first NC deer

[7mmfreak]

Last year I decided that if I was stationed on the east coast I might as well make the most of it instead of wishing I could hunt at home in the Texas panhandle. I saw two bucks (120 &140)last year but couldn't get a shot because they were out of range of my slug gun.

This year I registered a rifle on post and set out hunting when I got back from Afghanistan in September. I hadn't seen anything but black squirrels and hillbillies all season until this morning. Everyone and their dog was off work because of Veteran's Day so post was slammed with an orange army.

I decided to still hunt a little used area this morning. I came across two rubs and a scrape that had a wet spot in it. It looked fresh so I faded off to the side with the intent of overwatching the rubs/scrape. I took about ten steps off to the side of the trail when I saw this guy feeding about 50m away. I put my rifle on my monopod and waited for him to give me a good shot. One 175gr 7mm Partition did the job and he stayed where he dropped.

He ain't huge but he is a good representative of what I see here. Check Station aged him at 4.5yrs old and he weighed 138.2 on the hoof.




Funny part of the day though was when I brought him home and started dressing him and my Border Collie snatched his weiner an bean bag and scarfed them down before I could tell her no.

[wilmsmeyer]

That's a nice deer!

A guy I know told me that the person who castrates his cattle always brings his dog...not sure what kind. The dog can't wait for his Colorado Oyster treats. Gobbles 'em down!

Thank you for your service to our country!

[dans]

Good story and nice looking buck. Congrats.

[whyohe]

congratz. nice looking rack.

[pposey]

Thats a great buck for anywhere in NC, here in the mnts thats a hoss,,,awsome!

[3ncboys]

Nice deer and a good story. Congrats. Sand, long-leaf needles, and oak leaves....Fort Bragg??

[DBinNY]

He looks plenty huge enough to me. Nice deer. That high shoulder shot lets 'em down quick.

[7mmfreak]

Thanks guys, and yes, that is a Ft Bragg deer.

[7mmfreak]

I was out in the woods with the guys this week. While they were doing land nav I was walking about doing some post-season scouting and checking on point sitters. I jumped a pretty good deer (about the size of the one I shot this year) from his midday bed one afternoon. The next day I found a really good scrape line which appears to still be working. I was busy marking my map and plugging with my GPS. An hour later one of the guys brought me this strapped to his pack, complete with grid from an area about 200m from the scrap line.

This deer was probably killed last season as it is pretty aged and the tips are chewed.

[jims]

You got an English mount and did not even have to pay for it.

[7mmfreak]

I forgot how it came up yesterday but we were heading home from Lowe's with a bed full of lumber when we got to talking about this deer. My wife said she had a picture I sent her that day. I had sold my truck before heading to Iraq the year before and bought a Subaru when I got home. For those wondering, a Subaru will go most places a truck will go and will haul the deer when you kill it:

[Deleted]

Very cool

[doggzoe]

Way to getr dun. Just hope they don't drop any ticks.