Hey shed, on your 2003 buck mount, did you use the same cape, or get a different one? If that buck's neck was that big in early September, he would've been downright scary on Halloween. Man, I can't get over the rack on that deer.Nice trimwork, by the way. Those corners line up perfectly around your door.

Rybo, that's adarn finebuck you posted. Did you mount that one? He has really nice brows, and good character. That's a good buck for around these parts.Was that photo taken in the field, b/cyou look happier than a pig innew mud, andthat's what it's really all about. I've really gotta start taking better pictures. My hunting scrapbook looks more like a deer and turkeyhorror movie.

Looking at all these deer and elk makes me hungry.

Wow, those are some animals. I have zero pictures of the animals I killed while out in Montana. Can't find them to save my life but they are really nothing to write home about.. I was excited as all get up and cherish the memories of those hunts and to me, personally at least, that is what it is all about. I will go down to the local shop and take some pictures of the deer mounts down there though to show you guys what is around here. All the bucks at this shop were killed within a 10 mile radius of the shop (Which is about 10 miles from here). Some are pretty nice, highest scoring probably "only" about 150 typical... The nicer onesare at the peoples houses instead. that being said, they all look nice to me.

One of the coolest mounts he has is one from a found dead animal. I think it is european but it might just be a horn mount. Big massed animal, really something special from the old strip mine grounds to the South of here (5 miles or so). Oh well. I need to go and buy my tags and pay off my tab (2dollars, just short when I bought a NV system)

The good/bad news is that I won't be moving to that Southern Illinois farm. Gives me more time to concentrate on hunting this farm which is a good thing but that Southern farm was something special. Have to go look at another farm tomorrow however, about 1 hour from here that is already owned by my father in law. Talking about moving us down there to help open up his type of business (gravel pit) but keeping this place and keeping the cattle here so it sounds like a win/win situation for me. The best part is this farm is down on the Illinois River next to a Property that is off limits to hunting and it holds huge animals. I know guys who work at that property and they get to shed hunt it.. HUGE sheds, every year. Big 8 point matched set.. It was huge. And than they brought in this single. I think they were saying it was from a 180 class deer. Just massive guys, not a lot of points but it felt like you were holding a barbell when you held it in your hand.

My wife is trying to make me go to my hishschool homecoming on October 1st... Oh... Poor schedualling on their part.

Shed and Rybo those are some nice looking animals. I don't have any pictures of the bucks I have killed. I just never did take any pictures of them. That is something that will change from now on. The digital camara makes it so much easier to take pictures. I always hunt bymyself so taking pictures will have to be done at home unless I come home and get my wife to help take some pictures.

Troy from the pictures you posted earlier it looks like you have some beautiful ground to hunt. Is it private land our public land? I have always wanted to hunt in big country like that. I hope that one day I will have the chance.

I couldn't imagen how scared your wife was when she couldn't find Tyson. I am glad that he is ok and everything turned out alright.

William

Rybo,

I didnt think you were insinuating anything, I keep things real and have a decent perspective on what is realtive to any given area. As for Idaho, I think its a good state..I have been fortunate to hunt some other areas of this country and they were even more impressive than Idaho...this is big country here..as is Montana..I hunt mostlypublic lands..but like I have said before.with somehomework a guy can find a good spot to hunt..any species..

Quick, that is a different cape, I wanted him done in his fall look. I had found this bucks shed antler the year before. He was just out of velvet when I arrowed him. His antlers were almost pale white. He had velvet still hanging on his rack. I didnt like the white look, so I had his rack done by my Taxidermist as close to the shed/color of his. Then we had to get a Saskatchewan cape, it was the only one we could find that would fit his skull plate.This deer was an exceptionally big deer body wise for this area and his head was just flat out blocky andlarge.. the distance between his bases was obviously wider than any deer I had shot in the past.... I guess thats what you get when a buck reaches maturity. I have read a bucks skull plate doesnt even develop fully until 4.5.

IL, best of luck on the farm it sounds like your going to be hunting. I can only imagine the type of bucks that run around your neck of the woods. As for Montana, I too had some awesome hunts while in Montana when I live there those five years. I never in my 20's took hunting pictures. I grew up with a dad that threw antlers away, gave them away or sold them. We didn't take hunting pictures, not until the late 90's when I realized I wanted something other than antlers to remember a critter by.

Have a good one guys, I have a busy 3 days and evenings of workahead...and no Hunting... (who knows I may sneak out once!)

Troy

Quick
Yep he's on the wall, and that pic was taken out in the field. That day was 80 degrees on nov 2nd. He was the one that everyone had been seeing that year except me, till the morning I shot him. When I shot him my eyes played tricks on me and I didn't think I hit him good, and he also reacted weird. I was caught between pushing cause of the heat, and waiting on what I thought was a marginal hit. I chose to wait almost 3 hours. Found him not 30 yds from where he left my sight, with a pretty much perfect shot for the angle.

As far as taking field pics, I am almost always by myself and manage to prop the camera up on a log or my hunting coat, or even the bed of my truck. Since I have started this practice, the pics are so much nicer.

Troy,
So glad your son was found safe and sound, that had to be a very scary deal for a parent.

Gosh Troy, the ordeal with your son would have been pretty darn scary. I know my daughter (Who is about the same age) follows me out the door all the time if we are not carefull. Couldn't find her one day this spring, we were running all over the yard, rechecking the house, looking in the field across the street (Luckily the corn hadn't come up so visibility was good. Well, somehow she had crawled up inside my loarder tractor and closed the door behind her. she was just sitting in the seat and asking to go for a drive when I finally found her. All it takes is a second as they say. I know I have had to hope off the quad a couple times as I was backign out of the yard to grab her and take her back inside, they just want to do everything with mom and dad at that age.

I will do my best on pictures when I get a buck this year. I am not one who tends to have pictures taken of them but this will be a special occassion. I was going to post a picture on here for what do you look like until I realized I didn't have a single picture of me on the computer.. Scary.. Keep hoping the trail cam will catch me but I always come in behind the darn thing.. Now Shed, remember, Rob wants to see a smiling face in the picture when you get Ol Yeller...

So I had a little fun with the digital camera last night, and tried to set up a pretty basic online photo album. Let's see if it works.

http://photobucket.com/albums/y239/quiksilver_22/

That should link you to a hunting photo album that I made. My more recent deer are on page 2. Let me know if it works.

I apologize in advance for anything that may appear gruesome or done in poor taste. Most of those pictures were taken by me with a 35mm disposable camerain a pretty haphazard and shoddy fashion, with no intent to be professional, or politically correct.

I like to take pics of the animal as it lay when I found it. Just my silly way of preserving that part of thememory.

I have tons more, but I was taking digital pics of 35mm pictures from my scrapbook. I had a lot of problems with glare and got frustrated.

They are all nice lookin pics guys.
Quick---the scrap book looks good.Is that a 6 pointer with 18.5 inch spread?

IL Rancher...What part of Southern IL is that farm?

The one that I won't be moving to is in Wayne County, near Geff.

The one I am looking at now is near Hennipen. Actually, just got back from it about 15 mintues ago... Has a lot of river frontage with pretty thick woods.. Might be nice, don't know for sure until I get more feet on the ground over there.