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Colorado1135 (Ryan) shot a heckova buck this weekend guys!

I'll let him tell the story but here is a pic of it.

Nice Buck

Nice Buck Ryan!!

Thanks guys!
Ok, storytime.
So Mama and junior didn't want to go when it was so cold. Plus we had company so I didn't blame them, I know I wasn't missing opener and with them staying at home it meant I could shoot one this time🙂

So I get out to the property in the dark, park by the cedar shelter belt and hang a little scent wick before walking around the field. I get to what I call the "orchard" which is a mostly died out shelter belt with a few scattered trees left. Hung two more scent wicks and then headed north a couple hundred yards and sat in the tall grass on a low ridge that allowed me to see a good chunk of the crick bottom and drainages leading into it. Made a short scan video for Snapchat and waited. Within a half an hour I notice two deer that materialized out of thin air and kochia. I'm guessing they were bedded the whole time and just stood up, because they disappeared just as fast when they laid back down. One looked nice so I waited for him to stand again

A few minutes later the doe decides to wander a little and browse and get suitor follows close behind. He's pretty impressive but before I get a chance to decide how to shoot over the tall grass they hop the fence and bed down on the neighbors. Dang it. I go back to watching the creek glancing back towards the two bedded deer in case they move. I catch a couple smaller bucks criss crossing the property, one really checks out a scent wick I hung and I smiled thinking, well they work!
I scan over to the bedded deer and see a nice but smaller 4x4 start to head over to check them out. Show time! With them being distracted posturing to each other I figured to crawl into better position. After moving about 30 yards and only kneeling in cactus once I get into a slightly better position. As I lift my head I see the doe has moved closer to me and about that time her buck notices too. He hops back over the fence and trots up to her. I barely can see him in the scope from the breath frost and grass but it's a chip shot so I'm not worried. Click the safety and squeeze. Click. [bleep]. Slowly open the bolt, yeah there's a bullet, try again. Click. Eject, chamber a new one and level the crosshairs again. I hear a suppressed pew and the telltale whop of a hit. Get the scope back on him with a fresh round chambered and he's just staring at me with the doe. About the time I think wtf he turns and disappears. I wait a couple minutes then think oh crap I better look now in case he's hobbling across the neighbors field. I walk up to where he was and start scanning the ground for blood. After a few steps I see antler sticking up in the brome grass. When he turned he was piling up. Took out both lungs and clipped the liver. I walked back to the truck about a half a mile away and drive over to where he's laying. Gut and loaded and back home in time for pancakes, sausage and scrambled eggs. I still have a doe tag but I'm in no rush to fill it, had ample opportunities yesterday but I enjoyed watching the hundred or so prairie chickens flying around more than going after another deer just yet.

"only kneeing on one cactus."



Congrats Ryan!!

Thanks Tom!

Nice, well done Ryan !

Thanks!

Since I was a teenager I always wanted to shoot a deer on my own property, kind of a bucket list thing ya know.
I've shot deer on land I rented but that didn't count, I now have a spot open on my bucket list after this deer. Thankful doesn't touch what I'm feeling. Only thing better will be when we're living out there and I watch my kids whack a big one.

Congratulations Ryan, that's a helluva buck!

congratulations Ryan!

I grew up hunting public land from a camper camp that was started by my Dad & his brothers. Later as an adult I bought an old farm house on 20 acres. It was always a dream to be able to hunt just outside my back door. Its been more than 25 years & I'm still here, the hunting has gotten even better. My only complaint is that I miss the deer camp tradition. Now days I live it through text & phone calls with my Dad & brother. Dad is almost 93 and this is the first year that he has not hunted. He clearly has the interest but age has taken the fun out of it. He has a pair of binoculars by his window and watches the occasional deer behind his house. There is something special about Deer Camp. That's why I follow this thread before anything else here on the fire.


Yesterday was opening day here in Mi. and I was lucky enough to take an unusual buck late morning as he chased a doe out in front of me. There was very little blood and even with some snow I had a difficult time finding him. After losing the track several times I finally found a few drops of blood and that lead me to him. I had walked within 30 yards of him once already. It pays to keep looking, I was starting to get that bad feeling that I was not going to find him. Besides the big fork on one side there is a double brow tine on the other.
Tzone, I traded the 760 for the old Savage this year. I hate to see them sit to long. This one is 71 years old. Good luck everyone.

That's a REALLY cool buck Jim. And and even cooler rifle. Awesome pics too, thanks for showing us!

Nice to see this thread revived! I rarely visit 24hcf, but I might have to start again if the band is back together!

My daughter is a freshmen at NDSU. Yeah, that little girl. College.

My boys are 8th graders and love to hunt, fish, play sports, etc. I love watching youth sports!

This year has been a mite slow in the hunting department. I didnt get an archery elk (I kept zigging, the elk kept zaggin). We didnt get drawn for antelope. Instead, we went to ND duck hunting. Good, but not great. Overall we shot a lot of ducks this year though. Deer hunting was slow for us. Deer numbers were really down (winter kill). One of my boys shot a doe.

Sure nice to get an update on Dave's growing tribe! Take care of that digit. One word of caution, if you shoot a semi-auto, watch out where you put your index finger when you pull the trigger with your middle finger. I had the same type of injury and when I pulled the trigger, the bolt handle hit my injured index finger and I said a not-very-nice word.

And Ryan, wow, so cool to harvest such a great buck on your own property! You said you were going to be building at this location....is that buck destined to hang above the fireplace?

BM our daughter also goes to NDSU. And we had birthday #5 for the littlest trouble maker running around the house. She's ready to go hunting this weekend but it's going to be too cold for a 5 year old to sit more than a few minutes. She may go next weekend it the temps get better.

Small world fellas, our oldest is at Moorhead (MSUM).

I was through NDSU campus area twice last week with a big gooseneck trailer. I pucked up a huge air makeup unit from a plumbing and heating place near there.

It's Sunday morning of 3rd weekend (final) mn rifle season. We have not had a single deer sighting for our little group this weekend. Our camp total is one adultish (fork horn).

Temps down to single digits (f) over the weekend. Currently 12 degrees calm and clear sky.

Deer hunting was tough - got snow/ice starting opening day and basically snowed 4 days straight. Deer acted more like week 2 than opener. Opening day: rifle literally frozen shut. I could not work the action. Had to bring it in camp to thaw out to unload. I've never had that happen before in 35 years of hunting.

I saw multiple deer every day in multiple stands (and one grouse), just small/little ones not old enough to shoot. My son got a doe tag and took one though so we'll have something to chew on lol. Was really good to get in camp with him and my dad for some time. First since he was in High School in 2018. Brother and my cousin even made it out.

Made it out to the hay ground tonight, managed to put a couple freezer pleasers in the garage after a couple short stalks and a little luck. The boy learned a little bit tonight and we put some meat up so it was a good day.

Headed to Wyoming tomorrow to try and get an elk. Fingers crossed

Good luck on that elk!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Back for some turkey today.

Got a nice WI buck on Saturday morning about an hour into opening day. So far, it's the only buck I've seen.

8pt, 17" inside spread. Busted brow tine and G3. Yesterday afternoon he weighed 199.8 pounds. Shot with Remington 760, 30-06, 150gr Hornady Interlock. He dropped at the shot. Fell backwards and rolled over...done. He was hard quartering to me. Entrance in front of onside shoulder and exit behind other shoulder, lung soup inside.

As he lay


Time to get dirty







Ready for the sled