Well, this story starts opening weekend. I was out in the oilfield and they P/A'd our well the day before opening weekend of rifle season, so unexpectedly, I was on the way to our ranch in Sonora, Texas. I got there about 2 hours before dark and went and hand corned all the spots we were gonna be hunting the next morning and pulled the TC cards. Saw quite a few deer moving and one absoloute giant of an axis which I am trying to get my buddy Shane on since I killed one around the same size the year before. Of coarse he was standing broadside at about 150 yards for about 15 minutes and we havent got on him again since but thats a whole different story. Got back to camp right after dark and Shane and my dad pulled in and we cooked steaks and were drinking a few cold ones and decided to look at the TC pics. About halfway through the card this guy is posing for the camera.
As soon as I saw him I knew that he was the buck I was going to be hunting. He wasnt a deer that I would normally target but with those double drops I knew I may never get a chance to kill a deer like that again. We have no idea where this deer came from as no one saw him the previous years in person nor do we have any pictures of him. Needless to say it was a sleepless night. Next morning came and I had deer all over me before the sun even came up. Had a herd of 13 axis come walking by me at 20 yards and a 130" 8 pointer along with a 10 pt that was all over 140". About 9:30 I see a deer coming from my right and just notice something looks different on his rack. I get the rifle rested on the tripod and sure enough this buck sticks his head out about 30 yards behind the feeder. The only thing I could see was his head. I didnt have a shot and he just turned and trotted away giving me a good look at those drops he was sporting. That was the last I saw of him that weekend and I figured that may be it for me since I was sure I would get called out to work again before the next weekend and I had to run home and see the family and my dog.
Sure enough I get a call on tuesday to go finish up a job for another hand in Perryton, TX. Luck had it we TD'd that one on three days so friday at 8pm I pulled out and headed to the ranch. I got in at 4:30 in the morning and grabbed a cup of coffee and waited for Shane and his dad to get out of bed. The morning hunt was slow, but I saw some good young bucks that evening including a 2.5 yr old 10 that was about a 120" deer. The next morning I saw a few fallows and 2 axis bucks along with some WT's but no sign of my droptine buck. I placed Shane's dad in a stand about .5 miles from mine and when I picked him up he said my buck had been running does in front of him for a good half hour that morning. Just so happens that is the only blind on the whole 3,600 acres that doesnt have phone service!!! Well Shane and his dad packed up and headed back to San Antonio. I was determined to kill this deer and made up my mind I was staying until I got called back out to work or I killed him as I knew this could very well be the last time I would get to hunt him. So 2:00 found me sitting in the blind he was seen in that morning. The deer were moving early and I had 7 bucks and 11 does come in before 4:00. About 4:45 a doe comes running out of the brush and sure enough the droptine buck was right on her tail. I didnt need bino's to see those drops hanging off him so I grabbed my .300 win mag and out one through both his front shoulders and he crumbled. At this point I started shaking like a leaf!! I sat for about 5 minutes and made sure he wasnt going to get back up, then I went down and looked at him. I was elated when I got my hands on this buck and this is what I saw.
I had to climb the hill out of the valley to get phone service and the phone calls and Picture texts began!! This is far from the biggest deer I have killed but I doubt I will ever kill another one like him. I couldnt be prouder of this buck! Here's some LDP's hope ya'll enjoy!
As soon as I saw him I knew that he was the buck I was going to be hunting. He wasnt a deer that I would normally target but with those double drops I knew I may never get a chance to kill a deer like that again. We have no idea where this deer came from as no one saw him the previous years in person nor do we have any pictures of him. Needless to say it was a sleepless night. Next morning came and I had deer all over me before the sun even came up. Had a herd of 13 axis come walking by me at 20 yards and a 130" 8 pointer along with a 10 pt that was all over 140". About 9:30 I see a deer coming from my right and just notice something looks different on his rack. I get the rifle rested on the tripod and sure enough this buck sticks his head out about 30 yards behind the feeder. The only thing I could see was his head. I didnt have a shot and he just turned and trotted away giving me a good look at those drops he was sporting. That was the last I saw of him that weekend and I figured that may be it for me since I was sure I would get called out to work again before the next weekend and I had to run home and see the family and my dog.
Sure enough I get a call on tuesday to go finish up a job for another hand in Perryton, TX. Luck had it we TD'd that one on three days so friday at 8pm I pulled out and headed to the ranch. I got in at 4:30 in the morning and grabbed a cup of coffee and waited for Shane and his dad to get out of bed. The morning hunt was slow, but I saw some good young bucks that evening including a 2.5 yr old 10 that was about a 120" deer. The next morning I saw a few fallows and 2 axis bucks along with some WT's but no sign of my droptine buck. I placed Shane's dad in a stand about .5 miles from mine and when I picked him up he said my buck had been running does in front of him for a good half hour that morning. Just so happens that is the only blind on the whole 3,600 acres that doesnt have phone service!!! Well Shane and his dad packed up and headed back to San Antonio. I was determined to kill this deer and made up my mind I was staying until I got called back out to work or I killed him as I knew this could very well be the last time I would get to hunt him. So 2:00 found me sitting in the blind he was seen in that morning. The deer were moving early and I had 7 bucks and 11 does come in before 4:00. About 4:45 a doe comes running out of the brush and sure enough the droptine buck was right on her tail. I didnt need bino's to see those drops hanging off him so I grabbed my .300 win mag and out one through both his front shoulders and he crumbled. At this point I started shaking like a leaf!! I sat for about 5 minutes and made sure he wasnt going to get back up, then I went down and looked at him. I was elated when I got my hands on this buck and this is what I saw.
I had to climb the hill out of the valley to get phone service and the phone calls and Picture texts began!! This is far from the biggest deer I have killed but I doubt I will ever kill another one like him. I couldnt be prouder of this buck! Here's some LDP's hope ya'll enjoy!
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