Was fortunate this year to be able to enjoy a couple weeks of our early archery season. Haven’t been able to bow hunt the early season for several years. It was nice to see some rut activity but no bucks older than 2 to be found.
Opening weekend of our firearm season was pretty quiet, not much movement or many shots heard. Normally it’s a steady barrage of shots. Second morning the neighboring farmer was out cutting corn, he gets an assist on my kill. This buck was pushing a doe about 500yds east of me in the standing corn. I watched him for a half hour or so until the farmer started making his way towards the deer. The doe lost the buck and disappeared to the south. The buck made a couple desperate loops looking for the doe until he realized the combine was coming his way. He turned and came right towards me, crossing the ditch and giving me a perfect broadside at 155yds. The newly re barreled Win 7mm Mag sent a 140gr TTSX his way and set him straight down without a twitch. Thanks Shaen for the top notch job on installing this barrel it absolutely hammers with the TTSX at 3200fps. I’m sure they could be run hotter but there’s really no need for the ranges I hunt at. Will get to slinging some heavies after the holidays.
The highlight of my season though was the killing of a pretty 2yr old 9 point. This buck passed by me several times while archery hunting then two more times opening day of firearm.
When he went by me on the afternoon of opening day I watched him disappear into the high weeds as he walked away from me, about 15 minutes after I lost sight of him I heard a shot from the neighbors place. I looked up just in time to see this buck coming back towards me through the weeds. I got a text from the neighbor saying his buddy shot one and it crossed the property line and he wanted to know if it was ok to go look for the buck as he’d lost sight of it. Told him I’d meet him there to help get it out.. This guy was pumped as he’d just shot at and wasn’t sure he had actually hit the deer. I was 99% sure the deer was down but didn’t let him know that. We got to tracking but surprisingly there was very little blood. After about 10 minutes of looking I got him headed to where I had last seen the deer and there he was, the largest buck the man had ever killed. This man was mid fortys and about 6’2 250# and you couldn’t have found a happier person. It was refreshing to see someone so genuinely excited. Turns out this man is a Pastor and only gets to hunt one or two days a year because of his obligations. It was good to see a nice guy rewarded with his biggest deer.
My buck and an obviously sick one I had seen during archery season were the only 3yr olds seen during my time in the field. Seems that EHD may be rearing it’s ugly head in the area. This may explain why the older age class animals have all but vanished.
Opening weekend of our firearm season was pretty quiet, not much movement or many shots heard. Normally it’s a steady barrage of shots. Second morning the neighboring farmer was out cutting corn, he gets an assist on my kill. This buck was pushing a doe about 500yds east of me in the standing corn. I watched him for a half hour or so until the farmer started making his way towards the deer. The doe lost the buck and disappeared to the south. The buck made a couple desperate loops looking for the doe until he realized the combine was coming his way. He turned and came right towards me, crossing the ditch and giving me a perfect broadside at 155yds. The newly re barreled Win 7mm Mag sent a 140gr TTSX his way and set him straight down without a twitch. Thanks Shaen for the top notch job on installing this barrel it absolutely hammers with the TTSX at 3200fps. I’m sure they could be run hotter but there’s really no need for the ranges I hunt at. Will get to slinging some heavies after the holidays.
The highlight of my season though was the killing of a pretty 2yr old 9 point. This buck passed by me several times while archery hunting then two more times opening day of firearm.
When he went by me on the afternoon of opening day I watched him disappear into the high weeds as he walked away from me, about 15 minutes after I lost sight of him I heard a shot from the neighbors place. I looked up just in time to see this buck coming back towards me through the weeds. I got a text from the neighbor saying his buddy shot one and it crossed the property line and he wanted to know if it was ok to go look for the buck as he’d lost sight of it. Told him I’d meet him there to help get it out.. This guy was pumped as he’d just shot at and wasn’t sure he had actually hit the deer. I was 99% sure the deer was down but didn’t let him know that. We got to tracking but surprisingly there was very little blood. After about 10 minutes of looking I got him headed to where I had last seen the deer and there he was, the largest buck the man had ever killed. This man was mid fortys and about 6’2 250# and you couldn’t have found a happier person. It was refreshing to see someone so genuinely excited. Turns out this man is a Pastor and only gets to hunt one or two days a year because of his obligations. It was good to see a nice guy rewarded with his biggest deer.
My buck and an obviously sick one I had seen during archery season were the only 3yr olds seen during my time in the field. Seems that EHD may be rearing it’s ugly head in the area. This may explain why the older age class animals have all but vanished.
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