This year has been mostly a rebuilding year for me. While I had big deer in my area they were all a year or two from being ready. I decided last weekend to punch my "Trophy" tag on a old Mature 10. We have known this deer for several years...he just never developed into what we had hoped.
I bought one of the Covert Special Black Ops cameras this year and have really used it to scout. I've stayed out of my primary spot and only gone in to feed unless something interesting showed on camera. I spent most of my time chasing another big management 8 at my secondary stand (that deer was a ghost) several hundred pics of him but never seeing him in person..but that is another story.
This 10 - I actually haven't had this deer on my Covert camera at all this year, until just after Christmas...
So the Weds 26th I blazed a trail back to the ranch. Thursday morning I was settled in an hour before daylight in hopes the old 10 pictured above would return. The feeder through @ 7:00 and many of the usual suspects showed including a big 4.5 yr old 10 I have ear marked for next year. I decided I would sit as long as I could this morning to see if the old 10 would show. Just before 9 - he came trotting in from the North and promptly took over the feeder.
This deer loved Rice Bran Meal..and after a few bites of corn he parked himself over the tub of Rice Bran. Here is a text picture from my Covert camera when he looked up as I came to full draw.
Once he put his head back down I settled the pin and tripped the release. Admittedly this shot was a little / no a lot back of where I had intended. My heart sank as I knew I had just center punched the liver and was mentally going over the shot and my up coming tracking job when I saw his legs start to fail. I had already mentally prepared myself for a 4 hr wait and then watched him go down on camera. I told the good lord thanks I owe ya one..and still gave him an hour before slipping in with my .357 ready just in case.
Below is the video..thanks for watching.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8t82aB6B-Q"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8t82aB6B-Q[/ame]
I bought one of the Covert Special Black Ops cameras this year and have really used it to scout. I've stayed out of my primary spot and only gone in to feed unless something interesting showed on camera. I spent most of my time chasing another big management 8 at my secondary stand (that deer was a ghost) several hundred pics of him but never seeing him in person..but that is another story.
This 10 - I actually haven't had this deer on my Covert camera at all this year, until just after Christmas...
So the Weds 26th I blazed a trail back to the ranch. Thursday morning I was settled in an hour before daylight in hopes the old 10 pictured above would return. The feeder through @ 7:00 and many of the usual suspects showed including a big 4.5 yr old 10 I have ear marked for next year. I decided I would sit as long as I could this morning to see if the old 10 would show. Just before 9 - he came trotting in from the North and promptly took over the feeder.
This deer loved Rice Bran Meal..and after a few bites of corn he parked himself over the tub of Rice Bran. Here is a text picture from my Covert camera when he looked up as I came to full draw.
Once he put his head back down I settled the pin and tripped the release. Admittedly this shot was a little / no a lot back of where I had intended. My heart sank as I knew I had just center punched the liver and was mentally going over the shot and my up coming tracking job when I saw his legs start to fail. I had already mentally prepared myself for a 4 hr wait and then watched him go down on camera. I told the good lord thanks I owe ya one..and still gave him an hour before slipping in with my .357 ready just in case.
Below is the video..thanks for watching.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8t82aB6B-Q"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8t82aB6B-Q[/ame]
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