We got in the stand about 5:45 yesterday morning hunting one of our stands on a pipeline in the pineywoods of East Texas. One feeder, at 175 yards went of at 6:12. The other, about 70 yards straight ahead in a break in the pines went off at 6:30. At about 6:55, I was looking straight ahead and thought my son was looking down the pipeline. After a minute or so I look at my son to see him with eyes closed, leaning against the rear rail of our quad pod. I looked down the pipeline and see a doe coming in at about 250 yards. It was walking and sometimes trotting to the feeder. When it got to the feeder I whispered "Deer" to my son and he sat up. That is when I saw the other deer up the pipeline about 300 yards out. This one trotted a bit too and I remember thinking that this might be the mother and the one at the feeder a fawn since the one farther out was bigger. When the one at the feeder ran off into the woods I told my son to get his gun ready.

When the larger deer got closer, I thought to myself that it was an awfully large doe and with the lighting I couldn't see any antlers. It stopped right behind the feeder and we couldn't see it but my boy was looking through the scope and when the deer dropped his head to eat my son said, "horns!" I tried to look at the deer through my binocs but every time I exhaled they fogged up. so I had to get my rifle up and take a look. I still wasn't positive it was a shooter but my son was sure that the spread was wide enough so I told him that if he was sure to take the shot.

My son fired the deadliest mushroom in the woods from his .243 and I watched the buck kick like a bronco in the rodeo and knew he had connected. Shot was right at 180 yards. Waited about 15 minutes, got down from the stand and went to the 4 wheeler. Loaded up and went to the feeder. Blood was easy to see and the tracking was quick, found him about 40 or 50 yards unto the woods.

If you look at my sons right hand you can see where he broke off 1 tine.






Here is a live picture of him from about a week before

Great looking buck and great recap...congrats to your son!

Congrats to your son... Good looking buck

Congratulations

Nice buck!
Congrats

Nice congratulations

Congrats to the young man!

Charlie

Good looking deer Paul, congrats Will.

Congratulations to the young man, especially for making the call and the shot.

Fresh faced and bright eyes, but how does he stay so clean? Make him the Aztec Warrior and put some blood on is forehead. Anything, something.

Congrats to the young one.

Congrats his smile says it all.

Congrats! Very nice!

Congratulations!! Nice job!!

Great story and awesome memories. Congrats to you both.

Great buck! Congratulations to y'all. (And that boy's gonna be a "ladykiller" in the not too far off future. Good luck with that. )

very cool! something about a 243 and deer hunting. That's what my daughter shoots and I've seen it flat lay out deer. Better than my 270 at times. Congrats to your son!!

Congrats! Heck of a buck

Thanks and yes, that is what all the ladies say. I am just trying to keep him focused on school, hunting and fishing. I fear I may start losing that battle before long...

Thanks for all the kind comments everyone. You can't imagine our excitement when we walked up on that buck the first time. That is larger than any buck I have ever shot and I couldn't be prouder of him.

Thats awesome. Great buck. Congrats to all.

Congrats to your son - that's a good looking buck!

Congrats to Will, heck of a buck!