A buck to dream about

[Jameson]

Sunday was the first day of a 4 day hunt I try and do every year during the second week of zone 1 firearms season. It's about 1:00 and I decide I'll scout out a spruce swamp surrounded by 10' tall aspen. Stomp through the spruce and into the aspen until I find a horse trail, a real trail in the state forest for horses. Figure I'll see where it goes. Walk it to my left for a ways and find the road. Turn around and I figure I'll see where it leads to in the other direction as it winds through the aspen clear cut near the swamps. Follow it for a longer ways in that direction and as I'm turning a corner I get snorted at by a deer. Look up and 20 yards in front of me facing me is a buck whipping a 180. Not just any buck. The biggest deer I've ever seen. The antlers are 6 inches outside it's ears, not much for tines, but a horse of a body. This thing looked 8 feet tall, 10 feet long, and had an arse 3 feet wide. Probably an exaggeration, but it was scary huge. It runs off over a hill long before I have a chance to shoulder my rifle. I run after it in pursuit, but never see it again. I think, "Good thing I didn't get a shot, I'd never drag it out of here." Walk 50 feet past where I saw it and find a side trail. Walk that side trail for 40 yards and come to the road. Look to the right and see my truck a little ways down. Google Earth measures where I saw that buck to my truck at 300 yards. arggghhh!!!!

I saw a couple other deer during the hunt, but didn't have any shot opportunities.

Can't wait to go back next year!

[slimngrizzly]

Well it sounds like theres hope of finding a mature deer there! Better luck getting him next time! Confidence is half the battle, I take it you'll have that

[fishuhalik]

pretty sure every hunter's had that happen at one point or another. nothing more exciting/frusturating that getting caught off guard by a monster! the biggest buck i've seen was while grouse hunting. sat broadside 20yds into the woods for at least 10 seconds. pulled up the shotgun just to put a bead on him, coulda killed it 5 times! wasn't a horse but he was a solid 140"-150" or so 12pt. good luck, hopefully he gives you a second chance!