We wrapped up our hunt last Sunday on the 4th in Donley County. I've been able to take a week each fall and hunt this little place (180 acres) north of Hedley for the last ten years and this was by far the most successful overall. I've been lucky enough to take a few good deer over that time, including 2 in the 150's, not to mention some other wallhangers taken by my buddys who've gone with me in the past but as far as the entire group is concerned, it couldn't have been a better week. To kick things off, we arrived at lunch on Monday, November 28th and went to set up some cameras and show a buddy and his wife around the place as it was there first trip to the little "honey hole". It was her first time to hunt whitetails so hubby was gonna sit with her until she got a good un. After looking around the place, she chose to sit in the "tower blind" on the north side of the place which overlooks about 10 acres of wheat surrounded by mesquites and a couple of aerial foodplots (corn feeders) for variety. That evening, as the story was told back at the cabin, a really nice buck stepped out in the wheat at about 100 yards around 5:15 and the emotions began to flow. She took aim with her 243, squeezed, bang and nothing moved. Eject, squeeze, bang and he trotted about 10 yards. Eject, forget to squeeze, eject (live round falls on the floor and didn't come back far enough to chamber the last round) squeeze and click. CRAP. Hubby grabs his trusty Remi 700 243, hurried squeeze, WHOP, DRT (then he also took a doe that was dumb enough to hang around). Now it's picture time:
The tape we used came out to be 126 3/8" with a left broken browtine and his right G3, G4, and mainbeam were also broken. The biologist that stopped by the taxi last week said he was 6 1/2 years old.


Tuesday morning rolls around and she's still bummed about the mishap so they decide to sit on the south side and just as daylight begins to break, hubby notices a buck chasing a doe at about 180 yards. Hubby gets the deer to magically stop between two mesquites and somehow, his wife manages to spin around pick up the gun, control her emotions, get a halfway decent rest on the side of the blind, squeeze and WHOP, drt with the ol' 243. I'm sure hugs, high fives and kisses followed over there and after an agonizing 2 hour wait by the rest of us, we had to go check out her FIRST whitetail and take some pics.
We taped him out at 126 4/8". He had a 1" G4 on the right side so it made him a 9 and the biologist said this one was 4 1/2" years old.


My best friend who has gone with me several times over the years, finally connected on a wide, mature buck Wednesday evening. He sat on the north side in the "tower blind" and was covered up with deer all evening. After staring at young bucks and does, this fella appeared out of the mesquite with his nose to the ground and with a loud MAWH (or however you spell that noise to get a deer to stop), he let his model 70 featherweight in 7x57 bark at 240 yards. With a spin and a stagger and 20 yard Core-Lokt shuffle, his buck was down. I was sitting about 400 yards to the south over a ridge and couldn't wait to go and help load him up. With a big congrats and a high five it was once again picture time (also took pics the next morning).
I don't remember the exact score but he was a 6 that never grew browtines (we have past pics of him) and was right at 21" outside and the biologist said he was 4 1/2 years old.


On to Friday evening. My wife was sitting in the tower blind and I was sitting in the cedar blind 400 yards to the south of her(same spot I was when my buddy shot the 6 Wednesday evening). At about 4:45, I got the privilege of watching the oldest deer I've ever seen while hunting. He definately didn't have the biggest rack ever but you could tell he has ruled the area for quite awhile. After watching him for about 20 minutes, I realized we had pics of him from 2009 and was at least 5 1/2 then so I decided to take the old guy. He started to leave and I did the MAWH thing, and when he stopped I touched off the 308 and he fell in his tracks. I can honestly say that I'm as proud of that buck as any other. In the pics from '09, he had 6"-7" brows but he had already broken them off this year, his G2's were about the same and he had a little G3 on his left side. No professional has aged this guy but his teeth were worn to the gumline!



Saving the best for last, my wife, on the last evening and last hour of the hunt, took her best buck to date. She again sat in the tower blind on the north side and wanted to sit by herself (she says I make her too nervous, LOL). At around 4:45, she looked to the NW of the wheat and said her heart jumped into her throat. The buck walked straight south and she lost him in some plum thickets but said it gave her enough time to pull her glove off and get her heartrate from about 240 bpm to 180 bpm. Then, like the ghosts they are, he appeared from the ground 240 yards straight west of her. She eased her Remi 700 270 out the window and as he was facing hear, she touched the trigger and center punched him. One half spin and a Hornady shuffle, he was down. I couldn't get over there fast enough to see her smile and give a big hug and smooch.
He is one of the prettiest bucks I've seen and taped out at 133 4/8" as an 8. I'm not positive but I'm thinking 4 1/2 maybe 5 1/2 on age.




Thanks for lookin' and I hope I didn't bore everybody to tears. Good luck to everybody the rest of the season.
NT

Nice deer, all of them. It sounds like you have a really nice place to hunt. Congrats.

We have land in that area as well. Between Hedley and Quail. Thats alot of deer off of a 180 acres.

Thats a bunch of great bucks and stories to go along with them congrats to all of you.

Nice bucks. Congrats!

5 bucks off 180acres in the panhandle and people wonder why the panhandle is going to hell

I don't have a problem with it....................they all look like nice mature deer. Matter of fact I would say 2 are what be considered Mgt/cull bucks. I guess if the OP was shooting "anything" it might be different. To each their own I guess

Congrats nice deer

I agree with most those deer being mgt deer but the panhandle does and cannot handle 5 bucks being killed on 180 acres. 7 I know you don't hunt up here do I am sure you don't have a problem with it

My ole lease was in Turkey Tx, then again I only killed turkeys

Nice bucks.

I have no problem with those deer either. All 4.5 or older. Some culls and a heck of an old buck That I would consider a trophy for age. Congrats to the hunters looks like a great week

For all we know the place might be one of those honeyholed surrounded by a big place where hunting is not allowed or is limited to only a few family members.

Duck and Goose hunted such a place years ago 36000 acres where only 2 or 3 deer were taken a year. Some of the surrounding property had great hunting for the deer that would hop the fence from that place

Great looking bucks. Congrats!

They obviously didn't have a problem seeing a bunch of shooters in 1 weekend. Maybe no one around them hunts at all?

i understadn what you are saying about small palces and that many bucks. but isnt it kinda their choice of what they shoot on their place? does anyone on here say anything to you about what you shoot? not being rude, just to each is own

Great deer and stories. thanks for sharing. i think that is the biggest 5 point i have ever seen,,cool deer

Very nice deer.....You would be a good friend to have lol. Lots of great deer.

Congrats to all. Great bucks.

remember this post... http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u...see#Post2831028

Great story, great read... congrats

That really is True. That is about 1000 acres worth of deer. All appear to be "management deer" but that doesnt make it less than 5.

His place he can shoot what he wants, just know it is going down hill every year due to the numbers being shot not hacking the deer or him just an observation since hunting up here since 97 and it is apparent that is going down hill.

You probably need ARs.

Don't think 13" is an issue

well hopefully it will all turn out ok. ive seen your bucks ya'll take and they are all awesome.

Awesome week for sure!

We have peanut fields north of hedley, all I want to know is how many does did yall take, the buck to doe ratio is so bad the deer did more damage than hogs.
Surely you took your four does also or did you do what most city people do kill your bucks and leave the does because it cost to process kills?
WOW some things never change.

Later Rance