fly

I used to call it a European mount - but heard someone call it a Texas mount years ago because it was more American. I thought he had a good point.

Awesome! Should make a great mount

I boiled mine with borax - took 3 times to get it clean enough. A real pain. Then tooth brushed on 40 volume peroxide i got from a beauty shop. I also did some antler repair from a kit I bought on line. Now that I've done it, the guy down the street with the beetles gets my texas mounts along with 75 dollars.

A buck I harvested in 2010 had a left base that was larger than the right - just like this one. Both were taken on the same hill. I'm guessing that genetics combined with an injury led to this freak left antler. Here's another picture.

YES!!! Best story this year. Thanks for posting. Took my 10 year old out last weekend and after 3 days of hunting - not a deer seen. We had a blast though and it looks like I got me a new life-long hunting partner. Hope you do too.

cool looking buck

that's a stud right there

nice! we had great weather - but oddly i didn't see a deer the entire weekend. first time my luck was this bad. deer were being shot all around me, just never on my hill

Nice! 170

Butchered him up today and getting a Texas mount done. The taxidermist wasn't sure, but thought the left main beam had broke off early in velvet. The point seen is a brow tine. Dang that would have been a sight if he was right. I'll know more once he gets the hide off the skull.

Got this one yesterday morning. His left side grew very weird. Not sure if it was an old injury or perhaps genetics? What do you all think? He weighed 210 field dressed: estimated live weight: 270 lbs. I'm thinking 4.5 years old. second heaviest deer I ever shot. You can see the scars from fighting. His left side was all tore up from his inability to protect the left side.

On private ground I'm in my stand at daybreak - no flashlight unless my son is along. On public ground I'm in my stand one hour before daylight - I use a flashlight. Don't want to get shot when everyone starts walking in the woods at sun-up. This year is my sons first deer camp (public ground) not going in the woods till it's light enough to see. I know deer move at any time during the rut, but I see a lot of deer around noon when other hunters are headed back to camp for lunch and get the deer moving.

More does with fawns tonight- and a 1.5 year old 4 point just walking around. It's gotta be any day now!!!

Normally late October / early November means chasing phase where I live in IL. My buddies are hunting 50 miles south of me and are seeing bucks chasing all over, does without fawns and the typical scrapes and rubs. As I walk into my spot yesterday the ground has a fresh scrape (last 24 hours) every 20 yards so I know there are bucks around. I counted 6 scrapes on my way in. Then at dusk - doe after doe after doe (all still with fawns). Not on alert, not looking back, not being chased, just like they were doing on October 1st. The rut puzzle always seems to have a piece that doesn't fit like I want it to. Hopefully the pieces will come together over the next week. I have a special draw permit that historically produces some massive bone. I've applied for the permit over the past 6 years and this is the first time I've been drawn.

Garmen etrex - always gets me to the base of my tree - in the dark

Lightweight folding Buck - Alaskan Guide Crosslock - has Knife, gut hook, and a saw that actually works. Best hunting knife I have used and I've used a lot.

Proud of the Cards to bring another post-season to St. Louis. Saw the rain delay game - 3 hours! At least they ended up winning that game. Gotta love October baseball!

I'm figuring heaven has a tree stand waiting for me - so as far as I'm concerned it never ends.

I only sit all day during those prime early-mid November days. I go high - 20-30 feet in a comfortable stand. Take food and water. Pee down the tree - i have never found deer to get spooked from human urine, actually had some come in to scent check it. When sitting all day I like a spot I can see a ways off and use my binoculars. Harness in good in case you fall asleep.

fly 41 IL Oct 1- mid-Jan

Ben, are ya alive still?

Wow! anything under 20 minutes is pretty remarkable. I ran 2 miles in the army back in the late 80's but only because I had to. I was pretty fast back then - 11:54 was my best. I've never liked to run, but so far it has been the only thing that has worked for me as far as loosing weight. Trying to get to 185 from 210 lbs. Diet and weights and the gym got me to 200, but then I just froze and could not break the 200 lb mark until I started running. This morning i was at 192 - just a bit more to go.

I ran my first yesterday morning. I had been training (running) for just 6 weeks. It's weird that my race time was so much faster than my best practice time. My race time was 24:47 and my best prior time was 27:00. Adrenalin I guess? So if you all have ran a 5K what times were you able to complete it in and di you do better on race day?

Freakish looking. 170

I was thinking 120 and my first guess was 4.5 years old. This deer below I shot last year was 5.5 years old and I thought he was only 3.5 years. - He went 120 inches.