Sweet little palmated buck

[doogan]

So we drew the Nov 29-Dec 8 hunt this year. My brother in law TJ always goes to Utah for Thanksgiving to see his folks, so we opted out of opening weekend for the first time ever. We left town with my other brother in law Stephen on Thurs the 5th thinking that this weekend would be better than the first because it would be colder, and it was. That storm blew through on Wed and dropped the temps just right. No sooner than when we were set up, a guy named Brandon or Brendon came by camp. He told us he was glad to see us because he was hunting alone and just saw 4 uda's come over the ridge south of us and were acting weird- like watching him as he watched them. They took off further to the west and were never seen again. Brandon told us he had been hunting all week and the deer were moving a lot better since the storm came through. He told us he had to go to the unit next to us to guide another hunt, but was going to go out one more time before he left- famous last words! We got settled in and started glassing the mountain north of camp. Wednesday came to a close with no deer spotted.

 

We were sitting around the fire that night and Brandon came flying into camp on his quad hollering that he had shot the biggest whitetail he had ever seen! We congratulated him and asked where it was. Well it was 9 miles away at the bottom of a canyon! He asked if we could help- heck YES! I want to see this critter! He had shot it and it fell down into a nasty vertical canyon and he said he didn't know how we could get to it. He also said that he had called his dad and one of the other guides and that the other guide was on his way to help, and that when he got there they would come and get us to go retrieve this deer. I suggested that we wait till morning when it was light, he said we would figure it out when the other guy got there. We never saw him again. His camp was still there when we got up but he was gone, and when we got back to camp that night at about 8:30 his camp was still there but not him. Then the next morning he and his camp were gone. If any of his friends are reading this Please have him get a hold of me I would love to know the end of this story. He also told us he was a steel worker/welder from Tucson if that helps.

 

Back to our story. Thursday morning we set out, glassed, hiked and glassed some more. Lots of does on the move but no bucks. I decided to make a trek out of it and opted to stay out all day. TJ and Stephen went back to camp, had a nice lunch and a nap. I hiked my tail off and ate a payday and water for lunch. After about mile 8 the cramps set in YAY! Keep going dont stop, work through the cramps, keep going keep going. I round the last hill so that camp is now in sight, still a mile or so away. I see the guys leaving camp heading to the east, called them on the radio and told them where I was then headed in for much needed food and water. About a half an hour later as I am walking into camp i hear a shot. I try to get them on the radio- nothing. Then another shot that sounds different than the first. I call again on the radio and hear "yep I got one" from TJ! Now I had just put in about 12 miles, I'm starving, still cramping and a little tired lol. He tells me where they are, its about 2 miles away but pretty easy hiking till you have to climb the knob. I chug a bunch of water, refill the water bladder, eat a banana a sandwich and a doughnut, and away I go. Remember "Pain is temporary, chicks dig scars, but memories last forever." TJs shot was offhand, and about 300 yards uphill. He spined him and then had to finish him with his .357 sig. You can see the 9mm hole under his eye. He tried to put it behind his ear but the deer was still moving his head quite a bit.

 

When I get to them TJ is still working on the skinning. I sit down and take a break, and cape the head. We finish the work in the dark and head back, how I got the whole back end of this critter I'll never know but I do enjoy being a mule! We got back to camp about 8:30 and crashed. This was the only buck spotted on this trip, we saw 40-50 does, and had a great time doing what we love!

 

 

[Eagle mountain ranch]

wow that right side is a trip ... congrats

[Couestracker]

THAT is an awesome deer! I'd love to get a palmated deer someday. Great story to go with it too. Thanks for sharing it with us. If you hear about the cliff deer, please post an update for us.

[POB]

Looks like part mini-moose. Sweet.

[palivs2hnt]

That is a cool buck! Congrats on the memorable hunt!!

[JLW]

thanks for sharing your story!

very cool palmation!

 

James

[Matt Meyer]

Congrats on the nice buck

[rclouse79]

Looks like a hybrid. It is rare for a coues and moose to meet and make little coose babies. Nice deer.

[papa]

Congrats on a cool buck!

[Apache7mm]

Check that out!!! Cool thx for sharing and congrats

 

DAN

[pwrguy]

Definitely a moose hybrid

[uofahughes2]

?Coose?!

[Coues Kid]

Cool looking buck.

[cramerhunts]

Congrats to your buddy on a cool buck.

[capoeirajosh]

You could eat dinner with those things, haha! Congrats!