Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I hope you get him, Native. He's a dandy.
A few habitat pics I thought you might enjoy
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Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Guys, I wanted to update my habitat thread with some pictures of the buck I got yesterday. I had hoped to get much better pics today, but it has poured the rain and not the best lighting or weather. I have him to the processor now and the head in my freezer.
Thanks so much everyone who replied in the live from the stand thread. It feels good to get the one I was after. Here is the story:
Up until yesterday I had been hunting with my new muzzleloader, but the forecast was for rain all day long, so I felt it might be safer to take the 308 Tikka. Also, because of the heavy rain forecast, I thought the box blind would be a good dry choice.
The morning was kind of uneventful. I saw two young bucks chasing does though the NWSGs, and a decent 8 point came out in one of my plots at around 10:15 AM. I saw other does moving around some, and the rain just kept coming. I generally come out midday and take a break, but with the rain pouring down, I decided to just put in the day. I would have soaked everything walking back and forth to the truck. I caught a nap from about 11:30 to 1:30 and started watching again.
Sometime around 3:00 I got a text from my son, who told me that he was on the way to join me for the evening and help me watch. By that time the rain had become a light mist. We were both glassing the fields, and sometime about an hour before dark, I glanced down toward the low food plot and saw a deer walking the edge broadside to me about 110 yards away. The tops of the tall NWSGs were partially hiding the deer, but I could see it was the one I was after. I could get the scope on him easy, but was afraid to pull the trigger, because I would be shooting through quite a bit of grass. You never know what that could do to a bullet or trajectory path, so I let him keep walking.
I just kept the crosshairs on his chest the best I could as he walked along, and finally he walked past a spot where a patch of big bluestem had partially fallen down and I had about a 2 foot clear opening to get the shot off as he moved through. When the bullet hit, he spun just a little and ran forward and stopped for a few seconds. Once again, the grass was blocking a follow up shot. Then he turned and just disappeared into the field. We were both watching him and could see the tops of the antlers bounce above the grass occasionally. Then we just couldn't see anything.
I told my son to keep watching from the blind while I walked the grass. I went through 2 passes and found nothing. Finally my son joined me, and on the next pass he found the deer right at the point that we thought he may have fallen. On the first two passes I had probably walked within 10 feet of him each time, but they are so hard to see in a grass jungle like we have.
The 150 grain Hornady SST did an incredible job. The lungs were blown completely out, and the exit hole was massive. I don't know how he did it, but even with a hit like that the deer probably ran 65 yards.
Needless to say, I am so very happy. I give God the honor and praise for everything!
Thanks so much everyone who replied in the live from the stand thread. It feels good to get the one I was after. Here is the story:
Up until yesterday I had been hunting with my new muzzleloader, but the forecast was for rain all day long, so I felt it might be safer to take the 308 Tikka. Also, because of the heavy rain forecast, I thought the box blind would be a good dry choice.
The morning was kind of uneventful. I saw two young bucks chasing does though the NWSGs, and a decent 8 point came out in one of my plots at around 10:15 AM. I saw other does moving around some, and the rain just kept coming. I generally come out midday and take a break, but with the rain pouring down, I decided to just put in the day. I would have soaked everything walking back and forth to the truck. I caught a nap from about 11:30 to 1:30 and started watching again.
Sometime around 3:00 I got a text from my son, who told me that he was on the way to join me for the evening and help me watch. By that time the rain had become a light mist. We were both glassing the fields, and sometime about an hour before dark, I glanced down toward the low food plot and saw a deer walking the edge broadside to me about 110 yards away. The tops of the tall NWSGs were partially hiding the deer, but I could see it was the one I was after. I could get the scope on him easy, but was afraid to pull the trigger, because I would be shooting through quite a bit of grass. You never know what that could do to a bullet or trajectory path, so I let him keep walking.
I just kept the crosshairs on his chest the best I could as he walked along, and finally he walked past a spot where a patch of big bluestem had partially fallen down and I had about a 2 foot clear opening to get the shot off as he moved through. When the bullet hit, he spun just a little and ran forward and stopped for a few seconds. Once again, the grass was blocking a follow up shot. Then he turned and just disappeared into the field. We were both watching him and could see the tops of the antlers bounce above the grass occasionally. Then we just couldn't see anything.
I told my son to keep watching from the blind while I walked the grass. I went through 2 passes and found nothing. Finally my son joined me, and on the next pass he found the deer right at the point that we thought he may have fallen. On the first two passes I had probably walked within 10 feet of him each time, but they are so hard to see in a grass jungle like we have.
The 150 grain Hornady SST did an incredible job. The lungs were blown completely out, and the exit hole was massive. I don't know how he did it, but even with a hit like that the deer probably ran 65 yards.
Needless to say, I am so very happy. I give God the honor and praise for everything!
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Native - Great job Steve-o !!! I'm happy for you & your son on those big boys this year. Pix are great & the story is too. I first saw your success in the "Live from the stand" thread. That pic of him hanging from the bucket of your tractor shows how big he is. He's gonna make for some good décor in your man-cave !! All those knobby things around the bases and the extra points make for incredible character. You have to post a pic or 2 once he's on a plaque. Congrats on a great season in your family !!
Jordan Selsor
5 year old buck +
Saweet!!! Congrats Steve! Pretty cool your son was with you too!
Wintomatic
5 year old buck +
Wow what a rack! Wish we had more of them like that in Minnesota!
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Thanks, he added about 40+ inches with one more year of growth. We passed him last year and the reward was great. Sometimes it doesn't work, but this time it really paid off.
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
Huge congrats! The deer is incredible. Amazes me how some bucks will bust off every point they own fighting, and then ones like yours don't have so much as a chip. I admired so many pics of that buck this year... was sorta worried that when you finally got him he'd have a bunch of stuff missing! Enjoy it NH!
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Thanks Mortenson. I was worried about the same thing - but most of all I was worried that we wouldn't get him.
I have really enjoyed following that deer on the cameras for the last couple of years, and appreciate you and others following along on the journey.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
I spoke today with the guy who runs the local deer contest. The contest ended December 1st, and my deer won second place this year. The gross score was 168 7/8, and the prize is a Ruger American Rifle with a digital camo stock. The Game Warden killed a deer that won first place. My excuse is that he probably got to scout more than me.... That was a joke of course....
I actually won the contest back in 2013 - the first year I ever entered it. Contests don't mean anything to me, but I do think that winning or placing is an indication that my habitat work is accomplishing a lot. I am competing with some very large properties in much better locations for growing old bucks.
Thanks everyone for following along and all the great ideas and support.
That was a joke of course....I actually won the contest back in 2013 - the first year I ever entered it. Contests don't mean anything to me, but I do think that winning or placing is an indication that my habitat work is accomplishing a lot. I am competing with some very large properties in much better locations for growing old bucks.
Thanks everyone for following along and all the great ideas and support.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Since we have killed our deer for the season, I have been taking advantage of the warm days whenever possible - doing work at my farm. I've already started the mowing in the orchard I usually do in the spring with the DR Walk Behind Mower. After 15 years of hard use and no maintenance other than just oil changes and general stuff, I finally had a bigger problem. I had to replace the rear end. However, it was no big deal at all, and they had the parts almost immediately. When I spread the cost out over 15 years, it seemed like almost nothing.
I'm hard on this machine. It will cut down anything that you can ride down.
Also doing a little field mowing early so that the spring turkeys will have a path to the food plots. They don't dare come unless you open up a road for them.
Also opening up some new shooting lanes and removing sections of internal fence. Now is the time to do these things and not later when it is close to hunting season.
While opening up a new shooting lane, I discovered this grove of hazelnuts. I had never seen them before, and now I will do a little yearly maintenance around these in the spring.
I have also discovered new persimmon trees like the one shown below. I am constantly amazed at how persimmons come up on this farm. It's a persimmon mecca.
[
I would bet that one or both of the big deer we killed this year did these. They also did something I had never seen - beat down the tops of two cages to get to some pines.
Food plots are holding their own in this mild winter. These plots are being used heavily by about 20 resident deer. Will check cams soon and see if anything new is around.
Best wishes and Merry Christmas everyone. They are showing 60 degree weather right after Christmas here, and if that is the case, I will be out with the DR Mower and my Chainsaws working like a borrowed mule!
I'm hard on this machine. It will cut down anything that you can ride down.
Also doing a little field mowing early so that the spring turkeys will have a path to the food plots. They don't dare come unless you open up a road for them.
Also opening up some new shooting lanes and removing sections of internal fence. Now is the time to do these things and not later when it is close to hunting season.
While opening up a new shooting lane, I discovered this grove of hazelnuts. I had never seen them before, and now I will do a little yearly maintenance around these in the spring.
I have also discovered new persimmon trees like the one shown below. I am constantly amazed at how persimmons come up on this farm. It's a persimmon mecca.
[
I would bet that one or both of the big deer we killed this year did these. They also did something I had never seen - beat down the tops of two cages to get to some pines.
Food plots are holding their own in this mild winter. These plots are being used heavily by about 20 resident deer. Will check cams soon and see if anything new is around.
Best wishes and Merry Christmas everyone. They are showing 60 degree weather right after Christmas here, and if that is the case, I will be out with the DR Mower and my Chainsaws working like a borrowed mule!
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scott44
5 year old buck +
Looks good! Take advantage of the weather while you have it.Since we have killed our deer for the season, I have been taking advantage of the warm days whenever possible - doing work at my farm. I've already started the mowing in the orchard I usually do in the spring with the DR Walk Behind Mower. After 15 years of hard use and no maintenance other than just oil changes and general stuff, I finally had a bigger problem. I had to replace the rear end. However, it was no big deal at all, and they had the parts almost immediately. When I spread the cost out over 15 years, it seemed like almost nothing.
I'm hard on this machine. It will cut down anything that you can ride down.
Also doing a little field mowing early so that the spring turkeys will have a path to the food plots. They don't dare come unless you open up a road for them.
Also opening up some new shooting lanes and removing sections of internal fence. Now is the time to do these things and not later when it is close to hunting season.
While opening up a new shooting lane, I discovered this grove of hazelnuts. I had never seen them before, and now I will do a little yearly maintenance around these in the spring.
I have also discovered new persimmon trees like the one shown below. I am constantly amazed at how persimmons come up on this farm. It's a persimmon mecca.
[
I would bet that one or both of the big deer we killed this year did these. They also did something I had never seen - beat down the tops of two cages to get to some pines.
Food plots are holding their own in this mild winter. These plots are being used heavily by about 20 resident deer. Will check cams soon and see if anything new is around.
Best wishes and Merry Christmas everyone. They are showing 60 degree weather right after Christmas here, and if that is the case, I will be out with the DR Mower and my Chainsaws working like a borrowed mule!
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
Looking good Native! Wish we had the hazelnuts growing wild here, I noticed the catkins on my planted ones the other day too. March is my busy time clearing shooting lanes trimming and planting trees. I'm still trying to put a buck on the ground...I might have been too picky this year.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
March is my usual time here too, but I will always take advantage of any warm days through the winter. That DR is my version of the Bowflex Max Trainer. Good luck in the rest of your hunting season.
