megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I hunted my target 4.5 yo yest eve, he was a no show. Only on camera once last night at 1am, so I decided to hunt a 5.5 yo 8 on the other side of the lease I'd be happy to kill.
I dont go after this buck that often, simply because he is not patternable. He lives in the mile long swamp/ drain, and I got tons of night time pics of him last year in all our plots next to that drain. Never a daytime pic, even during the rut last year. Same story this year, and he didnt add much to his rack from 2018.
I hunted from the bed of my truck at the intersection of a pipeline and a large powerline. Great spot to cover a lot of ground for cruising bucks. The powerline was last bushhogged 4yrs ago, then the pines and yaupon were hand sprayed this summer. Enough cover for deer to feel secure, but open enough to spot them moving across the powerline if you are in your toes.
I positioned my truck facing down the powerline, with my rifle on the cab of the truck and I sat on my cooler (one of my favorite ways to hunt). The buck I shot stepped into the pipeline lane 80yds at 7am. Looked at my truck for a minute, then went back to cruising. I figured him for 3.5, prerry respectable for down here, but I wasn't shooting anything except for the wide tall 8, so I passed. I saw another young buck, several does and fawns throughout the hunt on the pipeline.
A little after 9, i caught movement on the powerline 300y away and grabbed my binoculars. Potential shooter, so i got on the rifle and zoomed in. Sure enough, the same buck i passed earlier that morn. I watched him ease across the powerline, unfortunately too focused on him to notice another buck had come out on the same trail. Caught his movement trotting across the powerline and realized it was the tall 5.5 yo 8 i was hunting, but he got into the 6yo planted pines off the powerline before i could find him in the scope. I kept watching where he and the other buck went into the pines hoping they might come back out, but nothing. About 15 minutes later, another deer on the same trail the two 8s had taken. Binos revealed he was just a 6pt though. While watching him, I caught movement coming out of the pines where the other 2 bucks had gone. A quick check revealed it was the big 8 (or so i thought in the thick underbrush) coming to challenge the 6pt. He disappeared and reappeared in the cover of the powerline until i finally had a clear view of his vitals and took the shot at approx 275yds. He crashed off 15yds or so before piling up. I covered the distance excitedly to claim him, but discovered he was the smaller 8 i had passed up twice already that morning. Sick feeling, as we only get one buck per section of the lease and this meant i wouldn't get to chase my target buck the rest of the season. To make matters worse, he looked only 2.5 on the ground
I headed back to the truck and brought the cooler, stripped the meat off the carcass and drug the cooler back to the truck. Made a 2nd trip to retrieve the head and tarsals, and decided to slit the jaw to check age. To my surprise, he was at least 3.5
Got home and skinned out the head, and I feel pretty certain he's a 4.5 yo. I had seen and passed this buck up last year assuming he was only 2.5, and he didnt add much to his rack this year.
14.75 inside, 17 and 19in beams, total score 98.75in... pretty solid buck for south MS. I'm happy with him, it was a fun hunt. Most deer I've ever seen on a hunt here.
Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk
I dont go after this buck that often, simply because he is not patternable. He lives in the mile long swamp/ drain, and I got tons of night time pics of him last year in all our plots next to that drain. Never a daytime pic, even during the rut last year. Same story this year, and he didnt add much to his rack from 2018.
I hunted from the bed of my truck at the intersection of a pipeline and a large powerline. Great spot to cover a lot of ground for cruising bucks. The powerline was last bushhogged 4yrs ago, then the pines and yaupon were hand sprayed this summer. Enough cover for deer to feel secure, but open enough to spot them moving across the powerline if you are in your toes.
I positioned my truck facing down the powerline, with my rifle on the cab of the truck and I sat on my cooler (one of my favorite ways to hunt). The buck I shot stepped into the pipeline lane 80yds at 7am. Looked at my truck for a minute, then went back to cruising. I figured him for 3.5, prerry respectable for down here, but I wasn't shooting anything except for the wide tall 8, so I passed. I saw another young buck, several does and fawns throughout the hunt on the pipeline.
A little after 9, i caught movement on the powerline 300y away and grabbed my binoculars. Potential shooter, so i got on the rifle and zoomed in. Sure enough, the same buck i passed earlier that morn. I watched him ease across the powerline, unfortunately too focused on him to notice another buck had come out on the same trail. Caught his movement trotting across the powerline and realized it was the tall 5.5 yo 8 i was hunting, but he got into the 6yo planted pines off the powerline before i could find him in the scope. I kept watching where he and the other buck went into the pines hoping they might come back out, but nothing. About 15 minutes later, another deer on the same trail the two 8s had taken. Binos revealed he was just a 6pt though. While watching him, I caught movement coming out of the pines where the other 2 bucks had gone. A quick check revealed it was the big 8 (or so i thought in the thick underbrush) coming to challenge the 6pt. He disappeared and reappeared in the cover of the powerline until i finally had a clear view of his vitals and took the shot at approx 275yds. He crashed off 15yds or so before piling up. I covered the distance excitedly to claim him, but discovered he was the smaller 8 i had passed up twice already that morning. Sick feeling, as we only get one buck per section of the lease and this meant i wouldn't get to chase my target buck the rest of the season. To make matters worse, he looked only 2.5 on the ground
I headed back to the truck and brought the cooler, stripped the meat off the carcass and drug the cooler back to the truck. Made a 2nd trip to retrieve the head and tarsals, and decided to slit the jaw to check age. To my surprise, he was at least 3.5
Got home and skinned out the head, and I feel pretty certain he's a 4.5 yo. I had seen and passed this buck up last year assuming he was only 2.5, and he didnt add much to his rack this year.
14.75 inside, 17 and 19in beams, total score 98.75in... pretty solid buck for south MS. I'm happy with him, it was a fun hunt. Most deer I've ever seen on a hunt here.
Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk
