Amy Boykin, aka NVpackrat here at MonsterMuleys.com, writes, "Here is my first decent buck---after shooting a forky for my first buck, I decided the next tag's hunt would be for more than meat.

Where we hunt is pack/walk-in only, so we packed staight up the mountain in 2 foot drifts. 7 hours later & exhausted, we set up camp (thank god for horses & spike tents). I was very disappointed---we couldn't make it to the spot I always see big deer around, but with the snow so bad, I had to have my pack horse pull me up some of the steeper sections and I just couldn't go any further.

We had the whole mountain to ourselves; most folks stay away when the snow is so deep, and there aren't many tags allocated up there.

Opening morning I got up at 5am , and didn't see any movement anywhere besides some does for a couple of hours.
Though weary, I decided to try and hike the remainder of the trip to my secret spot. I had traveled about 50 feet from camp, and there on the slope in front of me 100 yards off, was this nice 4 point standing broadside. Talk about a golden opportunity---I couldn't pass him up and fired one shot from my 30.06. He humped up and stumbled, then went off at a dead run! I though I had hit him, but at the rate he took off I wasn't sure. There was snow to track in, but where I had last saw him stand, there was no blood trail to follow.

As I came to where he had last stood, I started to get worried---until I saw him piled up about 75 yards downhill.
I'm very proud to say that one shot took him right through the heart (internally he was hamburger). What an awesome hunt, and great meat to boot!