PRINCE

By Lane Hodnefield

This story begins back in early august in 2018. My girlfriend Chaydin and I were on our first scouting tour of the year.

We were looking for a legendary buck my friends and I had been following for many years we named the flyer buck. The season before the flyer buck was a massive non-typical sporting hooks and stickers and drop tines. This freight train would have scored roughly 240 inches, so he was definitely the first buck on our list. Not long into our drive we located the flyer buck. He had dropped about 30 inches from the year before and you could really tell that the years were taking its toll on this legendary buck. At the time, all we could focus on was the flyer buck.

Later that night I was looking through the footage we had taken and noticed that the flyer buck’s wingman was a really nice deer too. It was a younger buck I had guessed to be about four years old and he would have been somewhere in that 190-inch range. I had checked in on the young buck a couple times throughout the year. This buck was going to be a rock star he had double split forks and a big frame and just looked like a deer that could blow up in a couple years. The hunting season came and went, and the flyer buck was killed by a lucky hunter, but his wingman had made it through the season. We were privileged to have the opportunity to hunt some great deer that year. Unfortunately, Chaydin’s busy school schedule made it very difficult for her to get out that year so she was un able to fill her draw tag and I harvested an old timer buck on one of the last days of season with my bow. I was happy to take him, but he wasn’t one of are target bucks for the season.

The 2019 season arrived and my hunting buddy and cousin Cole Stark was drawn for mule deer at home and we were excited to say the least. I had got a call from him in early August saying he found a monster. I was so excited, and as soon as he showed me the pictures, I knew exactly which buck it was. The flyer buck’s wingman had blown up into a very, very impressive buck. We named him Prince. I could hear the excitement in Coles voice and this was definately the buck he was wanting

“We were looking for a legendary buck my friends and I had been following for many years we named the flyer buck.”

to wrap his draw tag around. He had a larger than life frame with double split back forks. He had turned into a monster. I was so excited I couldn’t wait to get back home to see him for myself. A couple days later Cole had found another complete monster that neither of us had ever seen. This was an ancient old buck with world class mass and many extras. Cole was sitting over Princes’ chick pea field watching him feed when this new buck showed up. To say we were lucky would be an understatement. We had about 10 days to wait until opening day and had two bucks that would score well over 200 in the same field!

Cole had agreed that he would take either of these bucks if we were given an opportunity. On opening day, we found both bucks but we had zero wind to make a stalk so we made the decision to just watch from a distance and did not want to force a stalk on either of these bucks and possible blow them out of the area. On day two we had a good wind and the old monster buck Cole and I had named Kong was bedded in a good spot. Cole and I stalked in and Cole made his shot count on the beautiful old buck. After a short celebration Cole and I were back out in the same field, keeping an eye on Prince. With me just having a general archery tag I had to wait 13 days for my season to start. When the season finally came around, I was pretty confident after all the scouting we had put in that I would get an opportunity at Prince. he would stay bedded for that long I was starting to think something was wrong. Shortly after that all the bucks stood and started making their way to the chick pea field to feed for the evening. Every buck stood up and walked over the hill but Prince. In the time I left to eat he had stood up and left the group by himself! I couldn’t believe it or understand why he would do such a thing I was in shock. I had hunted him for the next two weeks without him really getting much of an opportunity since the first stalk. The more me and Cole watched him, the more we decided that maybe this wasn’t the year to try and get him. Yes he was a high scoring deer, but we knew he was only about five and should get even bigger the following year. It was a very hard decision to pass but he was in a good area that didn’t get much hunting pressure and we thought

“This buck was going to be a rock star he had double split forks and a big frame and just looked like a deer that could blow up in a couple years.”

Finally came opening day and I had located Prince, the only problem was that he was with about 10 different bucks. This stalk would be next to impossible with that many eyes. I watched the group of buck’s bed down in a wheat crop. At the time there was next to no wind but around noon the wind was supposed to pick up. I made the decision to go home for a bite and come back when there was enough wind to make a stalk. I got back and glassed where the bucks had laid down and I was able to pick out one set of horns. It looked like they were exactly where I had left them. I slowly crawled into range of the buck I could see and sat tight as the hours went passed each buck took their turn standing up and stretching their legs. As each buck stood my excitement rose more and more it was only a matter of time before it was Princes turn to stand. I looked down at my phone to see how much time had passed and it had been five hours since I had gotten into position and every deer in the group had stood but Prince. I could not believe that if we passed him there would be a great chance of him making the season than who knows what he could turn into the following season. So that was the end of hunting Prince for the 2019 season. I was able to catch up to a great old buck I had seen early in scouting season and got him with my bow. He was my first boone and crocket buck. Passing Prince was hard but the decision payed off for me and I was able to harvest a buck in the age class I was looking for.

In the 2020 season I was lucky enough to pull a coveted draw tag in the zone that Prince called home. I was ecstatic at the opportunity to have an extended season to go after him. Me and good buddy Riley Schick started scouting hard. July 18th our first scouting trip. This was pretty uneventful we seen some nice deer but nothing that we were wanting to put a draw tag on. Than on our way home the sun was down, and we were on our way home when in the ditch walking out of a canola field was a big king

“We could tell there was one really big framed deer in the group but with the hard wind it was hard to keep the spotting scope steady enough to get a good look at him.”

buck sporting split back forks and some stickers and a big boxy frame! Schick and I both looked at each other franticly that has to be him! We were so excited to just get a glimpse of him even if it was in the dark, we knew we were in the right place. We were able to spot him a couple times in the next couple weeks, but Prince sightings were few and far between. He would usually be hanging out in a canola field that was chest high so unless he was standing in just the right spot you weren’t going to see him. It was two days before archery season, and I was going to look for him but I didn’t have very high hopes. It had been about three weeks since I had last seen Prince. I got to my hill top and started glassing his canola field. Finally I picked out a big framed deer moving in the field. Prince made his way to a hill top and stood there proud and gave me a show. Its moments like these that really made me fall in love with hunting. I decided to back out of there and leave him alone not wanting to bump him so close to season. I was driving home thinking it was a done deal I had him figured out and opening day of archery season I was going to find him first thing in the morning sneak in and that’s the end of Prince. Was I ever wrong! September came and went without one Prince sighting. I was starting to get discouraged and had thought someone else may had got him. I had been hunting his area hard all year with no luck it was now towards the end of October and the temps were dropping and there was starting to be some pre-rut action from the bucks. My cousin Cody and I had planned to meet up for the weekend and see if we couldn’t find a good buck to go after with the muzzeloader. We were working the area that I had been seeing Prince a month and a half before. We looked into a big draw that went down to the lake there was a bunch of deer in the bottom. We had high winds and it was the first real cold snap of the year dipping down to -11. We could tell there was one really big framed deer in the group but with the hard wind it was hard to keep the spotting scope steady enough to get a good look at him. We decided to hike in to get a closer look the deer were about 1000 yards and there was about 12 deer in the group and not a lot of cover. We took the stalk really slow not wanting to get picked off by one of the many sets of eyes that were accompanying the big buck. Slow and steady we edged closer and closer stopping to glass along the way. We had finally cut the distance in half and Cody was on the spotting scope watching the big buck when he looked at me and said, “Do you know what buck that is?” I hadn’t been able to get a good view of him with the wind, so I had no idea. I took a look through the spotting scope and got it focused in and seen that big boxy frame with the split back forks and stickers that I had been in love with for three years now. It went from a cool and calm laid-back stalk to a panicked realization that it was Prince!!! It took a second, but I was able to re gain my composure and we kept on slow and steady. I looked up when we were crawling. We were about 350 yards or so away when I locked eyes with one of the smaller bucks in the group.

Cody and I froze and waited it out as the deer started looking in our direction sensing that something was up. Some deer started to make their way up the side of the valley because they knew something was up. Much to my surprise Prince stayed bedded down with another young buck while 10 other deer in the group went up and over the hill and out of sight. Cody and I kept moving slowly, finally getting to the spot we figured would be within range of him. We both peaked over the hill looking for horn tips in the cat tails when finally, Cody said “There he is!” Prince was about 110 yards away bedded down with his buddy. I got my bi pod down and steady on my muzzloader and Cody got the video camera ready on the tri pod. We were ready all we needed was for him to stand and give me a shot. I was trying to keep my nerves in check but that’s easier said than done. It had taken us all morning to get to this position and we were frozen solid, hands and knees were scraped up, but was worth it and it got us to this spot that I had been waiting for all season. Prince twisted his horns and he was about to stand for a mid-day stretch. He rose from his bed arched his back and stretched out his neck. My heart was pounding, but in this moment I was completely steady. I had my cross hairs centered right behind his shoulder took one last breath and squeezed off. Smoke filled my scope and I couldn’t see anything, but I heard a loud smack following the shot.

I asked Cody if I got him or if he had seen the shot. Cody said, “I think you drilled him!” As the smoke cleared, I could see Prince standing there about 10 yards from where I shot. He was standing as if he didn’t know what had happen with his head held high looking like a true King for one last time before tipping over! Cody and I were all of a sudden not so cold and the long stalk didn’t seem too bad as we were giving high fives, and each had grins ear to ear. It’s hard to describe the feeling when you finally out craft a king that you have been perusing for years. At first you are filled with excitement and joy but than it’s followed by a sense of sadness, knowing that the final chapter has been written and the story you share with a certain animal has come to an end. I won’t be seeing Prince standing there in that canola field and he will no longer be giving me that heart pounding rush he did every time I seen him in the spotting scope or attempting a stalk. The story of Prince is one I will never forget, and I will enjoy looking at him and telling his story for many years to come.

I would like to thank the many land owners that allow hunting on their land and make these story’s possible.