BIGOLMULEY
Active Member
- Messages
- 545
This may be a long one. We may see how tired my thumb gets.
As many of you know I am paralyzed on my right side. It has been getting harder for me to get out and hunt. So I have been burning up every point I have in many states. My last big point total for mule deer was in my home state of Utah.
I had set a goal, well maybe not a goal. But just to get a deer that breaks the magic number.
At this point I had taken 3 bucks in the 190’s
I just really wanted to do it. But, then I got hurt and my days of packing in to G and other deep remote places ended. So I knew I needed a special tag, or get myself to some areas that tend to produce bigger deer.
So I drew a number of good tags. Killed a few really nice deer. But never the giant. It started getting a bit obsessive. I have been to Mexico 3 times. Spending money I am probably shouldn’t be. I give all this background to let you know the fever is real in me and almost led me to passing a deer no one would. All for a number.
So, I have been contemplating a deer hunt in Utah for a while now. Like I said it is getting more and more difficult for me to get around in the outdoors. I qualify for extended season dates due to my disability. It is almost worth getting paralyzed for! I was a few years away for the pauns. I really felt like I needed to get a tag soon. I had been talking to a good friend of mine who lived in a unit I should be able to draw. He convinced me that with a little luck, and having the ability to hunt after the season ended. We may be able to find a good deer. So with that I gambled all my points and was successful in the draw.
Now, I put a ton of pressure on myself that I shouldn’t have. And probably on my friends who helped me. “Let’s go hunting with the crippled guy, and by the way, he’s already killed some big deer. We are only going 200” or nothing.”
All because of a number. I don’t know. I talked with my friends about it and realized I was just trying to get somewhere I didn’t think possible for me anymore. So we went for It. It’s who I am. Driven, even though only half of me works.
Anyway, back to the story.
We decided I would not even hunt the regular season. Hopefully all the big deer would not get shot, and some might migrate a little or start rutting. So I drove to the unit on the 28th of October. I had until November 6h. We were feeling good.
My friends and their boys had found a great non-typical. We glassed for that deer constantly. Not seeing many deer, but he had been seen where he had rutted and wintered for the past few years. They knew he was around. But it was thick where he lived. We did see a pretty decent buck one morning when it snowed some.
On October 30 we were out glassing that evening and really wasn’t seeing much. My friends sons were sent a little further south to look for the buck. We had no service, but apparently they were frantically try to get a hold of us. They had found a deer really worth looking at.
So once we had service we got met up and watched the video. That is a really good buck! We all knew it. But would he break the number? We couldn’t tell. I went to camp and watched the video over and over. I sent the clip to a bunch of friends that know deer. No one would say for sure he would get there. But of course they wouldn’t! Who would. I got some advice from @257Tony
“Here's my unsolicited, professional advice as a guide with more than 2 hunts under my belt.... Forget the tape measure, and use your eyeballs. That buck definitely passes the eyeballs test. Good luck on whatever you decide
”
I Knew I just had to see him myself. I would know when I did.
We met in the morning at my camp before light. Got everything ready and headed out. Just as we could see, there were deer everywhere. Overnight about 300 deer had moved into the area. I had been looking around there for a few days and hadn’t seen mor than 30-40 deer. It was nuts.
So we start checking every group out. We saw a 170 and 180 type bucks and smaller and tons of does.
Oh yeah, Happy Halloween morning!
We got about where they had seen him the night before and my friends son picked him up! I put my scope on him at 800 yards. I watched him walk parallel to us then slowly lift his head and swing it to look in our direction.
I turned to my friends and said, “Let’s shoot that deer”
One look and it didn’t matter the score. He was just big.
We were looking straight east at him and the sun had not come up. Wind blowing south, we made a plan to get to the east side of him. Doing so put the rising sun at our back. It worked perfectly. 302 yards. Shot was quartering away Hit behind the shoulder, through the heart and broke off shoulder. He went 30 yards.
He was very anxious for us to shoot the deer! It takes me a minute to get it done. So slow.
As we walked up to him, it was surreal. No matter the score. I was there with good friends who cared enough about me to give up their time. Of course they love big deer and hunting them as well. I have to admit, I choked up and a tear or two fell. He was better than we thought. Which is nice.
He looked like a cartoon laying on the ground.
I have hunted mule deer for 35 years. 20 of that I have been guiding. I have sat and watch grown men shed tears as they walk up to a buck. And that happened to me. Maybe because I had a steel pole go through my brain. Maybe because I just killed the biggest deer I had ever seen. Or maybe I was just grateful God allowed me to live when I should have died.
Anyway, here he is:
I even gutted him myself! It’s pretty tough do for me. I can’t skin at all with one hand. But my buddy held a leg and I mostly got it done.
We put a tape on him and everything was better than we thought. Inch here, 6/8 there.
We tallied all the whole numbers and hit
202
Add 67 1/8’s and he came to 210 3/8
Very humbled to have gotten a deer like this. I guess I can die now
We all have tough stuff in our lives. Physical, mental, spiritual. Don’t let it stop you from the things you love. Family, friends and relationships. This was just a deer. Yes a big deer that means more to me than most people know. But my family and friends that care and love me are priceless.
Grateful for everyone that helped me. No matter if you were there or not.
Well it did go long. And my thumb hurts.
Thanks for reading.
As many of you know I am paralyzed on my right side. It has been getting harder for me to get out and hunt. So I have been burning up every point I have in many states. My last big point total for mule deer was in my home state of Utah.
I had set a goal, well maybe not a goal. But just to get a deer that breaks the magic number.
At this point I had taken 3 bucks in the 190’s
I just really wanted to do it. But, then I got hurt and my days of packing in to G and other deep remote places ended. So I knew I needed a special tag, or get myself to some areas that tend to produce bigger deer.
So I drew a number of good tags. Killed a few really nice deer. But never the giant. It started getting a bit obsessive. I have been to Mexico 3 times. Spending money I am probably shouldn’t be. I give all this background to let you know the fever is real in me and almost led me to passing a deer no one would. All for a number.
So, I have been contemplating a deer hunt in Utah for a while now. Like I said it is getting more and more difficult for me to get around in the outdoors. I qualify for extended season dates due to my disability. It is almost worth getting paralyzed for! I was a few years away for the pauns. I really felt like I needed to get a tag soon. I had been talking to a good friend of mine who lived in a unit I should be able to draw. He convinced me that with a little luck, and having the ability to hunt after the season ended. We may be able to find a good deer. So with that I gambled all my points and was successful in the draw.
Now, I put a ton of pressure on myself that I shouldn’t have. And probably on my friends who helped me. “Let’s go hunting with the crippled guy, and by the way, he’s already killed some big deer. We are only going 200” or nothing.”
All because of a number. I don’t know. I talked with my friends about it and realized I was just trying to get somewhere I didn’t think possible for me anymore. So we went for It. It’s who I am. Driven, even though only half of me works.
Anyway, back to the story.
We decided I would not even hunt the regular season. Hopefully all the big deer would not get shot, and some might migrate a little or start rutting. So I drove to the unit on the 28th of October. I had until November 6h. We were feeling good.
My friends and their boys had found a great non-typical. We glassed for that deer constantly. Not seeing many deer, but he had been seen where he had rutted and wintered for the past few years. They knew he was around. But it was thick where he lived. We did see a pretty decent buck one morning when it snowed some.
On October 30 we were out glassing that evening and really wasn’t seeing much. My friends sons were sent a little further south to look for the buck. We had no service, but apparently they were frantically try to get a hold of us. They had found a deer really worth looking at.
So once we had service we got met up and watched the video. That is a really good buck! We all knew it. But would he break the number? We couldn’t tell. I went to camp and watched the video over and over. I sent the clip to a bunch of friends that know deer. No one would say for sure he would get there. But of course they wouldn’t! Who would. I got some advice from @257Tony
“Here's my unsolicited, professional advice as a guide with more than 2 hunts under my belt.... Forget the tape measure, and use your eyeballs. That buck definitely passes the eyeballs test. Good luck on whatever you decide
”I Knew I just had to see him myself. I would know when I did.
We met in the morning at my camp before light. Got everything ready and headed out. Just as we could see, there were deer everywhere. Overnight about 300 deer had moved into the area. I had been looking around there for a few days and hadn’t seen mor than 30-40 deer. It was nuts.
So we start checking every group out. We saw a 170 and 180 type bucks and smaller and tons of does.
Oh yeah, Happy Halloween morning!
We got about where they had seen him the night before and my friends son picked him up! I put my scope on him at 800 yards. I watched him walk parallel to us then slowly lift his head and swing it to look in our direction.
I turned to my friends and said, “Let’s shoot that deer”
One look and it didn’t matter the score. He was just big.
We were looking straight east at him and the sun had not come up. Wind blowing south, we made a plan to get to the east side of him. Doing so put the rising sun at our back. It worked perfectly. 302 yards. Shot was quartering away Hit behind the shoulder, through the heart and broke off shoulder. He went 30 yards.
He was very anxious for us to shoot the deer! It takes me a minute to get it done. So slow.
As we walked up to him, it was surreal. No matter the score. I was there with good friends who cared enough about me to give up their time. Of course they love big deer and hunting them as well. I have to admit, I choked up and a tear or two fell. He was better than we thought. Which is nice.
He looked like a cartoon laying on the ground.
I have hunted mule deer for 35 years. 20 of that I have been guiding. I have sat and watch grown men shed tears as they walk up to a buck. And that happened to me. Maybe because I had a steel pole go through my brain. Maybe because I just killed the biggest deer I had ever seen. Or maybe I was just grateful God allowed me to live when I should have died.
Anyway, here he is:
I even gutted him myself! It’s pretty tough do for me. I can’t skin at all with one hand. But my buddy held a leg and I mostly got it done.
We put a tape on him and everything was better than we thought. Inch here, 6/8 there.
We tallied all the whole numbers and hit
202
Add 67 1/8’s and he came to 210 3/8
Very humbled to have gotten a deer like this. I guess I can die now
We all have tough stuff in our lives. Physical, mental, spiritual. Don’t let it stop you from the things you love. Family, friends and relationships. This was just a deer. Yes a big deer that means more to me than most people know. But my family and friends that care and love me are priceless.
Grateful for everyone that helped me. No matter if you were there or not.
Well it did go long. And my thumb hurts.
Thanks for reading.
Last edited:
