On Thanksgiving Day, I talked Lora into going out to the stand for the afternoon hunt. It was a pretty nice day, but the longer we sat in the blind the less I became inclined to want to have to deal with a dead deer that evening. We had eight does and yearling fawns come in and feed for a good while but I talked Lora out of shooting one.

I told her we would come back out the next morning and she could shoot one then. Famous last words!

We went back the next morning and that afternoon, No Deer! Saturday morning she wasn't feeling good so I went out by myself, even though I was not interested in shooting anything. Sure enough just after it got good shooting light 6 does and yearlings came in but I was not going to shoot. They fed for a few minutes and then moved back into the brush.

When I got home I told Lora what took place so we were back in the stand around 3:30 that afternoon, Nothing came in. Sunday was a repeat. Went out Monday morning, still nothing. Didn't go out Monday afternoon as we had some business to take care of but our running around and a short trip to the beer store, put us coming back thru on the road that goes past the pasture we were hunting. We were in Lora's pick up and the rifles were in the work truck parked at the house. As we turned the corned and started going past the pasture, 6 does and fawns had just crossed the fence heading for the feeders. They watched us drive past and acted like they did not have a care in the world.

Tuesday and Wednesday were repeats of what we had been experiencing expect late of Wednesday a 6 point buck wandered in right at dark and we could see a sounder of about 15 to 18 oinkers feeding in a wheat field about a quarter of a mile away. Went back out to that stand Thursday morning and it was another No Show Jones situation.

After getting back to town and checking with Robert to see where he was going to hunt that afternoon, I had a few chores to do mid day but told Lora we were going to a different stand/feeder set up and see if we could change our luck just a little. Martok, our hunting cat goes along on all these trips, even gets into the blind with us, so he was along as usual. The stand we went to is out north of Olney a few miles and I think Robert had hunted one time since season opened.

WE got there about 4 PM and got all set up for the wait till dark. This set up has the blind setting uphill about 80 yards or so from the feeder.

About 5:35 maybe 5:40 I noticed a deer moving toward the feeder from our left, about 50 yards below the stand. As I was watching I noticed a second deer behind the first. Looking at them thru the binoculars, I saw that the lead animal was a fairly decent legal 8 pointer. We have the 13 inch inside spread antler restrictions in both Archer & Young counties. As I focused on the second animal I saw that it was a spike on one side with the other side broken off.

I told Lora to get ready to shoot the spike if it presented the opportunity. The bigger buck got to the feeder first and the spike moved in on the far side of him. Lora had her rifle ready, but the bigger buck stayed in the way. Finally he began moving away, but I thought Lora was getting too tensed up on her rifle and I was fixing to tell her, "Don't get too tensed up.

I got most of the word "Don't" out of my mouth. I am setting there watching the buck thru the binoculars and as "Don't" cleared my lips, it was "Bang/Flop"! That spike went down like a Fainting Goat and never twitched. Martok was laying on his blanket on the floor next to Lora's chair and he never moved.

The shot was about 85 maybe 90 yards, she caught the spike about 5 inched back from the shoulders right thru the spine. She was using her little Ruger Model 77 Ultra-Lite .257 Robert's with an old fixed 6 power Cabela's Pine Ridge scope, shooting factory loaded 117 grain Remington Round Nosed Core-Loct ammo.

First picture was taken after we got to camp that evening. Second picture was taken the next morning buck weighed 116 pounds live weight. The right antler only had about an inch or so left from the break off, the left antler was little over 8 inches long. Haven't aged him yet at least 1.5 y.o.a. maybe 2.5, but I am a die hard believer that if for no other reason, spikes need to be removed from the herd so that they are not competing for food that will help the bigger bucks and the pregnant does make it thru hard spells.

Winter's meat. Well done.

Congratulations to both of you.

Can't beat that!

Awesome Randall. Gotta love the 257R! I often wonder why I ever bring more gun the my 257R deer hunting, but then I remember I'm a rifle nut and I need to give all my rifles a chance to hunt.

Nice shooting and GOOD eating for sure!

quote:

Gotta love the 257R! I often wonder why I ever bring more gun the my 257R deer hunting, but then I remember I'm a rifle nut and I need to give all my rifles a chance to hunt.

Hey, I am dragging my .375 H&H around waiting for a chance at a doe or spike!

Looks like good eating, congrats.

Nice job.

Outstanding! Congrats to the Huntress.



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Thank You J, and many Thanks to all for their comments.

Great job to you and your wife!

Looking forward to my first whitetail hunt; probably next year!

Randall...Looks like some prime eating to me! Congrats to Lora from me and Raye.... That tripod and smoker look vaguely familiar!

Zee