Post by: cmiller85 on December 01, 2015, 10:54:51 PM
Pics and a video are at the bottom for those who don't like a long read. Sorry for the quality. Forgot my digiscoping rig on both trips and had to free hand it.
The Story:
I consider myself a trophy hunter. Not in the sense that I care about nothing but the antlers on a buck or bull, but in that anytime I go into the woods I want to kill the biggest and baddest animal around; whatever it may be. I love the hunt and the challenge it takes to not only find, but also kill a trophy, record book animal on public land. My tactics are typically to hold out until the last day and then the old adage, “If it’s brown it’s down” applies because I do in fact love meat. It doesn’t matter if I’m stalking a 180” buck or a barely legal, crab-claw 3-point. Once it’s on the adrenaline is unleashed and for those moments I’m in hunting heaven. Hunting is no doubt my absolute passion when it comes to things of this earth. I’d rather eat my tag in most cases just to hunt longer; which I do nearly every year. In fact, the last thing I killed was a nice bear in 2009. I just love being in the woods.
So my track record as a self-proclaimed trophy hunter is rather unsuccessful in terms of kills. I’ve been bow hunting for 6 years this year and have yet to actually harvest anything with my bow. I’ve passed on many animals looking for that one, big brute that will hurl your vitals into a near-adrenaline-induced coma such that you doubt whether or not you will actually be able to draw your bow when the time comes. I’ve found them on a handful occasions over the past several years, I’ve got pictures of them, put stalks on them, got close to them( but not close enough), and in the end killed nothing. Each of those hunts I consider a great success and can’t wait to try again the next year.
The last four season of late archery I’ve been very fortunate to locate and get on exceptional bucks. In 2012, I chased a buck all season that I figured at 181” on the very conservative side. I took a long shot on him right at dark on the last day and came up with a clean miss. A rifle permit hunter killed him the next year and he was in Eastmans and grossed 204”. In 2013 I found a buck on the 5th day of the season that I figured to be 185”+. He was putting a heck of an effort on the 190” mark by my guesstimate. I got to within about 110 yards of him after spotting him that day. He was on one side of the draw and I was on the other. Nothing more I could do and it was right at dark so I backed out. I never saw him again. In 2014, my buddy and I found a solid buck that we figured to be in the 170”+ range. We made a move at him but realized someone else was already on him so we backed out. That guy came at him up wind and that buck was gone. Now this year; this year was no exception on my annual late archery muley hunt. A hunt I wait for all year…
This year my archery hunt was scheduled to be cut short to only 4 days as I planned on going and helping my Dad with his late Alta Muzzy Tag. I figured I had better get in, chase me a deer, and get out of there so I could help him focus on his hunt. With that in mind, I took off work on 11-20-15 to go up and scout my area for a decent buck to chase on the opener. I glassed about 30-40 does and no bucks by 8:30 am. I was starting to get to the outer range limits of comfortable glassing distance when I spotted a buck about 2.25 miles away. I could easily tell that he was a buck and in my past experience from the previous years, when you can even tell he has antlers at 1.5 to 2 miles away, you’re looking at a monster buck. I got to about ½ mile away to get a better look at him. HOLY COW! This guy was a beast. He was in the 180-190” range no question. I snapped a couple pictures through the spotter and got the heck out of there as fast as I could. I didn’t even want to think about him for fear he would leave the area by the next morning. I had shots of adrenaline throughout the day from just looking at his pictures. Needless to say, my work performance sucked majorly the rest of the day. I would have got more done if I had taken the day off…
Well the next morning finally came and I was at the spot I wanted to be about 400 yards from his finger ridge right at daylight. My plan was to relocate him and then decide what to do. If I just saw him again, my season was going to be a success. I glassed hard, high and low. My Dad joined me that morning and was on an opposite ridge about a ½ mile away trying to spot him from a better angle. An hour went by and no buck. I had picked apart the surrounding hillsides where I thought he’d be to no avail. Finally at about 7:45am, a couple of does I had been watching climb the ridge he was on seemed to magically have doubled. There were more deer I had not seen before on the ridge where he was at. A quick glance through the spotter revealed a dink buck and a doe. Not a good sign of a bigger buck over there I thought. Then suddenly, THERE HE WAS! His giant rack was skylined on the ridge. I could not believe it. He had hardly moved 100 yards from where I saw him the night before. Another doe had spooked them around the hill and he pushed a doe he had with him down into the draw between he and I. He was coming my way! I quickly grabbed my gear and head down the back side of the ridge I was on; periodically popping over to relocate him and his doe to make sure I didn’t lose track of them. I got down to their elevation and was just waiting on them to start up my side where it was perfect for an ambush. This was really my only option with the dry, squeaky snow that blanketed this area.
In the bottom of the draw the buck and doe just milled around feeding in no real hurry to get anywhere. The little buck kept tailing them and that big boy kept a close eye on him, walking him away when he got too close. They finally decided to bed down at about 10:30 am. They were about 180 yards away. There was little I could do but just sit and admire him while relishing in my luck of finding such an amazing animal.
After a couple of hours and several conversations with my Dad, I had finally concluded that we needed to make a move on this guy. Once again, experience told me that being passive here would likely get me nowhere and then I’d never see him again. That doe was the only thing holding him tight to this one area like he was. He was here because that’s where she wanted to be. As soon as she was done with him then God only knows where he would bounce off to in search of another doe. It could be any day now that that might happen. I couldn’t take that chance. I had to do make an attempt on him.
We finally decided that my Dad would go to the ridge opposite me, with the buck in between us, and roll some rocks down the hill in an attempt to gently nudge those deer into moving away from that side and toward me. I calculated this strategy to have about a 33% chance of producing me a shot opportunity. The deer would either head up the draw and toward me, sidehill and toward me, or head down the draw and toward me. The wind was such that I didn’t want to be too low on them so I decided to stay at their elevation and choose the middle option. My backup plan was to cut around the backside if I had to and make a play up or down if needed.
I was all set and signaled Dad to proceed. He rolled rocks for about 15 minutes before the deer finally stood up and started to get uneasy. Then they stood around for another 10 minutes. FINALLY they began moving in a downward direction. I positioned myself along a path I thought they would go which was coming up out of the bottom at about a 30 degree angle. I was on a bench I thought they’d want to cross at. Well, the doe came up out of the brushy draw and then turned and headed down the draw, paralleling the bottom rather than angled toward me. She led the buck right below me, broadside at 100 yards, just 30 yards beyond my max range.AGH! How awesome and devastating that moment was; being so close to that giant and yet so far away. I tried to make a play back around the hill but the brush was just too noisy. I came around the backside to head them off and caught them crossing about 150 yards below me and heading down the ridge to the bottom of the canyon. Nothing I could do but watch them casually mosey up the other side. I watched them for a couple of hours as I hiked back out trying to keep close tabs on them for the next day. They were in some nasty stuff now. Even if I could relocate on day 2 my odds had just plummeted due to the terrain and conditions. I ended up hunting hard for him the next 3 days to no avail; another successful season in the books; just shy of the hunting glory that still yet only exists in my dreams.
https://youtu.be/hixHF2Rk-Bk (https://youtu.be/hixHF2Rk-Bk)
Post by: Ridgerunner on December 01, 2015, 11:01:18 PM
Post by: HUNTaHOLIC5 on December 01, 2015, 11:16:10 PM
Post by: hunting4sanity on December 01, 2015, 11:16:52 PM
Okay, truthfully, I don't even think I can dream that big! :yike:
Post by: fishnfur on December 01, 2015, 11:34:27 PM
I'm saving the story for tomorrow while I listen to it rain.
Post by: cem3434 on December 01, 2015, 11:56:07 PM
Post by: packmule on December 02, 2015, 06:13:30 AM
Post by: robertsjd on December 02, 2015, 06:44:25 AM
Post by: gavinboone on December 02, 2015, 06:49:48 AM
Post by: coachcw on December 02, 2015, 07:03:00 AM
Post by: boneaddict on December 02, 2015, 07:10:48 AM
Post by: bearhunter99 on December 02, 2015, 07:12:55 AM
Post by: Timberstalker on December 02, 2015, 07:13:33 AM
Great write up and pictures.
Post by: Cat hunter on December 02, 2015, 07:35:21 AM
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on December 02, 2015, 08:48:49 AM
Post by: MtnMuley on December 02, 2015, 10:41:19 AM
Post by: 2MANY on December 02, 2015, 10:43:23 AM
Enjoy it while it lasts.
Post by: boonerboy on December 02, 2015, 10:44:09 AM
Was going to post a couple of pics but I'm an idiot....any help?
Post by: pianoman9701 on December 02, 2015, 10:46:53 AM
Post by: boonerboy on December 02, 2015, 10:57:32 AM
Post by: autodink13 on December 02, 2015, 11:09:37 AM
Post by: Frankchurchbandit on December 02, 2015, 01:44:49 PM
Post by: kellama2001 on December 02, 2015, 02:53:32 PM
Post by: Tschaefer72 on December 02, 2015, 04:14:28 PM
Post by: cmiller85 on December 02, 2015, 04:32:10 PM
Post by: cmiller85 on December 02, 2015, 04:32:27 PM
I also had a couple close encounters with that stud this season! Came real close to killing him twice but....bow hunting happened! Haha. We were pretty bummed to see you had beat us to him opening morning lol. So we just watched u make your move from a distance. From where we were it looked like u had him at one point. We ended up finding him the next day and made a couple stalks only to have does ruin it as usual! Haha. Awesome buck! Hope we get the chance to see him next year! Oh, and were your legs as jello as mine hiking out of that hell hole?? Lol
Was going to post a couple of pics but I'm an idiot....any help?
Awesome! :tup: And yes, that first day tore me up and I was in relatively good shape too!
Post by: boonerboy on December 02, 2015, 04:38:49 PM
Post by: boonerboy on December 02, 2015, 06:38:45 PM
Post by: Muleyslyr on December 02, 2015, 06:58:10 PM
Post by: deerhunter_98520 on December 02, 2015, 07:00:58 PM
Post by: wsmnut on December 02, 2015, 08:19:56 PM
Post by: Shed Stud on December 02, 2015, 08:41:19 PM
Post by: WAcoueshunter on December 02, 2015, 09:04:30 PM
See if this works.
Those are awesome. Thanks to both of you for posting pics. So cool to know bucks like that are out there.
Post by: boonerboy on December 02, 2015, 09:11:52 PM
Post by: cmiller85 on December 02, 2015, 10:28:50 PM
That a boys! Glad someone had a go at him. He'll be there next year! If you want a feel at that bone from last year....😎
:o
Post by: Pinetar on December 04, 2015, 05:27:37 PM
Post by: 257 Wby Mag on December 04, 2015, 08:16:20 PM
Post by: JDHasty on December 04, 2015, 09:58:00 PM
I was just north of Musselshell shooting prairie dogs and had one like that come out right in front of me about five years ago. You never forget it.
Here is what is so wild about the experience: My friggin brain shut down for a few seconds. I could just not get my mind around what I was seeing AND I was not deer hunting at the time.
Serious guys, I noticed movement to my right and this buck came up a draw like he was King Tut, walking like a Tennessee Walking Horse, all the heck full of himself.
It literally took me four or five seconds to realize what I was seeing. I was LITERALLY in a catatonic state. I saw something move and I turned my head and looked and just could not get my mind around what I was seeing.
OK, if you want to know EXACTLY where that buck was - go on Google Earth and find Musselshell MT. Go across the HWY and that first house used to be Jim Gofena's home. You see it there and right up the road, just to the north is a clearing that used to be home to a massive PD town. It is obvious as the nose on your face. It is a large open hay meadow surrounded by pine timber.
Nobody has access any longer for any reason, Jim's brothers now have control of the High Butte Ranch and they are like dealing with the Tasmanian Devil on his worst day... when they are on their best behavior. If this wasn't the case I would never divulge the location of one of my favorite PD towns. In other words, don't bother - it is now as accessible as a city park for shooting anything.
Once you see the clearing, you will see that on the north end there is a dry wash that runs east to west before meating another north south dry wash and that buck came out of the timber on the east end and strutted right along that dry wash until he winded me and then he took off at a trot and vanished.
It would have been a "chip shot" to take him before he split the scene, and I had been shootin' prairie dogs for a week off hand with a Hornet. I can tell you right now, had I been hunting mule deer - I don't know if I would not have learned first hand what I have only ever heard about - "buck fever."
I have shot nice big game animals without giving it a thought, but just seeing this deer, in his home range, even way out of season, left me so confused I didn't know if I was afoot or on horseback. My brain shut down, I just could not, for about five seconds, even get my mind around what I was seeing.
That is why I think that you hear about the guy that got beginners luck and shoots a monster like the one in the photo. He just doesn't know any better.
Just seeing a mule deer like that does things to a man who thinks about hunting all the time that are "spiritual." It screws you up, or at least it screwed me up to the extent that I couldn't even get my mind around it until I had replayed the experience in my mind over and over again.
I was simply mesmerized and dumbfounded. If I had a valid deer tag in my possession at the time I saw that buck I don't know if I would have been "man enough" to function. It is a "spiritual experience" and by that I mean my senses just were TOTALLY overwhelmed.
I honestly thought I was seeing an elk at first. Really, in all honesty, that is a Quality Bull area, and even though a mule deer looks nothing like an elk... you do the math. I just could not get my mind around what I was seeing.
I've stumbled on monster Rocky Mt elk, my cousins' ranches are up against The Bob and I have also seen them between Roundup and Forsyth, and I have seen monster Moose in the wild, my grandpa lived in Livingston all his life and my sister was born at the hospital in Yellowstone and I spent a lot of time in the Paradise Valley MT, still in all I have never had an experience like seeing that monster mulie in his natural home.
My cousin Pat's ranch is surrounded by the Broken O, and while riding around on a four-wheeler I have seen some monster Montana White Tails in the hay meadows on the Broken O and the Sun River Ranch and on the Khron Ranch, real honest to God MONSTERS, but seeing them did not affect me the way seeing a mule deer like the one you have photos of did.
There is definitely something about a monster mulie that is all together different.
You are a blessed man to have gotten those photos.
Post by: JDHasty on December 04, 2015, 10:33:36 PM
He said it was so magnificent that he just wanted to absorb the experience for as long as possible before shooting it and then when he had it in his scope he could not pull the trigger. I asked if he had any regrets: He said I don't know, I have thought about that question a lot and I still don't know.
He took a couple decent deer on that trip and a nice speed goat and so he does not have any compunction against shooting a nice buck. But he just does not know if he has any regrets about letting a mulie buck like the one he saw walk. He said that at that point in his life....
I'm 56 and seriously doubt that "at this point in my life..." I still thank God for just being in a position to hunt. Even when fate leaves me without anything tangible, but if I had a monster mulie like that I know that if I botched it and didn't have a BIG taxidermy bill to fit into the family budget... I would not be kicking myself in the posterior daily and cursing every day that I did not do something to prepare myself for when fate smiles on me.
Post by: ian_padron on December 05, 2015, 03:17:36 AM
Post by: jackelope on December 05, 2015, 07:43:41 AM
Thanks
Post by: Mark251 on December 05, 2015, 01:17:32 PM
Post by: rosscrazyelk on December 06, 2015, 08:23:11 AM
Thanks for sharing
Post by: M_ray on December 06, 2015, 10:55:07 PM
Post by: WARHORSE on December 07, 2015, 02:37:10 AM
Post by: M_ray on December 07, 2015, 07:36:01 AM
This should get interesting! :chuckle:
Yeah well maybe I wasn't trying to be the "elitist" afterall ... My original post that got nuked seems to be true ;)
Post by: WARHORSE on December 07, 2015, 07:39:23 AM
Post by: cmiller85 on December 07, 2015, 07:58:43 AM
This should get interesting! :chuckle:
Yeah well maybe I wasn't trying to be the "elitist" afterall ... My original post that got nuked seems to be true ;)
What the heck?! It did get nuked. I hope that was by accident because if not, that's ridiculous.
Congrats to the hunter. I take it that 191" is his net score. Any word on his gross or individual measurements?
Post by: jackelope on December 07, 2015, 08:14:41 AM
Rumor has it this buck is dead and only went 191" :dunno:
only.
:chuckle:
Post by: M_ray on December 07, 2015, 08:41:44 AM
Rumor has it this buck is dead and only went 191" :dunno:
only.
:chuckle:
191 is huge ... But in this case is "only" based on the OP title of 200" and BTW I'm hearing 191 was the gross score.
Post by: cmiller85 on December 07, 2015, 10:19:11 AM
Rumor has it this buck is dead and only went 191" :dunno:
only.
:chuckle:
191 is huge ... But in this case is "only" based on the OP title of 200" and BTW I'm hearing 191 was the gross score.
Yeah, I'm blown away. :yike: I never would have guessed his mass and main beams were what they are. Not that it matters on a deer that size, but still very interesting none the less.
Post by: boneaddict on December 07, 2015, 10:28:24 AM
Post by: huntnphool on December 07, 2015, 11:05:12 AM
Rumor has it this buck is dead and only went 191" :dunno:
only.
:chuckle:
191 is huge ... But in this case is "only" based on the OP title of 200" and BTW I'm hearing 191 was the gross score.
Yeah, I'm blown away. :yike: I never would have guessed his mass and main beams were what they are. Not that it matters on a deer that size, but still very interesting none the less.
That confirms how incredible the g3's and g4's are. :tup:
Post by: boonerboy on December 07, 2015, 11:12:22 AM
Post by: cmiller85 on December 07, 2015, 11:40:11 AM
It takes a lot to make 200. He was an incredible deer.
Absolutely. It's not a number I throw around lightly either. Never actually. It's like claiming to have seen a unicorn. :chuckle:
It's really amazing to me how minute the differences he'd need to get another 9 inches. Truly an amazing animal.
Post by: cmiller85 on December 07, 2015, 11:41:16 AM
Cmiller, u see pics? Or were u there to see him in person? I have yet to see a pic.... :bash:
No I haven't seen a pic, but I do not doubt.
Post by: got2hunt on December 07, 2015, 11:50:32 AM
Post by: DBLDWN on December 07, 2015, 01:28:44 PM
Post by: jackelope on December 07, 2015, 01:34:49 PM
All this talk on here. Pics are the only proof. I have heard of this story in 3 diffent areas AMD the one buck I know of i don't think is dead. But post pics and stop all the talk
Same story, different day. Folks have seen pictures of the buck. If someone had the hunter's permission to post it, it would be posted. I appreciate the fact that they respect the hunter enough to not share the pictures without his permission.
:tup:
Post by: 2MANY on December 07, 2015, 03:49:00 PM
Post by: huntnphool on December 07, 2015, 04:17:05 PM
I wonder how !much the guy got for a finder fee! Amaizing how people can be bought off. And no I don't know anything and yes I plead the 5 the. Awesome buck and it def. Cost some one alot of cash for a 100 pound deer with a big rack. He !just like his woman the same way lol
That's a crude comment Shad, not appropriate at all!
Post by: HardCorpsHuntr on December 07, 2015, 04:30:28 PM
I wonder how !much the guy got for a finder fee! Amaizing how people can be bought off. And no I don't know anything and yes I plead the 5 the. Awesome buck and it def. Cost some one alot of cash for a 100 pound deer with a big rack. He !just like his woman the same way lol
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt" Ab.
Post by: boonerboy on December 07, 2015, 04:36:31 PM
Post by: antlerking on December 07, 2015, 04:53:24 PM
Post by: jackelope on December 07, 2015, 04:53:56 PM
I wonder how !much the guy got for a finder fee! Amaizing how people can be bought off. And no I don't know anything and yes I plead the 5 the. Awesome buck and it def. Cost some one alot of cash for a 100 pound deer with a big rack. He !just like his woman the same way lol
Clearly you don't "plead the 5 the".
Post by: DBLDWN on December 07, 2015, 05:02:03 PM
Sorry my bad I removed it.not really sure where you get your info shad, I received zero money for helping a friend fill his tag. Truth be known this deer was in this particular spot well before mr. Miller and booner boy spotted him, my hat goes off to those guys, not exactly the easiest place to hunt or spot deer. As for your allegations, sometimes it's better to think or ask before you start making false statements!
Post by: addicted2hunting on December 07, 2015, 05:03:46 PM
Post by: csaaphill on December 07, 2015, 05:08:26 PM
For what it's worth Nice story and write up. heck of a nice deer anyone with a Rifle or bow would be proud to have just seen that.
Post by: boonerboy on December 07, 2015, 05:23:10 PM
he is dead...
Yep, definitely dead! Don't think anyone is saying he's not..... :tup:
Post by: crabcreekhunter on December 07, 2015, 05:31:38 PM
Post by: JDHasty on December 07, 2015, 07:04:03 PM
Who knows what's rumor and what's not. I've heard a lot of crazy stories regarding this deer. If the amount of money I'm hearing is correct then I don't really blame him for pointing out the buck. If I had the tag, eh....probably not the way I'd do it but, I'm not the one with the tag. The only thing I REALLY have a problem with, IF TRUE, is plowing up burms of snow at the bottom of the roads so nobody else can access the area. Now that is A-BULL-A-SHEEEIIT!! Hopefully all this stuff is just rumor....
If that is true regarding the plowing up of berms of snow so that others access was impeded then everyone involved deserves to held in contempt by all who believe That good sportsmanship is the first requirement when considering an animal to be a legitimately taken big game trophy animal.
Post by: boonerboy on December 07, 2015, 08:11:52 PM
Post by: robertsjd on December 08, 2015, 05:07:58 PM
Post by: boneaddict on December 08, 2015, 06:01:17 PM
The burms were definitely there! Who put em there?? Anyone's guess >:(
my first thought was rednecks trying to keep tribal hunting down, hadn't thought about this
Post by: boonerboy on December 08, 2015, 10:40:34 PM
The burms were definitely there! Who put em there?? Anyone's guess >:(
my first thought was rednecks trying to keep tribal hunting down, hadn't thought about this
Good point. If that's the case then, kudos! :tup:
Post by: GoPlayOutside on December 10, 2015, 09:40:35 PM
I stalked this buck (guts out) for 3 days...massive deer. A lot bigger than 185" is what I thought.
Post by: MtnMuley on December 10, 2015, 09:43:47 PM
Post by: GoPlayOutside on December 10, 2015, 09:46:15 PM
The genetics were great this year! Let's hope the winter is kind to these old bruisers.