# Could it be??? It is True!!! Henry Mtns



## NHS

May 16, 2011. Today marks day 1 of what I hope to be a once in a lifetime hunting experience.

It appears from my credit card statement that I have drawn the Henry Mtns Archery deer tag for 2011!!!!!










*WAHOO!!!*


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## proutdoors

*Re: Could it be???*

NICE! Congrats on drawing. Best of luck, and enjoy every minute of it.


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## JHas

*Re: Could it be???*

Congrats! How many points?


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## NHS

*Re: Could it be???*



JHas said:


> Congrats! How many points?


13


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## AF CYN

*Re: Could it be???*

I am trying to explain to my wife how big of a deal this is. She doesn't get it, but I do! Archery mule deer on the Henry Mountains--truly a hunt of a lifetime!


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## ntrl_brn_rebel

*Re: Could it be???*

NHS-

That is flat out AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

Good Luck man...........


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## stillhunterman

*Re: Could it be???*

Take it all in, and enjoy it! Totally cool NHS!


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## Huge29

*Re: Could it be???*

Congrats!


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## ktowncamo

*Re: Could it be???*

since it's a once in a lifetime, I seriously suggest a diary/blog/video/etc to document and savor the experience for years to come


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## Flyfishn247

*Re: Could it be???*

My dream tag, congrats!!!


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## .45

*Re: Could it be???*

Some things in life are just cool Nate......best of luck to you.. <<--O/


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## sawsman

*Re: Could it be???*

-*|*-

Yahoo! Congrats NHS!


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## TEX-O-BOB

*Re: Could it be???*

Savor this _opportunity._ Congrats!


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## middlefork

*Re: Could it be???*



TEX-O-BOB said:


> Savor this _opportunity._ Congrats!


+1 have fun!


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## JERRY

*Re: Could it be???*

Congratulations! Have a great time. Give me a call if you want a spotter.


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## NHS

*Re: Could it be???*

I didn't sleep much last night. I was too keyed up.

By the way, where are the Henry Mountains?? Berg tells me they are between the Newfoundland and Pilot Mtn. Ranges, but I think he is pulling my leg. :mrgreen:


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## Packout

Nice, Nate! You have a Once-In-50-Lifetimes hunt on your hands. Just so you know, a "real" man would just bowhunt Swap Mesa and not even look at the higher country.....  Enjoy the ride.


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## Longgun

WOW SWEET!


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## dkhntrdstn

sweet. congrats.good luck and stick a big one.


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## huntinco

That is so cool. Congrats!


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## USMARINEhuntinfool

WOOHOOO


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## bullsnot

You lucky dog!!! I vote that we get daily updates from the mountain when the hunt is in progress. With great fortune comes great responsibility!


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## mikevanwilder

Congrats!!! That is awesome. Don't worry everyone with option 2 in place we will all be hunting units like the Heneries in no time. 
Sorry had to get that in there.


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## jahan

I think you should weed out the weak genetics in the Henry's and get one of those dink 190" bucks off that unit. :mrgreen: o-|| That is awesome, I am super excited for you!


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## katorade

*Re: Could it be???*



NHS said:


> JHas said:
> 
> 
> 
> Congrats! How many points?
> 
> 
> 
> 13
Click to expand...

Lucky Number 13!! Congrats man my dad will have 13 points next year hopefully he'll have the same luck!


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## NHS

It is OFFICIAL!!!!



> Dear NATHAN :
> 
> Thank you for your recent applications for the Big Game Drawing. Your results are:
> 
> Appl # Hunt # Result
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *XXXXXX 1000, , , , BUCK DEER SUCCESSFUL for hunt 1000 HENRY MOUNTAINS*
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> When you applied, a $10 fee was charged for each application.
> 
> We have begun to charge permit fees to credit/debit cards and your payment may have processed already. However, if your credit/debit card information has changed since the application period, you may need to contact us at (800) 221-0659. (Operators are available to assist you 24 hours a day seven days a week.) After five unsuccessful charges, we will try to contact you a minimum of four times. If, after these efforts, the permit fee has not been paid, the permit will be offered to an alternate. If an alternate list is not available, the permit may be offered for purchase over-the-counter.
> 
> Permits remaining after the drawing may be purchased on a first-come, first-served basis at participating license agents, Division offices and online at wildlife.utah.gov. For details, see page 14 of the 2011 Utah Big Game Guidebook. Visit wildlife.utah.gov/bginfo to view a list of remaining permits.
> 
> To find out more about mule deer and what the DWR is doing to help them, please visit http://go.usa.gov/TsO.
> 
> Thank you.
> Wildlife Administrative Services


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## stillhuntin

Well done NHS! I know it's not necessary to say but....have a great & fun hunt!!


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## Moose Hollow

Nice job man that will be a hunt.


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## mm73

Awesome! Good luck! I hope you get a toad!


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## NHS

Well, I'm heading out in 15 minutes for my first trip down there this year. I'll report what I find when I get back. (are the Henry Mtns north or south of Lehi??)


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## jahan

West, good luck!


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## NHS

I gotta say....It is an amazing place. I am more excited that ever for this upcoming hunt.


































I'm off to find more bucks!


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## Huge29

Wow!


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## muleymadness

NICE, man are you going to have a blast.


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## InvaderZim

Dude, that is cool!


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## goofy elk

Let me take a guess...

Last picture is on Copper Ridge looking at Ragged Mnt..

The 8 deer pic,,Pretty sure if you hiked over that ridge you would be in Bromine basin.

The 5 bucks together are on the south west end of Ellen, above the road, Head of bullfrog.

Top two pics maybe around the Horn..


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## Gaston

Keep posting pictures NHS and Goofy will do his best to hot spot where they are! Like he always does...


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## goofy elk

Gaston said:


> Keep posting pictures NHS and Goofy will do his best to hot spot where they are! Like he always does...


When it comes to deer , And the Henry's, Is there such a thing as
a NON HOT spot? Especially on Ellen, they roam the top pretty much everywhere.


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## NHS

goofy elk said:


> Gaston said:
> 
> 
> 
> Keep posting pictures NHS and Goofy will do his best to hot spot where they are! Like he always does...
> 
> 
> 
> When it comes to deer , And the Henry's, Is there such a thing as
> a NON HOT spot? Especially on Ellen, they roam the top pretty much everywhere.
Click to expand...

+1. I agree Goofy. I am not worried about hotspotting yet. I might be more careful as we get closer and if I find a brute. By the way, all good guesses. You are about 1 for 3!


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## goofy elk

I was very lucky when I was younger, Hunted the Henry's for 7 concecutive
years during the 80's,,,,all three seasons , two buck tags, and archery you could
even take a doe if you wanted.....

Didnt do much there in the 90's , But from 2003 thru 2005 I did a bunch of lion
hunts on there, spent 6 weeks one winter....Hanksville is NOT a very exciting place
in the middle of winter....

Another funny thing, a very good friend of mine has the sportsmen deer tag..
Very possible I'll be there with him September 1.....


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## AF CYN

That really wide buck in Pic #3 looks like he may be a shooter. I bet he's at least 22" wide.


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## NHS

AF CYN said:


> That really wide buck in Pic #3 looks like he may be a shooter. I bet he's at least 22" wide.


You should know...you were there.


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## deerlove

Those Henrys bucks sure love those bare ridges, more so than other places. Any thoughts on why?


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## dkhntrdstn

Man that some pretty god country right there. Man that one place I have all was wanted to see and try and hunt. Keep the pic coming.


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## Huge29

dkhntrdstn said:


> Man that some pretty God country right there.


So, you have found religion in your life now?


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## goofy elk

deerlove said:


> Those Henrys bucks sure love those bare ridges, more so than other places. Any thoughts on why?


Don't know why, But I do know they have been that way for a long time...

Made my first trip to Ellen right after the winter of 82/83..........
On that trip we saw 24 , 4 point or better bucks in one evening and morning
of scouting, all pretty much above the tree line...I was blown away :!:


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## dkhntrdstn

Huge29 said:


> dkhntrdstn said:
> 
> 
> 
> Man that some pretty God country right there.
> 
> 
> 
> So, you have found religion in your life now?
Click to expand...

I have all was had god country as my religion. I will all was be closer to him up there or out in the marsh land. then I would be in some church.


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## a_bow_nut

deerlove said:


> Those Henrys bucks sure love those bare ridges, more so than other places. Any thoughts on why?


My brother and I hiked up along the ridge from Bull Creek Pass over into Bromide Basin.(at least I think that is what it's called)

There is some kind of plant that is mixed in with the grass that they are eating. Anywhere we found that plant there was deer sign everywhere and it was mowed down like there had been sheep let loose in there.

P.M sent.


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## Guest

dkhntrdstn said:


> I have all was had god country as my religion. I will all was be closer to him up there or out in the marsh land. then I would be in some church.


 +1


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## NHS

Well, it's time to make the trek again. When I get back, I'll let you all know how much they have grown in the last 4 weeks.


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## Treehugnhuntr

Muchos fotos!! Good luck, Nate and be safe!


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## angrychair

*Re: Could it be???*



ktowncamo said:


> since it's a once in a lifetime, I seriously suggest a diary/blog/video/etc to document and savor the experience for years to come


and dont forget to share  congrats -()/- *()* OOO°)OO


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## RoosterKiller

*Re: Could it be???*



AF CYN said:


> I am trying to explain to my wife how big of a deal this is. She doesn't get it, but I do! Archery mule deer on the Henry Mountains--truly a hunt of a lifetime!


Tell her it's like Macy's running a 5 cent sale on everything in the store. Then she'll understand.lol :lol:


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## bullsnot

NHS said:


> Well, it's time to make the trek again. When I get back, I'll let you all know how much they have grown in the last 4 weeks.


Don't forget to check to see if you get service down there Nate! We want daily reports when the hunt is on! Ok it's really just me wanting to live vicariously through your hunt while I'm stuck at a desk pounding my keyboard all day.


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## Critter

I personally believe that every deer hunter needs to go down to the Henry Mtns in the fall of the year just to see what everyone else is talking about and why it is the "Holy Grail" of Utah's deer hunt. 

I hunted there in the late 70's and up to 84 and as was said you would find the big bucks right on top of the mountain in the grass just watching the hunters down below. A good friend of mine started me out on that hunt and he wouldn't come off the mountain with anything less than a 35" buck and he did that until the day that he died in a industrial accident. It is even easier to hunt now since the fire that burnt through there in 2003 and which buck to shoot can still be a problem that is nice to have. 

I wish you all the luck on your hunt.


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## sawsman

Be safe NHS. Looking forward to an update..


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## NHS

Here are a couple of pictures from the last couple of days.

These are the drive by bucks. You have to drive by them to get to where the big ones live.

































Bucks going over the top:









Ugly Mug


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## goofy elk

Good to see the old bus still hanging in there!!

That Horn picture from Ellen in COOL...

And I swear, that first pic looks like the patch of pines strait up from Wickiup pass,,
same place groups like that hung 25 years ago..( or Bull pass..  )


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## AF CYN

Great pics!

Are all those deer in the first pictures bucks? Incredible! 

That beast in the last picture looks like a cross between a sasquatch and some of the native bison. Be careful down there. I hope you had the XD on you! :shock:


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## NHS

goofy elk said:


> Good to see the old bus still hanging in there!!


Does anyone know the story behind the old school bus? Who brought it there and when? It looks like it was used as an RV back in the day.


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## Critter

Not sure about the bus but there should be a 40' house trailer sitting up there also.


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## goofy elk

Critter said:


> Not sure about the bus but there should be a 40' house trailer sitting up there also.


The one on the way to Starr Flat/ Deer Heaven?

Critter, I'll bet I passed you a time or two down there,,,Were you there in the 80's?
Most of the times I was there I had a Grey CJ5 , Black top, or sometimes bikini top..

I hunted the Henry's from 83 till it went to crap in 91....
Every year archery,,,,,,,sometimes rifle too..
I think it was 85 and 87 I hunted all 3 hunts there.


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## Critter

Goofy: I hunted there in the mid 80's also during the rifle hunts. I also left the opening weekend to the weekend warriors and headed down there on the first Monday of the hunt. But I was usually up where I wanted to hunt before daylight and didn't go down until after dark so a lot of the vehicles were just headlights to me. Did you ever know Ron Westenscow that hunted down there? He was married to one of the Eker gals out of Hanksville and was in the 40' trailer that got pulled up there.


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## wyogoob

Holy Cow! Nice looking deer. 


Good Luck.


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## goofy elk

I''ll be damed Critter, The Ekers used to run their cattle on the Henry's.....
I ran into a whole group of Ekers in 09, 25 miles SW of Loa bow hunting deer, one of
the grandsons shot a deer buck off the hole I was hunting antelope on............
We reminisced about the old days on the Henry's.....I know Terry Albrecht well too from 
Hanksville. He knows that buffalo herd down there better than anyone.

I'm pretty sure I met Ron one opening morning (87?) of the rifle hunt at the top
of Granite ridge, I remember him mentioning the Ekers..


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## Critter

It could of been him, he died that year in a industrial accident where he worked. Now that man was a deer hunter. He won more rifles, trucks, and jeeps in just about any contest he entered with a deer off of the Henries. In 86 I started to hunt over in the Deloris Trianagle across from Westwater. The deer there were just as big or bigger than in the Henries. That came to a close in 88 when the BLM created a wilderness study area and shut down the only road into that hunting area so we moved to the Book Cliffs and hunted there until they closed it down in 96. 

It seams like when ever I find a great place to hunt monster deer they either shut it down or block you out, sometimes I just can't win.


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## NHS

bullsnot said:


> Don't forget to check to see if you get service down there Nate! We want daily reports when the hunt is on! Ok it's really just me wanting to live vicariously through your hunt while I'm stuck at a desk pounding my keyboard all day.


The service down there is spotty. I did find a few places that I was able to get a signal.


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## pheaz

Looks like a blast of a place to hunt.


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## MadHunter

Congrats on that tag Nate. Time to make Lehi hunters proud.


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## elk22hunter

MadHunter said:


> Congrats on that tag Nate. Time to make Lehi hunters proud.


He's been makin' this Lehi boy proud for years!.............He's just like a son to me.


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## bullsnot

NHS said:


> bullsnot said:
> 
> 
> 
> Don't forget to check to see if you get service down there Nate! We want daily reports when the hunt is on! Ok it's really just me wanting to live vicariously through your hunt while I'm stuck at a desk pounding my keyboard all day.
> 
> 
> 
> The service down there is spotty. I did find a few places that I was able to get a signal.
Click to expand...

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and if you want to focus on the hunt it makes all the sense in the world. It would be a neat experience though if you were able to take us with you.


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## NHS

elk22hunter said:


> MadHunter said:
> 
> 
> 
> Congrats on that tag Nate. Time to make Lehi hunters proud.
> 
> 
> 
> He's been makin' this Lehi boy proud for years!.............He's just like a son to me.
Click to expand...

Why, thank you Pa!!


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## NHS

3 weeks from tonight is going to be a VERY long night. Hopefully my shooting is peaking at just the right time. Tonight at 50 yards! AFCYN is my witness. :mrgreen:


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## Huge29

Looking good, Mr. Hood!


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## AF CYN

I witnessed it......again...and again...and again. You were shooting lights out! I've been sitting around feeling bad about my crappy groups all day.  We need to go out again so I can redeem myself.


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## NHS

It is crunch time! One week from this very minute, I'll be parked behind the spotting scope...looking forward to a sleepless night.


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## sawsman

Good luck NHS! I hope you have a great hunt..


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## 10yearquest

Good luck. Looking forward to a good story and some good pics.


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## JERRY

I hope you have a great experience NHS. May you see many a monster buck, and harvest the buck of a lifetime!


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## a_bow_nut

I know that you seen some great bucks. Good luck and above all HAVE FUN. Can't wait to read the story and see some pictures.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool

Then a week from this very minute we should be seeing a post about the new archery state record right? Good luck bud and be safe, can't wait too hear the stories and see the pics!


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## Longgun

its been fun following this thread, and now THE day is Finally near!



NHS said:


> It is crunch time! One week from this very minute, I'll be parked behind the spotting scope...looking forward to a sleepless night.


Good luck! o-||


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## NHS

Thanks guys. I'm looking for an 18" two point. Anything bigger than that is just gravy!


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## USMARINEhuntinfool

Aww come on atleast make it a 18.5" two point


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## a_bow_nut

That's one thing that I never have seen on that unit was a big ol two point. Saw some real old bucks that had almost regressed back to two points and you should have seen the mass and webbing on those antlers. Ahh who an I kidding can I just come down and watch you hunt.


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## a_bow_nut

Please?


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## NHS

You're welcome anytime bow nut. I'll be camped at Lonesome Beaver.










A friend of a friend texted me this picture he took last week down on the Henry. He haunts my dreams. This thing needs to start soon. I'm useless at home, I'm useless at work. I walk around all day in a fog. Bags are packed. I just have to stumble through one more day at work. It is almost go time!


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## sawsman

:shock: That a freakin' toad!

Go get that sucka NHS!!

Have a good time buddy. I'll talk to you when you get back..


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## AF CYN

You could cut off the outer 1/2 of that buck's rack and it would still be a 25" trophy buck! He is absolutely enormous!


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## elk22hunter

I'm callin' photo shop!


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## Packout

That buck would work. What an adventure. Best of luck, Nate.


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## fixed blade XC-3

Congrats Nate, good luck, shoot a big un.


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## svmoose

Now that you've posted a pic of that buck, I'm not going to be able to sleep either, and I don't even have a tag. That buck is legendary big!


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## bullsnot

Good luck Nate. Wish you the best of luck.


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## MadHunter

Nate... I wish you the best of luck out there . Don't forget to take plenty of carrots if you want a monster. -_O-


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## pheaz

Wow hope you track that boy down NHS. I would love to see close up of that toad


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## NHS

I am up on Ellen hunkered down 75 yds from the tripod buck. I'll post a pic of himater this week. Anither guy from Richfiells is 50 yds away. He is a stand up guy. There are tree shooters in this group of bucks. It is a waiting game. Having a blast. Pics to come. Too bad I don't have a signal down lower.


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## bullsnot

Nice!!! Go get em NHS. Thanks for the update


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## pheaz

Thanks 4 the live update. Cant wait to see the pics.


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## NHS

Surrounded by bedded bucks in the timber. Too many eyes between me and mr big


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## pheaz

At least your close to the action


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## NHS

I have been crawling and laying in the dirt for 6 hours. The last hour I have been 50yds to a perfect symetrical 4x with 2 inch cheaters on each side. My heart says SHOOT. My head says not yet, be patient. What to do?


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## Treehugnhuntr

Be patient and be careful of ants and snakes. They like to crawl around in the duirt too.


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## pheaz

wait for that toad to screw up. way to early just to shoot


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## NHS

Patience won the day


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## Packout

So if patience won does that mean you also won? 

Nice updates by-the-way.


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## pheaz

Packout said:


> So if patience won does that mean you also won?
> 
> Nice updates by-the-way.


Hopin the next update is that buck


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## TopofUtahArcher

Your patience or the Bucks?


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## flyfitch

He must be back at camp without any service... We will continue tomorrow. I might not get much work done. This is too exciting.


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## AF CYN

This is fun to watch unfold. You are a bigger man than me, NHS. I don't think I could pass up a 180"-190" type buck with my bow.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.


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## Longgun

sheeeesh! one could cut the tension with a knife around here!  

the feeling on that mountain has got to be ELECTRIC with bad boy bucks like that roaming around!!! GOOD LUCK! I hope you wack that tripod brute, what a buck! 8)


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## bullsnot

I've checked on this thread 3 times today....hope an update is coming soon!


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## Bears Butt

NHS is up to his elbows in blood and does not want to get his phone all messy. Patience fellas, patience!


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## MadHunter

I ran out of patience with my first 4 daughters.....I want to see the darn thing now!!!!!!!!!


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## pheaz

MadHunter said:


> I ran out of patience with my first 4 daughters.....I want to see the darn thing now!!!!!!!!!


+1 but 2 daughters


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## goofy elk

I can tell you from experience,,,,The Henry's with a bow is no cake walk.

Yes, the big bucks are easy to see, but getting within bow range of the "big bucks"
is a whole different story...

I hunted it for many years and only managed to harvest two with a bow..


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## NHS

no buck today. I found a HUGE typical 4x4 who gave me the slip in the scrub oak. I will post pics and update tonight


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## Packout

It sounds like your hunt is meeting all your expectations. What a great reason to have to wake up each morning. Best of luck!


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## elk22hunter

I'm on needles and Pins Nate!


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## proutdoors

Stay strong and steady!


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## NHS

Ok. I'm back home tonight. It KILLED me to come home, but I gotta work to pay the bills.
Let me first say that this whole experience has been the single coolest hunting experience in my life. I had a fantastic experience 2 years ago on an open bull unit and lucked into a great bull. That experience was amazing. Once we located the elk, the strategy, the tracking, the stealthy stalk and then shooting a big bull in its bed from 45 yards was unforgettable.

The thing that has been cool about this hunt is that it has gone on now for more than 4 months...actually longer than that. I have been dreaming about chasing big mulies on the Henry Mountains for years. When I learned that I drew the tag, this thing has consumed a large portion of my thoughts and dreams. The planning and strategy, meeting new people and getting information. Learning new country, seeing new sights....it has all been one fun ride. I guess what I am trying to say is that this hunt has been everything I could have hoped for in a premium limited entry hunt. Even if I eat tag soup (which I have NO intention of doing) I will have zero regrets.

That said, I have still felt a great deal of pressure. Most of it is self-imposed. This is a hunt of a lifetime. I don't want to screw it up by doing something stupid. As a result, I have tried to think of every scenario and angle. I probably have over thought things. That is where I found myself on Saturday morning. Saturday I found myself almost frantic in searching for a shooter buck. As a result, I did not have the right attitude and perspective. Here is a buck I found first thing on Saturday. I blew right past this guy and didn't even give him a second look. As I look at him now, I think "wow, what a great mule deer".










I spent most of the day Saturday saying things like, "too small", "weak fronts", "he's kind of crabby", "too willowy", "too young", "not what I'm looking for" etc. Saturday night I laid eyes on one cool buck. The guy I talked to from Richfield who has been hunting him called him the tripod buck. He is a stud of a buck.


















Sunday was a good day for me. I don't want this to turn into a no-hunting-on-Sunday thread. If you hunt on Sunday, more power to you and I wish you the most success possible. For me personally, it's something I choose not to do. But taking that day off on Sunday was the best thing that could have done to get my head straight. Sunday night we drove back to look at Tripod and his posse. There were 3 other REALLY nice bucks with him as well as a whole bunch of interference. The Richfield Hunter was just coming back to the road after sitting on Tripod all day. We had a great chat. He and his hunting buddy are good dudes.

Monday morning I started set up where I hoped Tripod and his posse would pass. They went the other way and headed into the timber to bed. I knew the other hunter was in that timber. I did not want to blow his hunt, so I hiked around the mountain and came from the backside above him. It took me over 2 hours to sneak in about 100 yards. I finally found the bucks that were bedded. That is when I gave the update on my phone. I spent an hour just 50 yards from this guy. What do you think, is he a shooter?










As I sat there trying to talk myself into shooting this buck, a quick micro burst thunderstorm moved in. In the end, I'm glad I was patient. Fate decided the situation for me. When that storm came in, the bucks scented either me or Richfield&#8230;either way, they bolted like they had been shocked by a cattle prod.

Monday was an AWESOME day. I had been within bow range of SEVERAL mature bucks. I crawled and rolled around in the dirt for more than 6 hours. I hiked about 2 miles, about 1 of it straight up, and the other 1 straight down. It doesn't get any better than that!
That night I went to Richfield's camp and talked strategy. He wants that Tripod buck bad. Since he found him before I did, I feel like it is the right thing to do to let him have first crack at it. Like I said, this is a stand-up guy. I agreed to steer clear of this patch of timber for the short-term. As a result, he told me where I could find a stud of a typical 4X4.

I found that buck this morning. He was too close to us for me to get out the scope and get a good pic. I had to snap this pic with my point and shoot as we were pretending to drive by so as not to alarm him. After a quick gear check, I set out to stalk him. He ultimately gave me the slip in the oak brush, but I know where he lives and I will be back for a visit. He is a WIDE perfectly symmetrical 4 point. A truly beautiful buck I would be proud to have hang on my wall (read unfinished basement wall)









Like I said, overall it has been incredible. I can't wait to get back down there. Sorry this was so long&#8230;&#8230;there will be more to come.
Here are a few photos:

Some of Tripod's posse:
























Cheater buck on top:









"Them Sirens loved him up and turned him into a h...horny toad!"









A couple of great 4 point.









Me with my father-in-law. A great guy and friend:









Stay tuned. More to come.........Hopefully!


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## AF CYN

Great pictures and narrative. Those are some awesome bucks. It would be hard for me to pass em' up, but you've got to make the choice that's right for you. It's your hunt. I'm sure you'll get a good one. It's more about the experience than the score and you've already had a great experience. Extra inches are just the icing on the cake. 

By the way, love the horny toad quote.


----------



## xxxxxxBirdDogger

> "Sorry this was so long."


You're killing me.

We want more! We want more! We want more!

Also, I'd have shot Tripod without thinking twice about it. Nice guy, found it first, whatever...I'd figure it was me who waited 18 years and then got to within 50 yards so I'm taking my shot. You're way too nice for giving Richfield that chance, unless you're after a better buck that you know about.


----------



## king eider

Awesome!!! Sure enjoying your thread! Good luck to you and thanks for the update!! You sound like a stand up guy. I hope karma returns a good favor your way...


----------



## Huge29

Awesome, thanks for sharing!


----------



## manysteps

You sure you don't need some help from some of "those in the know"? Seems to me there was a pretty good "guide" that posted a video about how to shoot a buck not so long ago... memory says he was a "Staff'r"... just sayin'...


I. Am. So. Jealous. I. Can't. Stand. It.


----------



## elk22hunter

Darin Noorda said:


> You sound like a stand up guy.


He's not that great. :mrgreen:

Nate, you are the Man! This has been a fun thread to read. Having been there before, it just adds to the excitement in knowing what you are going through. I spoke to "Mountain View" through a friend tonight. He has been having a blast as well.............who wouldn't though. 
I dont' know why you came home to work because you aren't going to be worth a crap until that buckie hits the dirt! Great pics. That flaired out 4x with the stickers is what you had at 50 yards?


----------



## wyogoob

Wow, that's a nice Horny Toad!


----------



## NHS

elk22hunter said:


> That flaired out 4x with the stickers is what you had at 50 yards?


Yep. Did I make the right choice by not shooting? Your words to me on Sunday about when you talked yourself into shooting your bull kept going through my head. I was trying to talk myself into it for an hour. It all worked out how it should have.


----------



## elk22hunter

NHS said:


> elk22hunter said:
> 
> 
> 
> That flaired out 4x with the stickers is what you had at 50 yards?
> 
> 
> 
> Yep. Did I make the right choice by not shooting? Your words to me on Sunday about when you talked yourself into shooting your bull kept going through my head. I was trying to talk myself into it for an hour. It all worked out how it should have.
Click to expand...

He looks to be 30 inches. I hope that you don't have to hang that picture on your wall for the rest of your life. haha


----------



## Packout

Nate, a most excellent post. Thanks for the update. Now, if that wide buck presents a shot again, well, elk22 needs more success photos and I have a kid that needs braces.... if you know what I mean.....  The good thing about passing on bucks is you get to do it all over again! Oh and the first buck you just drove by, he wasn't half bad either. Keep the great attitude and shoot whatever makes you happy. 

--Did your "friend of a friend", who sent you the photo, ever tell you where that buck was?


----------



## Bo0YaA

Not sure how you keep passing on these bucks!! I would have shot that buck with cheaters. Patience is a good thing but indecision can wind up being tag soup.


----------



## NHS

Packout said:


> --Did your "friend of a friend", who sent you the photo, ever tell you where that buck was?


Nope, and I didn't ask. I met the friend of a friend in person over the weekend. He showed me some video of this buck. It is one of the most amazing animals I have ever seen. This friend of a friend has put too many hours to count into finding animals like this. I figure he paid the price to know where that buck lives, and it is his knowledge to do with whatever he wants....that's not to say that I wouldn't listen to him if he wanted to talk.


----------



## Packout

I figured you wouldn't have asked, so that is why I wondered if he told you. haha


----------



## Bears Butt

NHS, this is one of the best threads I have ever read. Keep it up. You are seeing and passing up some incredible bucks and I sure hope in the end you have a toad of a wall hanger. I admire you for passing on the other guys buck, even though you had every right to stick it. You will get a reward for doing just what you have done. I can't wait to read the next of the series. Good luck and God bless you!


----------



## Boulderhunter

Nate, I don't know you but having said that I along with other's (I'm assuming) who are also following you on your post and up-dates, have had the opportunity to get to know a little about you and the passion you have and share with the rest of us for hunting and for hunting Big Mulies....esp. on a unit like the Henry mtns. It's been enjoyable to read your up-dates and get an almost "play by play" accounting of your hunt as it un-folds. I too have had the opportunity to hold some great tags (L.E. & once in a lifetime) so I understand and "get it" when you say "it's a hunt of a lifetime" because it truly is. Thanks again for keeping us posted with words and pictures, I know we are all living vicariously through you as your hunt un-folds and plays out. Best of luck Nate and soak in every minute of it...


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

NHS said:


> "Them Sirens loved him up and turned him into a h...horny toad!"


You just had too...... Does he now reside in a shoe box?

Awesome story, Nate. As has been mentioned, you are a hell of a feller.


----------



## MadHunter

That is an awesome post Nate. Made me feel like I was right there. I have to agree with BooYaa...I don't think I would have passed up on some of those bucks. That makes you the better hunter for it.

I am sure the outcome of this hunt is already a successful one being that, based on your words so far, you have enjoyed every minute out there and have gotten to live a dream. Most people never do. I will scrub up some patience (even though my daughters took most of it) and will wait untill closing day to see what the final verdict is. Keep the dream alive buddy.

BTW....What do you think that horny toad scores? I see he's got kickers all the way down the back!


----------



## NHS

Thanks for the comments guys. This has been a ride. Just to be clear, I did not have a shot at the tripod buck. If I would have, I can't say that I would have passed it up to let Richfield take him. The buck I was within 50 yards of and made the decision to pass on was the 4X with matching stickers.

This is a scary thing to post this story out there as it is unfolding. I don't know how it is going to end. It could be a crash and burn.....and it will be out there for the whole world to read. What have I done? :lol:


----------



## bullsnot

Nate as far as I'm concerned your hunt is already a success. Between all the scouting, sticking to your personal ethics, meeting other folks, stepping out of the way for another hunter, the stalks, the crawling, the hiking, the shooting and preperation you've done is top notch buddy. Thanks for taking us along and no matter what happens I believe your hunt already to be a success. No need for a kill to be validated. We just enjoy going along with you.

Thanks for the pics and the story. This is awesome!!!


----------



## angrychair

This thread is great!  You should print it and hang it on the wall. NHS I think you have earned a lot of respect with this thread, good job....


----------



## NHS

With all the excitement glassing and chasing deer, I have neglected to post any pics of that came from my trailcam. This is the first year I have used one of these things. I am for the most part a thrifty person. The thought of leaving a C note on a hill for some low life to walk off with goes against my grain, so when I found one on clearance for $40, I thought, what the heck.

My thoughts on the trail cam are this. It is of no use to locate a big buck on the Henry, especially if you are placing one blind. The best way to locate a big buck is to glass, glass, and glass some more. When you get "scope eye" in your dominant eye, switch to your weak eye and glass some more. When you have located a big buck, a trail cam might help to tell you his pattern and habits. Nonetheless, the pictures are sure fun to look at.

I placed my camera blindly both times. The first time was in a draw that had water in it in June and then dried up shortly after. The second time I placed it in the top of one of the basins on Ellen. It was a miserable sidehill climb and walk over ankle-breaking rocks. BIGBEAN and I hiked it in. He can tell you about the cramps I got later that day in both my inner thighs from all the sidehill-rockslide-hang on for dear life walking. When I hiked in to pick up the camera, one thing was for certain, no deer pic on my camera would make that hike in again worth it.

Here are a couple of pictures:



















A unique buck:


















These next 4 pics are of a great management buck. There are A LOT of 3x4 bucks down there:




































Here are a few more to look at. Enjoy.


----------



## adamsoa

Great pictures and great post!!!!! Good Luck. 

I have 12 deer points, waiting for the Henries archery and You're making me glad that I decided to wait!


----------



## BIGBEAN

Well the hike up that draw seemed well worth it. Your camera got some great photos. 8)


----------



## wyogoob

Doesn't get any better than that! That #005 pic is the best.


----------



## temproost

o-||


----------



## AF CYN

Only in the Henry Mountains can you just point a camera towards an open hillside and get pictures like that. Awesome!


----------



## sawsman

bullsnot said:


> Nate as far as I'm concerned your hunt is already a success. Between all the scouting, sticking to your personal ethics, meeting other folks, stepping out of the way for another hunter, the stalks, the crawling, the hiking, the shooting and preperation you've done is top notch buddy. Thanks for taking us along and no matter what happens I believe your hunt already to be a success. No need for a kill to be validated. We just enjoy going along with you.
> 
> Thanks for the pics and the story. This is awesome!!!


+1 !


----------



## TopofUtahArcher

Nate, I have to think there was something there to draw them in for the pictures... can you hint or elude to the foliage (or other) that was bringing them into your focal area like that? I can't imagine a place where that many quality bucks would simply "pass by"... maybe I am wrong..


----------



## NHS

TopofUtahArcher said:


> Nate, I have to think there was something there to draw them in for the pictures... can you hint or elude to the foliage (or other) that was bringing them into your focal area like that? I can't imagine a place where that many quality bucks would simply "pass by"... maybe I am wrong..


Funny you should ask. When my cousin and I were down there scouting, he mentioned to me that we should have brought some salt or other attractant to put down in front of the camera. I didn't think of it before hand and so to answer your question, those bucks simply passed by. We saw this basin from the road. We glassed several bucks in there. When we made the hike into that place we counted 17 bucks that vacated the area. When I got up to the head, I tried to find a place that was more open an looked heavily used and traveled. I tried to point the camera so that it was not looking directly into the sun. To be honest, I was very surprised that I captured the number of pictures that it did. It is hard to imagine a place where that many quality bucks pass by....but it does exist.


----------



## Huge29

Awesome! I like #35, I am a sucker for the cheaters, even more so than width maybe!


----------



## Critter

For those of you that have never been down to the Henry Mountains either deer hunting or just sight seeing and watching the bison you really need to go. When I hunted it we used to sit in camp and watch the big bucks up on the open meadows just grazing in the early morning and then plan our stalks for that evening. The basin that NHS is describing sounds like Bromine Basin. You never know just what you might see up there.


----------



## bigbucks243

I have video of that big wide thing! it is for sure a true giant!


----------



## MadHunter

bigbucks243 said:


> I have video of that big wide thing! it is for sure a true giant!


Post it up! We all gota see.


----------



## NHS

In a truck southbound and down. When the sun comes up tomorrow, I'll be on the hill bow in hand....


----------



## MadHunter

Go get em Nate. I am sure you will do just fine. Keep the updates coming if you can.


----------



## martymcfly73

I'm on the edge of my seat.....


----------



## NHS

No buck today. 2 stalks on 2 big bucks. Close but no cigar. Pics and story when I get home. Long drive ahead tonight. I hope Treehugginhunter can stay awake.


----------



## MadHunter

Don't sweat it Nate. You got to walk on the wild side. When is the last day of your hunt?


----------



## Packout

You had to get Tree back for tomorrow?  Drive safe and get ready for the next trip.


----------



## TEX-O-BOB

I think Tree was probably good to go, NHS needs to get back for priesthood meeting in the morning...


----------



## elk22hunter

TEX-O-BOB said:


> I think Tree was probably good to go, NHS needs to get back for priesthood meeting in the morning...


You say that like it is a bad thing................Way to set the example NHS. I know that it worked for Gruntsmacker in getting him a MONSTER Moose!


----------



## NHS

Right on the money TEX.

Boy, getting close to a big one is not easy. Overall a good day. It was good to spend some time with Tree. He isn't as ornery and cantankerous as I had imagined. :mrgreen:

The trip started off exciting with a brief middle of the night rain storm. We just crashed in the bed of the truck, so we had to Mcgiver a shelter. Luckily I chucked an old tent in. The rainfly fit over the bed of the truck just like it was made for it.

First thing this morning we started to see deer. There were some bruisers up on the skyline. How would you get to them?

























After some more glassing, Tree found a big heavy buck that was definately in a huntable area. He is the buck in the upper right.








These bucks were feeding from the open area to a bedding area. The plan was for me to get around the hill and come up from the backside of the ridge. I either under estimated the height and steepness of the ridge, or over estimated my ability to climb it quickly...I'm not sure which one. By the time I topped out on this ridge, the bucks had already made their way into the timber to bed.

This was thick nasty juniper, pinion, scrub, and pines. I did my best to sneak in there and find the bucks before they found me. Unfortunately, we found each other at the same time at about 40 yards. The bucks snorted, and jumped. They were in a bunch of thick stuff. Even if I had located them first, I would not have had a shooting lane.

After I made my way back to Tree, we continued glassing different areas of the mountain. We made our way over to check on Richfield to see if he killed his buck yet. The tripod is still eluding him. He was close today, but as I have come to realize...close doesn't count.

We continued on our way to find a big deer to stalk. The small group of skyline bucks was still on top. They are fun to look at and take pictures of.









We found the club buck. His right side is like a giant club. He is a pretty unique buck.









Here is another buck that let us take his picture.









Towards the end of the afternoon, I looked over on a far point and found 3 BIG bucks. 2 of them were something special. They were in a huntable location, so after I snapped a pic, we hurried to get into place. This picture does not due them justice. They were heavy, wide and tall....that is a great combination.









I hurried as quicky and quietly as I could. Conditions seemed to be perfect. I came around the back side of the knoll they were feeding on. As I came around, it started to rain. Stalking conditions were perfect. When the rain started, the wind shifted and started to blow down hill. I was not concerned, because I thought that I would come around below them. It turns out that I came around above them. The three of them were huddled behind a small tree 70 yards directly downhill from me. I knew they could smell me because their heads were on a swivel. But they had no idea where I was. I could see giant antlers turning back and forth above the tree. That is enough to get the blood pumping! I tried to get in a location to possibly have my scent carried away from them. After watching them for a few minutes, they turned and slowly headed downhill away from me, never presenting a shot.

It was another great day in the field. I learned a few things that hopefully I can use to my advantage when I head down again. This sure has been a great experience. Sometimes I need to pinch myself. I'M HUNTING THE HENRY!!!


----------



## pheaz

WOW sure doesnt seem to be lacking deer on the "Henrys" hmmmm wonder why.


----------



## fixed blade XC-3

Nate, Quit being so **** picky and stick one already! What are you waiting for their velvet to fall off or something???


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

pheaz said:


> WOW sure doesnt seem to be lacking deer on the "Henrys" hmmmm wonder why.


No need to wonder. We harvest about 3% of the deer population each year and spend millions of dollars on habitat improvement and predator annihilation. Do that with any unit and it'd look the same, especially if it is as remote as the Henry's.

BTW, it's below population objective by about half and trending the same as the rest of the state.

Thanks for the great time, Nate.


----------



## AF CYN

Nice report--those skyline bucks are amazing!


----------



## elk22hunter

Lots of potatoes in your stories. One of these times you will have to add some meat!  

Seriously, I have enjoyed reading the updates. It just goes to show you that you have been keeping the wrong company even as enjoyable and dependable your sidekicks have been. You need your "lucky charm". The same guy that brought you your luck on the Elk hunt. When you and AF head down next weekend, it's gunna get Western!!!


----------



## pheaz

Treehugnhuntr said:


> pheaz said:
> 
> 
> 
> WOW sure doesnt seem to be lacking deer on the "Henrys" hmmmm wonder why.
> 
> 
> 
> No need to wonder. We harvest about 3% of the deer population each year and spend millions of dollars on habitat improvement and predator annihilation. Do that with any unit and it'd look the same, especially if it is as remote as the Henry's.
> 
> BTW, it's below population objective by about half and trending the same as the rest of the state.
> 
> Thanks for the great time, Nate.
Click to expand...

Tree I for one have never even seen the Henry so this looks alot like Hunter Paradise too me


----------



## NHS

Believe me 22...I am ready to add some meat to the pot. I'm not yet ready to cut up a hotdog and throw in there, I'm still trying to find a good steak. It doesn't need to be Filet Mignon. A good old 20 oz T-bone would suffice.


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

pheaz said:


> Treehugnhuntr said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pheaz said:
> 
> 
> 
> WOW sure doesnt seem to be lacking deer on the "Henrys" hmmmm wonder why.
> 
> 
> 
> No need to wonder. We harvest about 3% of the deer population each year and spend millions of dollars on habitat improvement and predator annihilation. Do that with any unit and it'd look the same, especially if it is as remote as the Henry's.
> 
> BTW, it's below population objective by about half and trending the same as the rest of the state.
> 
> Thanks for the great time, Nate.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Tree I for one have never even seen the Henry so this looks alot like Hunter Paradise too me
Click to expand...

It is a hunters paradise and seeing these animals, much less hunting them is a pretty neat experience. It got me to thinking. The way the Henry's are set up, I'd guess that there is virtually 0 vehicular deaths on the unit. It's literally an island in the desert.

As Critter has mentioned several times. If you haven't been there, it's worth the drive just for the scenery.


----------



## goforbroke

elk22hunter said:


> Lots of potatoes in your stories. One of these times you will have to add some meat!
> 
> Seriously, I have enjoyed reading the updates. It just goes to show you that you have been keeping the wrong company even as enjoyable and dependable your sidekicks have been. You need your "lucky charm". The same guy that brought you your luck on the Elk hunt. When you and AF head down next weekend, it's gunna get Western!!!


Since AF brought him good luck on an elk, I think AF should come down to the San Juan and be my lucky charm for an elk!!!


----------



## middlefork

Great story. Good luck to you. 

ps Pheaz just go to AI it's a lot closer and you can see the same size deer.


----------



## FishlakeElkHunter

Tripod Buck is DEAD!!!!! Just got a picture on my phone....and he is a GREAT buck. I did not realize it, but the guy that killed it is actually from Annabella (right by Richfield) and he is a GREAT GREAT guy. I don't know if this is the guy that you were talking to, but congrats to him for smoking a great buck!


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

Nice! Mace does seem like a great person. 

Jeremy Huston has some great photos of that buck on his website.


----------



## FishlakeElkHunter

Mace is a really great guy and is a true sportsman! But the only thing that sucks about him....he drew that tag with 0...yep that is right....0 Points!~!!! 

Glad he killed such a great buck!


----------



## Packout

Nice photos. That would have been a fun trip, with many stories told.

The more hunters who kill, the less there are to worry about. Sounds like a great guy killed a great deer.


----------



## NHS

FishlakeElkHunter said:


> Tripod Buck is DEAD!!!!! Just got a picture on my phone....and he is a GREAT buck. I did not realize it, but the guy that killed it is actually from Annabella (right by Richfield) and he is a GREAT GREAT guy. I don't know if this is the guy that you were talking to, but congrats to him for smoking a great buck!


Good for him!! That is the guy I was talking to. I wasn't sure how he would feel about me using his real name here, so I decided to call him "Richfield". Richfield sounds a bit more masculine than Annabella. You are right, he is a great guy. There is no one else out there that I would rather see get that buck than him.

I got a pretty good gut feeling that this next trip down there is going to produce for me. I can't wait to get back on the hill!


----------



## USMARINEhuntinfool

Your a good man NHS, can't wait to see your success story! Thanks for taking us along so far. Happy hunting


----------



## AF CYN

elk22hunter said:


> goforbroke said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> elk22hunter said:
> 
> 
> 
> You need your "lucky charm". The same guy that brought you your luck on the Elk hunt. When you and AF head down next weekend, it's gunna get Western!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Since AF brought him good luck on an elk, I think AF should come down to the San Juan and be my lucky charm for an elk!!!
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I'm starting to feel the pressure and it's not even my tag! :shock:


----------



## NHS

The picture is getting around pretty fast. Here is Richfield with the tripod buck. I can't wait to hear the story from him. From the looks of the photo, he finally caught tripod coming into the patch of timber. Good for Mace!


----------



## JERRY

Very nice! Congrats to him!


----------



## FishlakeElkHunter

NHS...you are right...I would rather be called "richfield" than "anabella" too!! hahaha

I have a few more pictures and from what I hear, the story is great! Unofficial score is 222 3/8ths 

What a smoker buck for sure!


----------



## pheaz

**** NHS I was pulling that buck would come home with you. Congrats to the hunter thers still a good one out there for you.


----------



## elk22hunter

I was thinking that because of the crab claw on the left front, that I would have passed but since his score is "222" that has to be cool enough to shoot him just for that reason alone!


----------



## Packout

That is a neat deer, even if he did keep forking on the end of his beams. haha I'd like to see those antlers without the covers on. He has some real character.

Bucks are stripping velvet, polishing antlers, and greying up. Now the real fun begins......


----------



## NHS

I think I may be returning a bottle of stuff to you packout. If I connect, I most likely will unzip the antlers.


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

Yeah, gonna be hard pressed to get solid fuzz on a buck bout now.


----------



## MadHunter

Congrats to Mace on an incredible buck. That smile on his face is reminicent to a kid getting his first bike on christmas. That right there is what keep one coming back.



Treehugnhuntr said:


> Yeah, gonna be hard pressed to get solid fuzz on a buck bout now.


I actually like the partially dropped look on a buck. Am I the only weird one like that?


----------



## bullsnot

So when is the next trip Nate?


----------



## NHS

bullsnot said:


> So when is the next trip Nate?


Headed back down Thursday after work for the long weekend. Its time to get this thing done!


----------



## MadHunter

And we have full faith in you Nate. For some reason (karma, I believe it is) good things tend to happen to good people and I am sure something good will happen for you.


----------



## Boulderhunter

Just had to throw my .02 in and wish you luck on your return trip Nate, best of luck and congrat. to "Richfield" (Mace) on a trophy of a lifetime. Thanks again for taking us all on a ride of a lifetime...


----------



## NHS

Thanks for the well wishes. The truck is packed and loaded. I'm out of here in 30 minutes. I have the butterflies. I'm not sure who wants this to happen more...me or Mrs NHS. My wife is ready for this to be done! I'll send updates when I can. Be good while I'm away.


----------



## MadHunter

Best of luck out there Nate. Oh, Carrots! Dont' forget the carrots.


----------



## USMARINEhuntinfool

GIT-ER-DUN!!! Good luck man, we're cheering for ya


----------



## Longgun

Good luck sir! 8) 

... cant wait for the updates!


----------



## MadHunter

This waiting think is really getting on my nerves. I really hope Nate gets his buck. Then I can breathe easy. I'll tell you....if he does put something down I will be the first one to hop to the north side of main street and check this thing out first hand.

Nate.... Good luck amigo!


----------



## MuleyPrince

Dear Nate,

Just a wide, tall, heavy, deep-tined, non-crabby, typical four-spiker, if you please.

(And pick one with real big eye guards and perhaps a kicker or two jutting out the sides of his frame, just to make it all the more interesting for us to gawk at, will ya?)  

And when you let that arrow fly and it connects, know that your success couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Good huntin'!

Signed,

Your Very Anxious Friends


----------



## NHS

Sitting in the top of a pine patch waiting for the bucks to feed closer to me. Hunted hard yesterday and today. I was at full draw 28 yds from a beautiful 170 buck this morning. I would have killed him if he only would have stood up

I found a WIDE back up buck if the one I'm hunting doesn't pan out. He is wide and thick, but short on tines. I am hunting a buck AF calls Elmo. AF giggles like Elmo everytime he looks at him. 

Having a blast. One of these times everything will line up infront of a good buck.


----------



## goofy elk

Nate, when your high on Ellen (like you are now) , have you noticed you can actually
see the curvature of the earth?


----------



## goofy elk

I hear they filled the sportsman's tag on the Henry's today,,,,,,230+.


----------



## sawsman

goofy elk said:


> I hear they filled the sportsman's tag on the Henry's today,,,,,,230+.


Cant wait to see that one.. o-||


----------



## martymcfly73

Goofy's just making sure everyone knows what a class act he is by telling everyone the locations.


----------



## Andymansavage

Woah! The sportsmans tag holder hunted the henries? Next thing you'll tell us is that the sun rises in the east! Way to ruin a secret spot goofy....


----------



## goofy elk

martymcfly73 said:


> Goofy's just making sure everyone knows what a class act he is by telling everyone the locations.


WTF :shock:

Guess I let the cat out of the bag..

Apparently Marty didn't know the Henry's is the GREATEST LOCATION
on earth for mule deer..................................


----------



## longbow

Geez Goofy, you know that if you hadn't let the cat out of the bag that no one would have ever found out.


----------



## TEX-O-BOB

This might sound a bit "goofy" but if I had the sportsmans tag I'd hunt the front. Just as big, lot's closer to home...


----------



## Bergy

Pictures of the Sportsman buck are on Tines Up. Ive never seen one that big on the front. Hope NHS gets his big brother.


----------



## TEX-O-BOB

Bergy said:


> Pictures of the Sportsman buck are on Tines Up. Ive never seen one that big on the front. Hope NHS gets his big brother.


You aint lookin in the right spots... 



> Pictures of the Sportsman buck are on Tines Up


Really? I couldn't find em...


----------



## MadHunter

http://www.tinesup.com/board/board_topic/5303684/1947462.htm

The second buck is supposed to be the sportsman's tag buck!

What a monster!


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

Looks like Nate's whitetail buck. Was it killed with a rifle?


----------



## goofy elk

Treehugnhuntr said:


> Looks like Nate's whitetail buck. Was it killed with a rifle?


Yes.


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

So, were all of the archers on the henrys wearing orange? I think it would be good to require the governor and sportsman tag holder to hunt with a bow/muzzy during the respective season(s). 

Having a guy toting a rifle around while archers may be stalking/hunting the same animals is ridiculous in my mind. If they don't want to hunt with a muzzy or bow, they have 11 months to take care of filling their tag. Seems practical to me.


----------



## goofy elk

Not required,,,,,covered in the Utah code.

Requirement to wear
hunter orange
Utah Code §§ 23-20-31 and 23-20-31
If you’re hunting in an area where a centerfire
rifle hunt is occurring, you must wear a minimum
of 400 square inches of hunter orange material on
your head, chest and back.
A camouflage pattern in hunter orange meets
this requirement; however, the Division strongly
encourages hunters to continue using solid hunter
orange whenever possible.
There are some exceptions to the hunter
orange rule. You’re not required to wear hunter
orange if you’re participating in a bighorn sheep
hunt, a bison hunt, a moose hunt or a mountain
goat hunt—or a hunt that requires you to possess
a statewide conservation permit or a statewide
sportsman’s permit—unless a centerfire rifle
hunt is in progress in the same area.


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

So that covers the permit holder. What about everyone else? Seems to me that if the owner of the sportsmans permit is hunting with a rifle, it would fall under that definition. 

Off topic, but I wonder if thered be a governors tag is we didn't have a sportsmans tag? Binky, anyone?


Nate, show us the pictures of your buck. Momentarily subdue the self aggrandizing. o-||


----------



## pheaz

Well if its not Mossback screwing you up is happens to be the governors tag. Everyone wears orange but.... I totally agree TREE pizzpoor. Sorry I just hate this **** system.


----------



## MadHunter

So back to the topic of this thread......... 
*NATE, show us your buck! The suspense is killing me.*


----------



## manysteps

Hey NHS... when you're done, and you finally bag this big SOB, send me a picture of you and it. (preferably one that shows off it's finest qualities)... I'll make ya somethin' special with the picture.


----------



## TEX-O-BOB

TEX-O-BOB said:


> Bergy said:
> 
> 
> 
> Pictures of the Sportsman buck are on Tines Up. Ive never seen one that big on the front. Hope NHS gets his big brother.
> 
> 
> 
> You aint lookin in the right spots...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Pictures of the Sportsman buck are on Tines Up
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Really? I couldn't find em...
Click to expand...

OK, now that I've seen the Sportsmans tag buck I can honestly say I've never seen ONE deer that big on the front... I've seen THREE. But, I've also been hunting the front for 30 years...


----------



## Bears Butt

NHS, where are YOU?


----------



## pheaz

And more suspense as we wait for the pictures


----------



## elk22hunter

Whoooo Hooooo!!! The Beast is DEAD! Long live the Beast!

I just recieved a phone call from NHS. He is coming off the mountain as we speak and headed for home. He killed a buck that he doesn't know width or such but is one of the photo's that he posted earlier on the hoof. 

He had some awesome highs and some little lows but he got it done with his bow and this is his first archery kill EVER! Pretty gutsy move to cash in your points on an archery tag for the Henry's with not a ton of experience. 

Good Job Nate.

He will be posting photo's and the story asap.


----------



## MadHunter

CONGRATS TO YOU NATE!

I knew you could do it.


----------



## manysteps

WOOHOO! Way to go!


----------



## Catherder

Awesome! OOO°)OO *-band-* 

And thanks for the adventure from the drawing to the end. Great stuff. (Now I can get more stuff done here at work without checking for hunt updates.  )


----------



## Packout

NHS sounded like my 9 year old son who just had an ice cream sundae set down in from of him. He said AF sounded like Elmo while looking at a buck. Sounded to me like the 5 days together rubbed off on NHS. Well done. Congrats on the memories made!


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

Sounds like pictures in a few hours. Can't wait to see the old bruiser. AWESOME!!!!!


----------



## Bo0YaA

Bout dang time!!! lol Good Job NHS. Now hurry and get some pics up!


----------



## FSHCHSR

NHS after reading 23 pages I almost feel like i know you so a big congrats cant wait to see pics


----------



## martymcfly73

I'M so excited! Congrats.


----------



## TEX-O-BOB

*()* *()* *()* *()* *()* *()* *()* *()* *()* *()* *()* *()* *()* 

Cant wait! The suspense is KILLING me!


----------



## Clarq

Me too. I can't wait to see it. Congratulations!


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

Just use Packout's computer ande post the pics already!!! :mrgreen:


----------



## elk22hunter

I already told you all that if you have read this thread, you have seen the buckie!


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

I saw him, but you don't wanna give it away. Besides, he's but on some antler since then......


----------



## elk22hunter

I will not tell anyone which pic it is................that adds to the suspense and besides, Nate gets to let the cat out of the bag...............it's only right!


----------



## Huge29

elk22hunter said:


> I will not tell anyone which pic it is................that adds to the suspense and besides, Nate gets to let the cat out of the bag...............it's only right!


He didn't think so with your elk last year, so just for spite you should do it! :mrgreen:


----------



## TEX-O-BOB

I can't take it any more! I'm driving over to his house right now!


----------



## Huge29

I thought it would be funny to make a joke and point out a small one in one of his pics, but crap, there aren't any small ones! Ruined my whole plan!


----------



## elk22hunter

I just wish that we would have been on page "22" when he made the announcement instead of 23.


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

I can delete a page or so? :mrgreen:


----------



## NHS

I finally made it home and took care of the things that can't wait until tomorrow. What an adventure this has been. I would like to over the next few days share pictures and experiences that I had that to me were amazing.

For those of you hoping to see a 200" monster, you are going to be disappointed. I hunted my guts out on this hunt and passed on bucks that I never imagined I would ever see in the wild. My goal when I started this hunt was to take a fully matured mule deer. In the end, it came down literally to the final hour I had to hunt. I will share the story and experience in more detail tomorrow when time permits.

This is by far my biggest mule deer, and as 22 said, my first big game animal of any kind with a bow. What a rush. I have ended my hunt with zero regrets and experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

Here is what he looked like in June:









Here is what he looked like Sunday night:









And here is what he looked like about 12:20 PM today:









Thank you all for your kinds words and thoughts. Like I said earlier, this was a scary thing for me to lay this all out there as it unfolded. It could have ended in a train wreck, but for me, it ended in a dream being realized.

NHS


----------



## kailey29us

WOW looks like a great buck, congrats.


----------



## Huge29

Very nice, congrats! Gotta be >30" wide!


----------



## FSHCHSR

8) Nice awsome buck cant wait to read the story and see more pics


----------



## elk22hunter

Way to accomplish your dream Nate!!!

I have seen the kickstand on the side of the antler to help pose a buck for photo's but never the stick in the nostril. I learn something new every day! haha Nice Job!


----------



## tshuntin

Huge congrats and thanks so much for allowing us all to follow along. And even more thanks for posting this tonight so that I can finally go to bed!  8)


----------



## Treehugnhuntr

Sweet, sweet, sweet!


----------



## MadHunter

Many congrats Nate. One heck of a trip you took us all on and one heck of a buck for your wall. Enjoy the memories made and the experience gained.


----------



## Bo0YaA

WOW! what a monster and to have the memory of this being your first archery animal is just awesome!! congrats and thanks for taking us along on this life long memory of yours.


----------



## bwhntr

Love how you have shared your experiences with the rest of us along the way. This hunt you drew on was enjoyed by many others because of this thread. Thank you for that. I for one have enjoyed reading about your journey and have looked forward to see what you post up next. Congrats on a beautiful buck and more importantly the memories you will have to share for the rest of your life.


----------



## utahgolf

haven't posted on this thread yet but followed it everyday. cool lookin deer! congrats!


----------



## TEX-O-BOB

bwhntr said:


> Love how you have shared your experiences with the rest of us along the way. This hunt you drew on was enjoyed by many others because of this thread. Thank you for that. I for one have enjoyed reading about your journey and have looked forward to see what you post up next. Congrats on a beautiful buck and more importantly the memories you will have to share for the rest of your life.


What he said!


----------



## wyogoob

utahgolf said:


> haven't posted on this thread yet but followed it everyday. cool lookin deer! congrats!


Same here.

Great buck and well-earned.


----------



## JERRY

Congratulations on your success!

Definitely the buck of a lifetime!

What's next?


----------



## Bears Butt

What an enjoyable ride NHS! This has to be one of my favorite threads. Congrats on a VERY NICE BUCK!!!! You are the man!!!


----------



## Boulderhunter

Nate, like so many others on this thread have allready stated....congratulations ! The ride has been amazing to say the least and I've enjoyed the up-dates as they have un-folded, thanks again for sharing your experience with all of us. What a great buck Nate and now you have that hunt of a lifetime to look back on and re-live again and again....Congrats Nate.


----------



## FC2Tuber

What a cool buck! Thanks for sharing this experience with us.


----------



## jahan

Nate, thanks for taking us along on your journey. I was so excited for you from the moment I heard you drew the tag, it couldn't have happened to a better guy. Once again Congrats on a great hunt!


----------



## blackdog

That's a great buck. Nice work.


----------



## GaryFish

Nice buckie and a hunt of a lifetime. Well done and thanks for sharing.


----------



## Longgun

Nice work! Congrats to you and thanks for the great story telling/sharing.


BUT you could use some work on that smile...  J/K of course!!


----------



## Fishracer

Congrats and thanks for the ride!


----------



## trophyonly

Congratulations, that's a great buck. Thanks for sharing the experience!


----------



## c3hammer

Congrats NHS !!!

That's a cool looking buck. It's even more sweet to have film of him from this summer before and after. That was my goal on my SJ elk hunt last year. I got two out of three. You got em all. Thanks for the stories and photo log of your hunt. It's been fun to follow along 

Cheers,
Pete


----------



## angrychair

Great Buck!  The sad part is knowing that I can't follow your story on this hunt any longer


----------



## deerlove

Congrats could you post some pics of this buck again while you were scouting?


----------



## a_bow_nut

Well that buck is alot bigger than the two point that you were looking for. Congradulations on a GREAT thread and an AWESOME BUCK!


----------



## Dave B

Awesome thread and very nice buck! Would be cool if we could get someone to do something like this every year that had a special tag.


----------



## NHS

I have several pictures and stories to tell about specific stalks and hunting situations that I will share in the coming days. I also want to share how this buck hit the dirt. This was literally my last Hail Mary shot before I ate tag soup. I haven't had time today to type anything up due to responsiblities at work. Thank you for all the congratulations.


----------



## Dahlmer

Congrats on a great buck Nate. This has been a great story and a thrilling thread to follow. Now you can sit back and reminisce about the experience. I look forward to hearing the rest of the story when you have had time to decompress. I'll be curious to see what the age on that buck is as well.
:O--O:


----------



## sawsman

Wide with lot's of character.. awesome. 8) 

Good job buddy! An experience to remember for sure.


----------



## pheaz

Dandy there great job and thanks 4 keeping us posted NHS.


----------



## proutdoors

Very, VERY nice! Lots of character and a monster to boot. I also have enjoyed reading your adventures in this thread. I try to keep up, but I haven't the time to check in too often. 

I recall conversations with you, where you were debating whether it would be wise to invest all your points on an archery tag. I am glad to see that you were more than 'up to the task' and that you did it with a bow. I can't wait to see this buck in person.


----------



## ridgetop

Congrats and thanks for sharing.


----------



## HighmtnFish

I have been a silent observer watching things unfold on this post, and I just have to say that following this post was much more exciting than following any of the dramas on T.V. let alone any hunting show. I have also been very impressed with the respect and support that has been expressed in the comments given in this post. If I was NHS, I would print this post off and keep it as a personal journal of the hunt. Thanks for the journey NHS and congrats on a great deer :!: I just feel bad that the story is finally coming to an end.


----------



## NHS

Friday 9-2

Based on what I saw and learned when I was down the previous weekend with Tree, I knew exactly where I wanted to be when the sun came up on Friday morning. AF and I got up extra early to ensure we would be at the proper place on the hill with enough time for me to drag myself up the ridge before it got light. We timed it perfectly. I was in an ideal ambush site just as it was getting light. AF was in a strategic location so he could see what was feeding on the hill around the ridgeline from me. I guessed the elevation of the crossover just about right. Around one hour after shooting light, the deer started to make their way to the bedding area. I had a couple of does and fawns pass just above me. A couple of gangly young 3 points crossed 50 yards downhill from me.

I buzzed AF on the radio and asked him if there was anything else on the hill. He told me that there was a really nice 4X4 feeding on the hill and he didn't look like he was in a hurry to leave. I decided to take a sneak over the ridge to get a look at him. I went into Super Stealth mode and snuck around the ridge and found him feeding 140 yards downhill and to the east of my location.

He was a nice buck, but one that I was not yet willing to shoot. I watched him feed on his same elevation working eastward. I continued to follow him from up hill, staying to his west. After about an hour, he found a nice pinion to bed under. AF has some pictures of this deer. We later named him South Buck.

Just a side note on naming bucks. I have always thought it was kind of corny that people name the bucks they are hunting, but as I found out hunting on the Henry, it saves a whole lot of time when you are planning and strategizing with your hunting partners. It is much easier to say, "Let's see what South Buck is up to" than "Let's see what that one really nice 4X4 with the big eye guards on the south end is up to." When you identify a buck by a name, it saves a whole lot of words and you know immediately which buck he is talking about.

After South Buck bedded down, AF asked me if I was going to go after him. I thought, "What the heck, let's see how close I can get". I slowly started to make my way down to him. After a while, I found myself 40 yards away. I sat and looked at him for a while and decided that I did not want to yet end my hunt. I stood up and took a couple of steps to my left. He immediately bolted from under the tree and was gone. I had a funny experience with South Buck the following day that I will share later.

We went to another location to glass for bucks and found this tall buck.









We also found this nice buck bedded. He was in an area that would be tough to stalk, so we took note of his location and moved on.

















It was getting to be afternoon and some deer were up for a mid-day snack. It was at this point that AF laid eyes on Elmo for the first time. He has a lot of pictures on his camera of this buck. Hopefully he will chime in and tell you about when he first saw him.

After some kidding back and forth between AF and I, I decided to put a stalk on Elmo. They were feeding back into some timber. I got to within 50 yards before they were onto me. I did not have a clean shot, so he and his buddies walked away further into the timber to bed.

Still hunting in timber is one of my most favorite things. I LOVE to be in timber when the ground is moist and you can move silently. Trying to find deer before they see you is one of the most challenging things to do as a hunter in my opinion. Can you see this bedded buck I found?









Here is a cropped picture.









One thing I found out in the timber is that bucks REALLY do poop in clumps&#8230;big clumps.









Friday evening we spent glassing some areas and planning an ambush for the next day's hunt.


----------



## InvaderZim

I'm so proud of you!

(like I literally am!)


----------



## shaun larsen

MORE MORE MORE :EAT: :O_D:


----------



## cosmo71

Good on ya, NHS! That is a nice looking buck. You and AF are turning into quite the hunting duo. Time to quit the day jobs and start your own guide service.


----------



## AF CYN

NHS said:


> It was getting to be afternoon and some deer were up for a mid-day snack. It was at this point that AF laid eyes on Elmo for the first time. He has a lot of pictures on his camera of this buck. Hopefully he will chime in and tell you about when he first saw him.


And now, the rest of the story...

The first time I saw Elmo was through a spotting scope about 800 yds. away. Here is me and NHS's exchange:

*Me*: "Holy *@#!! Look at the size of that buck!" (I couldn't help but giggle when I looked at him because he was so big. That's why we called him Elmo.)
*NHS*: Looks at him through the glass for 3 seconds and then pointing in a different direction, "This ridge leads up to a spot where there are some nice deer."
*Me*: Thinking to myself, 'Is he not even going to acknowledge this deer?' I try again, "He's a nice deer! Look how deep his forks are!"
*NHS*: Still not acknowledging the deer, "Let's go look around the back side and see if High 5 (another buck) and his posse' are out." 
*Me*: Feeling discouraged and sad, I dutifully hop on the back of the 4 wheeler. Our route to High 5 takes us within 100 yards or so of Elmo, but he is not visible from the road. I beg NHS, "Can I please just go take a look at him?"
*NHS*: Parks the 4 wheeler, but doesn't even get off. He says something like, "He's just a big two point."
*ME*: I scurry up the hill and peek over. Bugged eyed, I motion for him to come up and join me on the hill. Finally, he decides the buck may be an option.

Only on the Henry Mountains can a 190 + buck with a 30" spread and cheaters look small. 8)

Pretty much all of our exchanges were like this--Elmo, South Buck, and Moose were all "last day" bucks for NHS. I couldn't hardly stand it. I'll post up some pics so you can see why I was so schocked. It was my first time down since June and it was very difficult to walk away from deer like that.


----------



## NHS

Saturday 9-3









I was very excited for the hunt to begin on this day. Keep in mind, that up to this point in my hunt, I had not yet released an arrow. I had been in bow range of several bucks, but had made the decision to pass. In a couple of instances, I would have let one fly if a shot was presented, but one was not, so I held off. When Saturday rolled around, I had decided that it is time to finally kill a buck.

After looking more closely at AF's pictures of Elmo, and knowing the general pattern of the bucks he was running with, we decided to try for a shot on him Saturday morning.
As 22 mentioned earlier, I am relatively new to the archery world. I hunted with a bow as a kid, but I don't count that. From my experience over the past couple of years, you have basically three options. You can wait in ambush for a passing buck, you can spot one and try to stalk within bow range, or you can still hunt and try to locate a buck before he sees you.

Knowing the pattern of the bucks Elmo was with, we decided the best option Saturday morning was for me to wait in ambush just inside the timber where this group of bucks would come to bed. I hiked up the ridge and got in place at the right time.










Our plan almost worked. Elmo and gang came to the very edge of the timber I was in. I could see the lead bucks just starting to enter, but they sensed danger and changed their mind. They broke ranks and headed back across the clearing for some other timber on the other side of the draw. Since I was already there, I decided to spend the next couple of hours still hunting through to see if there were any other bucks that had bedded on the far side. I located a few small bucks, but nothing I wanted to shoot.

I met back with AF and we discussed our options. He showed me some of the pictures he took of South Buck. At this point, I am ready to kill. We decided to go see if we could find him. It took us a half hour or so to make our way over to where he lives. After a brief search we located him bedded in a perfect location for a stalk. He was downhill underneath a big sweeping pinion just off of a ridge line. The wind was steady uphill. This was perfect. I thought to myself, "This is a dead buck".

I looked for some land marks on the ridgeline to help me identify where South Buck's tree would be located. I did a quick gear check and then set off for the stalk. I dropped off the other side of the ridge from the buck and headed downhill. When I found the landmarks I had identified before, I SLOWLY crept up to the backbone of the ridge. I found South Buck's tree and ranged it. It was about 60 yards away.

The wind was perfect, I slowly made my way towards the tree, using small trees and bushes as cover. I finally ran into a patch of short scrub, I could go no further without giving away my location. I could see South Buck's antlers and ears over the brush. He was laying on his side looking uphill to where AF was watching through a scope some 300 yards away. I put up my rangefinder, he was 28 yards away and completely unaware of my presence.

By this time, it was in the afternoon. He was in some good shade and it was clear to me that he had no intention of going anywhere anytime soon. I was in full sun and was HOT. The flies were bad, buzzing around my ears and driving me crazy. I was not willing to sit on this buck in the sun for the next 6 hours waiting for him to stand up. I decided to get creative.

I ranged him again and confirmed he was at 28 yards, I took a deep breath to gather myself, drew my bow, steadied my pins and&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;let out the best sheep imitation I could muster. "Baaaaa". NO reaction from the buck. He didn't turn is head, he continued to lay there. I tried again. "Baaaaa, BAAAAA!". I think at this point he twitched his ears. I couldn't believe it!! I held my draw for as long as I could. Finally, I let up.

Well, that didn't work. I looked around and saw my next option. I unclipped my released, reached down and picked up a rock. I chucked the rock beyond the buck, and while the rock was in the air, I reclipped on my loop. I thought for sure when that rock hit the ground, that buck would stand up to see what was going on. NO REACTION!

I picked up another rock and did the same thing, this time hitting the tree he was in. NO REACTION! I started to get irritated with this buck. I picked up another rock and this time hit the buck. He jumped in his bed, but did not stand up. I was dumbfounded. I thought, well, if that buck is just going to lay there, maybe I can walk up to him and shoot him.

I stood up, and that buck bolted. It was a hilarious scene. I didn't know it at the time, but another hunter was down on a lower road and was videotaping this whole episode. Later in the week, I watched the video and had a good laugh. He told me that he will burn it to a DVD for me. I would love to get that video.

After the buck bolted, I made my way back up to AF. This other hunter was there talking to AF when I got back to the road. We chatted for a few minutes. The hunter told us about a wide buck with shallow tines. AF and I recognized the description of the buck from our earlier scouting trip in June. He was located in the same general area. We went to have a look and found the buck that we would later name "Moose" because of his shallow wide antlers and his big pig body.


----------



## sawsman

Lovin' this....


----------



## jahan

sawsman said:


> Lovin' this....


+1


----------



## NHS

Saturday 9-3 Evening

After we got a look at Moose, we headed back to camp to rehydrate. I worked up a pretty good thirst playing with South Buck and I was out of water in my day pack. Back at camp, we deliberated on what to do for the evening hunt.

We decided to go after Elmo again. We did not think the timber they headed to that morning had been disturbed at all during the day. We were fairly confident that Elmo and the other Sesame Street bucks were still there and would feed out of that timber in the evening. I would be in an adjacent timber some 100 yards from the tree line where they went in. Hopefully, they would feed out into the clearing and I would have a decent shot.

When the time came, we made the trek. I left AF at the 4-wheeler back on the road and I slowly made my way up through the timber patch I would be sitting in that evening. I was relieved to find there were no bucks in it. That meant that they were still in the trees across from the clearing. I found a nice place to sit and wait. That is the spot I gave my update from Saturday evening. I had a decent signal up high, so I was able to text my wife and check in on her and the kids.

Meanwhile, AF was sitting back on the road looking around through the scope. I thought that had to be pretty boring. I buzzed him on the radio and told him to take the wheeler for a ride around the mountain to see if he could find something cool to look at. He agreed, packed up and headed out.

I sat in my comfy spot and not long afterward, the bucks started to come out to feed. Elmo came out lower than I had anticipated. He was 90 yards downhill from me feeding with another slicked off 3X4. More and more bucks were shedding every day. I got to watch Elmo for more than an hour, just out of range. I finally conceded to AF that he was a good buck.

After dark, I made my way back down to the road. I found a rock to sit on and waited for AF to show up. After a while, I began to become concerned that he had not yet returned. I tried multiple times to get him on the radio, but he did not answer. Finally, well after dark, I heard the drone of the 4 wheeler approaching. When he pulled up to me, he simply said, “We got big trouble”.

When he pulled up, I noticed the rear left tire was flat. There was a thumb size puncture hole in the tire. We had plugs and a compressor, but could not get it to hold air. Luckily, the hunter that videotaped me earlier that day happened by and gave AF a ride back to camp. I limped back down the mountain on a flat.

We were planning on heading back into Hanksville the next day on Sunday. We decided to take the tire into town to see if we could find someone to fix it.


----------



## flyfitch

Why are you making us wait so long to hear "the rest of the story"? "Paul Harvey....Good Day"
It is killing me. I guess I will go watch the ball game.


----------



## NHS

I haven't typed up the rest of the story yet. I'm doing it in chunks in Word and copying and pasting into the forum. Sorry for the delay. I have a deer to cut up tonight. Hopefully I'll get to it tomorrow or late tonight.


----------



## flyfitch

Don't worry about it. It gives me something to look forward to tomorrow. Congratulations by the way. It is only a matter of time before I draw the Henry's, and I can't wait.


----------



## fishbate

Reading this has been awesome, I am tempted to turn in my Vernon tag and start the waiting game. Thanks for sharing your hunt.


----------



## Al Hansen

Very cool Nate. Congrats.


----------



## AF CYN

Here are some pics of the bucks mentioned:

[attachment=1:3fbgjc7c]Elmo.JPG[/attachment:3fbgjc7c][attachment=0:3fbgjc7c]south buck 3.JPG[/attachment:3fbgjc7c]

Now you can understand why it hurt me so bad to walk away from bucks like this.


----------



## NHS

Sunday 9-4

We got up and had some breakfast for the first time this trip. After we got all slicked up, we headed into town. The wheeler tire situation was worrying me. That was our best way to get around the mountain quickly without risking flat tires on my truck. I have never seen a more rocky place on earth than the Henry. Every foot of the roads are covered with tire ripping rocks.

When we got into town, we stopped by Kitely's Service. Jeff was there and took a look at the tire. He said he would do his best with it. We told him we would be back in a couple of hours to pick it up. When we picked it up, it was full and holding air. He put a tractor tire boot (patch) on the inside. That was the best he could do. We thanked him and were on our way back up the hill.

On the way back up, we stopped by this unique geological formation. I can't really put my finger on it, but I suddenly became homesick.  









Once we arrived back to camp, we decided to cook a good Dutch oven Sunday dinner.









After dinner, we turned the 3-wheeler into a 4-wheeler again and decided to go for a ride to test the tire and check on the bucks. We were not yet quite sure what our approach would be Monday morning.

Our first stop was to see what Moose was up to. He wasn't in his usual spot, but after a bit of glassing we found him in the scrub. I took a bunch of pictures of him. He began to grow on me a bit. Here are a few of those photos.

















Next stop was Tripod's old stomping ground. There were some good bucks running with him and we wanted to see who was still there. There was a tall 4Xinline5 that was a stud of a buck. We called him High 5 Here is a picture of him.

























There were also a few new bucks that had moved into the area that were big. After watching these bucks, I decided that come morning time, I would try for High 5.

When we got back to camp, we were discouraged to hear a hissing noise coming from the tire. The patch had begun to leak. We hoped it would hold out for one more day to give us a chance to get to High 5.

That night we hung around the fire and enjoyed the evening.









We discussed our plans for the morning and decided to go after the big bucks hanging out with High 5. I was hoping for a good nights rest, but that would not be.....thanks to a dumb mouse in the trailer.


----------



## NHS

There are a TON of mice down there. Some yahoo (me) left a folding table leaned up against the tent trailer on Friday. I had inadvertently made a very convenient entrance ramp. Friday night, just as I was beginning to drift off to sleep, I heard a rustling noise in the canvas by my head. At first I thought I was dreaming. Then all of a sudden I felt a warm furry body scurry across my arm.

YIKES!!!!!! I jumped straight up out of bed swinging and swatting at the air. I fumbled for the light. AF thought I was having some sort of seizure. When I turned the light on, the little bugger had already disappeared. I listened to him rustle around in the trailer all night.
I was worried about him getting into our dry food. AF came up with an ingenious idea of hanging our food from the ceiling&#8230;.kind of like a miniature bear bag.









Sunday when we went into town, we found a couple of mouse traps. AF and I had a little competition to see who could trap the mouse first. He went for the peanut butter/bread combo for bait, I went straight up peanut butter.

Monday morning at 1:00 AM, I was sound asleep. Something woke me up. As I came to my senses, I could feel something nuzzling around in my hair on the back of my head. I could hear AF snoring from the other side of the trailer, so I knew it wasn't him.

YIKES!!!! Repeat from the other night. I jumped straight up swatting at my head, rubbing my hair and hooting and hollering. AF thought I had another seizure.

For the next hour and a half, I laid there in my mummy bag with the hood cinched up around my head with only my face exposed, sweating and not sleeping.

Finally at 2:30, I heard the pitter-patter of little feet and then SNAP! Vengeance was mine!


----------



## bwhntr

LMAO!!!!


----------



## NHS

I apologize this is so long. I had no idea it would be this long before I began typing it out. I am doing this more for my benefit than anyone else. I want to jot these experiences down while they are fresh so I can read them when I get old and loose my mind. I promise I will get to the point eventually. Monday was a big day, so I have a bit more to write.


----------



## Andymansavage

Take your time.... I'll be kind of bummed when it's over...haha


----------



## Boulderhunter

Nate, certainly no need for apology. Were all having a great time following along as you re-count your hunt with all of us and your spot on as this will be something you’ll look back on and enjoy again and again through your written words and pictures. Thanks again for letting us all tag along with you.....we look forward to your next entry.


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## trophyonly

This post just keeps getting better! The re-count is great and its all these little events that keep the story building.


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## NHS

Monday 9-5

Today, it was crunch time. We awoke extra early so that we could be sure I was in the proper ambush place before it got light. We got dressed and went out to discover a completely flat tire. I started the wheeler up to warm it up, grabbed a can of fix-a-flat and filled up the tire. AF offered up a good word asking for some divine intervention in keeping the tire inflated until we could get to the top of the mountain&#8230;.then off we went.










When we got to the spot, miraculously the tire was still fully inflated. I grabbed my day pack and headed off into the darkness. AF grabbed the scope and his gear and headed for higher ground to have a better vantage point. So far so good.


























I arrived in plenty of time to set up. I crossed below this big open hillside. For any of you that have been there, you will instantly recognize where this is. (There are few secrets down there) I set up next to a tree just around the point of where the bucks were feeding. AF told me on the radio that High 5 was there along with a new BIG 4X4 and other big bucks, including the double-cheater buck I passed on opening weekend. My elevation was perfect. Now it was just a waiting game.










This is the part of the story that is hard for me to tell. I tried mightily all summer and year-long to condition myself to seeing big bucks. Over and over in my head, I would play out the scene of a 200" buck standing broadside to me, and I would practice remaining calm and collected. I had seen many bucks on my hunt. I had been close to some very big deer. However, nothing I had done yet up to that point had prepared me for what I was about to experience.










Like I said, I was on the open hillside, underneath a big lone pine tree. 50 yards directly up the ridge from me was a smaller tree. 20 yards beyond that was another tree. I could hear deer feeding around the hill. It was only a matter of seconds now. A small 4 point was the first to cross. He crossed pretty much exactly between the 2 trees that were uphill from me. I ranged him at 60 yards and let him walk. Here are the bucks right before they crossed in front of me.


















I will think about what happened next for a very long time. It all happened so fast, and is kind of a blur. Seven BIG bucks came over the hill at 60 yards. One giant clump of antlers and fur. I tried desperately to pick out High 5. I made out the new big 4X4 and the double cheater buck. They all looked HUGE from this range. They were bunched up and slowly walking toward the timber.

I hate to admit it on this public forum, but I got buck fever&#8230;..in a bad way. After a few seconds, I was able to pick out High 5. I drew, aimed, released. I have no idea if I hit high/low/in front/behind. All I know is the bucks scattered like chickens. They ran another 40 yards and stopped trying to figure out what just happened. I ranged them at 90 yards. Too far for me to shoot. I put up my binocs and began to look each one of them over for any sign of a hit.

Every one of them looked as healthy as the day is long. After they all made their way back into the timber, I walked up to retrieve my arrow. The arrow revealed a clean miss, and I had a shattered broadhead for my trouble.

I made my way back to AF and recounted the experience to him. I was shaken by it. I thought I had prepared myself to be in this type of situation and handle it with calmness&#8230;&#8230;there was no doubt about it. I choked on this one big time.


----------



## Longgun

choked big time eh? :roll:

give your self a little bit-o-credit man!

i know plenty of hunters, (myself included  ) that would have been shaking like "a dog ****ing TACKS!" with _THAT_ sight before them. I mean, my god... what an incredible sight! :shock:

... keep the recounts coming please. i, like someone already mentioned, will miss this thread when its ran its course.


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## elk22hunter

That mountain that made you homesick cracked me up. Did you take any food like Cantalope, Grapefruits, or mini watermelons? They are always good for a boost in the morning.


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## flyfitch

The mouse story is hilarious.


----------



## Jonwo

Great story so far! Cant wait for the rest of it!


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## NHS

The case of buck fever really took it out of me. I was pretty hard on myself for allowing the heat of the moment to get to me. It was now late morning. We deliberated on the next plan of action. I really wanted to get a buck today. AF had a meeting on Tuesday afternoon that he was supposed to be back for. He had made contingency plans, just in case. I wanted to get him back for that meeting.

After some discussion, we decided to go after Moose. We made our way over to where he lives. I was tired, both physically and emotionally. It seemed like the tension and stress level had been building for 3 solid weeks. When I missed the shot on High 5, it was like someone stuck a pin in me and I popped.

We found moose. He was bedded with 2 other bucks. A decent 4X4 and a smaller one. I checked the wind and set out for a stalk. As I mentioned earlier, the whole mountain is made from rock. There are places where the rocks are small, places where they are big, and places where you can't see any kind of soil whatsoever.

As I began my stalk on moose, I tried by best to go quietly. The dry rocks would crunch beneath my every step. I went as slowly as possible. Moose was a cagey old buck. I only closed the distance to about 80 yards when he locked in on me. Both of the other bucks also honed in on my location. I froze and held still, hoping they would forget I was there. That was not to be. They headed out like they had been shot at.

Here is a picture AF took of Moose when he had locked in on me.









If I had any air left in me, it had just escaped. I made my way back down to AF with my tail tucked between my legs. When I got down to him, the news got worse. The 4 wheeler tire was as flat as my spirits were. We got out the compressor, but the air leaked out as fast as it went in. The tire was done and so was I.

We limped back to camp in silence on a flat tire. It needed to be replaced. I don't get down very often, but I was pretty low. AF did his best to put a positive spin on things.

I told AF that we should just pack up and head for home. If I saved the vacation day that I would have used on Tuesday, and could sweet talk my wife enough, I may be able to come back down to hunt Monday-Wednesday of the last week. The problem was I would be coming back solo, and that would make it even more difficult.

AF argued that since we are here, and he is there to help me, lets keep going. We still had the evening hunt, and if necessary he could skip his meeting the next afternoon, so we could hunt Tuesday morning. I didn't know what to do. I had to think about it. I told AF that I wanted to lay down in the trailer for a little while to gather my thoughts. He said that he would take a hike around camp to see if there was a possibility to hunt from there. He took a radio and headed out. I slipped off my boots and laid down on my bed to think awhile.


----------



## NHS

I'm not sure how long I stayed on my bed. It was probably just short of an hour. I was still ticked at missing that shot. I knew AF was right. We are here, we might as well hunt. I didn't wait 14 years to give up and go home. I waited 14 years to go hunting. I got up off my pitty pot, laced up my boots and called AF on the radio. When he answered, I simply said to him, "Let's go hunting."

When AF got back to camp, we discussed how we can best use our remaining time. We knew the bucks I shot at that morning would still be bedded in the timber. Our final push would be to hunt those bucks tonight. Try to set up on Elmo first thing in the morning. And if all that failed, we would go for Moose one last time before we packed up and headed for home. We agreed to hunt until 12:00 PM on Tuesday, then we would call it quits.

We loaded up the truck and headed out. Even though it was still early, I wanted to get in my ambush spot well before the big bucks decided to come out and feed. We arrived in plenty of time. AF walked out toward the timber a ways with me, then stopped to set up on the scope. I continued on out.










I decided to set up on the same ridge I was on earlier that day, but down closer to the bottom. There was a perfect tree with big sweeping branches that almost touched the ground. It was a perfect blind. I was almost 100% concealed from the timber. I had a nice hole to shoot out of and a clear view. Now I just needed a buck to feed out in front of me.

I got to this spot plenty early. It would still be a couple of hours before the bucks were up and moving. I turned on my phone and saw that I had an intermittent signal. I decided to send 22 a text and give him an update. His text really helped me out. This is roughly what it said:

NHS: I had my heart broken this morning. I choked a 60 yd shot at a buck of my dreams. I'm a broken man, but hanging in there.
22: Just shake it off and smile. That's going to happen. Glad you had the opportunity. Make it happen again tonight. Good luck man!
NHS: I'm sitting in a pine blind waiting in ambush right now. Hoping they feed to within range.
22: One will make a mistake.

As I sat there, a little chipmunk kept running around by my feet. He was a curious little guy. He would look at me with his tail moving back and forth. He looked at me all afternoon and didn't seem to mind I was there. It was kind of fun to watch him.

After a couple of hours, I could hear noises coming from the timber. It sounded like they were up and moving around. It wouldn't be long before they were out. I have seen deer sneak before, but I was amazed when these big bucks came out. It was obvious, they were NERVOUS. Their heads were on a swivels. They were crouched and slinking as they moved.

The big 4X4 was one of the first to come out. He went straight to the bottom of the draw, and then headed downhill. The other bucks came out in a similar way. They began to feed, but not out in the clearing. They stayed very close to the timber. It looked to me like it would be awhile before they would be in range.

As I sat there watching the big bucks, I heard something approaching from up above. A few minutes later, a goofy looking, willow-horned 3 point grazed in front of my shooting window 10 yards away. He had no idea I was there. I held motionless, waiting for him to move on.

That goofy little buck no sooner showed up when my little chipmunk friend decided to screw things up for me. After being quiet and friendly all afternoon, he decided to start barking. As soon as that chipmunk started making noise, every buck turned tail and headed for cover. I couldn't believe it. They were gone and they were not going to come out again tonight.

With the last few minutes of daylight, we went to see if Moose was back. He was nowhere to be found.


----------



## Critter

That chipmunk wanted some peanuts. Either that or he was a reincarnated big buck that wanted to give his friends a warning.


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## Jonwo

Oh wow stupid chipmunk!


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## kailey29us

I would have had chipmunk kabobs that night!!!!


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## NHS

Tuesday 9-6

It was do or die time. We had lost track of Elmo and were not sure where he and his buddies were going to bed. Clouds had moved in during the night, so it was a bit later getting light. The plan was to wait just until light, and then try to locate Elmo. Once we located him, I would try to determine where they were most likely to bed down and then try to beat him there for an ambush.

Sometimes the best laid plans have kinks. The kink that happened this time was that AF and I were not able to communicate with the radios. I was on one side of the hill, and he was watching the bucks on the other side. For some reason, we couldn’t hear one another. When we determined where the bucks might go to bed, I headed up to the top of the timber to wait for them to come in. I waited there for an hour and a half. I was trying to reach AF that whole time to see if he knew where the bucks were.

AF was on the other side of the hill from me watching the bucks. They were late heading to bed, probably because of the cloud cover. After waiting and hour and a half, and not being able to get ahold of AF, I abandoned my ambush spot and went to find AF. After I made my way back down to the road, got in the truck and started to drive around the corner, I was finally able to make radio contact. He told me that at that very moment, the bucks were headed into bed in the exact location I had been sitting. 

The only option left for me on Elmo was to sneak back up through the timber and try to locate him by still hunting. I parked the truck and headed back up through the timber. Because of the light rain that night, everything was damp and quiet. The wind was steady downhill. Conditions were perfect for still hunting.

As I made my way up, I knew I was getting close to where the bucks entered. I slowed to a crawl and kept glassing the trees up above me for any sign of movement. After a few minutes, I caught movement of a deer. I saw another, and then another. They were moving east, holding their elevation. They did not know I was there. I moved east with them a dozen more yards. I looked uphill and to the east. I had a nice open shooting lane to the trail I thought they were on.

I ranged the opening I thought they would come through. It was exactly 50 yards. I was in a good position. I then put up my binocs and looked west of there for the deer. Elmo was in the lead, slowly moving toward the opening. I clipped on my loop and came to full draw. I did not have any sense of panic or fear this time. I was calm and I knew I could make the shot.

As soon as Elmo stepped into that opening, I took steady aim and squeezed my release. I thought for sure that I would watch my yellow and red vanes sink into his ribs. Instead, my arrow deflected off of an unnoticed branch half way between me and Elmo. My shot veered left and smacked the base of a tree just to the left of Elmo.

The timber exploded with bucks. They all headed out of there and up over the top. AF made his way over to me. We reconstructed the shot, recovered my arrow, and determined that it was a clean miss due to the deflection. It was now around 11:00. We had one play left. It was time to see if Moose was home.


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## elk22hunter

Your killing me Smalls!!! Even though I know the outcome, I was sure you were going to hit Elmo!


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## NHS

As we made our way over to the area Moose lived in, I knew that this was my last chance. From our observations of him earlier, we knew that he was cagey. Trying to sneak in on him quietly did not work last time. I was determined this time to be more aggressive.

When we got there, I was relieved to see Moose bedded in the same general area. We put the glasses on him, and my heart sunk to see that in addition to the same 4X4s that were with him the day before, there were an additional 4 does between me and Moose. I conferred with AF, and then decided that I was going to go in fast and hard, Kamikaze style.

This was it, do or die, sink or swim, tag out or tag soup. When I got to 75 yards, they were up and wary. The group of deer started quartering away uphill to my right with the does in the lead. I took off on a sprint, parallel to their general direction of travel. After 50-60 yards, I came to a shooting lane through the scrub oak, just as the first doe was going through. I ranged her at 64 yards.

I had practiced shooting all summer long at various ranges from 10 to 60 yards. I felt very comfortable shooting at those ranges. When we would be shooting, AF would always try to find my limit. He would say things like, "190" class buck at 75 yards, do you shoot?" We would banter back and forth and I would tell him that my personal limit was 60 yards. Well today, my personal limit just increased to 64 yards. I was going to shoot at Moose.

After the doe passed, I went to full draw. I waited until the other does went through. Then both 4X4s were next. Moose came through last. Things just kind of went into auto pilot at that point. I aimed, released, and watch my arrow leave the bow. I lost track of it in mid-flight, but I knew I had a hit from the sound of the impact.

Moose spun and took off running. I could see about 8" of my arrow sticking out of his side. For a brief moment, I panicked a little. Was the shot good? Did I have good penetration? Did I hit vitals?

All those thoughts of fear and doubt were soon put to rest. I picked Moose up on the other side of the patch of scrub. He was still running, but he was getting wobbly. I watched him as he tipped over about 100 yards from where I shot him. He went down, never to get up again.

I called AF on the radio and told him he was down. I waited and watched as AF made his way up to me with the packs and other gear. As he got close, I told him that Moose was dead. We hugged and slapped each other on the back and shouted for joy. A huge feeling of relief, joy, excitement with a weird calmness over took me. I had just killed my first animal with a bow. It was a moment I will always remember.




































The EPEK Broadhead did an amazing job. Since Moose died in sight, I didn't need to do any tracking to find him. I still wanted to see what kind of a blood trail he left. My arrow fell out of him sometime between where I hit him and where he tipped over. After we were done taking care of the meat and cape, we back tracked on the blood trail to find my arrow. The arrow did not exit. The blood trail from the entrance wound was massive.










The arrow fell out when he jumped over this downed tree.










I know what I'll be using again next year.










After we caped him out, I stripped the velvet. It was ready to come off. He looks amazing hard-horned. I can't wait to see what Packout comes up with.










Here is AF and I. He is a great friend. I'm glad we got to share this experience together. Thanks for all of your help AF.










Here is AF and I in 2009 on our open bull hunt. The next picture we get of ourselves better be between the antlers of your animal!










There are so many people who helped me. I can't thank them enough. You all know who you are and how you helped to make this hunt memorable for me. I also want to thank all of you who took the time to read this and provide your positive comments and words of support. I really do appreciate each and every one of them. For me, this hunt truly was a once-in-a-lifetime. I don't think I will ever top it. I know that I never will need to top it. I can savor this one for the rest of my life.


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## Huge29

Very fun to follow! Congrats again!


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## Bears Butt

You made this trip a memory for all of us. A wonderful story from obviously a small but very passionate group of men (don't forget the ladies also). NHS, you have Karma oozing out of your smile. A man who sticks to his beliefs and gives Sunday a rest while surrounded by world class animals. You are a much better man than I.
Thanks again for this ride! Wonderful story. Congrats again.


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## Gumbo

A great story of a great hunt. Thanks for sharing.


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## Bo0YaA

What a ride!! thanks again for bringing us along on this journey, I hope someday I can do the same. BTW he does look amazing hard horned good call.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

I didn't know you could strip the velvet like that. I agree that Moose looks dang good with hard horns. 8)

What did you use to peel the velvet off?


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## JERRY

I'm almost sorry it has to end, but had a good time reliving your experience. Hopefully others will tell their stories and the suspense/excitement of the hunt can continue for those of us not fortunate enough to draw a coveted tag.

Nice work NHS! Hopefully you do not have to wait another 14 years to have another unforgettable experience.


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## AF CYN

Thanks for letting me tag along. That was the best hunting experience of my life! That place is unreal, and seeing you take that great buck was the icing on the cake. 

You worked your tail off and endured a lot of pressure and adversity. Congrats! 8)


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## Packout

AF- Come on already, we know you had a camera as well and I want to see more photos! Post some more up, please.


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## AF CYN

Sorry Packout, 

I burned my camera batteries the first day and half down there. The only pictures I got are of South Buck and Elmo. Then I looked at em' over and over till the battery died.


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## martymcfly73

Congrats. I hate to see this come to an end. I felt like I was there. You deserve that buck!


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## NHS

BirdDogger said:


> I didn't know you could strip the velvet like that. I agree that Moose looks dang good with hard horns. 8)
> 
> What did you use to peel the velvet off?


The velvet was ready to come off. I think this deer was too old, fat and lazy to start rubbing. You don't need any special tools. It peeled right off like a banana skin.

If I had shot a buck early in the season, I was prepared to preserve the velvet. But in this case, all of the arteries and veins in the velvet had collapsed and it was ready to come off. It was kind of like opening a Christmas present. It was neat to see what was under the wrapping.


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## ridgetop

Congrats on your buck. I really enjoyed the story too. Thank you.


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## JERRY

I know some Chinese and Japanese people who would pay big money for the velvet off of that buck. Or any buck for that matter.

Just sayin! :shock: :O•-:


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## NHS

I went to AF's house last night and got the pictures off of his camera. Here are a few more pictures to look at.

Here is Southbuck on Friday morning:

















This is me on Friday sitting 40 yards from Southbuck. I decided to pass.









This is Southbuck bedded on Saturday. He would not stand up out of his bed.









This is when I came up over the ridge when stalking Southbuck. You can see me in the upper right of the picture. Southbuck is bedded under the big tree in the lower left. I am just under 60 yards here and closing.









Closing the final yards to Southbuck.









Here are a couple more pictures of Elmo. I admit now that he is more than just a big 2 point.


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## Packout

hehehehehaha


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## fixed blade XC-3

Congrats nate. A huge elk, and a huge deer. You're the man.


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## middlefork

Graet report! Thanks for taking us along.


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## NHS

I heard from Packout the cape is back from the tannery. *()* 

I went to his shop yesterday to talk about poses and what not. I can't wait to see him put back together! *-band-*


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## sawsman

Nice Nate.. I can hardly wait to see it.

I'm pretty excited to get mine back too!


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## DallanC

NHS said:


> I heard from Packout the cape is back from the tannery. *()*
> 
> I went to his shop yesterday to talk about poses and what not. I can't wait to see him put back together! *-band-*


ALERT! Head up! Make's them look really big and majestic. Wall pedestals look great too. I hate the semi-sneak look.

-DallanC


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## MadHunter

I am very happy for you Nate. I'll have to stroll across main street to check it out in person. I am sure pics will look amazing but nothing beats live and in person.


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## NHS

I'll let you know when he gets here Ramon. You're more than welcome to come on over and take a look see.


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## Longgun

Nate,

like others have said, it was a pleasure to have followed you along on your quest. 

Thanks so much for posting such a great experience. I hope to do the same with my Pahvant tag next week.

... btw, the chipmunks WILL get you every time! the little stinkers.


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## 90redryder

So I've always know this is a ridiculously good area if you can get a tag, and from the pictures its better than I thought. But i've never been to the henry mountains, question for NHS: How well did you know the area before you even got the tag? And how long did it take you to find all these monsters?


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## NHS

90redrider said:


> So I've always know this is a ridiculously good area if you can get a tag, and from the pictures its better than I thought. But i've never been to the henry mountains, question for NHS: How well did you know the area before you even got the tag? And how long did it take you to find all these monsters?


How well did you know the area before you even got the tag?
I knew as much as you do. I knew there were big bucks down there. I had talked to many people who had hunted it. I read as much as I could about it, but I never set foot on the mountain until I went down for my first scouting trip in June. I had driven by it numerous times on my way to Powell, but never took the time to make the detour.

And how long did it take you to find all these monsters?
It doesn't take long to find deer. You can drive the roads and find deer very easily. It took a while to find specific bucks. I had a hard time zeroing in on a specific area and hunting specific bucks. You are always telling yourself there is a bigger one on the next ridge or other side of the mountain. It is easy to get side tracked. When you get distracted by the 'grass is always greener' syndrome, you end up chasing your own tail and its not very productive.


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## 90redryder

Thanks for the reply NHS. From reading some of the posts I can tell it was a killer hunt and you came out with a killer buck. Congrats and nice work.


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## NHS

Well, the day has finally arrived. A HUGE thanks to Packout. He was very easy to work with. He is upfront, honest and professional in every way. He took extra time to make sure I was happy with the end product and I couldn't be any happier with the way he turned out. A fitting end to one heck of an adventure.



















Merry Christmas to all of you and Happy Hunting!!

NHS


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## GaryFish

Mooooooooooooooooooooose!!!!!


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## coyoteslayer

Great mount!! Did you ever find out how old this deer is?


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## dkhntrdstn

that cool looking buck in person. I got to check it out when I picked up my deer antlers.He did a awesome job on it.congrats a again.


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## coyoteslayer

Also how wide is this buck?


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## AF CYN

I like the angle of his ears. It really draws a lot more attention to the rack when you don't have the full frontal shot of the ears. 

It's a great looking mount. Can't wait to see the finished job.


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## MadHunter

Looks amazing Nate! I'll buzz you on the weekend and come see in person.


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## elk22hunter

Where is the mouse to go with moose?


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## NHS

coyoteslayer said:


> Did you ever find out how old this deer is?


Not yet. The DWR website said tooth aging data will be available mid February.



coyoteslayer said:


> Also how wide is this buck?


32"


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## wyogoob

Wow, what a magnificent deer.


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## bowgy

Awesome, looks great, congratulations. 8)


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## Longgun

Beautiful work Packout.


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## BIG-TNT

+1 congrats


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## kk11

Sounds like a great hunt. and congrats on a trophy of a lifetime.


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## bullsnot

Nice looking mount Nate! Well done Packout!


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## NHS

I just recently finished re-reading this entire thread to psych myself up for the upcoming hunt. It has been about a year and a half since I last read through here. I'm glad I wrote this stuff down, because I had already forgotten many of the experiences I had, especially the details.

Keep a journal fellers.


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## Longgun

NHS said:


> I just recently finished re-reading this entire thread to psych myself up for the upcoming hunt. It has been about a year and a half since I last read through here. I'm glad I wrote this stuff down, because I had already forgotten many of the experiences I had, especially the details.
> 
> *Keep a journal fellers*.


A-MEN! There is sooo much of the "little stuff" that is forgotten after even a short time. I *wish* i had kept one for my late Pahvant Bull... hwell:


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## KineKilla

I wasn't even a member for the first go-round, but I just read every word...

Awesome experience and thank you for sharing and taking us along for the ride.


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## solocam

KineKilla said:


> I wasn't even a member for the first go-round, but I just read every word...
> 
> Awesome experience and thank you for sharing and taking us along for the ride.


Same with me..I am new here and just read every page. Very cool story.


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