# Share your best whitetail pic/story



## OhioWRO (Mar 28, 2021)

Post a picture/story of your personal best whitetail buck or whitetail hunt.


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## codger (Aug 16, 2020)

2001 gun deer season, Washington county, Ohio. Typically there would be half a dozen of us hunting my uncle's farm, but I was the lone hunter that year. I was staying in my hunting camper that my uncle had generously set up toward the rear of his farm years earlier so I could come and go for bow hunts without bothering anyone. The first day of gun season, I'm hunting the west side of the property about a half mile from my camp. I wasn't seeing anything I wanted to shoot and decided to go back to camp and grab a bite to eat. About 100yds from my camper I decided to go ahead and take a leak, so I half eject the shell from my 870 slug gun (safety first) and lean it against a big oak tree along a fence line. I proceeded to unzip and start relieving myself and I hear lots of leaves rustling from the other side of the fence someplace. Very slowly, I pick up the gun and peek around the tree. Three bucks are heading toward me on the other side of a big swale about 40yds away. So, I figure I'll stand there and take my pick after they cross the fence and pass me, then I feel a gust of wind on the back of my neck and know my plan just fell apart. Sure enough, they winded me and headed south.. I pulled up my gun and all I could see was antlers because they were in the swale. When they popped up about 75yds away I shot the biggest one and he piled up hard. His G-5 tine on his left side broke of and was stuck in the ground where he landed. Otherwise he would have been an almost perfectly symmetrical typical 12 point.


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## Ol' Whiskers (Aug 11, 2004)

No real story here, but I caught this big boy just over the hill from home last Thanksgiving


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## OhioWRO (Mar 28, 2021)

codger said:


> 2001 gun deer season, Washington county, Ohio. Typically there would be half a dozen of us hunting my uncle's farm, but I was the lone hunter that year. I was staying in my hunting camper that my uncle had generously set up toward the rear of his farm years earlier so I could come and go for bow hunts without bothering anyone. The first day of gun season, I'm hunting the west side of the property about a half mile from my camp. I wasn't seeing anything I wanted to shoot and decided to go back to camp and grab a bite to eat. About 100yds from my camper I decided to go ahead and take a leak, so I half eject the shell from my 870 slug gun (safety first) and lean it against a big oak tree along a fence line. I proceeded to unzip and start relieving myself and I hear lots of leaves rustling from the other side of the fence someplace. Very slowly, I pick up the gun and peek around the tree. Three bucks are heading toward me on the other side of a big swale about 40yds away. So, I figure I'll stand there and take my pick after they cross the fence and pass me, then I feel a gust of wind on the back of my neck and know my plan just fell apart. Sure enough, they winded me and headed south.. I pulled up my gun and all I could see was antlers because they were in the swale. When they popped up about 75yds away I shot the biggest one and he piled up hard. His G-5 tine on his left side broke of and was stuck in the ground where he landed. Otherwise he would have been an almost perfectly symmetrical typical 12 point.
> View attachment 467638
> 
> 
> View attachment 467639


Wow what a beautiful buck!!! Man you should have had that broken tine fixed. Great story also, funny how fast things can happen and in the most unexpected places.


Ol' Whiskers said:


> No real story here, but I caught this big boy just over the hill from home last Thanksgiving


MAN!! That’s a giant!!


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## squidlips2020 (Jul 3, 2012)

2016 my best bow buck to date. Late october on a morning he came straight to the base of my tree following a doe. I had left my small fanny pack at the base of the tree for some odd reason. As he came in it was going to be a tough angle as he was at the base of the tree so I drew back as he was straight underneath me hoping to get a good angle as he was walking away... sure enough he put his nose on that fanny pack and ran down the valley. Heartbroken to say the least as he had the biggest brow tines I’ve seen. Well a week goes by I believe it was November 7th I was back in the same stand before light sat all day and didn’t see a single deer. As I was about to get down as it was close to dark and couldn’t make out my pins well I heard deer walking to me.. I could make out it was a doe followed by a buck. I couldn’t tell how big the buck was but as it got to about 25 yards I could make out it was a mature buck by body size and outline of the rack. I know I don’t get many opportunities like this in life so I pulled back my bow and tried to center my pin in the block of his body where I believe his vitals would be at last light. Squeezed an arrow off and the deer took off like hell behind the doe. Sitting there in the dead quiet dark woods I had no idea if I even hit the deer... it sounded like the both deer were running then only one as if the buck had crashed. I also thought what I heard was a deep breath like a deer was dying. I climbed out of my stand and went and talked to my father of the situation and I told him I would be over in the morning to look for the deer not knowing how big it was or what the hell even happened. The next morning I went to the spot where I shot and found zero blood or any sign of a hit. I continued to follow the deer trail and sure enough 50 yards from my stand he was dead. Wow I couldn’t believe it.

Also my first deer with a recurve last year. I probly shot 10,000 arrows over the summer and got what I thought was sufficient to try to kill a doe early season as I was hitting a pie plate consisting at 25 yards every time. Well hunting out of a treestand proved to be a little different. I missed a doe at least 6x the night before until I was out of arrows. As I got discouraged I tried again the next week evening. Sure enough the same small doe came in and I missed on her 3x something about shooting a recurve out of a stand is different then standing in the yard at a bag target. Well i finally hit the doe square in the forehead and she droppped😂. Bragging to my dad all summer I couldn’t let him see the horrible shot so I took an arrow and ran it through the lungs. Take it back to the house and show him my deer and the great shot I put on it. 😂


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## codger (Aug 16, 2020)

Ol' Whiskers said:


> No real story here, but I caught this big boy just over the hill from home last Thanksgiving


Great photo of an outstanding buck. I call good shots like that catch and release. They don't fill the freezer, but the pics take up a lot less room on the wall than a head/shoulder mount. 



OhioWRO said:


> Man you should have had that broken tine fixed.


My taxidermist wanted to, but i wouldn't let her. It's like a scar from his last battle.

squidlips, your 2016 story reminds me of this time I was up in a ladder stand and a button buck comes in and starts licking the frost off the ladder below me. I was enthralled.


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## Lil' Rob (Apr 11, 2004)

The day my son harvested his first deer...to me, not much more needs to be said...will forever be fresh in my mind as the day it occurred.


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## 92182 (Jun 11, 2021)

OhioWRO said:


> Post a picture/story of your personal best whitetail buck or whitetail hunt.


Here's an artist's view of a big buck. I photographed the sun with a solar filter on my 600mm lens, then decided to create an artistic scene using digital paintbrushes, then combine the two.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)




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## 92182 (Jun 11, 2021)

Snakecharmer said:


> View attachment 471339


Nice pic of an awesome deer.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)




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## jmyers8 (Aug 2, 2013)

The last deer hunt I had with my grandpa. I shot a small buck that morning and he went with me to drag it out. He passed away 6 weeks later after a long battle with cancer. I had 25 years of hunting and fishing memories with him.









Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

If "best buck" includes the best tasting one, well, here he is:

Let me tell you, the cleanest and best tasting meat I've ever had. He also read the script like a pro. I was set up on a side of creek wearing hip waders and hiding under an overgrown honeysuckle when he appeared on a trail paralleling the creek. The rest is history, and as Rut Daniels says: "Didn't go twenty."


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## jiggerman (Nov 2, 2009)

The year was 2008, i was bowhunting Sunday the day before gun season, i was in my climber, a buck came in but not close enough for bow. The next morning i went up in the same tree at 6 am and sat until 10 am , i thought man if i get down something is going to come bye, lo and behold 1010 am here he comes and down he goes, patience paid off.


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## eyecatchum2 (Mar 30, 2010)

squidlips2020 said:


> 2016 my best bow buck to date. Late october on a morning he came straight to the base of my tree following a doe. I had left my small fanny pack at the base of the tree for some odd reason. As he came in it was going to be a tough angle as he was at the base of the tree so I drew back as he was straight underneath me hoping to get a good angle as he was walking away... sure enough he put his nose on that fanny pack and ran down the valley. Heartbroken to say the least as he had the biggest brow tines I’ve seen. Well a week goes by I believe it was November 7th I was back in the same stand before light sat all day and didn’t see a single deer. As I was about to get down as it was close to dark and couldn’t make out my pins well I heard deer walking to me.. I could make out it was a doe followed by a buck. I couldn’t tell how big the buck was but as it got to about 25 yards I could make out it was a mature buck by body size and outline of the rack. I know I don’t get many opportunities like this in life so I pulled back my bow and tried to center my pin in the block of his body where I believe his vitals would be at last light. Squeezed an arrow off and the deer took off like hell behind the doe. Sitting there in the dead quiet dark woods I had no idea if I even hit the deer... it sounded like the both deer were running then only one as if the buck had crashed. I also thought what I heard was a deep breath like a deer was dying. I climbed out of my stand and went and talked to my father of the situation and I told him I would be over in the morning to look for the deer not knowing how big it was or what the hell even happened. The next morning I went to the spot where I shot and found zero blood or any sign of a hit. I continued to follow the deer trail and sure enough 50 yards from my stand he was dead. Wow I couldn’t believe it.
> 
> Also my first deer with a recurve last year. I probly shot 10,000 arrows over the summer and got what I thought was sufficient to try to kill a doe early season as I was hitting a pie plate consisting at 25 yards every time. Well hunting out of a treestand proved to be a little different. I missed a doe at least 6x the night before until I was out of arrows. As I got discouraged I tried again the next week evening. Sure enough the same small doe came in and I missed on her 3x something about shooting a recurve out of a stand is different then standing in the yard at a bag target. Well i finally hit the doe square in the forehead and she droppped😂. Bragging to my dad all summer I couldn’t let him see the horrible shot so I took an arrow and ran it through the lungs. Take it back to the house and show him my deer and the great shot I put on it. 😂


Why would you shoot when you can’t see your pin or make out the deer?


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

eyecatchum2 said:


> Why would you shoot when you can’t see your pin or make out the deer?


This^^^

You asked it alot nicer than I was going to though


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## basslovers (Apr 26, 2016)

I just have one story as I have only hunted deer twice. I spent Friday and Saturday walking the land looking for signs of deer. I found an area with a trail, rubbings, pooh and prints. Saturday late afternoon I climbed a tree and waited. Decent winds had the tree rocking back and forth ... my sorry butt was rocked to sleep! I awoke with a start and saw a doe off to my right! Didn't have a great shot and not wanting to risk having to track in the coming dark I climbed down and made a plan to be back the next morning before twilight dawn. Sunday the temperature drops 30 degrees and I set out around 6:30 AM. I get to that same area and lie in wait. Sunrise comes and goes. Then I see a buck and man I start going through the checklist in my mind as I watch him approach. I take a shot with my Ruger Redhawk chambered in .41magnum and the buck instantly collapses. Head shot placed in the left ear at 20 yards. Harvested my very first deer - an 8 point buck with my revolver. All of this tracking and hunting was awesome, but learning how to skin the deer and process it removing meat was just as cool.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

basslovers said:


> I just have one story as I have only hunted deer twice. I spent Friday and Saturday walking the land looking for signs of deer. I found an area with a trail, rubbings, pooh and prints. Saturday late afternoon I climbed a tree and waited. Decent winds had the tree rocking back and forth ... my sorry butt was rocked to sleep! I awoke with a start and saw a doe off to my right! Didn't have a great shot and not wanting to risk having to track in the coming dark I climbed down and made a plan to be back the next morning before twilight dawn. Sunday the temperature drops 30 degrees and I set out around 6:30 AM. I get to that same area and lie in wait. Sunrise comes and goes. Then I see a buck and man I start going through the checklist in my mind as I watch him approach. I take a shot with my Ruger Redhawk chambered in .41magnum and the buck instantly collapses. Head shot placed in the left ear at 20 yards. Harvested my very first deer - an 8 point buck with my revolver. All of this tracking and hunting was awesome, but learning how to skin the deer and process it removing meat was just as cool.
> View attachment 480079


Not meaning to be rude so please don't take it as such.
But since you have only hunted deer twice and took a head shot...with a pistol no less...I have a question for you.
Why a head shot on that deer?
Obviously you killed 'that' deer and obviously the deer had to be more broadside for you to shoot it in the ear.
But why not a much higher percentage heart/lung or high shoulder shot?
Having seen deer with their lower jaw or snout blown off and having to put them out of their misery...the head shot is just a shot I would never consider taking. Especially with a pistol...and I've shot many a deer with a pistol. Just too low off a percentage shot with high chances of the deer moving at the last second 1/2" one way or the other resulting in a wounded deer that if it gets away and will die a very long suffering death.


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## basslovers (Apr 26, 2016)

Off topic


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

basslovers said:


> Hi
> No offense taken. I understand head shots aren't for everyone. I didn't want to have him suffer nor track him. For me a head shot is a kill shot. If I was not comfortable in my skills with my wheel gun and the variables that morning I would not have taken the shot. But at 20 yards if I can't make that shot count then I probably shouldn't be out in the woods with a firearm.


Not doubting your handgun skills.
But I know for a fact that the kill zone of a brain shot of a deer is small enough that from the time a person pulls the trigger until the hammer falls the deer can move its head causing a brain miss and a wounded, suffering deer.
Will not get into the details of how I know this to be a fact but have witnessed it several times with sharpshooters culling deer using head shots. Anywhere from 30-60 deer in a night...3-400 deer a year using bench rested scoped rifles under prestine conditions. They do the risky head shots cause due to circumstances, it's paramount these deer drop where they stand...not cause they have a choice. I also hunt with a few of these same sharpshooters and as good as they are, they never head shoot deer when hunting.
Every now and again, for whatever reason, at exactly the right split second, that deer doesn't stay stationary like a non-living target. The deer moves or barely turns its head and then the BS starts of having to find this wounded deer to dispatch it cause again...due to circumstances it cannot be left running around wounded.
Again...a mere 1/2" one way or the other can be the difference between a quick kill or causing unwanted suffering.

Moral of the story...IMHO, doesn't really matter how good I am with a firearm...when hunting for pleasure...that living deer...unlike a target at the range... can move in that split second so I'll opt for the largest percentage kill zone every time.
I owe that much respect to the animal.


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## basslovers (Apr 26, 2016)

Off topic


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Topic is 'Share your best whitetail pic/story'...and it's a great topic.
My last few posts responding to basslovers were clearly not on topic of this thread.
I want to apologize to OhioWRO and members for my last few derailing posts.

Please continue guys with your best hunting pics/stories for us all to enjoy...


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

fastwater said:


> Topic is 'Share your best whitetail pic/story'...and it's a great topic.
> My last few posts responding to basslovers were clearly not on topic of this thread.
> I want to apologize to OhioWRO and members for my last few derailing posts.
> 
> Please continue guys with your best hunting pics/stories for us all to enjoy...


Lots of stuff gets derailed on ogf. Your posts on the subject are most important in my minuscule opinion. No respect at all for a person shooting at a deer hoping to hit it in the head. Everyone thinks they are a sniper until they have to listen to a deer moaning with its jaw shot off.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

bobk said:


> Lots of stuff gets derailed on ogf. Your posts on the subject are most important in my minuscule opinion. No respect at all for a person shooting at a deer hoping to hit it in the head. Everyone thinks they are a sniper until they have to listen to a deer moaning with its jaw shot off.


Yea..I get it...and Thanks.
But with respect to thread author, I shouldn't have derailed his thread and I'll own that.
Just tried to give someone that admittantly doesn't have any deer hunting experience a suggestion and a scenario that will ultimately happen if head shots continue. If I had done anything...I should have PM'd him.
Maybe a seperate thread about hunting shot percentages on live animals versus shots at non breathing targets at the range is in order.
*At anyrate...lets please keep this one on target...*


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

basslovers said:


> I just have one story as I have only hunted deer twice. I spent Friday and Saturday walking the land looking for signs of deer. I found an area with a trail, rubbings, pooh and prints. Saturday late afternoon I climbed a tree and waited. Decent winds had the tree rocking back and forth ... my sorry butt was rocked to sleep! I awoke with a start and saw a doe off to my right! Didn't have a great shot and not wanting to risk having to track in the coming dark I climbed down and made a plan to be back the next morning before twilight dawn. Sunday the temperature drops 30 degrees and I set out around 6:30 AM. I get to that same area and lie in wait. Sunrise comes and goes. Then I see a buck and man I start going through the checklist in my mind as I watch him approach. I take a shot with my Ruger Redhawk chambered in .41magnum and the buck instantly collapses. Head shot placed in the left ear at 20 yards. Harvested my very first deer - an 8 point buck with my revolver. All of this tracking and hunting was awesome, but learning how to skin the deer and process it removing meat was just as cool.
> View attachment 480079


Since your new to hunting and may not have someone to help you learn. Don't take head shots it's not a shot you want to rely on. That deer moves half an inch it's wounded. Always aim for heart lungs


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## basslovers (Apr 26, 2016)

🍿


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

DHower08 said:


> Since your new to hunting and may not have someone to help you learn. Don't take head shots it's not a shot you want to rely on. That deer moves half an inch it's wounded. Always aim for heart lungs


*Again...out of respect for the OP asking for this thread to get back on topic.
Thanks*


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

THIS JUST IN...
Buddy of mine and his son hunted this past week long gun season.
Son, which this is only his second year hunting, was in a blind in one section of the woods, dad was in a stand over the hill about 1/4mi. away.
Son shoots buck at about 50yds out. Buck turns and runs at blind. 
Buck run into one side of blind...son dives out the other side, panics and text dad on phone.
Here's a pic of what dad found when he got to his son:


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## One guy and a boat (Aug 8, 2018)

Glad the son wasn't hurt. That's awesome and lifetime memory 

Kip


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## bobberbucket (Mar 30, 2008)

That’s wild! 


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

That kid is going to need a new blind.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

One guy and a boat said:


> Glad the son wasn't hurt. That's awesome and lifetime memory
> 
> Kip





bobberbucket said:


> That’s wild!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Very glad he wasn't hurt as well.
When he sent me this pic., knowing his son well and picturing the look he must have had on his face...I got to laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Muddy said:


> That kid is going to need a new blind.


Thought about getting him one for Christmas and taking it over to the house.
Think I'll make a deer x'ing sign and tell him he has to hang it inside the blind.


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## bobberbucket (Mar 30, 2008)

fastwater said:


> Very glad he wasn't hurt as well.
> When he sent me this pic., knowing his son well and picturing the look he must have had on his face...I got to laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.


Looks like a young man that knows when to bailout! 


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## bobberbucket (Mar 30, 2008)

What was that Kenny Rodgers number. “ The gambler “ 


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

bobberbucket said:


> What was that Kenny Rodgers number. “ The gambler “
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


"Gotta know when to fold em".

Guess that buck decided he was gonna fold that blind up.


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## Moo Juice (Jan 20, 2021)

I was thinking Ronnie Milsaps, "stranger in my house". Cause, you know, he was blind.


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## 0utwest (Mar 21, 2017)

Fastwater you should tell them to leave the tailgate open on the truck next time , Wow would that be a site  !


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## Lil' Rob (Apr 11, 2004)

Muddy said:


> That kid is going to need a new blind.


I'd probably need a new pair of underwear!


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## CFIden (Oct 9, 2014)

fastwater said:


> THIS JUST IN...
> Buddy of mine and his son hunted this past week long gun season.
> Son, which this is only his second year hunting, was in a blind in one section of the woods, dad was in a stand over the hill about 1/4mi. away.
> Son shoots buck at about 50yds out. Buck turns and runs at blind.
> ...


o
Out standing Hardly ever get photos like that.
.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

fastwater said:


> THIS JUST IN...
> Buddy of mine and his son hunted this past week long gun season.
> Son, which this is only his second year hunting, was in a blind in one section of the woods, dad was in a stand over the hill about 1/4mi. away.
> Son shoots buck at about 50yds out. Buck turns and runs at blind.
> ...


Dang! Talk about crashing the party.


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