Oct Muley

[dana]

We haven't had a lot of time to hunt this year due to traveling Coast to Coast across Canada in Sept and early Oct. Our first real effort to hunt was the first Saturday after our trip. My son pulled the pin on this nice forky that morning. Nothing like economical healthy tastey organic meat for the freezer. The ol' Model 99 300 Savage still knows how to knock em down. 4 generations of our family have used that trusty old lever gun. If only she could talk, the stories she would tell.

http://i.imgur.com/w4eKv2z.jpg

[mulieaddiction]

Thats a big 2 point nicely done!

[silvertipp]

Nice job
Following rite in Dads footsteps
cheers

[RackStar]

Nice one! Looks tasty. Good job and nice rifle that is.. cool history

[Blainer]

We have watched that boy grow.
great work young man

[jtred]

Congratulations on a successful hunt, it's just so much better when you're with family. The time I spend in the mountains with my girls is special.

[Wild one]

Congrats to the boy

Hope the old rifle sees many more generations of hunters

[Bugle M In]

Good job, and yup, love that rifle! Good on your son.

[willyqbc]

Congrats on the Buck! Love the 4 generation rifle! I have one of those myself that I just passed on to my son! Mines a cooey 71 in 270.


Nothing like economical healthy tastey organic meat for the freezer.

healthy...check!, tasty....check!.....organic......check!.........ec onomical.....uhhhhhhhhh, I been trying to sell that line to the wife for years...she ain't buyin it!!:lol: HaHa!

Congrats again boys!

Chris

[dana]

Congrats on the Buck! Love the 4 generation rifle! I have one of those myself that I just passed on to my son! Mines a cooey 71 in 270.



healthy...check!, tasty....check!.....organic......check!.........ec onomical.....uhhhhhhhhh, I been trying to sell that line to the wife for years...she ain't buyin it!!:lol: HaHa!

Congrats again boys!

Chris

$15 tag, less than $10 in gas and 1 bullet. Can't get much cheaper meat than that. An old 4x4 that is our 1 family vehicle that doesn't owe us anything. No quad or side by side. No expensive rifle, no camo. Nothing but cheap and easy. Hunting doesn't need to cost a fortune. It can indeed be very economical. Have you seen the price of beef lately at the grocery stores? That buck saved us a whole pile of cash.

[dana]

We have watched that boy grow.
great work young man

One thing a dad gets when he takes his kid hunting is a hunting partner for life. It is something very special.

[nature girl]

dana
I was wondering if your kids were still hunting. Nice to see your son still does. Nice deer your son shot.

[Gilmore]

Nice. Cool to watch your boy grow up through hunting pics over the years.

[dana]

dana
I was wondering if your kids were still hunting. Nice to see your son still does. Nice deer your son shot.

Thanks! Yes both my son and daughter still hunt. My daughter is a little busy with university and work this year but that is how life goes sometimes.

[nature girl]

Thanks! Yes both my son and daughter still hunt. My daughter is a little busy with university and work this year but that is how life goes sometimes.

Good dana they still have the interest to hunt. It was nice seeing you kids grow up I always liked it when you used to post up pics of the animals they shot.

[Rattler]

Nice buck, congrats to your son.

[Arctic Lake]

Nice deer for sure ! That old Savage is a real nice rifle !
Arctic Lake

[Buckmeister]

Well done. Good size for a spike fork. Love the old Savage, I have a fondness for my Grandfathers old .303 sitting in my safe.

[dino]

Nice but the pic makes me feel old.

[dana]

Nice but the pic makes me feel old.

Hahaha! :) :) :)

[walks with deer]

hell receding hair line he may be older than me..hope he pays rent at least

[blackbart]

Love it Steve.

My eleven year old boy shot his first buck last Saturday morning, best moment hunting ever for me. Pretty good to have the 75 year old grandpa with us as well. Tomorrow after work and school we are butchering it together.

BB

[walks with deer]

ps nice harvest...and my best partners are 25 years older and 25 years younger than me

[250 sav]

Nice, Love the 99. When my son started with my 99 250 sav he was generation #5.

[joshbazz]

Congrats, this is awesome to see! At 44 and in my first season, I'm the 1st generation hunter for my family. My 5 year old daughter is almost as obsessed as I am with hunting, watches all my vids and pics, as well as hunting shows like Meat Eater. Can't wait to be skilled and experienced enough to pass it down. Great job!

[Keta1969]

Nice buck. My three boys all hunt with me. There is nothing better than that and we have the oldest granddaughter tagging along now.

[BStrachan]

Congrats! Beautiful rifle

[twoSevenO]

$15 tag, less than $10 in gas and 1 bullet. Can't get much cheaper meat than that. An old 4x4 that is our 1 family vehicle that doesn't owe us anything. No quad or side by side. No expensive rifle, no camo. Nothing but cheap and easy. Hunting doesn't need to cost a fortune. It can indeed be very economical. Have you seen the price of beef lately at the grocery stores? That buck saved us a whole pile of cash.

How the hell do you manage to stick with 1 vehicle? Like, if you're away hunting for 3+ days does your wife not go out anywhere?

[Bugle M In]

How the hell do you manage to stick with 1 vehicle? Like, if you're away hunting for 3+ days does your wife not go out anywhere?

Either she comes along or maybe Dana doesn't know her boyfriend comes by to pick her up:mrgreen:
Just laugh Dana!, only kidding.

[dana]

How the hell do you manage to stick with 1 vehicle? Like, if you're away hunting for 3+ days does your wife not go out anywhere?

While my wife doesn't hunt herself, she comes with us on most of our multiday trips. We've been a 1 vehicle family for almost 25 years. We just make it work. If she needs the vehicle, she drives me to work and picks me up.

[HarryToolips]

^^^a good cost effective way to live....very nice wide 2 pt, congrats to you and your boy..

[twoSevenO]

While my wife doesn't hunt herself, she comes with us on most of our multiday trips. We've been a 1 vehicle family for almost 25 years. We just make it work. If she needs the vehicle, she drives me to work and picks me up.

Ok. Props for making it work. That would never work in my household.

No way in hell I'm getting up at 4:30am to drive my gf to work before my work. F*** that.

[Jack Russell]

Nice buck no matter what!
Your boy has grown into quite the young man - I've been lurking for years watching your posts and seeing your kids. You are a lucky man and have done something right for your family. Well done!

[dana]

Ok. Props for making it work. That would never work in my household.

No way in hell I'm getting up at 4:30am to drive my gf to work before my work. F*** that.

My wife gets up a 4:30 and takes me to work. I guess she is tuffer than you. As a matter of fact she gets up at 4:30 every morning regardless if she is taking me to work or not. :)

[Jelvis]

twosevenOh wood get it's butt kicked by dana's ol Lady lol Hahahahahahahahaha
Jel -- Rocko is here, he's chuckling along --- rocko says all rah hiite -----------------

[dana]

Nice buck no matter what!
Your boy has grown into quite the young man - I've been lurking for years watching your posts and seeing your kids. You are a lucky man and have done something right for your family. Well done!

Thank you very much!

[twoSevenO]

My wife gets up a 4:30 and takes me to work. I guess she is tuffer than you. As a matter of fact she gets up at 4:30 every morning regardless if she is taking me to work or not. :)

I cant even get up at 4:30 for hunting/fishing let alone for work ... lol.

So yeah, she probably is :) lol

[dana]

I cant even get up at 4:30 for hunting/fishing let alone for work ... lol.

So yeah, she probably is :) lol

Even on weekends we get up at 4:30. Drink coffee together and then I go hunting. If you want to step up your game and find and hunt big bucks, early mornings are a must. Get up at 2:00. Be at a parking spot by 3:00. Climb a mountain in the dark and watch the sun come up and the summer red coats of the muleys glow in that earlymorning light. Did this for years every Sat and Sun of almost every weekend in the summer.

[fuzzybiscuit]

Nice deuce for sure! Congrats to all involved...

[twoSevenO]

Even on weekends we get up at 4:30. Drink coffee together and then I go hunting. If you want to step up your game and find and hunt big bucks, early mornings are a must. Get up at 2:00. Be at a parking spot by 3:00. Climb a mountain in the dark and watch the sun come up and the summer red coats of the muleys glow in that earlymorning light. Did this for years every Sat and Sun of almost every weekend in the summer.

I'm gonna start by being up 1 hr earlier than usual on Sunday :D

Heres some red coats for you all! How many are there?

https://i.imgur.com/h5D7fpg.jpg

[dana]

Who cares how any are there. The question is, is there a big buck worthy of hunting come Sept opener? From what I see, nope! Move along and look in a different basin. ;)

[twoSevenO]

Who cares how any are there. The question is, is there a big buck worthy of hunting come Sept opener? From what I see, nope! Move along and look in a different basin. ;)


Haha ... maybe not by your standards, but not everyone is like that. Most people would rather have a wall full of 160s than search for years and maaaaaaaaaybe get one 200"

Not everyone has dana-level drive for it. I know I dont, unfortunately .... or maybe fortunately lol.

[Weatherby Fan]

Dandy buck, congrats to you and your son Dana
seems like last year he was just starting out, man the kids grow up so fast but as you say you got yourself a hunting partner for life, my son and I got out for 6 days together earlier this year and had a great time and he harvested a bear.
thanks for sharing your family hunts
WF

[Bugle M In]

Haha ... maybe not by your standards, but not everyone is like that. Most people would rather have a wall full of 160s than search for years and maaaaaaaaaybe get one 200"

Not everyone has dana-level drive for it. I know I dont, unfortunately .... or maybe fortunately lol.

Nothing wrong with a basin full of bucks!
I know I would have been looking for a decent buck in the group.
But then again, it not like I got a room full of big 200 sized bucks either.
(truth is, someone like Dana, with his job description, and living close to some decent MD areas makes a big difference)

Most us down in the LM just cant get in the hours someone like he does, unless we decide to pack up and move upcountry!.

But, I also know what Dana means about having to go beyond the point of normalcy, if one wants to take big old boys in a repetitive manner.

Someone like me, would love to hit new areas, day after day, but that aint going to happen.
I stick to an area that for years now, still have deer returning to the same areas.
Like you, I take what I can get up there, and sometimes, you get lucky with a big old bruiser!
Sort of like playing the lottery with the same #'s, your odds improve with time possibly.

All I know is, I now leave most 4 points alone, and most likely someone else drops it, or maybe it gets to grow a little bigger next season?
Which means a little more tag soup.

There are still plenty of guys, in the books with the biggest bucks in the province, that were just driving around.
Work ethic is very important!
But LUCK also plays an important role.
Dana just increases the latter, by doing more of the "working hard and moving around".
We all have to admit, his efforts show.
For the rest of us, luck is the main factor.

[twoSevenO]

^ but I do live in prime blacktail country so finding a bruiser BT that makes the first page of the book is way more important to me than finding a 200" mulie.

This is something I can actually do for day trips and run cams with reasonable frequency etc.

I'll take any 160" mulie I can get (or even smaller). If something else comes along that is bigger thats a bonus ... definitely not passing up 160s if I see them.

[Bugle M In]

^ but I do live in prime blacktail country so finding a bruiser BT that makes the first page of the book is way more important to me than finding a 200" mulie.

This is something I can actually do for day trips and run cams with reasonable frequency etc.

I'll take any 160" mulie I can get (or even smaller). If something else comes along that is bigger thats a bonus ... definitely not passing up 160s if I see them.

Spoken with truth there.
Sometimes I should just take the time to pursue some BT's as well around here.
For me, not really about cutting tags.
Seeing game is more important, and pulling the trigger is a decision I make alone.
If friends are in need of meat, I will cut my tag, and if not, I let those "potential bucks" go.
Maybe it will pay off one day??? or maybe not??

[twoSevenO]

Spoken with truth there.
Sometimes I should just take the time to pursue some BT's as well around here.
For me, not really about cutting tags.
Seeing game is more important, and pulling the trigger is a decision I make alone.
If friends are in need of meat, I will cut my tag, and if not, I let those "potential bucks" go.
Maybe it will pay off one day??? or maybe not??

Blacktail hunting can be a little disheartening at times when it comes to that ... you have to be prepared for many wet hikes without seeing much game .... they just dont (often) live in areas where you can glass for any good distance. I think every blacktail I've ever seen has been within 70 yards.

:)

[Bugle M In]

Blacktail hunting can be a little disheartening at times when it comes to that ... you have to be prepared for many wet hikes without seeing much game .... they just dont (often) live in areas where you can glass for any good distance. I think every blacktail I've ever seen has been within 70 yards.

:)

Yup, have a few friends that do get out from time to time, and I know it ain't like MD hunting.
My Dad did a lot of it when he first arrived.
The old dirt drive thru Whistler to Pemberton and then back down the "big lake".
Also times up to Lillooet, just to get back to the Pemberton side of Duffy Lake,
as that was the only way in. (good goat hunting back then too up there).
Spent many weekends up there with him as a kid.
The Harrison/ Fraser Valley hunts are different again, so I get it.

[Ourea]

Haha ... maybe not by your standards, but not everyone is like that. Most people would rather have a wall full of 160s than search for years and maaaaaaaaaybe get one 200"

Not everyone has dana-level drive for it. I know I dont, unfortunately .... or maybe fortunately lol.

There are more die hards out there than most realize that consistently slay giants.
I have 2 contacts that have dumped 200+" MD this year already.
Another is on a monster.

It is getting tougher out there but true killers always find a target.

[dino]

My wife gets up a 4:30 and takes me to work. I guess she is tuffer than you. As a matter of fact she gets up at 4:30 every morning regardless if she is taking me to work or not. :)

Me thinks you may have something that Mama really likes for her to do what she does for you.��������

[caddisguy]

That is one chunky great looking fork! Congrats dana & son!!

[ElliotMoose]

Sweet! Looks like a tasty one! Congrats to the young fella. Gotta love those old family rifles

[dana]

Haha ... maybe not by your standards, but not everyone is like that. Most people would rather have a wall full of 160s than search for years and maaaaaaaaaybe get one 200"

Not everyone has dana-level drive for it. I know I dont, unfortunately .... or maybe fortunately lol.

So after all your posts where you were asking for advise on how to raise your game, you decided that it wasn't worth it after all? It is easy to jump to the conclusion that I get what I get because of what I do for work and because of where I live. While I have worked in the bush daily for over 25 years, I can say I only have killed 1 muley in all those years while at work. That was a big ol regressed monster way back in 95. All my muley success has rather been as a weekend warrior. You might want to play the game that a mid 160's buck is a big trophy. But keep in mind most bucks of that caliber are only 3 years of age. Hell, I have seen good genetic 2 year olds surpass that mark. In 2015 I had done a 3 week roadtrip to the Yukon and NWT. I had also done a couple shifts of bush camp for work. I had next to no time to hunt that year. I decided that I was going to drop my goals and kill the first legal 4 point meat buck I saw. Went out for the first real morning hike and I got it done within a couple of hours. A mid 160 class 4 point at under 15 yards. Hardest part of that meat hunt was packing it on my back back to the truck through a mess of pine blowdown. The next year I again had very little time to hunt for myself. I had no magic mark that I was going to target. Again, within the first few hikes, i got it done. This time on a low 170 4 point. And bare in mind, these bucks were killed in areas completely chewed out by wolves. Deer numbers are dismal. So, nope, you don't have to be hard core by any means to shoot 3 and 4 year old bucks on a regular basis.

[dana]

Me thinks you may have something that Mama really likes for her to do what she does for you.😁😁😁😁

It is actually something that it much rarer than a 200 inch muley. It is called Love and Commitment.

[Lukeez88]

So after all your posts where you were asking for advise on how to raise your game, you decided that it wasn't worth it after all? It is easy to jump to the conclusion that I get what I get because of what I do for work and because of where I live. While I have worked in the bush daily for over 25 years, I can say I only have killed 1 muley in all those years while at work. That was a big ol regressed monster way back in 95. All my muley success has rather been as a weekend warrior. You might want to play the game that a mid 160's buck is a big trophy. But keep in mind most bucks of that caliber are only 3 years of age. Hell, I have seen good genetic 2 year olds surpass that mark. In 2015 I had done a 3 week roadtrip to the Yukon and NWT. I had also done a couple shifts of bush camp for work. I had next to no time to hunt that year. I decided that I was going to drop my goals and kill the first legal 4 point meat buck I saw. Went out for the first real morning hike and I got it done within a couple of hours. A mid 160 class 4 point at under 15 yards. Hardest part of that meat hunt was packing it on my back back to the truck through a mess of pine blowdown. The next year I again had very little time to hunt for myself. I had no magic mark that I was going to target. Again, within the first few hikes, i got it done. This time on a low 170 4 point. And bare in mind, these bucks were killed in areas completely chewed out by wolves. Deer numbers are dismal. So, nope, you don't have to be hard core by any means to shoot 3 and 4 year old bucks on a regular basis.
Dana you are making this sound waaaay to easy! You got me feeling pretty optimistic about next weekends hunt now! Maybe too optimistic haha

[dana]

Dana you are making this sound waaaay to easy! You got me feeling pretty optimistic about next weekends hunt now! Maybe too optimistic haha

Couple what I said with Ourea's comment. 20% of hunters kill 80% of the game. A big buck killer knows how and where to get it done. TwoSevenO has had numerous posts on here over the last year asking for advice to bump up his game. Guys like Ourea and I gave him very sound advice. Mostly about the hardwork and commitment it taks to consistantly find big deer. His comment about not being able to get up at 4:30 flies in the face of hardwork and commitment. So how I read it, he is no different than the countless others that have come before him on this forum looking for info on how to kill an 'easy' 200 incher. No such thing without the time, blood, sweat and tears invested in the pursuit. I have said it a zillion times and I'll say it again. There are those who drive up a road and are in the right place at the right time and kill a 200 incher. The one thing they had was LUCK! So, if you feel you are a Lucky person, that you win big every time you go to Vegas, then by all means, keep on driving up those roads expecting a miracle. If you are not a Lucky person, then you are going to actually have to do some serious hard work to acheive that 200 inch goal if that is your desire.

[Jelvis]

Where's dana's November muley?
Jelvis dah Pelvis in Kammy -- bin lookin, and Roxy and The Rock was askin? --> following dana along >

[twoSevenO]

So after all your posts where you were asking for advise on how to raise your game, you decided that it wasn't worth it after all? It is easy to jump to the conclusion that I get what I get because of what I do for work and because of where I live. While I have worked in the bush daily for over 25 years, I can say I only have killed 1 muley in all those years while at work. That was a big ol regressed monster way back in 95. All my muley success has rather been as a weekend warrior. You might want to play the game that a mid 160's buck is a big trophy. But keep in mind most bucks of that caliber are only 3 years of age. Hell, I have seen good genetic 2 year olds surpass that mark. In 2015 I had done a 3 week roadtrip to the Yukon and NWT. I had also done a couple shifts of bush camp for work. I had next to no time to hunt that year. I decided that I was going to drop my goals and kill the first legal 4 point meat buck I saw. Went out for the first real morning hike and I got it done within a couple of hours. A mid 160 class 4 point at under 15 yards. Hardest part of that meat hunt was packing it on my back back to the truck through a mess of pine blowdown. The next year I again had very little time to hunt for myself. I had no magic mark that I was going to target. Again, within the first few hikes, i got it done. This time on a low 170 4 point. And bare in mind, these bucks were killed in areas completely chewed out by wolves. Deer numbers are dismal. So, nope, you don't have to be hard core by any means to shoot 3 and 4 year old bucks on a regular basis.

I'm not really sure how to even respond to this, Dana.

I just shot a 165" buck on the opener of this season, my biggest yet, and somehow I'm not trying because I didnt let him go and look for a 200" buck?

The point is, shooting a 165" buck for me IS stepping my game up.

You seem offended in all your posts .... and I'm still not sure why.

And if someone is shooting a buck bigger than his last, how is that not improving? I never said my goal is a 200" buck. Not at this point at least. What is my goal? Well, 170s would be more realistic now. I'm still not gonna pass a good 160s buck in the process.

Yeah, you got it done because you spent years and hundreds of hours finding spots that hold such deer. You're grossly oversimplifying the process for the typical hunter. Just like proguide66 could go out and shoot a book blacktail any day of the week if he had to .... because like you, he knows where to go and what to do.

[twoSevenO]

There are more die hards out there than most realize that consistently slay giants.
I have 2 contacts that have dumped 200+" MD this year already.
Another is on a monster.

It is getting tougher out there but true killers always find a target.

I never said there weren't.... I only said that i wasnt the guy that hunts every single weekend and would pass 160s bucks in order to find a 200". Not until I've at least killed a handful of 160s. :)

[koothunter]

Back to the original post. Beauty buck and rifle! You're doing things right Dana! I have an identical rifle handed down to me for mowing grandmas lawn. My dad used it as a kid and has a couple animals on the wall that were shot with that rifle. He passed a year and a half ago at the ripe old age of 60, and that rifle wouldn't be sold for a million bucks! I grew up hunting with that rifle and still take it out sometimes. My kids are almost old enough to start shooting their own animals and hopefully I can teach them as well as you have. Kudos to you Dana.

[twoSevenO]

TwoSevenO has had numerous posts on here over the last year asking for advice to bump up his game.


looking for info on how to kill an 'easy' 200 incher.

I'm thinking you have me confused with someone else.....

[dana]

Twoseven0, maybe you should look back at how you have been posting as of late and you will see why I have responded the way I have. Heck, just look at this thread. Is it about you and 165 inch bucks versus 200 inchers? Hmmm, I see a 2 point and a classic old rifle and a young man helping to fill the freezer. Maybe look to your comments in the As They Lay thread. Is that thread about 200 inchers? Nope! It is about the special moment one walks up on their harvested animal. Your comments are completely out of place in both threads.

[twoSevenO]

Twoseven0, maybe you should look back at how you have been posting as of late and you will see why I have responded the way I have. Heck, just look at this thread. Is it about you and 165 inch bucks versus 200 inchers? Hmmm, I see a 2 point and a classic old rifle and a young man helping to fill the freezer. Maybe look to your comments in the As They Lay thread. Is that thread about 200 inchers? Nope! It is about the special moment one walks up on their harvested animal. Your comments are completely out of place in both threads.

I was simply asking how you manage with 1 vehicle well AFTER the thread was already derailed beyond a 2 point and old rifle. Wtf.

And excuse me for simply asking to see more bucks once I saw you were back and posting again.

Man, I really respect what you've done for mule deer hunting in this province, being one of the few hardcore guys that was willing to post his success continuously over the years .... but you go off the rails for no fu***g reason.

It wasnt about me. It wasnt about 165 inch bucks or 200. I DIDNT EVEN BRING IT UP!

you called me weak about sleeping in and talked about red coats in the alpine.... and I just posted a pic of red coats. I didnt even talk bucks or inches. Wtf.

I think you have post traumatic stress disorder from your many years of BS on this site. Seriously.

I'm not replying here again, or the other thread.

[dana]

I'm not replying here again, or the other thread.

About time. Many members have been waiting for that.

[Frank grimes]

Great buck and rifle. My old man has 99 in .308, that was his dads and brothers. One of my favourite rifles.

[john-brennan]

That will help fill the freezer

[murph83]

nice looking buck, well done.

[Elkhound]

Congrats to your young man Dana. Been cool watching his success over the years

[Beartooth]

I also have a Model 99F chambered in 300 Savage passed down to me also. It also has taken lots of deer. I'll be passing it down also. Great rifle. Took my first deer with it on my first ever hunt.