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Will, it seems that tallone's friend is painting them as opposed to dipping. I assume each skull would be unique? I wouldn't think many people would send skulls in the mail for him to paint, but perhaps some local RT members might be interested. I have posted pictures of the work my taxidermist does in the taxi room and provide contact info for anyone interested.

Being from IL seeing a bear in the wild was a first for me on my DIY Idaho bear hunt in the spring of 2010. He walked to within 30 yards of my blind and was looking in at me. I was reading as it was early and I did not expect a bear for another 2 hours. My heart was pumping as if a 180 inch whitetail was below me. Apparently the bear in the video wasn't a shooter. No way could I have waited as long as the camera man did to alert the bear to my presence. I would have been telling him to get as soon as he was at the bottom of the ladder.

It only takes 5 seconds to change a hunting season form your worst to 1st. Although this is probably your 1st already with your bow buck. The best deer I have ever taken came on the last day of the 2007 bow season. January 17th, 2008 - minutes before the end of legal shooting time. A 170 inch buck that I had never seen before.

Awesome Mike! If I ever buy another shotgun for deer it will be that very one you have. Love the look of the forest with the fog in the background. It makes for a challenging hunt, but as long as I know there aren't any trigger happy idiots in the woods I love hunting on days like that. Congratulations on your mature buck! My November 8-point had a busted left G-2 as well. Not sure if you're interested, but a taxidermist can match broken antlers to the other side. Mine only charges an extra 10 bucks.

Mike, William, others, you're right. God was very good to me this year and blessed me with 3 very nice deer. I'm truly thankful. Hunting will always be a life-long passion of mine and it amazes me that after 25 years and harvesting nearly twice as many deer there's still a lot I have to learn. I've got enough meat now and used my 2 buck tags so the remainder of my season will be about getting my 9 year old son a deer and filming a friend I hunt with as he is still trying for his first.

Before butchering I thought I'd get a shot from above (the view from my treestand that fooled me). Notice how a bladed main beam can really make a buck look bigger / more mature than he really is. At least it did to me at any rate. When you look at the picture below it almost looks like a different buck then the one above.

Thanks, I have enough meat to last till next season, that's for sure. I just can't help but wonder what he would have looked like this time next year.

Saw this 10 point buck yesterday evening at about 80-100 yards. He came in down wind of me after I did some light grunting. The vegetation was so thick I had trouble spotting him in my binoculars. Once I did I saw all the points and from my angle his bladed main beams looked thicker than they actually were. Just then I think he caught my wind and strated to leave. Although he looked narrow, I was thinking he was a mature buck well over 200 pounds and decided to take him while I still had the chance. My ML did the trick, he only went about 75 yards. Walked up to him and was thankful for a clean kill, but upset with myself for not letting this one walk for at least another year. Thinking he's only 2.5 years old and weighed about 170 pounds field dressed. If had been using a trail cramera I might have got pictures of this buck and knew to watch for him and let him go another year or two. Thinking I may need to grab a couple for next season. Still, he'll make a nice Texas mount and my family and friends will benefit from the additional roasts.

No more buck tags for me - I'm tagged out! LOL This 10 pointer fooled me. I thought he was a lot older due to all the points. I'm thinking he's 2.5 years old. Wish I had let him go another year, but when one has to make a quick decision at 100 yards in thick cover... Still it was a clean kill, an additional 2 points for our team, and the additional roasts will make great Christmas presents.

Team 4: Tagged Out fly Upgrade (in points anyway) from an 8-pointer to a 10-pointer (15 points)

Spent a lot of time at the armory in Marion during my years of service in the National guard. It's starting to get a good rep for big bucks! I hope it continues, with more of IL land on the market maybe some areas closer to me will come down on price.

Awesome 10-point cutter!

So sorry to hear about your brother. It's too bad smoking was publically exposed as so harmful 25 years ago when people we getting hooked. I was reading the night before Christmas to my kids and even Santa was smoking a pipe.

Congrats on the doe cutter. Thursday starts our black powder opener and I have an either sex tag for up north. Hope to find that buck I missed with my bow earlier this season.

1. Harvesting at least one deer. 2. Harvesting every deer my arrow hits. 3. Having enough meat till the following season. 4. Having an opportunity at a monster (within 30 yards)

Great pics! Thanks for sharing. I think the mouse will go easy 140's - maybe 150!

I do the same type of trip to Idaho for Black bear in the spring. I pull my own camper and get a couple other guys to split the cost of gas. We contacted a local that we pay 100 each to set up bait stations for us 2 weeks before we get there. 90% of the unit is public ground. Costs me about 1000.00 for a 10 day hunt (longer if we choose).

I'm expecting The Time Life Treasury of Christmas to be contacting me any day now - well maybe not, but I hope it makes you smile because that's good enough for me. ALyerlaChristmasmpg2.mp4 video by flyerla1 - Photobucket

Great buck Al! Congratulations!

That's a big doe Art! Nice looking set up you made there.

Won't do much good now, but I'd be planting some pines 10 feet inside your line to one day create a wall. For now it would send a message.

Congratulations! He's a stud.

Wish I had a brother in-law like that. Dang! That's a pig of a deer - Congratulations

I wonder where your jacket was actually made? Winchester is an American name, but unfortunately the company has sold out. A buddy of mine works for Winchester and make primers at the IL based plant (at least for now- they are moving the plant to Mississippi). He told me that Winchester still makes BP primers, but that's about it. They sell the name to other companies to use. Just to add some credibility to his story I looked it up online and it seems his story would be accurate. Not so sure about products with the Winchester name these days. Traditional Winchester rifles to be discontinued - Business - US business - msnbc.com

Benelli - the coin was heads.