Post by: DeerThug on February 23, 2018, 02:27:20 PM
After many years of just building points I finally drew the Desert quality buck tag. I was not that familiar with the area so started my research right away. I started scouting in earnest the first of September covering as much ground in as many different spots as I could as with the heat and smoke there was no use going out. I came to the realization that this was not going to be easy. And I really was not seeing many good bucks.
Finally season came. The first day was heavy rain and visibility was poor. I hunted all day just hoping to bump into something. Did see a decent buck but no shooters. Day two and three I hunted from sun up to down. Glassing and spotting scope almost continuously. Saw a few deer each day but no shooter bucks.
Day four I found a huge bitterbrush flat. I was on a rise with good visibility. I decided to just sit and glass. There were a lot of deer but not a horn to be seen. I kept telling myself there HAD to be a buck here. About an hour later I looked to my left and saw horns above a big bitterbrush. I knew instantly it was a buck I should take. I laid down and got it in my scope. All I could see was from the white patch on his neck up. I said out loud – center punch him. I am guessing it was maybe 70 yards or so. I settled the cross hairs right in the center of the white patch and pulled the trigger. Deer were running everywhere getting out of dodge. I sat up and glassed all I could see as they ran. I could not see horns. Did I get him? Could not see it. I gathered up all my stuff and headed to where I thought he should be. Nothing. Took a couple of more steps and saw horns. There it was.
This was by far the biggest bodied deer I have ever dealt with. I literally could not move it. I was 11 and it took me to about 1 to get it all worked up and in the shade. It was 3 by the time I got back with the game cart. A huge load. GPS said I was 2.86 miles from the truck. I got about 1/3 of the way out and had to lighten the load. At the half way mark I knew I was not going to make it. I put the rest of the meat in a Russian olive tree as high as I could get it. Kept going with just the head. Just before I got to the truck head lamp went out. It was 7 pm when I got in the truck. I was done totally exhausted. Out of food, water and most worrisome beer.
Came back the next morning and figured the coyotes would have got the meat. But it was all untouched. I used the packboard instead of the game cart this time. Was 2 in the afternoon when I got back with the last load.
It was a tough hunt. One that I earned. According to phone I walked 98.5 miles from scouting, the hunt and the packout.
I had a good season. Not an elk to be found but did get an Idaho whitetail and a late season 2nd doe. Only regret was the crappy picks of this buck. He is bigger than the pictures make it look. 27 inches wide, with a kicker point. Bases are literally the size of a grapefruit and he carries the mass up to the forks. And the bumps are pretty amazing. There are bigger desert monsters, but this is a once in a lifetime buck. Im happy with it.
Post by: Ironhead on February 23, 2018, 02:34:53 PM
Post by: Dan-o on February 23, 2018, 02:35:49 PM
CRAZY bases.
Way to go.
Post by: bearpaw on February 23, 2018, 03:03:03 PM
Post by: Alchase on February 23, 2018, 03:27:05 PM
Looks like a rustafari buck, LOL.
Can you mount it when the rack is still covered like that, that would be awesome!
Post by: bowhunterforever on February 23, 2018, 03:28:29 PM
Post by: Ridgerunner on February 23, 2018, 03:52:35 PM
Post by: DeerThug on February 23, 2018, 04:08:29 PM
Yes october hunt
Yes - you can mount them but have to get to taxidermy quickly because the horns are full of blood and they can spoil. If i had it right it had to be sent off to be freeze dried and preserved as not every taxi has the set up to do it.
Cant wait to get the tooth results back - think it is really old.
Post by: borntoslay on February 23, 2018, 04:42:57 PM
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Post by: borntoslay on February 23, 2018, 04:43:19 PM
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Post by: JWEBB on February 23, 2018, 10:05:31 PM
Post by: cem3434 on February 23, 2018, 11:19:10 PM
Post by: Britt-dog on February 24, 2018, 06:54:13 PM
Just to clarify. Were you able to get it mounted? your post was unclear. would be a shame not to have a mount done.
Post by: Calvin Rayborn on February 27, 2018, 11:48:30 PM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on February 28, 2018, 05:04:48 AM
Post by: Salmonstalker on February 28, 2018, 05:46:26 PM
Post by: DeerThug on March 01, 2018, 08:57:28 PM
And i did read that blue tongue in mulies does not necessarily kill them like whitetails but it does/can render the bucks sterile where they do not produce testosterone and can become a cactus buck mid life and they don't recover. this one was total bare.
I did shoot a whitetail a couple of years ago that was - i think a blue tongue survivor. His rack was normal size up about half way then shrank to like pencils to the points. Like he was healthy most of the way through summer then got sick. Was skinny and no fat at all. Otherwise in ok shape but his tongue did have blisters still on it.
I was in on packing another one out a few years ago a wide main frame 3 point and he was castrated from an injury of some sort all healed up but nothing working. It was just outside of othello east of the coug barn on the last day of the season.
Post by: DeerThug on October 01, 2018, 10:35:18 AM
Post by: teanawayslayer on October 01, 2018, 10:42:30 AM
I finally got the tooth age results back on this buck from last year. They say he was 8 years old, so a good old buck to have taken....are those horns with Ric? Thought I saw them in his shop.
Post by: DeerThug on October 02, 2018, 05:03:48 PM
Post by: borntoslay on October 02, 2018, 05:55:20 PM
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