My 2006 Buck
11-20-2006, 08:14 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 492
My 2006 Buck
I wasn't able to get out on opening day, but was rarin' to go the 2nd day. My buddy had hunted opening day and had seen 5 bucks and 6 does. He didn't have a doe permit for that area, and he couldn't shoot a buck unless it had at least 4 points on one side. He saw a button, a spike, and 2 fork horns that he could have easily shot, and got a glimpse of what he said was "the biggestbuck I've ever seen in Michigan" (this is in 40 years of hunting). But he only got a glimpse - about 2 seconds. He was pumped to go back there on day 2. After hearing his story, so was I.
He put me on the flat where he'd seen most of the deer, while he hunted the next valley over where he'd seen the giant. I saw 6 does (but didn't have a doe permit for that area either). He saw 5 does, no big buck.
Day 3 we decided to hunt a different area where we both had doe permits. At 8:15, I heard a deer coming - that defininte sound of a deer bounding through the woods - "ker-chunk, ker-chunk, ker-chunk". It was behind me and to my left. I was standing at the time, and not wanting to tip it off to my location, I slowly turned and saw it come into view on my left, crossing in front of me. About the time I saw it, it entered the thicker woods I was in and slowed to a trot, then stopped with it's head and rear end behind trees 40 yards in front of me.
As I picked it up in my scope, all I could see was the front shoulder and about 6" behind it - everything else was hidden. For a second, I moved the scope up to where the head should be, then thought, "Wait a minute! You can shoot any deer!" So I moved thecrosshairs back to just behind the front shoulder and pressed the trigger. It jumped up, kicked it's back feet and took off on that low, fast, "death run" that's so common with a mortally wounded deer. I watched it go about 50 yards, then pile up.
As it was running away, I could see it had bone between its ears - looked to be a forkhorn or even a spike with forward curving spikes. When I got to it I was surprised to see that it had 7 points. We think it is a 2 1/2 year old, by the body size, but we are not sure. Either way, the tenderloins were delicious, and I'm looking forward to enjoying more venison in the coming days.
BTW - rifle was Ruger M77 in .308 with a 2X7 Redfield scope. BUllet was a Remington 150 gr PSP.
He put me on the flat where he'd seen most of the deer, while he hunted the next valley over where he'd seen the giant. I saw 6 does (but didn't have a doe permit for that area either). He saw 5 does, no big buck.
Day 3 we decided to hunt a different area where we both had doe permits. At 8:15, I heard a deer coming - that defininte sound of a deer bounding through the woods - "ker-chunk, ker-chunk, ker-chunk". It was behind me and to my left. I was standing at the time, and not wanting to tip it off to my location, I slowly turned and saw it come into view on my left, crossing in front of me. About the time I saw it, it entered the thicker woods I was in and slowed to a trot, then stopped with it's head and rear end behind trees 40 yards in front of me.
As I picked it up in my scope, all I could see was the front shoulder and about 6" behind it - everything else was hidden. For a second, I moved the scope up to where the head should be, then thought, "Wait a minute! You can shoot any deer!" So I moved thecrosshairs back to just behind the front shoulder and pressed the trigger. It jumped up, kicked it's back feet and took off on that low, fast, "death run" that's so common with a mortally wounded deer. I watched it go about 50 yards, then pile up.
As it was running away, I could see it had bone between its ears - looked to be a forkhorn or even a spike with forward curving spikes. When I got to it I was surprised to see that it had 7 points. We think it is a 2 1/2 year old, by the body size, but we are not sure. Either way, the tenderloins were delicious, and I'm looking forward to enjoying more venison in the coming days.
BTW - rifle was Ruger M77 in .308 with a 2X7 Redfield scope. BUllet was a Remington 150 gr PSP.
11-20-2006, 08:36 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 492
RE: My 2006 Buck
Actually, I do - and I know that you can tell the age by looking at the back teeth. I even recently saw a program where a wildlife biologist was explaining how to tell between a 1 1/2 and a 2 1/2, but didn't take notes.
Do you have the answer?
Do you have the answer?
11-20-2006, 08:42 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Miami, Oklahoma
Posts: 422
RE: My 2006 Buck
I may! I'm a forestry and wildlife consultant, so I've been trained in a lot of areas...including aging deer by tooth wear and replacement. I've helped age deer at check stations in MO and OK over the years and age them on a regular basis for clients...so, I may! 
If you take a side and a top view picture with a dark background and post it on here, I will give you my best educated estimate!
If you take a side and a top view picture with a dark background and post it on here, I will give you my best educated estimate!
