After nine years of hunting and seven deer harvested, I finally shot a big one. in 2023 I frequented my spot in the western part of the state. One morning, more then half way through the season, my uncle and I ventured out into the vast big sky country to find ourselves a shooter. It was the rut so theoretically the big bucks should be up on their feet moving, checking does. We were on some awesome bucks at first but they were not on public, they were just over the fence one was a HUGE Montana Whitetail, the other was a decent but mean buck looking for trouble. We watched them most the day but they eventually petered off into the fields. After many failed attempts of getting a chance at a nice buck, we found a stomper, two actually. We got into position for a 300 yard shot on one of the two shooters headed up the draw our way. But right when they reached the fence to public they layed down with their backs against the barbed wire. Defeated, we sat in silence, with a sliver of hope that for some reason the bucks would jump the fence from their saftey, food, water, and herd to come up to the empty plains and hills that we were set up at. Yep, these guys were not going anywhere. Not without some devine intervention. It was nearing dusk when I proposed the idea to my experienced uncle Jon to sneak around our hill down into the same draw they lay, on the opposite side of the fence and start banging antlers together and calling to the bucks to get their attention. It was a long shot in the dark but I could not sit there watching my dream slip away from me. So we left our backpacks on the hill and creeped our way down to the bucks, our wind was good, there was a roll to the draw that provided some cover, now we just needed the deer to get up from their comfy beds and come check out the decieving sound of two massive bucks fighting with everything they got, or me just rattling in other words… They were bedded about 150 yards from us, after some calling and banging the smaller of the two stood up. He looked our direction and hopped the fence, I could not believe it, it was happening and I knew this was a gift from God. It was gonna be a very close shot so my confidence was high. He walked all the way in looking for the two stoic bucks who were fighting in the draw. Because we left our backpacks on the hill, I could not use one to prop myself up so that I could see over the grass. So I decided to shoot free hand, which I had never done in my nine years of hunting. So, I lifted my uncles 6.5 284 Norma up to my shoulder looked down the sight and squeezed the trigger… BANG! I could not believe it, I was in shock, there was no way that just happened to me… I missed. I missed my chance, I missed that big deer only seventy yards away and he ran up into the hills, my dream, my want, my desire on four legs sprinting into the horizon. Defeated my calm unlce instructed me to keep rattling and he was bleating for the other buck, the bigger buck. I still had not processed what just happened when I saw the second buck jump the fence. In disbelief I shoved my face into my hands, I tried to hand the gun to my uncle so he could shoot it, but he was not goning to let me not shoot that deer. So, I got into a prone position, barley being able to see through the tall grass, and saw the buck strutting through the draw, I gasped so loud that the buck heard me and stopped. I set my crosshairs right behind his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. At only eighty yards the grass had little to no effect on my bullet flying through the crisp and cold Montana air. The bullet struck and the deer ran about twenty yards and tipped over, crashing to the ground. He died how he lived, hard, intense, ruthlessly. An awesome wave came over my uncle and I as we embraced in victory after hours of hard work, but the hard work was just starting. We walked up onto the heavy buck, and I remember so clearly what my unlce Jon said, “That’s a WALLHANGER DUDE!”. I was absolutley shocked, happy, proud, thankful, and electric about the experience. Once we began field dressing and caping my deer, I noticed a brown dot on the hill, it was almost dark but still shooting light. “Is that a deer?” I said confused at the thought of a deer coming down to a kill site. My uncle grabbed the gun and I grabbed the camera and we got set up. It was the buck a I shot and missed, I ranged it, He was about 300 yards away, My uncle took the shot and the deer took off towards the fence and expired right at the edge of the fence. It was truly awesome, the bucks resembled each other almost like they were brothers. I was still wearing my gutting gloves for the picture with his buck. We packed our deer out and had tons of food and awesome trohpies to remember this hunt for the rest of my life. The cool part is my uncle ended up shoulder mounting it for me and it is on the wall next to me as I write this. He is an old deer, with split eye gaurds, he also has a broken G3 on his left side, and he is a 140 caliber deer. I am thankful for my uncles help and guidance and so grateful and blessed by my God above for the incredible experience and memeory I will cherish with me forever. That is the story of the biggest buck of my life so far.