Opening Day Success Pic!
MuleyMadness
10/24/04 9:03pm
Okay he isn't the biggest buck in the world, but he is a 4-point. This is a buck my dad took in Southern Utah on the Rifle Opener. He had made up his mind he would shoot a 4-point should the chance come. It came and he made a great shot. He had to make a spit second decision and only had time to see that it was a 4 point.
He did see one other 4-point that he said was a little bigger than this one, but only had one glimpse of him. He snuck in the bottom of a wash and got by us without seeing him again.
I've personally never heard so many shots opening day in my entire life. It sounded like World War III. There was simply hunters everywhere, but everyone was definitley in the middle of the heard, tons of shooting. So there was a lot of bucks taken and from all the shots probably a lot missed also. The deer were so scared and nervous they just ran over the next ridge to get shot by someone else. Crazy stuff!
We also had a close call (WAY TO CLOSE) of a bullet whizzing right at us and hitting the ground very close to us. I'm way unimpressed with idiots shooting shots in the direction of other hunters or shooting at deer topping over a skyline with that many people around. NUTS!!
My last observation is to ban ATV's during the hunt. Don't like them, can't stand them. To noisy, tears up the roads and hillsides, etc. I can see using them to maybe pack a deer out of a tough situation, but not much else. Just my thoughts.
I heard of several 4-points taken. Some 3x4's and saw a couple of smaller bucks taken.
I saw a spike and 2-point, that about it. Had a 4-point sneek by me but never saw him.
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He did see one other 4-point that he said was a little bigger than this one, but only had one glimpse of him. He snuck in the bottom of a wash and got by us without seeing him again.
I've personally never heard so many shots opening day in my entire life. It sounded like World War III. There was simply hunters everywhere, but everyone was definitley in the middle of the heard, tons of shooting. So there was a lot of bucks taken and from all the shots probably a lot missed also. The deer were so scared and nervous they just ran over the next ridge to get shot by someone else. Crazy stuff!
We also had a close call (WAY TO CLOSE) of a bullet whizzing right at us and hitting the ground very close to us. I'm way unimpressed with idiots shooting shots in the direction of other hunters or shooting at deer topping over a skyline with that many people around. NUTS!!
My last observation is to ban ATV's during the hunt. Don't like them, can't stand them. To noisy, tears up the roads and hillsides, etc. I can see using them to maybe pack a deer out of a tough situation, but not much else. Just my thoughts.
I heard of several 4-points taken. Some 3x4's and saw a couple of smaller bucks taken.
I saw a spike and 2-point, that about it. Had a 4-point sneek by me but never saw him.
21,613
Avery
Just returned from the ole Honey-hole up by Thermop off the Big Horn. We had a great hunt and killed a couple of bomber bucks. The largest was a 5 x 5 typical (SCI 208) taken by one of my pards. I killed an extremely heavy 3 x 3 non-typical (SCI 165) (depicted in the above post) that had a few stickers on it (total 10 pt. like we count here in Ar-kin-saw). My other pard killed a young 4 with a basket rack.
No, none of these was the legendary "Louie-Grande" that we saw last year, although we did get a fleeting glimpse of him again this year. He still lives and his size is the proof of his savvy !! And yes, he is the largest deer on the planet !!
Nonetheless, we had a great trip with swell weather and excellent hunting. It was well worth the $800 in gasoline we used going out and back.
I agree about the ATVs; there were several guys in our area who constantly rode the two-tracks and trails, I suppose looking for deer. Too bad they have never experienced the thrill of a three mile stalk on the high desert. Yeah, we took a four wheeler and only unloaded it when we had to retrieve two of our three deer taken on extremely rough terrain. Otherwise, we even park the truck a long way from where we hunt.
Thanks, Brett, for posting the pictures for me. I shall try to have some more of the bigger buck if I can get hold of them. Congratulations on getting your dad on a nice muley.
Hope everyone out there had a good a hunt as we did. I look forward to hearing from you all.
Best regards,
wyomingtrophyhunter
Well first off i congradulate all of you on your bucks taken and that it is a great success to bag one. I had my shot at a 4 point opening morning but i missed two times an well my brother bagged it Sunday nite. He was with the same does and in the same spot as when i shot at him, it was kinda incredible. I will definately get some pics of him so all of you to see. I havent gotten anything else yet but of course im headin back up to try again thursday. Oh an the Elk hunt SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i got skunked badly but oh well ya win some an ya lose some. Oh and with the Atv issue, I and always will DISAGREE with banning Atv's from the sport oh hunting..... there are many more things that stain the sport so lets not pin point it on Atv's. I am very strong about this issue and I will fight for it if I have to. Well I gotta get back so yall take care an awesome bucks.
You can sorta tell in the pic.....but not as good as you can in real life....but take a look at the body! It took my brother (6' 1") my dad (6' 1") and me (6' 0") all of our strength to get him hoisted up....and we also had about a half mile to drag his big arse! Talk about sore muscles!
YB
Now that's what I'm talking about, thanks for the photo. Like you said a little tough in the picture, but sounds like a huge body. Great job on a good buck. A friend of mine took a 3-point today with a huge body and massive neck. I'll try and get a couple other photos soon.
Thanks to all and keep the pictures rollin!
BOHNTR )))--------------->
Sounds like we all had great fun! My neighbors just tagged a nice 3 point, he's not really tall or wide, but VERY heavy. I'll see if I can get a picture from them.
A 3x4, I was with him and watched him shoot him. Was a great time!
Congrats to your young man, MM, and to all you guys who have tagged one this year. Even if you don't score (I have been skunked many times), the sport itself is the real thrill and the reason for all the excitement.
Best regards to all,
wyomingtrophyhunter
Brad Shakespeare holds a heavy 3-point his brother took in Southern Utah on Monday 10/25/04. I love the dark black color of the antlers.
Had a huge body and massive neck size.
Here is the picture he mentioned ealier, I'll let him fill you in on the details...
Scored SCI 208. 5 x 5 typical.
Heavy mass.
Huge neck.
Big body.
150 yard "Texas head shot" right before dark.
Biggest buck our group has taken in over 15 years of hunting out west.
Lucky dog !!
".....if you ain't shootin', you ain't killin'....."
look at the mass on that pig, that is what i would call a trophy muley, man i like those heavy horned dudes! I had no idea that deer that size existed in the thermop area. I know they produced some good deer, but for the love of god, that is impressive.
I was fortunate enough to have helped our boy with his stalk by glassing the deer for him and helping him maneuver around into shooting position. The big rascal had laid down and disappeared when right before dark, he stood up about the time he was spotted. That white rump makes a good target when the light is growing dim.
One shot......dead fold.
"Put it in the animal............"
Great buck. That's the one I was looking for up in Wyoming this year. Unfortunately he kept his head, from sight!
Side note: That buck would actually be scored as a nontypical. Great deer though, either way! Congrats.
those fifth points would deduct too much to score him in a typical fashion and just not quite enough for a non-typical. but a 208 and change total bone deer is a fine animal
I just know that these two bucks were awfully fine for a couple of redneck hillbilly types from Ar-kin-saw and by far the best bucks we have killed in many years of hunting out West. We have killed truckloads of local whitetails and nothing here even comes close.
Actually, I only quoted the scores for those of you who know something about scores in order to give some perspective to the photos. Those numbers really don't mean anything to me. And if the scores I quoted were inaccurate or misleading, then I apologize to all who were offended.
The trip, the hunt, the stalk, the shot, and the kill were the important things to me.......
maybe just alittle bit of prespective for those that do and are interested in scoring a muley. no pun intended!
My score on the "Lucky" scale was 1000 !!
Hope everyone has a great weekend in the woods.
Regards,
wyomingtrophyhunter.........
BOHNTR )))------------->
Thanks for the pic.
You'll have trouble topping that one! Congratualtions on a toad of a buck.
J.J. was in the truck eating twinkies. [-(