I posted this over on HA, so those of you that have seen it sorry to be repetitive.

This is a whitetail that I started seeing in the late summer with, an even bigger 12 point buddy at times . Lost him for a month or so then started to see him again late October.

He frequented a large irriated field, 3/4 wide 1 1/2 miles long, that had a creek running through its center. Between the muleys and a few dozen other whitetails it was near impossible to sneak up on him despite several attempts. I always ended up spooking other does or bucks and seeing him at a run at several hundred yards.

So I gave him a rest and at the start of the rut used the creek bottom to hide myself and hung out there from late morning until early afternoon. Sure enough I see him coming out with several smaller bucks and over two dozen does. I use the creek to move about 500 yards closer. Then case my rifle, drag it behind me and crawl in the field towards him in about a foot of weeds and old hay stubble. I crawled slowly for a few hundred yards which took about a half an hour. I now have muleys and whitetails all around me, but luckily none very close.
Before I started crawling again I notice he is still 400+ away on a young does trail. I start crawling again and pretty quickly a whitetail doe and a fawn are behind me carrying on as she has crossed my path. All the other deer are looking around but this guy is blissfully just following this doe.......right towards me. I uncase the rifle, and check the range, he is a bit over a hundred yards. I can't shoot prone, the weeds are too high. So I decide to roll up into a sitting position and use the sling. Just as I get in position the doe behind me starts to snort and really cause a commotion. Just as I get the buck in the scope and send a 150 partition his way thnk sees me and stops , but it was too late. I heard the bullet slap and he ran full blast for about two seconds then tumbled in a ball of dust.

I had used my Wby Ultra Light Weight, in .280 Rem with 150 partitions , 3000 fps at the muzzle, with a 2.5-8X Leupold scope.

When I approached him I was very pleasantly surprised, he is 21 1/2" wide, quite even and heavy. He scored 154 2/8" B&C and with deductions netted 149 4/8". The bullet took out both lungs and exited.

The best part of the tale is a few weeks later when the rut was really in full swing I saw the 12 point 1/2 mile from where I shot this guy. He had survived the rut, the hunting season and will probably make it to next year. Talk about a win/win deal!

I have raved about the Weatherby a few times so thought I would show that it can hit game too.

Frank N.

Frank,
Very nice deer, thanks for sharing the picture and the story. Bryan

Great pic and great story. You should save yourself all that trouble - get a nice blind and feeder

Frank, fantastic buck and a great "sneak"... it's always more fun when you have to use your noodle! Did you get him in the same meadows shown in the video you sent me? That type of wide rack is my favorite on whitetails.

Congrats!

Brad Amundson

Brad,

YES, in that same huge field where the elk video was shot. With irrigation shut down early and the hot fall, that field wasn't very green, so it wasn't the big draw it traditionally is to the elk herd. The deer seemed to take it over from the elk though.

I'm pretty happy with this buck too. I have a few narrow ones, and really like these wide ones. He was a very handsome guy, hated to take him in a way! He was that majestic!

Frank N.

What a good liking deer

Great buck Frank!

My, my, he is a brute! Very nice. I love that kind of Whitetail hunting, only a Buffalo hunt can beat it!

Congrats.

Wendell

Congrats Frank,

Nice rack! And I usually only say that to women, just before getting slapped.

All kidding aside, nice deer.

Great Buck Frank,
Did you get him near Cascade?

Along the Missouri River?

I've seen quite a few bruiser whitetails along the Missouri and Smith Rivers. Only managed to kill one of them, on the Smith.

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Jesus is the reason for the season.

Ol Sarge,

Shot him about 1 1/2 miles from the MO River. He's a creekbottom buck not a riverbottom buck. Your absolutely right those riverbottoms DO hold amazing deer.

Frank N.

Great looking buck, Frank, congratulations!
Any idea what this boy weighed, he looks to be in superb condition in the picture.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
Regards,

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'Trapper'

Trapper,

No idea what he weighed, but I couldn't lift him into the truck by myslef! Had to use my ramp to drag him in without getting a hernia. When I skinned him I was amazed at the copious amounts of fat on his rump and back. Like 2-3 inches thick! We don't have HUGE whiteys here like the other northern tier states like Maine or Michigan. We DO have big muleys though. Our population is really coming back. this past season, especially during the rut I saw more big muleys than I have in a dozen years or more. Apparently their population is bouncing back.

Frank N.

excellent story and an excellent stalk. Your story should be required reading for the "polk and hope sports" that think lobbing in your shots from 1000yds makes you a "man". That .280 is quite a piece isn't it. If you roll your own ammo, it will operate right up next to a 7mag until you get to the heavier bullets. I assume you cased your rifle to keep crap out of the bore. Would not a piece of electrian tape over the muzzle and a set of lens covers to protect the scope have worked?

Beemanbeme,

The ground is real dry, lots of dust and crap plus the weeds. So I have found its easier to just case the rifle, drag it any way you want and forget about it. When you crawl several hundred yds the case REALLY makes it easier. Plus thats what those military snipers use! Next year.....hunters orange ghillie suit!! and hunters orange face paint!!

Seriously.... I DO agree the .280 is a heck of a cartridge. This rifle shoots Federal 150 gr partition factory ammo at 3000+ fps into under an inch all day long. When I use up the two booxes of factory ammo I'll start loading for it.
Thanks for the input......FN

good point. maybe use a piece of string to tie the case to your ankle and let it take care of itself. Ha! lurk around these posts long enough and everybody HAS to learn something new or better.

Frank, I can't help swinging by this thread every now and then just to look at that photo... that's about as nice a whitey (to my taste) as most of us could hope to connect on... wide and symetrical... a first-class example of the species.

Beautiful.

Brad

Frank, great story and a WELL earned buck! Congradulations on a fine trophy and thanks for sharing it.

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Good Hunting & Hunt Safe,
David

Congratulatoins Frank. That is a beautiful animal and a great story. Now where are the bumper marks on him, lol. I heard about it already, road kill with a trooper car.

Turn about is fair play. Just wish I could drive that fast.

Chic

Chic,

Bumper marks !!! I'll remember that one!

Did I ever pass on the photos of the moose struck at 100+mph by one of our guys?? He had a speeder pass him on a two lane rural paved road at night. He swung around and when he was at about 100 plus a cow moose ran in front of him. He had no place to go and hit the moose square with the front of the Crown Vic. Moose then came into the car and enarly made it out the rear!! The Trooper did OK only minor injuries.

That high speed stuff IS fun but the responsibility end of it stinks. A few years ago when we had the "Reasonable and Prudent" speed limit nearly all of us patrolled the Interstate at 95-105 mph all day long. Those WERE the days!!

FN