Greatest Mule Deer Video Ever Made
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: APauls
22-Dec-22
APauls's Link
Enjoy
From: Jaquomo
22-Dec-22
Yep! This is a good one to resurrect. Great story.
From: Casekiska
22-Dec-22
Great video. Thanks for posting it and giving us all a glimpse at the passion and success of an outstanding bowhunter! The man is a great role model for all of us who venture afield with bow in hand.
From: t-roy
23-Dec-22
That is some incredible mule deer country, for sure!
From: Adventurewriter
23-Dec-22
Wow that was great at first I was spooked by the two hours but so well done and such an engaging journey watched it all
From: BULELK1
23-Dec-22
1 of the very few TV hunting shows I like to watch.
They get some Stud Whitetail bucks too
Good luck, Robb
From: Guardian hunter
23-Dec-22
The work they put in is very inspiring
From: Rocky D
23-Dec-22
I’ve watched everything that Cody has done and love it al!
I really like it when people are aligned with what seems to be their purpose.
There seems to be an underlying calm that that transcends their perspective!
From: RonP
23-Dec-22
well said rocky. i see that every now and then with tradesmen and professionals. without seeing their work, you can often tell the good ones.
From: APauls
23-Dec-22
Only available for one more week on YouTube
From: wisconsinteacher
23-Dec-22
Wow. I didn't expect 2 hours to go that fast!!! What a video.
From: Bowboy
23-Dec-22
Being cold here made the two hours go by quick! Thanks for reposting!
From: CameramanRichy
28-Dec-22
Really appreciate the kind words all and the sharing APauls! It's the project I'm most proud of in my 12 years as a cameraman/editor. If anyone has any questions of comments I'm always happy to answer.
From: Straight Shooter
28-Dec-22
Great story, what a giant. Congrats Cody, love your work.
From: Catscratch
28-Dec-22
Wow, great video!
From: [email protected]
28-Dec-22
Wow, even better the second time watched. The passion is surely there for the chase and for getting it all on camera. Five years! Nicely done by all. My best, Paul
From: Zbone
28-Dec-22
Congrats to hunter, but thought "Popeye" film footage was the greatest mule deer vedeo ever made...8^)
From: Nick Muche
29-Dec-22
What a film!
From: Nomad @ work
29-Dec-22
Very cool!
From: M.Pauls
29-Dec-22
Totally epic. What a story of highs and lows, and shows the dedication it takes to be consistently successful on big bucks
From: [email protected]
29-Dec-22
What is really great about this video is that the conversation is in "real English language". NO,' smoked him', NO' dirt bath', etc. Just some great passionate speak, expressing the love of the sport, the love of the deer, the respect for all that is large and small. Poetry to the ear. My best, Paul
From: Fields
29-Dec-22
That could be the best video ever made....
From: Earltex
29-Dec-22
This beats any movie I have watched in a very long time. One of the all time best. Well done.
From: CameramanRichy
29-Dec-22
Thanks so much all, I spent literally months editing the film...Cody is the best mule deer hunter and story teller I personally know, but this deer and the quest for him turned into something way beyond what we ever could have imagined.
From: Earltex
29-Dec-22
Richy, I have a question for you…. Any idea on the estimated man hours spent in pursuit of this buck?
From: Altitude Sickness
29-Dec-22
Great editing Richy. A whole different league than 99% of shows on TV. I really enjoy the shows with You as the hunter also. Like the the mule kick archery buck
From: CameramanRichy
29-Dec-22
I'd hate the add it up the hours or it would be depressing haha. There is so much that never made the final cut...where we would go weeks/months searching most mornings and evenings without even knowing if he was still alive. He lived most of his later life in big bushes like a whitetail so that made it tough as hell, but it's hard to blame him when he kept seeing two hunters popping up under 40 yards in the open country.
From: EmbryOklahoma
29-Dec-22
You guys did good! I haven’t finished the video just yet, but surely you guys noticed the arrow coming off of the bow funny?
Okay… off to finish it. :)
From: CameramanRichy
29-Dec-22
When he was in velvet the arrows look normal to me...his rest was a bit loose we found out after which did him no favours on the first one. The shot the year before was crazy windy and it took the arrow like two feet to the right. The final shot was pretty wild...his stabilizer was resting against the tree and it actually nicked a branch or two on the way to him.
From: PeteO
29-Dec-22
Wow that is some movie! Great job, thanks for sharing
From: Grey Ghost
29-Dec-22
It's a very well produced show and a great story. What a buck!
To me, it was a little over the top on the emotional side, but at least the emotion seemed genuine. I, too, noticed the poor arrow flight on a few of the shots. The cameraman's killing shot looked like a dart.
Richy, I'm curious, how did the final set of antlers compare to the sheds from previous years? Was Sleepy still putting on inches and mass, or had he peaked out?
Matt
From: EmbryOklahoma
29-Dec-22
I’m at the point in the video where Richy scores. Pretty good stuff so far. Glad Sleepy is still alive in the video, so far.
Richy, I was mainly referring to the 27 yard shot where you showed the slow-mo a couple times. Definitely some odd flight IMO. But hey, I’m no expert. Onward…
Again, great job on the video! That bucks mass is INCREDIBLE! Got a few limbs on the way, but it worked out in the end. Congratulations to Cody and Richy!
From: CameramanRichy
29-Dec-22
He went from (guessing spread) 180s"-221"-242"-260"-266" when we finally got him. We figure he was 9...he had a bit of a limp and was looking pretty rough, just part of getting older in tough country I suppose. I can promise you there was no acting in this film...all the emotions were genuine. Cody is a pretty emotional fella.
From: Altitude Sickness
29-Dec-22
Emotional ?
Working for Shockey probably gave him PTSD
From: Grey Ghost
29-Dec-22
What's amazing to me is Sleepy never seemed break off any of his multiple tines. I'm guessing he wasn't a very active participant in the rut. I've seen that before with some of the oldest and biggest mule deer around my place, too. It's almost as if their survival instincts become stronger than their breeding instincts.
Matt
From: CameramanRichy
29-Dec-22
It was pretty wild...we always expected him to be broken up but he never did. You're likely right, he focused on being smart and surviving and not chasing does all over, but he still rutted, we know of some hunters that saw him then but we never did ourselves in his later years. He may have just been the king of the area so he never had to fight much.
From: ki-ke
29-Dec-22
My 2nd time seeing the video. Cody and crew do an amazing job. This film was truly epic! Much continued success to these guys!!
From: Grey Ghost
29-Dec-22
I had a big mature buck around here this year. He was no Sleepy, but he was at least 32" wide, with deep forks and split G3 and G4 on both sides. I conservatively estimated him in the 200" gross range. I saw him with does only once right around Thanksgiving. He was solo every other time I saw him. He vanished right before the late rifle season at the end of November. Meanwhile, a few less mature bucks were always around the does during the rut, and they did the majority of the breeding. I'm a firm believer that mulie bucks become less interested in breeding the older they get. Just like us, I suppose. ;-)
Matt
From: ki-ke
29-Dec-22
Speak for yourself GG.....
From: Bowfreak
29-Dec-22
I have an internet attention span now so 2 hrs for a video is tough. I love all of Cody's stuff so I will give it a go. Is there a person living who has been around more world class mulies than Cody?
From: CameramanRichy
29-Dec-22
Bowfreak...if you don't think it was time well spent...I'll give you your money back! When I first laid out all the footage in a movie format I liked, it was over four hours, so two is the best stuff that most passionate hunters will appreciate!
From: Errorhead
30-Dec-22
Very, very good video! I first thought I would skip to the shot, but once I started watching I was so caught up in the pursuit that I didn’t notice the time. I am surprised at his choice of bows, kinda thought he would have a faster rig for those long stalker shots.
From: CameramanRichy
30-Dec-22
Thanks for giving it a chance Errorhead. We were using Diamond Deploy SB's at the time, they are really lightweight and shoot 330 fps IBO. I really enjoyed mine, but I love my Bowtech Revolt more even though it's heavier.
From: EmbryOklahoma
30-Dec-22
I watched it again last night with my wife (she’s bow hunter), she was teared up at the end. :)
From: APauls
30-Dec-22
That’s so cool that you jumped in here Richy to say a piece.
Keep doing what you guys do. I was telling a friend not only is it the best hunting video ever it might just be one of the best movies I’ve seen in years in any genre. Up there with Top Gun Maverick ;) Less money more emotion spent in creation.
I loved Kelsey’s honest opinion when Cody killed him I’ve got a daughter roughly same age as their oldest and two kids as well and I know the toll it takes on my wife when I am gone so it was interesting to see her talk about that a bit and you could tell there was a whooooooooole lot more there as any family man would know. Such a great story presented in absolute A++ fashion
From: Rackmastr
30-Dec-22
Amazing video and congrats to Richy for some top notch filming and editing.
Something pretty amazing about watching that camera angle switch right at the moment of the shot, and man is that a well done story and something that everyone involved should be proud of. Was well worth the time to watch!!
From: CameramanRichy
30-Dec-22
Thanks so much APauls and Rackmastr! I was seeing some traffic coming from this site onto youtube so I decided to check it out! Nice to see some forums are still going strong. As to the camera angle switch, our goal (if possible) is to always try to get right down the arrow to keep things as real as possible. I hate fake recreates and such that have ruined so many hunting shows, so I avoid them best I can...it was risky though if he had shot before I got into position that would have sucked, but we are generally on the same page being at each other's sides for over eight years.
From: HUNT MAN
30-Dec-22
Just amazing in all aspects !!!
From: c5ken
30-Dec-22
Absolutely Outstanding. Got to love when a man is that dedicated & never quits.... That to me is a true hunter.... Side Bar: Did anyone happen to notice the arrow flight?
From: EmbryOklahoma
30-Dec-22
“Side Bar: Did anyone happen to notice the arrow flight?”
I touched on it in my first post on this thread. The 27 yard shot (over the fence) had some wonky flight off of the bow, again, in my opinion. The killing shot definitely pinged off of some limbs/bushes on its way.
From: Bowboy
30-Dec-22
Rick I noticed the arrows kicking on some of his shots. Maybe he was so excited he torque his bow at the shot:)
From: Ambush
30-Dec-22
Pretty epic! I get excited just seeing all the 170" plus bucks running all over the place!!
I bet it helps that Cody used to be a cameraman himself.
From: Fields
30-Dec-22
Were you aware of anyone else hunting the buck?? Hard to believe no one else had history with him...
From: rattling_junkie
30-Dec-22
I've experimented with torquing on the range, I just never got that bad of flight as what's in the video. Amazing deer!
From: CameramanRichy
30-Dec-22
I don't see anything crazy going frame by frame in the velvet fence shot...in slow motion you can see the flexing of the arrow but I don't see it kicking, but I'm far from an archery expert. As far as we know no one else was hunting him...we kept him on the down low once he got big and he was crafty enough to stay in the bushes for the most part in the rut. In his 260" and 266" years we barely even found him until the season was near over.
From: Bowfinatic
31-Dec-22
IMO that's the greatest deer story ever produced and put to video. The time & energy put in, the misses the perseverance are very inspiring. After he found the dead shed buck and his emotions wow is all I can say. What a story, what a hunt, what a buck!!
From: Kurt
01-Jan-23
Excellent! Great film work, superb bucks, real hunters!
From: Charlie Rehor
01-Jan-23
I’ve watched Cody’s show for many years and Richie is the best camera man I’ve ever seen on any hunting show. He and Cody are one with their work.
From: APauls
01-Jan-23
From: Inshart
01-Jan-23
I too have watched most if not all of your videos. As was stated, nice to see true emotions not the "YES, YES" with a bunch of fist pumping or the DIRT NAP, etc.,
What ever happened to the other 35" wide giant??
From: CameramanRichy
02-Jan-23
We took a deserving lady for him and even though a few more folk were after him she got him and it made one of my favourite episodes. She was the banker lady that first gave Cody a loan to buy camera equipment when he was first getting started.
From: Goelk
03-Feb-23
Wow pretty amazing film . Greatly appreciated the work that went into this. Congratulations
