Purely trophy hunting this year.

[H&Hhunter]

I’ve once again drawn an archery tag in a unit that produces incredible mule deer genetics. My goals in order are;

A buck that scores over 190” B&C typical.

A “Trash” ( non typical) buck with serious character.

An old buck that is over the hill and in decline.

I am absolutely not interested in a young buck that hasn’t reached its prime. A buck that has reached its prime but is lacking in trophy quality.

This is no small feat with archery equipment doing mainly spot and stalk in open desert country. Off hand I can’t think of a single place in this unit that one could effectively place a tree stand blind. This pretty much a spot and stalk/ set up and ambush type hunt.

I’ve taken two bucks with archery off this unit. One was a young buck that hadn’t reached his prime yet
The other was a buck that was pushing 10 years old and was in serious decline.

 

[AK Hunter]

I trophy hunt every season but when the end of the season grows near it changes to fill the tag time & a freezer full of meat is a good trophy. LOL
Congrats on your trophy.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I trophy hunt every season but when the end of the season grows near it changes to fill the tag time & a freezer full of meat is a good trophy. LOL
Congrats on your trophy.

Bazinga

I’ve got plenty of meat this year so I’ll stick with my plan until the very end.

 

[Hookeye]

Ill be thrilled w a lowly 125 inch net whitetail.
Hope my new bow brings me luck ( new last yr but didn't use due to injury )

 

[sage5907]

I have been doing traditional archery for many years, went to a compound for about 20 years, and then back to a traditional recurve again. This year I've spotted a really big old whitetail that hangs out in a difficult place and the answer calls for a change in strategy.. Oklahoma allows for the use of a crossbow and I am planning to buy a Tenpoint M1 to help with the problem. I have a lot of Cabela's points so it is feasible. I think I can get to within 50 yards of a shooting spot if I play my cards right. Lots of other animals that can spoil the hunt. I've called turkeys while using a shotgun by laying on my back in the grass and shooting between my feet. Don't know if I can make this work?

 

[sage5907]

One thing that I really appreciate about that really old mule deer buck is his Roman nose. A nose like that always makes a big mature buck look better. When I first started doing taxidermy work I used a lot of forms that had a nose like your younger buck picture but after more experience I started building up the bridge of the nose with sculpture compound just enough to get the desired look. Now I also look for forms that are already shaped that way. Competitors Choice forms have some of the best looking whitetail heads. The original McKenzie mule deer forms are really good looking but I have to build the bridge of the nose up with sculpture compound.

 

[jmorris]

I hope you have a great hunt. Getting close enough for a bow in the open like this, is impressive. unless you were sitting at the water tank.



Very nice!

 

[marksman13]

I’ll be trophy hunting this year too, but not until our whitetail rut starts in January. Lost a freezer full of meat a month ago, so I’m going to be in full on meat hunter mode for the first part of the season.

 

[Buzznrose]

I’ll be trophy hunting this year too, but not until our whitetail rut starts in January. Lost a freezer full of meat a month ago, so I’m going to be in full on meat hunter mode for the first part of the season.

You should look into canning deer meat. At least some of it.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I hope you have a great hunt. Getting close enough for a bow in the open like this, is impressive. unless you were sitting at the water tank.

View attachment 1158301

Very nice!

Both were spot and stalk. The one pictured above was in some tall grass and scrub near a line of juniper trees that allowed me to close into bow range.

He ran about 200 yards out into the open where he’s pictured after the shot.

 

[Plano11]

Nice score!

 

[caribou]

With archery, you get up close and personal, so picking or passing a Buck is a bit easier.

I miss hunting Muleys, as I did as a kid in Montana.

Good Luck!

 

[Hookeye]

Just got some GT pros to fletch up for my Blackwidow. Proly use Magnus Stinger 4 blade 125s. But have some Cutthroats that havent zapped.anything yet.

Used a Worksharp field sharpener, that little cork strop, got em shaving hair w ease. Was no go w previously successful sharpening methods on other heads. Tool steel these Cutthroats are.

 

[sage5907]

H&Hhunter really got me thinking about this early season bow hunting. Oklahoma archery season opens October 1st and my plan is to hunt really hard for the first seven days of the season. We have a camping trip planned for Bull Shoals on the White River in Arkansas beginning October 10th but that still gives me about a week to hunt with the crossbow. I mentioned earlier that I was thinking about buying a TenPoint crossbow but the plan has changed. I purchased a Mission sub 1 that is made by Mathews and it is designed to shoot a bolt 370 fps. It is quieter than some and is easy to de-cock. I used a Mathews compound for several years and it was top of the line. Most archery hunters who are familiar with youtube know who Chris Bee is and after watching him use the Mission sub 1 I thought I could make it work for me. The name of the crossbow and the design is to shoot one inch groups at 100 yds under ideal conditions. I have already picked out my shooting spots and I will be hiding in natural cover and hoping for a shot under 60 yards. I will only have my face and the front of the crossbow visible and I will use full camo with a facemask. I am a many year bow hunter and rifle hunter and I hope this new fangled crossbow will be fun for me.

 

[H&Hhunter]

H&Hhunter really got me thinking about this early season bow hunting. Oklahoma archery season opens October 1st and my plan is to hunt really hard for the first seven days of the season. We have a camping trip planned for Bull Shoals on the White River in Arkansas beginning October 10th but that still gives me about a week to hunt with the crossbow. I mentioned earlier that I was thinking about buying a TenPoint crossbow but the plan has changed. I purchased a Mission sub 1 that is made by Mathews and it is designed to shoot a bolt 370 fps. It is quieter than some and is easy to de-cock. Most archery hunters who are familiar with youtube know who Chris Bee is and after watching him use the Mission sub 1 crossbow I thought I could make it work for me. The name of the crossbow and the design is to shoot one inch groups at 100 yds under ideal conditions. I have already picked out my shooting spots and I will be hiding in natural cover. I will only have my face and the front of the crossbow visible and I will use full camo with a facemask. I am a many year bow hunter and rifle hunter and I hope this new fangled crossbow will be fun for me.

I’ve never tried a crossbow before but they sure are coming along in capability!

 

[sage5907]

I’ve never tried a crossbow before but they sure are coming along in capability!

Get on YouTube and look at Chris Bee crossbow vs compound it's really interesting.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Get on YouTube and look at Chris Bee crossbow vs compound it's really interesting.

Yep I wouldn’t have expected that! But Chris is a phenomenal archer too.