Back from Montana

[Prime Time]

Well I figured it was time to sit down and write a little Montana review. Just got back from the long drive last night. A fellow member/cousin (Flick-n-Stick) along with both of our dads made the trip over to eastern Montana this past week. Needless to say we had a successful trip. We went 4 for 4 with our tags, all killing muley bucks. I'll let him post pics and tell the story of his buck if he chooses to do so but here we go with mine.

The first 2 days were spent getting a feel for what the area was holding for bucks this year and packing out Flick-n-Stick and his dad's bucks. Along with picking up many shed horns. We ended up with 35 sheds between the 2 of us, a pretty good haul for a 4 day trip. I saw quite a few bucks those first couple days and one that I probably should've pulled the trigger on, a nice 4x3, but since it was the first hour of the first morning I didn't, and am glad I didn't.

Day 3 brought a good buck spotted by Flick-n-Stick right at daylight and the stalk was on. Mixed with running into a couple groups of does along the way and bumping a couple flocks of skittish sharptails, this buck put the slip on us. About 20 minutes later though we heard shots ring out and found my dad had filled his tag on a 21x20 3x3 with good mass. The old-timers told us they had it covered and told us to keep hunting. We put on a lot of ground the rest of that morning and ran into a couple decent 4x4's that I opted to pass on and I began to wonder just how much longer Flick-n-Stick was going to put up with me passing up these bucks.

As the afternoon rolled around, so did the wind and the fog. We decided to work into the area where Flick-n-Stick had shot his buck the day before because we had barely got into that area when he shot his. The deer seemed to be a little hunkered down but the further we worked into the coulee's the fog began to lift and we started to see more deer.

We got to one last look-out before I was going to cut down and make a loop back to the truck when I spotted a group of 4 deer below us and could see a whale of a body in the bunch. BUCK! As we both hit the deck. I got the spotter out and saw there was a 4x4 in the group being chased around by a long-tined bristled up huge bodied 3x3 with a kicker coming off his right side. I debated for a moment whether or not he was the one, but Flick-n-Stick made VERY clear if I let this one walk I was an idiot.

So we got set up, camera rolling and the buck chases a doe into the draw. So we wait, and wait, and wait. An hour passes by and we're beginning to wonder if they put the slip on us and I told him our best chance is to wait them out because there was no way they could've snuck out of there without us seeing them. Not 5 minutes later, out walks a doe, then back down in the draw she goes. Then like clock work I spot him, "There he is." Camera rolling, he turns broadside and I let one fly, right through the boiler room. My montana tag was punched. He ended up taping out at 24 1/2 inches wide and I'm plenty happy with this buck. Definitely a great trip and let the countdown begin for next year.

[RIVERRAT]

Dandy BUCK!   and from Gods country!  congrats!

[Jonathan_S]

I love those big graceful 3x3 muleys, I think they make some of the most aesthetically pleasing mounts.  Way to go, sounds like the trip was worth it   

[Prime Time]

I love those big graceful 3x3 muleys, I think they make some of the most aesthetically pleasing mounts.  Way to go, sounds like the trip was worth it   

Definitely worth the trip, a lot of great memories were made on this trip. I have the buck caped out, just undecided what I'm doing with him yet. Bucklucky better be close to his phone once I make the decision. 

[deerhunter_98520]

That buck deserves a mount 

[RifleRidge]

  Nice!

[Brushbuster]

Great Buck & write up!!! I can't wait to get over there. Leaving day after Veteran's Day. 

[PolarBear]

Congrats!   

[xXLojackXx]

Good Buck bud! Permit tag? or Public

[Prime Time]

Good Buck bud! Permit tag? or Public

No permit here, just a public land hunt.

[SemperFidelis97]

Great looking buck sounds like it was a great hunt.

[ribka]

Nice buck.

Thanks for sharing.

[runningboard]

great buck, thanks for posting 

[stickbuck]

Great buck for sure! That second pic sure shows off his time length really well. Thanks for sharing.

[Ridgerunner]

Montana rut hunts nothing like them, congrats on a nice buck