5x8 Mulie

[haulinbass]

Highs, lows and extreme emotions. A buddy and I are out of town on a job and it worked out that we could go for a couple hours after work and then our shift switched to a 3am to 3pm shift. Anyway so we went out and ended up spotting this buck from the road and decided to make a stalk. Parked the truck and began hiking in. We crossed several little draws and then once we got to the bottom of the last draw we removed our boots and continued the stalk. We created the hill where we thought he was and nobody was home. So I went further up the draw and just as I crested a small finger in the draw I could see the hind end of a deer. I ranged him and he was 55 yards but my rangefinder said to shoot for 52. I settle the pin and and let it fly. I forgot to mention that it was extremely windy. Watched my arrow drift about a foot to the left and miss him. No reaction from him and he continued to feed. Second chance came at 63 yards and now I know what to do. I settle the pin, level my bubble and compensated for the wind and let another fly......well this time there obviously no gust or drift and I hit right where I was aiming. To far back. Instantly he bedded down and we watched him for the hill side for 20mins. He then got up again and headed down the draw. We backed out and I told my buddy we will come back in the morning.....sleepless night.....next morning we go in and retrieve my arrows. I got on the trail and figured he was I this little draw at the bottom from where I shot him. I took the trail at the bottom through the thick stuff when all of a sudden an explosion. He blew out of there . He ran up the draw further and I watched him drop back in. Ok back out and watch from a distance and saw no movement in the draw for 2 hours. I needed to get some sleep for work and went back to the hotel with knowing I would be going back in the next morning after a 12 hour shift.....next morning I went in where I thought I last saw him and walked through the draw and nothing. Ok no biggie I know he will go to water. So we went to the draw on the other side of the road where I know a spring is and ran a grid pattern. Well by now my buddy had to go to work and I was on my own. I searched everywhere and nothing I was at a loss that only a hunter who has lost an animal can understand. I sat on the hill side and prayed. I then walked down tho the road and decided before I go to the truck I will look for tracks that maybe crossed the road. The trail I went in on....no tracks.... I decided for some reason to walk up the road another 15 yards and low and behold there he was 10 yards off the road dead and in a small spring I didn't know about. I am man enough to say I got emotional and began to sob. I harvested the biggest buck of my life and was running on 6 hours of sleep in 72 hours. I felt extremely blessed that I was able to find him and it just shows that a little perseverance pays.

[Bean Counter]

Beautiful, heavy horns! 

Congrats 

[johnnyaustin44]

Nice buck!!! Way to stick with it.

[BullMagnet76]

Congrats!!!!!   

[trophyhunt]

Great job on finding your trophy, congrats!

[TommyH]

Good work and congrats!

[Idighuntin]

There's a lot of whitetail characteristics in those horns, beautiful buck. Congrats.

[C-Money]

Nice muley buck!

[Westside88]

Not only a great buck, but great job for sticking with it when it got tough. You earned and respected that awesome buck.   

[Rooster1981]

great buck 

[kodiak 907]

Dandy! Way to stay with it.

[gonehuntin68]

WOW. Good job.

[h2ofowlr]

Nice one!

[stickbow9]

"I sat and I prayed".......I love it!

[Turner89]

Nice buck