I’ve been going on a week long hunting trip to northern Louisiana since the late 90’s. It’s about a 6 hour drive from home. Buck in pics was taken November 13th.
There was a hellacious cold front that came through the day before. When we woke up in the am it was 15 degrees which is cold as an Eskimo teetee for us Louisianians. So I said screw it, I’ll get up once the sun comes up go get in the stand. Well I got up a little later than I wanted to got dressed and a buddy and I rushed out to our spots. My climber was already locked on to a tree so all I had to do was climb up the tree. Well I get to my stand about 815 and climb up and low and behold as I’m strapping the seat to the tree I look and see a doe about 60 yds away looking up at me (20-25’ up the tree) as if to say WTH are you doing up there. So I ease my rifle around and prepare for a left handed shot which I have done may times before. The difference this time was I was 20+ feet up a tree, standing on a climbing stand platform with no rest or stabilization shooting left handed. Plus I was breathing a little heavy as i had just got to the top of the tree. At this point the doe is stomping at me and I squeeze off a round. Off she goes and I’m pretty sure I missed her. So I sit down and tell myself I’m going to hunt for a couple hours and then I’ll go check for any sign of a hit. Well as luck would have it 6 minutes later a small buck comes out nose to the ground right where the doe was. I decided to let him go on by and as soon as he got out of sight the big one was right behind him nose to the ground as well. As soon as I saw his right side I knew he was a good deer. After the 2nd “HEY” he stopped and looked my way and the 300wsm (I acquired from Sako76 on here) slammed him. He ran quite a ways but the 150gr TTSX had him leaking and leaving an easy to find blood trail right to him. My biggest buck to date. 9 points, 20 7/8” wide 170lbs. What a hunt! And what’s the chances?
Congratulations on a darn fine deer. Waaaaay bigger than anything I killed while living down there! memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
Outstanding. I always have greater appreciation for southeastern public land kills. It takes a lot of work. The odds are stacked against you. As is always the case with hunting, it never hurts to have lady luck on your side.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
For a Louisiana buck that’s a really good one! As far as shooting that good buck on Louisiana public land that’s fantastic. Those Louisiana public land deer are scared of their own reflection. Them deer have seen it all.
Was that at Tensas? I work in Delhi but have never hunted the refuge.
No I did hunt the refuge for the primitive and lottery hunts this year. Saw deer every hunt except 1. Shot a big doe that was it. 2 of my buddies have killed good bucks there this year. One during primitive and one with the bow. Saw a few sure enough studs come out of there too. Down side is lots and lots of people.
Big 8 pt., lots of tall and mass. Looks more like a delta deer than a piney woods deer.
Did you score him? Eight points won't score as good as they look and that one will make a nice wall hanger.
Did you check teeth for age, weight?
Congratulations on a great hunt and thanks for sharing.
DF
DF where I hunt has a good mixture of pines and hardwoods. Lots and lots of acorns. No ag land though. He scored 141 3/8’. 170lbs with 0 fat on him anywhere. I assume he had been chasing pretty hard. As for age, taxidermist said either 3.5 or 4.5.
For a Louisiana buck that’s a really good one! As far as shooting that good buck on Louisiana public land that’s fantastic. Those Louisiana public land deer are scared of their own reflection. Them deer have seen it all.
Big 8 pt., lots of tall and mass. Looks more like a delta deer than a piney woods deer.
Did you score him? Eight points won't score as good as they look and that one will make a nice wall hanger.
Did you check teeth for age, weight?
Congratulations on a great hunt and thanks for sharing.
DF
DF where I hunt has a good mixture of pines and hardwoods. Lots and lots of acorns. No ag land though. He scored 141 3/8’. 170lbs with 0 fat on him anywhere. I assume he had been chasing pretty hard. As for age, taxidermist said either 3.5 or 4.5.
Gonna make a great mount.
They love those acorns; they get fat on them. He was probably running does, thus used up all his extra fat.
_________________________________________________________________________ “Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
That Sako is a hard core proven killing machine! Since I got it from you I’ve killed 5 plains game animals in S. Africa, 7 pigs and 5 whitetails with it! And it is very accurate. I couldn’t be happier with it. Thanks again!
Ohh and I very well may take it to Alabama with me in a few weeks.
Claiborne Parish has had some really good bucks come from there over the years. Middle Fork heads up in the parish, Big Corney, and D'Arbonne both run thru it with lakes on both of them. Kisatchie National Forest has two places in the parish that are opened for public hunting.
Really good deer!
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