Good ending to slow season.

[Bayourambler]

Its been a slow deer season and a terrible duck season but ended good this week. After taking my 2 sons on many deer trips in order to get them each a deer under their belt, this 10 pt. showed up late afternoon to eat. We haven't seen much rut activity or many deer to come out in fields at all this winter. It's been mild and wet and they moved mostly at night because we had very few frosty nights on the grass. This one was only 15" wide , but had 6 1/2" bases and mass throughout. Green score 143. 220 lbs. Oh yea, and taken with an old outdated 308.

 

[Armored farmer]

Nice buck.
Well done.

 

[Choctaw]

That is indeed a nice buck. That's a great way to wind up the season.

 

[Patocazador]

I love that mass. Lucky you. Congratulations!

 

[troy fairweather]

nice!

 

[<*(((><]

Oh yea, and taken with an old outdated 308.

The buck probably thought to himself, "this is 2019 that .308 with it's rainbow trajectory will fall to the earth well before it gets to me." I still love the .308 WIN

Nice basket rack! Good size antlers, inside the ears and well proportioned.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

That ain't just a "basket rack", that's a bushel basket rack.
That's got some serious mass to it.

 

[<*(((><]

I meant no put down by what I said, mainly referring to the location, proportion and overall look. But yes bushel basket rack would better suit describing it.

 

[Patocazador]

Spread contributes the least to a B&C score since it only is counted once. Beam and tine length and mass count more. This deer has mass to spare.

 

[Legionnaire]

Very nice. Well done.

 

[stillquietvoice]

Great looking buck congrats. Perfect end to your season.

 

[stringnut]

Did you make sure he was trophy material or did you just drop the hammer? Not being fussy myself he far exceeds my "It's a legal buck " trophy criteria. The mass is just amazing.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

Bayourambler, a nice and very respectable buck, congratulations!

And the best thing about the end of a season (other than scoring a deer) is the next season opener is less than a year away!

 

[Jeb Stuart]

Looks like you shot old Tree Trunk. That is some serious mass. Great job, Congrats.

 

[22250Rem]

Great buck ! Congrats ! By this time of year around here the only way I'm gonna see a rack like that is if I come across one while shed hunting. That old boy has some serious mass in the antler department.

 

[Bayourambler]

Did you make sure he was trophy material or did you just drop the hammer? Not being fussy myself he far exceeds my "It's a legal buck " trophy criteria. The mass is just amazing.

I saw this ol boy last year and took a few pics of him. His body was very dark and sported almost the same rack then. I looked at him hard and passed. Exactly 1 year and 2 days later he stepped out in the same exact spot and I knew it was him. I went straight for my rifle when he stepped out. The dark body and the mass on his head stood out. Funny thing is we have no pics of him all winter and no one saw him all season. The bayous and woods are full of water and I guess he pushed out of the swamp just in time!! It's all luck! The pic below is from last year.

 

[Armored farmer]

Nice buck...worth the wait!

 

[horsemen61]

Great buck

 

[FL-NC]

Well done!

 

[Jeb Stuart]

Again, congrats. Just curious, was that deer taken in a Swamp area. I seen many nice antlers but do not recall seeing one which such mass in the South. The circumstance at the base in extraordinary. What is the habitat that you took this deer in? Did you determine the age?

 

[alsaqr]

Congrats on the great buck.

 

[Bayourambler]

Again, congrats. Just curious, was that deer taken in a Swamp area. I seen many nice antlers but do not recall seeing one which such mass in the South. The circumstance at the base in extraordinary. What is the habitat that you took this deer in? Did you determine the age?

This area is wide open farm land, mostly soybean fields. Most of it is surrounded by very low poor draining hardwood and cypress bottoms that fill up with water in winter. The body and antler size is a product of a steady diet of soybeans and acorns year around. Yes the body weight in this area seems to be heavier than what you see in piney areas of the south. In nearby pine forest in Lousiana a mature buck may push #180, where these farm bucks reach #250 regularly. I also heard from many old timers that deer were brought down on trains in the 40's and 50's from Canada to replenish the deer population that was wiped out during the civil war. Whatever the case, the do have some big boys around here, but they dont make many mistakes!! The hunting pressure on them is tremendous around here! I'll get the taxidermist to age it, I'm guessing 4-5 yrs.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

and taken with an old outdated .308 .

Nice Nice Buck!
Congratulations, but I'd hardly say the .308 is old nor outdated.
.45-70 in black powder, or the .303 Britsh or .30-40 Krag, would be "old"...., My flintlock in .54 is old AND outdated.

LD

 

[Ks5shooter]

Kudos