Once in a lifetime
By Bob Bahlmann
11-07-07

It’s been said that your chances of being struck by lightning are better than the odds of drawing a Utah Sportsman tag, so when Rand Newby drew out for a 2007 mule deer tag, he knew it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue a trophy buck.
Knowing that the best time to harvest a trophy mulie is during the rut in early November, Newby wasn’t planning to get serious about hunting until that time, but a horseback riding trip by some friends changed his mind and he got serious in a hurry.
Jeremy, Dillon and Rod Taylor were riding in a remote area of southeastern Utah when they spotted a buck they thought Newby would be interested in. One of the guys rode three hours to a spot where he could get cell phone service and called Newby while the others tried to keep an eye on the deer.
Newby hooked up with the Taylors, and they managed to locate the buck with a spotting scope by moonlight. It was obvious that the deer was a big one, but the hunters had to wait about six hours for daylight and a chance to see just how big the buck was.
The deer was bedded in some pretty rough country with a lot of ledges and scattered pinon and juniper trees. Newby was able to approach to within about 400 yards of the deer, close enough that he felt confident he could make the shot with the rifle he helped build as an employee of Christensen Arms in Fayette.
One shot was all it took from the carbon wrapped barrel on his 7mm WSM, and the buck was his. The deer sports 13 points on each side and has a spread of 42 inches.


For more information on the hunt and additional pictures log on to www.christensenarms.com, click on Adventure Logs and scroll down to 2007 Utah Sportsman Buck.
Anyone inspired by Newby’s buck who wants to apply for a 2008 Sportsman tag had better get on the stick; the application period runs Nov. 1-15.