| Utah’s blackpowder season was almost
over in November 1993. Only four days remained. I hoped a storm would move in to improve
tracking conditions. A big storm did roll in, leaving a blanket of snow, so I headed for
the back country. My first day out, I found another
big track, and chased that deer all day long. I reached an area where another hunter was
located and he said he sighted the buck of his dreams. He asked me if I wanted to help him
track this big buck out. I agreed and we made our plans.
The next morning there was a new skiff of snow. This was a
perfect day except the other hunter found the big buck’s track first. After 100 yards
of tracking the buck, the other hunter jumped it. Standing broadside 75 yards away, the
hunter saw the buck and got buck fever so badly his knees knocked. He shot at the deer as
it ran away and missed. He told me his story and left the area that night because he was
called to jury duty.
The next morning I went out on my own in perfect weather
conditions. A new skiff of snow covered the ground, making my efforts to locate the big
buck’s tracks easy. After half an hour of tracking, I spotted it. The buck was a nice
36-inch willow-horned buck. A trophy in someone’s eyes, but not mine.
I slowly went down another draw where I spotted a doe
across a little canyon. I made a 400 yard sneak towards her. I knew there was good chance
a buck was near her. When I reached the area where I thought the doe stood, I saw a huge
buck behind the doe. I caught sight of one side of its huge rack. The pair caught wind of
me and ran. I stepped to the side of a tree, and waited for an opening between the trees
as the buck quartered away from me.
The moment arrived for which every hunter waits. I leveled
my muzzleloader and shot. The buck jumped and disappeared. I reloaded and walked to where
the deer ran. I found its tracks and started following them. There wasn’t any blood
the first 30 yards. The farther I went, the sicker I got. I was afraid I missed.
Dusk arrived so I knew I needed to quickly find a blood
trail. Fifty to 80 yards away lay the trophy of a lifetime. I hit the heart so it never
bled. As I stopped to examine its antlers, I found the buck’s biggest and longest
cheater as well as two other tines were shot off the previous day by the other hunter.
This buck still had 12 points on one side and 17 on the other, making this deer the new
World’s Record blackpowder buck!
"This article is reprinted from Boone and Crockett
Club's 22nd Big Game Awards book with permission of the Boone and Crockett Club, 250
Station Dr., Missoula, MT 59801 (406/542-1888)" www.boone-crockett.org
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