Jesse's 2014 Pics
- Thread starter bowhunter1023
- Start date
Gordo
Senior Member
I'm a little bummed after seeing this deer some more in hard horn. He's a solid 3 year old with the makings to be a real stud if he can survive. Can't say I'd pass him, but he's not the deer I thought he'd be. I suppose with neighbors on all sides that wouldn't pass him and ducks awaiting me, I'd kill him and be happy about it. The good news is he is hanging tight and is now a regular visitor.
The best part of having cams that are easy to get to is having company when I go!
The best part of having cams that are easy to get to is having company when I go!
Spencie
Senior Member
There is nothing wrong with taking a solid P&Y buck. You don't need an excuse for it. Cool pics.
No sign of Captain Jack. I'd say he has joined the long list of bucks I've followed for a few seasons that eventually wonder off in to the sunset and vanish. Just the way my luck goes.
I realize I don't need an excuse and wasn't making one. Just an open rationalizing of my thought process here. He's a solid deer and one I would be proud of, he is just not the deer I thought he'd be based on his velvet pics. And he's not the deer I'm after in terms of personal goals. However my personal goals are a bit lofty all things considered, so passing on this deer would be tough to do. Knowing my luck, I have another 2 seasons to go before I even get a shot at a deer worth shooting, so it really doesn't matter what I think of this guy!
Spencie
Senior Member
We must share the same thoughts and luck on deer. It used to come easy...lol. Now I'm a year away or a hollow over.
You could go duck hunting and just wait until something nicer trips your trigger Jesse. Just an idea....
Big_Holla
Senior Member
She loves going for rides. Dad has a Kubota UTV and as soon as we walk in the house, she goes: "Papaw, ride." Same thing when we pull in to the farm now. "Daddy, ride!" We'll be driving along and she'll just look up at me with a smile that says it all. I'm hoping to get my own UTV before next fall and we can really do some riding. Been eyeballing the Polaris Rangers with the bench seat. Be perfect for strapping the car seat in and then we can go all over the farm!
Some guys have that "it" factor. I don't have it. Never have. Figure I never will. I have a solid understanding of deer movement (so I think) and have a great grasp on how deer move around my properties. I can hang a camera and get pics of mature bucks virtually any time I want. But hang a stand and get one to walk by; that ain't happening but about once every 3-4 seasons. I've just come to realization that no matter how hard I work or how much seat time I put in, I'm doing good to fill a tag every 3-4 seasons. I started getting serious about my hunting in 2004 when I got my first trail cam. Killed a 6.5 year old 136" 9 in December that year with a shotgun. Ate tags during the '05, '06 and '07 seasons chasing my first OBB. After the devastating loss of a deer I called Deuce in 2008 and passing a 140" 10 on camera in the process of chasing Deuce, I killed another 6.5 year old buck with my bow the day before gun season opened that year. Killed my first P&Y in 2010, then a 6.5 year old 139" 9 point in 2012. I try not to forsake those kills, but I'm still longing to kill something "big". I've not had a chance to kill a 150" deer since 2003 when a stray beagle ran off the same 10 my dad killed in 2004 before that could ever happen. That deer grossed 167" in 2004 and was easily 150+ the year before.
I've logged more than 1,500 hours on stand in the past decade with only one chance at an OBB sized buck. I have zero explanation as to how this can be other than it just isn't meant to be. It is something I've dreamed about since I learned about OBB back when my cousin killed his first in the mid 90s. All I've wanted was to join those ranks and nothing I do or have done has matter in the pursuit of that dream. It is a cruel joke that deer gods keep playing on me. It even broke my spirit for a couple seasons and all but ruined hunting for me.
I'll keep plugging away and maybe one of these days it will happen. Thankfully I've learned to enjoy hunting again. Being in the woods is something I've love my whole life and being out there with a bow in my hand is something I hope to love forever.
Spencie
Senior Member
I have felt your pain and have recently learned to enjoy the hunt again like you. I was fortunate to kill 5 quality archery bucks from 99-07...141, 139, 141, 178 and 140. But since then I could write a comedy on all the crazy bad things that have happened. If I never kill another good one at least I've been lucky enough to get those 5. As much time as I spend at it I'm hoping it doesn't come to that.
When you do kill a good one...and you will...pm me before you get it scored. Had a bad experience in our area with that too.
This old boy made an appearance and I still like him. He looks better out of velvet than the 10 does. If he doesn't break off that junk he had, I'd rather shoot him. I'm thinking both deer are only 3, but I think I could love with that.
Spencie
Senior Member
Dad bought the farm in 2005. I have never killed a buck off it, so my standards there are not quite as high as they are other places. Just went to our new farm yesterday and it is in an area that could easy produce a Booner. I have good recon from people that live in the same section, so I won't be shooting a 130s type deer off that place. Not to mention any deer you kill is 2 miles from the truck, so it better be worth dragging out!