BOHNTR Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 Well, I finally made it back from the Colorado high country after being in the wilderness for eleven days. I can’t believe how good food tastes that you don’t have to add water to. What a hunt! I’ve never been sheep hunting, but this timberline backpacking mule deer archery hunt above 12,000 feet must be comparable......physically. I’m down to 155 pounds! I saw several huge bucks, including a 195-200” net typical I crawled up to 21 yards of while he was napping…just couldn’t shoot him in his bed (darn limb). Well, after casually checking his right flank (after I waited for 20 minutes for him to get up), he must have thought that ugly looking bush (me) wasn’t there two hours earlier.....so he changed his address immediately....leaving me sitting there about ready to cry. Oh well, bowhunting isn’t supposed to be easy. After several close encounters throughout the week, I decided with two days left to try and arrow a buck I passed on 5 days earlier. We nicknamed him “Crab” because his crab front forks....but he had a lot of mass and good backs. He was also fairly wide with a classic basket rack that the G2’s curved inward. I spotted “Crab” bedded on the side of an open bowl with five other bucks. It was going to be a difficult stalk in the steep wide open, but I’d been able to do it several times throughout the week.....maybe this time a limb or the wind will cooperate. I ended up getting into good bow range and put an arrow through him. He piled up about 120 yards away....AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANYON!!!!! The buck died at about 11,300’.....bad thing was, I had to pack him over a saddle of 12,400’ to get back to camp two miles away...talk about a long night. The buck was a bit bigger than I thought when I got to him. He gross scores in the mid 170's and will net in the mid 160’s...this is with only an 18 4/8” main beam on his right side. His outside spread is right at 27”. Not the monster I had earlier in the week, but a good P&Y class buck that I physically worked pretty darn hard at. Hope you enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bowhunter56 Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 Your deer is a dandy, sounds like a good but hard hunt...well done!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 nice buck, congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njbowhntr Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 Congrats on a nice looking buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nut Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Congrats again:cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 thats a good deer! congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Wow, that's a great deer. Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beagleboy Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Congrats on a great deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Colorado Bob Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Backpacking at timberline-----It will separate the men from the boys pretty quick. That's a dandy buck----it other one must have been a monster. How much weight did you lose? When I hunted bighorns here in Colorado---I lost 15 pounds & that was just a 4 day hunt. Did you go alone or did you have a buddy? Conglads on a good hunt----memories that will last a lifetime. CB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOHNTR Posted September 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Hey thanks guys....I'll tell you, it feels good to eat REAL food for a change. Bob: My hunting partners (two) and I backpacked in for two weeks (5 days before season). I trained hard for an entire year and started the hunt at 165 pounds. The hiking didn't affect me much, but the elevation was killer......I live at sea level. Glad I spent the night and an entire day at trail head (11,000') before hiking in. LOTS of water, acclimating, and taking it easy a day or so before season definitely helped. It was an incredible experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 That a fine looking Mulie. Beautiful buck. Way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Congratulations. Nice mulie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUDRUNNER Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Congrats!That's a fine looking mulie!Looks like your effort paid off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig mack Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Nice Buck!!! Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCFORLIFE Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Congrats!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkV Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Congrats on a very nice deer indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_lou Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Congrats on what sounds like a very exciting hunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 aweome buck!! Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntn4bucks Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Congrats on your early season success! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Colorado Bob Posted September 5, 2007 Report Share Posted September 5, 2007 Make a list of the things you didn't need & things that you wished you had. Do it while it's still fresh in your mind. Sounds like you'll be back in the Colorado high country----CB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOHNTR Posted September 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2007 Here's the other buck arrowed on our trip. It's my hunting partner's 16 year old kid who managed to arrow this beast. It's a massive buck that grosses 190" and will net in the upper 170's (he's got two abnormal points you can't see that deduct a lot). This is a STUD of a buck with 22" of mass per side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoyt_hunter Posted September 5, 2007 Report Share Posted September 5, 2007 that is a great deer, congratulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Colorado Bob Posted September 6, 2007 Report Share Posted September 6, 2007 What a trophy for a 16 year old. IMO---timberline bucks are the hardest trophy in NA. Conglads, again CB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M00N Posted September 6, 2007 Report Share Posted September 6, 2007 Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckslayer Posted September 6, 2007 Report Share Posted September 6, 2007 Great buck! I see the Guardian did well for you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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