Monday was the opening of buck season in Pennsylvania and I finally got my first “legal” buck at age 46, LOL!

Back in 2011 I shot what I thought was a doe but discovered it was a spike buck with short spikes, and was technically illegal as for 10-12 years now the requirement has been that the buck have a minimum of 3 points on one side. No spikes or 4-pointers allowed to be taken.

I’ve gone off and on over the years, starting at age 12 to 18, then I was away in the military and school for quite a while and lost interest. Didn’t really start going again until 2005 or so.

We were at our usual hunting spot in Potter County PA, about 30 miles from Wellsboro, PA

My Dad and I were in a blind about 18 feet high and it wasn’t that long after it got light out Monday morning around 7:40 am. The buck approached us from my right, and I waited until I had a good sight picture with him standing broadside. I resisted my normal urge to get shaky and excited and shoot too soon, which has cost me several deer over the years and took a deep breath, let half out and held then squeeeezed that trigger. BOOOOM, he dropped right where he stood!

I ranged it and it was right at 90 yards and it turns out I shot him right in the heart, almost cutting it in half. We were really glad to not have to chase him around creation following blood trails as the snow there was heavy and wet and damn near a foot deep.

My rifle of choice is a Savage bolt action chambered in 7mm-08 which I really love. Such a soft shooting round yet nearly as powerful as a 30-06 which is very popular in PA.

The buck was a 6 pointer, 4 on one side and two on the other and maybe around 110-120 lbs, not a real big one but he’ll still taste good!

When we dropped him off at the local deer processor, they had a real monster hanging there with 14 POINTS!

With all the rain we’ve had this year (I think we may have had TWICE the normal yearly rainfall thus far), the cornfields that dot this area were far too soggy to get equipment in to harvest and most of it was simply left there and the deer are absolutely loving it!











L-R: 7mm-08, .308, 7mm Magnum, .300 Win Mag

Very nice. Congratulations on a great kill. Please don't take offence at this, but learn to process your own venison. You'll enjoy the reward that much more!

Very nice, hard to get better than a 7mm-08 for a deer rifle.

Congrats! Nice buck!

quote:

My rifle of choice is a Savage bolt action chambered in 7mm-08 which I really love. Such a soft shooting round yet nearly as powerful as a 30-06 which is very popular in PA.

Sounds like a nice round. I've been deer hunting with my Browning A-bolt in 30-06 for about 25 years now.

mmmm

Venison.

quote:

Back in 2011 I shot what I thought was a doe but discovered it was a spike buck with short spikes, and was technically illegal as for 10-12 years now the requirement has been that the buck have a minimum of 3 points on one side. No spikes or 4-pointers allowed to be taken.

I've done that too.
The pic below is a little buck that I thought was a doe when I shot it.

I didn't know deer lived that long?

Nice!

I’m sitting in my backyard as I type this while a doe and her two button buck fawns are eating the deer corn I put out for them. Six others were also feeding, but had moved on already.

I hope to go next year if I have my health. If not, deer will just have to be happy and we’ll-fed pets.

Congratulations!
What load did you use?

quote:

Originally posted by xl_target:
Congratulations!
What load did you use?

Awesome! Man, I was out there in Nordmont the past two days. I am physically exhausted after staying in that shitty snowy rain for 2 days.

Nothing to show for it either lol

quote:

Originally posted by MarinetoRN:
Very nice. Congratulations on a great kill. Please don't take offence at this, but learn to process your own venison. You'll enjoy the reward that much more!

True that!

I picked up a button buck that I saw get hit by a truck the other week. I originally stopped to try and get it off the road because it was freaking out due to its mangled leg and hip.

I managed to spook him to the side where he died. I was about to drive on when I realized this would be a great opportunity to practice my butchery skills.

I took’em Home to a pissed off wife, butchered him with my benchmade barrage. He was delicious.

Congrats!!! I've been out all three days so far and have come up empty. I did jump 4 does this morning, but can't hunt them until Saturday.

This is my buck from last year.

Congrats!

My daughter got her second doe this year during the junior/senior hunt in October using her Savage 25.06. Our camp is over in Susquehanna county, but I've hunted my grandfather's camp near Roulette before, Potter County is truly God's Country.

Congrats! Way to go, I missed gun season this year, not happy. I’m going up next month for archery, gotta get some tree!

Congrats on keeping the buck fever at bay and making a great shot on a nice Pa buck.

Nice shootin Tex!

Congratulations to all who harvested a deer. I was able to take a mature doe yesterday with my 45-70. While I would love to use my Tikka 7mm-08 I’m limited to a straight walled cartridge.

Nice job PASig!

quote:

Originally posted by birddog1:
Congratulations to all who harvested a deer. I was able to take a mature doe yesterday with my 45-70. While I would love to use my Tikka 7mm-08 I’m limited to a straight walled cartridge.

Why is that?