BIG Buck Down

[boneaddict]

The Sapphire hawk scores again.  Just got off the mountain.  Big story to follow, but I'm bushed.  Catch you guys in the morning.  I haven't had time to stretch the tape, but should meet the 170 criteria.  I got a few pics while scouting, but then rolled with a log off the mountain and crushed my camera.  Don't fret, my head is harder than the camera.  Saw some nice bucks.  more to come.....

[Michelle_Nelson]

You are such a tease!   

   Sorry to hear about the camera!

[billythekidrock]

You are havin' a hell of a time lately..lol
Can't wait to see the pics.

[shag]

killin me here

[boneaddict]

Thats about the third time I've rolled off the mountain.  Always a quick thrill.  If you saw the country I am in, you'd understand.  I joke about it, but I guess I am serious when i say I'd rather die out there than on some operating table.

He stretches 26 inches and is a solid 5x4 with a 5 inch extra point.  Grosses 175-180.  If I took the buzz saw to him before I put a picture on here, he would score better.

Pictures coming soon of where I was and the hunt.

[boneaddict]

Here's the buck

[boneaddict]

and one last angle

[boneaddict]

heres the country



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/boneaddict/smwater.jpg

[boneaddict]

heres the camp

[boneaddict]

here's the hunter enjoying life.

[Slider]

WOW!!! He's a Beauty!!! What county were you in? Congrats!!!

[Ridgerunner]

I am not surprised, great job, looks like it was another short and successful season for you. 

[boneaddict]

Here's the story.....

I drove up at 3 am to the Methow.  It took me 7 long hours to get to my camp after I left the truck.  It was pretty gloomy, but o precip so far.  I found a place where I thought it might be safe to camp, and fairly flat.  You'll notice I stuck my tent next to a big log, hoping that f one of the snags I miscalculated did come down, it might not completely crush me.  The last weeks blizzard brought down at least a hundred snags that I saw.  Anyhow, I woke up to it snowing.  Not really sticking at my camp but coming down.  I climbed up a barren ridge to try to get where I was going to camp in a spike camp to get to a bowl I was after.  No luck.  It was just too dangerous with the snow already there 0-8 inches, and it snowing fresh. I saw one buck just below where I killed the one last year.  He was a 150 class fellow.  No other sign.  Most of the deer had moved out of the rocks to about 5500-6000 feet.  I swung back through camp, grabbed a candy bar and headed up the ridge near camp.  I jumped another 150 class buck sending him down the mountain.  I made my observations and headed back to camp.  This is when I rolled downthe mountain.  I shook myself off and about thirty minutes later BOOM!!!!  What the.....across from me some *censored* poached  130 class buck.  PISSES ME OFF.  Why can't idiots play by the rules.  Dressed in blue jeans, blue plaid shirt, and white T-shirt, he stashed the Buck under a tree and left.  You're a lucky *censored* that I just broke my camera because I could have had it all on film.  Hopefully he came back to claim it the next day.  Just because you are on top of the world doesn't mean you arealone.    
I made it back to camp and the snow had finally quit.  It started to clear jut before dark and was getting rather crisp.  I woke and headed straight out from camp.  It was just pushing shooting light when I worked my way under a gorgeous 180 plus buck and 6 does.  He was rutting something fierce.  They were feedingalong the mountain, and I tried to get in front of them, but they had the elevation and I just couldn't catch them.  If the 06 would ave been in my hand, he would be dead.  I got into a rough spot, or chute, and I lost them.  i don't know if they ever spooked from me or just out distanced me.  I got through the chute and approached the lip of a new draw or basin, and I heard a deer in front of me.  I thought SWEET.  They moved down.  I cleared the lip and here was my buck with 4 does, and he was full in rut.  There was no way I could move from my spot without being detected, so just waited until he got close.  I shot when he was at 40-45 yards.  A little far for what I like with the Trad bow, but it was the best I could do.  Bullseye.  He ran back my direction under me and across the chute towards camp.  Thanks guy, I appreciate that.  He went about 80 yards I guess.  Then the work started, and not sure it ever ended.  I logged alot of hard miles.  i ran into a pair of guys I hope show up on here.  They dumped a nice 3 point a couple thousand feet below me

[boneaddict]

This is where I got my water.  I had to cmap about 200 feet in elevation below this.  My camp last year was about half way in between.  A big tree came down right where my tent layed last year.  Very glad it didn't do it while I was there.
This year I packed my water filter.  Last year I didn't.

[shag]

way to go bone!!!  Thanks for shareing