While most hunters would agree that it is one thing to become a successful mule deer hunter, only a few can testify to the fact that everything changes entirely once you harvest a truly giant mule deer. At the exact point that you lay your hands on the antlers of your dreams, there is no going back; and for the rest of your life, you will spend an absurd amount of time, energy, and money while searching tirelessly for your next hit of big buck crack.

Under the best of circumstances, truly outsized mule deer are very difficult to come by as they are truly rare. As one who chooses to pursue them, over time, you naturally evolve into a ghost chaser. In country where big bucks are traditionally produced, there is always a group of folks seeking out the next giant. At the point that an individual sees a buck that they think is a monster, they will most likely talk to their afflicted friends and, in today’s modern age of information, those with their ears to the ground will hear the rumor. Once this has happened, the ghost buck is born and for the afflicted, the chase begins.

In the Fall of 2008, I received such a call from a friend in Nevada, Victor Trujillo. Through his sheep hunting network, Vic had heard of a large buck living in New Mexico. He explained that the buck had been videoed by a hiker and that he was trying to run down the footage. As I had an open tag, he was adamant that I drop what I was doing and head to New Mexico immediately. Victor’s sense of urgency was not lost on me; if the buck was as big as reported, (225-class and in the mid to upper 30’s outside), I needed to jump on the lead or the opportunity would be lost. The bad thing was, opening day of archery elk in Arizona was two days away and I had a precious tag in my pocket. I was committed to hunting a bull that we had found the previous day, and therefore, I was not in a position to chase the ghost. Fortunately, however, my father also had a New Mexico deer tag and so a plan was made for him to head in pursuit at his earliest opportunity.

Once in New Mexico my father, John, met GT Nunn, owner of Frontier Outfitting. For the next 6-days they hunted the timber ghost in terribly bad weather. The buck had stripped his velvet and the feed up high was turning yellow. As a result, the buck was getting nocturnal and sticking tight to the black timber. On the fourth day, they had an opportunity as the buck fed longer than usual in an avalanche chute. Unfortunately, the closest they could get was 660-yards and John passed on the shot as it was well outside his comfort zone. Two days later, they called off the hunt due to fog, snow, and rain. Based on past experiences, we figured that we would never see the buck again. If there is one single thing that we’ve learned over the last 10-years of our affliction, is that you have to kill big bucks when you see them. They have a nasty habit of turning into big buck ghost stories if you don’t. Little did we know that this particular buck was one of the few exceptions.

In July of 2009, GT was preparing for sheep season. He was out with his guides scouting above timberline when he just happened to catch a glimpse of a wide buck with extras. In August, GT’s brother-in-law and right-hand man, Quarai Silva, picked the same buck up above the area he utilized in 2008. From that point forward, they stayed off of the buck in hopes that he would settle into his old pattern. Even though both, GT and Quarai, had told us that the buck was flat-out enormous this year, it wasn’t until August 31^st that those words sunk in. It was then that we all sat in awe, watching the giant as he fed a mile away. Personally, the size of this buck was stunning and while staring through the glass, my mind began drifting to old pictures of giant timberline bucks killed in the 60’s and 70’s. While there was really no need to field judge him, we all took a crack at the gross score with GT ending up the closest with a prediction of 250-plus and 40-inches wide outside. I never dreamt that I would be fortunate enough to lay eyes on a buck of this caliber alive in the wild.

The next morning, after losing the buck in the timber, John and GT couldn’t help but flashback to 2008. Although we all tried to play it off, the tension was mounting. We knew that the buck was too big to take anything for granted. At midday, a helpless feeling swept over us as we watched two hippies hike barefoot up the chute and bump the buck. As he ran into a solid block of black timber, the pressure increased exponentially.

As our only option, we moved into position and got John set up for the only shot that “might” become available. As we waited through a rain shower and lightning storm, our dreadlocked friends communed with nature while yelling like bears at the top of their lungs. It was truly unbelievable to find ourselves in this situation a year after losing the ghost to the weather and timber. John was on fire and all GT and I could do was laugh. The truth is always stranger than fiction!

At 4:30, a little buck emerged from the thick cover and John found his composure. As the rain continued to pour, the giant shortly fed out into the same chute. Over the course of the next 30 minutes, the buck hugged the edge of the timber as he fed down slope. At the 360-yard stump, John mounted his gun. Shortly, the buck fed broadside and one well-placed bullet turned out his lights! The ghost from another time was dead and while we all stared in disbelief, the cycle of affliction renewed itself.

Many people ask, “Where do you go from here?” The answer…back to work! The high of the success fades quickly and the afflicted find themselves hungrier than ever. As our hunting abilities evolve, it is only natural that we tend to look for greater challenges within the sport. In some cases, we are drawn to hunting with a bow or muzzleloader as the desire to kill wanes and transitions into a passion for the chase. But in the end, it isn’t about topping the score of the last giant buck, it’s about grasping the antlers of the next one. We all know that this means more effort, expense, and aggravation but the high can’t be achieved without the struggle. The ancillary addiction for those who choose to hunt trophy-class, free range animals is the addiction to the pain of the pursuit. Without the pain, there can be no euphoric feeling of success.

Points: 8X9

Width: 40

Score: 270.2 SCI in velvet