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11-12-2021, 11:56 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 4
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My first buck!
Have to tell the story of my first buck! My hunting partner and I head out to crown land for at least a solid week each November in my little tent trailer and have spent many hours scouting our area. Last year I saw a one deer all week, a good looking young buck but missed my opportunity sadly. This year my partner filled their tag early (day 2) with a nice looking buck and I was starting to feel discouraged by the end of day 3 when I was yet to see anything even after spending each day from legal first light to last light sitting it out. On day 4 woke up early which meant time for a leisurely breakfast and coffee. With spirits renewed my hunting partner walked out with me to a newer clearing neither of us had previously hunted in. I tucked myself in to a natural blind in some stumps/deadfall and started my watch. To the left of me I noticed what looked to be the head of a nice little deer trail. I must have looked over at it 6 times, feeling more and more compelled to explore it each time. Finally around 10:30am I decided I would give in to this hunch and take a look. It was a fantastic trail along a little ridge where any deer would be completely unsighted by a more casual hunter just taking a look down the more accessible areas. The more I followed it the more I liked the look of the area. I stopped briefly to climb a pile of logs and eat my now frozen lunch an scan the area more. I could easily have stayed there for the rest of the day but thought I should explore just a bit more. A bit further down the trail I found a great opening with lots of paths the deer were clearly using to go into the trees. I found a natural blind not far off the trail and settled in, firmly deciding this was the spot to wait out the rest of the day. As I waited I thought more about the area and how much I liked it, already planning to set up trail cams for next year. At 12:45 a glimpse of movement caught my eye. It was antlers moving along from a low spot just a bit further down from the trail I was watching. I got myself ready for when the buck moved into sight but when he did come into sight he had angled himself toward the tree line and I couldn't get a really good shot on him. He was moving along at a good clip like he was on a mission. I was amazed by his size and saddened to think he might not turn enough for me to have a good opportunity. As he approached the trees and I thought he might disappear I let out a call from my buck call to see if it might be enough to turn his attention. But he continued on into the woods. As a last ditch effort I let out some 'tending calls' to see if he might come back and saw the last of him move into the woods. I remained at the ready in my spot thinking another buck might have heard my calls or might trail in after that one. Not even 15 minutes went by when the first big Buck came back into view, emerging from the woods much closer to me, as though he was trying to get downwind to investigate where the calls I let out came from. This time he was walking slowly, looking around trying to find the source of the calls. I waited patiently with heart racing as I knew he had no idea I was there at this point and the wind and the sun were in my favour. He came within less then 30 yards of me when I got a perfect shot on him, dropping him instantly in his tracks. I jumped out of my spot to take a look and was just in awe that this buck is the one I got for my first buck. He will now set the benchmark for years to come for me!
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11-12-2021, 12:01 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: WMU 303
Posts: 8,495
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Awesome!!!!
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11-12-2021, 12:03 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 3,695
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Great first post!
Well done. Nice buck. Congrats.
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11-12-2021, 12:04 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Medicine Hat
Posts: 550
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Congrats on a dandy first buck! Great story,glad it all worked out for you.
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11-12-2021, 12:06 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Calgary
Posts: 470
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Nice first buck! Good on ya 
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11-12-2021, 12:17 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Spruce Grove
Posts: 2,971
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Fantastic first buck. Fantastic buck for anyone to manage. Good for you!!
He's a wide one too.
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11-12-2021, 12:33 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: At the end of the Thirsty Beaver Trail, Pinsky lake, Alberta.
Posts: 24,557
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That is just an awesome big eight ya got there….you have experienced the lows and highs of hunting and it’s contagious.
Congrats!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Be careful when you follow the masses, sometimes the "M" is silent... 
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11-12-2021, 12:49 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Olds, Sundre area Alberta
Posts: 2,134
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Love the approach you took during this hunt and your patience paid off with a beautiful buck.
Congratulations and thanks for posting!!
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Horizon Parent Society (Helping kids with disabilities)
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11-12-2021, 12:49 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 593
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That's fabulous. Great work staying at it, paid off. Nice buck!
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11-12-2021, 01:10 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: North east AB
Posts: 396
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Congratulations for following your intuition and instincts. You truly hunted that buck and were rewarded for the effort. Nothing like that feeling! Best of luck in the future and, lol, good luck besting that one. He's definitely one to brag about. might take you a few years to get a better one. 
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Huntin and fishin fool! 
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11-12-2021, 02:10 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: central Alberta
Posts: 12,628
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Beautiful deer and an excellent popcorn worthy story. Very happy you were able to connect on your first buck. Many more to come.
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This country was started by voyagers whose young lives were swept away by the currents of the rivers for ten cents a day... just for the vanity of the European's beaver hats. ~ Red Bullets
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It is when you walk alone in nature that you discover your strengths and weaknesses. ~ Red Bullets
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11-12-2021, 02:12 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 49
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Great buck and fabulous story! Glad you were finally able to get your first.
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11-12-2021, 02:13 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Spruce Grove
Posts: 32
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Wow, what an absolutely beautiful buck. He’s got serious mass on that rack and just an all around heavy stud. Tagging a gnarley ‘ol bush buck like that is not easy and you pulled it off. Congratulations on your first big buck, you did an amazing job and should be very proud of a trophy like that 
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11-12-2021, 02:23 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,302
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Brute deer, great story. Thanks for taking us along on your hunt.
BW
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11-12-2021, 02:33 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Provost
Posts: 5,009
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Nice buck and story...congrats !!
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11-12-2021, 02:39 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: West Central Alberta/Costa Rica
Posts: 1,114
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That's a great deer!! Congratulations and thanks for posting!
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11-12-2021, 02:46 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: South West Alberta
Posts: 804
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Great Buck!
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11-12-2021, 03:09 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,491
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Congrats on an awesome buck you put in the effort and deserve it
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11-12-2021, 03:23 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Half Moon Lake ( North )
Posts: 1,454
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Nice one, congrats.
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11-12-2021, 03:37 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 6,496
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Congratulations and good on you for having the eye to find their highway. Now the hard part comes. Trying to better this guy.
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You matter. Unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared... ...then you energy.
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11-12-2021, 05:13 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,331
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That’s a great deer, good work!
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11-12-2021, 05:25 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 376
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Wow awesome bucks and sounds very well deserved. Sounds like you have been putting in the work but it still came as a surprise which would be very exciting. Great write up too!
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11-12-2021, 06:14 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Stony Plain
Posts: 1,144
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Hands down the best first post I’ve seen since being on AO.
Congratulations
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11-12-2021, 06:21 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,650
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That's a heck of a first buck! Thanks for the write up and sharing! Congratulations! BTW great 1st post!
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There is no God higher than truth - Gandhi
Protect the oppressed even if an enemy, never forgive the traitor especially if he is your friend
Last edited by teledogs; 11-12-2021 at 06:34 PM.
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11-12-2021, 06:35 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Kitscoty,Alberta
Posts: 544
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Excellent buck way to hang in there to the right time
Congrats very nice deer
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11-12-2021, 06:41 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 840
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Great buck
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11-12-2021, 06:51 PM
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Gone Hunting
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: North of Peace River
Posts: 11,346
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A lot of hunters never get a shot at a Buck like that, and a good many would have Buck fever so bad if they did, they would miss the shot.
Great story! Great buck! Awesome first buck and a classic old style hunt.
That is what hunting is, or at least should be all about.
__________________
Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.
George Bernard Shaw
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11-12-2021, 06:57 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dreadful Valley
Posts: 14,608
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Yup, you’ve set the bar way up there.
Thanks for the great story, and congrats on the deer.
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There are no absolutes
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11-12-2021, 07:11 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Ft. McMurray
Posts: 38,572
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Fantastic story and a great deer , well done on all fronts!
Cat
__________________
Anytime I figure I've got this long range thing figured out, I just strap into the sling and irons and remind myself that I don't! 
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11-12-2021, 07:32 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,684
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Thats a nice deer!
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