A guy I know "Tom" got in touch with me this summer asking for help on his late Entiat tag. I agreed to hunt with him for a couple days and see what we could do. He had been hunting his whole life on the westside killing blacktails and hunting elk, but never gone after a muley. I scouted a couple days and was seeing a lot of bucks, not a whole lot of rutting activity though. Saw a VERY nice 170" class 3x4 with eyeguards that was 24" wide and much taller, some palmation and 3 1/2" eye guards... very big bodied deer and definately a mature buck. I was getting excited.
Tom shows up on Wednesday and we head out to show him the country and glass up some deer. Seen some small bucks but nothing worth shooting. Thursday morning we met and headed to a different spot and glassed up a monster 2 point (27" wide with eye guards) and some does, along with a couple fork horns. Again nothing worth shooting. Thursday evening we headed to a different spot and glassed up a LOT of deer. Lots of small 3 points and forks again. We decided to hit that spot first thing on Friday.
The next morning we're in place at day light and see a good 22" 4 point but he evaded a second look. Some more small bucks then I glassed up a NICE 3x4... great forks, HEAVY, maybe 24" wide, and it only took one look through the scope for Tom to say he wanted him. We drive to a spur road, hike out and cross a small ridge. The buck is standing 150 yards from us quartering away. Tom gets out his shooting sticks.................. buck fever takes over......... BOOOM......... miss.......... buck stops at 200 yards......... BOOM....miss....... buck tops a small ridge at 300 yards......BOOM.....miss Buck runs and stops at a ridge a good 700 yards away skylined. He was thinking of coming back to chase his does which had stuck around but decided against it and crossed the ridge.
We decided to drive to a parking spot close to the ridge and go after him. 20 minutes later we were in a spot to glass the saddle where the buck had crossed with no sign of him. I tell Tom to stay put and I'd go check over a different ridge. I got settled in a glassed a solid 15 minutes looking for this buck but to no avail. I turn to leave and something catches my eye below me. I throw up the binos and there's a VERY tall 4 point bedded 100 yards away from me looking at me. Been there the whole time. I turn to Tom and signal big buck and he comes to me. The buck gets up and SLOWLY starts walking away... I tell tom "Shoot that buck Tom"....... "Kill 'em Tom"........... "TOM shoot that buck!"
The buck dissapears over the ridge, Tom was uncomfortable with the shot offhand so we head down the ridge after him. I find the buck along with two does again and get Tom a good rest.... "Nice and slow buddy, that's 200 yards so aim a little low, he's not going anywhere".... First shot hit him high in the spine to drop him, and a 2nd shot through the boiler room and we had our buck! 2 hours or so later we had him loaded up in the back of the truck and went for a celebratory lunch at Coopers... Great hunt and we were both very pleased with the results!
Hope you enjoyed the story. There's more to come!
Michael
