I’ve been watching a particular buck for some time now and had been hoping I’d get a chance to put my tag on him during the season. As older bucks tend to do, he had disappeared for several weeks before I finally got a glimpse of him late yesterday. There was no opportunity for a shot, however.

This morning, he was back – but he was with another buck and doing some serious sparring.

The other buck was limping badly and getting soundly beaten by the buck I dubbed Big Boy. I didn’t think he’d be able to take much more of this treatment– or if so, that coyotes would bring him down before he ever has a chance to recover. I’ll admit running my crosshairs over Big Boy’s vitals before I made the decision to spend my tag and take out the injured buck. Other than either a spike or buck with an unbranched antler, I am done for the season, but I feel it was the right – and humane – thing to do.

In retrospect, the decision wasn't all that tough...

Once again, my 24” MGM 7-30 Waters and the 140 grain Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip performed flawlessly. The buck was taken at 166 yards through the edge of the front shoulder. The bullet nipped the top of the heart and wrecked its plumbing while also doing a number on the lungs. It broke through the center of the opposite-side shoulder and lodged under the skin on the far side. The buck simply whirled and dropped at impact.

My “help” this morning – our twin boys who just turned 8 – temporarily misplaced the recovered bullet, but I’ll eventually retrieve it and post a photo of the textbook performance. But if it weren’t for their eager and able-bodied help and that of my wife, this morning would never have been possible as some health issues severely limit my mobility, so for their part in this, I am both blessed and thankful.

good call and still a nice looking buck in the bag, congrats.

troy

Good call, and nice "little buck"!

Nothing wrong with that choice!

good work bobby
meat for the freezer and horns for the wall
glad to see you are getting out and enjoying
yourself.keep up the good work

Here is another view of the buck and a game cam photo from last year of the buck he was losing to. That game cam buck this year was much the same in antler configuration but does have much better mass. For this area, he is impressive as south central TX is not renown for antler growth like the South TX brush country and the Panhandle regions.

Heck, just 10 years ago I never would have imagined a buck like I took today. The 13-inch minimum rule, while certainly not perfect, does indeed work.

Bobby-Kudo's on both the "little" buck and on your decision.

Bob

Nice looking buck and a good choice. The bigger buck might make it thru till net season but the buck you took possibly would have died from his injurues or would have fell to the coyotes.

Congratulations.

Very fine buck. Way to go.

Good on ya' there Bobby,

I think another fellow who also employed a single shot once said, "be sure you're right, then go ahead".

I'd say you made the right choice.

Congrats on the buck.

Best

GWB

You always seem to make the right decision. Congrats.

Nice job Bobby. You can get Big Boy next year when he is Bigger Boy.

My hat's off to you sir, that is a great buck. I am impressed with your experience, judgement and coolness, I have to say I don't know if I would have been capable of making that choice in the heat of the moment, but in retrospect it's easy to see it clearly was the better choice. Congratulations!

Great buck Bobby. Congratulations!

Nothing wrong with that ole boy! Congrats Bobby!!!

Good on ya'.

.

Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it. On another board, I had someone e-mail and ask why I was not smiling in the photos. His exact words: "I'd have been grinning like a 'possum."

He wondered if I was not happy with taking that buck. Looking at my face, I can see now why he asked.

So I'll answer here, too: My health is failing, and my mobility is very poor. To get to kneeling like that took an act of congress -- well, "real" help and not the Congress kind ha ha -- and was quite painful, as was getting back up.

I am positively thrilled with the beautiful buck, even though my expression may not have shown as much.