First 10 Pointer!
 

Got my first 10 point buck this past Friday evening. He is no monster by any means but not to shabby for an ole mountain deer. The deer dressed at 158 lbs but should have went over 160 lbs but I shot it on the run while it was chasing a doe and the shot placement wasn't ideal and I busted the gut so I had to do quite a bit of extra "butchering" in the woods to remove some of the contaminated meat and hide from the deer. Was using my Ruger M77 7X57 with handloaded 139 Gr Hornady Interlocks.

awesome deer..congrats on a great hunt.

Good buck!

Great looking buck man!

Nice deer! Congrats!!!!

Nice buck...WTG.....

Great looking buck!

Talked to taxidermist today. He aged the buck using the bottom jaw/teeth chart and said the buck is either 4.5 or 5.5 years old. I guess that explains the body size/neck size. The antlers should have been bigger for the age but regardless I am tickled either way knowing I shot an older mature deer. My second biggest deer (age/body) was a 3.5 year old 8 pointer that is in my avatar. He weighed 146 lbs dressed and he was a semi farm deer. I have killed a lot of 1.5 and 2.5 year old deer but never a 4.5 or 5.5 until now. He saved the jaw/teeth so I can have someone more experienced look at it to tell exactly whether it is in fact 4.5 or 5.5. Will be posting a pic of the progress of my 9 point 2.5 year old I got with the muzzleloader this year at the taxi.

Taking any mature buck is an accomplishment regardless of antler size, but his rack is very nice as well. Congrats on a successful hunt.

Nice buck, that is a big one for a mtn deer for sure. I've killled alot, and never killed one bigger than 130. Congrats!