I think you earned him! Great job on scent control. It obviously paid off. I like the idea of using the howler to move deer without alerting them to human presence. Fantastic idea! I will use that one for sure.
I know we get as excited to scout and find a buck that we think is worthy to die, but drawing a lucky ace on a dandy is okay too! Congrats. Thank you for sharing. It looks cold in those pictures!