KSBuck1977

My 13 year old daughter shot a doe during our Oct rifle season. Went and sat last weekend during our buck rifle opener and had a tall 7 point walk out 10 minutes into our sit. We passed hoping for something bigger and nothing else with antlers came in. Going to give it another go this weekend. Been shooting quite a few pheasant and some quail, I've got two GSP's I've been trying to get out every weekend. With deer hunting, pheasant hunting, and goose hunting it's been a pretty good winter so far. I've got a very understanding wife, life it good.

Rob in VT

blsjds

Crazy how things work out sometimes. My jaw would've been on the floor. Hopefully they make it to next year!

Damn - that's really disappointing to hear. Good luck out there today!

Very nice! This was my son's first year coming out with me and it was such an awesome experience for both of us. My wife is also very understanding; sometimes I can't believe all of the nonsense she puts up with between motocross and hunting ha ha.

That sucks - feel better soon!

Nomercy448

I prepared myself to NOT be disappointed in a season which I expected to be less than desirable. Work travel and my son's wrestling season had me busy this fall, so I planned only for a rifle season - no archery this year - and without opportunities to hunt either weekend of our 10day firearms season. I also knew I wanted only ONE buck off of my property, not because of his inches, but because of his years. I had him on camera for the last 6yrs with a recognizable rack, so he's at least 8 - depending upon whether he was 2 or 3, or older when we got our first photos of him (still looking through files for the first pictures). "Tall rack" has been number 2 on our hit list the last 3 seasons behind the buck I shot last year. After taking that buck last year, "Tall Rack" moved to the top of our hit list. My buck last year had broken his main beam sometime between Monday night when my camera caught him with a full left antler and Thursday morning when he met my Grendel. My wife and I speculated that "Tall Rack" was the only buck in the woods who had enough mass to have done that kind of damage, and we had multiple trail cam photos over the years of these two bucks sparring. He had a lot more inches a couple years ago, and I'm sure would have tasted better then than now as well, but he was the ONE buck I wanted. I sat opening day and the second day, passing on opportunities for a handful of 120-140" 3yr olds we'd seen on camera this fall, some younger bucks, and a handful of doe. I had to work that Friday, then my son had wrestling tournaments all weekend. Monday morning wasn't great weather; heavily overcast 20 degrees with wind pushing the windchill down to the single digits, and flurrying freezing rain pellets off and on throughout the morning hours. As the sun finally rose high enough to push a little light through the cloud cover, a doe we dubbed "bum leg" last year crossed through the meadow, followed by another two doe, one with triplets and the other twins - all being tailed by a curled-lip 3yr old 8pt. A yearling spike tagged along with him, and the 3yr old turned around to shoo the pup away from his business. As he turned, I noticed when the buck obviously spotted something behind them on the trail, perked his ears, and quickly scurried away up the creek. "Only one thing could run him off of those ladies like that" - I thought as I reached for my rifle. Sure enough, just as the young buck had moments ago, I spotted the shine of "Tall Rack's antlers breaking through the trees into the meadow, 130yrds out in the meadow across the creek. Moments later, I knew he would surely pass through a clear shooting lane I had cut this summer, a new shooting angle for this spot, so I sat my crosshairs on my monopod to ambush him in the divide, and pulled my magnification throw lever up to 15x (my most frequently used and familiar magnification with this rifle). Tall Rack knowingly pursued the young buck to push him off of the harem at a leisurely pace, but it still was only a sparse few moments before he stepped in front of my reticle. As my crosshairs passed onto his breastbone, I immediately pondered - "how cold are your fingers right now? That's a 6 ounce trigger you're about to touch." Out of caution, I pushed my finger along the side of the trigger guard gently to gauge my sensitivity, which proved to be reading full dexterity despite the cold. My finger floated from the trigger guard to the shoe just as the buck took his final step to level my crosshairs in the pocket behind his shoulder. PYEWWHAP. The fleshy slap of the 105 Hybrid running into his body overwhelmed the sound of the report coming from my SiCo Omega. I cycled my bolt as one eye watched the mother and her triplets run through the creek, and the other eye in the scope watched the buck walk a few yards, spin on his heels as his legs failed him, and fall. Confused by the suppressed shot, the doe and her fawns ran straight at my blind, stalling 10yrds in front of me, looking back for the Master of the Woods, who would not follow. I watched the doting mother attend her fawns, and walk them off of the meadow a few minutes later, and I waited for them to clear away for 20min before stepping out of my blind to go meet my long pursued target face to face.









The Rifle: "Blue" - Seekins Havak PH1 Factory Custom Rifle, DLC coated bolt, ~1400rnds on a Rock Creek barrel (far overdue), McMillan Game Warden stock with Victor Company USA Universal Cheek Riser, Area 419 ArcaLock Rail supported on a Primos Trigger Stick Monopod and kept out of the grass by a Harris HBMRS on an Area419 Arcalock hanger, AIAW mag, Vortex/Seekins rings, Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR II, Jewel HVR trigger turned down to 6oz, Berger 105 Hybrid over 40.5grn H4350, ignited by BR2's in 5x Hornady brass, leaving the station at 2863fps at this temperature, mellowed by a SilencerCo Omega 300, wrapped in a Cole-Tac high temp mirage cover. Mascot & Namesake: Lego Baby Velociraptor Blue provided by my son.

The bullet performed EXACTLY as I had expected, which I can't say would recommend for anyone unwilling to seek PERFECT shot placement. It entered and exploded on his centerline, just above the top of the heart, pulverizing both lungs. The damage appeared as though a grenade had liquefied a cantaloupe sized volume of heart and lung tissue. Finger sized entry and exit. He was dead and fell within seconds, covering less than 10yrds from impact to demise.

He'll be hanging on the wall next to his old sparring partner as soon as my taxidermist gets him finished. After so long watching him in my woods, inches be damned, there was no other buck I would have rather taken this season, and I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to bring him home to nourish our bodies.

hunters_life

Did that old great great great grandpa have a tooth left in his head? Hard to judge age, for me anyway, on the ground like that in a picture but if I had to guess I would guess you were pretty close at 8-9. Have the grinder greased up and ready for a lot of action.

Nomercy448

I grew up learning to mouth horses, and deer aren't my strong suit, but he was heavily dished and smooth front to back! Stubby little nubs barely pressed out of the gums.

hunters_life

You did a mercy killing then. He might not have made it this winter. They get that low in the choppers then they can't chew winter browse enough to digest it. Bad way to go for the old majestic beasts but nature is an unforgiving entity.

Berserker

I may know nothing, except how to use the enter key, and create paragraphs, or line breaks at least.

Berserker

I don't think they are poaching enough deer to ruin a season. Maybe to many tags, to fight CWD? UP is full of wolves too, and more snow.

Deer populations can be very microsystems.

Also to be honest, in areas where bait has been banned, it makes seeing deer harder. Much of UP and northern WI can be heavy bush, where it is hard to shot past 30 yards. So seeing deer can be tough.

I didn't muzzle load this year. I wonder if early snow got them migrating. Though if you find the migration trails they say you can do well. Local sportsman club by me created a deer yard. So there are deer all year.

Bocajnala

Nomercy,

That's a sweet buck.

Love that mass. And the history you have with it.

Great deer

-Jake