The Legend of Double Drop

[dana]

Back in the fall of 96 I had my first encounter with a giant muley I gave the nickname of 'Double Drop'. He was by far the biggest nontypical I've ever seen in my entire life. Big Mainframe with a ton of trash and big droppers on both sides. His image is still imprinted on my brain all these years later. My best guesstimate is that he was at least a 240 class buck, a buck of many a daydream and many a nightmare. I will never forget my first encounter with him. I had a early season Sept moose draw. I kept on checkin a very nice high elevation meadow complex lookin for a bull. To get to this meadow I had to venture up an overgrown logging road that was pretty thick with alder. Everytime I came to this one corner, a spike muley would be standing in the middle of the road. I worked with a guy that was new to the area and he was a new hunter. He just wanted a buck, so I told him that I'd show him where this spiker lived. We left early one Saturday morning and hit the overgrown road pretty much at first light. As we bounced our way up the road, low and behold, there was the spiker, right were I had last seen him. My buddy got out, fumbled with his bullets and the buck just stood there. For what seemed like forever, my buddy finally got settled in and shot. A solid clean miss. As I watched, all of a sudden the ditchline was engulfed by antler as a Giant buck stepped out and bolted. Being a tight corner in the road, I grabbed my rifle and ran up to the corner and had that one and only shot opportunity, Texas Heart Shot, which I passed on, as the buck entered the rhodo. I ran headlong into the rhodo thinking I could get a shot on him up close and personal. Boy was I wrong. It was a JUNGLE in there. I could hear the buck mere metres from me, and I couldn't see a single thing. The buck slipped out of there and I was left with a very strong desire that I needed to kill THAT BUCK.

[Steeleco]

Maybe he's got offspring that need to be found?, cool story!

[dana]

Over the next several years, I had several encounters with this buck, most of the time, just hearing the classic thump of a buck crashing through the timber and seeing the monster hawg tracks he'd leave behind. The summer of 98 I was doing forestry work in the exact same area and one of my co-workers had a face to face with Double Drop. This guy didn't hunt, but he'd been working in the bush for years and had seen many a big buck. He told me when he first saw the buck, he thought it was an elk!!! That fall and the next, I chased Double Drop all early season, cutting his tracks many times, only to be spun in circles. He was more a ghost than anything. And he could read me like a book. Just like other Legendary muleys I've encountered, I was never able to seal the deal and he probably ended his long life as catscat.

[dana]

Steelco,
Thus the reason for this story. This past weekend, I took my son to the area that Double Drop had lived. We had an awesome morning and saw 7 different bucks. During the course of the morning, we put the stalk on a great typical, 175+. He was real, real tall and had really deep back forks. A smoker buck for sure. We stalked in on him to 15 yards, but every time Cody got set up on a stump for a rest, the bucks vitals were blocked by brush. We kept on edging closer and closer and when the buck stepped behind some brush, we made our move. We were almost on top of him, and then all hell broke loose. A yearling basket racked 4 point with double drops was bedded in the high fireweed mere metres from us and he bailed, causing the Big Typical to bound for the safety of the timber edge. I tried in vain to stop him by shouting 'Hey Buck!!!!' but he wasn't falling for that. Like a ghost he vanished into the rhodo infested timber. I had to laugh cause that little double dropper was less than 50 metres away from the last place the Giant Double Drop was spotted around 10 years previous. The little rascal was probably Double Drops great grandson.

[4 point]

Great story.....I can't wait to get out.

[stickbow]

Thats an awesome story,Dana

[Will]

Wow over a hundred views.........in an hour.
Seems more then a few enjoyed that tale ;-)
Thanks for the "preseason" Teaser :cool:

[browningboy]

Pretty neat, is that the first time back there since 98? Those encounters sure do get burnt into your brain, makes you want to keep coming back, my partner and I came across a monster moose one time and my partner was 10 or so yards from him circling a spruce in the middle of a willow, just an awesome sight, but defineatley relate, your son must have $hit!
Great experience for the beginning of his hunting career.

[Untouchable]

Great story as always thanks Dana.

[dana]

Browning boy,
I've hunted that spot pretty much every year since then. Have encountered several real good bucks in there that either gave me the slip, or they just weren't what I wanted to end my season on so early. Obviously some good summer eats in there.

We were able to see the young double dropper again, several minutes later after he had first spooked. I said to Cody, 'He's standing right there, do you want him.' He said, 'No, we're hunting big bucks.' We hope we'll find him in 4 or 5 years. :)

[browningboy]

LOL- Seems like double drop has passed down the genes that really count! Smart damn buck, with all thats happened so early, looks like the season will be a good one for most, I'm sure your son will connect with a good one.8)

[dana]

I think he's decided to save his Region 3 buck tag for a big 'un. We'll be hitting some other regions where he'll take the first deer that gives him a good opportunity. He's also got a Nov doe draw, so there aren't too many worries. :cool:

[browningboy]

Not to get off topic, do you take him for elk or moose? or do you stick to the bucks?

[Steeleco]

I said to Cody, 'He's standing right there, do you want him.' He said, 'No, we're hunting big bucks.'

There's one Apple that's not fallen too far from the tree!!

[dana]

Browning Boy,
He's got his second black bear tag that is burning a hole in his pocket. He wants to top his 6'4" brown that he killed this spring with a 7 foot black. He's also got a cougar tag in his pocket as well.

[3kills]

good read dana...i was startin to think it was goign to end with ur son dropping the double dropper...

[Gateholio]

Dana..

Great story.

Next time, if you and your rifle /cartridge combo are up tothe task..And you have a good shot..TAKE THAT BUM SHOT!:smile::smile:

[browningboy]

Browning Boy,
He's got his second black bear tag that is burning a hole in his pocket. He wants to top his 6'4" brown that he killed this spring with a 7 foot black. He's also got a cougar tag in his pocket as well.

Not sure where you live but I'm sure the salmon will be up there soon, thus making all the yogis fat and somewhat slower and the mature ones know where to get their sleeping feed, but I'm sure you're quite aware, but the cougar, you use hounds or just stumble across one??

[dana]

Not too keen on skinnin' a big ol' stinky fish bear. Would much rather have him kill a fat plump berry bear. As for cougar, we use hounds.

[Gateholio]

Skinning a fishy bear is fine. EATING a fishy bear...Well, bettr pull out the garlic and chilies!!:p

[Marc]

I agree with you on that one Dana, I usually look for a bear that's been feeding on salal berries all fall. I've never eaten a fish bear but I have eaten seal meat back east and it tasted like fish so I can just imagine what a salmon bear taste like.


Not too keen on skinnin' a big ol' stinky fish bear. Would much rather have him kill a fat plump berry bear. As for cougar, we use hounds.

[houndogger]

Now I would think your brother is sure to wap you over the head after calling his curs hounds.:biggrin: