In Pursuit of "Cover"

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MuleyMadness
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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by MuleyMadness » Mon Oct 08, 2012 4:16 pm

Well before we get the events of August 3rd, we can't forget about the trail cams can we? Time for a check isn't it?
Here Here, I think so...so off to check my now 9 trails in search of the giant buck I figured I had on previous cameras earlier. Much to my dismay and shock this is the only picture I had of the 'big boy' again. I couldn't believe it, for sure I thought I could turn him up with that many cameras running. No dice.

The date on the time stamp was July 7th, so still plenty of time to grow and he is still looking BIG, really big to me. Not my best trail cam picture but I'll take it.
DSC00030.jpg

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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by MuleyMadness » Mon Oct 08, 2012 4:30 pm

Alright it's August 3rd now and I'm determined to find the Big Boy on the trail cam above, it's been almost a month since my last camera picture and he will be done growing by now. I've yet to see him alive, which is getting really frustrating. So I set out that evening in hopes of finding him or some other nice bucks. I head to one of my favorite spots and wait, and wait, and wait. NOTHING.

As as the sun sets and lightness turns to darkness I realize that tonight just wasn't my night. I begin the ride back home as it's nearly to dark to see anything and even if I did this late (it's to dark for any pictures) so I "bail" out of the area with no sighting of anything big let alone the big non-typical from my trail cam.

This is the picture I took as I left that evening at 9:21 PM August 3rd...
IMG_6978.jpg
But I left the area at 9:15 PM, what happened during those 6 minutes???
As I left the area that evening I spotted movement above my to my left on the hillside, as I looked up this is what I saw...
IMG_6926.jpg
Hang in there, the buck just broke "cover".

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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by MuleyMadness » Tue Oct 09, 2012 9:07 am

On first sighting on the buck above, I thought I had just seen a nice 4-point. Cool I thought as I quickly grabbed my and camera a took a few steps back hoping he would break from "cover" and give me a skyline picture. But he is now staring directly at me through the trees and unfortunately I was anything but quiet on my way out of there, so he has me pegged. This isn't good... ](*,)

So what would allow or make him to break "cover", as I steady the camera hoping he steps into the clearing I notice not ONE deer, but TWO deer standing next to each other. The 1st buck steps out into the clearing, I immediately turn to take pictures...but quickly notice this buck is no monster, in fact he is a dink young buck. But I've learned over the years, this is a good thing the nicer buck behind just
might follow the younger buck in front.

Sure enough, just as the young gun steps out of the clearing here comes the 4-point and I'm READY with my camera. HOLY CRAP I think to myself as he steps out, that's not a 4-point...IT'S HIM...the GIANT NON-TYPICAL. I was in disbelief at my luck! The biggest buck I had seen on trail cam in a long time had just came right to me at almost dark. I turned my ISO settings on my camera as high as possible to allow more light and began "clicking" as fast and furious as I could. He paused in the opening for 1 min 52 seconds.

As he stepped into the trees and darkness I couldn't help but smile at my own little moment of Mule Deer Heaven. I got him on camera, a mere 60 yards or so. I was ecstatic!!!

Now the question is did the pictures TURN OUT? With the open skyline in the background I knew I had a chance, without it NONE.

Here are the results from the encounter...

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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by a_bow_nut » Tue Oct 09, 2012 11:05 am

Nice. =D>

This one has a torn up ear also.

Are you notching their ears like they used to on hogs back in the day so that you can keep track of all these nice bucks? :))
Live to hunt, hunt to live.

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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by JBird » Tue Oct 09, 2012 4:47 pm

Those are some sweet pics. I'm loving this post. Keep them coming.

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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by archerycrazy » Tue Oct 09, 2012 8:41 pm

This thread is like reading the best novel of my life, a page burning thriller, but I'm allowed to read only one page a day... lol

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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by hardstalk » Wed Oct 10, 2012 8:03 am

I keep forcing myself to wait several days at a time before reading. Still suspenseful. If this were a book i would have read the back first!!

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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by johnyutah5 » Wed Oct 10, 2012 12:19 pm

A post a day....Thats all we ask. ;-)

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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by Northface » Wed Oct 10, 2012 2:20 pm

Great Thread MuleyMadness, looking forward to this everyday

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Re: In Pursuit of "Cover"

Post by MuleyMadness » Thu Oct 11, 2012 6:24 pm

Alright well it's getting close to crunch time, I've littered the hills with 9 trail cameras trying to catch the big non-typcial on trail cam. I finally got my first "live" look at him and he has quickly moved to the TOP of the hit list.

I FINALLY got my break and got an absolutely stunning trail cam picture of him on August 5th, 2012 (13 days before the Archery Opener)

Image

I also got these 2 pictures of him, although they are not great quality

August 7th
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August 8th
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And my last trail cam picture of the year of him I finally caught him during daylight hours going away on the 8th of August also.
DSC00155.jpg
DSC00155.jpg (84.73 KiB) Viewed 4341 times
Hang with me, I get out for 1 more scouting trip before opening day...

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