Cliff R Posted December 12, 2022 Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 (edited) Haven't been on here in a while, enjoying my retirement. Found a little time to deer hunt during out short gun season. I hunted two days of the archery season but only saw does, lots of them. Opening morning of the gun season I had over 30 does come thru between daylight at 9:30am. I didn't go out again till later in the week and same thing, nothing but does. I was about to give up and come down when this half rack came over the cattle fence above me and into the woods. He spotted the does that were hanging out to my right about 75 yards and bolted for them. I piled him up at 60 yards on the move thru some pretty heavy cover. The 450 never disappoints and has become my "go-to" rifle these days. It's just a good all around platform, light, powerful and the most accurate out-of-the-box auto loading rifle I've ever owned. If all the rounds aren't punching one jagged hole at 100 yards you just didn't do your part!....... Edited December 12, 2022 by Cliff R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted December 12, 2022 Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 Congrats brother good hunting glad you are well.👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARTrooper Posted December 12, 2022 Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 Nice size deer. To bad one antler is down, but you can’t eat antlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff R Posted December 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 Thanks. I leave the trophy bucks alone these days and looking to cull some smaller ones out and this was one of them. Had him on trail cam a number of times and the rack is tiny for the size/age of the deer. Got some nice venison out of him, probably close to 50 pounds. I'll take a couple of smaller does when the next 2 day gun season comes in. We're overrun with does this year, been seeing 20-30 every time I've been out....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted December 13, 2022 Report Share Posted December 13, 2022 15 hours ago, Cliff R said: Haven't been on here in a while, enjoying my retirement. CLIFF!!! Good to see you, man! That's some fat cornfield-fed Ohio deer, right there, brother! Very well done. I miss Ohio deer. They're bigger there, than any other state. That's what I remember as a kid, anyway. 'UGE!!! Well done. How are the pups? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARTrooper Posted December 13, 2022 Report Share Posted December 13, 2022 11 hours ago, Cliff R said: Thanks. I leave the trophy bucks alone these days and looking to cull some smaller ones out and this was one of them. Had him on trail cam a number of times and the rack is tiny for the size/age of the deer. Got some nice venison out of him, probably close to 50 pounds. I'll take a couple of smaller does when the next 2 day gun season comes in. We're overrun with does this year, been seeing 20-30 every time I've been out....... Those 2.5 to 3.5 year old deer you cull I think have better meat than the older trophy bucks. Idk if I taste a difference, but they are easier to butcher. we have been seeing tons of doe also. Dnr has been trying to work on doe numbers in our area for several years now, giving $10 antlerless tags every 24 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonewolf McQuade Posted December 13, 2022 Report Share Posted December 13, 2022 Congratulations @Cliff R!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff R Posted December 13, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2022 (edited) Thanks guys. I quit taking those big old bucks a few years back when I dropped one clear thru the woods a little over 200 yards with the 450. This buck had been eluding me all thru the archery season and showed himself briefly for a few seconds opening morning of gun season. He was not going to be taken by bow as he was almost 100 percent nocternal and I caught him when it was just barely light enough to shoot slipping back into his bedding area. The meat was so tough we had to pressure cook any of the roasts and even the ground meat was like eating hard rat turds. Most of it went to the dogs. After that I've only taken does and younger bucks with twisted up small racks, and they have all been excellent. Not sure if it's just me but I prefer the bucks to the does as far as the taste. The weather was cool enough I skinned this one then let him hang almost a week before processing. "How are the pups?" The pups are doing great. We just had a littler a few months ago and finally got the chocolate female we've been wanting. We call her Coco, and she is doing really good. Smart little gal she is, and has already found her place in our family. Her and Elena are inseperable. We had a HUGE male in the last litter I wanted to keep, but sadly you just can't have two Roosters in the hen house. The owner sent me some pics of him recently. He's 20 pounds at just under five months old! Edited December 13, 2022 by Cliff R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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