Bill Hartzell
New Member
The decision did get easier for you. Isn't it cool though how we think we have the deer all figured out and then this happens. Good luck on that Bully. Keep us informed please.
camo658
New Member
X2.............. I really hope you find that side. How big would you say this buck was? It's not good that their shedding this early. It kind of puts dampers on my hopes of filling my bow tag.
I would say this buck would score in the mid to upper 170's. mainframe 6x6 with split brows. really a great buck. next year will be the telling year. either he will sport his best set of antlers or they will get a bit smaller. in this area they tend to peek around 6.5, I'm sure I'm going to look for his set as soon as I have conformation that he's dropped both antlers.
we pulled cards today over lunch. we currently have 3 fully shed bucks and 4 half racks. maybe the drought had more of an impact than we all thought.
The rut this year was pretty intense from what we noticed and the weather has turned cold.
On the big picture though a very small amount of the bucks we have on camera have shed. we are blessed with a lot of ground. a lot of food. and a lot of bucks. I doubt that I will go to the woods with the intent of shed hunting until valentines day. Even then it Will be looking for specific antlers. I hate bumping deer during shed season if they are still carrying.
The rut this year was pretty intense from what we noticed and the weather has turned cold.
On the big picture though a very small amount of the bucks we have on camera have shed. we are blessed with a lot of ground. a lot of food. and a lot of bucks. I doubt that I will go to the woods with the intent of shed hunting until valentines day. Even then it Will be looking for specific antlers. I hate bumping deer during shed season if they are still carrying.
Well, there he is. He is far from being what everyone thinks of when they think big iowa buck... I'm pretty happy with him though. One of the smallest shooters that we have on camera but i'll take an old guy like this any day of the week.
I had a buddy sit back and watch a plot for me tonight and i'll damned if my number one hitlist buck didn't hit the field at 4:45 tonight. This buck is a giant and i honestly havn't seen him since november 12th. No pictures no nothing. My friend said hes still carrying both sides and doesnt appear to have any of his 18 points broke.
Saturday my wife will be behind the gun and we only have 2 days to get it done. Monday I will end my season with my bow in hand going after another " managament" buck.
Overall it has been an amazing season. I got to see and video some giant deer. I passed deer that would score way way higher than the buck i shot.
My brother broke the 180" mark with his bow this year, a first for our small group of die hard arrow flingers. I wouldn't change a thing about this season thus far and am super excited about this coming weekend, pending no more bucks drop their horns. They are shedding like crazy in our neck of the woods.
I had a buddy sit back and watch a plot for me tonight and i'll damned if my number one hitlist buck didn't hit the field at 4:45 tonight. This buck is a giant and i honestly havn't seen him since november 12th. No pictures no nothing. My friend said hes still carrying both sides and doesnt appear to have any of his 18 points broke.
Saturday my wife will be behind the gun and we only have 2 days to get it done. Monday I will end my season with my bow in hand going after another " managament" buck.
Overall it has been an amazing season. I got to see and video some giant deer. I passed deer that would score way way higher than the buck i shot.
My brother broke the 180" mark with his bow this year, a first for our small group of die hard arrow flingers. I wouldn't change a thing about this season thus far and am super excited about this coming weekend, pending no more bucks drop their horns. They are shedding like crazy in our neck of the woods.
major league bowhunter 22
New Member
Shoot the old one, there will be other bucks with more potential next year. The sooner you get it done, the better. Give that bigger buck a place to call home next year, he may even be the Dominant Buck too. (dont tell Stan Potts).
sureshot said:
6 yr old as far as we know from trail cam history.
killed on the same farm as my wife's, my brothers, and my archery bucks
last year.
my brother shot a 181" beast on this same plot at noon on November 13th this year.
This is a family farm and we have put in a ton of work in the past year or so to keep deer on this property and it seems to be paying off. It has always been a great November farm, now it is a true paradise.
There were 27 deer in the field by 5:00 when I shot my buck, 2 other bucks in the high 160"-low 170" range but we know they are both 4.5 with potential to outstanding next year. I've never broken the 170" mark but I've got a lot of years ahead of me doe that.
I will be behind the camera tomorrow afternoon and my wife will be after our #1 buck of the year, and her first late season buck. I've got my fingers crossed and hoping the forecasted south wind holds true.
I sat with my wife tonight on the other end of the farm. 19 deer in the field by 5:00. at 5:01 she decided that she wanted to take a big long faced doe. there were a few nice younger 2.5-3.5 year old bucks in the field but she had a doe picked out that she wanted I told her to shoot whatever made her happy. big doe down. she said and I quote " I could shoot one of those bucks but I'm sure we can just pick up their sheds in a month or so and they should be bigger next year"
she had free reign to shoot whatever she wanted and elected to take a big mature doe.
that made me smile More than the perfect shot she made.
we will now be leaving this farm be and I have two days to bowhunt before the full on shed hunting season begins in a month or so. depends on what the cameras tell us.
she had free reign to shoot whatever she wanted and elected to take a big mature doe.
that made me smile More than the perfect shot she made.
we will now be leaving this farm be and I have two days to bowhunt before the full on shed hunting season begins in a month or so. depends on what the cameras tell us.