Four days prior to September 1^st, I found myself once again leaving central California to make my way to Monticello, Utah. As always, I had purchased a trophy buck tag to hunt with my great friend, Kurt Lewis. I knew luck was going to be on my side as my buddy, Brady Dupke, showed up to help me find a big buck. Actually, we were not looking for any buck, but a huge typical that was videoed and photographed by many guides and other people showing interest in the deer. Luckily, it was going to be Brady and me to get the first crack at him.Saturday found Brady, his girlfriend, Marie, and I looking for the “Bomber Buck”. It was not a half hour into scouting when Brady turned to me and pointed out across the field and said, “There is your buck.” We set up his big eyes and got our first good look at him, and boy did I like what I saw. However, for the next few days, the buck absolutely vanished. We looked everywhere and could not turn him up again. Opening morning arrived and we were out on the unit, excited to get the hunt going. While we found good deer, the Bomber Buck was gone. This hunt is really a hard one as you have about one hour in the morning and evening to catch these deer moving. The heat of the day is the culprit for such short hunting time. That evening, with no sign of my buck, we headed out to a different area and found what Brady called the “Tripod Buck”. He was with numerous other bucks and at about 250 yards, it was tempting. Brady figured him about a 190 to 195 type buck, 28 wide, and super mass. Pass on him, I did. However, I kept that buck in the back of my mind in case the Bomber Buck never showed.The next morning, before the sun even cracked, Brady was behind his big eyes watching the area where we originally had found the Bomber Buck. Suddenly, he said, “Hey Steve, guess who’s out there.” With Marie watching from the knoll, Brady and I made our move. We used a thick cedar draw to get within range of the buck as he fed in a green patch. Once we reached a point that offered a shot, I got my bi-pod ready and Brady ranged him at 300 yards before saying, “Take the shot.” Boom! My .300 short mag put it’s 180-grain Nosler Accubond right through the heart and the buck ran about 80 yards before nose-diving into the dirt.It was now celebration time as we got to put our hands on the buck for the first time…and what a buck he was! After taking care of the deer, we headed back to the motel where Brady caped the head and broke out the tape. With Brady scoring and Jimmy Giles adding numbers, they came up with 208 7/8 gross. His typical four-point frame was 206 and boxed at 33 inches wide…again, what a buck!Special thanks to Kurt Lewis for being a great friend. Thanks to Brady for coming out the last few years to help me find these big bucks. In addition, to the rest of my mule deer hunting posse: John Green, Marie, and the big buck dog, Blaze, for making a once in a lifetime experience for me!