Buck Fever Hits A Snag
By Robb Wiley
Of Non-Typical Outfitters
The hunt for Snag began in 2011. I actually found Snag before I found Magnum (the giant 257 inch buck we killed in 2011). Snag was younger than Magnum that year. I estimated his age to be about 4 years old. Magnum was aged at 6 1/2 years old when he was taken in 2011. I was only able to locate Snag a handful of times over the next few years. He was a very secretive animal, like most cagey, old, monster bucks.
Robb's client, Rick, shown with "Snag". Rifle used was a 6.5x284 made by Len Backus's Long Range Rifles, LLC.
In 2013 I didn't see Snag even once. I wondered, at the time, if the giant had died on the winter range or been killed by a lion. I was pretty sure no other hunter had legally killed him, as the taking of a buck of that magnitude never stays quiet long. Over the years we have had a number of clients who enjoyed the quest for Snag. As always, hunting for a trophy animal of this caliber, on public land, in a general area, is amazing. It is a true testament to the unbelievable magic of the western Wyoming mule deer herd. I try to never take for granted the gift of having bucks like these living in our backyard.
I finally located Snag again during the summer of 2014. I was able to photograph him that summer as well. We scouted and hunted for a combined 26 days for Snag without another sighting until the day we killed him. He had, once again, proven to be the secretive, cagey buck that I had grown to respect. Our guides and I took turns and worked together trying to glass the giant buck. I had spent a ton of solo days in the area this giant buck called home. Hunting for an animal for this length of time, with not one sighting begins to shake the very foundation of the hunt, to say the least. I would be lying if I did not admit that I was beginning to wonder if we would ever wrap our hands around the rack of this monarch. I started the season hunting Snag with a great friend and hunting client, Tim, for an entire hunt with no sightings. Tim ended up killing a gorgeous 198" heavy, nontypical on the last day of his hunt.
After so many days, weeks, months and years of searching. we began to wonder if Snag was a "mover buck". A "mover buck" doesn't really settle down in one location, it moves all through fall. The famous Wyoming deer, Popeye, was probably a "mover". He was a deer that was easily located in the summer but during hunting season he was never re-located. Tons of hunters knew where Popeye summered and many believe Popeye simply moved to a completely different area during the hunting season. Other famous bucks have fallen into this category. A buck living near the town of Afton known as the "Drama Buck" is speculated to be a mover buck. At Non-Typical Outfitters we have killed other mover bucks over the years, but after 26 days of searching high and low, I had run out of gut feelings, goose bump intuitions or any other ideas of where Snag was.
During a last week, pre-hunt guide meeting, I called on all our guides to join the hunt for Snag (that is, if their clients for the week wanted to). I shared all available intel with the guides. We had one week to make this dream come true, or Snag would likely die on the winter range as he was no longer a young buck. One of the many things that separates Non-Typical Outfitters from the rest is our ability to work together as one team. We all want to be the guy who brings the giant back to camp, but working together, we always have a better chance of getting those giants killed. So with the "all call" to the guides, we went different directions to cover some of the same ground covered earlier as well as previously uncovered territory. Some of the clients elected to simply go after other bucks because it had been so long since we had laid eyes on Snag.
By Robb Wiley
Of Non-Typical Outfitters
The hunt for Snag began in 2011. I actually found Snag before I found Magnum (the giant 257 inch buck we killed in 2011). Snag was younger than Magnum that year. I estimated his age to be about 4 years old. Magnum was aged at 6 1/2 years old when he was taken in 2011. I was only able to locate Snag a handful of times over the next few years. He was a very secretive animal, like most cagey, old, monster bucks.
Robb's client, Rick, shown with "Snag". Rifle used was a 6.5x284 made by Len Backus's Long Range Rifles, LLC.
In 2013 I didn't see Snag even once. I wondered, at the time, if the giant had died on the winter range or been killed by a lion. I was pretty sure no other hunter had legally killed him, as the taking of a buck of that magnitude never stays quiet long. Over the years we have had a number of clients who enjoyed the quest for Snag. As always, hunting for a trophy animal of this caliber, on public land, in a general area, is amazing. It is a true testament to the unbelievable magic of the western Wyoming mule deer herd. I try to never take for granted the gift of having bucks like these living in our backyard.
I finally located Snag again during the summer of 2014. I was able to photograph him that summer as well. We scouted and hunted for a combined 26 days for Snag without another sighting until the day we killed him. He had, once again, proven to be the secretive, cagey buck that I had grown to respect. Our guides and I took turns and worked together trying to glass the giant buck. I had spent a ton of solo days in the area this giant buck called home. Hunting for an animal for this length of time, with not one sighting begins to shake the very foundation of the hunt, to say the least. I would be lying if I did not admit that I was beginning to wonder if we would ever wrap our hands around the rack of this monarch. I started the season hunting Snag with a great friend and hunting client, Tim, for an entire hunt with no sightings. Tim ended up killing a gorgeous 198" heavy, nontypical on the last day of his hunt.
After so many days, weeks, months and years of searching. we began to wonder if Snag was a "mover buck". A "mover buck" doesn't really settle down in one location, it moves all through fall. The famous Wyoming deer, Popeye, was probably a "mover". He was a deer that was easily located in the summer but during hunting season he was never re-located. Tons of hunters knew where Popeye summered and many believe Popeye simply moved to a completely different area during the hunting season. Other famous bucks have fallen into this category. A buck living near the town of Afton known as the "Drama Buck" is speculated to be a mover buck. At Non-Typical Outfitters we have killed other mover bucks over the years, but after 26 days of searching high and low, I had run out of gut feelings, goose bump intuitions or any other ideas of where Snag was.
During a last week, pre-hunt guide meeting, I called on all our guides to join the hunt for Snag (that is, if their clients for the week wanted to). I shared all available intel with the guides. We had one week to make this dream come true, or Snag would likely die on the winter range as he was no longer a young buck. One of the many things that separates Non-Typical Outfitters from the rest is our ability to work together as one team. We all want to be the guy who brings the giant back to camp, but working together, we always have a better chance of getting those giants killed. So with the "all call" to the guides, we went different directions to cover some of the same ground covered earlier as well as previously uncovered territory. Some of the clients elected to simply go after other bucks because it had been so long since we had laid eyes on Snag.
Buck Fever Hits A Snag
One of my longtime return guides, Ron, went to look for Snag in an area we had dubbed "ground zero". I had photographed Snag in "ground zero" over the years, usually within a 300 yard radius. That morning, Ron and his hunter, Rick, had some challenges in the timber with the horses and ended up getting to the glassing knob about fifteen minutes after glassing light. Ron was a little frustrated with the horses and being late. He quickly sat down to glass "ground zero". It was a full moon phase, so often the bucks are bedded at first light or are headed to bed quickly. After getting settled into the glass he was panning across "ground zero" and picked up a lone deer. Dialing in his spotter, he could not believe his own eyes.
Ron quickly got Rick's attention, saying, "You had better come look at this buck! I have been guiding 30 years to see a buck of this class." Ron had actually spotted a buck in 2013 that we ended up killing, named "007", that scored a whopping 240 3/8. The buck that he was looking at now stood out because of his huge drop tine. There was no doubt he was looking at Snag.
Snag was bedded on an open hillside, in a small patch of golden leaved quaking aspens, not 30 yards from where I photographed him in the summer. He got up and headed for the timber, only being in the open for minutes. The giant buck entered a huge timber patch to most likely bed down for the day. Now, most guides would have just simply charged in and tried to kill Snag solo, but Ron knew the chances went way up if we could assemble the team. Ron chose to bring James Sciascia and myself into the hunt. THANKS RON!!
Once at "ground zero" with Ron and Rick, I knew the challenges we would face. I had played out this hunt thousands of times in my head. We were either going to be shooting at Snag at a very close 2-300 yards or we would need to shoot 4-500 yards due to the way the country laid in this canyon. Rick had never hunted with us before, so I was not familiar with his shooting skills at the longer ranges. The shooting we had done together was the evening before this hunt, and it was simply to confirm zeros. Often before a hunt we conduct a short shooting class, firing at steel targets set up around our camp. We show our hunters some necessary shooting positions to ready them for what the mountains may throw at them. On this particular hunt, some of our hunters arrived at camp late so we did not make it past confirming the zeros at the 100 and 200 yard mark.
Not knowing Rick's experience at 4-500 yards, I chose to bring my 6.5x284 I had purchased from Len Backus at LRR(Long Range Rifles, LLC). I want to give a little back story on my 6.5x284. When I met Len Backus for the first time, it was over the phone. I was shopping for a rifle for my wolf hunting. I discussed with Len my goals for a new rifle system. I wanted to match the speed and reliability of a military HORUS reticle that is in MILs, but be able to use MOA as it is easier for me. Len recommended the Nightforce velocity reticle for his 6.5x284. This rifle shoots with 1/4 minute accuracy. To say the least, it's like shooting a laser beam. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking a proven rifle system to the hunt. We had been in the hunt for this deer for 4 years and had invested 26 days just this season. It could all be wasted if the rifle system could not perform.
I asked Rick how comfortable he was with his rifle at the further ranges. I also asked him if he had a system for determining the different bullet drops at different ranges. Rick told me that he had done some 400 yard shooting using the system known as "Kentucky Windage". That system can be very effective with lots of practice but it is difficult to account for all the variables.
I offered Rick the use of my rifle, and went on to explain that it had two trusted and proven methods of determining drops. I have a Nightforce scope that has the velocity reticle that matches my bullet's trajectory as well as MOA adjustments. That scope, combined with the G7 BR2 rangefinder (to determine those MOA adjustments and take into account the density altitude and angle) is a very accurate system. Rick accepted my offer to use the rifle.
Ron and I formulated a plan based off of where he had seen Snag go into the timber. After throwing out a couple different ideas, we were off to find a shooting position. We ended up on a steep side hill slope at the base of a tree. From this one vantage point, we could see where Snag went into the timber at 325 and clearly to the other side of the timber patch. If he came out the other side, he would range from 390 to well over 600 yards.
Now we set up our position. I pulled my Primos Polecat shooting sticks from my pack. I never go into the field without them. We worked with Rick using the shooting sticks for his front rest and a backpack for the rear. This is a very common shooting position for us in steep terrain. Although this setup gave him the most versatility to move between different areas where Snag could appear, Rick could not find the comfort and stability needed to make this shot at the further distances. I stressed to him that we were not even going to consider a shot unless he felt 90% confident that he could kill the buck. We had spent way too long looking for this deer to risk a low percentage shot. I would rather come back the next day and the day after that and so on, than risk wounding such a magnificent buck.
I pulled my Manfrotto tripod out and set it up in front of Rick, setting the shooting sticks aside. I have a leather saddle gun rest that attaches with a quick release tripod adapter to the top of the Manfrotto. This is the most rock solid rest I carry into the field. It's my "go to" rest if we have the time to set it up. Ron and I cut a few small limbs off of a tree so Rick could rest his back against the tree as well as secure the rear of the gun on a backpack for rock solid stability. We even dug out a flat area for Rick's rear end. We sure didn't want any slipping at the wrong moment. A few more adjustments, and now we had our rest. Rick settled in behind the gun.
I continued with Rick, going over the other important factors for making a killing shot. We covered the parallax on the scope. We covered the canting in the rifle and the reticle (or keeping the reticle perpendicular to the bore). We talked about the way we would determine the range, make our compensation, and shoot. I pulled the G7 BR2 out of my pack...Oh Sh*#!, the the batteries were dead! It's a good thing I had a secondary system with this rifle, otherwise we would have been back to Kentucky Windage. This is also a good reason to have drop charts that have your density altitude factored in, either attached to your gun or in your gear somewhere. My backup drop chart is in a VTAC "Write in the Rain" notebook I carry every day. My rifle had three methods for making that perfect shot. With the Nightforce velocity reticle and my Swarovski EL Range binos (with angle compensation so you get the ballistic range of the shot) in hand we were back in the hunt!
Given the magnitude of this shot, 500 yards was the end of my comfort zone. Now we went over natural point of aim, as well as trigger control. I had Rick check the chamber and recommended he dry fire the rifle in different openings Snag could appear in, simulating the shot. I stressed with him that this was the time to make adjustments if he was not 90% confident. We spent the next hour going over possible shots and taking those shots with an empty chamber.
This was a great exercise because it gave all of us a chance to settle down. Buck Fever is contagious and it can be the reason that you don't take the giant home. I kept going over the words of my buddy Kyle Lamb (retired Delta force operator), "Chaos (buck fever) breeds more chaos. You have to force yourself to remain calm." I was once on a hunt with Kyle where I got a little on the redneck, chaos side of things....that's a whole other story. With Kyle's words in my head, I was working hard to keep my buck fever to a minimum for Rick's, and all of our sake. After more simulated shots Rick turned to me and said, "I am ready. If Snag comes out in the 325-500 yard range I am going to kill him." Those words were music to my ears!!
Now we wait. Another hour went by. Then a small rain cloud came over head. It sprinkled for 15 minutes or so. The whole time Ron and I were scouring every piece of real estate in view. This was a giant patch of thick north facing timber mixed with quaking aspen and thick brush. The openings were small and thick with branches. The bottom of the draw changed from dark timber to more quaking aspens to all quaking aspens to open hillsides of sage. If Snag came out of the timber we would have a serious chance. The whole time I was scanning the small openings I kept thinking to myself, "My prayers will be answered if I could only see him on the hoof, hard horned, one more time." We all just wanted to see that giant, heavy rack with the huge hanging cheaters that look like snags of a tree and the heavy black drop tine. When you have chased such an animal for years, every time you see him is a gift.
Ron quickly got Rick's attention, saying, "You had better come look at this buck! I have been guiding 30 years to see a buck of this class." Ron had actually spotted a buck in 2013 that we ended up killing, named "007", that scored a whopping 240 3/8. The buck that he was looking at now stood out because of his huge drop tine. There was no doubt he was looking at Snag.
Snag was bedded on an open hillside, in a small patch of golden leaved quaking aspens, not 30 yards from where I photographed him in the summer. He got up and headed for the timber, only being in the open for minutes. The giant buck entered a huge timber patch to most likely bed down for the day. Now, most guides would have just simply charged in and tried to kill Snag solo, but Ron knew the chances went way up if we could assemble the team. Ron chose to bring James Sciascia and myself into the hunt. THANKS RON!!
Once at "ground zero" with Ron and Rick, I knew the challenges we would face. I had played out this hunt thousands of times in my head. We were either going to be shooting at Snag at a very close 2-300 yards or we would need to shoot 4-500 yards due to the way the country laid in this canyon. Rick had never hunted with us before, so I was not familiar with his shooting skills at the longer ranges. The shooting we had done together was the evening before this hunt, and it was simply to confirm zeros. Often before a hunt we conduct a short shooting class, firing at steel targets set up around our camp. We show our hunters some necessary shooting positions to ready them for what the mountains may throw at them. On this particular hunt, some of our hunters arrived at camp late so we did not make it past confirming the zeros at the 100 and 200 yard mark.
Not knowing Rick's experience at 4-500 yards, I chose to bring my 6.5x284 I had purchased from Len Backus at LRR(Long Range Rifles, LLC). I want to give a little back story on my 6.5x284. When I met Len Backus for the first time, it was over the phone. I was shopping for a rifle for my wolf hunting. I discussed with Len my goals for a new rifle system. I wanted to match the speed and reliability of a military HORUS reticle that is in MILs, but be able to use MOA as it is easier for me. Len recommended the Nightforce velocity reticle for his 6.5x284. This rifle shoots with 1/4 minute accuracy. To say the least, it's like shooting a laser beam. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking a proven rifle system to the hunt. We had been in the hunt for this deer for 4 years and had invested 26 days just this season. It could all be wasted if the rifle system could not perform.
I asked Rick how comfortable he was with his rifle at the further ranges. I also asked him if he had a system for determining the different bullet drops at different ranges. Rick told me that he had done some 400 yard shooting using the system known as "Kentucky Windage". That system can be very effective with lots of practice but it is difficult to account for all the variables.
I offered Rick the use of my rifle, and went on to explain that it had two trusted and proven methods of determining drops. I have a Nightforce scope that has the velocity reticle that matches my bullet's trajectory as well as MOA adjustments. That scope, combined with the G7 BR2 rangefinder (to determine those MOA adjustments and take into account the density altitude and angle) is a very accurate system. Rick accepted my offer to use the rifle.
Ron and I formulated a plan based off of where he had seen Snag go into the timber. After throwing out a couple different ideas, we were off to find a shooting position. We ended up on a steep side hill slope at the base of a tree. From this one vantage point, we could see where Snag went into the timber at 325 and clearly to the other side of the timber patch. If he came out the other side, he would range from 390 to well over 600 yards.
Now we set up our position. I pulled my Primos Polecat shooting sticks from my pack. I never go into the field without them. We worked with Rick using the shooting sticks for his front rest and a backpack for the rear. This is a very common shooting position for us in steep terrain. Although this setup gave him the most versatility to move between different areas where Snag could appear, Rick could not find the comfort and stability needed to make this shot at the further distances. I stressed to him that we were not even going to consider a shot unless he felt 90% confident that he could kill the buck. We had spent way too long looking for this deer to risk a low percentage shot. I would rather come back the next day and the day after that and so on, than risk wounding such a magnificent buck.
I pulled my Manfrotto tripod out and set it up in front of Rick, setting the shooting sticks aside. I have a leather saddle gun rest that attaches with a quick release tripod adapter to the top of the Manfrotto. This is the most rock solid rest I carry into the field. It's my "go to" rest if we have the time to set it up. Ron and I cut a few small limbs off of a tree so Rick could rest his back against the tree as well as secure the rear of the gun on a backpack for rock solid stability. We even dug out a flat area for Rick's rear end. We sure didn't want any slipping at the wrong moment. A few more adjustments, and now we had our rest. Rick settled in behind the gun.
I continued with Rick, going over the other important factors for making a killing shot. We covered the parallax on the scope. We covered the canting in the rifle and the reticle (or keeping the reticle perpendicular to the bore). We talked about the way we would determine the range, make our compensation, and shoot. I pulled the G7 BR2 out of my pack...Oh Sh*#!, the the batteries were dead! It's a good thing I had a secondary system with this rifle, otherwise we would have been back to Kentucky Windage. This is also a good reason to have drop charts that have your density altitude factored in, either attached to your gun or in your gear somewhere. My backup drop chart is in a VTAC "Write in the Rain" notebook I carry every day. My rifle had three methods for making that perfect shot. With the Nightforce velocity reticle and my Swarovski EL Range binos (with angle compensation so you get the ballistic range of the shot) in hand we were back in the hunt!
Given the magnitude of this shot, 500 yards was the end of my comfort zone. Now we went over natural point of aim, as well as trigger control. I had Rick check the chamber and recommended he dry fire the rifle in different openings Snag could appear in, simulating the shot. I stressed with him that this was the time to make adjustments if he was not 90% confident. We spent the next hour going over possible shots and taking those shots with an empty chamber.
This was a great exercise because it gave all of us a chance to settle down. Buck Fever is contagious and it can be the reason that you don't take the giant home. I kept going over the words of my buddy Kyle Lamb (retired Delta force operator), "Chaos (buck fever) breeds more chaos. You have to force yourself to remain calm." I was once on a hunt with Kyle where I got a little on the redneck, chaos side of things....that's a whole other story. With Kyle's words in my head, I was working hard to keep my buck fever to a minimum for Rick's, and all of our sake. After more simulated shots Rick turned to me and said, "I am ready. If Snag comes out in the 325-500 yard range I am going to kill him." Those words were music to my ears!!
Now we wait. Another hour went by. Then a small rain cloud came over head. It sprinkled for 15 minutes or so. The whole time Ron and I were scouring every piece of real estate in view. This was a giant patch of thick north facing timber mixed with quaking aspen and thick brush. The openings were small and thick with branches. The bottom of the draw changed from dark timber to more quaking aspens to all quaking aspens to open hillsides of sage. If Snag came out of the timber we would have a serious chance. The whole time I was scanning the small openings I kept thinking to myself, "My prayers will be answered if I could only see him on the hoof, hard horned, one more time." We all just wanted to see that giant, heavy rack with the huge hanging cheaters that look like snags of a tree and the heavy black drop tine. When you have chased such an animal for years, every time you see him is a gift.
Buck Fever Hits a Snag - 2
One of my longtime return guides, Ron, went to look for Snag in an area we had dubbed "ground zero". I had photographed Snag in "ground zero" over the years, usually within a 300 yard radius. That morning, Ron and his hunter, Rick, had some challenges in the timber with the horses and ended up getting to the glassing knob about fifteen minutes after glassing light. Ron was a little frustrated with the horses and being late. He quickly sat down to glass "ground zero". It was a full moon phase, so often the bucks are bedded at first light or are headed to bed quickly. After getting settled into the glass he was panning across "ground zero" and picked up a lone deer. Dialing in his spotter, he could not believe his own eyes.
Ron quickly got Rick's attention, saying, "You had better come look at this buck! I have been guiding 30 years to see a buck of this class." Ron had actually spotted a buck in 2013 that we ended up killing, named "007", that scored a whopping 240 3/8. The buck that he was looking at now stood out because of his huge drop tine. There was no doubt he was looking at Snag.
Snag was bedded on an open hillside, in a small patch of golden leaved quaking aspens, not 30 yards from where I photographed him in the summer. He got up and headed for the timber, only being in the open for minutes. The giant buck entered a huge timber patch to most likely bed down for the day. Now, most guides would have just simply charged in and tried to kill Snag solo, but Ron knew the chances went way up if we could assembled the team. Ron chose to bring James Sciascia and myself into the hunt. THANKS RON!!
Once at "ground zero" with Ron and Rick, I knew the challenges we would face. I had played out this hunt thousands of times in my head. We were either going to be shooting at Snag at a very close 2-300 yards or we would need to shoot 4-500 yards due to the way the country laid in this canyon. Rick had never hunted with us before, so I was not familiar with his shooting skills at the longer ranges. The shooting we had done together was the evening before this hunt, and it was simply to confirm zeros. Often before a hunt we conduct a short shooting class, firing at steel targets set up around our camp. We show our hunters some necessary shooting positions to ready them for what the mountains may throw at them. On this particular hunt, some of our hunters arrived at camp late so we did not make it past confirming the zeros at the 100 and 200 yard mark.
Not knowing Rick's experience at 4-500 yards, I chose to bring my 6.5x284 I had purchased from Len Backus at LRR(Long Range Rifles, LLC). I want to give a little back story on my 6.5x284. When I met Len Backus for the first time, it was over the phone. I was shopping for a rifle for my wolf hunting. I discussed with Len my goals for a new rifle system. I wanted to match the speed and reliability of a military HORUS reticle that is in MILs, but be able to use MOA as it is easier for me. Len recommended the Nightforce velocity reticle for his 6.5x284. This rifle shoots with 1/4 minute accuracy. To say the least, it's like shooting a laser beam. I can not stress enough the importance of taking a proven rifle system to the hunt. We had been in the hunt for this deer for 4 years and had invested 26 days just this season. It could all be wasted if the rifle system could not perform.
I asked Rick how comfortable he was with his rifle at the further ranges. I also asked him if he had a system for determining the different bullet drops at different ranges. Rick told me that he had done some 400 yard shooting using the system known as "Kentucky Windage". That system can be very effective with lots of practice but it is difficult to account for all the variables.
I offered Rick the use of my rifle, and went on to explain that it had two trusted and proven methods of determining drops. I have a Nightforce scope that has the velocity reticle that matches my bullet's trajectory as well as MOA adjustments. That scope, combined with the G7 BR2 rangefinder (to determine those MOA adjustments and take into account the density altitude and angle) is a very accurate system. Rick accepted my offer to use the rifle.
Ron and I formulated a plan based off of where he had seen Snag go into the timber. After throwing out a couple different ideas, we were off to find a shooting position. We ended up on a steep side hill slope at the base of a tree. From this one vantage point, we could see where Snag went into the timber at 325 and clearly to the other side of the timber patch. If he came out the other side, he would range from 390 to well over 600 yards.
Now we set up our position. I pulled my Primos Polecat shooting sticks from my pack. I never go into the field without them. We worked with Rick using the shooting sticks for his front rest and a backpack for the rear. This is a very common shooting position for us in steep terrain. Although this set up gave him the most versatility to move between different areas where Snag could appear, Rick could not find the comfort and stability needed to make this shot at the further distances. I stressed to him that we were not even going to consider a shot unless he felt 90% confident that he could kill the buck. We had spent way to long looking for this deer to risk a low percentage shot. I would rather come back the next day and the day after that and so on, than risk wounding such a magnificent buck.
I pulled my Manfrotto tripod out and set it up in front of Rick, setting the shooting sticks aside. I have a leather saddle gun rest that attaches with a quick release tripod adapter to the top of the Manfrotto. This is the most rock solid rest I carry into the field. It's my "go to" rest if we have the time to set it up. Ron and I cut a few small limbs off of a tree so Rick could rest his back against the tree as well as secure the rear of the gun on a backpack for rock solid stability. We even dug out a flat area for Rick's rear end. We sure didn't want any slipping at the wrong moment. A few more adjustments, and now we had our rest. Rick settled in behind the gun.
I continued with Rick, going over the other important factors for making a killing shot. We covered the parallax on the scope. We covered the canting in the rifle and the reticle (or keeping the reticle perpendicular to the bore). We talked about the way we would determine the range, make our compensation, and shoot. I pulled the G7 BR2 out of my pack....Oh Sh*#!, the the batteries were dead! It's a good thing I had a secondary system with this rifle, otherwise we would have been back to Kentucky Windage. This is also a good reason to have drop charts that have your density altitude factored in, either attached to your gun or in your gear somewhere. My backup drop chart is in a VTAC "Write in the Rain" notebook I carry every day. My rifle had three methods for making that perfect shot. With the Nightforce velocity reticle and my Swarovski EL Range binos (with angle compensation so you get the ballistic range of the shot) in hand we were back in the hunt!
Given the magnitude of this shot, 500 yards was the end of my comfort zone. Now we went over natural point of aim, as well as trigger control. I had Rick check the chamber and recommended he dry fire the rifle in different openings Snag could appear in, simulating the shot. I stressed with him that this was the time to make adjustments if he was not 90% confident. We spent the next hour going over possible shots and taking those shots with an empty chamber.
This was a great exercise because it gave all of us a chance to settle down. Buck Fever is contagious and it can be the reason that you don't take the giant home. I kept going over the words of my buddy Kyle Lamb (retired Delta force operator), "Chaos (buck fever) breeds more chaos. You have to force yourself to remain calm." I was once on a hunt with Kyle where I got a little on the redneck, chaos side of things....that's a whole other story. With Kyle's words in my head, I was working hard to keep my buck fever to a minimum for Rick's, and all of our sake. After more simulated shots Rick turned to me and said, "I am ready. If Snag comes out in the 325-500 yard range I am going to kill him." Those words were music to my ears!!
Now we wait. Another hour went by. Then a small rain cloud came over head. It sprinkled for 15 minutes or so. The whole time Ron and I were scouring every piece of real estate in view. This was a giant patch of thick north facing timber mixed with quaking aspen and thick brush. The openings were small and thick with branches. The bottom of the draw changed from dark timber to more quaking aspens to all quaking aspens to open hillsides of sage. If Snag came out of the timber we would have a serious chance. The whole time I was scanning the small openings I kept thinking to myself, "My prayers will be answered if I could only see him on the hoof, hard horned, one more time." We all just wanted to see that giant, heavy rack with the huge hanging cheaters that look like snags of a tree and the heavy black drop tine. When you have chased such an animal for years, every time you s
Ron quickly got Rick's attention, saying, "You had better come look at this buck! I have been guiding 30 years to see a buck of this class." Ron had actually spotted a buck in 2013 that we ended up killing, named "007", that scored a whopping 240 3/8. The buck that he was looking at now stood out because of his huge drop tine. There was no doubt he was looking at Snag.
Snag was bedded on an open hillside, in a small patch of golden leaved quaking aspens, not 30 yards from where I photographed him in the summer. He got up and headed for the timber, only being in the open for minutes. The giant buck entered a huge timber patch to most likely bed down for the day. Now, most guides would have just simply charged in and tried to kill Snag solo, but Ron knew the chances went way up if we could assembled the team. Ron chose to bring James Sciascia and myself into the hunt. THANKS RON!!
Once at "ground zero" with Ron and Rick, I knew the challenges we would face. I had played out this hunt thousands of times in my head. We were either going to be shooting at Snag at a very close 2-300 yards or we would need to shoot 4-500 yards due to the way the country laid in this canyon. Rick had never hunted with us before, so I was not familiar with his shooting skills at the longer ranges. The shooting we had done together was the evening before this hunt, and it was simply to confirm zeros. Often before a hunt we conduct a short shooting class, firing at steel targets set up around our camp. We show our hunters some necessary shooting positions to ready them for what the mountains may throw at them. On this particular hunt, some of our hunters arrived at camp late so we did not make it past confirming the zeros at the 100 and 200 yard mark.
Not knowing Rick's experience at 4-500 yards, I chose to bring my 6.5x284 I had purchased from Len Backus at LRR(Long Range Rifles, LLC). I want to give a little back story on my 6.5x284. When I met Len Backus for the first time, it was over the phone. I was shopping for a rifle for my wolf hunting. I discussed with Len my goals for a new rifle system. I wanted to match the speed and reliability of a military HORUS reticle that is in MILs, but be able to use MOA as it is easier for me. Len recommended the Nightforce velocity reticle for his 6.5x284. This rifle shoots with 1/4 minute accuracy. To say the least, it's like shooting a laser beam. I can not stress enough the importance of taking a proven rifle system to the hunt. We had been in the hunt for this deer for 4 years and had invested 26 days just this season. It could all be wasted if the rifle system could not perform.
I asked Rick how comfortable he was with his rifle at the further ranges. I also asked him if he had a system for determining the different bullet drops at different ranges. Rick told me that he had done some 400 yard shooting using the system known as "Kentucky Windage". That system can be very effective with lots of practice but it is difficult to account for all the variables.
I offered Rick the use of my rifle, and went on to explain that it had two trusted and proven methods of determining drops. I have a Nightforce scope that has the velocity reticle that matches my bullet's trajectory as well as MOA adjustments. That scope, combined with the G7 BR2 rangefinder (to determine those MOA adjustments and take into account the density altitude and angle) is a very accurate system. Rick accepted my offer to use the rifle.
Ron and I formulated a plan based off of where he had seen Snag go into the timber. After throwing out a couple different ideas, we were off to find a shooting position. We ended up on a steep side hill slope at the base of a tree. From this one vantage point, we could see where Snag went into the timber at 325 and clearly to the other side of the timber patch. If he came out the other side, he would range from 390 to well over 600 yards.
Now we set up our position. I pulled my Primos Polecat shooting sticks from my pack. I never go into the field without them. We worked with Rick using the shooting sticks for his front rest and a backpack for the rear. This is a very common shooting position for us in steep terrain. Although this set up gave him the most versatility to move between different areas where Snag could appear, Rick could not find the comfort and stability needed to make this shot at the further distances. I stressed to him that we were not even going to consider a shot unless he felt 90% confident that he could kill the buck. We had spent way to long looking for this deer to risk a low percentage shot. I would rather come back the next day and the day after that and so on, than risk wounding such a magnificent buck.
I pulled my Manfrotto tripod out and set it up in front of Rick, setting the shooting sticks aside. I have a leather saddle gun rest that attaches with a quick release tripod adapter to the top of the Manfrotto. This is the most rock solid rest I carry into the field. It's my "go to" rest if we have the time to set it up. Ron and I cut a few small limbs off of a tree so Rick could rest his back against the tree as well as secure the rear of the gun on a backpack for rock solid stability. We even dug out a flat area for Rick's rear end. We sure didn't want any slipping at the wrong moment. A few more adjustments, and now we had our rest. Rick settled in behind the gun.
Given the magnitude of this shot, 500 yards was the end of my comfort zone. Now we went over natural point of aim, as well as trigger control. I had Rick check the chamber and recommended he dry fire the rifle in different openings Snag could appear in, simulating the shot. I stressed with him that this was the time to make adjustments if he was not 90% confident. We spent the next hour going over possible shots and taking those shots with an empty chamber.
This was a great exercise because it gave all of us a chance to settle down. Buck Fever is contagious and it can be the reason that you don't take the giant home. I kept going over the words of my buddy Kyle Lamb (retired Delta force operator), "Chaos (buck fever) breeds more chaos. You have to force yourself to remain calm." I was once on a hunt with Kyle where I got a little on the redneck, chaos side of things....that's a whole other story. With Kyle's words in my head, I was working hard to keep my buck fever to a minimum for Rick's, and all of our sake. After more simulated shots Rick turned to me and said, "I am ready. If Snag comes out in the 325-500 yard range I am going to kill him." Those words were music to my ears!!
Now we wait. Another hour went by. Then a small rain cloud came over head. It sprinkled for 15 minutes or so. The whole time Ron and I were scouring every piece of real estate in view. This was a giant patch of thick north facing timber mixed with quaking aspen and thick brush. The openings were small and thick with branches. The bottom of the draw changed from dark timber to more quaking aspens to all quaking aspens to open hillsides of sage. If Snag came out of the timber we would have a serious chance. The whole time I was scanning the small openings I kept thinking to myself, "My prayers will be answered if I could only see him on the hoof, hard horned, one more time." We all just wanted to see that giant, heavy rack with the huge hanging cheaters that look like snags of a tree and the heavy black drop tine. When you have chased such an animal for years, every time you s
Buck Fever Hits A Snag - 3
I suddenly caught some movement in the bottom of the draw...it was white...could it be a tail? I grabbed my spotter and pulled the gun saddle rest off the tripod. I attached the spotter and dialed it in. My prayers were answered. There he was! I had not laid eyes on him hard horned this year. His antlers were darker and way heavier than I had expected. I quickly got Rick into his shooting position. If the deer kept going the same direction it would be a 509 yard shot. Snag was feeding and kept going north towards thicker cover. I was looking through a very small opening about the size of a deer. The opening was covered in hanging branches and a shot would be impossible. He quickly disappeared into the thicker cover and was out of sight. As quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared even faster. After seeing him, I remember thinking that this could actually happen, we have a chance. We scoured and scoured the timber patch, it seemed like forever. Did he bed down? Was that the only glimpse we were going to get? Ron said, "I got a deer moving below the big quaky patch." I swung the spotter over...it's a small buck. Another lifetime passed, my heart was pounding, where is this buck?
The small buck was in a perfect lane for a shot, it was a long corridor that was about 12 yards wide and had a big bend or dog leg in the opening. I got Rick locked on the opening. We had done a big portion of our practice shots right there. He got the small buck in the scope. The Nightforce scope had to be on maximum power for the velocity reticle to work. Target acquisition can be more challenging on 22 power. We kept scanning no Snag...no Snag. Then sure enough there he was at the top of the long open corridor, mostly covered in brush, it was Snag!! In range and ten feet from being completely in the open. Now my heart was beating out of my chest. "I got him Rick. He is 25 yards above the small buck, can you see him?" "No", Rick says.
"He is moving towards the small buck. He is about to come out in the opening, do you see him?" "No", he said again. The opening was not that big and the edges were thick. The deer were extremely hard to find, especially in a scope you only looked through for the first time that day! Snag walked forward into the edge of the opening. He was in a place that we could take a shot.
"Rick do you see him?" "No. No, I can not." Wow! Now my heart was jumping out of my chest. I pulled him off the rest, removed the gun saddle and set up the spotter.
"Rick look in the spotter." "Oh, ya' I got him." I set the saddle back up in a flash. Rick got behind the gun and Snag walked forward, covered his vitals with brush and kept feeding. So we waited.
"Okay, he is the top deer, or the highest in the opening." I said to confirm. "Yes, I got him." Rick replied. Suddenly, Snag got ****ed at the smaller buck and chased him off running for half the distance of the opening. I don't think I took a breath for about four minutes. The chaos in my chest was running strong. I kept thinking, "Keep it together." This was without question the most intense moment of mule deer hunting in my life. I was a hundred times calmer hunting Magnum, and we shot him at 60 yards!
The small buck ran out of sight into the timber, made a small circle and came out above Snag. "Rick, there are two bucks again. Snag is the lower buck." "I got him." Rick replied again.
"Snag is going to come in the open but he will be face on." Wait until he turns broadside." I whispered. "Yep, I got him." the reply. He fed forward for another 10 steps. He had about the same distance to go and he would be out of the shooting lane possibly gone forever.
"He is going to turn, Rick. As soon as he turns, you're going to have to shoot." "I got him." again the reply.
"He is turning, be ready...He is broadside...He is not going to stop. Your going to have to shoot him. 410 Rick. Shoot...SHOOT!" Both Ron and I, "SHOOT!!"
BOOM!
My binos were shaking at this point. I saw Snag jump kick and twist sideways like a horse when he sees a ghost. My first words were, "WOW! That was intense." Ron said, "Wow, Robb, you kept it together really well." Inside and out I was shaking with intensity. This was the most intense moment of mule deer hunting in my career. The 140 grain Berger bullet did it's job perfectly. It was a pass through shot, taking out one lung. After 4 years, we get to pay our respects to a Wyoming Legend for the rest of our lives!!! Snag is 38 1/2 inches wide, he has 58 inches of extras and will score around 240. Ricks best deer ever. One of the finest bucks to come out of western Wyoming EVER!!!!
That feeling of buck fever, or chaos, is what we all go through as hunters or as guides, at different levels, in every hunting scenario. I figure, if you don't get excited, why would you want to hunt or guide? The key is, learning to manage that excitement, as well as have your shooting system in place and the kinks worked out well before the hunt. This chaos time is when mistakes get made. If Rick, Ron and I had not worked together going through all of those scenarios over and over, again and again, before Snag showed up, or if we did not have the rifle system to make the shot, Snag could have easily been "that buck that got away."
A lot of hunters see big deer on occasion. Very few are consistent at bringing those giants home. I contribute our success at Non-Typical Outfitters to a multitude of things. Scouting, perseverance, a "never quit" attitude and teamwork are a few of those things. But, two of the most important things that contribute to our success are our skills as shooters and having the knowledge to set up the best shot.
Killing Snag most likely would not have happened if I had not offered Rick the use my 6.5x284 rifle system, or if I had not spent years practicing that system, learning from the very best shooters and gun makers in the country. Buying that gun from Len Backus took my shooting and hunting to the next level. I was not just buying a gun or piece of equipment.
The door was open to a huge knowledge base in long range shooting. I already had some great exposure to high level shooting from working with Kyle Lamb of Viking Tactics and the special forces teams we helped with horseback training. But I was able to add to it when I bought the rifle from Len. He was clear about his desire to share every bit of knowledge he developed in 22 years of long range hunting and shooting with all of his customers. I learned a ton from Len. I was constantly asking him questions about things from scopes to reloading to shooting accessories, that would have taken years to learn on my own. I cannot stress enough the value of going into a hunt with a trusted rifle system, and the practice and knowledge to put it to use. It is simply priceless.
The small buck was in a perfect lane for a shot, it was a long corridor that was about 12 yards wide and had a big bend or dog leg in the opening. I got Rick locked on the opening. We had done a big portion of our practice shots right there. He got the small buck in the scope. The Nightforce scope had to be on maximum power for the velocity reticle to work. Target acquisition can be more challenging on 22 power. We kept scanning no Snag...no Snag. Then sure enough there he was at the top of the long open corridor, mostly covered in brush, it was Snag!! In range and ten feet from being completely in the open. Now my heart was beating out of my chest. "I got him Rick. He is 25 yards above the small buck, can you see him?" "No", Rick says.
"He is moving towards the small buck. He is about to come out in the opening, do you see him?" "No", he said again. The opening was not that big and the edges were thick. The deer were extremely hard to find, especially in a scope you only looked through for the first time that day! Snag walked forward into the edge of the opening. He was in a place that we could take a shot.
"Rick do you see him?" "No. No, I can not." Wow! Now my heart was jumping out of my chest. I pulled him off the rest, removed the gun saddle and set up the spotter.
"Rick look in the spotter." "Oh, ya' I got him." I set the saddle back up in a flash. Rick got behind the gun and Snag walked forward, covered his vitals with brush and kept feeding. So we waited.
"Okay, he is the top deer, or the highest in the opening." I said to confirm. "Yes, I got him." Rick replied. Suddenly, Snag got ****ed at the smaller buck and chased him off running for half the distance of the opening. I don't think I took a breath for about four minutes. The chaos in my chest was running strong. I kept thinking, "Keep it together." This was without question the most intense moment of mule deer hunting in my life. I was a hundred times calmer hunting Magnum, and we shot him at 60 yards!
The small buck ran out of sight into the timber, made a small circle and came out above Snag. "Rick, there are two bucks again. Snag is the lower buck." "I got him." Rick replied again.
"Snag is going to come in the open but he will be face on." Wait until he turns broadside." I whispered. "Yep, I got him." the reply. He fed forward for another 10 steps. He had about the same distance to go and he would be out of the shooting lane possibly gone forever.
"He is going to turn, Rick. As soon as he turns, you're going to have to shoot." "I got him." again the reply.
"He is turning, be ready...He is broadside...He is not going to stop. Your going to have to shoot him. 410 Rick. Shoot...SHOOT!" Both Ron and I, "SHOOT!!"
BOOM!
My binos were shaking at this point. I saw Snag jump kick and twist sideways like a horse when he sees a ghost. My first words were, "WOW! That was intense." Ron said, "Wow, Robb, you kept it together really well." Inside and out I was shaking with intensity. This was the most intense moment of mule deer hunting in my career. The 140 grain Berger bullet did it's job perfectly. It was a pass through shot, taking out one lung. After 4 years, we get to pay our respects to a Wyoming Legend for the rest of our lives!!! Snag is 38 1/2 inches wide, he has 58 inches of extras and will score around 240. Ricks best deer ever. One of the finest bucks to come out of western Wyoming EVER!!!!
That feeling of buck fever, or chaos, is what we all go through as hunters or as guides, at different levels, in every hunting scenario. I figure, if you don't get excited, why would you want to hunt or guide? The key is, learning to manage that excitement, as well as have your shooting system in place and the kinks worked out well before the hunt. This chaos time is when mistakes get made. If Rick, Ron and I had not worked together going through all of those scenarios over and over, again and again, before Snag showed up, or if we did not have the rifle system to make the shot, Snag could have easily been "that buck that got away."
A lot of hunters see big deer on occasion. Very few are consistent at bringing those giants home. I contribute our success at Non-Typical Outfitters to a multitude of things. Scouting, perseverance, a "never quit" attitude and teamwork are a few of those things. But, two of the most important things that contribute to our success are our skills as shooters and having the knowledge to set up the best shot.
Killing Snag most likely would not have happened if I had not offered Rick the use my 6.5x284 rifle system, or if I had not spent years practicing that system, learning from the very best shooters and gun makers in the country. Buying that gun from Len Backus took my shooting and hunting to the next level. I was not just buying a gun or piece of equipment.
The door was open to a huge knowledge base in long range shooting. I already had some great exposure to high level shooting from working with Kyle Lamb of Viking Tactics and the special forces teams we helped with horseback training. But I was able to add to it when I bought the rifle from Len. He was clear about his desire to share every bit of knowledge he developed in 22 years of long range hunting and shooting with all of his customers. I learned a ton from Len. I was constantly asking him questions about things from scopes to reloading to shooting accessories, that would have taken years to learn on my own. I cannot stress enough the value of going into a hunt with a trusted rifle system, and the practice and knowledge to put it to use. It is simply priceless.
