Sako’s & Game Fall 2023

[deersako]

Sako 7x57 Mannlicher & an 11.5 y.o. S Tx White Tail.
View attachment 31717

Wow !

 

[Spaher]

Thanks. Story/history to follow as 93F today, mosquitoes & cold beer became an oasis or necessity…

 

[bloorooster]

Sako 7x57 Mannlicher & an 11.5 y.o. S Tx White Tail.
View attachment 31717

Outstanding! Hard work pays off!

 

[gunner620]

Looks like that old buck has been working over some of your trees, congrats on a fine buck !!

 

[stonecreek]

Can't wait to hear the story. A unique buck taken with a unique Sako!

 

[Spaher]

The story: a hot afternoon but decided to set up to hunt this specific buck early. 30 mins in a forked yearling shows in a low brush point & soon a coyote walks into sight at 50 yds to my right with his eyes on the yearling, I reach for the rifle and ear muffs, but he gets into a high grass & brush area as I try to find him, but I see a second coyote following the 1st. I shoot the second one with guts flying & he yelping so the 1st one shows looking at the 2nd one & he gets nailed. I think that I pretty much ruined the evening but still early with sun out and as bucks in warm weather usually move into the open when shade begins or after the sun starts setting leaves a smidgeon of hope. Sure enough at 7:15 when area is in the shade he unexpectedly walks out at 30 yds to my right between the coyotes & I. Unbelievable that an old Buck would show there without turning around & leaving, but afterwards I realized this Buck was blind in his right eye & never saw the bloody mess of coyotes. Binos were unnecessary & I got so excited I forgot to put ear muffs on as he slowly walked away with no shot presented. He was much bigger than I expected further upping the excitement. Another buck showed to his left and he stopped to look and showed his neck. I know better and should have waited for a shoulder to anchor animals, but I foolishly aimed at the base of his neck at 80 yds while he was positioned away from me & fired. I heard the thump but he didn’t fall. A rookie mistake but was able to trail him for about 80 yds in thick brush as blood on cactus is easy to follow. Luck on a potential disaster as shot with 150 gr Accubond was intended to break his neck but a little low. Whew!
History: this buck had been ready to harvest for several years as the b&w photo from 2020.
I hunted him last year when he was a slick 6x6 (2 images) but he had broken off his R G-2. It was a risk at 10.5 yo to let him go but he was in good shape & he jumped at 11.5 adding several abnormal points (to 11x 7) with odds against it but helped by periodic rains I’m guessing. We have had a few post-mature bucks do strange positive things from typical to non-typical frames and many go down in overall size. His live weight was 235 lbs.
The left beam downward swoop gives him a cool look in my opinion. Why take him early before he got more color in the antlers from rubbing? Well, having broken up last year & with abnormals he could have broken some of them in the finishing of rubbing out. A couple of our hunting friends had the big eyes for him but I beat them to it to remove temptation.
I am pleased at a good outcome from last December’s decision to let him walk & from the reliability of this 7x57 that has a few nice deer added to its pedigree over the last few years. BTW, the 2020 photos show him blind in the R eye as no reflection compared to the L.

 

[stonecreek]

Two dead coyotes as a bonus! What a great hunt.

From the shoulders forward in that B&W 2020 photo he looks as massive as any Saskatchewan or Alberta whitetail. Congrats on a great deer!

 

[gowyo]

Sako 7x57 Mannlicher & an 11.5 y.o. S Tx White Tail.
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Halloween buck!

 

[Bucktote]

Hi Mr. Spaher,
Did that old deer have any teeth left? & what was his overall body condition?
As for us, my great grandson (9 years old) went with us this AM & got a young doe. They used a silencer, ( suppressor) I was about 300 yds. from them with a planted pine tree stand between us. All I heard was a slight swishing sound & never thought it was a gun shot?? Amazing!! His dad sat with him & gave him advice & confidence. Will post Pics as soon as they send them to me. B/T

Edit !. Oldest Great Grandson with Ist. deer
Edit2. Same boy & his brother 2nd oldest Great Grandson

 

[Spaher]

Bucktote, teeth had wear & dished out but not an issue. Weight 235 lbs in good body condition. Although he’d surely go down if not harvested.

 

[Bucktote]

How da do dat?
Poor teeth & still seem to thrive? Must be super plentiful good food available due to your abundant rainfall & vegetation. Cheers!

 

[gunner620]

Bucktote, glad to see your Grandson get his first deer. Now another hunter hooked for life. Big smiles. Congratulations .

 

[Spaher]

Trying to beat the heat & optimistic anticipation for predicted rains to get oats, turnips & hairy vetch seed in the ground. If long term rain forecasts hold a few Sako’s will have a green background for display. Long stretches of food plots against brush to entice, get deer in shape for the winter & remove some numbers.

 

[stonecreek]

Looks like a 40% chance of rain for Wednesday and Thursday in South Texas. Keep your fingers crossed. Deer love nothing better than young green sprouts, especially as the pastures begin to dry up in winter. That is, if you can keep the geese and sandhills from pulling it all up!

 

[Spaher]

Douglastwo, you earlier said you liked this deer in velvet which I had posted. One of our hunters took him today & he was bigger than we guesstimated, a wide bruiser 6x6 with 1 abnormal. 8.5 year old. Thought you’d like to see him out of velvet.

 

[douglastwo]

Thanks for the pics. That is what I consider the ultimate rack, equal number of tines per side, equal length and equal spacing, and on top of that a 6x6 and wide. It can't get any better.

 

[Bucktote]

Douglastwo, you earlier said you liked this deer in velvet which I had posted. One of our hunters took him today & he was bigger than we guesstimated, a wide bruiser 6x6 with 1 abnormal. 8.5 year old. Thought you’d like to see him out of velvet.View attachment 31976View attachment 31977View attachment 31978

Hi Mr. Spaher!
You may not realize it, but you are doing selective breeding or even line breeding much like the ELHEW pointers were developed. Your results like theirs show an improved, desirable
body size & antler development only attained by careful & selective breeding and much time & effort. All done while in a wild state setting, not a confined captured animal game farm. Quite an accomplishment. This is possible by having control of the surrounding properties and accomplished by planning & at a great deal ,of expense, hard work & attention to detail. It shows in the results of you efforts over a substantial amount of time & has to be gratifying
A job well done! All the best, B/T

 

[Spaher]

Bucktote, recent touted studies say culling & deer nos, do not affect or help the antler quality of the deer in a given area. What they ignore is that these study results are usually over a short period, a five year span coinciding with a PhD course of research.
The old European studies were decades long and take a minimum of 5 generations & in deer it is 3 yrs per generation (3x5=15 yrs).
We’ve remained true on overall numbers to habitat & consistent culling with buck to doe ratio, meaning 75% culling on known or recognizable deer per year as they do not co-operate & many other factors involved. As said earlier with care to not “top-hunt or top-shoot” since cameras are making hunting success more efficient, and downside being the removal of the mystery & skill set.
This practice has proven to work for us but making sure to not let it get overwhelming.
Nature has its way notwithstanding us at times.

 

[stonecreek]

Douglastwo, you earlier said you liked this deer in velvet which I had posted. One of our hunters took him today & he was bigger than we guesstimated, a wide bruiser 6x6 with 1 abnormal. 8.5 year old. Thought you’d like to see him out of velvet

That is a stunning buck.

 

[stonecreek]

West Texas isn't about to run out of porkers! I see them virtually every time I go afield. This one fell to my L61R .25-06 using a 117 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip about 175 yards. The pig was somewhat larger than I first thought, probably weighing 175 lbs or so.

Note the factory stock with LH cheekpiece for a RH action. Knowing I'm a righty who prefers to shoot from the left shoulder, SCC President Jim found the stock for me in Sweden several years ago. I located a pristine .25-06 barreled action to put into it. The two fit each other like a glove, and accuracy is outstanding.