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It's Hunting Season: Show Us Your Rack!

308
150gr Core-lokt, I think
160 yards
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A few over the last few years:
Bruiser - I took him with the rifle I bought my dad 25 years earlier. The Deer's jaw was broken where he had been battling during the Rut.
Browning A-Bolt Hunter .308
150 Hornady SST
95 Yards
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Blister - My daughter took him with a 6.5 Grendel AR-15 that I built and she claimed as her own.
6.5 Grendel
120 Nosler Ballistic Tip
85 Yards
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Chewie - 180 yard shot with a Tikka CTR in 6.5 CM - 140 Nosler Ballistic Tip - dropped where he stood and he still had grass in his mouth when we got to him.
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This years hopeful, modern gun starts October 12th here. View attachment 8515657
For us, general season on public land (rifle hunt) in our northern zone starts the first Saturday of November and goes to the first Sunday in January.

With some exceptions. The public land I hunt has 2 main sections. Each section has a number compartments, as it were. Anyway, the north section allows rifles of .243 W and larger.

The southern section, No farther from a town than the northern section, has slightly smaller compartments. Anyway, the southern section now has weapons restriction. You can only hunt there with archery (including crossbow,) shotgun (slug or shot,) and muzzleloader. These properties are managed by the USFS (US Forestry Service.) I have the guy's number saved because I always have questions. And you have to enter TPWD drawing to win a permit to hunt doe (anterless is how they describe it) on the WMA. Until this year, that permit was good for both north and south. Now, it is only good for one. So, I chose the north. You don't always win. Otherwise, the bag limit is one buck, either legal spread of 13 inches or a spike.
 
I have 112 acres in Okrahoma. It seems that everyone here will shoot every buck that they see, no matter how big. It's not a good deal, the bucks never gain any real size and there are LOTS of does. Last year, one week before rifle season, I went to sit in my shooting shack and watch. Over a period of about 3 hours, I counted 36 does and 1 real small antlered buck. I can take 5 or 6 (have to double check the regs) deer, as can my wife, my brother, his wife...I have already told them all, NO BUCKS. We are going to thin out some does. I see 15-20 deer every single day.

280 Ackley Improved, home made 140 Berger VLD @ 3250 fps, 175 yards. Both taken about 15 minutes apart.

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For us, general season on public land (rifle hunt) in our northern zone starts the first Saturday of November and goes to the first Sunday in January.

With some exceptions. The public land I hunt has 2 main sections. Each section has a number compartments, as it were. Anyway, the north section allows rifles of .243 W and larger.

The southern section, No farther from a town than the northern section, has slightly smaller compartments. Anyway, the southern section now has weapons restriction. You can only hunt there with archery (including crossbow,) shotgun (slug or shot,) and muzzleloader. These properties are managed by the USFS (US Forestry Service.) I have the guy's number saved because I always have questions. And you have to enter TPWD drawing to win a permit to hunt doe (anterless is how they describe it) on the WMA. Until this year, that permit was good for both north and south. Now, it is only good for one. So, I chose the north. You don't always win. Otherwise, the bag limit is one buck, either legal spread of 13 inches or a spike.
We get an early season start, but it’s still fairly warm when it all kicks off. Never really cools off here in eastern NC though. Our bag limit is 6, 2 antlered and 4 “anterless”. We got a surplus, last year’s estimated population was a hair over 1 million. I’ll usually watch at least 100 walk past me in any given season, don’t shoot many at all, some years none.
 
We get an early season start, but it’s still fairly warm when it all kicks off. Never really cools off here in eastern NC though. Our bag limit is 6, 2 antlered and 4 “anterless”. We got a surplus, last year’s estimated population was a hair over 1 million. I’ll usually watch at least 100 walk past me in any given season, don’t shoot many at all, some years none.
And we get archery season in Sept 28 through Nov 1 this year. So, basically, deer season has started. However, during actual archery only season, there are 4 counties in north Texas that do not allow crossbow unless you have a doctor's note. I think the only reason for that is herd conservation. It's a stupid rule that stops overharvesting, I guess.
 
I have 112 acres in Okrahoma. It seems that everyone here will shoot every buck that they see, no matter how big. It's not a good deal, the bucks never gain any real size and there are LOTS of does. Last year, one week before rifle season, I went to sit in my shooting shack and watch. Over a period of about 3 hours, I counted 36 does and 1 real small antlered buck. I can take 5 or 6 (have to double check the regs) deer, as can my wife, my brother, his wife...I have already told them all, NO BUCKS. We are going to thin out some does. I see 15-20 deer every single day.

280 Ackley Improved, 140 Berger VLD @ 3250 fps, 175 yards. Both taken about 15 minutes apart.
View attachment 8516022View attachment 8516023
A friend of mine who has passed on had a lifetime hunting license in Oklahoma and always harvested does for meat. Just the old does who could not get enough interest to produce a fawn. He hunted his aunt's 20 acres at Lake Murray and then drove the harvest to his dad's place in Kingston where they had a shed for aging, processing, etcetera.


He used to give the ribs to his dad, who fed them as treats to the Beagles he raised. One time, John gave me the ribs and I smoked them into a really nice jerky on the bone. John said, and I quote, "that is the last time that I waste ribs on dogs."
 
It seems that everyone here will shoot every buck that they see, no matter how big. It's not a good deal, the bucks never gain any real size and there are LOTS of does.
I have a few bucks and lots of does this year, my herd is on the rebound from an aggressive hunter that lived a few properties over but has moved.

The older buck I pictured has been around for a few years. I’ve got two smaller ones that need to take over anyway. They have been trailing him as of late, but another couple of weeks will change that attitude.

My goal was to get rid of at least one doe this year as well. I’ve got one keeps dropping twins and triplets, so gonna do my best to keep her around
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Ive got a few over the years,

Buck from last year, 178gr ELD-X at 2800 fps out of a 20” 30-06 and an M7 Mausingfield action.
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Bear in 2019, 122gr Controlled Chaos at 3200 fps out of a 24” 6.5 PRC. This is the same action as the buck above but with everything else changed.
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Bison in 2022, 405gr Shock Hammer at 1800 fps out of an 1874 Shiloh Sharps in 45-70. Recovered one bullet trapped in the fur on the offside and the other the butcher found in the offside shoulder.
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Wifes 1st, and only so far. She's never had a problem with me hunting, got me what used to be called a "Sportsmans License' for a wedding gift. Never had any issues with eating venison or helping me butcher deer. She just always said she didn't want to be the one to kill them.

Well, a few years back that changed, said she wanted to try her hand at it. She even claimed a new rifle I'd just gotten! Problem with that was over the24 years we've had our property, I've never had very good luck during rifle season. Several smaller properties, and several people in the woods then.

So I decided to take her out for archery season, I have a 2-man ladder stand. An hour after 1st light on opening morning, we had 5 bucks in front of us. With me coaching her, she shot him at 25 yards with my crossbow. TenPoint Stealth SS, 20" Easton FMJ, and a 2" 3 blade Grip Reaper. He made it about 35 yards, great blood trail, took us about 60 seconds to find him. Exit hole pictured. Slightly quartering away, perfect shot!!

She now thinks deer hunting is easy, and hasn't been back out yet. :ROFLMAO:


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ETA: He's hanging on the wall right above me with the bolt & broadhead.