Got a big boy! (Updated with pics) He was a fighter!

[icatchbadguyz]

Great deer. That rack has character with the drop tine and height of the rack. Now if you could just post gps coordinates to this honey hole.

 

[batoncolle]

Great deer. That rack has character with the drop tine and height of the rack. Now if you could just post gps coordinates to this honey hole.

My back yard! I finally left Atlanta to buy a house/land so I could hunt regularly. Other than my wife, best decision I ever made.

And thanks for all the attaboys. I usually let the bucks let walk, but I decided to get one this year to mount. This was actually the slowest opener ever for me, and I was getting a little frustrated, but that is why they call it hunting...

 

[BorisTheSpider]

Good for you bud!!!

 

[bassdaddy00]

Nice buck!

 

[GAGunguy]

Nice buck.

 

[Comanche]

No. I smelled the wound, and it was still fairly fresh.

The hocks were full on black, and I could smell the musk in the dark about 10 yards from him. I think pre rut is on here. I have a few picks with bucks and does together, and now after seeing his battle wounds, they are definitely sparring. He is actually the smallest of at least 2 and possibly 3 other bucks that roam the area.

I used to see bucks sparring in large bachelor groups right behind the long runways at the Pittsburgh airport but never saw it in Georgia until a few weeks ago when two identical 8 points appeared in my back yard to join a few does, a 4 pointer and a 6 pointer.
The young and much smaller 6 pointer coyishly walked up to one of the big 8 pointers, lowered his head slowly at him, then the big buck turned slowly, lowered his head gently and let the little guy lock antlers with him.
The big buck just kinda stood there letting the little guy get a feel for things for about 15 seconds until the little buck got scared and backed off....it was really cute to see.

Those ones at the airport years ago were incredible to see and some of the groups would consist of up to 12 bucks of various sizes, including monster trophy bucks all taking turns having a good ol time sparring.
Never saw anything too violent...looked more like they were playing.
They had the perfect spot there...no hunting and they were immune to the aircraft.

 

[Trout Slayer]

Nice job, batoncolle! That drop tine is awesome.

 

[Bypass]

Ok here are the pics. It is a 9 (maybe 10, did not do the ring test) with the large drop tine. Do not have weight yet, but guesstimates range from 185 - 200+. He was a fighter too. Check out the third pic with the foot long gash on his back, and he had several other battle scars. There is also a 14 and 12 pointer roaming my property so he was doing battle with them. I have never gotten a daylight picture of this guy, and I smelled him before I saw him so rut is getting close here in Peach county.

And yep got him probably about 5 - 10 minutes after sundown (which is legal). He stepped out with the first 1/2 of his body in the trail, and I had a split second to make a decision so I pulled the trigger because I was already aiming in that direction. I used my Vector AK with Aimpoint T-1. Ammo was Winchester 123 gr.

Nasty exit wound.

 

[batoncolle]

Nasty exit wound.

That actually was not the exit wound. It was about a foot long gash from sparring with the bigger bucks in the area. When we looked closely under the hair, we found several smaller battle scars. I think the couple of days of cold we had last week maybe spurred them into a little pre-rut because I also have pics of bucks with does.

 

[MRH]

Lovin' the drop tine! Good deer...Early stages of pre-rut should be on, but I'm beginning to think rut is coming early this year in many places. I walked up on two 4 pointers Sunday morning and they were sparring like crazy. The big bucks are still not ready where I hunt but I'm thinking sooner than later this year. Congrats!