The Magician

I had decided that this would be my last day. It had been a long week and a tough hunt. I was tired, however visions of the massive Blacktail I had located two days prior, consumed my every thought and I just had to give it one more try. The country is steep, some openings, a lot of scrub oaks and small patches of timber; the thick underbrush provides the perfect elements for a massive buck to play his disappearing act, as safety is always near.

As a young boy, every other year or so, I would successfully sneak a quick glimpse of one of these giant Blacktails, however, until this past November, outsmarting one of these great Magicians of the forest was merely a distant dream. My dad spent his best years showing me the lay of this awesome country and I was able to use this to my advantage, heading back into the brush on a cold Fall morning. I had a plan for today; this day was going to be different then the past few. The pressure was on as my hunt was quickly coming to an end. If I had calculated correctly, today my dreams just might come true.

I learned a valuable lesson while on this hunt. This year I decided to make an investment in opportunity and pass up those smaller three- and four-point bucks and hold out for the magical moment and the chance for a special trophy. Passing up these smaller bucks gave me a great opportunity to watch their habits and how they were acting around the does. I glassed in amusement as smaller spikes and forks would get kicked from one oak patch to the next. I knew that bigger bucks were pushing them around, and I had a good idea why. I spent three days watching a large three-point that did not move more than 100 yards with each additional day. The buck, located in a steep canyon, was not getting pushed by other hunters and seemed to be mysteriously content with his surroundings, acorns, and a doe. This larger-than-average three-point Blacktail was staying close to the doe; when she moved he moved, the pre-rut was on and the deer were showing a pattern.

It was Tuesday, the first day I got a glimpse of the Magician, however, just like in years past, it was just a glimpse. Wednesday, as I scaled the canyon wall opposite of the prior day's sighting, there he was--or should I say they! That's right, 722 yards, compliments of Leica, two massive Blacktails. Both of these bucks carried tremendous mass in their antlers. One was very tall, around 22 inches wide; the other was shorter, however what appeared to be 24 to 26 inches in width...but there I was, in the wrong spot! And yes, just a couple hundred yards from where I spotted the Magician the day prior. I watched as they pushed up over the ridgeline retreating for cover with the dawn of the morning sun. I started to second guess my pre-rut theory, as it would be uncommon to see two bucks of this magnitude traveling together. What a fool, I thought, I should have learned from watching that large three-point the last few days. I should have anticipated that the Magician may be close to where I saw him the day before! This location provided everything this buck needed, but most importantly, the cloak of a brush-covered canyon nearby. It was going to be different tomorrow; I was hoping that this huge buck's pattern would prove to hold true with the rising of the sun on the following day.

Thursday morning, November 2, 2007. I cut high off the trail today and maintained elevation as I sidehilled toward the steep canyon in hopes of putting myself in the perfect position. This canyon is very tough to hunt with few openings, a lot of brush, rock cliffs, and a little timber. This canyon is the one that many look at but few attempt. It just doesn't yield a lot of eye appeal, and the work looks greater than the reward. Visions of the morning prior filled my thoughts and provided motivation for my legs as I worked my way around and up the steep face. The skies were clear today, as the sun began to cast its rays of light from behind me, brightening the scrub oaks on the opposite canyon wall 350 yards away. Without the sun, these trees are nearly impossible to see into, however with the sun, a whole new world appears. As I arrived at my destination, I glanced across the canyon for a brief moment before sitting down to take a break. What is that flicker of movement on the opposite canyon wall? There he was, lit up like a beacon on the opposite face, and yes, just as I had thought, not more than 100 yards from his location the morning prior. "I have to move quickly", I thought, as he was headed through the scrub oaks at a rapid pace and bound for the safety of the thick cover. The Magician entered an opening in the scrub oak patch, but without him knowing, my crosshairs entered with him. I held just in front of the massive deer's chest and lit the candle on the .257 Weatherby. The big buck gave a kick and a jump and then disappeared into the thick underbrush. In the following moments, I glassed across the steep canyon, replaying the past few seconds in my mind as doubt began to consume my every thought.

I was thankful for good friends that day, as I was able to guide one of them, via radio, to the exact spot the buck was located when I pulled the trigger. "I have blood" he says, however, no deer! There was very little blood to speak of and I just knew that the bullet entered the deer too far back. As expected, the Magician was nowhere to be found.

Twenty years ago I found myself in this same circumstance, in the same canyon. The buck was considerably smaller, an 18 inch four-point Blacktail. I retrieved that buck a short time later in the bottom of the canyon. So down the face I headed, and as I reached the bottom of the drainage, the Magician and I met for one final moment as he attempted to also sneak out the bottom.

What an amazing animal, and as I stand next to the huge buck, memories of the last 30 years overwhelmed my thoughts and emotions. At age 6, my dad toted me up and down these canyon walls, hacking and coughing from the most recent flu bug. His persistence in keeping me by his side formed my character as a young man. I know that he gave up many opportunities for big deer over the years so that we could be together in the woods.

Only one thing could have made that day more perfect and that would have been for my Dad to be standing there with me in the bottom of that canyon. We would be reunited later that afternoon at the trailhead, as his disability doesn't allow him to get far from the Polaris Ranger. The look on his face as I emerged from the brush that afternoon will be remembered for a lifetime.

My life changed that day; this buck was what I needed. Ten years ago, after a few years of questionable health, the doctor says "I'm sorry, Rich, but you have tested positive for Multiple Sclerosis". Ten years ago on that rainy March day, I would not have guessed that I would be standing here, over this massive deer in the bottom of this canyon. The Lord has blessed my life in so many ways and the feel of those massive antlers in my hands rejuvenated my spirit and refreshed the hunter in my soul. The Magician was truly magical that morning as his poor judgment, in a predictable circumstance, proved to be his last but most valuable trick.

I am truly thankful that we have public lands that generate this type of experience and memories that will last lifetimes. I am hopeful that one day, my son and I will enjoy these experiences together as we sit on the face of that canyon and I tell him the story of a special deer,

The Magician.