Update: After the 60 day drying period I met with TWRA to get this guy scored. Initially the warden didn't think it would break the 165 threshold for inclusion in the TN Deer Registry. But with 160 inches typical, almost 20 inches of nontypical, and only 6 inches in deductions, he ended up scoring 174 4/8s. I couldn't be happier.
Have really hunted hard this year, seeing a few small bucks and multiple does. Have some really nice bucks on camera that have kept me in the woods. My wife has regained her interest in hunting, so I've been blessed to have her go with me the last 4 sits. This morning I put her on a stand looking uphill on the military crest of a ridge. I sat on the opposite military crest, watching downhill. We were only about 70 yards apart, and could see each other quite plainly. We had not seen anything and hunted until our planned departure at 10:00, when I asked her if she was ready to go or did she want to stay longer. She told me to go with my gut, so I said we'd stay until 11:00. At 11:00, I sent her a text and told her to get down and walk over to my stand. At 11:05 she was getting down, oblivious to what was unfolding in front of me. Down the ridge, at the edge of open woods and a drop off into a ravine, a nice buck was just cruising along. I quickly sent her a text stating "deer," hoping to get her to freeze, but she didn't get it. When I looked back up, it was headed towards the thicker cover along the ravine, so I took a 70 yard shot. After a 10 minute wait, we went to the point of impact and found lung matter. We waited a few more minutes, then knowing it was a good shot, started tracking. Boy, was I wrong. 90 minutes and half mile later, I found him. He'd headed down the ravine, crossed the creek, and headed up the opposite side, making it almost to the plateau on top. Well, he threw in the towel, and as luck would have it, rolled 500 feet down the mountain and landed near the creek at the bottom. 3 hours later he was being quartered and hauled up with ropes, 150 feet at a time. Inspection of his lungs revealed a curious double lung pass through from the 30-06, but with very little shock damage. The lungs were intact, with nothing but a dime sized hole going through both lower lobes. Unbelievable a deer could travel that far while loosing blood the entire time. So, since it was quartered, I estimate the weight at 180. Obvious non typical with 18 points that would hold a ring.
Have really hunted hard this year, seeing a few small bucks and multiple does. Have some really nice bucks on camera that have kept me in the woods. My wife has regained her interest in hunting, so I've been blessed to have her go with me the last 4 sits. This morning I put her on a stand looking uphill on the military crest of a ridge. I sat on the opposite military crest, watching downhill. We were only about 70 yards apart, and could see each other quite plainly. We had not seen anything and hunted until our planned departure at 10:00, when I asked her if she was ready to go or did she want to stay longer. She told me to go with my gut, so I said we'd stay until 11:00. At 11:00, I sent her a text and told her to get down and walk over to my stand. At 11:05 she was getting down, oblivious to what was unfolding in front of me. Down the ridge, at the edge of open woods and a drop off into a ravine, a nice buck was just cruising along. I quickly sent her a text stating "deer," hoping to get her to freeze, but she didn't get it. When I looked back up, it was headed towards the thicker cover along the ravine, so I took a 70 yard shot. After a 10 minute wait, we went to the point of impact and found lung matter. We waited a few more minutes, then knowing it was a good shot, started tracking. Boy, was I wrong. 90 minutes and half mile later, I found him. He'd headed down the ravine, crossed the creek, and headed up the opposite side, making it almost to the plateau on top. Well, he threw in the towel, and as luck would have it, rolled 500 feet down the mountain and landed near the creek at the bottom. 3 hours later he was being quartered and hauled up with ropes, 150 feet at a time. Inspection of his lungs revealed a curious double lung pass through from the 30-06, but with very little shock damage. The lungs were intact, with nothing but a dime sized hole going through both lower lobes. Unbelievable a deer could travel that far while loosing blood the entire time. So, since it was quartered, I estimate the weight at 180. Obvious non typical with 18 points that would hold a ring.
