Congrats on a Great Bull! I love every bit of your picture except the closed action. I know your gun is probably safe, but does others ?Again congratulations!
Great bull! Sheesh, I get irritated if I don’t see critters. Your grit is impressive. Most of us have stories of grinding hard to no avail, and having dumb luck show up.
Last year my brother and I watched from about a mile away as a herd of pronghorn walked past my truck at trad bow range.
Honestly, I don’t think I have any truly lucky stories. My road hunter highschool principal admitted his luck when he shot a giant bull back in the day. It was the middle of the day in a heavily pressured area right off an arterial dirt road. I think it was warmer and early in rifle season too. “He was just standing there.” I think the bull scored about 370.
Most of my critters have come through stubbornness over years and years of failures and learning, and many through slowly developed relationships with landowners.
All hunts have some luck involved. My brother and I spent miles tracking a giant 5 by 5 mulie this year. He was jaw dropping, and the biggest deer either of us have seen while hunting. No pics sadly. I’m getting a Mag View now though!
We spotted him at first light at over 700 yards, and it was instant “BIG BUCK” with the naked eye. We spotted him multiple times during, a no shittin’ you, 5 mile meander, but never closer than 425. He turned broadside for a one count, and my bro couldn’t get on him.
He would zig and we would zag. We kept the wind in our favor, and I don’t think he and his doe ever knew we were there. 5 miles of fun and he evaporated. Maybe next year luck will be on our side. One of the funnest days I’ve had with my brother!
My poor brother was nauseous looking at bucks at Scheel’s with me days later. “Yep, he was bigger than that.” I relished giving him shit. I didn’t have a tag…