December 2023 WapitiTalk Photo of the Month Contest

[WapitiTalk1]

This month’s theme is “Antlers”. Let's see some antler pics

1. One photo submission allowed per month, per member (yep, stinky MODs may enter a photo also).
2. Photo must relate to the monthly theme (or risk being disqualified).
3. Do not use photo editing software to enhance your photo. Just post the photo as it was taken with your camera, smart phone, trail cam, etc. You may have to resize some photos so they are accepted by the forum software; remember, photos can only be 800X600 pixels "MAX" for our forum.
4. You may use older photos you have on hand, but, do not submit a photo that has won a previous WT photo contest.
5. Any WT member may enter a photo they have taken or appear in.
6. Judging – WT members will vote on monthly photo submissions.
7. Contest period will normally end the last day of the month.
8. Winner must contact WapitiTalk1 via PM and provide mailing address for prize (your prize may be sent directly from a WT sponsor or from RJ).
9. Prizes will vary from month to month.
10. All monthly winners will be automatically entered into the "photo of the year" contest.

The prize for the December 2023 contest is to be determined

[wawhitey]

Favorite set i ever got without a bunch of meat attached. New years morning 2019.

[Thegreatwapiti]

Saw this guy in the parking lot of my sons high school this week. I also saw him last week about a mile and a half away!!

[wawhitey]

That wasnt a casual sparring match that did that. That buck got his ass handed to him.

On another note, im sure he feels safe being at a school due to the gun free zone signs, maybe you should explain to him that pretty much all crazy mass shooting events happen in gun free zones. Those areas are a magnet for psychos.

[Thegreatwapiti]

No surprise he is "Left-leaning"

[7mmfan]

Just some bone and agony on a heavy pack out. At least it was all downhill. Mostly.

[Lefty]

2015-11-08 13-42-23.JPG (136.54 KiB) Viewed 496 times

[WapitiTalk1]

Get em in you wild bohemians, last chance to win before all the monthly winners get entered into the WT Photo of the Year contest.

[Indian Summer]

To Jackson in August for a friend’s wedding and of course a hike to high camp. She can hike!

[Swede]

Antlers from my 1965 buck. I am standing in our front yard about ready to depart for Virginia after a short leave upon completing basic training (boot camp) in San Diego.

[7mmfan]

Swede is serious this month.

Swede do you still have that set of horns around somewhere?

[Swede]

Here is that same rack in my hunting room today along with some archery kills.

[7mmfan]

Fantastic. What's the story? A deer like that deserves a story.

[Thegreatwapiti]

Fantastic. What's the story?

You should have seen the damage to the front of his Edsel!

[Tigger]

Edsel? Heck, I figured he hit it with his horse and buggy in the 1880s.

[Swede]

icc_180.jpg (98.35 KiB) Viewed 426 times

I killed the buck shown 58 years ago early in October. My family had waited a week after the season opened for me to return from boot camp. It took us a day to get to camp and set up. We hunted a little in the evening but not much. The next morning, we saw nothing to shoot.
In the early afternoon of our first full day of hunting dad, my brother and I got out of our pickup and started hiking over some pretty rocky terrain. We had hiked out about four hundred yards from the truck when I decided to hang back and wait and watch a little extra. I figured there was no purpose for all of us to walk together. I went to the right about thirty yards to get a better view of the area we had just skirted by. At the same time dad and my brother kept going farther out. After I watched about five minutes, I caught movement a little over three hundred yards back from where we had come. It turned out to be the biggest buck deer I have ever shot.
I was carrying my 6.5 Swede at the time. It was my only high-powered rifle. It was a sportified carbine with peep sights and a slightly modified military trigger. I knew I had a long shot to make if I was going to bring down that buck. After taking careful aim I squeezed the trigger. I had a hit, but the buck did not go down. He kept limping farther out on a rock ridge. Farther out there was a trail down off the rock. That is where he was headed when I shot. He got to the precipitous trail off the rock ridge and turned back. He could not make it with a broken leg. By coming back, he gave me another shot opportunity. I held a little higher the second time. The next shot dropped him as he tried to turn back around once again. He could no longer get up and I could hear the banging of his antlers as he swung his hear back and forth on the monolith.
I hurriedly walked over to the buck. I stood over him in awe and disbelief. A sudden sadness came over me as I looked on the situation. What a magnificent creature. He was a wise old buck that fate just got the best of on that particular warm afternoon. I put a finishing shot in him mostly out of respect. He was going nowhere but ...
Soon after finishing off the deer, I heard my brother call out. He was very near where I had shot from. Before he headed my way, he asked how big the buck was. He could see it was large but could make out no detail. I hollered back, "he is a 10 point". He actually had ten points on one side and nine on the other not counting eye guards. He could not believe his ears, so he asked again. I don't think he waited for the answer before rushing my way. Soon dad caught up. George got there first. He said they barely heard the shots. They sounded a mile away. They had partly walked back to see what was holding me up.
Dad could barely believe it when I told them I shot it just a few feet from where I left them. The shot was long for both me and that gun. I had been very lucky. I was lucky to break a front leg and lucky there was no way he could escape down the rock face he would have to descend going forward. I did not know it at the moment I made the first shot, but with a broken front leg he had to come back.

[Deanmac]

Swede, I enjoyed the story and picture

[7mmfan]

Swede that's great. Thank you for sharing the story. There's a lot of lessons in there.

[forkyshooter]

nice blacktail that showed up as soon as season was over and then kept comin back.