Simple Hunter

Very nice. Memories created...don't forget them.

Love it. I would take an 80" non typical if I had the chance...let alone a 120"

Nice tine length. Good looking buck.

Well...then why are you worried about the mine?

I took my 8-year old with me for the first time. What a great feeling. I didn't get drawn this year so I got a leftover tag in a unit I had never hunted. He was definitely more excited than me - in fact maybe he's watching too many hunting shows - because he gave me a big high five after the buck dropped. I let him have the glory in this one - he is definitely hooked for life after this. Uncharacteristic luck even made this hunt seem easier than normal (Mo will tell you about it). Not a trophy in score (grosses about 85") - but definitely a trophy for my memory as my son Morgan took part in this. See video. Video of Buck with Morgan

Wow! Nice G3s. Can't tell if it is 3 or 4 points off main beam on the left side. Congrats...now more pics.

First of all - I am not an expert glasser - but what has worked for me is focusing on the sunny hills in the AM and once I am sure I have scoured the sunny hills, I may glass the shady side of hills if it has warmed up enough to where the bucks need to find some shade...or if it is windy out, I will glass the thicker stuff (shady or sunny) to try to find the deer holed up. Depending on the hunt, I will try to determine when the bed down time is by watching what the does do. If the does are starting to bed, the bucks will probably follow or may already be bedded. ...But most importantly - when I have scoured the hills side multiple times and see nothing - I always fit in a 15 minute power nap. When I get back to glassing, my eyes are refreshed and sometimes I'll pick up a deer that may have just stood up for a second to stretch its legs before quickly bedding back down. Nothing like a power nap in the sun on a cold day.

Thanks for all the comments! By the way I forgot to mention that this buck was chasing the does. Not just hanging out with them, he was chasing them in and out of an oak thicket with the sneak pose that bucks do during the rut. I am guessing the cold morning got him a little frisky but...in all my years of hunting I have not seen rutting activity that early.

Pretty soon there will be a world record mine there too - with world record jobs - and a world record economic boom to the economy. God Bless the USA and capitalism while it still lasts. Would you rather China come in and mine it for us? Pretty soon China will call our debt due and take it back with all the resources we refuse to mine, drill, and log. Find another unit - the deer already heard about the mine and all went west into the 36 units.

+1

He looks like he has some pretty good mass - what are the circumference measurements?

Nice tine length. A shooter for sure. Way to go.

Everyone vote yes on 109 - Lord knows these women will vote against it. A traumatic experience like this is enough for them to turn to the environmental extreme side and start a drive to ban hunting. These ignorant women probably believe that deer was the last token deer of the forest and that they are endangered because we are encroaching on their habitat - at least that's what the media/Animal Planet spew all the time. You did everything right. Just some bad luck.

Scott you'll be fine. The only suggestion I have is that if you camp down there, camp on a ranch near ranch buildings. I did the same in a border unit with my son. I felt perfectly fine 7 miles from the border. I slept with my .357 magnum right next to me. Especially when the ranch dog lets you know of any intruders, two legged or four legged. If you see them in the daylight, most likely you'll be stationary and they'll be moving. If you can, call them in to BP. You aren't going alone are you?

Holy main beams!

Nice buck! Those yellow flowers on the hills behind look very familiar I don't blame you for not passing - especially on a leftover tag

Dark patch on the forehead between the antlers - more typical on a mulie.

Nice! I hope you packed it down and not up that hill

If that link didn't work - try this one. http://video.yahoo.com/watch/8462595/22602384

Solid buck! Way to go.

+ 1

The first day, Oct 22, I glassed up 15 hunters within a mile radius and only two does. I even saw one hunter walk left to right about midway up the ridge all the way along about 2 miles. The following day we shot our buck at the same spot that guy was walking along. I think we had our deer back to camp before most of the yahoo hunters had even started out.

Nice job Ryan. Stick around those Payne brothers - they have Coues whitetail magnets

Congrats on your turkey, pup, and blacktail!

Nice buck in that last pic...looks like a 3x4. Too bad the G1s and G2s aren't as big as the G3s...I'd still shoot in a hearbeat.