My Montana WT quest round 2

I've gotta go with Seeth07 on this one. If the underside is bigger than the topside it's ok, it's not about the size it's about the experience. Just show us the rest of critter.
I've been following this thread and the anticipation is killing me!!!!
On the plus side you can try a new delicacy since it's a buck...
 
All right, I just drop the buck off at the processors. I’m at the house shower and heading over to my parents for Deer heart and tenderloins tonight but it’ll be a little bit before I can write up the story. It was an amazing hunt this morning and I learned a couple lessons, but here’s a Picture.
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After a couple days off and resting after my wife’s deer, loaded up the truck for three day hunt in my Whitetail area with the plan of sleeping down there, miserable in the backseat of my Tacoma, and eating Mountain-house.

I got out of the house about 20 minutes later than I wanted to so I was a little grumpy about that knowing I would be getting down there after shooting light.

Got to my area and there was a truck already there and he was heading into the area that I originally planned to Hunt, shifted to Plan B and went towards the meadow area with a thought in the back of my mind about Friday when my wife shot her deer that I had planned on going to one area and there was dudes already there and then we hunted the opposite direction and got into a deer and that happened to me today as well

This was my third time doing a sit in this meadow the first two times I didn’t see any deer
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After about 15 minutes or so of getting settled, I did a light, gentle rattle. About 40 minutes later after seeing no deer and the thought in my back of my mind, about not seeing deer the previous 2 times the old Blacktail hunter in me I thought about slow hunting the rest of this meadow because it was like 700 yards long with multiple little spots that you couldn’t see from my position and seeing if I could make something happen on foot.

Broke down the bipod on my rifle from 27 inches back to 12 inches stood up to use the restroom and all of a sudden I see a white flicker of a tail off in the distance. Oh crap. Pull up the binos in the middle of taking a leak it’s a doe and yearling at 170 yds. I slowly lay back down and put the hardware away ha ha ha . While trying to get them in the scope in case a buck follows behind a little grumpy because I can’t see over the grass now because my bipod is now only 12 inches off the ground.

They feed into the tree line and disappear , I quietly again extend my bipod back out to 27 inches. As I learn pro tip #287 if you’re thinking of leaving your area the last thing you touch is your rifle after you’ve set it up in your shooting position. NOT YOUR 1st !!!!

I continue to glass the tree line to see If a buck shows up it’s all quiet again it’s been about 25 or 30 minutes since I last saw those two deer and then off to the right in the big timber I hear some branches breaking. A couple hundred yards out it’s somewhat loud and I think to myself am I my lucky. Am I going to get some elk come through , then I hear the distinct sound of antlers smashing together, and I realize it’s gotta be two bucks in there, getting after it.

I turn my head back to the left and look out in the direction of where those two deer were last seen and lo and behold right in front of me at 85 yards is a deer ! it’s a buck ! I don’t remember if I looked at him through my binos or I instantly recognized he was a buck it happen so fast I just remember leaning into my rifle and he was steadily walking in the direction of the breaking branches and what sounded like a fight and I gave out a little buck grunt with my mouth. He froze, looked in my direction, I squeezed the trigger. He dropped in the scope. Holy crap that happen fast.

I was hunting boundaries of a private ranch about 50 yards off their border, and the deer were hopping the fence off the ranch and then cutting through my section of public, that buck today snuck up on me quick and I had a clear line of sight, in retrospect had that buck been at the 170 yards when I was taking a leak, after breaking down, my rifle, I don’t know that I could’ve got my rifle bipod extended back out without him hearing me . Felt pretty lucky today. Learned a lesson and still got to fill my tag.

I discovered this area last year after I’d tagged out when I was exploring later in season looking for a Whitetail doe that wasn’t gonna be super hard pack out and I saw a buck in this area that was twice as big and twice as heavy as the one I got today , but for my first Whitetail all I wanted this year was something that would make a good euro and I could not be more happier tonight on a 3x3 with 4 inch eye guards I am pretty ecstatic

What made the day even more special is when I got a hold of my parents and my wife that I got a buck , they volunteered to drive all the way down and bring a game cart. I told them I was 6/10 of a mile in and it was a pretty flat Easy hike with one gentle slope it was a memorable day for sure.

As he lay
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I was sitting on my butt inside that brush that’s about 7 feet tall in the distance . The sunrise was into my face, so I wanted something to blend in with
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I rotated the buck in this picture to skin it
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When you’re solo hunting and you gotta do a grip in grin selfie
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Mom took this pic of us in the meadow from the ridge
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Dad at 81 still needs to be in the field, mom and dad have only been in Montana 5 weeks , hopefully I can help them get a deer next year
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The wife packing out the backstrap, loins ,hart , liver and some neck meat. My parents love liver … no thanks
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Putting 2 qtrs on the game cart and my wife’s pack , with mom and dad, mom hates her picture being taken, don’t tell her I posted one on the interwebs !!! Ha ha ha
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A pic the wife took of me with a front and hind qtr and the head
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Dad and wife out front with the cart while I’m in rear with mom enjoying a conversation and the moment
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Loaded up and back to Billings
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Thanks for your support and following along on my Whitetail quest time for a rum and coke
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Congratulations!! I’ve been enjoying this thread over the last month. That is a well earned buck!

Thanks , ain’t gonna lie , I was starting to fill burned out , Sunday evening I was struggling with wanting to stay home , it’s been super warm here , and I hadn’t been seeing lots of deer , and it’s a decent drive to get down there. Was dreading having to sleep in the backseat of my truck , to save time miles and gas.

Glad he showed up on my sit and I didn’t stay the night, I go back to work Sunday, I’m gonna enjoy the few lazy days of not getting up between 3:30 and 4am to just go go go
 
You kept me going with the play-by-play action. That's a fantastic buck and you earned each steak and roast he gave you. Congrats to you and your wife for working so hard at success.
 
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