Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: teamhughes2007 on October 20, 2016, 08:21:54 PM
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I apologize for the length of this post but a buck of this caliber deserves a good write-up.
I’ll admit it; I was a little upset when I discovered that someone else had posted my buck. However, I have to assume some of the blame as I sent the photo to several people knowing full well how fast it could circulate these days. If I wanted to guarantee first posting I should have never released the photo in the first place. I also reminded myself that I don’t hunt for fame or notoriety and no matter who posts what…the buck is still mine. That said, let’s get to the story.
My typical “hunting season” consists of the highbuck hunt with my Dad and Brother, skipping the general season (I work for my Father-in-Law in Illinois harvesting corn and soybeans during that time) and then heading over to Montana for a late November hunt. Through hard work and putting a lot of time in the woods, miles from roads and trails, we have all had great success harvesting quality deer over the last several years. This year would produce similar results.
The season started off with the highbuck hunt. I put in 17.5 miles with 7,000’ of elevation gain that opening day. I spotted one large 4x4 I got on twice but couldn’t get a shot at, a small 3 pointer with some does that I let walk, a coyote I spotted just as he went out of sight and a moose hoof print. The next morning I found that moose in a nearby drainage and was able to seek in to get some photos. That morning also produced several does and three small 3 pointers I let walk. We decided to cut the trip short because of weather; which was okay because harvest came early this year in Illinois and I would be able to hunt the general season.
I told my friend Erik, who has been patiently waiting several years, that if I didn’t fill my tag on the highbuck hunt I would take him with me during general season to hopefully get his first buck. It wouldn’t surprise if he was praying I’d come back from the highbuck hunt with an unfilled tag. Now, I haven’t hunted general season on the east side for about 5 years. Fortunately my Dad and Brother have and provided scouting information that turned out to be spot on and priceless. My Dad, Erik and I hit the woods before daylight opening morning. I had decided that I would let Erik take first shots until he was able to get his first buck down. Erik quickly spotted a buck but got set up too late to take a shot. Less than 10 minutes later Erik was on another buck; but again could not get a shot off before it walked off the ridge. Another 10 minutes go by and we spot another buck feeding over an adjacent ridgeline. We spend about 25 minutes and about a 1,000 calories dropping in and out of two drainages and up the ridge above where we saw the buck go over. Erik worked his way to the edge of a small rise to overlook the backside of the ridge. He spotted two 3 pointers sparring with their antlers locked up. I got over there just as Erik was setting up to take a shot. The two bucks separated revealing one being much larger than the other. Erik takes a shot and connects low on the larger buck who takes off. Watching through my binoculars I know it’s a gut shot. I also know that this deer could run himself to the next county if we push him. We wait several minutes and then go investigate the location where he was standing when he was shot. It took about 20 minutes to finally find a chunk of bloody fat and some hair with prints leading away. We tracked the blood trail, losing it several times, for about an hour and a half. We finally caught up to him and Erik was able to put a kill shot in his first buck. We spent the rest of the day boning and packing him out.
Now it’s my turn. I had planned on hunting a lot deeper into the area that Erik shot his buck but plans change when bucks are spotted. I still wanted to get in there but decided to give it a day to let the pressure calm back down. We went out the next day to a new area and didn’t see a thing. We did a scouting trip that evening in the truck with my Dad which only produced does until we got back to my Dad’s cabin where we discovered a small 4x3 on the property. We don’t shoot pets and this one wasn’t spooked so we let him walk.
The next morning put us back in the area we had hunted the first morning. With light rain, thick fog and wind, I wasn’t expecting much. We hunted into the area I wanted to get to without seeing or hearing anything. After we took a break for a snack, Erik hiked over to the edge of the ridge to find a buck staring at him through the fog. I quickly came over to get my binoculars on him. He was a small 3 pointer so I decide not to take the shot. Erik lost his mind; all he sees is “a steak with legs” and doesn’t understand why I wouldn’t take the shot.
---Side Note---
I’ve been hunting for about 10 years now. In 2012 while in Montana I talked myself into shooting a buck I didn’t want to because of pride. I decided from then on that my goal for hunting was not to fill a tag but to shoot mature deer and let my gut make call. Nowadays, I know whether or not I’m going to take a shot the instant I’m able to get that first good look at a buck through my binoculars. This buck did not make the cut.
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We let him walk and continued to work down the top of the ridge. We spotted that buck again over the next rise. Again, Erik loses his mind and wants to shoot it with his pistol to force me into tagging it (jokingly of course). We let him walk and continued on. I peek down over the next rise and through the thick fog spotted that buck again at about 75 yards. What happens next takes less than 5 seconds. I turn to tell Erik that I found that buck again but upon looking back realize it’s not the same buck. I pull my binoculars up and because of the fog could only make out two big points sticking up and a kicker out to the side…my gut says shoot! I shoulder my rifle, find antlers through the scope, put the cross hairs low behind the shoulder and fire a shot. The buck takes off crashing down into some brush and out of sight...no chance for a follow-up shot.
The fact my gun hit the ground hard twice prior to taking that shot quickly turned my stomach over. Was my rifle shooting true anymore? Would we have to track this thing? Did I even hit it? We walk down to the spot he was standing and I can’t find blood; only large hoof prints bounding down into the brush. I start walking slowly in that direction and realize the brush opened up into a flat grassy area. I start scanning the grass and there he is…Buck Down! I call to Erik to come over. As I get closer I start to discover what exactly I shot. The left side of his antlers is sticking up above the grass and I’m seeing trash everywhere. I walk over to discover that I have just shot the buck of a lifetime. I pick his antlers up and just admire the sheer awesomeness of this buck and realize how blessed I am.
After saying a quick pray thanking God for this harvest and for a quick, ethical kill I get to work. I was able to contact my Dad who hiked in over 3 miles to bring an extra pack. He is 72 years old and put in a lot of hunting already that morning; but he forgot all about that when he saw the buck. I boned him out, packed the meat and the head in three packs and we all headed for the truck knowing we had just experienced something special.
Thank you Dad for being so generous with your cabin and helping me pack out. Thank you Erik for being an extra set of eyes and helping me pack out. Thank you Brian (brother) for putting in all those hours of hard hunting to discover areas like this. And most of all thank you Susan (wife) for holding down the fort with 3 kids and one on the way to provide me with this opportunity.
-Kevin
Alright, enough story already…here are some measurement and pics:
Buck Measurements – 10 points on right (includes 3 eye guards), the large kicker on the right busted off just over an inch off the beam, 12 points on left (includes 1 eye guard), 22.5” main beam spread, 26.5” largest inside spread, 36.5” largest outside spread.
10/22/16 - Thanks Everyone! This definitely didn't ruin hunting for the rest of my life...it only strengthened my love for it. And plus, he busted off one large kicker which means there's a even bigger one out there! Happy Hunting! :tup:
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That is an unreal buck.
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Your title says it all. Congratulations
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That is an unreal buck.
:yeah:
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Damn skippy that's a dandy buck congratulations!
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Way to go. And the pic with your children is great and the scale with the kids really shows how big he actually is.
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Great story and awesome buck.
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Nice buck! Congrats
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Congratulations! Beautiful animal. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for sharing . Epic harvest :tup:
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Awesome buck, congratulations
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Great buck. Thanks so much for sharing the story, the photos and the measurements.
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Thanks for sharing . Epic harvest :tup:
:yeah: amazing
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Thanks for sharing an awesome story and deer! Congrats!
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Thanks for the story and pictures. Truly an awesome buck.
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Wow that is amazing what a stud buck
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Great story, hunt and incredible buck, Congrats!
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Such an awesome looking buck! Congrats to ya!
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Awesome job! Great write up as well. Thanks for sharing!
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What a massive, prehistoric beast! Working hard, sharing the adventure with friends and family, thanking God and your wife, and sharing pics of your giant buck! This post has everything I love about this site! Thanks for sharing! Congrats :tup:
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Wow!
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Nice work! That is one of the most bad@$$ bucks I've seen!!
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Stud buck. Thnx for the story.
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:tup:
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Awesome buck :tup:
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Whoa! I think that may actually be the buck of several lifetimes. Congratulations!
You thinking about taxidermy? :chuckle:
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Outstanding buck and great story!! :tup:
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Amazing buck! Congrats!
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Heck of a buck. Just to have the opportunity on a buck like that with a tag in your pocket is one thing. Sealing the deal is priceless! :tup:
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Get write up and congrats on a smoker! Hopefully that big boy spread his genes around over the last couple of years.
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Masher!!! Congrats, great write up and thanks for sharing the story and the pics!
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That is an awesome write up.
Oh ya, a true buck of a lifetime
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Amazing looking buck. Congrats man.
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That's a hell of a steak with legs! I can't believe it...
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Quite the toad!
You'll have to keep us updated on what he scores. Great write up too.
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Wow
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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With a deer like that , score is about as meaningless as it gets. Wow!
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Wow.....just Wow!! :tup:
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Buck of a lifetime for sure! Thanks for posting the pics and story!!!
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Wow, what a beast!! :yike: Congratulations...
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I thought it was going to be tough to shoot a bigger buck then your bros buck this year but you definitely raised the bar. Congrats on the buck of dreams. And good luck on your MT trip
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Buck of a lifetime, CONGRADULATIONS!
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Fantastic, well-earned buck! Congratulations. Thanks for coming on and posting the story. :tup:
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That truly is a great buck!! Congrats.
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Thanks for the write up, AWESOME :tup:
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What a masher! Congrats!
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Eh, I guess a little buck like that will do ;) :tup:
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Incredible, thanks for sharing.
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That buck is amazing! Thanks for sharing the story with us. Congrats! And best wishes on your future hunts. Hard work pays off, as we can see. Thanks again! :tup:
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Great buck, back to the corn and beans or off on another hunt?
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Incredible buck, good job!!
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Thanks for choosing to share your story and pics. Congrats on a fantastic Buck.
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Truly awesome! And so neat that you could share the moment with friends and family. You all put in the hard work and it paid off. Love to see the genuine gratefulness and thanks given where it's due. A hearty (and slightly jealous) congratulations! :tup:
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Truly amazing buck, and a great story, Congratulations to you and your family
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Congratulations! More like the buck of several thousand lifetimes!
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Truly awesome! And so neat that you could share the moment with friends and family. You all put in the hard work and it paid off. Love to see the genuine gratefulness and thanks given where it's due. A hearty (and slightly jealous) congratulations! :tup:
^^^
Amazing buck ! Congratulations!
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What an awesome Buck and such a well written story. Its really nice in this day and age to know there are still Big old guys like that out there. Congrats on a truly once in a lifetime Buck and thanks for the writeup.....Les
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I believe I would pee myself if I ever even saw a buck like that while hunting. :yike: :pee: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Thanks for sharing the pictures and story, Congrats!
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You killed that thing on public land in WA? :yike: That is awesome.
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Congratulations on that awesome buck well done. That's definitely the quality of buck we as hunters all strive for. At least I know I do. I'm wondering if not knowing just how truly big he was helped you make a good quality shot? Because I would have been shaking like a leaf if I seen all of that in the crosshairs!
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Great Job! :tup: That buck is amazing! Like everyone else say's it's a buck of a lifetime! Just don't let that buck hold you back from enjoying hunting in the future when you don't see any as big as him! Lol! Then again... maybe he left enough genetics around that you have a new honey hole that will produce magnificent bucks for years to come! Again great job and Congratulation's!
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Way to go! Somehow, it seems you were destined for this buck, really lucky, or a combination of both. I guess your buddy will never second guess you decision to pass on a buck again, huh?
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Unreal... I keep looking at the pics and can hardly believe it... Good job!
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Great buck. Definitely a buck of a lifetime. Let us know what it scores, when you get the tape on it.
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Great buck! congratulations!
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@boneaddict I think Bone has some history with this buck.
What a beast! Congratulations
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Amazing Washington buck and great write up. Congrats to you.
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BEEEEEEEAASSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTT!!
That's a dream haunter there and you got him!
Congratulations!
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@boneaddict I think Bone has some history with this buck.
What a beast! Congratulations
I do. It came up in the other thread. It must have got nuked for this one.
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Amazing buck :drool: Congrats
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Speechless
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Thanks Everyone! This definitely didn't ruin hunting for the rest of my life...it only strengthened my love for it. And plus, he busted off one large kicker which means there's a even bigger one out there! Happy Hunting! :tup:
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Sweet buck man!
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Amazing buck congrats!! :tup:
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That's a monster great job
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Awesome buck and great story
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WOW . . . . . . JUST WOW!!!! :yike:
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Awesome!!
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Unreal buck!! Thanks for sharing your story and pics! That buck is what dreams are made of! :tup:
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absolute treasure! Congratulations!
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Wow!
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unreal. you should be incredibly proud my man, that is indeed a buck of a lifetime.
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Awesome buck :tup: :tup: :tup:
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Wow! What a beast!
Thanks for a great write up!
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Nice buck, Congrats!!
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Amazing buck, heartfelt story! A very hearty congrats to you.
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Great buck! Congratulations
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:tup:
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Good thing you went with your gut on that one, great buck and nice storey. :tup:
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Awesome buck!! Hopefully we'll get to check him out at the sportsmans show?? :tup: :tup: :tup:
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Great story, great buck, congrats.
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That is a amazing buck congrats on the trophy of a life time :IBCOOL:
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muther of gawd!
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:yike: that is just awesome. congrats man, not only for the deer, but those times with family, and friends can't be replaced.
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Unreal to say the least. Nothing better than time spent with family and Friends doing something we love.
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Absolutely amazing buck!
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I thought those bucks only existed in other states! Way to go man and way to listen to your gut!
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Congrats, truly the buck of a lifetime
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Wow! How have I missed this? Awesome buck! Congratulations!
Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk
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Don't forget to put it In the 5 point thread. :tup:
@teamhughes2007
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WOW
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:kneel:
OUTSTANDING BUCK!
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I apologize for the length of this post but a buck of this caliber deserves a good write-up.
Ill admit it; I was a little upset when I discovered that someone else had posted my buck. However, I have to assume some of the blame as I sent the photo to several people knowing full well how fast it could circulate these days. If I wanted to guarantee first posting I should have never released the photo in the first place. I also reminded myself that I dont hunt for fame or notoriety and no matter who posts what
the buck is still mine. That said, lets get to the story.
My typical hunting season consists of the highbuck hunt with my Dad and Brother, skipping the general season (I work for my Father-in-Law in Illinois harvesting corn and soybeans during that time) and then heading over to Montana for a late November hunt. Through hard work and putting a lot of time in the woods, miles from roads and trails, we have all had great success harvesting quality deer over the last several years. This year would produce similar results.
The season started off with the highbuck hunt. I put in 17.5 miles with 7,000 of elevation gain that opening day. I spotted one large 4x4 I got on twice but couldnt get a shot at, a small 3 pointer with some does that I let walk, a coyote I spotted just as he went out of sight and a moose hoof print. The next morning I found that moose in a nearby drainage and was able to seek in to get some photos. That morning also produced several does and three small 3 pointers I let walk. We decided to cut the trip short because of weather; which was okay because harvest came early this year in Illinois and I would be able to hunt the general season.
I told my friend Erik, who has been patiently waiting several years, that if I didnt fill my tag on the highbuck hunt I would take him with me during general season to hopefully get his first buck. It wouldnt surprise if he was praying Id come back from the highbuck hunt with an unfilled tag. Now, I havent hunted general season on the east side for about 5 years. Fortunately my Dad and Brother have and provided scouting information that turned out to be spot on and priceless. My Dad, Erik and I hit the woods before daylight opening morning. I had decided that I would let Erik take first shots until he was able to get his first buck down. Erik quickly spotted a buck but got set up too late to take a shot. Less than 10 minutes later Erik was on another buck; but again could not get a shot off before it walked off the ridge. Another 10 minutes go by and we spot another buck feeding over an adjacent ridgeline. We spend about 25 minutes and about a 1,000 calories dropping in and out of two drainages and up the ridge above where we saw the buck go over. Erik worked his way to the edge of a small rise to overlook the backside of the ridge. He spotted two 3 pointers sparring with their antlers locked up. I got over there just as Erik was setting up to take a shot. The two bucks separated revealing one being much larger than the other. Erik takes a shot and connects low on the larger buck who takes off. Watching through my binoculars I know its a gut shot. I also know that this deer could run himself to the next county if we push him. We wait several minutes and then go investigate the location where he was standing when he was shot. It took about 20 minutes to finally find a chunk of bloody fat and some hair with prints leading away. We tracked the blood trail, losing it several times, for about an hour and a half. We finally caught up to him and Erik was able to put a kill shot in his first buck. We spent the rest of the day boning and packing him out.
Now its my turn. I had planned on hunting a lot deeper into the area that Erik shot his buck but plans change when bucks are spotted. I still wanted to get in there but decided to give it a day to let the pressure calm back down. We went out the next day to a new area and didnt see a thing. We did a scouting trip that evening in the truck with my Dad which only produced does until we got back to my Dads cabin where we discovered a small 4x3 on the property. We dont shoot pets and this one wasnt spooked so we let him walk.
The next morning put us back in the area we had hunted the first morning. With light rain, thick fog and wind, I wasnt expecting much. We hunted into the area I wanted to get to without seeing or hearing anything. After we took a break for a snack, Erik hiked over to the edge of the ridge to find a buck staring at him through the fog. I quickly came over to get my binoculars on him. He was a small 3 pointer so I decide not to take the shot. Erik lost his mind; all he sees is a steak with legs and doesnt understand why I wouldnt take the shot.
---Side Note---
Ive been hunting for about 10 years now. In 2012 while in Montana I talked myself into shooting a buck I didnt want to because of pride. I decided from then on that my goal for hunting was not to fill a tag but to shoot mature deer and let my gut make call. Nowadays, I know whether or not Im going to take a shot the instant Im able to get that first good look at a buck through my binoculars. This buck did not make the cut.
-------------------
We let him walk and continued to work down the top of the ridge. We spotted that buck again over the next rise. Again, Erik loses his mind and wants to shoot it with his pistol to force me into tagging it (jokingly of course). We let him walk and continued on. I peek down over the next rise and through the thick fog spotted that buck again at about 75 yards. What happens next takes less than 5 seconds. I turn to tell Erik that I found that buck again but upon looking back realize its not the same buck. I pull my binoculars up and because of the fog could only make out two big points sticking up and a kicker out to the side
my gut says shoot! I shoulder my rifle, find antlers through the scope, put the cross hairs low behind the shoulder and fire a shot. The buck takes off crashing down into some brush and out of sight...no chance for a follow-up shot.
The fact my gun hit the ground hard twice prior to taking that shot quickly turned my stomach over. Was my rifle shooting true anymore? Would we have to track this thing? Did I even hit it? We walk down to the spot he was standing and I cant find blood; only large hoof prints bounding down into the brush. I start walking slowly in that direction and realize the brush opened up into a flat grassy area. I start scanning the grass and there he is
Buck Down! I call to Erik to come over. As I get closer I start to discover what exactly I shot. The left side of his antlers is sticking up above the grass and Im seeing trash everywhere. I walk over to discover that I have just shot the buck of a lifetime. I pick his antlers up and just admire the sheer awesomeness of this buck and realize how blessed I am.
After saying a quick pray thanking God for this harvest and for a quick, ethical kill I get to work. I was able to contact my Dad who hiked in over 3 miles to bring an extra pack. He is 72 years old and put in a lot of hunting already that morning; but he forgot all about that when he saw the buck. I boned him out, packed the meat and the head in three packs and we all headed for the truck knowing we had just experienced something special.
Thank you Dad for being so generous with your cabin and helping me pack out. Thank you Erik for being an extra set of eyes and helping me pack out. Thank you Brian (brother) for putting in all those hours of hard hunting to discover areas like this. And most of all thank you Susan (wife) for holding down the fort with 3 kids and one on the way to provide me with this opportunity.
-Kevin
Alright, enough story already
here are some measurement and pics:
Buck Measurements 10 points on right (includes 3 eye guards), the large kicker on the right busted off just over an inch off the beam, 12 points on left (includes 1 eye guard), 22.5 main beam spread, 26.5 largest inside spread, 36.5 largest outside spread.
10/22/16 - Thanks Everyone! This definitely didn't ruin hunting for the rest of my life...it only strengthened my love for it. And plus, he busted off one large kicker which means there's a even bigger one out there! Happy Hunting! :tup:
Just finally took a quick look at your rifle in your Pic. You should send that to Ruger, Holy Crap man Love that animal!!