How wide is this buck?

NPHunter · Aug 27, 2024

How wide is this buck? Hopefully I’ll know by the end of the weekend.

I know he’s huge bodied compared to the other deer and super heavy and bladed out, defiantly a shooter 3 point.

Gunnihunter · Aug 27, 2024

What do you think? If you like him, take him. If not, let him go. Simple

NPHunter · Aug 27, 2024

Gunnihunter said:
What do you think? If you like him, take him. If not, let him go. Simple

I think he’s over 30” inside. If he’s still in the same spot this weekend when the season opens I’ll try my best to run an arrow though him. He’s super heavy too with a huge body, I have a 3 with a 24” inside spread and it isn’t even comparable to this buck. He looks like a moose when he’s waking away with the light hitting his antlers, I wish the weather was better for glassing, I turned him up at 1 this afternoon in a bedding area.

yoteduster · Aug 27, 2024

Hard to tell with the pictures not being teal clear but I'd say 28+

coloradoman · Aug 27, 2024

Don’t think he makes 30” even outside.
Kill him and let us know

ridgetops · Aug 27, 2024

31 7/16th

Muley_73 · Aug 27, 2024

A solid shaky and grainy/8ths ....but a cool buck !

Aerosith · Aug 27, 2024

He is IMO def over 30", I would guess 31-33" wide.

Betterluckythangood · Aug 27, 2024

31” and too smart to be killed with a bow

NPHunter · Aug 27, 2024

Betterluckythangood said:
31” and too smart to be killed with a bow

Well hopefully you’re wrong. I’ve put on lots of stalks in that same spot but have never connected. It’s super steep and lots of cliffs bands to maneuver around.
He was bedded 2/3 of the way into the bottom of the canyon too and went out the bottom which makes it even tougher.
It’s supposed to be 95 opening day which should keep them bedded longer which will help.

This is the last buck I blew a stalk on in there which was back in 2016.

Snoopdogg · Aug 27, 2024

Wide!

Buckfever34 · Aug 28, 2024

Good luck on him. He’s wide enough !

Redbluff77 · Aug 28, 2024

30 inches wide. G luck and I hope you tag this buck!!

kickerbuck · Aug 28, 2024

Great buck and tons of mass, good luck on your hunt! Looks to be 28-30 wide for sure!

Bookhead · Aug 28, 2024

Betterluckythangood said:
31” and too smart to be killed with a bow

No deer is too smart to be killed with a bow all it takes is the right situation

Vanilla · Aug 28, 2024

I think he’s 30+ outside.

Sweet buck! I hope you kill him. Best of luck to you.

nontypical · Aug 29, 2024

At least 30" or more. Cool buck for sure. Look forward to some better pics

Betterluckythangood · Sep 3, 2024

Any luck on that buck? Hoping for a good story

NPHunter · Sep 4, 2024

Betterluckythangood said:
Any luck on that buck? Hoping for a good story

Someone was camped on him opening morning way before daylight, they pretty much ran them out of there the last few days. I’m headed back out right now to see if there back and hope the other hunters are gone.

Tristate · Sep 4, 2024

26-27 inside. Good luck

NPHunter · Sep 4, 2024

Well, I found him again this morning, bedded in the cliffs by himself. Made a perfect stalk, climbed down a 7' cliff right above him and stood on the cliff above his head while he was sleeping. I stepped to the cliff's edge, the buck still 12' below me fast asleep and drew back. As I drew back my bow woke him and he looked right up from below. I put all my pins in the middle of his body and release, boom, the buck blows out and half my arrow is stuck in the ground right next to his bed.

Even though my sight housing had clearance, because my arrow was below the sight a couple of inches, it just didn't clear. My arrow hit the rock right above his head and broke in half. I got to watch him drop to the bottom of the canyon and walk out the other side.

Now I'm sitting here sick to my stomach, wanting to sit down and cry, feeling sorry for myself. That was a hard lesson. I do feel like the buck is well over 30" inside. I got a good look when he was sleeping right below me. I thought about snapping a picture from above him, but I figured that would be foolish.

I'll run out and see if he's back tomorrow, which I doubt he will be, after that I'm off on an elk hunt for a week.

mevertsen · Sep 4, 2024

I had a similar encounter with a buck in similar country. As I stood up to draw and shoot (still couldn't see him over the edge, I could see leaves moving where he was feeding), he slipped out and walked away. That was a tough one. I feel for you. That's a cagey old buck.

kickerbuck · Sep 4, 2024

Gosh dang dude cool story and hunt even if you didn't get him! Most guys never get to experience something like that. Nice job getting that close to him! Better luck next time.

Vanilla · Sep 4, 2024

Sorry it didn’t work out! That’s a great buck. He’s 30” for sure.

JB48 · Sep 4, 2024

Neat story, great buck. Good luck stay with it.

Betterluckythangood · Sep 4, 2024

That is a great story and an unusually good stalk. Thanks for sharing!

Camper_A1 · Sep 4, 2024

Feel for you man! Hope you get another chance at him. Enjoy the experience and learn from it.

Betterluckythangood · Sep 5, 2024

Every 30” buck I ever hunted had nine lives. Only seen one with a rifle in my hand and a tag in my pocket.

yoteduster · Sep 5, 2024

Betterluckythangood said:
Every 30” buck I ever hunted had nine lives. Only seen one with a rifle in my hand and a tag in my pocket.

And....is he on the wall...

Betterluckythangood · Sep 5, 2024

No, saw that one for about three seconds. I have one 30er if you hold the tape on a 45 degree angle haha.

yoteduster · Sep 5, 2024

LoL..whatever works

MrShane · Sep 5, 2024

NPHunter said:
Well, I found him again this morning, bedded in the cliffs by himself. Made a perfect stalk, climbed down a 7' cliff right above him and stood on the cliff above his head while he was sleeping. I stepped to the cliff's edge, the buck still 12' below me fast asleep and drew back. As I drew back my bow woke him and he looked right up from below. I put all my pins in the middle of his body and release, boom, the buck blows out and half my arrow is stuck in the ground right next to his bed.

Even though my sight housing had clearance, because my arrow was below the sight a couple of inches, it just didn't clear. My arrow hit the rock right above his head and broke in half. I got to watch him drop to the bottom of the canyon and walk out the other side.

Now I'm sitting here sick to my stomach, wanting to sit down and cry, feeling sorry for myself. That was a hard lesson. I do feel like the buck is well over 30" inside. I got a good look when he was sleeping right below me. I thought about snapping a picture from above him, but I figured that would be foolish.

I'll run out and see if he's back tomorrow, which I doubt he will be, after that I'm off on an elk hunt for a week.View attachment 156648

View attachment 156650

View attachment 156651

View attachment 156652

That buck is 33” outside.
Awesome buck!

NPHunter · Sep 5, 2024

Finally found him at 1:30 again in some super deep sage, backed out for the stalk and he ghosted me, stalked in to an empty bed.

Leaving on my elk hunt in the AM for a week, hopefully nobody kills him while I’m gone.

MrShane · Sep 5, 2024

NPHunter said:
Finally found him at 1:30 again in some super deep sage, backed out for the stalk and he ghosted me, stalked in to an empty bed.

Leaving on my elk hunt in the AM for a week, hopefully nobody kills him while I’m gone.
View attachment 156789

Sneaky suckers!

Servehim · Sep 6, 2024

NPHunter said:
Well, I found him again this morning, bedded in the cliffs by himself. Made a perfect stalk, climbed down a 7' cliff right above him and stood on the cliff above his head while he was sleeping. I stepped to the cliff's edge, the buck still 12' below me fast asleep and drew back. As I drew back my bow woke him and he looked right up from below. I put all my pins in the middle of his body and release, boom, the buck blows out and half my arrow is stuck in the ground right next to his bed.

Even though my sight housing had clearance, because my arrow was below the sight a couple of inches, it just didn't clear. My arrow hit the rock right above his head and broke in half. I got to watch him drop to the bottom of the canyon and walk out the other side.

Now I'm sitting here sick to my stomach, wanting to sit down and cry, feeling sorry for myself. That was a hard lesson. I do feel like the buck is well over 30" inside. I got a good look when he was sleeping right below me. I thought about snapping a picture from above him, but I figured that would be foolish.

I'll run out and see if he's back tomorrow, which I doubt he will be, after that I'm off on an elk hunt for a week.View attachment 156648

View attachment 156650

View attachment 156651

View attachment 156652

Heartbreaking for sure . Bummer

txhunter58 · Sep 8, 2024

With that last picture: well over 30”.
Great height too

gundog2 · Sep 8, 2024

He has a double throat patch, which is also special.

gundog2 · Sep 8, 2024

I learned to shoot instinctively when I started learning archery in my early teens. I eventually learned to shoot spot targets using pins with a release aide, but the only deer and elk that I ever killed with a bow were so close that I simply shot instinctively without thinking about it.