It's official. The green score is 170 6/8 net typical and 182 gross. Now it's just waiting for the 60 day drying period. Now for the rest of the story.
It all started Saturday morning when I was sitting on a small hill looking down a sendero. I had baited the sendero at daylight with some shelled corn. I saw two bucks come out of the brush about 3/4 mile away. At this distance I was able to tell that one of them was worth getting a closer look. I was using a Swarovski 20X60 spotting scope mounted on a rifle stock. I headed into the brush to try to get closer because there were some other deer between me and the bucks. When I had bypassed the other deer and had closed the distance I crawled back on the sendero but the bucks had left.
During the noon hour I went back to camp and picked up a tripod. I met my brother who hunts on the ranch next door on the road. He wanted to know what I was up too. So I told him about the deer I had seen. So he got in my jeep and we went to set the tripod up close to where I had seen the buck. Luckily he had some camoflage netting that I could use the help hide my outline while waiting for the deer to show. We then left the area.
I left camp around 5p.m. and headed for the tripod. I dumped some corn out on the way. The temperature was 95 degrees. It sure didn't feel like deer hunting with mosquitos and gnats buzzing while you are sweating like a politician in church. Anyhow after about 30 minutes 3 bucks step out of the brush in three different areas. The middle one was a muy. I looked at him through the spotting scope to make sure he was big enough and old enough to shoot. I decided he was and got ready.
I was using a 7mm Mag Blaser with a Ziess 3.5x10 milldot. The deer started feeding away from me and was around 150 yards. I cocked the Blaser and put my finger on the trigger. Buck fever was starting to set in and I could see the crosshairs starting to jiggle. I looked away and took a couple of deep breaths. Now that's better. The deer keeps feeding directly away from me only leaving me a Texas heart shot. I was ready if he would just turn broadside.
Twenty minutes later he was still feeding away from me. I had one smaller buck fifty yards away and staring a hole through me. I couldn't move a muscle or blink an eye. My right shoulder was getting numb. Finally the smaller buck turned and started feeding away from me. I looked down another sendero and saw one of the other hunters headed my way in a Bronco. If he got much closer he was going to spook the deer and it was gonna be all over. He didn't know that I was hunting at this spot and kept coming. When the big buck heard the approaching vehicle he finally picked his head up. The pressure was on it was now or maybe never. The buck was at a later measured 200 yards. Another deer was in front of him so it was a neck shot or nothing. I had just shot the gun at 200 yards before heading to the ranch so I knew it was on. The rest was like being in slow motion. Crosshairs on the neck. Squeeze the beautiful 2.5 pound Blaser trigger. Boom! Whop! He's down! It's over.
You may be wondering how I was gun hunting in Texas in October. Our ranch is on a level 3 managed lands permit. We are allowed to hunt anytime there is an open deer season. The buck was killed in Maverick County. I wasn't hunting for a book deer and I wouldn't feel any different if he didn't make it. I guess it's just icing on the cake.
Posts: 1557 | Location: Texas | Registered: 26 July 2003
I like the "rugged character" aspect of the rack, as opposed to the polished smooth, not a wrinkle on the bone type of rack.
Trivia question... do you know what caused the hole in the bottom of the right main beam? (My dad shot a big buck almost 30 years ago like that. We talked to a wildlife biologist who gave us the answer. I wouldn't have guessed it otherwise..)
Big time congrats!! I can't even dream that big!! I love seeing more of our low-fenced big game hunts posted. I have nothing against high-fenced hunting if that is your cup of chowder, but I hate the mis-conception that "all of Texas is high-fenced."
Good Hunting,
Bob
Posts: 3065 | Location: Hondo, Texas USA | Registered: 28 August 2001
Here are a couple of pics of the deer I shot yesterday in South Texas. He has not been officially scored yet but he grosses around 183 and nets a little over 170. I am having him scored by a B&C official scorer tomorrow. He is a typical 13 pointer but has two small abnormal points. Depending on how the abnormal points are scored will make the difference whether he books or not. The ranch is a low fence free range ranch. Sorry about the poor quality pics but my club fisted cameraman put his finger on the lens of the digital camera and screwed them up. So here are a few pics I took off my camcorder.
Posts: 1557 | Location: Texas | Registered: 26 July 2003
M16 VERY NICE DEER I must admit I do not agree with the B&C scoring method of deducting points when the horns are not exactly the same on both sides. I much prefer the raw score as I think the differences from one side to the other add to the character of the deer. Your deer is very good. I said this once before and cought a lot of flack for it but... That is the type of deer you should shoot if the Game Warden is Riding it.
Posts: 16134 | Location: Texas | Registered: 06 April 2002
