It seems like these big bucks always come with a story and this one is no different. He's a 10 pointer to start but has a huge drop tine and splits on top of points and extras to make around 14 points. It was shot by a neighbor a short time before. His shot went through just in front of the hind quarters and I didn't know about that till after I put him down.
I rent some land out and they were combining the corn. I had gotten the afternoon off from conveniently having a dentist appointment during rifle deer season but the combine wasn't planned and just happened to be out there. It's like a deer call and deer just swirl around the combine and they won't leave the field till last few rows of corn gone. Prior to combining it was slow and I didn't see much for deer. Between the grain trucks, and box wagons etc they saw tons of deer and a bear with 2 small bears.
I'm watching them combine and the section is getting smaller and smaller. 4 does come out but didn't come close enough and went north east from me. 2 of them were monsters and I really wanted the first one. About 5 minutes later the neighbor shoots his 30-06 with a Jword and I thought about the doe. Not long after that, deer are running everywhere and especially from the north and moving south east. I'm in a sliver of woods between a swamp and the corn field. To right a group of does run in and I grunt and whistle trying stop them for a shot but nogo on that. A few minutes later the buck is following a doe on my left and they stop! It's about 50 yards and he's at a tuff angle. More deer run in on my right. Up to now Mr. Drop tine looked normal and not hit (but he was). From my view i don't think he could see the second group of deer to my right. He moved to face the sound and crouched down on his belly like it was hiding and maybe hoping to sneak off if need be? He was wounded, chasing a doe and trying to conceal him self. It was quite a sight. He didn't fall over but got on his belly like a dog or cat would do.
By now its more broadside and I had a clear view of his neck and hit him there with a 6.5 Grendel and a 120 grain Sierra Pro Hunter. DRT. I had another tag and started wait for a doe, the doe he was chasing was a yearling so I passed on her. Ten minutes or so later the neighbor walked over and that ended my hunt. It was a nice chat with no drama and I got to keep him, He was tracking him in my direction and I still didn't know he was hit till he walked over.
That drop tine though, it almost gave me a serious injury. I got him to the house and was hanging the deer. When i was pulling the deer up I was using a block and tackle with a half inch rope. I almost got him all the way up and the rope broke. The deer came down and the drop tine gave me a good sized scratch on my chest. A couple inches higher on my chest and it might've hooked me on the inside of my collar bone or the base on my neck. The drop tine is about 6 inches long. I was lucky it really could've hurt me.
Yesterday evening I was a little ways south of there on a tree line. Now field is clear and disked up. I had a nice doe come out of that swamp. Right at dark she was with a couple does. The 35 Whelen rang out with a powder coated 225 grain RF using IMR 3031 for about 2300 FPS. The H&R single shot does really good. The 6.5 Grendel in the AR is a tack driver.
I have some pictures on my phone and get them loaded.
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