A Nevada Giant

By Jason Carter

Drawing tags is getting tougher and tougher as time goes on. When I had applied for Nevada in 2003, I listed a couple of the more sought after units as 1st and 2nd choice and then followed up with the unit I actually drew. Nevada has a great system that allows a hunter to have 5 valid choices, any of which that are drawn will delete all bonus points that have been accumulated for that species. If you are extremely lucky, you may get your 1st choice, but if not you can still draw a good tag. I was secretly hoping to draw my 3rd choice as I knew from the previous 5 years of hard hunting that this unit had a couple of real slugs in it.

Sure enough, when the draws came out, I was picked for my 3rd choice. Due to prior commitments I was not going to be able to scout but felt confident that in the event I could go, I still had a chance for a giant! As opening weekend approached, things worked out and I was able to hunt the first couple of days. It was the hottest weather that I can ever remember in October and a full moon on top of that!

The morning before the hunt, I decided to hit an area with low densities but also very few other hunters in it. I had killed a 31” 9X6 a few years ago about 3 miles from there and knew there had to be another good buck in the area. I got out of the truck and hiked 30 minutes to a good vantage point. After glassing for 20 minutes or so I spotted a great looking buck in a wash that appeared to be a 6X6 and over 30 inches wide with a great typical frame. I ripped out my video camera and only got him on film for 10 seconds or so and then he fed around the corner and out of sight. I was excited to say the least. This was the only deer I had seen and was all I needed. In the heat of the day I hiked some other bitter brush filled areas to try to jump other bucks just to pass the time and learn new country.

That evening I decided to hike to the tallest mountain in the area as to increase my chances of finding the buck again. I didn't even see a jack rabbit. I then realized I needed some help and called a friend of mine, Shaun Harris who is a “Huntin' Fool.” He said he would meet me at midnight and we could sleep in our trucks. The next morning was the opener and with gun in hand at 4:00 a.m., we both hiked the giant mountain again. We could not pick this deer up in our binoculars and we felt like we could see everything. I know Shaun was wondering why on earth I was hunting this ugly, desolate country. He had to head back to pour concrete and I was again on my own.

Midday I decided to drive to the back side of the basin and hike up onto a different vantage point to glass a different angle into the draws in the basin. The buck had everything he needed, feed and water and after I had looked for his tracks around the outside perimeter of the entire basin, I was convinced he hadn't left the area. I had yet to see another hunter and I had not penetrated his area yet. As I was hiking that afternoon, I came across a big shed antler that I thought might be his. I took my pack off and looked around for the other side but to no avail. I entered it into my G.P.S. and left it there until after dark. I continued up the hill and then had to look back and glass for the other horn. Sure enough, it was 150 yards away in a little sage flat. I got a good look at where it was and kept going. I set up on a rock outcropping that was perfect and started to glass. I set the 15's aside and picked up my 10X42's and bam, there he was bedded under me looking in my direction but not right at me. I realized at this point that he might be within shooting range. He glanced another direction and I scrambled for my range finder, shooting sticks and my rifle. He was exactly 400 yards but on a down hill angle. The shale rock would prevent a successful stalk so this was it. About that time, he got up and started to feed on the bitter brush and rake his horns. I was frantically trying to make my sticks work but couldn't get a dead rest with the angle. I tried to lay on the rock but realized that if I shot I would eat lead as it would hit a rock in front of me. I grabbed my pack and used it to get up off the rocks and finally, I was steady. I decided to put the cross hairs right on him as the incline should level it out a bit. Boom and he jerked and walked 50 yards up the hill. I was so excited, I double fed the gun and couldn't get the bolt to close. I looked in the chamber, thinking the spent round didn't come out and there was a live round already in the action. I pulled out the magazine and the extra shell and put them on the rock. I then locked the bolt and realized I had hit low the first time so I raised it to 6” above his back and fired again. This time it was a good hit. I slid another shell from the magazine and single fed my rifle by hand 3 more times and hit him every time. Down he went and I screamed but then felt kinda weird as I was all alone. I collected my thoughts and then slid down the shale to the buck.

When I got down to the buck, I counted the points and was surprised that he was an 8X8! Just before I took off to get my truck I measured his width and about fell down. 35 1/8”! Unreal. My lifelong goal was laying before me! On my way back to the truck I had to pick up the sheds and sure enough, they were his. By midnight, I had him quartered and packed out. I rough scored him in the headlights and about freaked out. He officially scores 237 3/8 gross and exactly 234 net with a 206 typical frame! I was wide awake the entire way home. I used to think that the only legitimate chance for a book non-typical was on the Arizona strip. Not so. In states that have a conservative management program and good genetics, anything is possible.