Rammer

Its been a long season for me. I actually got pretty burned out of hunting this year. On my trip out West muley hunting, the hunting was really slow, and we weren't seeing anything. We'd see maybe 4-5 deer a day, and the days were long and hard. I end up tagging a nice buck on that trip, it was actually the only one that we saw that was worth shooting.



My season at home this year was very frustrating. People here think that the only way to deer hunt is out of their pickup window. Opening day I had a guy and his 9 month pregnant daughter chase a real nice 5x5 down (out of their mini-van) and shoot it on my property. This was a 145" deer that they poached. The guy offered me $500 not to have him arrested, I kindly refused the money and had him and his daugther arrested.

Then after that incident it only got worse. I'd be sitting a mile from a road on my property and I'd have pickups "Renegading" my property chasing the crap out of deer. After a few good A$$ chewings (there are local guys, my neighbors) I was literally fed up with hunting.

Thanksgiving day found me locating a really solid 4x4 that I'd been watching all year. My buddy and I were sitting on a hilltop and the buck was pushing a group of does right at us. He was about 375 yards from us and I saw a pickup start driving across my field at the deer, I tried to get on him for a shot but he bolted. The guy (my neighbor) chased the deer a mile, didn't shoot it, then had enuf balls to come back and tell me that deer wasn't worth sooting anyway. This deer would gross in the mid 140s as a 4x4.

The deer were very scattered as well all season, I sat almost every morning and evening, and 2 evenings ago I saw a real nice 4x4 and make a 3/4 mile stalk on him, only when I got close enough for a shot, 3 bucks joined the herd and I could no longer tell which deer to shoot, so I had to back out.

This evening I went out to sit in some hardwoods (new property we just bought this fall), and when I got there, another local had already driven the half section, thru the CRP and trees. I gave him a good A$$ chewing and kicked him off. So, then I went to another piece of my property and kicked up a nice buck. I end up getting a 175 yard broadside shot on him, and got him. I had passed this deer a half dozen times archery hunting, and I wish I would have let him grow another year, but I was really frustrated and ready to tag something. The backstraps will be tastey tomorrow!

On a good note. Opening morning I had been watching a real nice buck all year, and I saw it enter my buddies property. I end up putting him in the honey hole, and he tagged it. This deer end up grossing 165".

Now for the pics.

My '07 whitetail buck:



My buddies buck I put him on:

buckhunter14

Awesome story, tough season but you did your best. Beautiful deer!

skeeter 7MM

Rammer that sucks.I know the feeling. A couple of years ago after many hours pursuing a certain buck in my ML area I had to endthe season on a sour note by putting down a buck I had grown fond of seeing.A couple of slops deceided to leave him to die a miserable death. I arrived late that morning and upon walking in to sit the day in my blind I noticed the buck bedded in the middle of the field, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I got closer and he never got up just watched. Finally he tried to get up but couldn't go, both front and rear legs had been shot and broken. It was dishearteningbut I knew i had to put him out of his misery and it ended my drive/season. I never did see that buck I was chasing after that day and have to wonder if he to was a victim? I saw him the previous morning but couldn't get a shot.[:'(] It is not the first nor the lasttime a slob will ruin the experience but thisincident left a real impression. [&o]

Any way chin up, enjoy thepositives instead of dwelling on the frustration andnegatives.

Congrats and enjoy. Your buddy should be mighty happy and is lucky to have a friend who sets him up on a 160 class deer...selflessness is a rare commodity. I like your style!

tsoc

Way to persevere! Congratulations on your kills! There are some seasons where nothing comes easily! You stuck to it and got it done,take pride in that!

WV Hunter

Nice deer, way to stick it out. I think I'd be making good friends with the Game Warden or whoever handles those issues where you are. Sounds like they'd have a field day on your land alone! It's amazing what some folks that call themselves hunters will do.

johnnybravoo77

Great deer!!! Sounds like you could gotten a couple extra 4x4s though, Im guessing they would have scored in the 1500 or 2500 on chevy scale; 150 or 250 on the ford scale!!!!!!!!! I have a couple tricks to keep vehicles off your property if your interested.

Rammer

Thanks guys for all the kind words. The funny thing is, the game warden was around in an un-marked vehicle busting guys for shooting out of their vehicle windows. The only problem was, he didn't catch enough of them.

All I hope is that my big buck I was watching was smart enough to not get blasted by one of the yahoo road hunters. The buck I was chasing this season hung out with the deer I put my buddy on all year, and they didn't seperate till 3 1/2 weeks ago. The deer puts that 160" class deer to shame as well. I was hoping this would be my year, as I've been watching those 2 bucks for 3 years now. I'm just glad I could get my buddy on that deer instead of it being harvested illegally.

Johnnybravoo - always interested in hearing new ways to keep the poachers/tresspassers off my land!

johnnybravoo77

If you have driveways on to your fields just throw some nails in a 2x6 for spike strips. just dont forget that theyre there. bury them so just the nails stick out of the ground. if your hunting where you can see people shooting from the road, take your video camera and tape them, this and a call to police and/or game warden will ruin there day.

jim1966

Nice deer. Congrats.

Bake North

Congrats on some awsome deer,I wish more of the road hunters would get caught aswell.This year during our shotgun hunt we had a couple of kids we know shoot one in the headlights of his truck the worst part he shot towards one of our guy's,don't think he didn't get a few words thrown at him and his father wasn't to impressed.