Sometimes they make it easy for you..........

At first light already had 5 Does feeding out in front of me. Some smaller bucks trying to chase them around. Fun to watch.

A few minutes later a buck popped out of nowhere (happens a lot in the Pineywoods). It's a buck I've had on camera.

Not really one I was all that interested in, but I've got a million other things I need to do this fall. Buck stopped, reared up and raked his antlers on an overhanging limb, came back down and started to paw in a scrape that was there. Hadn't even looked at the Does yet. The smaller bucks had all 'locked' up and were looking at him...waiting to see what he was going to do.

Buck turned up broadside just 80 yards away. I knew from past experience that my 7mm-08 with my hand-loads at such a short distance would make a mess of him if I took my preferred High Shoulder Shot, so I dropped back to tight behind the shoulder. At the shot the buck turned and ran. I could hear him pile up just out of sight.

Went to the spot where the buck had been standing and was NO blood. NO blood trail either which was odd. I knew the shot was good....so I just walked the direction he had ran. Figured he'd be within 40-50 yds. Often times I will spot their white belly in among pines. This time it was even easier than that. I looked about 30 yds. ahead and could see his antlers sticking up. He had gotten his head tangled in a couple of small pine saplings as he went down.

That's about as easy as a hunt gets around here. Normally would hold out for something bigger/better but just don't have the time this year.

Buck as found:

That is plenty enough bigger.

Bigger then I am seeing and I don’t have anything to do this fall. Congrats

Great buck, now you have time for other things.

Excellent buck! Especially for behind the pine curtain.

I've got so many things to do around the ranch....its not even funny. Usually I have all my ducks in row in preparation for deer season. And since I am retired...I can take my time and hunt about as much as I want.

But not this year. So... circumstance dictates I take the first decent buck I see, get it in the freezer and get started on my chores. Just saw where the hogs have been in my pasture again, so now I have to go and hunt them tonight. Just another thing on the list.

That’s a nice mature buck. Congrats.

One of the "guides" that was out at my place last weekend for a youth hunt bowed up and said, rather authoritatively, " I haven't seen any fresh hog sign out here." I stared right at him and said "Well, I have them on game cameras at every feeder...every night." 'Can't stand it when someone assumes they know a place better than the owner in less than 24 hours on the place. (And he listened to every minute of the World Series and ignored his kid and parent while it was playing on the radio.)

That’s a great deer , congrats

You were waiting for something bigger? Wow! Nice buck!

Well.....I have bigger bucks on my property, I'll put it that way. And things are really cranking up right now. A lot more daytime movement.

I keep cameras out year 'round and usually have 2-3 bucks that are regular enough that I might expect to see them (if I put in the time).

Of course, during the pre-rut/rut its not unusual for a buck I've never seen to show up. So you never know.

Any other year...this early in the season I would have passed on this buck. Let my Daughter shoot this one or another like it.

But it doesn't look like she will be able to make it home this season at all....for us to hunt together. Plus I have a Zillion other things I need to be doing. So this guy was 'it'. Yes, it is not a bad buck (or I wouldn't have shot it) but its not a BIG buck for my property either. No matter, I'm an Old Man, had my share of adventures. Just like being out in the woods really.

If something were to happen that caused me to not be able to deer hunt anymore, I'd be satisfied knowing I've had it better than most folks...all of my years. Nature and hunting don't own me anything.

But my post is not about the deer, just kind of unique the way it ended up sort of tangled with its antlers sticking up.

That happened one evening not too many years ago with a buck my daughter shot. We found that one looking like this:

Beautiful buck, love those long G-2". It looks like you have assault saplings on your place, they attack all of your deer.

Congratulations, I would certainly shoot that one! Yeah between the vines and sapplings all over the place in East Texas I could see that happening!

Beautiful deer nice mass on the horns.

No kiddng.

Congrats!

Rut!

Look at that neck!

I'd be proud as a peacock to kill that buck. Love big typicals!

Very nice deer!

I'll volunteer to come help kill hogs for you.

Great buck! Congrats!