Hey everyone,
I've been a member for a couple months, but haven't posted anything yet. I shot a pretty nice whitetail up here in NW Montana and thought I'd post a picture of it. He scores 144". Shot on Nov 20th as he was walking through a very open, recently logged clearing at 1:00 in the afternoon! I was pretty shocked since I'd spent the whole morning still-hunting through the thick timber. I was just high-tailing it down the road, looking for a spot to make a fire and dry out (it had rained all morning)when he showed up. I swore he would score over 150 when I shot, but I'm very happy with him.

That is indeed a very nice heavy antlered Montana buck. I'd of shot him and been happy to have him. Do you live up near Libby by chance?

Beautimous Buck <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />


We need gun and load info to placate all us Rifle Looneys <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

HBB

Nice deer!


SS

Thanks for the replies, you guys are fast! Big Sky, I live in the Kalispell area. Moved here in '97 from Havre, so my first season was right after the BIG die-off from winter '96. Quite an adjustment, moving from wide-open Eastern Montana with LOTS of deer to the thickly timbered mountains of NW Montana. But I love it here and every season has been better than the one before! It helps that I'm a die hard whitetail fanatic!
Anyway, I was shooting my Remington .270 using 150 grain ballistic tips. It did the job! Also shot a cow elk with the same gun/load this season. Put her down fast!

That is indeed an awesome whitey. Congrats and thanks for sharing.

Super whitey, congrats and thanks for being one who posts good honest scores on their critters.

I get a bit tired of seeing scores posted and then you're going like that can't be for the deer in the pic right.....grins

Not picking on your beatimous venado but just think if each of those fingers would of been longer, IMO that is that deers main drawback.

Thx for sharing

Mark D

That is indeed a fine buck, clean and heavy. Congrats on that beaut.
Nice entrance...stick around, OK.

Dave

Mark,
Like you, I don't tolerate BS very well. I've seen guys say their buck scores 170 when it's a solid 150. As if a solid 150 isn't something to be totally proud of! As it turns out, I was about 1 inch off on my field judging. 1 inch per point x 10 points = 154, closer to what I thought at the shot. None the less, final score doesn't matter, right? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />
Hey, did you ever work for Pizza Hut? Your name sounds familiar to me. John

4 me one of the best things about your post is that it focuses on the deer and never once did you mention the round/bullet and or any of that gack!

"DWD" (darn well done)

Mark D

Nicely done!!

NH Hunter.

Very nice animal, worth getting wet for.

Fabulous whitetail, and I'd have been very pleased with that buck for sure. I'm with Mark here and agree that a little longer tines would have made that buck even better. Very similar situation with the one I killed this year in that if it would have had an extra 25 or so inches here and there he'd have been a pretty decent deer. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Great buck!

NWMt170 That wasn't taken just east of Bigfork was it? I have an area there that has produced some dandies (pic enclosed). The one I got two years ago sure lookes like it is from the same gene pool........

PS Damn nice buck, and I agree hunting NW MT is quite a bit different than Eastern MT and North Central.

Like M. Dobrenski, it's mighty refreshing to have an honest score!

Apart from that, I like a rack for its beauty, not its B&C number. For me that rack's got most everything I like. Pretty wide, fairly heavy, symetrical and not overly long tines. He's a real northwoods buck!

That is one sweet buck. I really like the color of those antlers.

Isn't it just a kick to hunt whitetails during that mid-Novemeber time frame. Things sure can change fast, just like your story tells.

Amen brother. Great buck, I would live to find one like that.

+2

Awesome buck! Congrats!!

John-small world bud, I kept lookin at your pic and saying to myself man I know that fella!

Good to see you're still beating up on the whitey's! You definately know those critters!

Still taking pics?

Funny thing is, when I first saw your post I was gonna ask you if you knew Tony. Do you ever see and or hear from him?

Welcome to the Fire and when you get some time post some more pics!

Mark D

That's a pretty buck.

Congrats.

Really pretty buck. Nice combination of mass, spread, color, strong G4's - just a very classy deer. I really like the way he carries his mass out on his beams and how even his tines are heavy.

A buck in the 140's is nothing to sneeze at - most guys never kill one that good.

Congrats!

DJ

A nice rack is a nice rack regardless what the numbers look like based on some formula. That guy is a beaut to my eyes and taking him as you did makes it all the more of a reward. Congrats!

A real beaut to my eyes too! A solid whitetail like that is pushing high up my to-do list -- if it were only that easy (grin).

Nice job!

Very cooooool! Thanks for sharing.

I have a couple friends in Whitefish.....beauuuuutiful country!

HoundGirl

A well titled thread.

Thanks everybody for your thoughtful comments about my post!

Mark- Glad to hear that you are who I thought you were and that you are still in Montana. How do you like living in Bozeman? I am still taking pictures, but mainly for fun. I work at Glacier National Park now. I see Tony fairly often actually! We were just catching up on our hunting seasons last week. He is doing home construction and doing quite well, he started his own business this year. He has shot some beautiful bucks here, one 4x5 that would have made book if it was a 5x5, and his brother shot one last season that scored 168 typical!

By the way, JSMT, my buck was taken between Kalispell and Libby, about 2 1/2 miles behind a locked gate (the drag out down a muddy logging road is almost worth another post!). However, the 168 that I just mentioned WAS shot just east of Bigfork. What did your buck score? It's a beautiful animal.

Have you by chance taken pictures at the National Bison Range?

Good looking Buck!!!
Thanks for posting pix!!!

Don

Mighty good looking buck! Neck looks kinda' stumpy, though. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

MWM, certainly a nice animal in anyones "book". He certainly has the characteristics of 150+ which is where I put him from your pics. Nicely done.

Pretty buck!

Thanks, everyone, for your comments.

Lonny- Yes, I have done some photography at the National Bison Range. That is an amazing place! (the last thing I go there to see are the bison!) I just wish they were a little less strict about staying at your vehicle. I take it you have been there?
John

John, I know this might sound crazy, but a couple of Septembers ago, my family and I were in Missoula visiting relatives and we took a drive up to the Bison Range. There is one place on the range where a short walk takes you out to a viewpoint where we watched and listened to some elk bugling. While my wife, two boys and I watched elk and other wildlife, a guy, (who looks a lot like you if memory serves me correctly) and his wife also walked out to the viewpoint to look at elk and take pictures. They were very nice people and we chatted with them about wildlife, optics, and they told us the best places to spot wildlife on the range.

Anyway, When I saw your picture with your buck it got me to wondering if that was possibly you we met at the Bison Range a couple falls ago. I might be crazy, but sometimes the world is very small.

Lonny-Small world! That must have been me. There were at least 3 elk bugling in the ravine below that point, it was awesome! My wife and I try to make it down there once or twice a year, if nothing else but to hear the elk going crazy. Glad to hear that you remembered me being nice, I would hate to be remembered as the guy who cut you off in traffic <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />Hope you all had a good time at the Bison Range, maybe we'll bump into you again there someday! John

Well I'll be darned...

Yep, I remember listening to those three bulls spouting off at each other. I'd love to get back to the Bison Range again some September. My wife and I both commented during the drive back to Missoula, on the nice people we met at the viewpoint on the Bison Range.

Again, congrats on the dandy buck, and a Merry Christmas to you and your wife.

NWMt170 Check your PM's please.

Very Nice buck!

I've got a box of 150 BT's I've never loaded...Did they exit on the deer and elk?

Congrats,

Mike

Awesome buck. Its a great story when people create their own luck.

Hiwallman

Great buck. That's got to be a once in a lifetime buck. Darn few get much bigger than that. But the rack just has character. Good job.

Nice to see another Montana Hunter on the board. Also very nice to see another quality deer picture posted. Truly a Great deer. I did OK this year as well, though I did not get to make it to my favorite spots in your neighborhood. Here is a link to my post on my Montana WT. ( He grosses less than 144 - I am not a great measurer - more like 141ish). I am almost embarassed that I did not get field photos. I am young and learning!

Anyway, I hope you find another monster next year!

Regards,
shortside
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads...rue#Post1075818

I think I saw that picture,you with your buck at Sportssman Ski house the other day?? Am I right? I only live about 5 min from the Ski Haus

NICE ALL AROUND DEER. I TOO WOULD OF THOUGH THAT IT WAS IN THE 150 CLASS

NWM: Great buck!Congrats! I'd a shot him for sure.