Opening Day Giant

by Zachary Key | December 2, 2011

October 1, 2009 was the hammer day of my best mule deer buck I've ever harvested. Just before the opener I called my good friend Steven Burnett whom I used to work for and had grown up with in Kemmerer, WY. I told him I had a good buck spotted and I was hoping he would tag along to help with the filming and pursuit of this buck. We hadn't hunted together for a few years so he agreed to tag along right away.

I had been tuning into the weather station for days before this hunt, knowing the weather was one of the biggest factors in finding this big buck on opening morning. I had watched him all of September trying to figure out his routine. As most avid mule deer hunters know, big bucks really have no routine to follow. In my opinion, they are one of the smartest animals on the earth. Or maybe I'm just not as smart as I think I am. One of the two!

Mule deer water in different places every day. They graze different hillsides all through the week. They change the trails they use every few days. The only thing they do that is somewhat consistent is bed in the same general area. But this "one area" can still be one giant basin. Mule deer keep even avid hunters on their toes.

Steven and I cruised up the mountain on September 30th, the day before the opener. Just as the weatherman had predicted, it was snowing. We hurried and set up our tent and quickly filled it with our bedding, supplies, and camera equipment. We knew in the morning the ground would be white and we would be headed above the mule deer's bedding area before light. He was hopefully going to be a movie star come morning.

On opening morning we woke up to six inches of fresh snow. This is my kind of weather to hunt in. We started the trek up the mountain, slipping and falling in the wet snow. The first snow storms of the year are always wet and generally only last a few days, a week at the most. We hiked for about four miles, going around this buck's last known bedding area. We began to ascend up the cliff face, due north of his stomping ground. We finally reached the top of the cliff face and began to glass the landscape. There was only a small amount of light entering into my binoculars. I knew if I blew this the big buck won't be seen again in this area, at least until hunting season is over.

Everything was going smoothly, or so I thought. We were almost directly over the bedding area of this buck, side hilling in the wet snow and mud mix. Normally in these conditions I put a piece of tape on the end of my barrel, but for some reason on this trip I didn't. So, of course, I fell into the mud, filling the end of my barrel with mud and snow. I couldn't believe it! I was trying to get the mud out of the end of my gun with a little stick, worrying that I blew it, and trying not to wig out.

When I felt like I got most of the mud out of the barrel we took about ten more steps around the corner of the side hill we were on. Suddenly I see the tips of a mule deer's antlers! Right then the excitement was full speed. I look back at Steven and I tell him, "I'm going to shoot him!" Steven asks, "Is it the big buck?" I replied, "I don't think so but he's the biggest buck I've ever laid crosshairs on!" We then began to scramble around trying to set up the camera and find a solid rest for the gun, all while the buck is only 80 yards away. We finally got ourselves somewhat situated, but it was a pretty poor set up in all fairness.

Meanwhile, the mule deer buck now knew something was going on. I remember it like it was yesterday. His eyes were locked onto mine through the scope. We literally just stood and stared at each other for several seconds that felt like an eternity. I'm holding the cross hairs right behind his shoulders and holding steady was near impossible. Every time my heart beat I was all over the place on this buck. I was trying to tell myself to hold it together but every second it seemed to get a little tougher because I know this buck is onto me. Finally he took a hasty step forward and I'm thinking this buck is about to bail out of the country. That is when I squeezed the trigger, just praying that she'd shoot true after my mud fiasco. Steam rolled out of the end of the barrel in the brisk morning air. I looked back at Steven and I saw the same excitement in his eyes that I knew I had in mine. When the air cleared we could see the big majestic mule deer was lying in his tracks. The thrill that was racing through me was unreal. That big buck was mine! He scored 181" green non-typical. Still to this day the best mule deer I've shot.

This life changing experience reminded me of a life lesson I'd like to pass on to you. Take the time to get out there with your friends and family. Hunt, fish, camp and spend time together because life is short. This experience brought Steven and I together again after a few years of not seeing each other, reminding us of this very fact. Time is all we have, so get out there and spend it with the ones you love doing the things you love!