With 2020 being as crazy as it is, I was not expecting much of a hunting season. Well, I was wrong, turned out to be fantastic.
My first deer came on Sept 3rd archery season, I shot my first velvet buck. I have been trying for a few years since SD started opening archery season on Sept 1. Typically around here Sept 4 is when the velvet is gone, so I was cutting it pretty close.
Distance was 12 yards out of a ground blind. Bow was a Jack Kempf Wildcat with carbon limbs 47#@ 28, VAP 400 arrow with VPA 250 gr broadhead. He did not go more than 40 yards. He broke his right G2 and stripped a bunch of velvet when he fell. I could not save the velvet and ended up stripping it all off, boiling and bleaching everything white as a reminder of the experience.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/4BC4lPh.jpg)
Second deer of the year was my West River Prairie buck. Had seen this buck and another while out working on the ranch. We have been very diligent about management and pressure. Opening morning found me helping my 82 year old Dad with no luck. He is not not very mobile and has all the handicap permits. Amazing he is actually still hunting and able to get it done.
He did end up filling three doe tags and was ecstatic. He did miss one buck when the fever got the best of him.
I finally broke away from him and snuck into a bedding area. There were a bunch of mule deer in there and the rutting activity was off the chart. This buck finally broke away with a hot doe and bedded about 600 yards away. I made a big loop and came in on top of them. As I was crawling up, I saw antler tips. I got the binoculars on him and confirmed he was one of the bigger deer. They were only 60 yards aways and about 45 degrees down. As I reached back for my rifle and got ready, he spotted me. Before I could get a shot off, they were off. I swung to a sitting position, got settled and let out a bleat. The doe stopped to look back and the buck followed suit. The crosshairs settled and the gun went off. 180yards with my "LR" Model 70 270 WCF and 145gr ELD-X's and it was over.
My best mule deer buck to date and typical weak backs that we have seen on our place. 27" spread and was a tank of a deer. Best news is the other buck of similar size made it through the season. Someone in the family should have a great opportunity next year.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/kWCmmwR.jpg)
On to my Black Hills deer hunt. I have some friends that come out whenever they can draw a tag. This was the year! It had been a pretty rough fall for one of my friends with his wife passing away. Was really looking forward to spending some time with him. I had saved my tag specifically to hunt with them the end of November. I had no intentions of filling the tag, unless something good presented.
The first morning we made it to his favorite spot. I was along for company, an extra set of eyes and to do some rattling. It was a beautiful morning with the deer moving extremely well. Had already seen two bucks that my friend was not interested in.
Then it got interesting. Paul said "there's a buck"
Thinking it was one we had already seen, he did not get ready. We were facing opposite directions with our backs up against a tree. I was shielded by both Paul sitting on his stool and the Ponderosa. So I spun around to take a look. Brought the binoculars up with the buck only 60 yards away.
I immediately told Paul "you need to shoot that buck".
But he was caught wide open with his Marlin 35 Remington laying in his lap pointing the opposite direction.
He said "I can't".
About that time the buck knew something was up.
I then stated "one of us needs to shoot that deer"!
He stated again "I can't".
The buck then started moving off knowing something was not right.
I asked him "is it ok if I shoot him"?
He said "yes, please".
Since I was kneeling at the time, it was much easier for me to get into a shooting position. I brought the rifle up and used the tree as a rest. As I was doing that the buck stopped one last time trying to figure us out. The crosshairs settled and the gun went off.
The buck immediately showed signs of a good hit, ran off over the edge. After sitting for a few minutes to take in what had just happened, we went and found him plied up not more than 100 yards from where he was shot.
The rifle is a project gun I picked up here on the Fire. Husqvarna 1640 6.5x55 with an aftermarket 1:9 twist barrel in a Sako Hunter edge stock. I sent the rifle to Dennis Olson in MT to give it a go over and install a new bolt release that had been removed for some reason. Rifle is shooting 129gr Hornady Interlock at 2800fps plus. It has quickly become one of my favorite rifles for carrying and hunting.
Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday season and a fantastic 2021.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/K0tfPrF.jpg)
!
I just happened to find three this year. 
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/X0n16mr.png)
ss relating to a different thread. 