Notched My Multi-Season Tag This Mornin'

[lokidog]

What a great buck, way to stick to it looking for him.

[archerykraze]

Nice Job! Good work on continuing the search and finding him.

[elkboy]

Nice work, Smokepole! Hard to sneak up on a whitetail buck... And good job on the recovery.

[Mfowl]

Sweet buck! Congrats!

[Smokepole]

O.k. here's the real buck story.  He aint no domesticated corn-fed neighborhood buck.  He was a real mountain buck.  Especially toward the end.

Been hard to get any sleep with a new pup in the house.  She whimpered and whined most of the night.  I didn't leave the cabin until after daylight, and good dose of coffee.  Headed up a logging spur I discovered by map.  I had binoed some old clearcuts from a vantage way up a mystery canyon, and wanted to get in there.  It looked like a Christmas tree farm from afar -- just right for bucks to feed and bed.  I parked about 5 miles up the main road and started in afoot.  There were a lot of springs bubbling up from the ground and I went into the mud up to my shin a couple of times.  Hunted in wet boots.  Later the cat road was dry, and I quickly made distance up to the isolated clearings.  Grass, small firs and pines, and lots of little ravines.  Game trails everywhere.  Lots of poop.

It rained the night before.  Finally quiet conditions.  My confidence as a hunter was low, after missing a nice 4x4 during black powder season.  An easy shot, too.  Even for me.  My stoke level wasn't where it should have been.  Not enough promise.  Not enough sleep.  But I kept walking, because that's what I do.  Quietly for a change.

When I turned and saw the buck, it looked like a mural.  Like the artist had planned everything perfect.  There was balance in the composition.  Perfect light, color, and a crisp focal point.  Standing.  Right. There.

He was about 50 yards away.  Hoisting my wife's .308 I saw nothing nearby for a shooting rest.  No trees or boulders.  Up from his bed, the buck was on high alert, broadside, motionless.  Pulled my glasses back to look through the scope.  Pretty bouncy.  I took time to crank up to 9 power as the buck began to swish his tail.  Plenty of time... Boom!

The buck didn't rear up or show any signs of being hit.  He sprinted across the slope and disappeared into a thick grove of lodgepole pine.  I gave him some time, thinking I made a good shot this time.  Cocked in another round just in case.  Then went to find the blood trail. 

Nothing.  Not a track or a drop of blood to follow.  I marked the point of origin with my gps, and went zigzagging for blood.  An hour went by.  I began to wonder if I hit his liver or maybe gut.  I started thinking about my muzzy miss.  Maybe I missed again.  Maybe I suck that bad... Then I remembered taking a big 4x4 mulie with my grandpa's .308 when I was in my teens.  That buck went a long ways on a lung shot.  I kept hope, and said a prayer for a little help finding the buck in the thickening brush.  I had searched all the likely spots a buck could hole up.  Then I conjured up a scenario where the buck may have double back and climbed the yonder hillside.  I started combing it.  Two hours later there he was, like a beautiful mural again. This time fallen.  Out cold under a pine. 

What a blessing.  A good rack.  Lots of venison.  He was truly a buck to dance around.  Still, it was a little lonesome up there.  I had no one to high five, or to take my picture.  Nobody to help gut or drag.  Just me, and the Good Lord.  All by ourselves.    The End 

[boneaddict]

Congrats on a nice Whitetail. 

[pianoman9701]

Nice whitey! Congratulations.

[Bearhunter]

Great buck uncle!  I have always loved your stories and lessons, and this one is no different and I would call it "Perseverance".  You deserved this buck, you are truly a man of Grit, integrity and roots sprouted from our good gods ground.  I am proud to be cut from the same cloth as I have learned so much about hunting, work ethic, and life from you!  Enjoy that meat and relish its memory and donation one piece at a time until next season!  Tell Forest Congrats on his great Muley buck as Well!! 

[sako85]

Congrats on a great buck, you worked for it and earned it.  I had the privledge to see this deer in his truck and the body was giant. Congrats again on a great buck, not everyone can boot hunt a Whitey like that.

[meatwhack]

Good story and nice buck congratulations.

[andr3wxmma]

Nice one, congrats

[Seahawk12]

That's a great deer!
Congrats on your success.
 

[X-Force]

Nice deer.

[Smokepole]

Great buck uncle!  I have always loved your stories and lessons, and this one is no different and I would call it "Perseverance".  You deserved this buck, you are truly a man of Grit, integrity and roots sprouted from our good gods ground.  I am proud to be cut from the same cloth as I have learned so much about hunting, work ethic, and life from you!  Enjoy that meat and relish its memory and donation one piece at a time until next season!  Tell Forest Congrats on his great Muley buck as Well!!

Thanks James.  That makes my day.  Proud to be your uncle.   

[Smokepole]

Congrats on a great buck, you worked for it and earned it.  I had the privledge to see this deer in his truck and the body was giant. Congrats again on a great buck, not everyone can boot hunt a Whitey like that.

Thanks, Jeff.  He was pretty huge.  It looks like this might be the same buck you corn fed all summer.  Fattest deer I've ever butchered.  Looks like a side of beef.  Sorry I whacked your buck, man.  ps... you want your game cams back?