My 10x7 Buck of a lifetime that almost didn’t happen

[Mularcher]

As some of you guys know I applied in four states this year for Mule Deer, Elk, Antelope, Sheep and Goats and didn't draw.

I decided to catch a flight to South Dakota for a otc archery hunt. The first day I was hunting my buddy says he sees a nice 170's (first pic) buck come over this ridge daily he's named "fatty" so we get out of sight and not long after I see a doe coming then two more. I didn't even knock an arrow seeing the does because I didn't think bucks would be following does this early not even a couple seconds later I look left and in shock I say "is that the buck you were talking about" Yeah that's fatty he says... now I'm scrabbling to get an arrow and the Z7 ready by this time Fatty works downwind behind me, as I raise up and turn back I say how far? I hear 40 I put the 40 pin mid body and release and I see the arrow fly right under his belly and fatty bucks "you got him I hear" I say no no I didn't I go and pick up my arrow range back to where we were laying 50 yards and then I knew why I missed. Two days later we decided to stay back and glass to see if we could see Fatty again sure enough here he comes again so I take some pics in the spotting scope and then say what's the plan? We decide we know where he's going and that I'll run down the draw and beat him there. So off I go, I just get to where he and another buck would cross and I raise up and see a big rack on the ridge I'm thinking great easy shot just need to get a little closer the problem is I didn't know as I worked his way he crossed the ridge with a smaller buck so when I sneaking up to the kill zone they were already on my side of the ridge again I raise up for a shot "crap" they are looking right at me at 30 yards and they turned and blasted out of there.

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Now it's personal I'm killing this deer! The third day we can't locate fatty so day four we go to our spotting area and we see him at 11am bedded a 100 yards from the ridge he crosses daily and after talking for a while about stalking him where he is (second pic) we decide we know where he is going let's get ahead of him and close the deal. I grab ghillie suit and I'm off to hide behind, and quickly made blind, (third pic) 11:30 to 6:30 pm I wait and wait for fatty to show long story short he stays in the same spot sleeping until just before dark stands up sees a couple does closer to me acting skittish turns and walks the other direction at this point I'm just sick I had him at a 100 yards dead a sleep and didn't stalk now I'm disappointed but thinking I'll get a another chance as we have his pattern down. Day 5 comes and my just my luck 70 mph winds ripping through South Dakota hunt off for the day. Day 6 I'm pumped I'm closing the deal today but same weather high wind advisory 70 to 80 mph wind, rigs with empty trailers over turned on the highways, so we grab a ranger and go on the look for Fatty we search every deep draw we could find thinking I could sneak up and drill him probably couldn't have shot over 10 yards but I wanted this deer... no luck just a couple new bucks that were on the run as soon as they saw us. My quest for fatty was over. In the evening we try a different spot I see five bucks with two being shooters one very wide chocolate antlered buck one problem they work up a hill and half eat while the others bed and keep look out being pinned but decide to work around the hill as I come over the top they knew I was coming and were gone before I got there on the way back my buddy says he's going bird hunting for the weekend.

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Feeling disappointed and down I call my wife and ask her to find a flight out Friday if possible and I find out it's $450 one way to get home so here I had to sit in a Super 8 bored as could be I decide to call a guy I hunted with a couple years ago and ask if I could hunt his land for a couple days. He tells me sure, come on out so Day 7 evening I'm on the hunt again I find some water and find a ambush spot thinking the deer will definitely hit the water on the their way to feed but nothing shows up, and just before dark I look around and see a nice 8 point whitetail feeding and try to put a sneak on with no luck he's gone before I get close. The last morning comes and see fifteen coyotes and a couple small deer now I'm really thinking tag soup.

My buddy has to work the ranch in the evening so he says I know where there been a nice 6x6 in this area so with a hope of seeing him we put up a pop up blind and I wait after a while I'm bored and being the last night I decide to look around and maybe make something happen. Behind me there's a flat so I go to check out if anything is feeding on it I see a small 4x4 feeding 200 yards away with a doe so it's the last night I say that's a good buck I decide to go for him I get down with a rock pile as cover I work my way around it and then I'm in shock, out past this buck approx 300 yards I think I see the 6x6 now I have a hour and half of light left the wind is in my face I decide my only play is to get on my belly and crawl so every time the small buck and doe walk towards the big buck I'd crawl and when I see all three butts I'd duck walk, and this works for the first 50 yards or so and then I have one little problem, a coyote coming in to my right looking at me like I'm dinner so hiss at him to get him out of there this goes on for 15 minutes he finally works his way in between me and the deer... great now they are looking at me I put my head down and don't move a muscle the coyote circles me and runs off. Ok stalk back on 50 more yards and I'm out of 10" grass and the only cover left is prairie dog mounds so 180s -170s I'm on my belly mound to mound changing arms holding my Mathews Z7 bow and the pain is too much. I had practice this summer at distance so I thinking if I can just get to under a 100 yards I might really get a chance here. At this point the pain in my elbows and knees from cactus thorns and rocks is unbearable. I get to 140s 130s yards ok now I'm telling myself " if I get a shot, relax your hand and pick a spot, just pick a spot"...now I'm getting there I'm not as nervous as I should be but I've been watching this deer a long time. I told myself "you've done this a hundred times just pick a spot." At this point the big guy is broad side facing away from the small buck and doe and I realize the small buck is watching me and knows something not right at that point I know it's now or never I stand up pull pick a spot and let the Wac’ems fly..... I hear the arrow hit the dirt he spins and circles closer to me and I'm ready with a second arrow I let go and I hear a impact he hunches over and starts walking slow. I wait for him to go down but he's walking away at a good pace now but not running I decided to trail him for a shot now he's almost off the flat I send one more arrow and he jumps and over the edge he goes. I'm saying did I hear impact or not? Not wanting to push him I stop and go back towards my arrows when I get there it's dark and I decide to go get help. My buddy said to wait till morning so we can see, great now I have all night to replay this in my head over and over! Needless to say I didn't sleep and I head out the door at 5am. First light we find a clean arrow and one that clearly made contact but very little blood now the search is on. My buddy walks on the high side and walk mid ridge where he went over as we work into the wind after only 15 minutes I see his antlers and a ear move clearly still alive I sneak up and it's over!.

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Many things had to work out right on this hunt and it's a good thing I never closed the deal on Fatty for me to later arrow this 7x10 - 216” gross 29” wide Muley. After many drinks at the Taxidermist I told him to check his Pope and Young book which we never did but it should be interesting to see where he ranks?!?

[hound_hunter]

WOW!! Unreal buck! That's awesome, huge congrats! Well earned too, way to be persistent, makes for an even better story. Well done.

[johnyutah5]

Wow, sounds like a fun adventure. Way to keep after it. Congrats on a Monster!!!

[akw270]

Wow! What a whopper. Sweet buck, and thanks for sharing!

[JDavid]

Thats a great buck. Congrats

[waspocrew]

That is one heck of a buck... congrats on making it happen!

[Torch]

Awesome buck....even better with a bow. Congrats!

[MuleyMadness]

Outstanding Mule Deer, your persistence payed off big time. Congrats on a whopper of a buck. Very impressive.

[Mularcher]

Thanks guys I was really lucky in the way it all worked out. I really never thought I'd even get close to him.

[BOHNTR]

That is one cool looking buck, congratulations!