2024 Deer Season

[Altitude sickness]

Big old looking Roman nose Congrats !

 

[wesheltonj]

Finally pulled the trigger on one on our place evening before last. Thank goodness for great optics (Leica) - I probably did not study my watch too closely before the shot, but it was cloudy so I am confident we were still within that last half hour. He is no monster, but about as good as I have seen on our place for several years. Judging by tooth wear, he was also quite old, and I believe is antlers were starting to regress. In any case, he will make his way to the freezer.

Bit of poke as well. 185 yards off the sticks (Blaser quads).

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Nice old deer. I noticed that's not your Sporter Classic R8.

 

[Reg26]

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Speaking of dog drives. Got behind a load of beagles on the way to work this morning!

Seen outside a convenience in Nebraska. Pretty sure we prevented a stick-up.

 

[Red Leg]

Nice old deer. I noticed that's not your Sporter Classic R8.

Correct. The Jaeger actually was the original R8 that I purchased back when. I fairly recently switched scopes on a couple of my favorite deer rifles (.270, 7x65R, and .257) and have not yet resighted them. This R8, set up for .300 Win Mag, has not been played with. I normally leave it for Nilgai, but it works decisively on deer - if a bit overkill.

 

[WyoBull]

They are having a real mountain lion problem in that area and on top of EHD issues the last several years, the deer have really taken a hit.

Guess I will be eating tag soup this year and will go coyote and pheasants hunting instead!

 

[WAB]

Finally pulled the trigger on one on our place evening before last. Thank goodness for great optics (Leica) - I probably did not study my watch too closely before the shot, but it was cloudy so I am confident we were still within that last half hour. He is no monster, but about as good as I have seen on our place for several years. Judging by tooth wear, he was also quite old, and I believe is antlers were starting to regress. In any case, he will make his way to the freezer.

Bit of poke as well. 185 yards off the sticks (Blaser quads).

View attachment 650174

Good buck to take, he’s well past his prime. Our bucks are still totally nocturnal. Things generally get hot between Christmas and New
Years.

 

[Josh P]

Traded a headlight assembly for one earlier, but hope to get a couple on purpose over the holiday break from work.

Worked out this morning on the family farm. Nice little eater. Got to use the Von Gruff to dress it out.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Finally pulled the trigger on one on our place evening before last. Thank goodness for great optics (Leica) - I probably did not study my watch too closely before the shot, but it was cloudy so I am confident we were still within that last half hour. He is no monster, but about as good as I have seen on our place for several years. Judging by tooth wear, he was also quite old, and I believe is antlers were starting to regress. In any case, he will make his way to the freezer.

Bit of poke as well. 185 yards off the sticks (Blaser quads).

View attachment 650174

Fine looking buck. Well done.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Thanksgiving morning. I cleaned up my brother's mess. He hit this 5x6 buck twice poorly. We were very lucky to get him before he escaped onto the neighboring property. Turns out the fenceline was fifty yards away in the thick stuff. I shot him running away at maybe fifty yards. Should have hit him in the neck but couldn't find an exit. At that range my gassed up 30-06 165 gr Partition bullet in gassed up 165 gr Federal Premium ammo probably came apart. I took a forked horn two days ago and also no exit wound. Missed three shots at him trying to shoot from sitting position through tall grass. Duh. Finally had to stand up and take him offhand. And of course a fine whitetail doe roadkill was already hanging in my buddy's shop. That was four days ago. Hope the garage has my new-to-me vehicle ready by Monday so I can leave for home. Needed U-joint(s) in front driveline for 4x4. Not a big deal. That roadkill deer just gave my old Jimmy the coup de gras. She's been on borrowed time for a couple of years. 330K miles. Within a week I ruined a tire, knocked the tailpipe off the muffler in a snowdrift, and blew up the front bumper taking out a deer. Time to say goodbye. At least I'll get a bunch of good sausage out of it.

This year I only had 2.5 days to hunt. I'm required to hunt with my brother as condition of Montana tag and due to various commitments, that's all the time he could get away. It never takes me more than two days to get public land buck. In fact, I can't remember ever taking two days to shoot one. This year I took a dink in a hurry because the weather has been touch and no go. Touch anything metal with bare skin and you don't go. Damn cold!

After my brother left for five hour drive to his home for Thanksgiving dinner, I loaded up the dogs and returned to same property for uplands. Got a rooster and four Huns, including a double on the partridge. I missed a rooster (easy shot) and a Hun. Had I got the Hun, that would have been my first triple on them. I've shot several doubles.

 

[Red Leg]

Thanksgiving morning. I cleaned up my brother's mess. He hit this 5x6 buck twice poorly. We were very lucky to get him before he escaped onto the neighboring property. Turns out the fenceline was fifty yards away in the thick stuff. I shot him running away at maybe fifty yards. Should have hit him in the neck but couldn't find an exit. At that range my gassed up 30-06 165 gr Partition bullet in gassed up 165 gr Federal Premium ammo probably came apart. I took a forked horn two days ago and also no exit wound. Missed three shots at him trying to shoot from sitting position through tall grass. Duh. Finally had to stand up and take him offhand. And of course a fine whitetail doe roadkill was already hanging in my buddy's shop. That was four days ago. Hope the garage has my new-to-me vehicle ready by Monday so I can leave for home. Needed U-joint(s) in front driveline for 4x4. Not a big deal. That roadkill deer just gave my old Jimmy the coup de gras. She's been on borrowed time for a couple of years. 330K miles. Within a week I ruined a tire, knocked the tailpipe off the muffler in a snowdrift, and blew up the front bumper taking out a deer. Time to say goodbye. At least I'll get a bunch of good sausage out of it.

This year I only had 2.5 days to hunt. I'm required to hunt with my brother as condition of Montana tag and due to various commitments, that's all the time he could get away. It never takes me more than two days to get public land buck. In fact, I can't remember ever taking two days to shoot one. This year I took a dink in a hurry because the weather has been touch and no go. Touch anything metal with bare skin and you don't go. Damn cold!

After my brother left for five hour drive to his home for Thanksgiving dinner, I loaded up the dogs and returned to same property for uplands. Got a rooster and four Huns, including a double on the partridge. I missed a rooster (easy shot) and a Hun. Had I got the Hun, that would have been my first triple on them. I've shot several doubles.
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Saying farewell to a vehicle in that way is rather like interring a Viking who died with his sword in in his hand.

 

[PanhandlinPat]

After hunting hard in the morning with some close friends and not spotting any shooters, I found this guy bedded not far from my house. Deer just weren’t getting out of bed. Killed him 30 minutes before I was supposed to be at my son’s first birthday party. Was only 5 minutes late. I told my wife it was a party prop as the theme was “rifles, racks, and deer tracks”. Green scored (gross) 147 5/8, not bad for a 4x2