It definitely was a great adventure and even though I didn't tag that buck, it will remain one of my most memorable hunts. Honestly, one of my most favorite parts of it was the summer time scouting. Great weather, not another person around, some of the most awesome country you could imagine and lots of game out and about....and, you don't even need a tag for it! Seriously, guys, you owe it to yourself if you haven't done it, pick a spot, even a "dream location" and go spend a long weekend in early August. It will probably become the trip of the season.
So, the "other guy" who was able to harvest the buck,. Great kid, and he too put a lot of work in on this buck. Come to find out, he had been archery hunting in there for the entire week prior to the season. Which is a great way to go about these hunts....hunt the last few days of archery and then roll right into the rifle season. Heavy D was pretty visible, I lost him for a 3 day stretch and pretty much every other time I was in his high country hang out, I could find him. This fact stressed me out, because I knew if anyone else were hunting the head of the drainage, chances were pretty high that he was going to be seen.
So, the "other guy" had seen and hunted him with his bow for an entire week. But, HD lived in a pretty tough spot to bow hunt, I think it was doable and I'd love to have another chance at it, but it was a pretty tough spot. Needless to say, he never got to within bow range of the buck so as rifle season got closer, he switched gears and tried to figure out how to kill him opening morning. We pretty much had the same plan, but my spot on the ridge gave me a better angle into HD's living room, which gave me the jump on him. Come to find out, the "other guy" couldn't see the buck at all, and after he heard my shots he though the gig was up and HD was dead. As he packed up his stuff and worked up the ridge from his spot, he caught HD slipping out the bottom of the drainage and had like a 200 yd shot at him. He had definitely put his work in and deserved the chance to take the buck, and he capitalized on it. I still keep in touch with him, he's a good hard hunting kid that gets it done.
