Whitetail deer season 2023-2024

[Safari Dave]

I live in a place in Georgia where high scoring racks, really, just don't exist.

I got this one this week. If the green score holds, it will be the 15th largest buck of record ever killed in my county.

 

[HankBuck]

Safari, that’s a nice buck - long beams and good symmetry. Whether he ranks 15th or 50th he’sa nice trophy....I’m picky and I wouldn’t pass him up!
You can only shoot “what’s there” and sounds like he’s one of the Best. CONGRATULATIONS

 

[Safari Dave]

He was rubbing a tree when I walked up on him (see the wood dust on his antlers). He saw me, but didn't bother to run.

They get pretty dumb during the rut!

 

[HankBuck]

He was rubbing a tree when I walked up on him (see the wood dust on his antlers). He saw me, but didn't bother to run.

They get pretty dumb during the rut!

Safari Dave, so you say you “walked up on him, he saw you, but didn’t bother to run”. I think what you meant was: He was OLD, SMART, and Super WARY - you had to make an incredibly skillful stalk to get him!!! A Great Trophy deserves a GREAT Story !!!

 

[Rickmt]

This year I travelled to south Texas to hunt whitetails which for me is a bucket list item. Thank you Phillip Glass for the recommendation. Ranch was 16,000 acres and the deer were all naturally occurring inside the high fence. I was required to shoot a 6 year old deer . while I was there I just had to shoot one of the blackbucks. Just call it an itch that had to be scratched .

 

[HankBuck]

This year I travelled to south Texas to hunt whitetails which for me is a bucket list item. Thank you Phillip Glass for the recommendation. Ranch was 16,000 acres and the deer were all naturally occurring inside the high fence. I was required to shoot a 6 year old deer . while I was there I just had to shoot one of the blackbucks. Just call it an itch that had to be scratched . View attachment 574278View attachment 574279View attachment 574280

Rickmt, I really like your “shirt” - what brand is it and where did you purchase or order (it’s New)... Pictures of a great buck deserves to include a well dressed Hunter !

 

[Rickmt]

HankBuck that is a Tag Safari shirt.

 

[HankBuck]

HankBuck that is a Tag Safari shirt.

Rickmt, classy - you certainly dress the part.....and they are well made shirts, a few models even come Left Hand versions (I’ve got a couple)

 

[Fryeguy]

We have had an amazing year this fall in the woods. It all started off with a trail cam pic from July while we were in Africa. A really nice buck shows up that was already very wide. It was the only pic I got of him in the summer, thanks to a bear and camera. My son ended up taking the buck on youth day, which was completely out of the blue and unexpected. We were both in climbing stands, and I had written the hunt off after a rather large black bear came in right below us. I was texting a friend about the bear and I heard a deer step in leaves right below us. I looked over at my son and he was already watching the deer. I simply said shoot the deer. He was completely calm, turned slowly and shot it perfectly in shoulder. As the deer bolted and ran off my son saw just how big the buck was and quickly lost all sense of calmness. He tried working the bolt to get another round in, his hat when flying over me on the other side of the tree! It ran down the trail, turned broadside, got the wobbly legs and fell over. I asked how long have you been watching him. He said 20 minutes or so. Why didn’t you shoot? I didn’t see how big it was, he replied. The first shot was 8 yards from the base of our tree!! It was 26 1/8” wide, a mainframe 8ptr, with a kicker at his base on one side. All I said was thanks for shooting my target buck for me, good luck ever shooting a deer wider than him!! It was an amazing hunt, and I cannot be happier he took this buck! Sorry for the lack of great pics, but I don’t want to post his face anywhere online, as he is in most of the pics we took. He has killed several deer in his few years hunting, and is currently only 13. I have to say I’ve never seen him lose it like he did that day!

 

[Fryeguy]

Last week I finally caught up with a 9pointer I had let walk in early November while hunting with my youngest son. I knew it was a good buck, but it was very low light and I couldn’t see for sure just how good he was and I didn’t want to shoot it and regret my decision since I couldn’t fully see his height. Well he disappeared for over a month, I knew immediately it was him when he stepped out, in much better light this time. My only wish was that I had my son with me for this hunt. I also couldn’t let it walk again waiting for that moment because he may never walk by again. This buck also broke the drought I have been experiencing with my muzzleloader the last few years! This buck had really lost a lot of weight during the rut. Lots of scars from fighting too.

 

[steve white]

This year I travelled to south Texas to hunt whitetails which for me is a bucket list item. Thank you Phillip Glass for the recommendation. Ranch was 16,000 acres and the deer were all naturally occurring inside the high fence. I was required to shoot a 6 year old deer . while I was there I just had to shoot one of the blackbucks. Just call it an itch that had to be scratched . View attachment 574278View attachment 574279View attachment 574280

I think I have that same itch. My nephew was lucky....his friend who is related to a ranch owner took him along to look over the property. They saw a black buck about 400 yds away, and the friend said, "that's a management buck--cull him." You sure, Jerone asked? Yeah, bust him....well 400 yds closer and it was NOT a management buck, but hey--it was authorized!

 

[steve white]

My deer season has probably ended. I took another spike and 6 point. Perhaps should have passed on the 6 pt. because I generally want to let things grow up. I shoot either the scrubs or the best or bust. Did take a hog but removed meat without gutting. Coyotes absolutely devoured the remains overnight.
If I would only get familiar with posting pics I would show you a hornady monometal bullet failure (tho it did killl the deer). May show up in the thread about bullet performances. Good luck to the rest of you!

 

[Duke1966]

That's a brute of a buck! What state are you hunting? @ Fryeguy

 

[Daisy]

Last week I finally caught up with a 9pointer I had let walk in early November while hunting with my youngest son. I knew it was a good buck, but it was very low light and I couldn’t see for sure just how good he was and I didn’t want to shoot it and regret my decision since I couldn’t fully see his height. Well he disappeared for over a month, I knew immediately it was him when he stepped out, in much better light this time. My only wish was that I had my son with me for this hunt. I also couldn’t let it walk again waiting for that moment because he may never walk by again. This buck also broke the drought I have been experiencing with my muzzleloader the last few years! This buck had really lost a lot of weight during the rut. Lots of scars from fighting too.

View attachment 574555View attachment 574557

That’s a great buck!

 

[Fryeguy]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. Quick update my 8yr old boy harvested a rather large doe this past weekend. It was so much fun, and his fine detail in story telling is quite impressive.

 

[dailordasailor]

Bought a house in September. Between that and work I havnt been able to hunt like usual. Had a yearly hunt with a vendor outside DFW and was able to shoot a decent nine point and a his girlfriend. Freezer is now full.

 

[Finprof]

I missed the entire deer season due to a triple bypass procedure on September 12. The cardiologist said that I should wait six months. He doesn’t know that I have a 375 H&H and should probably wait longer before shooting it.
There is always next year, unless I am no longer upright.
Have fun every chance you get.

 

[Mauser3000]

I shot this 9 point with a Ravin crossbow back in September.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

Good afternoon. I tagged out this morning on this nice 9pt Texoma buck. He would have been a 10er but he had a brow time busted off. I was using my Rigby Highland Stalker in 30-06. I was shooting my handloads using a Nosler 200gr Partition bullet. Now I will be the PH/gun bearer/skinner/driver for Mama. She has declared she will be killing the bigger buck this season now that I am finished thrashing around in the mesquite and cactus.

Best wishes to all for a Happy Christmas and a safe and healthy 2024.

 

[mdwest]

Still no wall hangers this season at the mdwest house.. but the freezer is getting filled extremely well.. I've taken a scraggly management buck and a doe so far this season, and the wife has taken 2 doe (4 total in the freezer this year so far)..

we're planning on at least one more weekend in the woods in December and our little lease is still overrun with deer.. so the chances at me picking up my second doe is pretty high I think (not a lot of big bucks still running around during daylight hours.. but we're still seeing tons of doe).. and then Ive got a group hunt planned the last week of the season thats 3x days long where I think theres likely a good chance as well..