Roughly 12 years without a dry spell. (pics)


Jeramie

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Ive been pretty blessed. I have been around 12 years without a dry spell. This year is no exception....I went out Saturday (opening morning of rifle) to hunt an area I saw a large buck in two weeks ago during ML'er. I sat until a couple of hours after day light and didnt see anything. I decided to press through the timber which is about 12 acres to see if I could spot the deer. I tracked slowly for about 30 minutes but never saw a deer.Given that, I decided to move to a 40 acre open field I typically shoot does on. It is mostly grass with a little bit of timber on the NE and SW corners. The field is surrounded on three sides by large, old hardwoods. There are a few trees scattered through the field I sometimes use for cover.I decided before heading that way I would put on a drag and head to the far side (to the NE when walking from SW corner I was on). I tied on a 6' drag after covering it with Tinks 69. I walked through the SW corner of timber with the drag. I typically see deer in that corner due to a small depression but it was empty on Saturday. I took the drag across 40 acres of open field to the opposite side and setup overlooking the field, the NE timber corner to the right with a small pond directly in front of the timber roughly 150 yards away. I sat texting my brother and cousin for another good hour with nothing happening. My cousin just asked how long I sat (this is his first year of hunting even though he is in his late 20's). I texted back at least until 10'ish and then looked up to see this buck running across the field from the SW corner where I had started the drag. He was in a pretty hard run headed toward the NE corner and the pond. I started grunting, hitting the can, whistling, etc. to get him out of a run but he wouldnt slow. He wasnt the biggest buck ive ever seen but I decided if he would just stop I would smoke him.. It has been a slow season and im ready to start chasing ducks.He kept coming hard from 300 yards, to 250 yards, passing to the right toward the pond broadside shots but he wouldnt stop. Finally he made it to just behind the pond and went from a hard run to a slow walk. I put the scope on him and guessed him at 150 - 165 yards. I had to wait for him to clear brush and then I touched off. He jumped high, heart kicked, and bolted instantly out of sight. After fist pumping and texting my brother, cousin, and wife I walked back up the hill to retreive the 4 wheeler. I went to the shot sight and couldnt find any blood. I know I drilled him so I was sick. I hung a trail marker in a tree, drove back up the hill, and took the same shot over. Even in high wind I hit within 1.5" of were I was aiming. Given that information I texted my cousin. He drove over and we walked the area looking for blood.... nothing. Finally we just walked off into the 120 acres of hardwood he was headed to. I walked up a dry creek bed, he walked down a dry creek bed. About 10 minutes later he texted to tell me he found him. Typical of most deer he turned and ran downhill at the edge of the creekbed. He made it all of 50 yards from the shot and piled up against a tree.I shot him with a 100 grn Hornady BTSP (handload), .243. My longest shot with this rifle is 286 yards so i knew I had put it on him. He ran a direction I didnt expect and then started bleading seriously bad about 10 - 15 yards later. From that point until he jumped the fence he bleed buckets. It was a direct heart shot, down hill. The shot caught his heart high and exited low. It was jelly in a pile when we found him. Not the best buck ive ever seen but being that even my honeyholes are producing im happy to put him in the freezer. I was even gunning for a doe this week... Still, non the less beautiful animal and about 130 lbs which is a good size in Oklahoma. Now, where the ducks at? :D :cool2: :ninja:8199508819_2676955f29_c.jpg8200601688_6cc9407cdb_c.jpg

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Nice buck, bud! Looks a lot like the one I got yesterday, out west. Time for cold weather and ducks now, right?

I just looked out the window... its still 65. :D

They are calling for a bad winter. I hope they are right. We need one. I have at least seen quite a few ducks in the past few days. Im headed after them a couple of times this week...

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