It's been so warm and so much commotion around the neighborhood that I've only seen a couple does in the first week of the season. With a cold front on the way, three young bucks stepped out this afternoon. While I was watching them an older buck joined them. Not one of the pair I had been watching all summer, in fact I don't have a single picture of this buck on the trail cameras. I took a look at him and decided this late in the season a bird in the hand looked pretty good.

Heavy throughout, but only 18 inches inside, lots of trash that didn't show up in the picture.
My old M77 Tang Safety, .250-3000 shooting 100 Hornady Interlocks over Big Game. Yes I know they are discontinued but I've got plenty. Shot was 150 yards, smashed the near shoulder, both lungs, cut across the top of the heart taking the arteries with it, split a rib on the far side and lodged under the hide. Buck stumbled 20-30 yards and rolled. The bullet is a classic mushroom and weighs 56 grains.
I sure like this rifle load combo.

Congratulations. That is a nice buck.

In Arizona, we call that a hog. Nice one!

Hey bud, Did you headlight him ?


Way to go, very nice. I'm very happy for you.

Jerry

Congrats on a nice buck. Style points for the Ruger 77 and 250-3000

Makes 'em stand still that way.

Sweet looking buck,congrats

No headlights at the time of shooting, plenty of light and time before sundown shoot. Took awhile to get the wife and daughter out to help with the pictures.

Camera takes better pictures than the phone!

Wow! Stellar buck! Congratulations.

Nice rack but that body is really impressive. is that an average size deer out there or better?

I don't know how to judge the teeth but he's got some age on him. You can sure tell the difference in a 2-3 year old buck and the older ones in body size. We don't have the heavy blocky type bucks they have in western kansas but I wasn't going to attempt to load him on the 4 wheeler. Just chained up and drug him in

Double Wow from Camera Pic!!

Jerry

great looking buck

There isn't a hunter in the Carolinas that wouldn't have shot that buck as fast as they could get crosshairs on him. Congrats! Can't believe you'd consider not shooting something like that

Very nice mature buck! Congratulations!

Very Nice Buck Ole 270!

Looking at his face my guess would be about 5 1/2 on the age. You did very well!

Outstanding buck. Congrats!

That's a real hog, congrats.

Since I have horses Ark law says livestock owners can legally check their livestock with LIGHTS at night.

You're right EXCEPT bucks that are old enuff to have been spot lighted. I have had several take off immediately when the light hit them.

I DON'T poach w/without a light. I 've observed these bucks to vam'moose when does will stand rather still.

Jerry

Congratulations on that great buck!

Very nice buck!

That's a true whopper! Congrats! Dig your rifle and handload too.

Dang man great looking buck I'm impressed!

The backstraps on that dude should feed a good sized deer camp; beautiful rack too!

I love yer choice of cartridge/bullet. I have a lifetime supply of those little gems also.

Congrats!

Outstanding! Nice rifle and deer.

Great buck, Congrats!!!

"but only 18 inches inside"

Wow, I need to find an area where 18" inside is small I've been killing bucks for decades and only had the privilege to get maybe 4 18+.

No doubt! Haha.......

Didn't say it was small, except next to this one.


Cheesy got this one while still in high school. 27" inside spread. Took me 8 years to equal it, but that buck wasn't as wide, just very high.
I guess everybody's "Trophy" index is different. To me, unless there is unusual mass or length, 20" starts the wall hanger category. I have taken a few of them, but only mounted one.

That is a nice KS buck! Congratulations!

True. It's all about location for me. On the land I grew up hunting, a 115" buck goes on the wall even as funny as that sounds to some. My family hunted the land since deer were introduced and after many decades of hunting 120" was about the best ever killed. We've bested that deer a couple times the last 5 years, but the fact remains that many 4.5yo+ deer only get to 100-115 and 150-160lbs on the hoof. It took me 30 years of hunting to get a old 118" buck there and you bet he'll be on the wall despite having quite a few much larger. In some other areas I hunt here at home the same 115" class deer is a young dink.

The one area that really surprised me was up in IA. We hunted up there with friends several times and guys would have 150 class racks nailed to the wall lol. The deer they did mount were pretty unreal.

Very nice buck you got there.

Great buck especially for Kansas rifle season!

What a great buck! Congrats!

Got around to rough scoring this buck today. Grossed 161+. Kind of surprised me, guess I was looking at the big 8 on my trail cam pictures too much. As usually happens, guess which buck showed up at the field around my house three days after I shot this one? That 8 pointer doesn't have as much mass but with tine length close to 15" who cares. Cheesy is hunting him here on the last day of the season so there's still hope

Grand. Heck of a buck, Old270.