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

 

[Longwalker]

My deer hunting this year was about gathering meat, since I didn't have an elk in the freezer for the first time in many years. Shot a little buck Mule deer fawn with my Krieghoff Hubertus .30R Blaser, and a young Whitetail buck with my Sako .25-06. Now it's time to make sausage!

The whitetail was a couple days ago, -28°C that morning.

Mule deer shot looks far back, but I was pleased with the shot placement. The deer was facing away, looking back over its left shoulder and the bullet broke the right shoulder. Missed the rumen, thankfully. The Krieghoff rifle is becoming a favourite.

 

[HankBuck]

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

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@PanhandlinPat - nice DIY mule deer buck and close to home! That pic with your 1 year old Son in it is great too and will mean a lot many years from now….I have a few taken with bucks when my children were infants, then one, two etc. Makes us all “smile” now when we look at them….Congratulations !

 

[HankBuck]

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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@Ontario Hunter - fine buck, good story, Congratulations !

 

[TheGrayRider]

Nevada. October 15, 2024. Rifle. Public land. Guided. Happy hunting, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[bowfishoholic]

Kansas buck with crossbow.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

@Ontario Hunter - fine buck, good story, Congratulations !

Thanks. I get one every year, DIY, public accessible land, usually less than two days hunting. This one was just at daybreak of third day. I'm pretty sure I missed this guy first thing of first morning. Again, going away at maybe seventy yards. The Timney trigger on my 03A3 is set a little light. I'd been bird hunting for four weeks and always heavy on the trigger wingshooting. Fired prematurely just over his back and he didn't give me a second opportunity. Disappeared in the Russian olive and ran up the dry canal to the adjacent closed property. Then the night before Thanksgiving we were taking a shortcut back to our vehicle (very cold and Mike's blood sugar was low) across a large wheatfield when I suddenly saw a big deer approaching from our right. My brother said don't bother, it's probably the dink spike we saw in the field earlier. I scoped the deer about the time it noticed us. "Mike, that ain't no dink! It's the big boy." The buck turned and ran over the hill in two bounds. Right at dark is no time to take an arse shot. I didn't even release the safety. Anyway I knew where he would be in the morning ... and we got him.

Edit: I see that buck was actually 6x6 counting the brow tine on one side. A very pretty rack.

 

[Angelo_orygun]

Pains me to write this, but I guess that’s why they call it hunting!

This is my second year on this property for deer, have been on it to hunt pigs/coyotes for years.

We had this buck on camera as far back as January of this year, and have had him on 3 cameras within 1200 yards of each other like clock work since September. First daylight sighting was Sunday of opening weekend, and he was on camera during hunting hours 3 times last week Again, like clockwork. And we were all home for Thanksgiving!

I arrived the evening after this image was taken as I had to wrap up some family commitments at home and found this in the cabin:

Photos started to land in my texts…

My heart sank! He had left the ranch and the neighboring landowner connected! Now, mind you this ranch is over 7K acres, and we have a 500+ acre section that we hunt deer, why leave?!?

Word has it that he was scored at 206 7/8 the following day, possibly a new Coal County OK record for non typical once he dries and is officially scored.

It was a long drive home this afternoon….

 

[woods0824]

Spent Thanksgiving week visiting family in Folkston, Ga and this buck messed up and stepped through a lane on my last evening before having to head home. Highlight was having my 6yo daughter in the blind with me and getting to share the experience with her.

 

[Corey0372]

Wrapped up the 2024 season here in Montana with another nice buck yesterday afternoon. I was still riding pretty high from last week's buck (posted earlier in the thread). I was hunting very close to where I killed the other one. Feeling unbelievably blessed!

About a 140 yard shot, 300 Win Mag 180 grain Nosler Partitions. Exit wound seen in the picture was about 2 1/2 inches wide. He went about 40 yards after the shot.