Catherine Keene Mule Deer

Catherine Keene Mule Deer

The big buck was bedded down about 400 yards away and hunter Catherine Keene was getting direction and comfort about the long shot from her husband Gary.  She was confident she could make the shot as she had made a 415-yard shot on a bighorn sheep the previous year.  The buck stood up and Catherine was ready for the shot.  They heard the “thwop” sound and were confident it was a good shot.  It was then that Gary and Catherine realized just the caliber of buck this was as he started coming straight towards them, unaware of their presence.  Catherine’s composure fell apart and buck fever truly set in.  After one glance at the buck’s amazing rack, she was truly rattled.  Catherine missed her fourth shot as the buck disappeared over the ridge.  Gary sat on the ridge and started to tell his wife that he was going to need mental therapy because she had just missed the buck of a lifetime.  An extensive search could not find any blood or sign of the buck being hit.

Day three of the hunt found both Gary and Catherine glassing some bucks that they felt were part of the group from two days ago.  The bucks were heading into a draw.  They decided they would approach from the backside and go after the deer from the opposite side as they had tried before.  They noticed some antelope nearby as they continued their long stalk and began to second-guess that this route would take them into the correct draw where the deer were.  As they topped the draw, they noticed deer standing all over the mountainside.  Fortunately, the antelope chasing each other in the meadow caused a diversion to the bedded mule deer as they both snuck in for a closer look.  The silence was broken as Gary spotted the big buck - “You’ve got a second chance!”  Catherine settled in with her Remington 300 Ultra Mag and set up the bipod.  Gary ranged the buck at 261 yards and the monarch buck slowly turned broadside just long enough for a good shot.  Catherine hurried and put in a second round, prepared to make another shot if necessary – she was not going to let this buck get away again.  The buck bounded into the bottom of the draw and didn’t come out.  A second shot wasn’t needed.  Catherine and Gary saw the most amazing sight when they both walked down to the bottom of the draw and saw the beautiful deer lying there.  Gary congratulated his wife with a big hug.  It was then that Catherine truly began to appreciate what she had just accomplished.

Catherine’s accomplishment earned her first place for outstanding non-typical mule deer from the 26th Big Game Awards from Boone & Crockett.  This Wyoming mule deer has a 40-inch spread and officially scores 291 5/8 gross and 285 4/8 net B&C.  Catherine’s 2004 buck ranks #3 for the state of Wyoming and is the second largest non-typical mule deer taken by a woman.

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