My December Buck

[Tines]

Wow, guys! I got home yesterday about noon. I still can’t believe it! I hope none of you are disappointed and can appreciate what a magnificent Coues buck he really is. Even then, you've got to put your hands on him to "grasp" it all. Okay, I'll move on and try to spare unnecessary details. It’ll be tough though. Quite the adventure. First I want to thank Lance and Ryan for their info and accommodations. But I'd REALLY like to thank Andy (Azlongears) for all the help he gave me during this hunt!

 

Andy and I arrived to "camp" late Sunday night. Monday came fast and we found ourselves glassing as the day broke. Not many deer were found and the stormy weather moved in fast, pushing us off the mountain and back to the house to get some dry clothes on. We ventured into an area not far from the first point for the afternoon and found what appeared to be better habitat and definitely more deer. All together, our first day out produced less than 10 does and one small 3x3. Not what I was hoping but we had a good plan for the next day....

 

We awoke a little earlier because we had to cover some more ground on the quads. We parked and hiked up to a "little" mountain. After only a few does and a bobcat, we moved over to the next point. Here we found 3 bucks (nothing big) and a couple of does. Things were looking better though. Usually I don't move as much but this topography required us to work from point to point and pick everything apart as good as we could.

 

We work our way over to the next point and sit next to lone juniper tree with a big branch twisted and broken. Where we were, it could only have been one thing- "a big Coues buck did that", we told each other! That got us excited......

 

Not 10 minutes later, Andy says "Jake I've got a bedded buck and I think he's big!" 1.08 miles away was a buck bedded in the sun and from where we were, with the 15's, he looked good! I had a spotting scope but it was a fixed 30x so although it really helped, it was real difficult to see exactly what he was. Other than now and then he'd move his head and Andy and I would just look at each other and say "if those are his tines, he's huge!"

 

4 hrs later, I was sitting on the ridge right in front of the buck to shoot from. The terrain was horrendous to get over to him. I was looking directly into the sun so it was real difficult to find him. During those 3hrs of me stalking, he stood up twice but laid right back down in the same spot. I couldn't get any closer, which was frustrating but I hoped that the long range shooting would pay off. He was laying there at 520yds....

 

I dialed the turrets in and settled the crosshair. Andy and I confirmed that he was watching and slowly I squeezed the trigger...... After the crack of the rifle, I expected to hear the report of a hit...... I didn't! Andy tells me I hit just low. The buck jumps up and runs 10yds and looks around. After a few adjustments and double checking the clicks and range, I held a little high and hit exactly where I was aiming (air)! The buck is now working his way to the ridge top. He goes behind a juniper tree at the top and steps out of the other side. This is where we finally get a good look at the pile of bone on his head. It was unreal, almost animated, and he was about to be gone for good. He was so far sky lined that I could barely see his legs anymore.........then he stops and looks back at me. This entire time I’m thinking “people hunt their whole lives and never see a buck like this. And here I am shooting at it!” I squeeze the trigger one last time and remember that the shot felt pretty good. Andy yells "Dude, you just dropped him!!!!" Guy’s that buck was 3 more steps from being out of sight!

 

This is where emotion and paranoia sets in. Ask Andy, he can tell you. I was a complete wreck not knowing if it was a lethal hit or a spine shock. I’ve seen more animals than I’d like hit the dirt…only to jump up at the last second from a back-strap shot or something similar. Let that be an example to you guys, if they’re still moving, shoot them again!!!

 

We can’t see the buck at all anymore. He dropped in some grass but Andy said nothing had moved since. I gather my things and we work our way over there. As we approach the juniper tree, Andy says to me “I hate this feeling”. I felt it too. The unknowing is so overrated! About 40yds from the tree (the top of the ridge) I put a round in the gun and we literally run up to the top so that if he was alive and we caught him off guard, I could possibly get another bullet in him. What I saw next I’ll never forget…..

 

I could see the body of a deer laying there motionless. My fear of not recovering this buck immediately went away. We walked up to him and I knelt down at his feet. Andy picked his head up and his exact words were “What did you just shoot?!” I was completely spent at this point. If I had anything to muster, I would have screamed for the world to hear. Actually, if anyone was around to hear, they were stupid for going back into where we ended up!

 

We celebrated, took some pictures, quartered the buck out, stared at his antlers time and time again and right at dark we were on our way for the 3 mile hike back to the quads. At this time I was completely out of water. Unless you have some sort of valve to close off, bladder bags suck when the bite valve is pressed down and you lose most of your water not knowingly. I was so thirsty that Andy gave me some of his water. We bailed/slid off of the mountain in the dark towards a saddle where an old pack trail came through the bottom. This pack trail would eventually lead us to the quad trail that our quads were on.

 

We made it to the bottom and that’s where things started to turn bad. It was so thick at times that I was literally on my hands and knees trying to get through manzanita bushes. Then frustration seriously kicked in. We couldn’t tell if we were 10ft from the trail or a half mile from it! Finally we’d find what appeared to be a trail and then it would just disappear. It’s probably 8pm now and through the skyline, we could see the saddle that we needed to get through. A short time later, we found the trail. That was as emotionally sustaining as anything I could imagine. I followed Andy up the trail until I started getting light-headed and things started spinning. Did I mention I was out of water and it SUCKED!?

 

I stopped Andy and told him that I needed a break. I took my pack off and laid face down on the trail. It felt so good. About a minute later I can hear Andy talking to me. I’d like to think I was asleep but my gut tells me I may have blacked out for a bit. Guess I’m a sissy. I tell Andy that I can’t go any further. I’ve played sports my entire life, went through a pretty intense fire academy, and helped on MANY pack-outs. This was by far the worst I’ve ever felt physically. I found my limit. I probably surpassed my limit. The next thing I remember, Andy’s waking me up and telling me to go lay down next to the fire he built for me. I did and he mentioned that he was going to continue on and get the quad to me as close as possible. He also told me that he might not be back until the morning…….I didn’t care, nor was I worried. I knew he’d do all he could. The next 3hrs seemed to fly by believe it or not- only having to wake up to throw more wood on the fire and pray that Andy would be okay too. All of a sudden, I hear him whistle. I look up the pack trail a couple hundred yards and I could see his head-lamp. I broke down guys. I didn’t tell Andy that though.

 

He made it down to me, completely exhausted himself, and gave me some of the creek water that he scooped up in his jug before he got to me. We rested for 30-40minutes and he tells me that he got the quad about 300yards up the hill! I couldn’t believe it. We threw the packs on and continued up to the quad. Those reflectors never looked so amazing! Let me tell you, I don’t know how he found his way to me but he did. Believe what you want but I’ll go with some Divine intervention. Not to mention, Honda builds a SERIOUS machine to go through and over the things Andy did!

 

After driving for 30minutes or so I see some head-lights up on the quad trail we were on. Which was weird since it was almost midnight. Then I hear someone yell my name. It was Ryan. Lance got a hold of him and he brought water and a sleeping bag if staying the night out there was necessary. The emotional and physical support was overwhelming. We finally made it to my quad and back to the house at 2am…..

 

Finally after cleaning up we hit the sack- only to find me awake at 7am not being able to sleep. There was too much to be “awake” for I guess.

 

While I was lying next to that fire that night waiting for Andy, did I feel like it was “the end”? Not at all! But for the first time in my hunting career I did question whether or not I was going to make it out on my own. That question was answered. I couldn’t have made it out on my own. Bucks like this might come around to some people more often than others (probably not me), but friends like Andy? One-of-a-kind and I’ll never forget it! Can’t thank you enough, bro……

 

I had him unofficially scored by an official measurer. There’s one less 127 3/8” buck roaming the country my friends!!!

 

 

[Tines]

btw, some of his measurements are crazy:

 

Left G-2: 11.5"

Left G-3: 9.2

Inside spread is 16"

 

And he nets 118"... !!!

 

 

[BML]

Unbelievable buck!!! Congrats

 

 

 

[Coues79]

Great looking buck. Congrats!

[Packer]

Congratulations on an awesome buck. Also what an experience, it is situations like that that make you appreciate the friends you have. Thanks for sharing the experience.

 

aaron

[WOODSAZ]

Awesome!! Man, I got that text and my jaw hit the floor! Congrats on a trophy of a life time, and having some great people around you!

 

Jay

[The Claw]

Wow! What a stud. One of the prettiest bucks I've seen. Very many congrats.

[AZ402]

Well done! What a stud buck.........

[Arizona Griz]

Definitely a trophy buck. Congraulations.

[elkaholic]

helo - super nice buck - one more reason we all want a coues white-tail tag - Gary

[matthewp45]

That is a crazy buck and an even crazier story. I am glad everything turned out well for you. Congrats on a buck of ten life times.

[scoutm]

Congrats on a great buck!

 

 

[coues7]

Jake,

 

Congrats Brother! You are correct about Andy.....I don't know him all that well but he is literally one of a kind and he's one of those guys you could literally count your life on him.

[Sam]

This is truly a monster. Congratulations on the best deer I have seen in a long, long time. Great write up, something I'm sure you will always remember.

[ehunt]

That buck is a TOAD!!! congrats!