It pays to go home!!
 

Been taking the wife out to do a little hunting about 7 miles from the house. seen lots of deer but never got an opportunity for her to get a shot off. Yesterday I decided to hunt a little myself, so I went to the same spot where I had been taking her. After a couple hours I decided to head home as the wife had lots of chores for me to do. After I got home i decided to take a quick trip out to the pasture just to see if anything was bedding down. There had a been a couple mulies coming and going but I hadn't seen them lately. I drove down to the end of the property and didn't see anything. I went back toward the first draw about 1/2 mile from the house. I figured I would walk toward the waterway and see if anything was around. as I was walking out toward the draw I thought I saw something sticking up in the tall grass. I looked through the scope as I had left the binoculars in the truck. It was a buck bedding down. About that time a whitetail doe stood up looking at me. I quickly dropped down and went behind a little hill that was to my right. I crawled on my belly to the base of the hill and started crawling up the hill to the ridge. I figured when I got to the top and peaked over that there probably wouldn't be anything there. Boy was I wrong. I reached the ridge and the doe was still looking and the buck still bedded. I decided to crawl across the top of the ridge right toward them The grass was high enough that only my head was visible. I made it to the end of the ridge. I crawled about 70 yards or so. When I reached the end of the ridge there was no where to go. The end of the road with nothing but wide open space between me and them, The doe looking at me the whole time. I used the rangefinder and it was 176 yards. It was then that I realized I didn't bring the shooting sticks with me. There was no way I could go back to get them with the doe still staring intently at me. I did what every good husband does when undecided on a course of action. I texted my wife:happy0157:. I told her that I saw a buck but he was 176 yds away and I didn't have any sticks with me. She wrote back and said can you get a shot? I said I can get a shot but it is a long way for an offhand shot. She said take the shot. I did what every good husband does. I listened to my wife.:D I figured I would take the shot. The buck was still bedding and the doe getting more nervous by the minute. I was lying prone so I crossed my legs , braced my elbow on the ground and sighted in on him. He was still bedding so I figured I would wait for him to stand and be ready. I checked again and unfortunately it was still 176 yds, No error there. I looked at the buck through the scope then the doe. It seemed like forever but was probably only 5 more minute and the doe decided to leave. As soon as she moved- he stood up. I had a perfect broadside shot. he stood there forever. Finally i took the shot and saw him run a little ways on 3 legs, so I knew I hit him . Then he fell over. I called the wife to get the boys to bring the 4 wheeler to help me. They arrived 10 minutes later . The wife came also . We went to take a look and sure enough there he was. he didn't go 15 yards. He was so heavy we couldn't load him on the 4 wheeler so we tied a strap to his antlers and slowly drug him back with the 4 wheeler. My wife wanted to weigh him before we field dressed him so I decided to gut him out at the house since it was only 1/2 mile away. While I got the tractor to hang him everyone started guessing his weight. My son said 300. I said no way, maybe 220. The wife guessed 200. My hanging scale goes to 300. We were all astonished when it maxed out, so he was 300 plus before field dressing. I wanted to weigh him after field dressing but by the time I got him gutted out I was 5 minutes late leaving to drive bus. I plan on weighing him after school today. He is a heavy bodied sucker. The 2 pictures are from the wifes phone camera. I plan on taking photos today hopefully.
Knight Disc Elite 50 cal.
120 gr Blackhorn209
260 gr PR Dead Center Sabot 40/50 cal
remington sts primer
nikon scope BDC reticle
176 yards prone position offhand

Awesome! I wish I could see the pics but they are blocked here at work. Great story.

You know, and this is just my personal preference, I would take a shot in the prone position ANY DAY over a shot where I was stuck upright with a branch or shooting sticks, etc. Doesn't get any more sturdy than that unless you're on the bench!

That is one heavy whitetail!! A good lookin deer and a great story to boot! Nice job and good shot!!

Nice one Chet!!! It looks like he had been fighting or did you bust the tip off that antler? I was sure hoping you would have been using the mk-85 on him.:rolleye0011::rolleye0011:
Art
ps. you better show that one off to the white boys

It's the biggest whitetail I ever shot. i had planned on using the rifle tag for a Mulie but couldn't pass up this guy.

The tip was already busted off and another tip chipped up.I haven't shot the 85 yet. I was hoping to get the White or the 52 ready but didn't get them to where i wanted to be accuracy wise ,so I used my trusty Elite. i still plan on the White and the 52 by december during muzzy season though.

Hooo-Wheee Chet! He's a monster. Congratulations. (Great story too.)

Holy sheep dip batman!!!!

That one deer probably out weighs all of mine combined.

Congrats!!!

Nice one Chet!

Congratulations of a fine White tail.. That is a real monster. And a heck of a shot, whether prone, sticks or even bench rest. That is a long way to shoot... Nice going.

Really nice.I'm affraid I'ld have to run that whole puppy through the grinder though.

I finally got him weighed after field dressing . He is 265 .

he probably will get run through the grinder. I have 10 doe tags left between me and the wife and kids so plenty of chances for tender meat for steak etc.

Chet, With that 120 grain load where did you hold that bottom circle on the bdc recticle?

Wow Chet, that is one big deer; both body and horn. Judging by the neck, he would really stink up the kitchen, iffen he was fried.

Myself, i have been hunting the hills almost every day with mostly no success. White things waving good bye, after they hear or smell or see me coming. One would think an old man could move slower, but i guess this one can't.

Yessir, that is one fine buck.

Nice buck! Wow, that is a bruiser. Don't think I've ever seen a deer that big up close and personal... Nice shooting too!

I am sighted in 2 inches high so i use the 100 yard circle out to 150 yards. I used the 150 yard reticle but the shot was lower than I thought . Almost to low. I should have used between the 150 and 200 yard circles.

That sure is some good shooting. Do you make your own sausage there Chet?

I never have made sausage but we make lots and lots of jerkey. Usually at least 20 pounds at a time. I should try some sausage. I salt cure some, smoke some and freeze some. This year i am going to brine cure some and try it like that.

I need to a lot more practice between now and April to give the Devil a run for his money:s1::s2: