What trophy are you most proud of?

[Scott4030]

Your Stone is incredible! Ray and Reg took some great rams but didn’t always advertise them because they didn’t want the attention.

Better pic of both the Stone and the Dall

 

[Scott CWO]

Better pic of both the Stone and the DallView attachment 681633View attachment 681634

Wow! How long is the Stone? Long horn on the Dall?

 

[Scott4030]

Wow! How long is the Stone? Long horn on the Dall?

The Stone is 40” on his right, 38” on his left. The Dall is 41”

 

[HankBuck]

Mmm…. My greatest trophy?
I’ve read a lot of the other post in this thread but not all.
I’m pretty much just a local hunter in my area, nothing really bigger than whitetail deer. Although, I’ve taken some nice sized bucks in my lifetime, the trophy I’m most proud of was watching my son take his 1st “trophy buck”. He had just turned 12 years old.

The season before his “trophy buck” he took his 1st buck, and if memory serves me right, he took a total of 4 deer his 1st season. These are memories I’ll never forget, but there aren’t my top.


Anyways, it was our youth rifle season here and we were running late that morning getting into our stand. I decided that we should pop over the hill to see if anything was out in the open field before heading to our stand. Sure enough we seen a doe eating along the edge of the field. He used his rangefinder and informed my she was very 200 yards away. I told him “let’s go”. Then all of a sudden the doe took off running in our direction. A decent 8 point buck was coming out into the field where the doe was standing earlier. The buck chased to the doe, and then to my amazement, they both stopped and started eating. My son sat down and got out his shooting sticks.

My then12-year-old son told me that he was confident that if the deer stopped moving and turned broadside he could make the shot. The buck finally gave him a shot, and he took it. The buck dropped over right there, never took a step. I used my rangefinder to confirm that he made a 137 yard shot. He watched him go down through the scope and when he looked up at me he had a huge smile on his face. He gave me a high-five. Made me so proud.

We had practiced shooting up too, 200 yards before the season, but you know how different that is than shooting at game.
I guess all of the shooting we had done has really made him confident.
I know when I was at his age I would have been all over the place trying to hold my gun still.

So that’s the trophy I’m most proud off.
I swear that boy worn that grin for a week!! View attachment 681618

@Brickman301 - that is something You should be PROUD of and what a GREAT Memory…..better then getting one yourself !! My most heart pounding Hunting moments: My 1st Buck—-My Son’s 1st Buck—-my Daughter’s 1st Buck !! Nothing taken anywhere else, even Africa, came close to that THRILL

 

[dogcat1]

Lord Derby Eland after 9 days of hiking and tracking in CAR in 110F heat...

 

[Brickman301]

@Brickman301 - that is something You should be PROUD of and what a GREAT Memory…..better then getting one yourself !! My most heart pounding Hunting moments: My 1st Buck—-My Son’s 1st Buck—-my Daughter’s 1st Buck !! Nothing taken anywhere else, even Africa, came close to that THRILL

Thanks, and I totally agree. I’d rather see a kid have a successful hunt, than have one myself.
I’ve been with my son when he’s taken several deer.
I’ve hunted with two of my nephews, and was with there to see them shoot their 1st deer. I’ve also taken 2 of my close friend’s sons out when they were young. Was there to see them get their 1st deer too.
Proud to say they are all adults now, and they all still hunt!
All are special memories for me.
I feel that If we don’t get the next generations to hunt, the sport will die with us.

 

[KuduKiller]

Couldn’t have said it better myself Brickman!

 

[KuduKiller]

I think I still have every pic of every critter he’s ever taken! He even got into trapping a few years ago.

 

[Brickman301]

I think I still have every pic of every critter he’s ever taken! He even got into trapping a few years ago.

Very nice! I’ve got a bunch of pictures of my son, with most the game he has taken too.
Proud Dad moments for sure!
That’s great he got into trapping. I was a trapper myself. Unfortunately, due to my work schedule and lack of places, I haven’t trapped in a few years.
Trapping is a great skill, teaches you a lot about animals, habits and just the outdoors itself.

 

[Scott4030]

Thanks, and I totally agree. I’d rather see a kid have a successful hunt, than have one myself.
I’ve been with my son when he’s taken several deer.
I’ve hunted with two of my nephews, and was with there to see them shoot their 1st deer. I’ve also taken 2 of my close friend’s sons out when they were young. Was there to see them get their 1st deer too.
Proud to say they are all adults now, and they all still hunt!
All are special memories for me.
I feel that If we don’t get the next generations to hunt, the sport will die with us.

You guys are right. My daughter took her first buck and a pig on the same evening last season. Amazing high! But that’s not my trophy. It’s hers! And she is a proud one!

 

[Hunt anything]

Great job by both father and daughter!!

Is that a coastal black tail?

 

[LivingTheDream]

Its remarkable how you can have someone like us where it never happens or only happens after 10 years. Yet, someone on their first or second hunt, will bag one.

Killed a banded goose on my first goose hunt. We were calling it quits, and everyone left to get the trucks, left me with the decoys. Got super lucky. There is a housing development in the field I shot that goose in.

 

[Scott4030]

Great job by both father and daughter!!

Is that a coastal black tail?

Thanks! It is a blacktail. We have a ranch in Santa Clara County.

 

[Hunt anything]

I hunted blacktail up around Petaluma and in the Yolla Bollas in 1989, lost touch with the friend I used to hunt with. It is amazing country.

 

[Hunt anything]

Killed a banded goose on my first goose hunt. We were calling it quits, and everyone left to get the trucks, left me with the decoys. Got super lucky. There is a housing development in the field I shot that goose in.

Sounds like all of my old turkey hunting spots. Wall to wall subdivisions.

 

[Scott4030]

I hunted blacktail up around Petaluma and in the Yolla Bollas in 1989, lost touch with the friend I used to hunt with. It is amazing country.

You are a beast if you’re hunting up in the Yolla Bolly country! That is wild country up there! Spent a lot of time when I was in high school hunting up there, not sure my old… or I guess I mean “older” body could handle it these days! Rugged and wild country!

 

[Hunt anything]

You are a beast if you’re hunting up in the Yolla Bolly country! That is wild country up there! Spent a lot of time when I was in high school hunting up there, not sure my old… or I guess I mean “older” body could handle it these days! Rugged and wild country!

Younger, dumber and definitely in better shape way back then. The hills around Petaluma were definitely this flatlanders cup of tea. Saw some great deer in the YB but never got a shot but got a good 3x3 with brow tines around Petaluma. Wish I could remember exactly where Rich’s ranch was but it was a long time ago.

 

[Scott4030]

Younger, dumber and definitely in better shape way back then. The hills around Petaluma were definitely this flatlanders cup of tea. Saw some great deer in the YB but never got a shot but got a good 3x3 with brow tines around Petaluma. Wish I could remember exactly where Rich’s ranch was but it was a long time ago.

That ranches around Petaluma are beautiful and hold some super nice deer. A 3x3 with good brow tines is a BIG blacktail! You did good for sure.

 

[Hunt anything]

Pic of my blacktail mixed with a few whitetail and a muley.

 

[Rifleman97]

17pt buck, public land, something like a 300 yard shot with a 350 legend.

I don’t know how to score a deer and don’t honestly care, so no idea how it officially scores. I’m not really a fan of taxidermy as part of my home decor so the skull is in my garage sitting in a box somewhere

Not sure if I have pictures of all of him but he had 2 tines broken off, so would’ve scored better if he hadn’t gotten in so many fights. But still, I’ll probably never shoot a bigger buck, so I’ve given up on “trophy” Deer hunting. As cool as he was, he tasted terrible even though his entire diet was corn, he was just too old to taste good. Seasoned sausage is the only way we could get him edible.

I’ll go for the 1-3 year old does only now thanks, taste way better. But still a cool story, not often are bucks like this on public land.

Not sure I have all the points shown in the pics I selected as he’s very non typical, but you get the idea. He was also incredibly heavy in the body, most I’ve ever struggled to get a deer into the back of a truck