2013 WR South Dakota "Whitetail"

[c_bass16]

Spent 3 days and 2 nights camping on the open prairie roughing it in a tent through night time temps dropping into in the single digits and not only hiking gun and gear across the prairie into some pine canyons...but carrying the beast out on my back.

The experience was like nothing I'll ever forget and look forward to doing again.

Special Thanks to Derek at Exo-Kote for the Highlander hydrodip and Travis at TS Customs Precision Firearms for building me this nail driving machine. It defiantly looks as good as it shoots.

2013 West River Deer. What appears to potentially be a Whitetail/Mule Deer Hybrid, but is yet unconfirmed. The metatarsal glands are about 5" long, so I'm confident it's got mule deer genes, even if it's back a generation.

7x6 with 23" outside spread scoring an unofficial 158 3/8 gross and 154 net. No monster, but the best I've ever had in my cross hairs and it's unique when coupled with the experience of the hunt.

My only regret...missing the kill shot on video. Solo hunting on film, is a whole new skill.

 

[Derek M.]

Wow, that's a sweet buck. Congrats to you!

 

[c_bass16]

I've been looking forward to doing this for years, and finally had the chance to make it happen. A lot of buddies including the relatives thought I was crazy and wanted to know my approximate location pending any disasters. I told everyone I was going out to score...even if it took until the end of the season...which would have been 6 nights. Ended up scoring on day 2.
I had a absolute blast and hope to do it in the mountains some day.
I know for SURE I'll be doing it next hunting season, but hopefully with a buddy to run a camera.

After I started carrying this thing out, I knew I had better get some video of it or no one would believe me. It would have been about 3/4 of a mile out a ridge to the south plus another 3/4 of a mile across the prairie if I headed back to camp...so I opted to go up and over a nasty ridge to the north, about 1/2 mile to a fence line where I could get to it with my Explorer.
The first half of this clip, is getting to the top of the first ridge...all that was left was another 700 yds to the fence...mostly down hill, but to much timber to easily drag without getting hung up...so I opted to carry it...even down hill. Stopping whenever I needed a rest of course.
Carrying it isn't hard...its picking up dead weight that is a real bitch!

I'll be adding more pics and videos to add to the story...but here is the extraction.


2013DeerExtraction_zpse5690c00.mp4 Video by c_bass16 | Photobucket

 

[rieses]

nice buck.
i love SD
i grew up there and hunted all over the state.

definately looks like a cross breed of some sort.

 

[ragsflh]

awesome great buck you got there

 

[MHO]

That is a great buck. Congratulations

 

[CogburnR]

Very nice buck.

I shot one that looked like a crossbreed once back in '97 up in Corson Co. Not that big though. It had a red coat, bifuricated antlers and a strange tail.

Did you get that down by Martin??

 

[grovey]

Very nice buck... congrats