Long post from Friday morning through Thursday morning of opening week. For those that want to take the time I hope you enjoy, otherwise skip to the bottom for the buck pics if you would like

I had one target buck during bow season but only had one set of pictures of him on 9/5 and have not gotten another picture of him. He is a mainframe 9 point with a split g3 and a small kicker off the right mainbeam. Luckily he has turned up in my brother area right next to mine on the lease but he had very few pics of him as well. Fast forward through bow season and on 10/25 I had a nice 10 pt show up on a scrape at 2 am. and only 2 pictures. I got a second set of pics on 10/28 on the same scrape, this time just after midnight and only 3 pictures. No daytime pics and no feeder pics.







I now had 2 bucks I would be willing to take during archery season and end my season for my trophy buck. I got down Thursday night to have one last day to bow hunt and start my vacation through opening week. After the morning hunt Friday my brother and I went back out midday to fix a leaking roof on my box stand before the weekend storms that would be coming in. I still need to put a fresh coat a point, fix a few plywood spots and put in some new steps on the ladder.



I ended bow season with a medium sized boar and another group coming in just before dark. I could hear something bigger in the brush so I waited. With very little light a big red boar comes out but quickly bolts into the clearing past the feeder and then back into the brush right in front of my tripod. I could hear the large boar trying to wind me but just couldn't figure me out. He finally makes it around behind me and into the clearing before finally coming into the feeder. With very little light to work with and his body barely visible and line up my crossbow crosshairs just behind the front leg and let it fly. The green lighted nock quickly disappears into the brush as it runs off. I listen and can hear him crashing through the brush just about the time my brother comes in with the sxs to get me since I had so many pigs around me. A quick look around and we find my first boar within 20 yards of the feeder and start the search for the big boy. I follow a trail in the direction I could hear the crashing and in the darkness quickly find the green glow of the nock. He went maybe 50 yards.

Opening morning I ended up taking a black and white boar but no shooter buck. I see two shooter bucks that evening but nothing I want to end my season on. The next morning I take out a decent sow. I run into town with my brother for breakfast before he heads back home and snapped a pic of Nipple Peak located in Coke county.





We had a few thunderstorms roll through over the weekend with some much needed rain. On Tuesday morning I shoot a big red boar at what I call my North feeder just after daylight. About 30 minutes later I have a large black and white boar come into my South feeder. I was really hoping to connect with this one as I had several pics of him on my cameras. After the hunt I go and look for the black one first but pretty sure it crossed the fence onto another part of our property another group of guys hunt. I watched the video back and it looked like a good hit but no blood to be found and no pig after walking back and forth on several different trails. Onto the red boar and blood just a few steps from the feeder and around the brush before one last little spec. I watch the video back and again looks like a good hit and I can see which direction it went back behind the feeder. Again no luck in recovery after searching several different trails and looking under all the cedars.

Tuesday night was Election night!! After burning some trash I got a small campfire going and enjoyed the first part of the night. Around 10 I decide to go to sleep with Trump clearly in the lead (but we know all too well how that can "change" in the wee hours of the night and morning!!) I woke up to use the restroom and Trump just 3 points away. Finally time to wake up and a quick refresh on my phone and hallelujah we have victory....MAGA!!!!!




Wednesday morning was 38 degrees with a real feel of 34 and I saw very few deer early with several just coming through at times. Yesterday evening was 80 degrees and I saw approximately 15 + deer before my shooter buck finally stepped out. I see a large grey body in the road to my south between my and my feeder. A quick glance with the binos and knew it was the big 10 that had been hitting the scrape. I get setup and watch him eat some corn I had thrown out on the road and the clearing to my South. He makes it across the road and then turns back towards the direction he came from and never going to the feeder. He slowly eats corn and finally gets into a good broadside position before I squeeze the trigger on my 300 Ham'r and send a 135 gr Hornady FTX into his left front leg hitting the top of the heart and blowing out both lungs. I watch the video back several times while I give him some time before getting down and looking. I slowly make my way to where he was standing while looking towards the brush line he ran towards. I make it to where he was standing and see blood. I follow blood for a few steps before finally seeing antlers and a big brown body where he stopped just before making it into the brush.

Great story !!

Great buck! Congratulations! Awesome write up, appreciate you taking the time.

Great buck and appreciate the story. What I really like is the dead deer pics. It takes some skill and effort to get good pics like that. 👍

Thanks. Sometimes I use my nice camera and a tripod other times I just use my iPhone like I used for these pics. I take several pics at several different angles as you just never know which ones will work and which ones won't. Then I use the editor and play with the adjustments to fine tune the image.

Congratulations on a fine buck! Enjoyed your story also.

Congrats!

Great pics #1, nice write up too and awesome buck Sir. Congrats

That is fine, fine buck. Congratulations!

Dang, he’s pretty.

Congrats and thanks for the story with it!

Very good write up and buck, congrats

Great write up and great buck!!

Looks like you had a great trip. Congrats!!

The dark background was a good touch. I usually use the sky but a good dark solid background can be better. I have a fancy camera but just point and shoot. iPhone is about as good. Ive never gotten into the editing but I need to.
Once again, good buck and great pics.

Nice, nice buck, luv the tall brows, very nice spread and especially that he's an old white headed bruiser. Great job...

congrats!

Congrats and thanks for sharing.

neat stuff!

Great recap and great buck!!!

Great buck man Congrats sir

Good looking buck and great job on the piggies !

Nice buck, congrats!