It took me 4 years to get my first mule deer. About 7 miles for this particular buck. There’s a lot that I’ve learned in those 4 years. I’ve chosen to pass on younger bucks - I am a meat hunter, but from the beginning these are the only deer I have ever had a standard for. Big, mature mountain muleys stole my heart. This year I finally got selected for a Montana general deer tag. Fast forward to Monday night - I was on the way and my friend Eric at @mountain.made.outdoors called with news that the buck he had scouted for us ended up being taken by a friend of his, and asked if I wanted to help pack this deer out when I arrived. I’m a big believer in mountain karma, so after a 6 hour drive we headed up into the dark mountain to help a fellow hunter. With a change of plans, the next morning found us hiking before daylight into the bitter cold. Through the snow and below freezing temps, our water had already started to freeze shortly into the hike - so at the top about 4.5 miles later we decided to build a fire. That’s when Eric spotted this buck on another ridge. Back down we went into the insanely steep, huge rocky cliffs that mule deer are notorious for hanging out in. Country that is rugged, hard on the body and dangerous if you aren’t careful - especially in the snow. We closed the distance by about half a mile, moving fast and staying low, and got it done. In the dark I t took another 2 or 3 miles down, up and over the steep, snow covered ridges to pack the meat out of there. I definitely landed on my ass a time or two. Eric was encouraging me the whole way - he is one of the coolest, most knowledgeable, humble, gracious and hardest working dudes that I know - and tough as nails. It’s an honor to call him a friend. I am ALWAYS thankful for meat in my freezer. It’s the number one reason why I hunt. Although it’s not my first time, I am also thankful to experience the brutally cold, unforgivingly steep and deep country these deer live in. They are some of the toughest animals on the planet, and you have to be tough to get after them. In the past, have learned a lot about myself through suffering and this day was no exception. It was much needed.