2010 Diamond Mtn buck

[DeadI]

We are back from an awesome hunt. My dad was able to hunt the Diamond Mountain LE unit in Utah. We had a great time scouting, camping and hunting. We left Tuesday afternoon and were setting up camp about 3.5 hours latter, got camp set up just before it got dark so we were not able to do any last minute scouting that was okay though because there area plenty of deer in the unit.

For any of you that have never been on this unit it is something else, it is deer hunting like I have never experienced before. There are roads everywhere so really what we would do is just drive till you seen deer and then plan the stalk. The areas that we were hunting were primarily just big wide open sage brush flats and draws however the sage brush is about 4 to 5 feet tall in a lot of places which makes for tough spotting. I think it would shock you if you new how many deer you drove by and did not see that were bedded down especially in the afternoon heat.

Now for the hunt. Opening morning we were able to locate 5 bucks one small 3 point, a small 4 point and tall narrow 4 point (16” wide and maybe 20 inches tall) a average 4 point and a wide short 4 point. Non of which were slug worthy on opening morning so we kept looking but were not able to locate anything else of interest until opening evening.

In the evening we were driving down a sage brush canyon when we found 5 does standing on a side hill, a quick glassing and we saw 4 bucks 2 of which looked decent. We thought they were out of range from the road we were on so the stalk was on. We were able to get to within about 40 yards when but could not see them due to the tall sage brush, that was when the smallest one busted us and off they went, my dad was not able to get a shot at them, the 2 larger bucks were what looked to be a 3x4 and a better than average 4x4 about 24” wide but not real tall. That finished the opening day.

The second day we decided to return to the same area of the opening morning. We were able to stalk within 200 yards of a 3x4 that would go around 32” wide and was heavy. But he did not get that big for being dumb. He was a smart old buck and had his escape route high up in the cliffs and away he went offering us no shot. On the other side were he went to was Private property, oh well. Off we went to find another.

At 10:30 am we found a big 2 point that was heavy / tall and wid. At this point my dad was willing to try any stalk and if it worked out great if not oh well. Well he got with in 130 yard and decided to try a shot. But missed, good thing to because that night we were able to get on another average 4 point. We (my brother and I) dropped my dad off low on the ridge and then we took the 4 wheelers back down the road we had just come from to hook into another road that would take us up above the buck, we were going to try and walk down on to him to try and get them to move down to my dad, well just when we start heading up that road to the top of the ridge we jump a better buck. So I told my brother to get back to dad quick and get him up here. The better buck just went out about 75 yards with his 3 does and starts feeding again.

When my dad got there all you could see was antler tips. But in our opinions he was a shooter so the plan was made that I was going to take the wheeler on the road above him and again try to walk down into him to keep him from running up the hill from my dad and also to get there attention on my leaving the back of there heads looking at my dad allowing him to hopefully cut the distance for a better shot. He never was able to get a look at his body and vitals so he opted for a head shot, which almost worked. He missed to the side just a hair and created a flesh wound, it did not hit jugular or windpipe. If he would have been another 2 inches into the neck it would have been game over right there.

Well the buck bolted and ran towards my brother on the other wheeler, my brothers quick thinking stopped him. My brother quickly turned on the wheeler and started driving; the buck stopped and got nervous turned around and ran right back to were he had been for the first shot. By this time my dad had the second load ready to fire, the second shot hit low and broke the front leg, again not a dead right there shot but this one slowed him down enough that my dad was able to get with in 50 yards and place a 3rd and final shot through the front shoulder taking out both lungs.

The high fives were given and the photos were taken, this was at about 5:45 pm. We had him cleaned out and on the wheelers by about 6:45 pm. And back to camp about 8 pm. Everything was skinned and hanging in a tree by about 9:30 pm. I had been a long but great day.

This buck was not the biggest buck we saw but was not the smallest either. In fact I would say he was in the top 5 probably. And is the biggest buck that My dad, brothers or I have ever taken. He is a 22” 3x4 but his pretty tall and heavy. The pictures don’t really show the mass or all the little burs around the bases. And it was all done by ourselves and on public property.

Thanks to all those on this site that helped in little bits of information that was given. Most all of it was used in some way or another.

Now you can enjoy the pictures.

Dad

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Dad and Brother

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Dad and Me

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[a_bow_nut]

Congrats on a great looking buck. There is nothing quite like hunting with family and friends that turns any harvest into the memory of a life time.

[NotEnufTags]

Thanks for posting up a nice morning read. Congrats to you and your dad. Sounds like a fun outing. Based on my mistake in the post you made before leaving, I have to ask if the hoochie mama helped bring your buck in?

[firefighterbraun]

Congrats on a successful hunt and a great looking buck!

[DeadI]

Thanks for posting up a nice morning read. Congrats to you and your dad. Sounds like a fun outing. Based on my mistake in the post you made before leaving, I have to ask if the hoochie mama helped bring your buck in?

I did not use the hoochie mama but did use a hyper lip cow call, we were sitting there looking at about 6 does off the side of the road, and we kept seeing new ears in the sage brush. I thought to my self this is crazy I wonder how many deer are sitting here watching us that we can not see. I picked up my cow call that I always have with me while hunting and just blew into it. I did not try to make an elk call but just simply blew on it like a little kid would. There must have been 20 deer that stood up and busted out. No big bucks but I sure got the ole ticker pounding trying to make sure that there was not a shooter buck running off.

[UtahRob]

Very nice !!!

Looks like you guys had a great hunt and nice seeing the family going together .

I sure wish i hat a 4 wheeler for getting my game out , or a horse . We do have a Cabela's magnum game cart that works good . I had to get something , my back just isn't good enough to drag or carry anything anymore . My son used the cart on his small buck he got Friday morning , it sure beat dragging . Sure wish we had it when he got his elk , 3 trips and 7hr later we had his elk off the mountain . The next day i could not even bend over , my back was locked up tight . Getting old sucks , 30 years of driving truck and lifting 35,000 lbs +/- a day ruined my back . Sad thing is i am only 54 .

Very nice hunting report !!!!!!!!!!!!

[killerbee]

thats awsome DEADI! congrats on a great buck and evn greater time spent with your family! thats what it is all about

[AGCHAWK]

VERY COOL!!! CONGRATS DEADI!

[sneekeepete]

Congrats on a Great buck and thanks for sharing the story and pics! Those ole smoke poles can make for some tough hunting!

[shmobag]

congrats to your dad on a great buck and thanks for sharing the story and pictures with us.