Quilomene Buck 2010 PIC HEAVY

[Vanguard30-06]

Thanks for the positive comments everybody.
The pictures were taken in front of a cornfield at my brothers house. As for the sheds, those were for rut rattling and we
didn't even really need them. My brother guessed him at 4-5 years, not sure though. We only saw one spike buck, and what we thought was a 2x2 but it was dark and could have been the one he took a week later. There were a lot of does around but we
were both disappointed with this 'quality' hunt. Wish we would have at least seen some 4x4's, oh well it was awesome anyway 

[Skyvalhunter]

Looks like a good hunt, Congrats. Seems to be an older buck. Way to go

[C-Money]

Nice Buck! Congrats! I have put in for a long time for that tag! Glad you got your tag filled!

[carpsniperg2]

Good looking buck.

[royalhntr]

      So my story started 6 years ago when I took up big game hunting after a lifetime of bird hunting. I have put in for the Quilomene tag all of those years and finally drew this year with 6 pts. I did some scouting earlier in the summer but came up with nothing. I bought every map you can buy, scrounged up every post and pm'd everyone that had the tag in the past that I could find on the site. Anticipation grew over the summer months and I planned to take off two staight weeks to get the job done.

       I scouted around a few more times during the fall, and scouted hard while hunting for elk. Needless to say when opening morning of the hunt came I was both excited and a little disapointed that we had not seen anything yet. When the sun came up that monday morning after elk season had closed we went to an area that we had seen does working over for a few days but came up with nothing. We hunted hard till wednesday when the snow just got to be too much(see above pics) and decided to take a day off. I had scope covers on, they were butler creeks that I bought when i worked at gi joes. After a few seasons and intense cold the covers gave up the ghost. They both broke off at the plastic hinges, and one of the pins fell out!!!! I took what was left of them off and just went without as I have the aluma raincote covers on my Leupold 100th anniversary 3x9x40.(story on that to follow in the optics section)
       We hunted from sun up to sun down, hiking, posting, ambushing likely bedding areas, looking into the nastiest of ravines and rock faces, scrounging up herds of does, rattling into canyons from cover, walking into areas, walking back out, checking six, everything that you need to do to get into deer and still came up with just a group of 6 does.

    We went back out that thursday and hunted throught saturday, in that time we saw maybe four more does, the spike and a wide two point that was in the same area that I shot my buck in, which may have been the same deer as we saw him in heavy timber near dark as he was heading away from us.
     I had taken the slow pace of the week and the fact that there were not shots fired in the entire area as perhaps a sign that the rut had not started yet. I found myself calling work to tell them I would be back monday morning for work. I still can't believe I came back to work with a special tag in my pocket, what an odd feeling. I planned to take off friday and hit it hard again the last three days of the season.
     Friday came, and I found myself all alone for the first time of the hunt (no hunting partner and no other hunters) I was perched at the bottom of a great draw as the light from the sun lit up the east facing hill that lay before me. I sat there for a minute, thought about my family and brother who couldn't be with me for this one day.  I also thought alot about the other 3000 folks who had put in for this tag and came up with NOT SELECTED for the 16th year in a row. I told myself that this hunt needed the energy that those people would have put into it all channeled through my senses, that I would use that force to drive me on.  I headed up the ravine to my right, sure to get the best angle on what may come around the next turn. Twenty minutes later I crested the hill side, looking at me through the sage was a herd of forty elk with a ragged 3 pt bull. I made my way around them to push them off into the area I had come from so as not to disturb the animals that may still lie ahead. Sure enough I continued on rigdetop and out from underneath me runs the biggest coyote I have ever seen, with an almost blond red coat, heart skipping a beat, I raised my rifle up, I think to myself easy pickings, then recalculate, no, dont shoot, the next draw over might be the one.
 

I will have to continue this tomorrow, as the alarm clock is going to be getting me up awufully early. 

[Clark33]

Wow that is one heavy old buck, congrats to the hunter!

[Vanguard30-06]

more horn porn...

[MLBowhunting]

Good buck would be hard to pass

[Pathfinder101]

Can't see the pictures at work.. .I'll check when I get home.

[Widgeondeke]

Lots of character. unique antlers. 

[Pathfinder101]

Love that buck!  congrats on a good hunt!

[Mustang50]

I have been up in the gmu abit for master hunter elk hunts.  I have seen a few better than average bucks this year.  I am not going to even put in for the FC, after one of the bucks I saw.

[Swag]

Great memory's & nice buck.