Panhandle buck

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treefarmer
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Panhandle buck

Post by treefarmer » Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:45 pm

Hadn't checked in in a while so I'll go ahead and add a bit of a tale and some pictures to back it up.
Last Thursday afternoon I went to my old shooting house here on our place and watched several deer come out of the woods and enter the food plot. All were does, big yearlings and a couple of fawns that were still trying to nurse. Our rut is about to get serious but hasn't cranked up full speed just yet. Been seeing a lot of small bucks, a bunch of spikes and only a couple of larger one on the cameras.
The woods are still a mess since Hurricane Michael 16 months ago and deer patterns have changed a bit to accommodate their traveling ease. Last season was very slow. This year it looks a bit more promising as I have already killed a doe on the lease property.
This buck showed up around New Years according to the camera stamp:
WGI_0042r.jpg
Last Thursday afternoon he walked out of the woods on the east side of the food plot opposite from where the "girls" came out. There was still about 15 minutes of legal shooting time. It was overcast, the light was fading but I took a crack at him anyhow. At the shot he jumped and ran into the pines and it looked like he traveled on through the downed pines as there were several "flags" heading west. I drove the cart back to the house and got the dog and proceeded to have her go completely nuts with all the deer scent. I found a small bit of blood on the green Rye grain plants and then another small drop or two and lost the blood trail with the flash light. The dog wouldn't pay any attention to the blood.
Replaying all this in my mind and seeing the small amount of blood I came to the conclusion that I had just cut the deer and one of the flags running through the pines was his. I hate to cripple a deer, they deserve better. I was almost convinced that I had just cut him with a bad shot and he would heal up and hair over.
The next morning right after coffee, I took the dog back to the woods and again showed her the blood spot. I had actually broke off a Dog Fennel stem and stuck it in the dirt by the blood the night before. Well this time she goes straight to the next blood spot I had found and then walks about 30 yards into the downed pines and looks back at me. For some reason the buck didn't hardly bleed? There was the entry hole and there was an exit hole and the autopsy showed part of a lung and the liver blown up but he was full of blood when I opened him up. I guess stranger things have happened.
Was able to salvage everything but the liver, was blessed as the evening was not that cool.
Here are a couple of pictures after the recovery:
004r.jpg
012r.jpg
This is the one I hope to see as the rut continues to increase. Looks like maybe a 10 point?
WGI_0145r.jpg
The does are not showing a lot of color on their hind legs yet. The deer will still be rutting when the season closes at the end of February.
A little update from Starvation Plantation in the Florida Panhandle, y'all have a blessed day!
Treefarmer
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jtcmedic
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Re: Panhandle buck

Post by jtcmedic » Sun Jan 19, 2020 9:27 pm

Well done
DUTY, PRIDE, TRADITION

JBUG308
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Re: Panhandle buck

Post by JBUG308 » Tue Jan 28, 2020 12:11 pm

Great job ol friend. Glad you were able to recover and dress out this buck!

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treefarmer
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Re: Panhandle buck

Post by treefarmer » Wed Feb 19, 2020 8:15 am

Was able to down another Panhandle buck yesterday evening about 5:40. Didn't need the dog to find him but just to "humor" her I took her to the woods and let her "find" him. He went about 50 feet before he pile up. The tractor wouldn't start so we had to drag him to the house behind the cart, gettin' too old to pick one up any more.
Here he is:
2020-02-18r.jpg
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drgn4sr
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Re: Panhandle buck

Post by drgn4sr » Tue Feb 25, 2020 9:07 pm

nice deer. dead weight is never easy to pick up regardless how old you are.

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treefarmer
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Re: Panhandle buck

Post by treefarmer » Tue Mar 31, 2020 10:09 pm

Sittin' here lookin' at the forum and realizing it's not being utilized like it once was, kinda' sad.
To finish up the Zone D hunting for the year we go back to bow and M/L for the last week of February. I only shot my M/L rifle one time, had a terrible time finding my muzzleloading gear. I cleaned the bore, loaded it and fired at a milk jug full of water at about 85 yards. Not my typical tune up session but for the short place I was going to hunt I figured it would have to do. Went to the claypit and got in the little box blind that's on a small trailer frame. A bunch, I'm sayin' a big wad of deer came in to the corn just before legal time was up. Finally they all scattered and another deer took over the corn pile. It was too dark and passed legal time anyway. Never could make out antlers but I knew it was a buck. The next evening I went back and a big ol' doe came out of the bushes and a few minutes later a yearling joined her. They fed for several minutes , when all of a sudden the doe bolts and runs straight away from me. That didn't make sense, I hadn't moved and the wind was from them to me. Then the yearling took off! In just a few seconds out stepped a little 5 point. He was facing me and never did let his guard down. Finally I eased the rifle around and put the crosshairs about the where the neck and shoulder come together. When the smoke cleared I could see a white belly!
2020-02-25rrr.jpg
So that was the end of the Panhandle deer for the season. I'd killed a doe and this 5 point on the lease and killed two 8 points on our farm. Pretty good year considering me gettin' older every year. I was not confidant in my M/L as I had not really sighted it in. For that reason I chose the short range on the lease. Well the cameras made me feel foolish, very foolish. There was a really nice buck in the food plot at the house, got pictures of him on two cameras, some of the pictures were less than 50 yards from my shooting house. Here is the best picture of him a few days before the season closed. Here he is at 4:30 one of the afternoons when I was sitting at the other site. (Time stamp is an hour off.) Maybe he'll make it through the summer and we'll try him again next season.
WGI_0001rrr.jpg
That's all for now.
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bellyacher
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Re: Panhandle buck

Post by bellyacher » Wed Jun 30, 2021 9:26 pm

got ya some nice deer there Treefarmer
Be polite, be professional, BUT have a plan to kill everybody you meet

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