We loaded the buck, noting he was damn heavy for a blacktail, and set off for their homestead.
Along the way, the Lad inquired: "
Is it normal to shake a little after something like that?"
You Betcha it is, and here's hoping you never lose that!
In fact I was shaking a little myself!
Upon arrival and a brief discussion, the Rancher asked me to properly cape the buck for mounting!
Awesome!
That buck will be adorning their home for decades to come, and what a fitting tribute to such a Monarch!!
A few more pictures of course!
And... Tagged Out!
I got to admit that was some of the most FUN I have had in a very long time!
Our intuition was bang on, and it seems the old Talisman still holds a little of it's fine Magic!
Upon cleaning the buck, we discovered he had taken almost the full load of 00 buck in and just behind the onside shoulder.
The lungs were basically burgerized, and it was quite apparent why he had folded so damn quickly!
Very good shot, and way to stay calm and cool under pressure!
The Young Gun stayed with me right through the whole caping and cleaning process, helping every inch of the way!
His Ma and his sister simply had to come and have a boo, and it was awesome to see their eyes bug right out!
Never seen one that big before!
Not too damn many Blacktails even get any bigger was my thought!
The Lad's eyes were still beaming as he wandered off to collect his late dinner.
A VERY Firm Handshake, and a sincere Thank You before doing so!
No problem Kiddo, I likely enjoyed that just as much or even more than you did!
His Pa was simply beaming too!
And thanked me so much I almost felt embarrassed!
But the bond between us grew even more that eve, and I suspect both he, and his Young Man are going to feature prominently in my hunts down the road!
The drive home seemed to fly by, and I was grinning every damn inch of the way!
I was SO hoping to get this fine young man into his first.
A spike or even a deuce would have been fine.
I could not even imagine an outcome this grand!!!
Hell of a Fine "First"!
And although both his Pa & I told him he will be hard pressed to ever beat this one, he confidently replied
"I am going to do just that"!
And I sincerely hope I will be right there beside him when he does!!
Cheers,
Nog
PS: One Final Note: There will be an epilogue to this adventure. Following Christmas Morning that is...
