Cody Heinz writes, "​Two days before the season opened for my hunt, we were trying to spot bucks we had been watching during our many scouting trips. Opening day and the next few days it had become obvious that the bucks changed their pattern. During those first three days there was a great deal of hunting pressure in the area. We saw some smaller bucks, but I was holding out in hopes of finding something bigger. Coming up with a game plan, we had a couple ideas about where some of the big bucks we had scouted previously could be holding up. There was some sage brush country, with thick brushed coulees down below the peaks we had previously seen them on. We figured that maybe the bucks were no longer heading up the mountain, but rather bedding down in those coulees. We decided our strategy would be to work the draws at around 11:00 am, anticipating that the deer would be bedded down for the day. We got to the first draw and hiked about 2 miles up through thick creek bottom brush, when the buck jumped 25 yards to our left near a jungle like out cropping.
​The hunt was on; the buck was probably another 125 yards away by the time I could get my gun on him. I got two shots off, but did not lead him enough, and hit behind him both times. We caught a glimpse of the buck as he covered over 600 yards never stopping. We lost sight of him and quickly headed to the area where we last saw him. Once there we reacquired his tracks and pursued intensely making sure not to miss any signs. About a mile later, we reentered the coulee near a patch of trees. Knowing that there was a considerably good chance he could be in the trees, we approached cautiously. We hadn’t even gotten within 20 yards of the trees and the buck bolted again. But this time, my aim was there and my shot was pure, the buck dropped. As fast as it happened, I wasn’t sure if this was one of the bucks I had previously seen. As I approached I realized that this was defiantly one of the bucks that was on my list. This amazing buck, and truly a hunt of a lifetime, was worth every minute of the three hour pack out. A hunt I will remember for the rest of my life. If you hunt hard results will show!"