My Wife's Buck

[wardsoutfitters]

My Wife Crystal drew a late December tag, this is only the second hunt she has been able to go on sine we started having kids. Because I was busy guiding in Mexico and getting ready for up and coming Arizona and Mexico hunts we only had two days to hunt, and with that said we had to bring our two youngest Asher (5) and Cienna (7) on the hunt with us. During August i had located some stud bucks in areas that i knew were overlooked by the general season hunters.Crystal was very explicit when she told me 100 inches or better. I had to remind her that i hadn't step foot in the unit in over 3.5 months, she still said 100 or better. We began our day leaving the house at 8am headed to where I had see two of the big bucks i had located in August but about a mile up canyon where i figured the buck would move for the winter months. Crystal was upset because she figured it was to late to go out to look for deer. I explained to her that it was 9 degrees last night and with the moon phase the deer would be moving on sunny slopes most of the morning.upon arriving in an area I could glass from the road the kids were already getting anxious, and bored so i told them to follow the road to a windmill and check it out. Kepp in mind i can see them the entire way. I glassed for about an hour and saw three small bucks and some mule deer does. We then loaded up in the truck and continued to the dead end of the road , I advised crystal I was going to walk to the top of the ridge and If i called bring the kids the pack and gun. after about a 15min hike i began glassing and concentrated on the mt. mahogany covered hills knowing that that was going to be the main food source. i immediately started seeing deer. I watched two small bucks one in the mid 80's and the other pushing mid 90' chasing a doe pretty hard, i thought to myself there must be a better buck in here, not 5 min longer i caught a glimpse of what i knew was a buck over 100 inches. I immediately called Crystal and told her to head to the top of the ridge. I began to get worried when after 20 min she and the kid hadn't arrived so I again called her and of course they were 500 yards from me going to the wring part of the ridge, I left my glass set on the oaks the buck went into and headed to get Crystal and the kids. I know your all thinking the buck will never be in that same spot when I get back and I was thinking the same thing, well he wasn't. It had taken over 25 min to get back to the glass and i couldn't find him . I was determined to relocate him so we could get him killed. After 1.5 hours of kids complaining and freezing i finally located him, all i could see was his and lets as he was bedded just behind some bear grass. I told crystal I got him !!!!! I set up the rifle on some flat rocks ranged him at 435 and dialed up the .300 rum . I told Crystal that she need to be on him and not to get up from the prone position because she might loose him. Well after 45 min she was getting pretty uncomfortable and I can understand why, i was on edge the entire time my heart was racing every time he made a head movement, I then told Crystal to relax a bit and I would tell her when he was going to get up. I told her when he stands give him a few seconds to stretch , don't shoot as soon as he stands. Well this was a big mistake, I noticed the buck getting fidgety and I told Crystal to get on him, she layed back down and said i'm on him as few second later he stood , didn't stretch and began walking to our left through brush. He never stopped and walked out of site around the hill . I was crushed, all this waiting , listening to the kid whine and no shot. I told the kids we were going to stay about another 30 min to see if he came around the hill back to our side. Well he didn't!! We then hiked back to the truck to get lunch and I decided we would drive out and around where I could glass the side of the hill the buck went to from about 2 mile away. upon getting set up to glass from 2 miles away i began picking apart the hillside with the spotting scope. after about 45 min i noticed something shiny under an oak in the sun? I watched it for almost 10 min and bam it moved, again my heart rate went through the roof. But at that moment i realized there was no way i could hike the kids into position for the kill. I told Crystal i had found him she also stated there is no way tho get the kids over there , I guess we will have to come back tomorrow. I told her lets just keep an eye on him and see what he's going to do. Again i sat behind the glass for another 30 min and then the buck got up turned to his right and I watched him walk all the way across the hill and back to the brush he was in earlier. I had a magic idea !! I called my dad told him where we were and said come get to little ones we need to go kill this buck. I then sent Crystal to meet dad , by the time she got back I could no longer see the buck and figured he had bedded again. We drove back to the dead end and made the same hike again and I began glassing. Crystal pointed out to me oh great were going to hunt this buck until we kill him aren't we. I responded yep that's how it works. I was picking this hill to pieces for almost 3 hours when suddenly he appeared, again i said I got him. He was feeding on some mt mahogany at 535 yard 200 yards to the right of where i thought he should be. We began moving into position and when we got to where we need to be again I couldn't find him, Crap I can find him i told crystal. I glassed all around and after what seemed like forever I found him walking right in into a small box canyon another 200 yard away, I told crystal we need to get to the peek of this ridge quick , we took off and 10 min later we were on top, I started glassing and caught movement behind a large mahogany. From our current position I knew we couldn't kill him if he move any farther to the right So i set up the 15's and told crystal to stare at that bush, I'm going to follow this ridge and find a good flat spot to set up, I was very addiment about not taking her eyes off this bush I didn't want to loose him again . I then hurried on top of the ridge to a spot that looked like it was made for kill shots , I began glassing the mahogany and there he was still there , I then motioned to Crystal to get up to my location. when she arrived I again set up the 15's and told her to watch him as i set the gun up. I ranged the buck at 325 and dialed it in, I told crystal get in the gun and find him. I got him she said , I came off the glass and had to get close to her to tell her wait for him to get broadside , the buck was facing hard quartering away she responded duh so i got up and just about the time I started to look through the glass BOOM she had shot, I freaked out because I needed to she where she had hit, as I looked through the glass I could see the buck was hit hard and rolling into the canyon. She turned and said did I get him I said yes and she said I didn't want him to get away he turned so I shot. The Buck turned our to be one of the bucks that I had located in August and his gross score is just over 118"

[rossislider]

Awesome buck! Congratulations to you both.

[PelaPapas]

Congrats on that great buck!

[208muley]

Holy guards!!!!! Great deer congrats!

[Big Browns]

That's a great Buck! Congrats! You da man!!!!!!!!!!!!

[creed_az_88]

Stud

[KeithV]

great job steven congrats to you and your wife

[.270]

Excellent buck. Lark

[Coach]

That is a super buck. Huge congrats to you and Crystal.

[Pine Donkey]

That's a stud! Great eye guards.

[wildwoody]

Love them guards, congrats

[More D]

Holy poop......that is very nice!

[Old Buck]

Congratulations to Crystal. She had a great year with a big bull and this big buck. You are lucky that she lets you hunt with her!

[wardsoutfitters]

shes spoiled

[couesmagnet]

Really nice buck. Awesome eye guards. That's super cool your wife got him.