I never know what hunts my dad puts me in for. I knew I had little chance of being drawn for anything because of the previous years. I had put in for the draws at age 10 but didn’t get drawn, and I was beyond disappointed. The next year, I did the same thing but didn’t get drawn. My dad saw how sad I was, so he stood in line to get one of the last tags Arizona had to offer. It turned out to be an amazing hunt, and I took a 115" Coues deer. The next year, I was drawn for my first real tag and took a 160" mule deer.
I came home from school one day and started doing my homework, as usual. Suddenly, my dad started jumping and screaming. I had no clue what was going on, and he couldn’t calm down long enough to tell me. After running a couple laps around the house, he told me I had been drawn for the Arizona Strip tag. The hunt was coming up quick, and nothing could be left to fate for this once-in-a-lifetime tag.
My dad decided to reach out to our close friend, Darr Colburn, one of the best hunters we know. Darr had been on the Strip the prior two seasons. His advice was, “Friends don’t let friends hunt the Strip without a guide.” My dad was already convinced, and I was definitely on board. The only problem was talking my mom into it. Over the next week, Darr texted my mom nonstop until she finally caved. He then told us the only person we needed to talk to was Brec Bundy with Mule Deer Addiction. Darr only said good things about them, having hunted with them for the past two years.
After my dad had one conversation with Brec, he knew we had made the right choice. Mule Deer Addiction is based out of St. George, Utah, and they are on the Strip about every weekend. The thing we love most about them is that they only take five hunters at a time. All of their guides have been with them for years and also live in St. George. They do not guide for a living, but they aspire to find the biggest mule deer they can for their clients.
As we got closer to the hunt, Brec sent us pictures of the buck I would be hunting. He had been given the name “Flames,” and it was obvious why. His main beams were huge and swooped up like a flame. My guide, Brett, gave us the background on Flames. They had been following him for the past couple seasons, only to have him disappear before the hunts. Brett had made it his mission to relocate Flames this year. Brett spent his time in places that even MDA didn’t frequent until he found Flames almost four miles from the original location. Now he needed to keep an eye on him until opening day. This dedication is why you hire Mule Deer Addiction.
After all of the preparation and planning, we were finally heading up to St. George. My dad went up earlier that morning so he could get camp ready for us. I drove up with Darr and his son, Parker. When I got to camp, my dad had already had two flat tires and had to make another trip into town. I was so overwhelmed by just being there that I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t wait for the next morning. Almost everyone was asleep in camp, so I had to wait for my dad around the campfire with Darr and Parker. A couple of people walked up and introduced themselves. Honestly, I was too tired to remember any of their names. My dad came back really late, so we went in the tent and fell right to sleep.
The next morning came really early, and it was still dark and freezing. However, nothing really bothered me because I was still in shock that it was finally here – opening day on the Arizona Strip. It was time to head out of camp. Another one of the great things about MDA is that you never pull out of camp alone. There is usually a spotter and some friends and family who are just there to help you find a big buck. We drove for what felt like an hour until we had to load our gear into the cold RZR. Darr and our spotter, Tyson, went one way, and Bret, my dad, Parker, and I went another. It took a while to get everyone dropped off at their glassing spots. As my dad got out of the RZR, he told me good luck and to shoot straight. He wasn’t with me. I’d never been on a hunt without him by my side the entire time. However, Bret had every angle covered and had a perfect plan.
Brett and I got to our ridge and got set up. Before it was even light enough to really see, my dad spotted a large mainframe buck. Brett said we had to make sure it wasn’t Flames, so we headed back to the RZR. We were almost to the bottom when it was finally light enough and my dad could tell the buck was not Flames after all. Only on this hunt would we let this 180"+ buck walk. Back to our ridge we went.
We were almost back to our ridge when the call came in. Tyson had found Flames. The next five minutes were a blur. The RZR ride was so fun and fast, only to be compared to Nascar. We parked, and after a short walk, we spotted a buck on the hillside. We weren’t sure if it was Flames, so we got out and glassed for a couple seconds. There he was, the giant buck, Flames. I got my gun out and set it up on the ground. We turned my scope, and I spotted him right away. I got clarification, and then I took a deep breath. Everything felt so still, and I was holding my gun tight. I didn’t move anything. I put the crosshairs right on the buck 500 yards away, and then I squeezed the trigger. It was done.
Brett started yelling, and he gave me a huge hug and a high five. I swear I could hear my dad screaming from the other side of the hill. I was so happy, and the adrenaline was racing through my body. I got hold of my dad, and he was so proud and that made me feel so good. Brett and I started heading for the buck across the canyon and made our way towards the top of the hill. We were a few feet from Flames, and I was in complete shock. My smile grew wide as I could not believe what had just happened. Brett took a couple pictures and then he headed down to get the rest of the guys. I sat on the hill but could not relax. I was so ecstatic to be sitting next to my buck. Everyone else started making their way up the hill, and they all gave me a huge hug and congratulations. My dad hugged me so tight and shed a little tear.
For a hunt so short in time, the memories will never be forgotten. This experience could not have been possible without MDA, my incredible guide, Brett, my spotter, Tyson, Darr and Parker Colburn, and especially my dad, Dusty Mathis.
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