Mule Deer Adventure: Big Buck With a Single Shot

We watched the sunrise and glassed for close to an hour, finding new deer every few minutes. If you were not glassing continually, it would be easy to miss a big buck traveling over a ridge and into the next draw. The dips and valleys hid over half of the land mass in front of us, and being patient revealed where the deer wanted to hang out and when they moved.

Scott Fink with Goose Creek Outfitters described the mule buck we were looking for several times, giving me a mental image of its big frame with a few non-typical points. I was anxious to get a glimpse of the old boy.

Something in the truck’s side mirror grabbed my attention, and a better look with my binoculars revealed a herd of mule deer moving between dunes at 150 yards. We counted nine does followed by a fork-horned buck, leaving us sure the big boy wasn’t far behind. With the rut in full swing, it would be unusual for a forked buck to have such a large harem. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we glassed, a mature buck never materialized. 

Photo courtesy of Brad Fenson.

We watched the sunset and eventually headed back toward camp. While approaching a shelterbelt, we found another large herd of mule does. Several bucks ran from cover to chase a hot doe, and we watched the action in the fading light. The big buck we’d spent all day looking for wasn’t in the group, but we knew the area would be the perfect place to start the next day.

Scott had seen the big mule buck several times over the fall, and it was usually early in the morning. The following day, we headed out an hour before shooting light. We approached the area we had found the herd of mule deer the evening before and stopped to glass the tall, dry sunflowers the deer used to hide. It only took seconds to locate the herd, which had only moved about 200 yards. Before the words could cross my lips, Scott said, “your buck is standing on the far left of the does.”

It was still well before legal light, and we sat quietly to watch the deer as the sun slowly brightened the horizon. The hulking body and a tall silhouette of antlers filled my field of view. The buck looked much darker and bigger than any of the other deer. The mature antlers were hard not to look at as I tried to count points and identify stickers.

It was time to make our move, so Scott and I tried to read the lay of the land to devise a plan to get within shooting distance. The deer paid no attention to us, giving us lots of time to let the sun brighten the landscape. However, I knew I had to be quiet and cautious with a dozen sets of eyes and ears. There wasn’t a breath of wind, meaning I’d need to be stealthy to close the distance.

There was a slight hill south of the deer, and if I snuck down the edge of the shelterbelt, I could get to the barbed-wire fence near the top of the rise. Using the terrain like the deer do to remain undetected was the best strategy, and I slipped down the edge of the trees to start my stalk.

Watching my foot placement carefully, it didn’t take long to cut the distance. As I got close to the fence, I crawled to one of the posts where the deer came into view. The deer were spread out in front of me, and my elevated position gave me a better view of the herd. I shouldered my Traditions G2 rifle and cocked the hammer. The old buck turned and stared at me just as I found him in my scope. I had a solid rest against the post. I slowly tightened up on the trigger until the rifle barked, echoing back off the surrounding hills. The buck took two steps and hit the ground before I could get another cartridge in the gun. The .35 Whelen bullet hit the buck hard, anchoring the old boy and eliminating the need to do any tracking.

Photo courtesy of Brad Fenson.

Scott raced over to join me as I headed down through the sunflowers to better look at my buck. The body of the old deer was massive, and he smelled like the rut. The deep forks and extra points were exactly like Scott had described them.

Traditions Performance Firearms Outfitter G2

Traditions is best known for muzzleloaders but has outstanding centerfire rifles. The Outfitter G2, a break-action single-shot cartridge rifle, was used on the hunt. The Outfitter G2 has been replaced with the Outfitter G3.

The Outfitter G3 Rifle is lightweight, compact, and easy to maneuver in the stand or tight spots. The muzzle brake tames the lightweight nature of this firearm, even with larger cartridges. The Outfitter G3 has several upgrades, including the Traditions Elite Trigger System that breaks with just over three pounds of pull. The G3 is a break-action, single-shot cartridge rifle with an accurate and dependable 22-inch Lothar Walther barrel.

Find out more at www.traditionsfirearms.com

View More ArticlesView More Deer Hunting Gear