Kodey Rosen writes, "It sure was a great year of hunting, although it was a tough one. My best friend, Tanner Harding, and I were on the search for a buck of a lifetime this year with every intention of finding one. We did alot of scouting preseason and were on the track of a few really nice deer. Opening day we went after a buck that we guessed to be a 185 class typical buck. Unfortunatly, the buck was nowhere to be found come hunting season. We began to take our adventures elsewhere sure that there were bigger ones out there. We hunted hard day in and day out on our search, but for the first 10 days of the hunt only seemed to stumble upon average 4 points. Some were hard to pass up, but once again we were determined to find the buck we were looking for.

On October 21st, Tanner and I were on a quick evening hunt. As we were panning the mountains, we saw one buck in the thick brush feeding about 2000 yards away. We were able to see one cheater on his right horn and decided he may deserve a second look, so we tightened our boots and started hoofing it to him. Right as we got to the place where we thought we could get a closer look, the lights went out on us. We could barely make him out as he bedded down in the trees. We both discussed the situation and decided we would return in the morning. We got up bright and early and returned to the same spot we watched him bed. Sure enough, right as it got light we spotted three deer. We got out the scope and evaluated them, deciding on if he was the one. After confirming that he was a nice buck, we sat and watched the three deer butt horns and push each other around for the next 15 minutes. Then it was time to make the stalk. As we got closer and closer we would try to get better looks at him. One of these times he allowed us to see his left antler so that we could make out that he had 3 cheaters on his other side. It was then that we decided this was a shooter. Of course the addrenaline kicked in and we were ready to go. As we worked our way through the thick timber, we were not able to see the bucks. There were a few points along the stalk that there would be little gaps in the trees so that we could get quick glimpses, but not enough to make the shot. Finally, there was a big enough opening that we could prepare for the moment of truth. We ranged him at 357 and decided this would be the closest we would get. I got out the trusty 300 ultra mag and steadied myself. As soon as I got the oppertunity and he turned broadside I let the lead fly. In an instant Tanner and I both heard the slap and knew it was a solid hit. As I looked in the scope for a second time, I confirmed the shot watching the deer. As we made the long awaited journey to him we were pleasantly surprised with what we found. He was a great buck and just what I was looking for. I later scored him roughly at 192.

This is what hunting is all about, harvesting a great buck with a great friend. All the hard work really does pay off."