After working my butt off for the past month trying for elk and deer with varying success I was able to down this dandy buck on Sunday afternoon. This is my best one to date. Passed up a few smaller bucks the on the opener and then I felt the regret kick in as the final day was coming to an end. I was holding out for a good one and then was wishing I had shot one of the little guys Not 5 min. later I saw this guy and put the hurt down on him. WOW what an adrenaline rush. Then the work began.... LOTS OF WORK........ I then found myself thanking myself that I had not shot an elk while hunting by myself. I am sore and it has been two days later till I got the energy to make this post.....Hahaha anyhow shot him in Southern Utah but I dont think I am willing to give anymore info. I think I found a new secret spot. YEAAAAAA!!!!!! I am now content with big game time to focus on fishing again and of coarse the ducks, geese, chukars, and pheasants.
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Congratulations, nice buck. I worked my butt off to get to 'my spot' only to find that they weren't there like the weekend before. I'm glad you scored a nice one.
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Good job Kelly!!!
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Dandy buck Kelly (HE HE). Looks like you have a new name.[laugh]
If we get a couple of nice days I would like to make it down to Starvation one more time.
In the last two weeks been to PV and zero on tigers and one trip to Willard for a total of 11 wipers.
Stay in touch buddy.
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Very nice buck, good job on holding out for that big guy. I bet you no longer have any regrets on passing on the smaller ones on the opener. Patience pays off..... sometimes.
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Sweet buck especially for the last day! How wide is he? I am guessing 25"?
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Nice Buck. Congrats
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HA HA HA thanks you guys. I appreciate the comments. I am not sure what I am going to do with the rack, maybe a European skull mount would be best and cheapest. I am not sure the best way to go about it but I heard you can boil them, bury them, or put them in saw dust with some flesh eating beetles to get them cleaned out. Any suggestions would be greatly considered and appreciated.
I am very happy I held out. I still feel like a lucky S.O.B though. Good scouting next year will hopefully make it so I dont have to spend the whole month of October loosing sleep, having outrageous dreams of killing bucks and bulls, hiking my butt off and paying out the butt for many gallons of gasoline.
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Roger: I am always up for a fishing trip with you, even if we freeze our butts off. Their is a special drink that I am sure your familiar with that helps with the chill. HOT TODDY mmmmmmmm......... I have not fished Willard since early last Spring. I have not fished Starvation since mid Sept. so I am game if your willing. Now if I can get you and Mike to get my name right. J/K I really dont care it makes me laugh.
Good job to you guys also on a successful hunt. Would love to see some pictures. I hope you still have a freezer handy for all the meat you got this year.
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Thanks, I am not very experienced in scoring and measuring antlers but the width I measured was closer 26.5" to 27" the back forks are turned a little bit giving him a coupe extra inches. Good guess though. I am still in shock. Never would have dreamed of this outcome.
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Yeah, i looked again and can see he is wider than 25. That is a great buck any way you look at it.
Here is one that my cousin shot on the last day with my scouting and relentless pursuits to kill this deer. He is only a 3-point but he is a monster for my cousin. He shot this buck at 50' with an open sight 30/30 dropping him in his tracks.
[inline "Neals 09 monster.JPG"]
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A dandy buck indeed. Nice, heavy and tall. How wide? Almost identical to the one I shot two years ago. The iron sights and a 30 30 are a great combination to bag a buck. I bet it was fun for both of you. How did you do this year? Get anything? (buck? bull?)
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He's 23" outside. He also has split eyeguards on the right side and 3 droppers starting. Only 1/4" to 1/2" long on each.
I killed a decent buck(3X4) and a big cow. Only had 1 chance at a 6X6 bull and a spike but they got in the trees before i could shoot.
I was also involved in 7 other bucks killed this year with muzzy's and rifles. It was a great year. I have a lot of happy friends(some new ones too).[
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If you boil the skull for a European mount make sure you cover the base and half way up with tinfoil or you will bleach the antlers out..... Just skin the head like the body and get much of the flesh off as you can and then get a big pan and boil him (outside where it can smell bad) and just make sure you cover the antlers with tinfoil so you dont bleach em those are some nice antlers good job on a good hunt...
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Hey lh2, I was also involved in 7 deer kills with muzzy's and rifles. 2 of which were 1-shot-first-bloods. I missed out on alot of bird hunting and fishing, but it was pretty rewarding to help my friends and family put meat in the freezer. No elk though. Durring the combo we had a 6x6 at 620 yds that we couldn't play any shape on, and were never able to find him again.
Thanks a load once again for all of your pointers, remember to hit me up if your headed to the Salmon or Clearwater so I can pay you back.
Also, congrats to FOD on a great buck, he's much nicer than anything I've ever had a shot at up here in the Cache Valley. I got a 17" 3 point this year durring the muzzy - he was still in full velvet, so he looked real heavy. I hunted him every day of the hunt and finally killed him in the last 5 minutes of shootin light on the last day of the hunt, so I have a little bit of an idea how rewarding that must have been for ya. [cool]
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Way to go "Kelly"!!! Now it's time to get those dogs some work. I'm heading to Nevada again this weekend for some more and hope my old knee holds up!!!!
Chukars, anyone can shoot a limit of pheasnts. Show me a man that can shoot a limit of chukars and I'll show you a man's man....
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Thanks man. It was the last 1/2 hour last day, I shot at a spike bull this year also last half hour of the last day. I still think that I was lucky to miss. I was all by myself on a 4 wheeler road, I heard some crashing through the thickest crap up in soapstone, out of the corner of my eye I saw some brown haired blob cruising full speed out into the opening that I usually start off walking into the thicks. Jumped off the wheeler loaded a bullet in and found him in my sights right as he began to vanish into the thicks again. Popped off a shot that seemed like it should have been right on the money. I tracked him through the mud and snow for about a half mile and never saw any blood or any staggering tracks that went off of the normal high speed gallop and bolted out of the area. That was still fun for me and I really am lucky that I diddnt get him. I just got done butchering all the deer meat by myself and it was a ton of work. Times that by 3 and that is what I would expect to have as a work load for an elk.......hmmmmmmm. Yea I would like to send one of those to a professional processor. Good job on getting the buck that you were hunting for. It is tough to find deer before the season on public land and still be able to find him after everybody stomps all of your spots on the opener weekend. I was hunting a perfect 5x5 buck @ about 26" that eluded me for the whole hunt.
I will probably see you out at Starvation again this next spring unless it freezes over solid and I can safely ice fish on it. If that happens I might have to fish it as often as I did this year hahahaha. I have still never caught a walleye through the ice. I think I might make it a personal goal for the ice fishing season this year. Deer creek will be my frequently visited area.
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LOL, that is a nice pile o birds. Your hunting them in Nevada? Yea I know I can shoot a limit of pheasants in another state.... but in Utah.......I think all the wild pheasants in Utah are still on private land and unless you know somebody your going to have a hard time even shooting one let alone getting a limit of pheasants, but I dont disagree with you shooting a limit of chukars is almost impossible in the crap that they hang out in. I cant say what I would rather do but my dogs do need to get out and find some birds. The weather is finally getting to the point that it is worth taking the dogs out. I hate almost killing my dogs in the heat just to shoot a couple birds. Your dog is great looking.......... it actually MAKES you look good ..... ....Hehehehahahahahehehe[
] I really got to make up a new name for all you guys[laugh][laugh]
Thanks for the comments on the buck, did you hunt any big game this year? Been fishing at all?
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