Small Iowa Buck
Whitetail Deer
Been having some health issues with the prostate gland and with limited time I decided to take the first mature buck that walked by. This guy walked out from underneath my tree (without me knowing) and chased a doe 200 yards out into a field. I thought that it was over, however, he turned around (as the doe wasn't ready) and walked in at 17 yards. He gave me a quartering away shot and I thought that he looked mature enough. Unsure how good the shot was I left him lay over night. Next morning I had a GREAT blood trail. Found him piled up 100 yards away in a deep gully. (why do my deer always die in a deep gully)? 10 point with a really worn rack.
Looks like a "shooter" to me! ;-)
Congrats and prayers for your prostate issues. Thanks for the reminder to schedule my annual check up.
Great buck!!! Congrats and best on your health.. congrats!
congrats on your harvest and praying for your health Harold
congrats man! good luck with your health
Congrats on a great buck!
Great buck and here's to a speedy recovery for you!
Congrats and prayers for your health:)
Congrats on the buck! Love the picture!!!
Congrats and best wishes with your health issues, Martin!
'Small Iowa buck' sounds like an oxymoron to me after seeing most of the deer from Iowa. Nothing wrong with this buck. I have to wonder how good the meat is on these deer left overnight though. Never could do that myself. I have to find them that night and will look well after midnight if I have this happen. Never been comfortable leaving them 'overnight'. Too many darn 'yotes here anyway. If you have any meat left, it is spoiled anyway. Why bother shooting if you aren't gonna look for it right then? I know, could jump it if a poor shot. Not knocking you or anyone who does not look, but for me that does not compute.
Many guys on this forum can relate to prostate issues and elation from killing a nice buck. Congrats and hope you feel better.
Nice buck! Congrats! I have left a few deer over night and never lost meat from doing so. You have to take all things into consideration after the shot including the temperature over night.
I guess I just figured that no matter what the temperature, the guts bloat up and sour the meat overnight. Never saw one that didn't . I am not saying it doesn't happen, just never thought it was an option to leave overnight and still think I'd have something edible. Glad that is not always the case.
Why bother shooting? Because you don’t know that you will get a questionable hit before you shoot. As long as it isn’t hot the meat will always be good in morning. If you track to soon you may never find it. Great buck and good luck with the prostate
Yep Trapper. Many people "think" that they make perfect shots (especially those with cameras where they can review the footage). I have often made shots that I thought where great only to find I did NOT hit where I thought I hit. "WHEN IN DOUBT BACK OUT".... that's the saying. I knew I hit the buck further back then I wanted. Come to find out I hit major arteries and the buck was probably dead in 1/2 hour.
As others have stated... there are other factors. We have 'yotes around here however, I can not remember one time when they touched a deer left over night (and I have help to recover a lot of deer the next day). The temp when I shot this deer was about 26 degrees and was suppose to get down to 12 degrees the following morning. I was not worried about spoilage of the meat (now if the temps were in the 40 - 50's then I would have went after him). Last I'm sure that meat can be soured, however, recovering the deer the next day in cold temps... I have not encountered that situation.
Sounds like the 'yotes in your area are really hungry. I know the feeling. I once shot a doe in Wyoming. Left it over night in cold temps....next days the only thing left were the ribs... never seen a carcass picked so clean in one night. Learned my lesson about Wyoming.
very nice buck! way to go
If he dropped within a hundred yards, I'd bet he was done in closer to a half a minute than half an hour....
I'm a fan of sneaking over to where the animal was when hit and making a decision based on sign, rather than trying to recall real clearly what I saw when the animal was hit. I've (mostly) had real good luck with that so far - credit a slow-moving arrow, I guess - but blood and hair tell you a lot more than fast-moving objects in low light.
Glad you got him back whole...
No "deer shaming" here! Great buck, good for you!
Awesome when it all comes together like that. Congrats.
I think that is a fine buck by any standard.
Congrats
He isnt really that small. He's a nice buck. Congrats.
I could show you some small ones. I actually hold the record in my group. 28lbs skinned, no guts. I was mercilessly persecuted. :) In my defense I dont think he would have made it through the winter.
But the same guys riding me were happy to eat it. They picked it out off the meat pole for camp meat.
Darn nice buck! Congrats on the success and wish you best with your health.
