and deer hunts and through almost 2 shed seasons!! I walked around the magnificent pile of bone taking pictures and soaking it in for over 30 minutes before finally picking them up for the first time! This was my biggest matched set and it's just freakin' awesome! More AIL pics, and Drake posing with our prize! And when I finally got my hands on em'! A cool pic of Drake, he was about as outta shape as me! Here's one with Matt and one with his "man-cubs". It's not every day you find a matched 370" class set layin' on top of each other, or at all for that matter, so that's my excuse for taking so many photos! I didn't break a sweat hiking deep canyons, didn't sleep on the ground and didn't spend weeks in the woods, but at least this set wasn't layin' on the side of the highway like the set I found last year, so it means a lot more to Drake and I! Thanks for readin', JIM> BTW.......Sdrhunter has live TC photos of this bull in velvet when he grew this set in '07!!! Hopefully he'll post a couple of them up! Thanks Shane Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Awesome find Jim and great pics! I love that feeling of excitement when you realize what you've just found. Phil Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilentButDeadly Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Sweet! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azcouesandelk Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Nice job Jim! Wish I could have made it up there! That is a stud set hopeully some more will be found in there this weekend Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted April 29, 2009 As always Jim, nice story and great pictures to share with us all. Congrats on the find. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Thanks guys! For those that are curious, his Right side is 169", and his Left is just shy of 158"! His width appeared a bit wider than average in the TC pics and he had probably 3 or 4 inches broken off on his left 3rd. Hopefully Sdrhunter gets the live pics posted, it's awesome to see him wearin' this set in velvet! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azbownunter22 Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Sweeeet! Love the pic of the "man cubs"! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azbownunter22 Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Simon Say's let's see some live photo's!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az.antlerenthusiast Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Great pictures. Enjoyed the post. Looks like the makings of some cool memories. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZantlerhead Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Killer set man. I know what you mean about workin those hard hit areas, frustrating at times- but totally awesome when you do find umm, I thank the lord, Whenever - Wherever I find umm . Thanks for sharin bud Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Thanks for sharing such a fine day with us Jim! Great find! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilimanjaro Report post Posted April 29, 2009 That is an unreal sequence of trail pics, Shane!! That bull was an abesolute brute by the time he grew out!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunterdan Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Jim, Nice find! Great Bull. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Archer Report post Posted April 29, 2009 That elk is a dang toad. Its monsterous!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted April 30, 2009 Thanks for posting up the TC pictures and writing up the story! Awesome. Phil Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
