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Another successful hunt.
First off, sorry that I haven't been around much recently. Life got really busy.
Anyway. Last week during the last few days of the second shotgun season I picked off a pretty big one.
I got into the stand a lil before sunup, and started hearing the dominant buck I'd been hunting grunting a hundred or so yards off. So I decided to have a conversation with him. We grunted back and forth for about two hours when a younger, but still large buck showed up to see what all the talking was about. Seeing as his neck was still swollen pretty good, and the stink that was coming off him, I figure they went into their second rut. Easy shot at about fifty yards with a field barrel. He went down instantly. But even dressed he was a pain to drag out. It wasn't until I got him hung that I found out just how heavy he was. He dressed at almost two seventy. He was so big that he made his eight point, twenty inch inside spread look small.
Anyone that knows me knows that I don't hunt horns. But If I kill something with horns Im at least going to use them. If I killed him just because of bad genetics Ill use them for knife handles or a shelf or something. But when they are decent Im going to do at least an antler mount.
Here is a better pic of his head before I skinned it and started prepping it for a mount.
He gave me a little more than a hundred and fifty pounds of meat, and another hide to tan. Though I sent it in to be soft tanned cause Im thinking of turning it into a jacket.
Anyway. Last week during the last few days of the second shotgun season I picked off a pretty big one.
I got into the stand a lil before sunup, and started hearing the dominant buck I'd been hunting grunting a hundred or so yards off. So I decided to have a conversation with him. We grunted back and forth for about two hours when a younger, but still large buck showed up to see what all the talking was about. Seeing as his neck was still swollen pretty good, and the stink that was coming off him, I figure they went into their second rut. Easy shot at about fifty yards with a field barrel. He went down instantly. But even dressed he was a pain to drag out. It wasn't until I got him hung that I found out just how heavy he was. He dressed at almost two seventy. He was so big that he made his eight point, twenty inch inside spread look small.
Anyone that knows me knows that I don't hunt horns. But If I kill something with horns Im at least going to use them. If I killed him just because of bad genetics Ill use them for knife handles or a shelf or something. But when they are decent Im going to do at least an antler mount.
Here is a better pic of his head before I skinned it and started prepping it for a mount.
He gave me a little more than a hundred and fifty pounds of meat, and another hide to tan. Though I sent it in to be soft tanned cause Im thinking of turning it into a jacket.
“Not everyone is willing to embrace liberty; liberty requires not just effort, but risk. Some people choose to delude themselves and see their chains as protective armor.”
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I think he was bigger than that old dominant buck Id been hunting. Sure that old buck (from the camera) looked to be fourteen points, but doesn't look to be anywhere near as large and heavy as that younger buck was.
Oh yeah, from looking at his teeth, he looked to be four or four and a half years old.
We are now back into bow season. So as soon as I get some things done round the house Ill be back out.
"The Un-Tactical"
The interesting thing about him though, was the hair on his crown. Ya know how most whitetail bucks have that red tint to their crown? He didn't have that. His head, other than his ears, kinda reminded me of the color a muley has. So I took the hide from that part of his head, and am tanning it so I can use it instead of leather or felt on the antler mount.
"The Un-Tactical"
When dragging I tie a harness round the shoulders up the back of the neck, and round the horns to keep em up off the ground while I drag.
And thanks. He topped off one of my freezers. If I am able to find two more decent deer I'll only have one freezer left, and after late doe Ill be heading down to my friend's place in Missouri to kill some pig. One or two of them and Ill be set on meat for the year.
S/E Iowa, eh?.....How far from Danville/Burlington? Got some whacko relatives down that way.
;-)
Im not too far from there.
And thanks again yall.
Look forward to seeing the jacket .....good luck for the bow hunting.
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
P.S...... good shot!
Yea, but how do you harness up the deer? Just kidding. Awesome deer!