Finally a Buck

[Shane06fl]

I felt was worth taking.
To start off I had a monster rack horse err Buck come in me during muzzle loader season middle of October. I couldn't get a clean shot and I let him go. He was big, probably the biggest buck I have ever seen when I had rifle in my hands. Anyways I have been hunting this same area trying pattern this monster. He has been out smarting me big time. I have been letting legal bucks and nice one too walk not to mention good quality Doe for the freezer (freezer is full fromlast year). So this Sunday I went in real early to lay up in a rock pile where he has a huge scape about 50 yards down the hill in wide open pine row with a few good scape trees with branches. I had two smaller bucks come through and one very mature Doe stopped and checked out teh scrape but she didn't sent mark it. 1hr later I see a deer sneaking through the pines, it has a nice rack. He strolls up to the scrape, I take a good look and knock him down. It's not the monster I seen but he is still a nice buck and I wasn't gonna let him go. Several of the other bucks were well taking but I had my heart set on the big. I am not a trophy hunter but I tell I want this big boy.
He's a 8pt 175lbs. I am the younger guy on the (picture)right and the other guy is my Dad. Can't see the browtines very well but the right tine is about 2.5 inches and the left just eeeked out and inch.

[helomech]

Congrats, nice deer. I set a 8 point min on myself this year, and am only taking does for meat. Still waiting, but the weather got warm and all the acorns fell. Problem with that is that I don't have many oaks on my property, but the land next to mine does. I haven't seen any deer in 2 days and it is driving me nuts.

[tnbowhunter]

Good buck Shane, congrats to ya!! Sounds like you had him patterned just right. That is one of the fun parts about hunting.
Good to see you are hunting with your dad. My dad will be 88 in January and killed his first deer here at the house last year. I hope he can get #2 this Saturday.

Again, congrats!!!!!!

[CFowler]

Nice buck. Wish I could same that I got one this weekend but I got buck fever with my bow in hand and missed. It was a really nice 8 -10 pointer too. In my fever state I put my twenty yard pin on him and he was 30 yards away so the arrow flew right under his belly. Wish i had that shot back... Anyway great job.

[Shane06fl]

Helo,
I have never set size restriction for myself. It just so happened that the first deer I seen this season was a monster and it set the tone for the rest of the season. I could have filled my tags long ago, which doesn't happen often to me. The club I am on has set antler restrictions and that is helping to produce some nice bucks.

Tnbowhunter,
beating the deer on their terms is the best part, they are crafty critters and don't get big from being stupid. Good for your dad, glad you can spend time in the woods with him. My Dad is 69 and stopped hunting when I was maybe 2-3 years old. Finally after 30 years of not hunting I finally got him in the woods with me, now thats all he lives for. He absolutely can't get enough. Attached is a 6pt, should have been a nice 7pt but one browtine was broke. he weighed 190lbs. Dad got him two weekends ago. It is the best rack and largest body deer he had ever taken. years of running dogs he never got anything over a 3pt. That is my son with him.

CFowler,
been there done that! change up stand locations and stay in his core area, you will get him. Don't give up.

[tnbowhunter]

Originally Posted by Shane06fl

My Dad is 69 and stopped hunting when I was maybe 2-3 years old. Finally after 30 years of not hunting I finally got him in the woods with me, now thats all he lives for. He absolutely can't get enough. Attached is a 6pt, should have been a nice 7pt but one browtine was broke. he weighed 190lbs. Dad got him two weekends ago. It is the best rack and largest body deer he had ever taken. years of running dogs he never got anything over a 3pt. That is my son with him.

Yeah I know the feeling. When I was just a kid all we had to hunt were rabbits and squirrells. There wasn't even a deer hunting season in my neck of the woods back then. The TWRA has done a great job reintroducing deer in all of the counties of Tennessee.[almost too good as some counties have just too many deer.] But I am so glad my dad introduced me to hunting, it probably kept me out of a lot of trouble when I was growing up. I hope dad can get another deer this year. His health is starting to fail and more than likely this will be the last year he will be able to hunt.

Good to see your son is also showing an interest in hunting. It is so important to get the "next" generation involved in the shooting sports and to keep the tradition going. I look forward to taking my grandson on his first deer hunt which will hopefully be next season,[if I can get him to sit still and keep quiet long enough,lol]

Tell your Dad the bowhunter said congrats on a fine deer that anyone would be proud to put a tag on.

[helomech]

Originally Posted by Shane06fl

Helo,
I have never set size restriction for myself. It just so happened that the first deer I seen this season was a monster and it set the tone for the rest of the season. I could have filled my tags long ago, which doesn't happen often to me. The club I am on has set antler restrictions and that is helping to produce some nice bucks.
.

This is the first year that I have set any restrictions on myself, I am trying to mangage the deer on my property. The county I am in has a 13 inch inside spread min. You can shoot smaller deer if one of the sides is unbranched (spike or 3 point, as long as one is unbranched). Taking does instead of small bucks, hopefully it will produce nicer bucks.

[Shane06fl]

helo we had a 6pt rule many years on our club but we started seeing a lot goofy racked bucks with huge bodies so this year we started a 3pt on one side and the other buck has to be a 4pt on one side which is Georgia rule. Only allowed two bucks. It didn't bother me not shoot anything so far this year. Dad and my son have been knocking over the Doe's so there is plenty of meat in the freezer. Anyhow a few of the members have taken some huge 3pt (2 on one side) bucks that weigh 160lbs, those need to be culled. One guy took a 7pt with 6 on one side and long cow horn on the other that weighed 205lbs.

TNbowhunter
My son is 13 and is loves to get out there. I have been dragging him out in the woods since he was 5. I always hunted the way he wanted to when he was with me. When he got bored we would walk around some, keep things interesting. Now he pretty much does it on his own. The morning I took this buck he decided sleep in because his buddy at hunt camp and him stayed up late around the fire. If he was with me he would taken this buck and it burns his behind But like I tell him, you can't hunt them from camp.

[CFowler]

Shane06fl I'll be back in the woods this weekend and I plan on setting up a stand right back in his area. There is doe sign all around so I am sure he'll be crusing to find one. The area I'm hunting is right next to some really thick cover and I assume that is his bedding area. Hopefully I'll spot him again.

[54warrior]

Our rifle season here in PA starts the monday after thanksgiving. The "Wildlife Management Unit" that I'll be hunting in has a 4 pt/side minimum. Don't know if I'll get a buck or not, but there are plenty of does around.

Last year, within a 5-mile radius of the house, I stopped counting at 300 while spotting one night. I believe there were 40+ bucks. Plenty of deer in western PA, lots of corn for them to eat, and lots of woods for them to hide.

[BayStateSuks]

Were I go in VA this year, it is a "shoot anything that looks like a deer" mentality this year. The number of deer there, especially does, is getting way out of hand. So, I may end up shooting five does and zero bucks. Meat is meat.

My brother did see a 6-pointer recently trying to "mate" with three does, none of which appeared to be interested in him.

[Shane06fl]

CFowler I hope you get him. I was going this weekend but I have huge project at work that needs my attention. It's killing me too.