Hunting ‘23/‘24: Bag ‘em and Tag ‘em

[Pdawg88 1115]

4 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Hell yeah. Those 2’s and 3’s are no joke.  You have a guess on what he tapes? 

I’m no scorer by any means but I guessed 162. But I’d love to get someone who scores opinion. 

[Pdawg88 1115]

[deadshank 24652]

48 minutes ago, Pdawg88 said:

I’m no scorer by any means but I guessed 162. But I’d love to get someone who scores opinion. 

It’s not difficult to get a layman’s score.  Follow the B&C scoring sheet.  Buy a seamstress’s tape measure.   Uncork a nice Teeling’s and pour generously.   
 

That’s a nice buck, señor.   If he’s six on both sides I’m guessing a green score of 168 - 171.  Nice mass, long tines all around, progressive height from front to back tines.  Brow tines appear average but I don’t have a good view of them.   Can’t tell spread / width.  
 

A beautiful wall hanger.  Sincere congrats. 
 

Get your taxidermist to score him after the drying period.   You may have a B&C all-timer list on your hands.    Treat it accordingly.  
 

Great job.  

[CHIEF 5075]

2 hours ago, Pdawg88 said:

I’m no scorer by any means but I guessed 162. But I’d love to get someone who scores opinion. 

He looks like an 11, I would say you scored him pretty dead on.

CHIEF

[686 3446]

Shot this guy here in Oklahoma. Wife and I bought 15 acres to build a house on. It’s northwest of downtown OKC by about 15 miles. Shot him last night and waited till this morning to go find him. 

Awesome buck! Archery tackle? Did you feel like the shot was good and just didn’t want to bump him or where you doubting things all night?

[fattyflattie 4639]

2 hours ago, Pdawg88 said:

I’m no scorer by any means but I guessed 162. But I’d love to get someone who scores opinion. 

I'm not either (at all); I had him in low 160's.  Awesome deer.  Congrats. 

[Pdawg88 1115]

1 hour ago, 686 said:

 

Awesome buck! Archery tackle? Did you feel like the shot was good and just didn’t want to bump him or where you doubting things all night?

 

Yes sir it was with a bow. And yes, I knew the shot was a bit low and back. My arrow came out the other side and didn’t have a bunch of good blood on it. Blood was good at times and back at times when we tracked him. Just didn’t have a good feeling. I will say my broadhead made the biggest hole I’ve ever seen on a deer. I just didn’t want to post the picture. But it is impressive! 

[Frank Drebin 5654]

I had him at 165.  Awesome buck, my man!

[686 3446]

@Pdawg88 nice work staying patient and going back for him in the morning. Archery highs and lows are too tough for me to shoot bucks these days - I may try to get a doe this year with my bow. I shot this buck with my bow a few years back and the blood trail petered out after ~100 yards or so. I was sick to my stomach for a week until I saw him again on trail cams. My dad got him with a rifle two weeks later. The scar was the exit wound. High entrance wound must have only got one lung is all I can figure. There was no scarring or bruising on the muscles from the archery wound when we cleaned him.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4974]

The youngest is sick today and I have to stay home with him. Guess I can go fix this today. 

 

[Pdawg88 1115]

Disrespectful 

[BabaYaga 15286]

Got pics back - these are as big as I've seen in a while.  All the feeding seems to be paying off, and with the recent rain, food plots should be happy

[BabaYaga 15286]

For perspective, here are some of the takes from the last few years:  more mass and length (#yourmom) from years past

[Izhmash 562]

3 hours ago, Pdawg88 said:

Disrespectful 

Steaks

[Storm the Field 5291]

Weather forecast currently looking pretty solid for Opening Day. 73/52 and sunny at my place in ETX.

A touch warmer than I'd like, but not too shabby. Last year, on the one day I got to hunt, when I was still just a guest on this lease, it was about 80, so foggy you could barely see the feeder, and mosquitoes were all over the place. First real cold front rolled through the next day. 

Got 2 feeders up an running this past Sunday, so I'm hoping that ~3 weeks of reliable feeding will have been long enough to get some regular diners showing up. Brother heading out Sunday to fill some more corn and check and make sure hogs haven't wreaked havoc on the work Dad and I accomplished this past weekend. 

Definitely won't be surprised if there's not much action next weekend, but I'm just really excited to be hitting Opening Weekend at my own lease, hunting my own stand and feeder for the first time in my life. 

[Frank Drebin 5654]

1 hour ago, Storm the Field said:

Weather forecast currently looking pretty solid for Opening Day. 73/52 and sunny at my place in ETX.

A touch warmer than I'd like, but not too shabby. Last year, on the one day I got to hunt, when I was still just a guest on this lease, it was about 80, so foggy you could barely see the feeder, and mosquitoes were all over the place. First real cold front rolled through the next day. 

Got 2 feeders up an running this past Sunday, so I'm hoping that ~3 weeks of reliable feeding will have been long enough to get some regular diners showing up. Brother heading out Sunday to fill some more corn and check and make sure hogs haven't wreaked havoc on the work Dad and I accomplished this past weekend. 

Definitely won't be surprised if there's not much action next weekend, but I'm just really excited to be hitting Opening Weekend at my own lease, hunting my own stand and feeder for the first time in my life. 

Our family place is in South Texas, we are MLD so we get a long season.   But my father-in-law's place is in East Texas.  I always go there for opening of rifle season and a couple other weekends even though the hunting is quite different and what most people would say not as good as what we have in South Texas (you can go a weekend and see nothing).  But it's worth the sacrifice. My FIL is a prince of a man and he is 86, though still pretty spry.  I want my son to have as many good memories hunting with his granddad as I had with mine.

[BabaYaga 15286]

1 hour ago, Frank Drebin said:

I want my son to have as many good memories hunting with his granddad as I had with mine.

I still haven't found that damn left-handed hammer or the board stretcher back at camp!  I'll keep looking....

[Speedtrucker 2071]

Today it’s been raining all day…

5 days of sun and 20pts winds before Saturday. Fingers crossed

[HOOKEM4 5036]

It is going to be a shit show next weekend at my place. I am here for it. It will just be a scout weekend since shit doesn't pop till late November, but I am excited. I will take my mud boots and enough beer to survive. So excited.

[686 3446]

I filled some feeders and setup a pop up blind at a new feeder location today. Saw a big 6 pointer I haven’t seen on camera. Might be a cull candidate, but a 6 that size is kinda interesting.

[Herbie Hancock 7343]

That's a thick bastard with some serious height. If you've never seen him before I would be tempted to let him walk and see what he can do.

I also wouldn't be tempted to mount a 6 unless super atypical. If he's better than what I've already got on the wall is what I use when deciding whether to pop something with antlers or not. But, if you're just looking for meat and aren't swimming in doe I'd go get him.

[686 3446]

@Herbie Hancock yeah he is thick. the drought was horrible for us this year; we have lots of does with ribs showing and this SOB has a gut on him. We have decent genetics on our little low fence central Texas place - we had a 3-4y.o. 14pt two years ago, and some little drop tines as well (we didn’t shoot them, so either the neighbors did, or ? but haven’t seen them this year). When I see “inferior” older bucks like this I tend to be tempted to get them off the habitat. Primarily though, we need to lower the population density and shoot lots of does for awhile and the herd would have better body condition.

I have a 238” whitetail on the wall from a high fence hunt I was invited on as a guest, and I doubt I’ll ever shoot anything bigger than that, and I’m just enjoying the process now. I also like to pick out good cull/shooter bucks for friends/family to take (that are trophies for them); or ones I might take with one of my kids with me so they can be part of the process/put their hands on a nice buck.

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

Nice deer.  He looks pretty mature.  My guess is that this is a good as he gets.  Definitely worth watching closely and considering as a cull candidate.

[BabaYaga 15286]

14 hours ago, HOOKEM4 said:

It is going to be a shit show next weekend at my place. I am here for it. It will just be a scout weekend since shit doesn't pop till late November, but I am excited. I will take my mud boots and enough beer to survive. So excited.

Just the mention of needing mud boots after such a crappy summer is a win!  

[686 3446]

Yeah I had basically put planting a food plot out of my mind but now that we got 5” of rain I feel like I missed a good opportunity by not putting seed in the ground a few weeks back. If soil conditions allow I may try to get something in the ground this weekend.

[Frank Drebin 5654]

6 needs to be shot on sight

[BabaYaga 15286]

1 hour ago, 686 said:

Yeah I had basically put planting a food plot out of my mind but now that we got 5” of rain I feel like I missed a good opportunity by not putting seed in the ground a few weeks back. If soil conditions allow I may try to get something in the ground this weekend.

We got lucky on the timing

[Dbeasy 15040]

Man, I just struggle to find good gloves for late season goose and pheasant hunting. I hunt in South Dakota and need really good gloves that work down below zero. But, they need to be agile and not so bulky that I can’t hold the gun and shoot. Anyone have any luck with a particular pair?

[BabaYaga 15286]

31 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Man, I just struggle to find good gloves for late season goose and pheasant hunting. I hunt in South Dakota and need really good gloves that work down below zero. But, they need to be agile and not so bulky that I can’t hold the gun and shoot. Anyone have any luck with a particular pair?

I’ve done Midwest hunting and I use a merino base pair with first lite insulated leather gloves over them.   

[BabaYaga 15286]

12 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

Man, I just struggle to find good gloves for late season goose and pheasant hunting. I hunt in South Dakota and need really good gloves that work down below zero. But, they need to be agile and not so bulky that I can’t hold the gun and shoot. Anyone have any luck with a particular pair?

I wanted to add, for the money Black Ovis as a brand is hard to beat.  check these out:

Taiga gloves

or

Also Taiga

[Dr Fear 1268]

I gotta buy 400 shells for a 4 man skeet shoot on Friday, am I able to go to Walmart/Academy and buy that much these days or is there a box limit?

[686 3446]

I gotta buy 400 shells for a 4 man skeet shoot on Friday, am I able to go to Walmart/Academy and buy that much these days or is there a box limit?

It seems like the limits are local by store. I’d call ahead, but the academy’s and Bass pro/cablelas around central Texas have been selling shells by the case no problem from what I’ve seen.

[Herbie Hancock 7343]

I gotta buy 400 shells for a 4 man skeet shoot on Friday, am I able to go to Walmart/Academy and buy that much these days or is there a box limit?

Shouldn't be a problem. Last time I needed shells Academy on Cherry had plenty. Also, Trinity Ordnance has moved over the from their old location by the Lake Worth bridge and they always have a good stock.

[deadshank 24652]

I’m gonna throw away all my mounts now.  

[RMac5 1551]

That is a beast.

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

1 hour ago, RMac5 said:

That is a beast.

I'm not buying that as a low-fenced buck in Bowie county unless somebody first clipped his breeding tag and then released it into a low-fenced pasture before harvesting it.

[deadshank 24652]

8 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

I'm not buying that as a low-fenced buck in Bowie county unless somebody first clipped his breeding tag and then released it into a low-fenced pasture before harvesting it.

I have disdain for and have never been the least impressed with HF and genetically engineered bucks.  I’m going to give it the benefit of a doubt.  TBR followers would call it out pretty quick if it was a HF deer.  Plus, the rack doesn’t look genetically engineered.  Too irregular. 
 

Who knows?  

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

4 minutes ago, deadshank said:

I have disdain for and have never been the least impressed with HF and genetically engineered bucks.  I’m going to give it the benefit of a doubt.  TBR followers would call it out pretty quick if it was a HF deer.  Plus, the rack doesn’t look genetically engineered.  Too irregular. 
 

Who knows?  

Possibly, but here is the Army publication about the great success of last year's youth hunt at the Red River Armory:

https://www.army.mil/article/255211/hunting_season_great_success_at_red_river

Her is young Ms. Brewer's deer harvest there last year:

 

And another from the article:

 

One of these things does not look like the others.

 

[deadshank 24652]

9 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Possibly, but here is the Army publication about the great success of last year's youth hunt at the Red River Armory:

https://www.army.mil/article/255211/hunting_season_great_success_at_red_river

Her is young Ms. Brewer's deer harvest there last year:

 

And another from the article:

 

One of these things does not look like the others.

 

She’s trading up!!

[RMac5 1551]

No telling what it cost for her to shoot that dude.

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

I see some skepticism about this buck being expressed on the Texas Buck Registry FB page, too.

https://www.facebook.com/TexasBuckRegistry/

Update:  Interesting that this FB page has now edited out some earlier comments about potential escapees from some breeding farms in that area.

Edited November 1, 2023 by DalTxHornFan

[huge 3793]

10 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

potential escapees from some breeding farms in that area.

This is what I think has happened to our little place in Hempstead.  3 really big bucks that look out of place have been hanging around.  You normally dont see 200 class bucks with drop tines in Waller county.  At least I never have.  Uncle could have shot the biggest one so far if it was rifle season yet.

[BabaYaga 15286]

Look at the mass and body size as well.  That's not a TX buck.  He looks like the monsters from up north.  Agree it's probably a breeder that escaped.  Not that it matters, she still popped what will arguably be the biggest buck she'll ever take in her lifetime.  I'd have shit my pants if that toad walked out in front of me.  

[Frank Drebin 5654]

3 hours ago, huge said:

This is what I think has happened to our little place in Hempstead.  3 really big bucks that look out of place have been hanging around.  You normally dont see 200 class bucks with drop tines in Waller county.  At least I never have.  Uncle could have shot the biggest one so far if it was rifle season yet.

We have 200 acres in Grimes and Waller County near Hw6 6 (a few miles East of 6).

We have several large bucks that hang out on our place now.  I am guessing they escaped.  They are not monster breeders.  But really nice looking 150 to 170 class bucks.

I like having them there. 

[Storm the Field 5291]

Just a little over 60 hours until feeders go off on Opening Day of rifle season. I'm already struggling to focus at work.

Planning to duck out from work early Friday afternoon to get to my place with at least an hour or two of sunlight left. Wanna check and make sure nothing's gone wrong with feeders in the past 2 weeks and put a chair in my new stand. Not something I want to be making a bunch of noise trying to do in the dark Saturday morning.

[HOOKEM4 5036]

3 minutes ago, Storm the Field said:

Just a little over 60 hours until feeders go off on Opening Day of rifle season. I'm already struggling to focus at work.

Planning to duck out from work early Friday afternoon to get to my place with at least an hour or two of sunlight left. Wanna check and make sure nothing's gone wrong with feeders in the past 2 weeks and put a chair in my new stand. Not something I want to be making a bunch of noise trying to do in the dark Saturday morning.

We are in the same boat brother. One of my guys scheduled a meeting at 3pm Friday and I let them know they are flying solo. Ain't nobody got time for that. 

[hornmpa96 2618]

15 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

I see some skepticism about this buck being expressed on the Texas Buck Registry FB page, too.

https://www.facebook.com/TexasBuckRegistry/

Update:  Interesting that this FB page has now edited out some earlier comments about potential escapees from some breeding farms in that area.

I follow that page on Instagram and the number of 170” plus low-fence bucks listed this year is somewhat shocking. I know it’s possible but the numbers don’t seem to make sense especially given the drought this summer.

Last year on TBR someone posted a 220 inch typical as a low-fence buck until someone mentioned that would be the new world record. Ultimately the hunter admitted it was a high-fence deer.

I don’t really care about the difference between high and low fence. My ranch is high-fenced. I just wish folks would be honest.

Edited November 1, 2023 by hornmpa96
Poor typing

[BabaYaga 15286]

57 minutes ago, hornmpa96 said:

I don’t really care about the difference between high and low fence. My ranch is high-fenced. I just wish folks would be honest.

Same.  If I had the scratch I'd high fence my place in a heartbeat.  Easier to manage.  Easier to wait and let them grow without worries of a twitchy neighbor.  I'd also love to see what genetics we really have when managed to the utmost?  Maybe I'd throw in a few Axis just because they are so beautiful, taste so good, and won't beat the crap out of the WT's too much.  

[fattyflattie 4639]

On 10/29/2023 at 7:53 PM, 686 said:

Might be a cull candidate, but a 6 that size is kinda interesting.

A 6 that size is very cool and would likely win the big 6 category at Muy.   One big six is really cool.  A lineage of them less so 

[RMac5 1551]

The bucks in Mills County are chasing the does for sure. Saw a great buck a week or so ago but didn’t see him this week. Trying to kill him with a bow and couldn’t get a clear shot at him, I’m afraid the neighbors with the boom stick will shoot him this weekend. He didn’t get big by being dumb, hope he stays on our place.

 

@BabaYaga guess where I ate lunch today? It was so damn good too.  Needed something hardy after sitting in a cold blind for three mornings.