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View Full Version : My '04 Mule deer



MattB
12-21-2004, 02:50 PM
Here is a picture of my 04 muley. I havent posted the picture before because i figured a lot of the people were here from huntshoot. I shot this buck on the 14th of november. I spent the whole summer and fall, up till october, in the Yukon as a hunting guide, when i got back i really needed to get out chasin muleys. But when i got back i went straight back to work, so i really only had the weekends to hunt. That is up until November 10th, i took from the 11th to the 21st off of work to chase mule deer with my brother and a friend. We hunted with my friend for the first 3 days, we saw a lot of bucks and my friend tagged out on a 180" typical, and we also saw a 185-190 typical that was with some does and the buck he shot. We never did get close to the big buck though. With my friend being tagged out and me and my brother really wanting to hunt our "secret spot" we headed home to try it out. Our first day hunting there was the 14th, we arrived at the location at about 8:30. We left the truck, started walking and split up. My brother was going to check out some old growth fir ridges where we had picked up some big sheds and seen big bucks in the past. I was headed to a likely bedding area for bucks where we had also found some really nice sheds. I was still hunting along a small fir ridge when i noticed a few fresh rubs. So i took my antler that i carry with me and raked it up and down a tree, mimicking a buck making a rub. I then waited about 30 seconds and listened. Not hearing or seeing anything, i took a few steps forward. I immediately saw a big buck 15-20 yards from me, he spun trying to run away. I barely had time to lift the gun off my shoulder and squeeze the trigger. I was unsure after the shot if i had even hit the buck, that is until i saw hair still floating in the air. I could then see the buck and i proceeded to finish him off.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/matthew_brown69/mattbuck024.jpg

I was almost finished field dressing the buck when my knife slipped through some hide a lot quicker than i expected and plunged deep into my left thigh. I immediately felt blood gushing out of my leg so i knew it was pretty serious. I tied some string above the wound to slow the bleeding, then i started to walk to my brothers truck 4 kms away. I had made it about 2km when i really started to feel tired and faint. So i laid down and fired 3 shots to signal for help to my brother. I got up walked a few hundred more yards, i laid down again and elevated my leg. I was really weak by this time, i had no energy to do anything. So i prepared myself for a long wait, but then i saw a flash of movement behind some pine trees. It was my brother, he had heard my shooting so he came to help. I yelled at him and he saw me and started walking my way. I told him about the big buck i had shot and that i stabbed myself in the leg really badly and i needed help. So thankfully, he ran the final 2km to his truck and drove right up to me. I managed to get in the truck and elevated my leg by putting it out the window. We then had about an hours drive back to logan lake where i had a doctor stop the bleeding. I was then sent to Kelowna by ambulance where my leg had to be operated on to make sure i hadnt hit the femoral artery, which luckily i didnt. I later found out from the doctor that she figured i lost about 2 litres of blood and that i was really lucky my brother was there. I know if he wasnt there i probably would not be here today, so big thanks to him!
I later scored my buck out at 181" gross and 176 5/8 net.

Mulie_Hunter
12-21-2004, 02:56 PM
That's one hell of a story,And Thats one hell of a buck! Good job on the Buck MattB

huntersdad
12-21-2004, 02:56 PM
Hey Matt;
I have been waiting for these, they are awesome. Sorry to hear about the knife booboo.

3kills
12-21-2004, 02:58 PM
hey mattb...hows is the leg now...is it all healed up???

MattB
12-21-2004, 03:42 PM
The leg is doing a lot better now, i can walk and not limp and it isnt stiff. I'd say its pretty much healed.

Heres another pic of me and the buck.
http://www.monstermuleys.net/photos/users2004/mattbrown121004-1.jpg
Heres a shed that me and my brother found, we think it is off this buck but it is tough to tell. I also have the shed from the year prior, i picked it up within a five minute walk from where i shot the buck
http://www.monstermuleys.net/photos/users2004/mattbrown121004-4.jpg
This is a picture i took of some decent muleys, i took the picture october 8th, the day after i arrived home from the yukon.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/matthew_brown69/minedeer005.jpg

3kills
12-21-2004, 04:07 PM
where was ur gun???

ape
12-21-2004, 04:17 PM
If thats what a guy has to do to get a bice big one like that I think I will stick to the 2 and 3 pointers thanks. Very nice buck and I am glad to here you are well.

todbartell
12-21-2004, 04:32 PM
good show, nice buck :grin:

MattB
12-21-2004, 05:13 PM
The live photo of the deer-They were all too small to shoot :smile: . I figured they would only gross in the 170" range. The really wide buck has quite a few non-typical points. They are also located in a no hunting area so that might have something to do with none being shot. But i really think i would have passed them up looking for something bigger.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/matthew_brown69/minedeer037.jpg

bill
12-21-2004, 05:27 PM
WOW !! glad to hear your okay .Great buck and nice pics..

Mulie_Hunter
12-21-2004, 05:58 PM
where do you live Matt?

just-one-shot
12-21-2004, 06:02 PM
Matt that is one great story i felt like i was there with you.It is to bad i wasn't.I'm glad to here you are feeling better and that is one hell of a nice buck.

houndogger
12-21-2004, 07:45 PM
Yup very nice deer Matt!

Thunderstix
12-21-2004, 08:02 PM
Great buck Matt! I really like the black and white photo.

Marc
12-21-2004, 09:19 PM
Great buck and hell of a story Matt. I'm glad you made it out of the woods ok. It just goes to show how easy you can get yourself into big trouble out in the woods. If I've learned anything from this story is to pack a small first aid kit in your day pack even if it's just a couple of pressure bandage and a sling.(nice to be in the military :) ) You hear of people falling on antlers and cutting themselves with their own arrows. You were one luck SOB this fall and it goes to show how important it is to hunt with a buddy.

Again great buck, great pictures and a happy ending to this story.

Marc.

Schutzen
12-23-2004, 12:14 AM
MatB
Your story is a valuable lesson for us all, at any time the unforseen can happen and how we prepare for it can determine if you save yours/someones skin or not!
When I hunt I have a fanny pack I wear at all times. In that pack is a basic survival kit and a small 1st aid kit, flashlite. I can also fit some lunch and water.
No-one should be without one when your go out in the bush, its not that heavy or in the way at all.
I'm very glad Mat's accident turned out so well tho and Kudos on a very fine buck Mat.

Deer_Hunter101
12-23-2004, 12:33 PM
Wow! that is a huge mulie! nice rack on him!

Deer_Hunter101
12-23-2004, 12:36 PM
If i was in that situation, i woulden't of known what to do, it's good that u had someone with u

MattB
12-23-2004, 03:52 PM
Im from just outside kamloops. Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Dano
12-23-2004, 06:34 PM
Wow! That's some story and one heck of a nice buck!
Sounds like a story for the Outdoor Life magazine's "This Happened to me" section!

3kills
12-23-2004, 07:35 PM
mattb didnt u say u were workin on gettin it published some where???or was that some one elses story i read???

Kirby
12-26-2004, 05:43 PM
Mattb you got a PM in bound.

Kirby

MattB
12-27-2004, 06:19 PM
The story might get published in trophy hunter, if not im going to talk to Jim Shockey and see if he would like to do an article for big buck for me.