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Recent trail cam picture

203ntyp

PMA Member
I just got my trail camera photo's back today, I had the camera out for about four weeks with a 36 roll in it. As I began flipping through the pictures expecting to see mostly does & an occasional 1 1/2 year old like usual I turned to a photo that ejected me from my chair! I could not believe the huge non typical that appeared before me. He did not have his head totally in the frame but it captures 98% on his antlers.

My son had an extremely close encounter with this buck in late October, I never knew he was talking about a buck of this caliber. As soon as he seen that picture it only took him a nano second to say, "yep, that's the one I drew on at 15' (yes, feet) & my arrow fell off the rest".
I can see now that I will be holding out next season for a chance at him. I be happy just to find his sheds, might be a clue to where he hides?

I want to post the picture but I'm going to need a little help with that.
 
Post a pic. PA is starting to turn into a trophy state. A good friend of mine moved from PA to Pike Co IL just to hunt the quality of deer they produce but I think he is having second thoughts now due to the season his friends and cousin had this past season. Several B+C class bucks were taken in his former area. It is amazing what the quality of deer can be with a little age on the bucks.
 
This is the first year PA had their antler restriction so I doubt it had anything to with it beside making people hold out for bigger deer. They probably wish they had started being selective on their own years ago.
 
Here you go, here is the trail cam pic.

Wow!

Monsterbuck.jpg
 
Great photo! I notice he is following another deer. I know who I'd be planning for the next year. Good Luck!

Glad you are seeing some nice deer. I think lots of states could grow big bucks if people just learn to let them walk and from what I hear PA is on the right track. Hope you show the rest of the country what can be done with quality deer management!

Old Buck
 
Your absolutely right Greendeem, this is the first year for the antler restrictions & a buck like this one has been around for 6 to 7 1/2 years, more than likely because not many hunters hold out for a mature buck & he has areally good hiding spot. This area is pressured quite a bit but most hunters will shoot the first leagal buck they see. The antler restriction is a step in the right dirrection but as I mentioned before it's going to take discipline & patience to achieve these kind of results like Iowa & Illionois. If the hunter's attitude's start to change, which I believe they are, we will see more mature bucks being harvested in a few years.

I don't know what this buck would score but I believe he's up in the 180's gross if not more. It's hard to guess the spread from this angle but the beam length & mass pretty much sum it up, he's huge!

I can't be certain but I'm almost possitive that I made a poor shot on this buck in 1998 on the last day of the archery season. I had passed on quite a few decent buck that year in hopes of seeing the better buck in the area. I was hunting with a recurve up until that year when I struggled with target panic, hit the buck back & high. I distinctly remember the forked G2's as he walked dirrectly under my stand that year. He had 11 scorable points & I had guessed him to be 3 1/2 years old at that time which would make him 7 1/2 years old on this picture. I'm almost possitive it's him even though I never found any of his sheds or seen him since.

Yes Old Buck, I deffinately have an agenda for next season. I doubt that this buck can be harvested by a hunter since our season usually ends before the rut. If he made it this long he is extremely smart but I'm going to give it my best shot.
 
Yep, we do not have the oportunity to hunt during the main rut. Last year was the closest we had to hunt the rut, the archery season ended on November 16th & the gun season started on December 2nd, there is a late muzzle loader & archery seaeon that starts the day after Christmas & runs about 2 1/2 weeks. We are envious of most other states that have an seasons that run from the beginning of October straight through to the middle of January. Maybe Pa will get their act together some day.
 
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