Got the Muley Buck I was After!

[hoghntr]

Thanks all for the very kind words. As Chris mentioned above, at this point I'm pretty inclined to keep the velvet on and just forgo entry to most all record programs. I wish there was a way to strip it and then restore it with synthetic velvet that looked anything close to real, but I just haven't seen any that looks good to me. It's unfortunate that such a high percentage of awesome early season bow killed animals have to be left out of the records because of these rules, but the records programs obviously don't see it as a problem. So, I respect their preference to exclude them. Arizona's bowhunting records will allow it to be entered with a small deduction for the velvet, so that may be the only program in which he gets entered. He looks like he will likely be the new #2 non-typical in that program whether stripped or left in velvet. The State Record buck has stood for 25 years, and it appears that he will likely slip by my attempt to best him!

 

As far as Mike's question: "Dang man how many records you need to have? "

 

...my answer will always be the same....just one more.

Well recorded or not, #1 or not this is the biggest deer harvested by someone I actually know and with a bow. Awesome deer.

 

Go get that 1 more! Hey what did sheep score?

[Noel Arnold]

Congrats on a world class deer.I have a question somebody might be able to answer. I shot a deer with my crossbow and I was in such a hurry to keep the meat good and to get the cape to the taxidermist,that l did not score him.the taxidermist said the freezed dried process will shrink the horns about 2%.so my question is what is the average percentage I need to deduct for the velvet.

[StickFlicker]

Noel, the Safari Club is the only record book that would accept your crossbow killed deer in velvet. They subtract 2% from the final net score.

 

Mike, my desert sheep officially scored 173 2/8 P&Y.

 

Marvin

[Noel Arnold]

Marvin,

The taxidermist had to cut the horns in half to put the horns in the machine to freeze dry the horns,so I knew I could not put him in any record books.I was just trying to get a idea of what he would have scored hard horned.I am thinking since it will shrink about 2%, then when it comes out of the machine in December,the score will be about the same as if it was hard horned from the beginning. Thanks for the info.

[TNelk]

My word!!!! Awesome buck! Congrats!!!

[CWBBucker]

Its bucks like this that make me never want to share my pics! Congrats!

[hoghntr]

Its bucks like this that make me never want to share my pics! Congrats!

Does that mean you had this buck on camera or you settle for much smaller bucks like I do? heck I'm happy when I have twiggy on cam or in scope.

[roninflag]

Huge buck!!

[CWBBucker]

 

Its bucks like this that make me never want to share my pics! Congrats!

Does that mean you had this buck on camera or you settle for much smaller bucks like I do? heck I'm happy when I have twiggy on cam or in scope.

 

Yea I "CHOOSE" smaller bucks so others can post the big ones lol

[Chris]

Wow, what a buck!

 

Were you on your own or with guide?

 

Get the mount back?

[StickFlicker]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. I went up to the unit and met with a guide, Tory Brock, then spent a couple of days with him running his cameras while scouting for an auction hunter. He was already booked-up for the archery hunt, so we worked out an arrangement where I would just hunt alone for the first 10 days or so, then if I needed help he would guide me the last week after his clients had all gone home. I killed my buck on the 7th day of the season, so I wasn't actually guided but somewhat of a scouting package I supposed. I paid him the full guide fee plus tip anyway. It hasn't been mounted yet.

 

It's supposed to be the cover story of next month's (August) Bowhunter Magazine if you want the detailed story of the hunt.