Another buck in the salt!

what a buck congrats!!!

9er

AWSOME! congrats, looks like he has baseball bats for bases :thumb

Another dandy of a buck! =D> Look at the mass on that one! :thumb

Looks big, real BIG. I love to see some more pics. Great job. 10sign:

Congrats on one great looking goat. I think he is worth all 8 points.

Here's the story: I had just begun working for a new employer about 6 weeks before the hunt. I worked about 6 days, and then went on a pre-planned vacation for a couple of weeks. I was VERY reluctant to ask for much in the way of time off for my antelope hunt, since they had been so understanding about my other trip. They did give me opening day, but I didn’t really want to press my luck for too much more. It rained nearly ever day for weeks prior to the hunt, and every day of the first weekend of the hunt. Waterholes weren’t seeing much traffic, but I tried several things the first weekend including water, decoy and spot and stalk. Because of other hunters, and others on four wheelers and such, all my attempts failed and I didn’t take any shots.

The largest two bucks I was after were in an area with quite a few hunters, some using spotters and cell phones to guide the hunters. After growing tired of all of that the first weekend, I moved to another area where there were fewer hunters, and it was receiving a little less rainfall. I spoke with the rancher about what I was looking for, and a particular buck I had tried to stalk for over an hour the weekend before. He recommended which waterhole he thought would be my best chance. It was a long hike from other people, and antelope appeared to be hitting it. I passed up several bucks the first day of my last weekend, and put a stalk on a buck that was bedded, but the high winds of an approaching storm made hunting more and more difficult. I eventually bailed before the big thunderstorm hit, but it didn’t bring much moisture. The Sunday of my final weekend, I again passed at least three different bucks while waiting for the big one. I knew I could take one more day off from work, if I had to, but I really wanted to close the deal on the weekend if it was at all possible and not press my luck with my new employer. Eventually some does came in. There were very few does in the area, so I thought that these may very well belong to the buck I had stalked for so long the first weekend. Nearly every antelope that had come in watered quartering toward me, and this buck was no exception. They never stayed for more than a minute or two before spinning to leave, so I knew that was going to have to be my shot. I was trying a new broadhead, an expandable which made me nervous taking that shot. I just tried to place it just inside the forward leg, through the heart and out just behind the leg on the other side. The 30 yard shot was perfect, and blood exploded out of the buck as the arrow passed through. As he ran over the dike, I could see blood spraying out both sides. The does walked to the top of the dike and looked straight down. I knew my buck must have been lying at the base on the other side. He was. He traveled 60 yards in kind of an arc, and there was more blood everywhere than I had ever seen. When this buck came in, I started the video camera and zoomed in, but I must not have hit the record button properly because I have no recording of him….

Great Buck!!

Congrats!!!

What did the tape say? Do you have any side views?

Great story of your hunt. Excellent patience! Bummer about your video not getting your hunt but none the less fantastic buck.

Like I mentioned, my "photographer" was a cowboy that was out there on horseback. He was pretty reluctant to take many pictures, or get close, or kneel down....I don't have any side shots. I'll try to take some of the horns and post them. The angle of the photo doesn't really do him justice. He green scores at around 85.

That is a awesome Buck congrats on a Booner

Great lookin' buck Stickflicker! CONGRATS

Good buck.

Man what a DANDY!! That is a great buck, Congratulations!