Backyard bucks....

[Warmouth]

This buck looks to have decent mass in the first pic, but so-so in the second, hopefully it'll kick in on the 3.5yr old.

I think PS pretty much nailed the score. I would have the g-2 and g-3's all the same length around 9.5-10.5, and 30 is about right on mass. 135-138" as a 3.5yr old is quality stuff, by my thinking. Solid shot at hitting 150 next year.

[SAMCRO]

Which buck you referring to on score, Dave? The tall looking one, or the one you have pics of in your post?

I'd say the taller one is taller than 9.5 on tine length. I can almost be sure of it. He's pretty neat in person and comparing his tines to deer I've killed, they are at the 11" mark. Again, no proof, just sightings.

On mass, you're right. These deer don't have it, nor do they exceed an 8 pt frame. I can live with it, though.

[Warmouth]

I was talking about the 3.5yr old tall racked buck. Whether the tines are 9.5 or 11", to me it looks like every tine is within 1/2" of each other g-2's and g-3's.

[SAMCRO]

Gotcha, and I agree. They're pretty close in height/length. He's a cool looking deer in person. He's one that looks bigger than he is, if that makes sense.

[PoisonSnake]

Do you see many of these bucks during the daylight hours?

[RB]

Here's my favorite pic from last summer. We call this one Wideload.



and one more, the Big Ten. My doofus SIL missed him four times during gun seasonl. I saw him the Sunday before the opener bedded with a doe on the edge of a hayfield. I stopped the ranger 30 ft from him and he just layed there looking at me with a PS type grin.

[SAMCRO]

Yeah, I've seen them all in the daylight. Not a lot, though, if that's what you're asking.

Saw one a lot nicer than these during the rut, but I was standing in the house. Never did get a picture of him.

[RB]

Sammy, I'm sure there are better deer but these aren't bad for hill deer south of 70.

[SAMCRO]

Agree, RB. I'm really not complaining. These deer are better than what 99% of the hunters in the state will ever kill. This is a discerning crowd on ODM, with a more realistic view of what's possible.

I passed a shot at the shorter, older buck this year, due to the tall-tined buck being down in the valley. That was plain stupid.

[SAMCRO]

Oh, and after that I made a deal with myself to not pass a shot on either of these bucks again, no matter the circumstances. I put my Lone Wolf up down on a trail crossing in the valley, and that morning I got to watch the older buck cruise right past where my stand had been.

Just couldn't close the deal on either of these guys.

[Warmouth]

I put my Lone Wolf up down on a trail crossing in the valley, and that morning I got to watch the older buck cruise right past where my stand had been.

That's the worst.

I was out wandering around yesterday morning and was thinking of moving a stand to within 45yrds of a stand I already have up. They are skirting both stands now, and I as I was thinking about it, I immediately thought "when I move it here, where are they going to travel to skirt this stand?".

[PoisonSnake]

The HFA is the only place I have really run cameras this year. Well, I guess I did have one out early in the fall there at the house. Anyway, most of the deer I have on camera, I have never laid eyes on. And..., most of the deer that I have had opportunities to shoot, I don't have a single picture of. I wish I had placed a camera over the feeder these last couple of months. Too lazy I guess. But, I have only seen 2 small bucks at the feeder during daylight hours this year.

Now, here is something interesting. I have 2 Bushnells placed about 7 or 8 feet apart. One faces east and the other west. You would not believe the number of bucks you get on one camera and never get on the other. Very surprising to me.

[SAMCRO]

Yeah, camera isn't going to catch everything.

Couple pics from recently. One from yesterday right after dark, the other a couple days ago during that snow we got.

PICT0136.JPG (116.43 KiB) Viewed 35628 times

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Oh, and the buck that's on the top of this page went and dropped already.

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[Warmouth]

The most mature bucks drop first, or so the legend goes.

[SAMCRO]

Yeah, I've heard that. Don't know if it's true or not.