I wish I knew how to scan in a photo, as I don't have a digital of this mistake.
SW Wyoming antelope hunt in 2005. I am hunting with a friend, who I will not name, to protect the innocent. I go out scouting two days before season, and find a buck I think will make the book. He is super tall for a northern state buck. I tell my buddy I will try for that guy.
Later at the motel, I run into one of my CPA clients from MT, who has drawn the same tag we have. They are hunting a different part of the unit.
First day comes and goes, and no buck shot. Lots to look over, but nothing I am ready to shoot, yet. Back at the motel, my client's group has taken two of there three bucks. Tomorrow he says he may come out where we are at.
Next morning, we are up and at 'em and at daylight, glassing over the basin where I had seen the buck. I spot him and we drive the vehicle to around a mile or so, to get a better look at him. While we drive out of sight, the buck and his does move right next to where we will drive past.
I come over a small rise, and there he is, standing right next to the road. Now what to do? Don't really wanna shoot one next to the road. But, he is really tall.
I debate with my buddy. Me claims he looks tall, because he is so spindly, and has no prongs. I claim he is taller than he looks, because he has more mass than one thinks, even with the small prongs. I am look at the buck through the spotter at 300 yards, and he sure is tempting.
I relent and agree that maybe I am being over excited at a buck that looks tall. Still not sure if I should pass, or not.
In the time we debate, I notice a vehicle coming up behind me. Not wanting him to scare the buck, I start walking down the road toward the vehicle, wanting to tell him we are thinking of stalking a buck, and would ask him if he can wait a minute or two. Then I notice it is my client who is driving up the road.
He pulls up and tells me that they are tired of the heat and dust, and are just looking for one more buck and will be headed back home. I ask him if he wants to shoot a really tall buck. He doesn't even responds, but jumps out of the truck and has his rifle out of the case, saying, "Let's go." He asks why I am not shooting this buck, and I tell him I have a week to hunt, and am looking for something really special.
I suspect the buck is still in the little basin next to the road, looking directly into the sun, at where my truck is parked. My buddy is standing by the truck and sees what me and the client are up to. He gives us the arm gesture to swing north and we will come out right on top of the buck.
We make a quarter mile loop, and peak over the crest. There is the buck standing at 100 yards. We drop back behind the crest and my client gets his bipod out, and asks what kind of buck am I looking for, if I am not willing to shoot this one. I would answer, but the tears are streaming down my face, as I left my rifle back in the truck and had already told the client he could shoot this one.
My client is loaded and ready, eases over the crest, steadies on the buck once it turns broadside, and before the dust even settles, the buck is laying on the ground with its feet facing the sky.
Everyone back at the vehicle had been watching. I am silently hoping this buck has a back case of ground shrinkage. Nope.
Each side tapes a little over 17". The mass is excellent, but the prongs are small. Even with that, it is a true trophy.
I am acting excited for my client, which I am, but not nearly as excited as I would be if I had pulled the trigger. The client is walking around hooping and yelling. He is slapping my back, telling me what a great CPA I am, how generous I was to pass on this buck and lead him to it, blah, blah, blah.
When the guy I was hunting with gets close enough, he sees the look on my face. He looks at the buck, looks at me, looks at the buck, looks back at me and say, "Whoops." And we erupt in laughter. What can you do at this point?
A couple months later, I get a voice mail from the client saying, "You should have shot the buck." Nothing more, just that message. I recognize the voice and call him back. He had it officially measured. The buck netted 83 2/8.
If I can scan a picture of the buck, I will post a pic of both me and the client posing with it. Needless to say, the client tells everyone the story of the buck and that this stupid CPA he uses passed on the buck and let him shoot it.
Stupid is as stupid does.
