After purchasing the tag, Me and Bryon and Blake went to work on the Strip the third week of June. We scouted long and hard for over a month. We found many great bucks but it wasn't until around July 25th that we finally glassed up a buck we knew was "The One". One look and we knew this buck was over 40" inches wide with an insane amount of mass. We were able to get some grainy video from long range and quickly sent it to Pax. We tried our best to get an estimate of what we thought this buck would score, but due to his odd antler configuration and the fact that we were unable to refind the buck in the field, we were never quite certain. However we did know that he was a giant and even without a solid number estimate we decided to hunt him.
Bryon and I continued looking for the buck for several more days to no avail. The country he inhabited was flat and thick with a limited number of vantage points. Pax arrived on Aug 1st and we continued to spread out and scour the country. Finally on Aug 6th, over 2 miles from his original location, we caught a quick glimpse of the buck as entered the thick trees to bed. Pax and me quickly positioned ourselves in a spot that would provide a shot if the buck fed back out in the evening. After a long and hot day we snuck out in the dark after never seeing the buck.
Bryon and I continued looking for the buck for several more days to no avail. The country he inhabited was flat and thick with a limited number of vantage points. Pax arrived on Aug 1st and we continued to spread out and scour the country. Finally on Aug 6th, over 2 miles from his original location, we caught a quick glimpse of the buck as entered the thick trees to bed. Pax and me quickly positioned ourselves in a spot that would provide a shot if the buck fed back out in the evening. After a long and hot day we snuck out in the dark after never seeing the buck.
The following day the buck was not spotted, but the next day he was. This time he bedded underneath a small dirt hump in the trees that was no more than 15 feet high. Following direction from Bryon and friend Blake, Me and Pax snuck to the top of the mound a mere 60 yards from the bedded buck. The trees and brush were so thick that we couldn't see more than 30 or 40 yards in the direction of the deer. By standing on my tiptoes, I could look down and see the antler tips of the bedded buck. There was one lane that extended down through the trees for a little over 100 yards but it wasn't near the bucks location. We knew that we had no chance unless the marginal wind held, the buck either moved into our lap or traveled into our only lane.
Over the course of the day the buck changed beds 7 times. We caught a few glimpses of his antler tips and could watch the dust rise over the trees and hear him he pawed out new beds. We broiled in the sun for over 10 hours and as the sun sank we started to get nervous that we again weren't going to get a shot. Then, like on a string, the buck just rose and started angling toward our only lane. As we watched pieces of his rack steadily moving toward the opening we realized this was it. The gap was less than 2 feet wide, and as the buck strode into it I bawled like a varmint call. The buck stopped and Pax's crosshairs were already in place. He instantly pulled the trigger and just like that the hunt was over.
As we approached the downed deer we knew that he was big but we had no idea how big until we lifted his head. Pax was in shock and could barely breath. I just sat down next to the buck and admired him in awe. The buck is almost 42" inches wide with well over 50" inches of mass. His 10x11 antlers complete with over 5 inch eyeguards, 29 inch beams and over 38 inches of inside spread totaled an official SCI score of 268" and placed him number 4 in the world Non-Typ. After being joined by Bryon and Blake, we all were humbled to be able to hunt and take such an admirable deer.
Special thanks to Bryon Goswick and Blake Chapman for the hundreds of hot hours behind the glass. If not for them this buck would not have died. Thanks to Chad Smith for organizing the details of the hunt, and of course Pax for allowing us to do what we love and help him harvest one of the biggest bucks to ever come from the Arizona Strip.
