PDA

View Full Version : Light and quick overnighter, Lots of bucks



Brambles
10-06-2008, 07:55 PM
With the weather report saying the snowline was 1700 meters I figured I should be in the highcountry to see how the bucks will react.

Made it up to the ridge and was fogged in so instead of hiking over an hour to my camping spot I decided to pitch the tent and still hunt the ridge in the morning while the fog lifted. I didn't want to be sitting in my glassing spot for hours waiting for the fog to lift freezing my arse off.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1434.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1433.jpg

I wake up in the morning and it was clear, fog lifted overnight, CRAP. I make a mad dash to get on my way. Cut two sets of fresh tracks in the snow on the way to my spot but I push on to get settled into my glassing location.

Immediatly upon cresting the last ridge I see 3 deer, a doe and two yearling button bucks. I'm only 50 yards from my glassing spot so I push on and get settled. After a few minutes I spot this guy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1438.jpg

Shortly after I see him I seen a little fork horn. After a couple more minutes I see a buck lower down and after a few minutes of watching him he makes his way to the other bucks..

He's broken off on his mainbeam on the one side and is barely a crabclaw 4 pointer on the other side.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1448.jpg


CONT

FLHTCUI
10-06-2008, 08:00 PM
WTF, how dare you keep us hanging ,lol, this looks like it is going to get interesting very fast.
Rob

Brambles
10-06-2008, 08:01 PM
More is a comming, I just can't type fast enough

6 K
10-06-2008, 08:02 PM
nice picks Brambles, awaiting rest of the story, patiently.

Brambles
10-06-2008, 08:06 PM
Where was I.....

Oh yeah

So I'm glassing around with the bino's to see if I can locate something else. I then spot another buck, he's standing between two tree's (I need to get better landmarks) I go to the spotter and can't find him. Back up with the bino's and he's gone. CRAP


While I'm looking around I'm remenising about the August scouting trip where I seen most of these bucks before. I'm sick of seeing narrow bucks and am wondering where the wider buck I seen in August went.

A half hour of glassing and I see this guy bedded down, I'm 90% sure he's the wider buck from August

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1461.jpg

August pic

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/P1010030.jpg

Brambles
10-06-2008, 08:15 PM
I notice he's got a cheater out his right side but because of his bedded position I can't seem to get it on camera. So after about an hour of glassing him chewing his cud he gets up and starts feeding.

I manage to snap this one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1463.jpg

Brambles
10-06-2008, 08:15 PM
Him feeding

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1465.jpg

6 K
10-06-2008, 08:17 PM
BRAMBLES! You are killin me here. Type faster man!
O.K. I got to go read my son his bed time story. When I get back I want to read mine.

Brambles
10-06-2008, 08:17 PM
Now I know what your thinking, enough pictures of him looking away, Get some damn pictures of him from the front.

Well that wasn't as easy as it sounds, but I stuck with it and managed to snap a couple

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1462.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1468.jpg

NaStY
10-06-2008, 08:18 PM
I think i see blood?????:eek::eek:

Brambles
10-06-2008, 08:23 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1466.jpg

All and all I spent the better part of 3 hours watching him and trying to decide if I should shoot him or not.

I was very close a couple times to pulling the pin and cutting my tag on him but I just couldn't do it. His G3's just were just not there, I want to see if he survives the winter how much he'll grow for next year.

Sorry I couldn't convince myself to shoot him, would have been nice to get some good after the shot pics for you guys but the Sportsman in me had to put this on in the memory bank and not on the wall. In the end I had to let him walk away.......

Hope you enjoyed my hunt. I know I did:smile:

NaStY
10-06-2008, 08:29 PM
That was awesome dude!!!

Thanks for that.......

BCrams
10-06-2008, 08:29 PM
good choice!! his backs are on the week side! Great photo's though!! Congrats! You'll get a bigger buck yet!

Kody94
10-06-2008, 08:32 PM
Hope you enjoyed my hunt. I know I did:smile:


I did. Very much. Good call on that buck too....excellent will power. :)

Cheers
4ster

Brambles
10-06-2008, 08:32 PM
Any guesses on what he'd score.

His G2's actually look long enough but the G3's just didn't go anywhere.

Stone Sheep Steve
10-06-2008, 08:33 PM
Great pics and report, Jeff!!!........although, I'm pretty choked at you for reminding me that I missing out on something right now. :-P

SSS

Sitkaspruce
10-06-2008, 08:38 PM
Sweet Picts and a good choice, as rams says, pretty weak backs. Will be neat to catch up with him next year and compare.

That buck with the broken main beam is a PIG!!!! Look at the size of his body, and he looks like a young deer.

Again Thanks

SS

quadrakid
10-06-2008, 08:38 PM
if i saw that buck later this week when i go for a drive i believe i,d wet myself.you guys from muley country have it good. nice pics and story.

Kody94
10-06-2008, 08:41 PM
Any guesses on what he'd score.

His G2's actually look long enough but the G3's just didn't go anywhere.

My best WAG.....Nice width (25/26), decent fronts and 23/24"-ish MB. I was thinking low/mid 160's, based on the weak back forks. Maybe as high as 170.

Cheers,
4ster

6 K
10-06-2008, 08:48 PM
Well thanks for taking me with you Brambels, I enjoyed that.
I'd be happy to go in person next time, then you could get a more accurate score:razz:.
I'm with Quadrakid on this one you got it good.
congrats on holding out , I hope it proves to be a great choise

#1fishslayer
10-06-2008, 08:50 PM
I want one !!!

tooley
10-06-2008, 09:06 PM
I'm very impressed not to many people can let a buck like that walk, and I'm one of them. Lets just say I would have shot first and taken pics after.

Dirty
10-06-2008, 09:14 PM
Great shots! No Pun intended. Were you using a point and shoot digital through the spotting scope?

rishu_pepper
10-06-2008, 09:14 PM
I'm very impressed not to many people can let a buck like that walk, and I'm one of them. Lets just say I would have shot first and taken pics after.

I second that sentiment. 3 hours of sitting around and then deciding not to shoot him? Boy I would've taken 3 seconds, point and shoot (and not with my camera) ;-)

Brambles I admire your willpower. Hope your choice of holding out serves you well. :D

Brambles
10-06-2008, 09:16 PM
Great shots! No Pun intended. Were you using a point and shoot digital through the spotting scope?


Yup, takes a little practice and a very cooperative deer to get some good photo's. Can be frustrating at times though

mark
10-06-2008, 09:32 PM
Looks like an awesome trip, a dusting of snow in the alpine and some nice bucks to watch, and the best part is nothing to pack out and you still have a tag!

Allen50
10-06-2008, 09:44 PM
great pic, nice to see, and even better a great hunter you are being able to walk away, waiting for a bigger deer,, very good, it's nice to see other hunter's being able to let some deer live, that's a sing of a ho so good hunter,,, shoot with the camera and not the gun,, just too cool,,, thanks,,, others should see this, not all deer need to die,,,, to cool...

bruin
10-06-2008, 10:40 PM
Great pictures. Good choice on not cutting, there's lots of season left!

ruttinbuck
10-07-2008, 06:03 AM
Nice pics Brambles,and great will power.Real quality hunt to be turning down a young prime eating buck.
I will guess 160-163 classs,not the heaviest and its very hard to make up for short tines.RB

MattB
10-07-2008, 08:18 AM
Great pictures! I think you made the right choice in passing him up, he should be bigger next year with deeper forks! :)

SHAKER
10-07-2008, 08:24 AM
Nice job letting him walk........... The best part of the season is yet to come! Sucks to tag out too early, you never know what could have been if you do.

BigfishCanada
10-07-2008, 08:35 AM
That was awesome, you saw all them bucks from one spot glassing, Too awesome!

Brambles
10-07-2008, 08:41 AM
The little forkhorn

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1449.jpg

Brambles
10-07-2008, 08:42 AM
Bucks Sparring, like some have noticed that broken mainbeam buck is a TANK, just gotta wait for his rack to catch up to his body.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/Brambles77/IMG_1445.jpg

Tikka7mm
10-07-2008, 09:35 AM
Awesome pics Brambles...you've got some great country to hunt up where you're from and good for you for holding out for something bigger; I can't say that I would have done the same. Just out of curiousity, how far away from the deer are you when you took those pics?

Brambles
10-07-2008, 09:51 AM
Awesome pics Brambles...you've got some great country to hunt up where you're from and good for you for holding out for something bigger; I can't say that I would have done the same. Just out of curiousity, how far away from the deer are you when you took those pics?


550 yards with lots of opportunity to get closer if the decision was made to take one.

BigBanger
10-07-2008, 09:52 AM
Brambles .... You da man . I will now forget about all the pitbull crap because when it comes to big bucks , your the man . I knew you were a gear junkie but who knew this was the true you . Last night I went to bed dreaming about bucks and to wake up and see that you let bigger deer then the ones in my dreams walk , wow .

Brambles
10-07-2008, 09:58 AM
Brambles .... You da man . I will now forget about all the pitbull crap because when it comes to big bucks , your the man . I knew you were a gear junkie but who knew this was the true you . Last night I went to bed dreaming about bucks and to wake up and see that you let bigger deer then the ones in my dreams walk , wow .


To quote the late Cam Lancaster (may he rest in peace)

"Even a blind chicken can find a Kernal of corn every once and a while"

I'd like to claim Master Mulie status but in reality this buck would have been my widest and possibly my biggest, just too much season left to hunt and too many 200+ Non-typicals have been shot locally in the past to cancel my chances at seeing and shooting one of those big boys.

Thanks for the kind comments

BlacktailStalker
10-07-2008, 10:19 AM
Thats wicked Brambles, nice pictures and real hard choice on passing him up for sure but I'll bet he's smart enough to stay alive and give you a crack at him next year, he'll be a smoker for sure then !

showtimebc
10-07-2008, 10:20 AM
great bucks and pictures! thanks for sharing!

325
10-07-2008, 10:40 AM
Awesome pics....what a great day

bighornbob
10-07-2008, 10:46 AM
What tent were you using??

BHB

Brambles
10-07-2008, 10:47 AM
What tent were you using??

BHB


Sierra Designs "electron" Nice little tent.

bighornbob
10-07-2008, 11:03 AM
Sierra Designs "electron" Nice little tent.


What happened to that other tent you bought or had in another picture (a tarp tent) or something?

BHB

Mr. Dean
10-07-2008, 11:16 AM
NICE hunt, Brams.

This year I've decided that I'm hungry - One of them deer woulda come out if I were there. This year it's all about getting a good supply in the freezer, then next year we'll see if it's tag soup or not.

The big will be something with just a little more time.... Hope ya find him next year. :smile:

Brambles
10-07-2008, 11:23 AM
What happened to that other tent you bought or had in another picture (a tarp tent) or something?

BHB


I knew there was going to be snow and I wanted bigger vestibules for cooking and gear storage so I brought this tent instead. All my other trips I used the Tarptent but they don't rate highly for bucking snow.

rifleman
10-07-2008, 11:28 AM
yeah I agree with every one else. exciting to read & great pics. It must of been hard to turn him down, but if you shot him you couldn't shoot his dad this year.. good choice!!!

guest
10-07-2008, 11:43 AM
Fantastic pics, you have a good spot!
Those areas don't come easy.
Thanks for sharing, you must have quicker access to these critters them me cause if it were one of my few trips I'd be cutting meat along with the tag.
Nice bucks.
C/T

Brambles
10-07-2008, 12:10 PM
Fantastic pics, you have a good spot!
Those areas don't come easy.
Thanks for sharing, you must have quicker access to these critters them me cause if it were one of my few trips I'd be cutting meat along with the tag.
Nice bucks.
C/T


Lots of time off to hunt is one of the other factors, I guess if I only had limited time then your right, he would be down. But there is lots of season left and I only work 4 days between now and the end of Mulie season.:smile: