Shootem up870

one month from today hopefully we will all be outin the woods (work providing) keep practicing everyone.

HuntingEd

Hey all, the weather this weekend is killin me! Its awesome hunting weather.. hopefully it will stay cool or even get cooler for opening day in less than two weeks...

Been seein plenty of deer too... now its just a matter of time! Im so pumped..

Also rumor has it that we may continue our every other friday off yr. round at work.... so that would be sweet!

Rammer

Yeah I've been out seeing quite a few good bucks as well. After Wednesday the weather is supposed to turn "unseasonably" cold here, I can't wait. They are talking in the 30-40s Should take care of the mosquitos anyway.

deadstick

WE'RE ON THE BOARD!!!

Kind of a bitter-sweet weekend for me. I normall hunt my in-laws land, which is managed fantastic for deer and holds a lot of nice quality deer, but is 80 miles away (I also have a 3 year old and infant son). This year, my brother (his wife is due in 2 weeks) and I dedicated ourselves to summer scouting near where we live in the hopes of finding some quality land. We did, and scouted very heavy all summer long. I got game cams out about 3 weeks ago and we were getting lots of pics.

Bow season opens Friday, I have a consultant here in the middle of a big project and can't get out - it's killing me, but I wait until Saturday morning. Neither me nor my brother (his ground blind is about 1/2 mile away from my treestand) spot a single deer. Bummer, but great to be back. So along comes Sunday morning....

30 SECONDS from getting situated in my stand, there's a deer walking the trail in front of me (still dark, so don't know what it was). In the first 30 minutes, I have 4 deer come in. About 45 minutes into it, a 4x5 that I've got pictures of comes in and starts making a scrape, broadside at 20 yards. The only thing is, he rubbed his velvet off and I was set on getting a velvet buck this year if possible. Well, after about 2-3 minutes, I decide that the odds are very good that I may not get a shot at a better buck this season so I take the shot, and harvest the deer.

In total, I spent 4 hours this year in stand. In ND, I can shoot as many does as I want, but no more bucks. I was also unsuccessful in drawing a firearms buck tag (which can be taken with a bow). So even though the season runs through the end of the year, my 2007 bowhunting season is done opening weekend, my 2nd day out - kind of bitter sweet.

I don't have the harvest pics back yet, but here are some live pics of him a few days before I took him.

Quick question for you scorer guys for the contest. Since he's a 4x5, in P&Y he would be "grossed" sa a 4x4, and the 5th point would only come into play for deductions. However, everyone I know that does gross scoring is looking at total antler mass, which would include the 9th point. If so, do I also include a H4 (circumference measurement) on one side?

Rammer

deadstick - Congrats on harvesting a fine buck! My goal this year is to get done ASAP with my bow, at least with my buck tag. I have a double doe tag as well for archery.

wihunter402

Congrats DeadStick. As for scoring you would count the 9th point. I will do some checking about the H4 but I do believe it the rack has it you write it down. Then add it all up and that is the Gross score. That is the only score that matters. Just be sure to post each measurement in the scoring thread. Again congrats.

wihunter402

Well now we are on the board here is a couple that I have on my place. First picture was taken 45 minutes after I set the camera up. Guess he didn't care I was just there. Also it was raining pretty hard. Not sure how big he really is but I will be looking for them. Still gotta shoot a doe first and I did have lots of doe and fawn pics as well.

deadstick

My sister-in-law surprised me by getting me the pics off her camera already.

deadstick

another

deadstick

Ok WI, I don't think we can submit until 10/1 or something like that. I scored him at home using a copy of a P&Y scoring sheet from my 2006 buck and was very conservative (because I was more concerned about getting a realistic estimate of whether he'll make P&Y or not - because if he will, I want a full head mount, if not it's going to be European). I grossed him at just under 130, net of just over 125 (probably going to be sub-125 after shrinkage). The extra tine is around 2" and probably a 3" circumference so he's around 135gross or so (for the contest, but the 5th tine doesn't count even in gross for true P&Y scoring). But, I'll bring my score sheet in and do it right when it's time to submit him.

What's everyone elses thoughts, does your gut tell you he's 125" when you look at the harvest pic (the game cam pic is misleading due to the velvet still in)?