ILoveBigRacks
Regular
- Location
- Beaumont, AB
Just got around to uploading a few pics off the digital camera. Returned Thursday evening from my annual foray to Alberta to hunt with a bunch of buddies out of Edmonchuck. Didn't see too many decent mulies this year but managed to pop an okay 3x3. Had seen nothing but spikers and fork horns all week and was resigned to a small freezer buck when I spotted a herd of mulies up on a hillside on Tuesday morning. Counted a whole mess of does (about 8 or 9) and had just about given up on any chance of a buck when out saunters a lone 3x3 from behind a bush up on a plateau behind the does, browsing as he goes. Ranged it out with the new Leicas at 277 yds. and figured I'd better take a poke at him before he went up and over the hill. Perfect broadside shot entered just behind the right shoulder and, as he was quartered away slightly by about 20 degrees or so, it exited out the far shoulder. We're so used to seeing only bachelor herds this time of year it was pretty strange to see this fellow already had a harem set up. Seems maybe they might be starting into the rut a bit earlier this year or something.
Anyways, he dropped like a rock and kicked for about 30 secs before settling down. Strange part was those danged does did not want to leave him at all. I walked up the hill and they just kept looking at me, walking off a step or two, and stopping to look again. Finally, at around 40 yds, they buggered off over the hill.
Funny part was, and it wasn't really all that funny to me, we went back to the same hill Tuesday evening and my buddy tagged the 5x5 in the picture. I got the spot and the assist as he couldn't see it although it was only about 30 yds away at first. I could have shot the danged thing about 6 times before it finally meandered away up the hill and I had to talk my buddy to it pretty much before he finally spotted it and knocked it down at about 75 yds. So, I got impatient and took the 3x3 then my buddy bags the nice 5x5 later the same day on my assist. Good to get my deer and nice to see my buddy get a nice one but of all the stinking luck. He's got a wall full of trophies and probably won't do much with this one except maybe a European mount, for me it would have been my biggest buck ever and would have been my first mount for sure too. Oh well, maybe next year.
On the bright side, we both filled our tags and also when we got back to camp with my buck in the morning, the boys had a small bull strung up and skinned. Then, when we got back to camp with my buddies buck on Tuesday evening, they were just heading out with the quads to retrieve the big 59" bull pictured below. So, both bucks plus the 2 bulls all in one day, turned out to be a pretty good Tuesday
.
Anyways, he dropped like a rock and kicked for about 30 secs before settling down. Strange part was those danged does did not want to leave him at all. I walked up the hill and they just kept looking at me, walking off a step or two, and stopping to look again. Finally, at around 40 yds, they buggered off over the hill.
Funny part was, and it wasn't really all that funny to me, we went back to the same hill Tuesday evening and my buddy tagged the 5x5 in the picture. I got the spot and the assist as he couldn't see it although it was only about 30 yds away at first. I could have shot the danged thing about 6 times before it finally meandered away up the hill and I had to talk my buddy to it pretty much before he finally spotted it and knocked it down at about 75 yds. So, I got impatient and took the 3x3 then my buddy bags the nice 5x5 later the same day on my assist. Good to get my deer and nice to see my buddy get a nice one but of all the stinking luck. He's got a wall full of trophies and probably won't do much with this one except maybe a European mount, for me it would have been my biggest buck ever and would have been my first mount for sure too. Oh well, maybe next year.
On the bright side, we both filled our tags and also when we got back to camp with my buck in the morning, the boys had a small bull strung up and skinned. Then, when we got back to camp with my buddies buck on Tuesday evening, they were just heading out with the quads to retrieve the big 59" bull pictured below. So, both bucks plus the 2 bulls all in one day, turned out to be a pretty good Tuesday
.
