While camping in a limited entry area for as many days as we did, 10 total, with 15 in state tags and 2 out of state tags, eventually you will see most of the other tag holders.  With our camp situated along the main road leading into the mountain, most of the other hunters stopped at our camp.  Some did not and drove right on past, but those that did stop were in for a pretty good treat…just meeting us is a treat right?

And so a closeness comes from those who did stop in and say hello and exchange stories.  We may never see these fine people again, but we did get to meet them and when they tagged their deer they stopped to show them off if we were there.

Here are a few of them and even though I don’t have pictures of the guys with their bucks in a couple of cases you can clearly see the size of bucks these guys took.  Everyone of us has a different idea as to what a trophy is and for each of these guys, these bucks are magnificent.  Each has their own story and I will only share some of that, as they deserve to tell it their own way.

Garcia Buck

This unique buck has an extra tine on the right side, almost like it was growing a second main beam.  Could you have passed this buck up?  I would have been hard pressed to pass on it.  Very nice.  Congratulations to this hunter!  Certainly a Dream Buck!  You deserve it!

Fredrickson Buck

We had seen this buck the day before the opener and a man came up on the opening day and ran smack into it.  He made a great shot and took this big boy home.  I understand it was 28 inches wide.  Congrats to Mr. Fredrickson on a very nice animal!  You deserved this fine Dream Buck!

California Buck

This gentleman was from Northern California and I have to show two shots of this buck.  You can see the little cheaters coming off the right antler, but this picture does not show the width and height of this buck.  One very nice buck and it was a lucky buck as well.  No Grimace had a chance at this big boy, but the buck got out of Dodge before he could get a good sight on it.

Happy California Guys

Congratulations to the tag holder.  A lot of money spent, but what a wonderful Dream Buck to take back home!  There isn’t a hunter I know who would have passed on this big old bad boy!  Congratulations!

Hardman Buck

As you probably know, Mr. Hardman had a son drown in the Great Salt Lake while duck hunting, while this hunt was going on.  After the funeral, his other three sons, pictured here, talked him into going back to the mountain to finish his Dream Hunt.  It meant the world to him to be hunting with his sons and he knew his other son was there with them as well.  Part of the story he told me, or at least what I remember of it, was that as he raised his rifle for the shot on this big 4X5 buck, his sights fell into place quickly and steadily.  Like no other sight picture he could ever recall.  When the hammer fell, he felt like he could almost see the bullet traveling and hitting this buck.  Call it divine intervention if you like.  He ended up taking the biggest buck he has ever had the opportunity to shoot at.  5 long tines on the right antler and 4 long ones on the left side.  A beautiful buck Mr. Hardman!  Congratulations to you and to your sons for being there to support you!

Wally in camp

I could not finish this story without talking about the man on the left in this picture.  His name is Wally.  Without a doubt this man likes to hunt.  He was on the mountain everyday of the season.  He told us about several bucks over 30 inches wide that he was seeing but not able to close the deal on.  We know of two shots he took at two different deer without success.  Yesterday (Saturday Dec. 1), No Grimace was on the mountain and Wally told him the deer had all gone back into Wyoming and would not return until the weather forced them back.  I will probably not know if Wally fills his tag or not, but he is a great guy that deserves mention in this story.  Good luck to you Wally!

We also met the other out of state tag holder.  I did not get his name or any pictures, but he too is a die hard hunter out of Oregon.  He was hunting alone, which does not make me feel good, but everyone has their own way of doing things.  The day we came out (Last Thursday) he had not filled his tag as yet.  I’ll call him Mr. Oregon and wish him the best of luck.  Maybe you should have taken that first 4X4 you saw as you came into the mountain.  It wasn’t a bad buck in my opinion!

A camp high on the mountain was occupied by a local man from Plain City, Utah.  He too was a hunter with high expectations and he saw a lot of very high quality bucks.  To my knowledge he is still on the mountain and I wish him luck in filling his tag as well.

Keep checking back on this site to see how our hunters did.

Bears Butt

Dec. 2, 2012