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11-15-2017, 09:48 PM
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Swift Current, SK
Posts: 18
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2017 Saskatchewan Muley
It was a long season but I finally managed to put my draw tag on my target buck on Nov. 8, 2017. Unfortunately he broke off his ~10" club droptine sometime during the past week. I was a bit hesitant to pull the trigger due to the loss of character, but having a couple years of history with him helped make the decision.
I watched him most of August and he was very consistent in his routine. I had a couple of opportunities to get close on the archery opener on Sep. 1st, but couldn't quite make it work. I was back on Sep. 3rd and due to harvest operations I watched him and his buddies move about a mile away into a pasture consisting of a deep valley. I figured they would just bed down in this area but still feed in the same area as previous.
Day after day I checked every possible hiding spot I could find but he disappeared from the area. It wasn't until Oct. 27th and down to the last few days of muzzleloader season that I caught a glimpse of him (still sporting his droptine) 5 miles from his summer area.
I was a bit worried about getting permission in this valley that he was in but fortunately the landowner gave me permission on a 0.5mile x 1.5mile strip of land that included the bucks new haunt. The rest of the ranch was closed off due to cattle.
Rifle season opened on Nov. 1st and I spent the first few days trying to get another glimpse of him. I did manage to find a couple of larger bucks but had fully committed to waiting my target out.
On Nov. 8th, I caught of quick glimpse of him heading down into the valley and knew right away that he had broken off the drop tine. I still wanted a closer look though and was able to find him getting ready to bed down at 500 yards.
With a decision to shoot not yet made up, I started closing the distance using a hill as cover but hurrying a bit. When I thought I was close, I peaked over the side of the valley and saw him bedded at 125 yards. A couple does spotted me and trotted away which got him out of his bed. He walked to the top of a little ridge and looked back at me broadside and the decision was made at that moment to pull the trigger and drop him on the spot.
Although I wish he still had his droptine that defined his character to me, I am very happy with harvesting a mature buck that I have hunted hard for 2 years. Some quick measurements put him at 206" gross, 196" net non-typical.
2016 on the left, 2017 on the right
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11-15-2017, 09:54 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,066
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Love it, great story and photos. Congrats!.
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11-15-2017, 09:56 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: WMU 108
Posts: 2,465
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In think you made a good choice on harvesting this deer. The history with him makes it that much more sweet.
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11-15-2017, 09:56 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Brooks
Posts: 265
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That’s a great buck! Congrats
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
With guns in the hands of the public, there may be tragedies, but without them, there will be genocides
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11-15-2017, 09:56 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Communist state
Posts: 13,245
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What a great buck, congrats!
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11-15-2017, 10:05 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,392
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Now that's a buck! Great story and thank you sharing! Doesn't get much better than that, really.
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11-15-2017, 10:05 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2,965
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Great hunting story. Congrats
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11-15-2017, 10:07 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: In your personal space.
Posts: 4,787
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No regrets on that one!!
__________________
When in doubt, use full throttle. It may not improve the situation, but it will end the suspense.
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11-15-2017, 10:11 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Communist Capital of Alberta
Posts: 3,770
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What a tank!
Congratulations on an absolute stud!
Thanks for posting.
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11-15-2017, 10:34 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: calagry
Posts: 1,924
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Great Buck .
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11-15-2017, 10:45 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Cochrane
Posts: 738
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Thanks for taking the time to post this, that's an unreal buck!
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11-15-2017, 11:00 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Iron River
Posts: 5,158
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Wowsers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beauty of a buck.
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11-16-2017, 04:37 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: southern alberta
Posts: 2,246
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Great buck congrats to you
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11-16-2017, 05:07 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,338
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God that is an amazing mule deer congratulations to you
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11-16-2017, 05:20 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 11,362
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Beautiful animal! I am not much into horns, but a nice Mule mount wouldn't hurt. That is an outstanding specimen.
__________________
“One of the sad signs of our times is that we have demonized those who produce, subsidized those who refuse to produce, and canonized those who complain.”
Thomas Sowell
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11-16-2017, 05:24 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: At the end of the Thirsty Beaver Trail, Pinsky lake, Alberta.
Posts: 24,603
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Those river breaks, coulies etc all hold some dandy bucks. I use to trudge through those areas in the 90's with bow, come back with the Hawkins and then the rifle...Kyle area south and north of swift up and down the river area holds some simply amazing mule deer. Use to walk and literally have piles of sheds put up in areas as land markers, people would drool over what I left in the grass...your buck is amazing and it brought back memories.
Congrats.
__________________
Be careful when you follow the masses, sometimes the "M" is silent...
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11-16-2017, 07:56 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 712
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Great story, great photo history and of course - GREAT BUCK!. Congrats and thanks for sharing.
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11-16-2017, 08:06 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Location
Posts: 4,961
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Love the story. Great write up and congrats on a deer of 3 lifetimes
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11-16-2017, 08:23 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,387
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Congrats on a Tank...a really Big Tank...of a deer.
Good writeup and history also which adds to the Hunt, thanks.
Send some followup pics when he's up on your wall.
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11-16-2017, 06:29 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 451
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Wow nice! Good job man.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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11-16-2017, 06:36 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,652
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KBF
In think you made a good choice on harvesting this deer. The history with him makes it that much more sweet.
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I agree, congrats man!!!
Great lookin buck!!
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11-17-2017, 08:32 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 153
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Oh my what a DANDY !
Congrats to you and thanks for sharing the pics
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11-17-2017, 08:52 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 20
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Great Photos! Congrats on an awesome deer.
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11-17-2017, 09:24 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 9,672
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No ground shrinkage there. Beauty buck. Nice to have some history chasing him too. Congrats on a tank of a deer.
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11-17-2017, 09:35 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 17
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Great buck congrats
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11-17-2017, 10:00 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Posts: 30
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Wow great job!
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11-18-2017, 07:50 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Sturgeon County
Posts: 54
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Thanks for sharing, great story and great pics. Very nice buck, congrats!
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11-18-2017, 11:44 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 220
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He looks like a pretty chunky deer.nice!noticed in the rear end photo with the other 3 bucks that he doesn't have a black tip on his tail..is that common or just how he appears in the picture?
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11-18-2017, 12:00 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Saskatchewan
Posts: 128
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Seabolt hannah
Nice mule for sure, congrats. Filled my Sk Draw mule tag as well!
My wife got drawn last year and scored a 194 4/8 non-typical. I've yet to score mine though.
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11-18-2017, 12:22 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Cowtown, agian
Posts: 2,815
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Beautiful tank buck buddy. Way to stick that one out.
__________________
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
- Sir Winston Churchill
A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.
-Thomas Paine
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