2024 Meat Pole

Recon$$ said:

South Dakota.

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That's awesome !

Recon$$ said:

Opening day. 350 yards with a 6.5 prc.

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The only year I decided to hunt specifically for a trophy, I set the "standard" of wider than it's ears and four points on both sides.

While glassing something told me, "Look to the left.". Apparently it was bedded and got up to sneak away. In the 8X binos I could see it was wider than the ears. Switching to the scope I slowly turned up the magnification. The second I saw four on both sides, I fired. Checking the Z5 scope, I discovered it was on 12X.

Then I checked the time: 8:15 opening morning!

RichCoyle said:

The only year I decided to hunt specifically for a trophy, I set the "standard" of wider than it's ears and four points on both sides.

While glassing something told me, "Look to the left.". Apparently it was bedded and got up to sneak away. In the 8X binos I could see it was wider than the ears. Switching to the scope I slowly turned up the magnification. The second I saw four on both sides, I fired. Checking the Z5 scope, I discovered it was on 12X.

Then I checked the time: 8:15 opening morning!

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I wasn't trophy hunting. I said first 150 I see gets it, happy he came out. Not the best scoring buck but a heavy brut. Couldn't be happier.

2024 MT buck. First mule deer in MT. Took my 10 year old son out this afternoon and thought this buck looked good enough. 315 yards with my 7 SAUM and 145 LRX.

WYO300RUM said:

Congratulations! Heck of a bull. I knew west Texas mule deer but haven't heard about elk. Was it on a ranch or special draw ?
Thanks

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They are in the area free range but it's all private land so you have to go through outfitters.

I got this guy last week on a GA WMA hunt. I was hunting from a tree saddle with a .308 bolt gun. I was on a ridge watching a big bottom and he came down the ridge to my left. Distance was probably 50 yards which is typical in the southern woods. The DNR guys aged him at 4.5 years and he weighed 135lbs field dressed. It was a good day!

Man, that's awesome!! My 10 year old struck out on both those tags this year! Hopefully next year! Beautiful deer!

Season kicked off here in SD on Saturday. I went out both mornings without seeing anything I wanted to hang a tag on. Last night, I was watching a herd of mule deer and debating whether or not the bigger of the two mature bucks was what I wanted. Light was fading and I checked behind me and saw a whitetail doe had sneaked in to the wheat field I was hunting, between me and my truck. I managed to sneak about halfway to the little draw she was in before she got suspicious and jumped the fence onto an adjoining property to circle downwind to figure out what was going on. A few seconds later, a buck popped up and went to the fence line as well. I had about 3 seconds in the fading light to decide and elected to take him at only 40 yards. He's tall but not wide...not a giant but a solid buck. The 7mm PRC dropped him in his tracks but the 175 ELD-X absolutely exploded when it hit the scapula on the near side (he was quartering towards me slightly). No exit and I haven't found any bullet fragments yet but I only got him skinned and quartered last night to let him cool down. I feel like that's well outside the optimal impact velocity for a bullet like the ELD-X (MV was right around 2950 FPS) but it has me concerned a bit on that bullet choice for something bigger, like elk. I'll have to see how my rifle likes the 175 Accubond maybe. Anyhow, it was a fun season while it lasted!

Recon$$ said:

Opening day. 350 yards with a 6.5 prc.

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That's a nice one !! Congrats.