Opening weekend here in North Texas was pretty dreary with rain, low pressure, and generally just too warm. I needed to go out of town today for my job but all the conditions necessary to get the bucks moving was predicted to break today, meaning colder weather, high pressure, and calm winds.

With that in mind, I planned on a quick and short hunt prior to hitting the road today. Woke up at 4:00am to howling winds. I had just about talked myself out of going out this morning but right at the last moment, I decided to go ahead and give it a try.

I left the house a bit late, with dawn just breaking, got to my ranch and set up on stand. Right away, I started scanning the hillside with the binos. Literally about 60 seconds later, I see this buck trailing a single doe. Winds were still howling and he is right out in the middle of an open area where you'd never expect to see a big whitetail buck.

My biggest concern was that the wind would blow the bullet off target as it was steady at about 25 to 30 mph! 150 yards, 300H&H, Ruger #1, Barnes TTSX did the trick as it has so often in the past! Shot my best whitetail at 6:30 am and was on the road to work by 8:00am. I wish all work days would start this way!

Very nice, Todd! Congratulations!

Very nice deer. Congrats.



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Beautiful Buck, congratulations Todd!!

Nice one Todd!

great buck Todd!!!

A very nice buck. I killed my biggest buck pre work. Some times doing it when has a chance is better then a lot of planning.

Nice deer Todd. Well done.

Thanks guys. This one was pure luck! I'll take it though! Been thinking of him all day! And I really, really, almost didn't go out due to that wind. A big lesson learned today however, that being that when the rut turns on, you had just better be in the field.

Not only did I almost not to out today, but I had it in my mind to hunt an entirely different part of the ranch from the time I set the clock the previous night. Even leaving the house, I was thinking of that other area since it is in much heavier cover and I thought the wind might be broken a little in that area.

Just as I entered the property, I decided on this wide open space figuring that maybe, just maybe, any movement in the wind might be encouraged by a more open area where the deer can see since the sound and speed of the wind would have their sense of smell and hearing completely fouled. I'm not sure of the soundness of this thinking, but it did work out today!

Anyone have an opinion on that?

Every workday should start that way!

Very nice buck. Got to love .300 H&H hunters.

Todd,

Beautiful buck.

Mark

Good buck Todd

Every once and a while you need hunts like that to happen - balances out the tough ones. That is a very fine buck, Todd. Congrats and well done!!

Very nice buck. You probably had a smile on at work today.

Beautiful buck... congratulations!

Great buck Todd. I generally hunt the wide open spaces in the wind, if I can not find any place that is in a true valley with NO wind. They will be one place or the other. In my experience they will abandon someplace where they can not hear danger due to the wind for someplace with no wind at all, or the open spaces where they can see danger coming since their sense of smell is diminished.

quote:

Originally posted by larrys:
Great buck Todd. I generally hunt the wide open spaces in the wind, if I can not find any place that is in a true valley with NO wind. They will be one place or the other. In my experience they will abandon someplace where they can not hear danger due to the wind for someplace with no wind at all, or the open spaces where they can see danger coming since their sense of smell is diminished.

That's what I was thinking yesterday as well Larry. I would think you guys there in Kansas probably know about the wide open spaces and wind for hunting. Hunted there in your state myself 3 years ago. Thanks for the input. Learning whitetail tactics is an ongoing study, eh?

Here's another pic I took with the IPhone prior to retrieving my proper camera. This being the pic I texted to the wife and kids!!

Nice buck Todd!

That is a nice Buck Todd,and you are absolutly correct that when the Rut is in swing you better be there when you can....Rain,Snow,Sleet or Wind.
Congratulations

Lovely buck Todd,

I really like those big "normal" bucks rather than some of the mutant stuff you see about.

Rgds,
K

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:
Lovely buck Todd,

I really like those big "normal" bucks rather than some of the mutant stuff you see about.

Rgds,
K

Me too! I do like a non-typical, but this is the first pure typical I've taken in awhile. Most of my recent bucks have had several "stickers". This one is about as symmetrical and straight forward as you can get.

Just as a BTW, the ranch where I hunt and took this deer is completely low fenced, meaning cattle fences only. No portion is high fenced, we don't feed protein, or manipulate the genetics in any way other than to attempt to shoot 5.5 year old bucks, and two does each. We generally let spikes walk as well, unless they have a bit of age to them and are still slick horned on at least one side. Those are few and far between on this property however. We also don't put undue pressure on the herd as there are 13,000 acres with 11 guys hunting, restricted to 1 mature buck and two does each. Really only 10 guys hunting because I have two "positions" on the lease, one that I share with my sons!

Really good buck Todd, Congratulations.

Thank you Randal.

Nice one Todd!

Thank you Naki! How's the work up going with that Rigby?

Well done....

He's a Hoss!

Congrats on a beautiful buck Todd

Great buck, Todd.

Where is Todd? Haven't seen any posts by Todd lately.

Looks like he last posted late April