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Phil's 2014 picture thread

hickslawns

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Back in 2011 my buddy shot a big boy that grossed 177 and netted 169. He grew 13 inches of antler on one side from the year before. If you figure he added that much on the other side, plus spread, thats a huge increase.

So he was 15-20% increase. I am thinking this 10-20% increase is believable from 2-3-4yrs old every year. Some probably more. Others probably less. Just not sure what to expect for this guy. Time will tell.

That buck was nice last year Phil. If he made it he will definitely be a shooter for our neck of the woods. Good luck with him. I need to get my cams up. But can't find the time. I'm thinking this week.

That is what I was thinking Jake. Saw him from the stand last year. Out of velvet, he was not as impressive. Darn nice deer. Don't get me wrong. Just didn't have the "wow factor" in hard antler. This year should be a different story.
 

hickslawns

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Not "trail camera" pics but pictures I took with the camera while road scouting. Not real crisp because I had to zoom so far out. Good enough to tell they are decent bucks though. Within a mile of one of my hunting spots. Makes me smile. Who needs trail cameras? lmao

First three pics aren't great but they tell me enough. Long main beams. Pretty good height. Nice frame on this deer for sure.







This last one is in a different field. Pictures taken 2 days apart. I doubt he is traveling a mile and a half this time of the year in 90 degree heat. Hoping this is a different buck. Most likely is given the locations of the pics but can't tell much from the distance it was taken. Only thing I can tell is he looks fairly tall and about as wide as his ears.

 

hickslawns

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Pulled a card on property to my west. Sitting in UTV waiting on landowner to get here. Pulling 5 cards on his property. Can't believe how ate up (I.e. stupid) we are. Pouring down rain. Lightning crackling across the skies. We are pulling to verify cameras are working and make adjustments if needed. Will do one pull prior to season (in rain again). After that, probably leave them until we kill or if we are walking by them during season we will swap cards. Last year we left one from Sept to Feb. Haha. Minimal intrusion on this property is the goal. Hunt edges from observation stands. Has worked in the past. Pictures are nice. Deer in your hands is nicer.
 

yotehunter

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Pulled a card on property to my west. Sitting in UTV waiting on landowner to get here. Pulling 5 cards on his property. Can't believe how ate up (I.e. stupid) we are. Pouring down rain. Lightning crackling across the skies. We are pulling to verify cameras are working and make adjustments if needed. Will do one pull prior to season (in rain again). After that, probably leave them until we kill or if we are walking by them during season we will swap cards. Last year we left one from Sept to Feb. Haha. Minimal intrusion on this property is the goal. Hunt edges from observation stands. Has worked in the past. Pictures are nice. Deer in your hands is nicer.
I was hoping to get home from middle point after a rained out tournament game and get mine out today in the rain. Just haven't had time this year with the boy playing ball all summer. I'm way behind but I have been watching two dandy shooters the last couple weeks. Hoping to get permission for ten of the twelve acres I've been seeing them come out of. Its a behind five houses and my buddy owns the ten acres behind the houses, its hard too get into, but I'm going too try it this year if he let's me.
 

hickslawns

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Pulled 5 cams off a 3 week soak. Rather disappointing. Wasn't planning on putting cameras out so I guess it is good to walk in with low expectations. Got some pics of nice young deer but nothing different than I already have from the road with my camera and tripod.
 

hickslawns

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Looks like a growing season. Unless a big boy is lurking and avoiding the cameras, I have a feeling I will be watching these guys from the stand. That is okay. I enjoy watching deer. I enjoy escaping from reality in a tree stand. These are some darn nice younger bucks. Just not quite what I am looking for.











 

hickslawns

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Thanks Chuck and Dick. I have watched a couple big boys on neighboring properties eating in the beans. Once season rolls in, beans brown, deer move onto corn, velvet peels. . . .anything can happen. Knowing there are a couple within a mile is good enough for me. They will begin wandering.
 
Thanks Chuck and Dick. I have watched a couple big boys on neighboring properties eating in the beans. Once season rolls in, beans brown, deer move onto corn, velvet peels. . . .anything can happen. Knowing there are a couple within a mile is good enough for me. They will begin wandering.

That's exactly what I am hoping for as well. We have a few decent bucks showing up but not the one I had been hoping for. Thinking the fact that our three big fields are all corn this year as well as a lot of the surrounding properties the big boys are gorging themselves on the nearest bean fields. Once they get cut they are a barren wasteland for the most part and the big boys will be looking for cover which I hope means us LOL!!