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

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.
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?!?