Starting 2022 out with a "Bang"

[big honkin jeep]

On our annual family mens hunting trip getaway to Alabama I harvested a pretty nice Alabama whitetail to start out 2022.
Thanks to my cousin Jeremy who busts his butt farming for and managing the free range whitetails on their property.
My trusty old Savage 116 FLCSAK in 30-06 did exactly as it always has and put the pill right where the crosshairs were placed for a lights out high shoulder shot.

[J.Baker]

Congrat's!

[Robinhood]

Awesome BHJ! Is that a MTAC she is sporting?

[yobuck]

That would be a very nice whitetail anywhere in my opinion.

[big honkin jeep]

Awesome BHJ! Is that a MTAC she is sporting?

No not an MTAC It's an E1 3-9x50 with a standard duplex style reticle instead of the E1 Christmas tree style.
In my opinion the crosshairs are easier to pick up in low light than the E1s with the Christmas tree style.
Right before the hunt I pulled off the Leupold Vari X 2, 3-9x40 that had been on her since I bought her new that always held zero and has been a really good scope, and installed The Burris E1 looking for a little extra in the low light performance department with the larger lens.
Optics, especially budget options (picked this one up under $170), have come a long long way in 25 years. The 5.6 to 17MM exit pupil on the Burris E1 3-9x50 rivals light transmission of some scopes I was checking out costing 10X more. It's really bright and clear, shows good detail, holds zero well, and is one of several Burris E1s in different configurations I have picked up in the last few years.

Here's another pic of the buck. Man I'm proud of that big ol boy and cant wait to get the mount back. And thanks yobuck, After searching the woods and fields for many years I'm thinking he's a pretty nice example of a free range whitetail myself.

[Robinhood]

No doubt it is a nice one. You don't find many free range in Texas that heavy. With all of the land being broken into small parcels
you will never see one like that again except on managed property or a big place.

[yobuck]

They need to be allowed to live long enough to grow them that size.
Ive been hunting them in the most remote area of Pa for more than 70 years.
And we have more larger rack bucks like this one today than at anytime in my lifetime.
And that is due to one reason, antler restrictions.
No more shooting small spikes and Y bucks, and it has paid off with much nicer bucks.
You want meat, just go shoot a doe and go home.

[big honkin jeep]

Not shooting bucks with smaller racks plays a huge part. Everyone except kids first buck is 8 and up outside the ears. Year round nutrition through food plots as well as great habitat plays an important role to keeping the dominant ones around as well.
With antler restrictions, sometimes you do get the huge old guy that just wont put on more tines so we did have this guy running around.
dude looked pretty old for a 4 pt and had some pretty impressive beams just no additional tines. Nicknamed him Fat Albert.
After careful consideration he was culled and sent to the processor right after we left. Ground checked at 204#
I watched him for a couple of hours chasing does and ripping up turnips the size of grapefruits and wolfing them down.
Didn't shoot that day but had a great time in the stand. (It can be really difficult to hold your rifle and phone steady and line everything up for a photo at better'n 200 yards LOL) Sent pics to a buddy who wanted to know what gym he worked out at and how much he could bench press.

[J.Baker]

That's a big boy. Any idea what he weighed dressed out?

[big honkin jeep]

That's a big boy. Any idea what he weighed dressed out?

Nope they just weighed him as soon as they dropped him at the processor and he hung at 204#
It's about a 30 minute ride and they dont charge any more or less if they're field dressed, so the processor got to deal with the buzzard, coyote and pig bait and the hunters got little more than a little blood on their boots and the bed of the truck.
Pretty sure this way the organs, bones scraps etc. wound up being used for pet food or something and didn't entirely go to waste.

[J.Baker]

That's cool. Know a lot of guys around here will bag the guts and keep them frozen until after deer season ends, then use it as a coyote bate pile to call over in Jan/Feb. Buddy mine does the same thing with rabbit guts with pretty good success.