Dad's Mule Deer :
 

 
Brother's Whitetail :
 

 
My Mule Deer gotten this morning (2nd to last day of the season) :

 
It's been a long season.  I think I'll sleep in tomorrow (if the 14 month old allows).

Looks like y'all did good!
 
Congrat's on taking some really nice animals.
 
Daryl

fine looking animals, especially your brothers whitetail, congrats.

QuoteIt's been a long season. I think I'll sleep in tomorrow (if the 14 month old allows).

don't bet on it:D

Man, those are all good bucks!

In our area we have both whitetails & mulies. The whitetails seem to congregate in their own areas while the mulies are prtty much widespread.

Looks like a good family hunt! Congrats!

Barry

Nice going
 
Post some of the story as soon as that youngin wakes you up.

Well, baby was up at 5 thinking he needed a bottle; back in bed by 5:30 and just woke up at 9.  That's good enough.
 
Thanks guys for the comments.  Here's how the hunts went down.
 
Dad's was a morning hunt.  Second week of the5 week season.  We were just driving into our favorite hunting spot (affectionately called "the hill") when we saw a 4x4 Whitetail walking a large canal that runs the length of the place.  As dad was getting prepared for a shot, I kept the bino's on the animal.  As I followed his path, a set of horns came into view just below.  This Mule Deer was bedded down in a thick clump of brush right under where the Whitetail had walked.  Unlucky or lucky, depending on which deer you were.  Got Dad's attention on the Mulie.  He decided that was the one he wanted.  The shot was 125 yds or so with his 7mm RemMag.  Neck shot.  Animal didn't get up.  I was thrilled for Dad.  A nice 5x5 as large as anything he'd shot in years.  And I was able to retrieve a much needed Mulie cape for some shoulder mounts I want to get put together.
 
My brothers was an afternoon hunt, a couple days after dads.  He and Dad had been out that morning and seen the Whitetail push a couple does into a coulee back behind the hill.  He wasn't able to get a bead on him then so thought he'd try to catch him as he came back down to the river bottom later that day.  Dad couldn't go back out that afternoon as Mom had chores for him to do so he called me at work to see if I would be able to get off early.  I could and we were positioned in a good spot for ambush around 4pm.  He showed himself quick.  I was calling out distances from the r-finder, bro took the appropriate hold with his .300AX (a cartridge from the line that he's developed) and sealed the deal.  485 yds. and a beautiful 4x4 was on the ground.
 
My hunt took darn near the entire season to complete.  I was holding out for a huge Mulie (190 class) that I'd seen the second day of the season and a couple times after that, but never even close to shootable range.  I'd passed on several animals hoping this one would make a mistake.  Needless to say (I'll say it anyway), he never did.  As we drove to the hill, we immediately saw hunter orange on two fellows sitting on a point at the very most east end of the property.  I had my Dad with me and it was all I could do not to embarrass myself with profanity.  I held it in well.  This year the land had been hunted much harder then usual by "friends of the family" that we did not know.  It was not a good situation.  So we headed back to the west end of the property not expecting to see much.  The highway skirts the land we can hunt south of it.  There was nothing.  We hit a dirt county road that takes us back behind the property and there I almost turned around and went home.  There was no sense driving any closer to the east hunters as they pretty much had the creek bottom covered that deer use to access the back side of the land.  Incidently, this is the better hunting position on the property.  We parked around back at a group of beehives that gave us view of the large river bottom to the north of our place.  Neither of us was all to happy about our position and we were actually talking about what we were going to do that evening.  It was still fairly dark but with bare eyes we noticed two deer in the hay field north of the highway we'd just come up and another deer much farther back just coming up from the river.  With the bino's we could see the front two were does and the back one was a large buck.  I got the spotting scope on him and just as I got him into view, he started making tracks towards us.  I mean straight towards us.  I fought off thinking this would actually work out as he had a huge field to cross, two fences, a highway and the two does, which during rutt, was the real fly in the ointment.  We watched as he zipped right by the does, not giving them a notice at all.  Strange.  When I saw this I thought I'd better get into a better position of ambush so left Dad and the truck behind and holed up behind a clump of brush above where I hoped this deer would go.  Just as he was getting ready to cross the first fence and highway, a red truck pulled up on the highway, saw him there and stopped for a better look.  **** !!!!  The buck headed back river side about 40 yds. and I knew things were going bad fast.  But as the truck pulled off the buck headed towards us again.  Obviously, he had only one thing on his mind and it was getting to our property for some reason.  He cleared the first fence, highway and second fence in 4 bounds and he was 500 yds. in front of me on legal lands.  Winds were sever and I needed him to come quite a bit closer for me to feel comfortable with a shot.  A tractor coming up the highway pushed him closer to me.  And he went out of sight just below.  I just sat waiting to see if he'd resurface left or right.  When I next saw him he was under 100 yds. to my left looking straight back at the truck.  Just his neck up was exposed.  I don't think he was scared but he seemed to know there was something there that shouldn't be.  With the truck having his full attention, it gave me plenty of time so get down on rifle and get prepared for a shot.  The angle was right back into the driving wind and my eyes were watering badly.  I was starting to worry that would mess things up more then anything else.  The buck came up on a higher point, exposing shoulder, to get a better look at the truck.  I blinked to clear my vision for a second and pulled the trigger.  Didn't even see the animal go down.  Dad was behind me instantly asking if I'd gotten him.  I told him I think so but wasn't sure as I wiped tears from my eyes.  He was down.  The 140 gr. AccuBond from my Springfield .280 Ack. Imp. had entered just ahead of the front shoulder and lodged against the hide, just behind the off shoulder.  If he hadn't broken one of his stickers off, he'd have been a 7x7.  We cleaned him, backed the truck to him, loaded up and were out of there by 8:30am.  Driving back, I couldn't believe it had all played out as it had.  A lot of luck involved, for sure.  Retained weight of the bullet was 84.4 grs.  Not bad for a close range higher velocity impact through some heavy bone.

Klallen, those are very nice bucks and I especially like your story telling, you are a good writer. Of the the states I have lived and worked, Montana was my favorite. Some of the most friendly people you will ever find. Thanks for sharing with us.

Nice hunt Klallen thanks for sharing. Funny how bad starts can turn out good sometimes.

Some follow-up specifics on the hunts.  Dad's skull was sent off to the taxidermist for the beetle feeding before  measurement could be taken.  I'd guess it in the low 140's but will report measurements when it gets back.  He's getting it european mounted.  Brothers Whitetail measured just over 141".  We didn't know it at the time, but that Whitetail turned out to be the largest to present itself the entire 5 week season.  And by a good margin.  My Mule Deer scored 162 2/8".  The second highest scoring Mulie I've ever killed.  His broken kicker on the right did measure right at 1" so he's a true 7x7.  We cut him up today and was able to get in and get a better look at the damage caused by the 140 gr. AccuBond.  It just clipped the close shoulder entering, caused heavy damage to the vitals with bone fragment and shatter square through the shoulder joint on the off side.  It was nicely mushroomed and 84.4 grs. retained weight, as reported eariler.  I really like the way these AccuBonds perform.  Later.

Good job KL....

Nice animals Klallen.  Good to see you around again.

Nicely Done - Great Story.

Neil Muller

Those are some  beauties, for sure.  Congrats all around!!!!! :smiley: