azmetalman Report post Posted December 23, 2010 ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING BUCK and a great story. Congratulations. Please share the muzzleloader and your load. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted December 23, 2010 Awesome buck and great job on the stalk!!! I swear those older desert bucks are the smartest critters and the hardest to hunt, that's a big accomplishment, especially with a smoke pole!!! Congrats! JIM> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
308Nut Report post Posted December 23, 2010 Awesome buck and great job on the stalk!!! I swear those older desert bucks are the smartest critters and the hardest to hunt, that's a big accomplishment, especially with a smoke pole!!! Congrats! JIM> +1 Having hunted a variety of deer species (rocky mountain mule deer, desert mule deer, coues whitetail, sitka blacktails, elk, moose, caribou etc.....) I feel that a mature sonoran desert buck is hands down the most elusive and toughest to harvest. Congrats. M Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matthewp45 Report post Posted December 23, 2010 To answer a couple of questions I did not see any bucks with does or fighting or really anything indicating the rut. The only thing I saw and smelled for sure was this buck. His neck was already swollen as big as I have seen a bucks neck swell during the rut. Also he stunk absolutely horrible. Just like a nasty old deer that had been rutting for a month peeing on himself and what not. He smelled worse than any other rutted up buck I have ever smelled. My muzzleloader that I use is a TC Triumph. I have a Nikon Omega scope on it with the muzzleloader reticle. I shoot the 245 grain Power Belts .50 caliber and 150 grains of Triple 7 powder in 50 grain pellets. It is a tack driver. At 250 yards using the last mark on the reticle I can put one of those powerbelts right inside a 2" circle everytime. Thanks again for all the nice comments. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matthewp45 Report post Posted December 24, 2010 Anybody else on here have the Desert Muzzy tag this year. My neighbor is a AZ Game and Fish Officer and he said that Michael Wadell from The Bone Collector had this tag here this year and he would be hunting on a private ranch out near Dateland. I have no idea if it is true or not. If it is he is in for a surprise because I know the private land that he is suppose to hunt and at night there are some unbelievable bucks on there. But way before first light and way after last light is the only time they are there. The daylight ours are spent off the private land in public land back in the thickest nastiest brush you could ever imagine. You may be able to see 10 yards at the farthest in there and it is the loudest stuff ever to walk through. Just wondering if anyone knew if this was true or if it is another rediculous rumor? Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bucks_N_Yotes Report post Posted December 25, 2010 Anybody else on here have the Desert Muzzy tag this year. My neighbor is a AZ Game and Fish Officer and he said that Michael Wadell from The Bone Collector had this tag here this year and he would be hunting on a private ranch out near Dateland. I have no idea if it is true or not. If it is he is in for a surprise because I know the private land that he is suppose to hunt and at night there are some unbelievable bucks on there. But way before first light and way after last light is the only time they are there. The daylight ours are spent off the private land in public land back in the thickest nastiest brush you could ever imagine. You may be able to see 10 yards at the farthest in there and it is the loudest stuff ever to walk through. Just wondering if anyone knew if this was true or if it is another rediculous rumor? Thanks All True! The nice thing is that a river of public land splits their property where the bucks are beded! Good old Dateland! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowsniper Report post Posted January 21, 2011 Congrats Matthew! What a buck and a fun story. I like the part when he ducked as the cars passed by! Mark Share this post Link to post Share on other sites