I posted most of this story over in the best memories of 2012 thread, but yesterday it got a little better.
I first saw this buck last year in December. I got to watch him quite a bit that day, and made it my number one priority to pick up his sheds.
I spend a ton of time in there the rest of the winter never seeing him again. I had all but thrown in the towel when I got lucky one day in March and stumbled on his right side.
I never did turn up the other side, but living where he does I assume it's sitting in someone else's garage.
Fast forward to this year.
I never did glass the buck alive this year, but life has been getting in the way a little and the four hour drive wasn't as doable more than a couple times. I really wasn't expecting him to make it through rifle season anyways.
Yesterday I figured I'd make the trip and take a hike through his area, more so to see if he had passed his genetics than anything. I hadn't even left the main logging road yet when I glassed his left side on another trail a couple hundred yards down below me.
A hundred yards further down the trail and I literally kicked the right side before seeing it.
Reunited-
He had a great year's growth, and I'm blown away that he was able to make it through another hunting season with that on his head.
I'm thanking my lucky stars to be able to pick up both sides so early in the season, on my first trip out looking. Last year was rough knowing they were out there and not being able to turn them up.
I first saw this buck last year in December. I got to watch him quite a bit that day, and made it my number one priority to pick up his sheds.
I spend a ton of time in there the rest of the winter never seeing him again. I had all but thrown in the towel when I got lucky one day in March and stumbled on his right side.
I never did turn up the other side, but living where he does I assume it's sitting in someone else's garage.
Fast forward to this year.
I never did glass the buck alive this year, but life has been getting in the way a little and the four hour drive wasn't as doable more than a couple times. I really wasn't expecting him to make it through rifle season anyways.
Yesterday I figured I'd make the trip and take a hike through his area, more so to see if he had passed his genetics than anything. I hadn't even left the main logging road yet when I glassed his left side on another trail a couple hundred yards down below me.
A hundred yards further down the trail and I literally kicked the right side before seeing it.
Reunited-
He had a great year's growth, and I'm blown away that he was able to make it through another hunting season with that on his head.
I'm thanking my lucky stars to be able to pick up both sides so early in the season, on my first trip out looking. Last year was rough knowing they were out there and not being able to turn them up.
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