Odocoileus hemionus

I'm glad I got to tag along and be a part of the hunt. I couldn't get any embarrassing pictures because the day was just too perfect! Congrats, fella. I'm glad you held out for "The One". He's a bruiser!
 
Very nice buck.. But then again, this thread is filled with great bucks. Glad you found the one you really wanted.
 
Randy just stopped by my house to show off his buck. I have to say it's even bigger than his photos make it look. Mass and front forks for days, what a slammer.
 
I would have peed my pants, couldn't imagine passing that one up. :)

Congrats on a heck of a fine old buck. Did he have any teeth left in his head?
 
You have had a grand adventure with this tag! Well done on all the pictures and commentary. At first I wondered if you had any pictures of your buck from this summers scouting, or your archery outings. So I went back to your original post and reread through up to post #118. I thought I saw very similar crabbing of the right antler, and I wondered if there is a genetic linkage to the old buck shown in post 118 in picture and video.

In any event, thanks for letting me "tag along" on your backyard mule deer hunt. It has been spectacular couch potato nirvana.
 
What an awesome adventure Randy! That buck made you work on the front end and the back end! Truly a buck worthy of the tag.
 
Awesome hunt Randy, you definitely took advantage of your tag. Awesome deer as well, love his character. Congratulations and thanks for sharing it with all of us.
 
You have had a grand adventure with this tag! Well done on all the pictures and commentary. At first I wondered if you had any pictures of your buck from this summers scouting, or your archery outings. So I went back to your original post and reread through up to post #118. I thought I saw very similar crabbing of the right antler, and I wondered if there is a genetic linkage to the old buck shown in post 118 in picture and video.

In any event, thanks for letting me "tag along" on your backyard mule deer hunt. It has been spectacular couch potato nirvana.

I had not noticed it until you pointed it out, but it sure does look like you could be on to something. Not a whole lot of other similarities in the racks, but that dished crab claw is a dead ringer. They were on opposite sides of the mountain, but definitely close enough to share genetics. Thanks for pointing that out.
 
I would have peed my pants, couldn't imagine passing that one up. :)

Congrats on a heck of a fine old buck. Did he have any teeth left in his head?

Ha, yeah there's a story there.

I actually had a broadside shot on this buck a half hour earlier and passed on him. It was in a very thick draw, and I just didn't have time to get the look at him to make sure. He went up on the ridgeline and stared at us for a while where we could see his rack better, but didn't have a shot. For whatever reason, he just never looked that big the first encounter.

When we bumped him the second time, I again had to make a snap decision, but for whatever reason he just looked bigger that time and I pulled the trigger. I didn't realize it was the same deer as earlier until we found him a couple hours later. I can't wrap my head around how I misjudged him so bad the first time.
 
The part of this hunt I love the most is how and where you killed this buck. I've viewed this tag as a glorified road hunt. I've heard way to many stories of nearly tame deer with impressive head gear getting shot and bragged about. You found a true mountain buck who probably never ventured to the flat land. After all, this is the time of year he'd come if he was going to. Great job and again, gorgeous buck. I've come back to look at the "as he lay" picture numerous times!
 
This has been a cool thread to follow. I knew it was going to end with horns in hand, but that is a better and cooler buck than I had imagined. Congratulations!
 
So it looks like I'm late to the party with my official Hunttalk congrats, but I was busy reclaiming my elk from Ursus Arctos Horribilis. I'd have offered a double order of Double Front Chicken to have you holding another can of pepper spray.

Huge kudos on a well earned buck. You earned every inch of him. Thanks also for ensuring my odds of ever drawing this tag are now exponentially worse. :)

If and when I have this tag in hand, I will be plastering reward posters all over the valley offering a fried chicken finders fee. :)
 
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