South Eastern Montana mule deer

Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
1,748
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Western Montana
I was fortunate hunting with a couple buddies here in Montana just a couple weeks ago and got a nice fat doe and a huge 2 point mule deer buck. He had a broad old face, huge body, and a neck like a 5 gallon bucket. The biologist aged him a 7 or 8 years of age. Pretty cool buck. The buck and doe were shot together with me taking the doe first. I put another round in quickly when my buddy hollered buck big buck and I got him as he was running (hauling ass) away angling slightly to the right. The bullet hit him the right shoulder and went up through his neck and exited below his left eye. He dropped on the spot and did not move. The doe did a short death run and when it was all over the doe was about 15 yards below the buck. I've already ate back-strap steaks (back-strap & tenderloins were made into steaks) off the buck and I made jerky and sausage with the rest. I made some Country Style and Italian sausage (bulk) that I ground up with pork butts as fat. All of the meat came out nicely and tasted amazing.

I used my Ruger 1B single-shot in 6mm Remington shooting 100 gr. Nosler Partitions.

buck & doe mule deer.jpg

huge 2 point.jpg
 

204guy

WKR
Joined
Mar 4, 2013
Messages
1,292
Location
WY
That's a good 2 point. I've seen a few on the hoof but I find an inordinate amount of 2 pt sheds in MT.
 
OP
6mm Remington
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
1,748
Location
Western Montana
That's a good 2 point. I've seen a few on the hoof but I find an inordinate amount of 2 pt sheds in MT.
I think he might have been on the way down as to why he was a two point, but it could be genetics too and that may have been all he ever was. I shot a buck in western Montana that was a huge 2 point but was a 3 x 4 with just enough tine length to call them points. He was an OLD TIMER. I took the jaw bone to FWP and the biologist said he could accurately age deer to 10 1/2 years. He said your buck is 10 1/2 years and Then Some! He was so old he could not accurately age him. He was rutting big time when I shot him and surprisingly he was excellent eating.
 
OP
6mm Remington
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
1,748
Location
Western Montana
Here is a picture of a 3 x 4 that was essentially a really big 2 point just like the eastern Montana buck. This buck came from western Montana and the biologist said I can tell their age up to about 10 1/2 years, and he is that and some. Had no idea how old this buck was. He's got a really gray face and large nose. Neck was big also. Kind of neat to compare the two and I think they both are pretty cool.
This was taken quite a few years ago. The other gentlemen in the picture is my buddies step-father. His first mule deer he got the same morning.
old 2 point mule deer.jpg
 

Billinsd

WKR
Joined
Aug 25, 2015
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2,464
Great hunt, great part of Montana, and great people there. I spent a lot of time in Baker, 2 years ago and enjoyed myself immensely!!!
 
OP
6mm Remington
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
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1,748
Location
Western Montana
It is nice country over there. I changes so quickly from flat antelope country to deep ravins and then into high hills/mountains. Very rugged!
 

hoyt-guy

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 27, 2018
Messages
177
Location
Minnesota
Congrats on your successful hunt! Nice animals. I've hunted that part of MT before too, and it's a cool area. Thanks for sharing!
 
OP
6mm Remington
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
1,748
Location
Western Montana
One of two 30 pound buckets of sausage made from the buck. One was Country Blend and one bucket I made into Italian sausage. It turned out fantastic and I really like both of them.30# of sausage.jpg
 
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