In August of 2009, my hunting buddy Larry asked me to scout a new area we hadn’t hunted before. We took my truck and set off to the well-known G-2 big buck area in Wyoming.
When we arrived, Tre Heiner of Double Diamond Outfitters, our guide, had horses ready for us at the trail head. We headed into the hills to scout some big bucks, amazed at the number and size of the deer.
We found at least a hundred, all 24-inch-plus size bucks, much bigger than any we had ever seen in California. For three days we hiked and rode through mountains scouting big bucks and were not disappointed. Our excitement for the upcoming deer season was almost overwhelming.
Unfortunately, when we returned the second week of the season, all the bucks we had seen were gone.
They had moved into deep cover and were hiding. Despite this, Larry and I both scored bucks. Larry’s was a nice 180-inch 4x5, and mine was a smaller 3x4. On our 13-hour ride home, we talked about how we could do better. For 13 hours? Yup.
We put in for the 2010 season but didn’t draw, then looked forward to the 2011 season. The bucks had a couple of years to grow, but when the draw results came, we hadn’t drawn. Talk about a huge letdown!
Tre tried to appease us by telling us a hard winter had cut down the herd and antler growth was terrible.
Fast forward to 2012. Larry and I and another friend, Mark, put in knowing with points each, we would surely draw. The results came in and Tre called us. Great news! We had drawn!
We traveled to Wyoming before the season opened to scout and acclimate ourselves to the elevation change. The three of us and Tre scouted days before the season opener and spotted quite a few deer. We stayed in camp Friday before opening day, so we could rest and let the deer settle into their regular patterns.
None of us slept very well that night, anticipating the excitement for the upcoming day’s hunt.
On opening morning, Mark was going out with a different guide, so Tre, Larry and I headed out on horseback around 4 a.m. to ride up the mountain in the dark and get into position before first light.
As we rode, we saw a bevy of flashlights behind us, all hunters walking their way up the mountain.
We got to our vantage point and began to glass. Tre said there was a big buck tracing the mountainside. We were all on it!
The buck was huge, but the 696 yards and the 32 degree downhill shot were problematic. We discussed the difficulty and decided to sneak down the mountain, but the face was composed of loose rock. Just our luck!
The first couple of steps loosened a small rock which loosened bigger and bigger rocks until we were caught in our tracks. So much for sneaking. We scrambled back to where Larry and I could get a shot at this buck.
The muzzle blast of Larry’s .300 ultra mag was so loud, I was distracted when I tried to glass. We headed down to see if Larry had hit him, but when we reached bottom, we saw no sign of the deer. Then Tre reported he’d spotted another buck. He said it was big!
Unfortunately, we’d emptied our packs of unnecessary items to save weight, and one of those unnecessary items happened to be the spotting scope. Oops! Looking at the buck at 575 yards without the spotting scope made it difficult to judge its size.
I got down on my pack, popped open my scope caps, and racked a round into my .270 WSM’s chamber. The deer was behind a standing dead tree. How to tell dead limbs from a buck’s rack at 575 yards away with only my Leupold 6x14 left me scratching my head.
After what seemed like forever, the buck moved, first a half step, then it took a full step into the clear.
My first shot was high, and to my amazement, the buck remained standing there! I fired again, and he jumped, turned and went down. While Larry waited, Tre and I hiked the 575 yards and found him! He was a beautiful 4x4, 29 1/4-inch buck that scored 211 inches.
Since we’d hiked in, we’d have to hike out packing this trophy. It was an arduous task for the three of us but well worth the time and effort — truly a labor of love.
The next day, Larry got his deer, and Mark got his the day after.
The drive home was awesome since we were high on adrenaline and excitement that the three of us were successful. We didn’t think about how long it took to get home because we were too busy swapping stories and planning our next hunt in Wyoming.