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I Hope One of the Boys Flattens This Guy


wildcat junkie
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I Hope One of the Boys Flattens This Guy

Because if he shows up while I'm in the tripod, I'm going to be mighty tempted to let the air out of him with an 8mm 200 gr Hotcor.

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I went out and pulled the cards from my trail cameras this afternoon. Nothing has been showing up except a few does and 3 yearling bucks that seem to have taken up residence in my woods. For several weeks, I was seeing a pair of young spike/crotchorn bucks traveling together but that ceased several days ago indicating that the rut was beginning to heat up..
 
Last night at 3:10 AM a solitary doe was caught on the camera located about 80 yds north of my tripod in a shooting lane. I erased her pictures because I had seen her numerous times in the camera. 7 minutes later, at 3:17 A M this slob showed up tailing her about 20 yds to one side closer to the camera.
 
My son has killed 3 bucks on my place, but never anything larger than a crotchorn. His buddy has just started hunting and hunted the last 2 years without taking a shot. Last year they both wimped out on a cold damp snowy afternoon and I went out in their place and killed a fat 10-point pig.  I told both of them that they better start getting some ass time in because I don't know if I can let this guy walk if he shows up while I'm in the tripod..
Edited by wildcat junkie
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Anyone want to guess the age/weight of this guy?

Knowing the genetics and average rack size of the area over the last 20 years, I'm guessing at least  4 1/2 years old and over 200# dressed from what I can see of his pot belly.

Edited by wildcat junkie
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34 minutes ago, wildcat junkie said:

Anyone want to guess the age/weight of this guy?

Knowing the genetics and average rack size of the area over the last 20 years, I'm guessing at least  4 1/2 years old and over 200# dressed from what I can see of his pot belly.

I'm assuming the buck you are talking about is the one pictured in your first post.  I don't know.  Somehow that deer does not look like a 4 1/2 year old or over to me.  Definitely a healthy, big bodied buck, but just doesn't appear to be that old to me.

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28 minutes ago, steve863 said:

I'm assuming the buck you are talking about is the one pictured in your first post.  I don't know.  Somehow that deer does not look like a 4 1/2 year old or over to me.  Definitely a healthy, big bodied buck, but just doesn't appear to be that old to me.

The spread at the base and lack of brow tines is a give away. Most down state hunters guess 1-2 years younger when aging bucks from these parts. We had horrible genetics being spread in the late '90s when the area was overrun with deer.

 

Here is a buck I killed in 2004 that was aged by the local taxidermist as 4 1/2 years old. An example of our bad genetics for rack, but dressed 219#. He had a wide spread base with no brow tines. I think the buck in the 1st post may be descended from this buck.

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Here is a 3 1/2 year old buck from 2009, again aged by the local taxidermist. He had a high tight basket rack at 1 1/2 years. I watched him for 3 seasons before taking him. Obviously better genetics. for rack, but only weighed 142# dressed.

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Edited by wildcat junkie
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I moved the trail cameras put to the opposite corners of my 2 back hayfields. I have a new ladder stand set up on a fencerow a month ago that covers both fields affording shots out to about 150 yds at either corner. Sure enough the big 6-point showed up tailing a small group of does. They are still avoiding him and there doesn't seem to much of a "chase" going on, but he always shows up right after them. So far he's nocturnal, but I think he'll slip up once things get into high gear. If you look at the times, you'll see that he has been cruising these field edes all night.

These 1st 2 are at a narrow 80 yd long lane that connects the corner of my South hayfield with a neighbor's field through some dense popples on the right and mixed oaks/old growth white pines on the left. The edge of the field is grown up with small popples and pines

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Here he is at the NW corner of the smaller North hayfield. This is about 100 yds East of the place back in the woods where I got the 1st pictures of him on the 7th

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Here is a picture of a solitary doe that showed up right at daybreak. You can see the ladder stand in the distance right above her hindquarters.

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I don't really believe in box blinds as they just seem to take something away from the experience. That rectangular shape  you see is a heavy burlap skirt around the stand and a shoulder wide 4 layer burlap backdrop on the tree trunk to conceal my outline. I was going to sit on that stand this afternoon but decided to stay away until the boys get to hunt this weekend. I don't want to screw it up for them and I don't think I could pass this guy up if he showed himself.

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