Whitetail deer season 2023-2024

[RESERVE RANCH]

Here’s a nice, mature buck taken by one of our clients, his first buck!

 

[mdwest]

First buck is a fine quality wall hanger! Nice!

That’s the way to get them started!

 

[Flipper Dude]

Not a wall hanger by any means, but a nice management buck yesterday on what was probably my last chance to hunt this season. I’m glad to have him.

 

[migrabill]

Meat for the freezer. A Kentucky Doe.

 

[steve white]

We’ve had a great season so far this year. My oldest son got a nice 10 pt and my youngest decided he was ready and shot a doe on his first hunt out and a buck the following day.


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Deer just look so much better hanging head down, than by the neck. Great start for your boys!

 

[steve white]

Got this Southern Indiana buck beginning of November with my Ravin.

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Lordy, how wide is that rack?

 

[Wahoo]

Deer just look so much better hanging head down, than by the neck. Great start for your boys!

Thanks!
I agree with you Re: deer hanging head down as well.

 

[HankBuck]

I shot this KS buck 3 weekends ago with my bow, using 125gr Kudupoints at 13 yards. He went down within 60 yards.

The bigger news is my daughter (12), who shot her first doe last year with my 300BLK, and declared that she wanted to get a buck this year.. I told her that she'd probably have to put in more hunting time for a buck than a doe and she said that's what she wanted to do. After 6-8 hunts, she connected yesterday morning with her crossbow for her first buck! She shot him at 18 yards. He ran about 25 yards up a hill before he stopped, staggered, fell and rolled back to his resting place, about 20 yards from where he was shot.

She's good with her bow (recently upgraded to a Mission Hammr) but we're still building up draw strength before using it to hunt. She used a Killer Instinct Boss 405 with QAD Exodus broadheads. I'm so proud of my girl for sticking with goal and doing a great job when the time came!

It's been a great November in our bit of KS woods!View attachment 571191View attachment 571192

Big congratulations - must of been a Thrill for both of you. My Son, and later My Daughter’s 1st Buck’s were more exciting for me then my own....I was with them for each and my heart was Pounding!!! Now, your Daughter started out with a big one and might be hard to match or exceed that - she’ll appreciate that buck more and more over the years — especially the UNsuccessful years..

 

[HankBuck]

Virginia Thanksgiving morning....View attachment 571009

ZIP congrats, nice VA buck - did you weigh on a scale? Curious because I’m new to VA and finding deer are smaller bodied on average then I took in NJ and upstate NY. A 140 lb. and 135lb are my two heaviest so far and they were 5 1/2 & 4 1/2 yrs old. I thought they were good for my area but then took one to butcher and saw a 173 lb buck hanging there and figured “ok, big ones are here “somewhere”....so now I at least have Hope

 

[HankBuck]

Thanks! First stud I’ve taken off my own farm I bought in 2019 so he is special to me in many ways.

Daisy, I certainly respect that - taking a good Buck on your OWN property has special rewards....Not measured in inches. I consider any buck I take on my own AND on my own property “a trophy” and more satisfying then Guided hunts with “bigger bucks”. Nice going !!

 

[HankBuck]

Not a wall hanger by any means, but a nice management buck yesterday on what was probably my last chance to hunt this season. I’m glad to have him.View attachment 572765

Flipper Dude - You took an 8 pt with your Bow....that’s always an accomplishment, Congrats !!

 

[Daisy]

Daisy, I certainly respect that - taking a good Buck on your OWN property has special rewards....Not measured in inches. I consider any buck I take on my own AND on my own property “a trophy” and more satisfying then Guided hunts with “bigger bucks”. Nice going !!

Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Someone ‘xplain this to me. I have been fortunate enough to take multiple elephant and Cape buffalo. Nothing gets my adrenalin going faster that trying to stand and draw on a whitetail buck inside 20 yds.

 

[Woodcarver]

The guy I helped take his 1st buck last year, stumbled into a once-in-a-lifetime shot this year. On his own, opening day, public land in KS. Now he's going to get his first taste of taxidermy bills, lol! He's solidly hooked as a hunter.
My son and I have yet to see a whitetail, just muleys. Maybe this weekend....

 

[steve white]

Big congratulations - must of been a Thrill for both of you. My Son, and later My Daughter’s 1st Buck’s were more exciting for me then my own....I was with them for each and my heart was Pounding!!! Now, your Daughter started out with a big one and might be hard to match or exceed that - she’ll appreciate that buck more and more over the years — especially the UNsuccessful years..

I hope so...my nephew's first buck was a nice teen pointer that his father got excited over. The nephew's reaction was a shrug, then "Huh, so that's all there is to it." He has not picked up a gun since and has other hobbies.

 

[steve white]

Someone ‘xplain this to me. I have been fortunate enough to take multiple elephant and Cape buffalo. Nothing gets my adrenalin going faster that trying to stand and draw on a whitetail buck inside 20 yds.

Agree!! My brother asked "remember how you felt when you killed your first buck?...that's the way it is every time bowhunting. First shot bowhunting I was fine for five minutes, then broke out with the shakes even to my individual fingers shaking. Love it!

 

[zip4644]

ZIP congrats, nice VA buck - did you weigh on a scale? Curious because I’m new to VA and finding deer are smaller bodied on average then I took in NJ and upstate NY. A 140 lb. and 135lb are my two heaviest so far and they were 5 1/2 & 4 1/2 yrs old. I thought they were good for my area but then took one to butcher and saw a 173 lb buck hanging there and figured “ok, big ones are here “somewhere”....so now I at least have Hope

live weight likely 170 plus, you are correct there are some bigger bodied deer in Va. which is likely the product of age, at least that is how it is for myself....the older I get the bigger....lol

 

[HankBuck]

I took my first buck and it was my first deer with a bow last weekend . He’s not huge but it’s special to me

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I took my first buck and it was my first deer with a bow last weekend . He’s not huge but it’s special to me

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SienaCoyote, that’s a fine buck and Good “1st Buck”....even more so with a Bow!! my first buck was a Spike in PA during Rifle Season and I was 26 and “thrilled” - thought I took a World Record !! Was my most exiting hunting experience EVER....followed later by my first Bow Buck and then my kids “first deer”. Enjoy the feeling - it will get harder and harder to recreate the “thrill & Joy” of your First Buck !

 

[HankBuck]

We’ve had a great season so far this year. My oldest son got a nice 10 pt and my youngest decided he was ready and shot a doe on his first hunt out and a buck the following day.


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Wahoo, what great photos - the JOY on everyone’s faces makes me smile too. Your kids will remember the experience and You will continue to smile everytime you look at these pictures. I understand why you blocked out their faces - it’s likely the smart thing to do (unfortunately these days) but thanks for sharing - reminded me of my kids first deer....and the thill it was for All of us

 

[migrabill]

Muzzle Loader harvest.