I thought this was an interesting story about two Whitetail we shot opening moring of this season. If you read the story about the 30" Mule deer, this is the same ranch in the panhandle of Texas.
Me and my hunting partner went out opening morning of Whitetail season to an area where we had seen a good buck two days earlier at the end of bow season. I had tried to stalk this deer with my bow but was unable to get closer than 75 yards. The country in this area is wide open with large hills and caprocks so getting really close to what you are stalking can be really easy but more times than not is is very difficult. I knew there was no way to set up an ambush for the deer with a bow, and with rifle season opening up in two days I decided to wait and come back with a rifle. This takes us back to me and my partner going out opening morning. He came with me so he could video me hopefully taking this deer.
We positioned ourselves on a large point that sticks out into a very wide draw. This would give us a view of the entire area where the deer had been seen two days earlier. As the day broke we could see the deer with does feeding in the bottom of the draw 500 yards away (rangefinder distance). However; there was another buck there also, another great buck. There was no way too get closer because of the wind so we just had to wait and hope they came our way.
After about 30 minutes a spike that we had not seen got out of his bed directly below us 100 yards away. This spike started toward the other deer. When the spike got within 250 yards of the other deer the larger of the two bucks that we had been watching started toward the spike at a fast pace. The buck was coming to run the spike off. As he walked up to the spike he started posturing with his neck bowed and hair up. At this point he was 245 yards from us and I took him. He fell where he stood and the spike never moved either. I immedieately looked for the other buck and he was still there 500 yards away worrying with all the new does he just inherited.
I looked at my hunting partner and told him, "we are going to get both of these bucks!" We waited another 30 minutes and the other buck started toward us and the buck I had shot earlier which was not visible due to the tall grass. He followed the same path as the earlier buck. My partner was ready and as the buck approached my buck it was obvious he smelled something alarming, his posture changed and he was deliberately testing the wind. I know he could not see the downed deer because of the grass. I told my partner to take him as soon as he had a shot as I was afaid when he saw the downed deer he might spook far enough to give hims a less favorable shot. 255 on the rangefinder, BooM! Deer down!. From where we were we could not see either deer due to the grass, upon reaching the deer we found that the deer were 8 steps away from each other. Both of the deer were great mature deer. Ikes deer was a typical 9 point with 25" main beams and 7 1/2 years old. my deer was a typical 10 point with kickers on both G2's, and was 5 1/2 years old. Hope yall enjoy this story I know I did.

Good looking deer and story. The Texas/Oklahoma Panhandle is a hidden treasure of big deer. I also took a huge 10 point in the Oklahoma PH on our ranch. Congrats

Here is a pic of mine.

very nice whitetails gentlemen.

silwane,
read your other post first. Great way to open and close the season. Congrats to you and your bud on a fine hunt and two fine deer. Great bucks.
as an aside, I have found that animals such as hogs and deer do not have a concept of death. This last weekend I shot a doe crossing a road within 10 feet of a buck I had shot about 10 minutes earlier. I think they are much more spooked by motion.
GWB

Hey 6BR THERE ARE NO BIG DEER IN THE TX/OK PANHANDLE!!! and we need to make sure we help everyone out amd make sure they dont waste any time looking around for them. He...He....He...
By the way good deer!
Jason