Markleo21377 Report post Posted Monday at 03:45 AM Our family made plans this year to go bear hunt on my buddies ranch South of Colorado Springs the first week of October. My boy and I were sitting on a couple antelope points so with a little research I found a unit close by we could draw and had decent harvest 50-60%. The kicker was the very limited public access. I talked to the G&F officer and he said the unit does not produce many bucks over 70” and on public we better shoot the first bucks we see over their ears. I decided to go for it. My boy is a Sophomore in high school and I want to experience as much as I can in the field with him before he grows up. Just hunt….reasonable expectations….work hard to capitalize on the opportunity. Oh, we also could only hunt opening day 😬. Fortunately, we were there a couple days before opener so I spent two days putting miles on the tires and boots looking at every piece of available ground, walking to every high nob I could to get every angle I could to not miss anything….this is where it got crazy. I could not believe my eyes as I found not one but three bucks over 75” one of which would go easily over 80”. Was I dreaming?! Nope I filmed all them….watched them over two hours each of the two days before season. I was so anxious the night before opener I could barely sleep. Opening day arrived and we put together a team of 6 of us to try and locate our top two bucks. As it broke light the hunters started rolling in, and they kept coming. Where are the bucks? I could not find them. Guys were now pursuing does, shots fired!!! Were they dead? Wait, we found buck number two…my buddies are watching him from 1300 yards away. I am still 3 miles away desperately glassing and moving trying to find buck 1. I am passing a couple small bucks as I can’t get him out of my mind….i edge around a large bowl to avoid being skylined and catch movement 800 yards away. I throw up the glass…..it’s HIM! I call my buddy who was about to take my boy after buck 2 and get them headed to me. They arrive 10 minutes later and I tell them how to approach. I am watching them belly crawl cactus to cactus. I range them..906…I range the herd 740. They still can’t see them bedded. Another 10 yards on their bellies…they see them. My buddy sets up the Bogg to get him above the 18” grass and he locks the gun in. A doe sees them and stands….he stands!! BOOM! The buck runs 40 yards and stops…I see blood on his side…BOOM!! He’s down!! I can’t believe it! I literally run for almost 750 yards and tackle my son! We are in tears! We stand over him in disbelief! Bucks this big are not supposed to be here said the expert! Hunters were everywhere, yet we out worked them! We take dozens of pictures! My buddy texts us….buck number 2 is still there! Time to go. We quickly gut him and carry him a couple hundred yards to an access road we can drive to. We load him and off to buck number 2. My buddy and I head in. Topography and brush allow us to cut the first 700 yards quickly, then it is 400 yards on our knees. We are almost out of cover…wind is howling 15-20 so we agree that 400 yards is the max I will shoot. We get to 285 and set up the Bogg to clear the brush. I lock my gun in and ease up to shoot. A doe sees us and starts moving. He follows her and they are running. My buddy ranges….370. I dial and tell him I’m taking the running shot. I swing with the buck and when I’m about 4’ in front I squeeze it off and he cartwheels!! Buck 2 is dead. I am in disbelief! We came out for an opportunity hunt in a subpar unit and kill two giant bucks. We get pictures, gut him and haul him to the road. We butcher back at the ranch and hit the road for home early this morning. I still have not taped them. I am quite certain my buck is between 77-80 and Max’s buck is low 80’s. His buck is over 15”, heaviest mass I have ever seen and cutters are 10” up beams. Truly unbelievable!!! I don’t think we could ever top this experience again…but we sure will try!! Sorry for the long read but it was to incredible to leave any details out. Scouting video buck #1 IMG_7420.mov Scouting video buck 2 IMG_7415.mov Max’s buck #1 My buck #2 Our bucks!! 20 3 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lucafu1 Report post Posted Monday at 03:57 AM That is awesome. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eddielasvegas Report post Posted Monday at 04:38 AM Just fantastic and such a good story. Congrats to the whole gang. Eddie 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted Monday at 01:56 PM Great write-up and fantastic bucks! People spend a lot of $ or a ton of points to kill bucks of that caliber. Congratulations! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildwoody Report post Posted Monday at 02:06 PM Great job 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted Monday at 02:47 PM Wow! Stunning bucks and great job! Enjoyed the write up!!! Amazing shooting as well! What your rifle set up? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Markleo21377 Report post Posted Monday at 02:54 PM 3 minutes ago, Couzer said: Wow! Stunning bucks and great job! Enjoyed the write up!!! Amazing shooting as well! What your rifle set up? I shoot a Christensen Ridge carbon fiber 308 with a dead air nomad suppressor. I know many have love hate for Christensen but mine shoots lights out with Barnes 168 TTSX bullets. About .4 moa. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted Monday at 03:01 PM Awesome 3 minutes ago, Markleo21377 said: I shoot a Christensen Ridge carbon fiber 308 with a dead air nomad suppressor. I know many have love hate for Christensen but mine shoots lights out with Barnes 168 TTSX bullets. About .4 moa. Awesome! I purchased a used 6.5 Christensen Mesa from Bass Pro this year. My 13 year boy used it on his antelope hunt. It shoots lights out!!! Again congrats! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoltar Report post Posted Monday at 03:18 PM Sometimes all things line up perfectly So happy for you and Max my friend. Stud bucks for sure and a great father son hunt story 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rudebob Report post Posted Monday at 03:19 PM Awesome! Hunting with kids is the best!! I get more excited when they tag out than any hunt I have ever been personally successful on. To both tag out together has to be extra special. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Markleo21377 Report post Posted Monday at 03:19 PM Just now, Zoltar said: Sometimes all things line up perfectly So happy for you and Max my friend. Stud bucks for sure and a great father son hunt story Thank you so much! I agree, somehow it was just meant to be 👊 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Markleo21377 Report post Posted Monday at 03:20 PM Just now, Rudebob said: Awesome! Hunting with kids is the best!! I get more excited when they tag out than any hunt I have ever been personally successful on. To both tag out together has to be extra special. Best hunting day of my life! Thx sir 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted Monday at 04:09 PM Double pedestal mount in the works?! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Markleo21377 Report post Posted Monday at 04:10 PM Just now, Chef said: Double pedestal mount in the works?! Yessir! Exactly what we planned 👊 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stanley Report post Posted Monday at 04:44 PM Nothing beats hunting with your kids!! VERY AWESOME!!!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
