If I count right that old bruiser is a 6x7. Phocking Phantastic! But I doubt that he was killed by the bullet -- one look at the wood on that Deluxe and he probably just fell over dead
.
.-
Hey All! Lately there has been more and more scammers on the forum board. They register and replies to members requests for guns and/or parts or other things. The reply contains a gmail or hotmail address or similar ”anonymous” email addresses which they want you to reply to. DO NOT ANSWER ANY STRANGE MESSAGES! They often state something like this: ”Hello! Saw your post about purchasing a stock for a Safari. KnuckleheadBob has one. Email him at: im[email protected]” If you receive any strange messages: Check the status of whoever message you. If they have no posts and signed up the same day or very recently, stay away. Same goes for other members they might refer to. Check them too and if they are long standing members, PM them and ask if the message is legit. Most likely it’s not. Then use the report function in each message or post so I can kick them out! Beware of anything that might seem fishy! And again, for all of you who registered your personal name as username, please contact me so I can change it to a more anonymous username. You’d be surprised of how much one can find out about a person from just a username on a forum such ad our! All the best! And be safe! Jim
Sako Rifles Afield (as intended)
- Thread starter bloorooster
- Start date
Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum
Bucktote apology for delay in response to Q.
(9.5 @ ~210 yds).
Meant 9.5 year old buck taken at approximately 210 yards.
A little further than preferred shots, but this was a wary one that I’d last seen 2 yrs ago but had 2 years of sheds found in the area. Shed hunting is off season hunting & location where they are found usually is where buck is most time other than during the rut. A form of scouting I suppose.
(9.5 @ ~210 yds).
Meant 9.5 year old buck taken at approximately 210 yards.
A little further than preferred shots, but this was a wary one that I’d last seen 2 yrs ago but had 2 years of sheds found in the area. Shed hunting is off season hunting & location where they are found usually is where buck is most time other than during the rut. A form of scouting I suppose.
Last edited:
Bucktote
Well-Known Member
Hi Mr. Spaher,
Thanks for clearing that up for me!. Another question if you don't mind? I have a niece & nephew that would like to come to Texas to hunt big Texas deer. Can you recommend an outfit that they could call to set up a hunt with ? PM me if you would like to help them do so. B/T
Thanks for clearing that up for me!. Another question if you don't mind? I have a niece & nephew that would like to come to Texas to hunt big Texas deer. Can you recommend an outfit that they could call to set up a hunt with ? PM me if you would like to help them do so. B/T
bloorooster
Enjoys long walks and short blood trails
Thanks Uncle Buck!!!
Thoughts on outfitters in general require immense caution not only because most over promise and under deliver which leave a bad experience and an empty wallet. In general, it can be summed up by friend who has hunted the mid-west who related that a landowner/outfitter told him that all he needs is for 1 good buck to be harvested and he can then sell 20 to 30 hunts off a photo to hunters dreaming to find one like the one pictured. As further example, Texas does not license outfitters and should. I have promulgated licensing with a $1.00 fee so that a list may be published not of who is licensed but one for those whose licenses have been revoked for fraud, game violations, etc. so that primarily out of state hunters will not be misled and end up never hunting in Texas again.
Assuming most outfitters own no land and either lease a property or pre-buy a number of tags/bucks from a landowner, they rarely know the property and care little of managing what they do not own as they may not be there the next season. Most of these are BS'ers; mislead on land ownership or size of property; misrepresent the probabilities of success in a short period of time allotted; have dismal facilities and/or equipment, to the ones who collect their fees and leave the hunter waiting to never be seen again.
Now for the good ones, they are few and far in-between from honest landowners who care about their property, respect game laws and try hard to provide a good hunt in keeping with some type of management program. Likewise there are some really good outfitters who are honest and give real detail of what to expect. These are genuine individuals who most often have repeat satisfied customers and are usually booked up as short notice is rare unless there is a cancellation. Not to plug an individual, but a sterling example is Greg Simons of Wildlife Systems, Inc.(website) who has consistent results and great relations with large landowners, on several game committees, landowner organizations and is highly respected by all, including the Texas game dept. There are a few others. There are some reputable ranches under good long term game management that have pastures leased out to groups or individuals and some provide 3-4 day hunts. I look for those with a good reputation, who want to keep it, who are truthful and try hard. To earn the title of "he's a good man" is a heck of a reference to me.
Research and references are a must as one cannot go by photos. By example, a friend of mine ended up with a Governor's tag in Oregon via a drawn auction for mule deer and took two or three trips there, one week chasing a huge non-typical deer that had been photographed and shown to him as the one they were hunting. During the first trip another friend researched and found that that deer had appeared 2 years before in a magazine and had been found dead 2 years earlier, so when he showed the texted photo to the outfitter, it elicited silence. Eventually the outfitter claimed he had been hoodwinked as well. My friend returned and shot a decent deer but swore to never travel to Oregon again, an expected response. If you have high expectations and want to be treated well and honestly by people you do not know, one must do research, check references and perhaps call the local or regional state game department biologists for suggestions. I have been burnt on several out of state hunts and given up on most unless it is highly recommended by someone I trust or know. Caveat Emptor, buyer beware...
Off topic of Sako, but long response to a question on hunting opportunities to take a Sako afield.
Shoot straight.
Assuming most outfitters own no land and either lease a property or pre-buy a number of tags/bucks from a landowner, they rarely know the property and care little of managing what they do not own as they may not be there the next season. Most of these are BS'ers; mislead on land ownership or size of property; misrepresent the probabilities of success in a short period of time allotted; have dismal facilities and/or equipment, to the ones who collect their fees and leave the hunter waiting to never be seen again.
Now for the good ones, they are few and far in-between from honest landowners who care about their property, respect game laws and try hard to provide a good hunt in keeping with some type of management program. Likewise there are some really good outfitters who are honest and give real detail of what to expect. These are genuine individuals who most often have repeat satisfied customers and are usually booked up as short notice is rare unless there is a cancellation. Not to plug an individual, but a sterling example is Greg Simons of Wildlife Systems, Inc.(website) who has consistent results and great relations with large landowners, on several game committees, landowner organizations and is highly respected by all, including the Texas game dept. There are a few others. There are some reputable ranches under good long term game management that have pastures leased out to groups or individuals and some provide 3-4 day hunts. I look for those with a good reputation, who want to keep it, who are truthful and try hard. To earn the title of "he's a good man" is a heck of a reference to me.
Research and references are a must as one cannot go by photos. By example, a friend of mine ended up with a Governor's tag in Oregon via a drawn auction for mule deer and took two or three trips there, one week chasing a huge non-typical deer that had been photographed and shown to him as the one they were hunting. During the first trip another friend researched and found that that deer had appeared 2 years before in a magazine and had been found dead 2 years earlier, so when he showed the texted photo to the outfitter, it elicited silence. Eventually the outfitter claimed he had been hoodwinked as well. My friend returned and shot a decent deer but swore to never travel to Oregon again, an expected response. If you have high expectations and want to be treated well and honestly by people you do not know, one must do research, check references and perhaps call the local or regional state game department biologists for suggestions. I have been burnt on several out of state hunts and given up on most unless it is highly recommended by someone I trust or know. Caveat Emptor, buyer beware...
Off topic of Sako, but long response to a question on hunting opportunities to take a Sako afield.
Shoot straight.
Last edited:
I was going to make similar comments as Spaher, but hoped that he would respond first since he knows the territory and industry better than I do. He's made some very accurate and helpful comments.
I'll just add that if you can locate an honest and dependable outfitter in the famed South Texas brush country then you'll have to expect to pay a fee which is likely to be as much as it would cost you to make a trip to Namibia or South Africa and take several head of plains game. Yes, that's right -- you may be asked a fee which, when added to the trophy fee (based on the score of the buck), that runs into five figures.
Other parts of the state are typically less expensive, but the same cautions about paid hunts apply. If you're looking for a "good" trophy and not a "record book" head, then you may want to explore opportunities in places like the Rolling Plains or the western Edwards Plateau. The Central Texas Hill Country has a high population of deer, but except for high-fenced ranches which are carefully managed, the weakness of nutrition and lack of older bucks means that the kind of trophy you'd like to have is rare.
I wish I could be of more help, but it is what it is.
I'll just add that if you can locate an honest and dependable outfitter in the famed South Texas brush country then you'll have to expect to pay a fee which is likely to be as much as it would cost you to make a trip to Namibia or South Africa and take several head of plains game. Yes, that's right -- you may be asked a fee which, when added to the trophy fee (based on the score of the buck), that runs into five figures.
Other parts of the state are typically less expensive, but the same cautions about paid hunts apply. If you're looking for a "good" trophy and not a "record book" head, then you may want to explore opportunities in places like the Rolling Plains or the western Edwards Plateau. The Central Texas Hill Country has a high population of deer, but except for high-fenced ranches which are carefully managed, the weakness of nutrition and lack of older bucks means that the kind of trophy you'd like to have is rare.
I wish I could be of more help, but it is what it is.
Bucktote
Well-Known Member
Gentlemen Thanks for the advice.
My niece & nephew hunt after work in the evenings & I had to wait till dark to call them. They had good luck & killed a nice buck behind their house last evening just prior to sundown. My niece is a care taker for her mom, who after a auto accident is legally blind as well as a educator in the county school system. They are satisfied with their recent harvest & will not travel to hunt this year. My last hunt in Texas was 12 years ago & I have lost the name of the outfitter, but he was reputable & a good game manager, also a wildlife biologist. Sorry to go off topic. but I did kill a big buck at his place with my Sako AV 30/06, the one on my page above. He had plenty of deer on his ranch and would only allow 5-1/2 or older deer to be taken. Best of luck to all our Sako hunters!! B/T
My niece & nephew hunt after work in the evenings & I had to wait till dark to call them. They had good luck & killed a nice buck behind their house last evening just prior to sundown. My niece is a care taker for her mom, who after a auto accident is legally blind as well as a educator in the county school system. They are satisfied with their recent harvest & will not travel to hunt this year. My last hunt in Texas was 12 years ago & I have lost the name of the outfitter, but he was reputable & a good game manager, also a wildlife biologist. Sorry to go off topic. but I did kill a big buck at his place with my Sako AV 30/06, the one on my page above. He had plenty of deer on his ranch and would only allow 5-1/2 or older deer to be taken. Best of luck to all our Sako hunters!! B/T
Attachments
Last edited:
douglastwo
Well-Known Member
Very nice Spaher....Mulie and rifle. Doesn't look like your terrain though. Did you just get it, because it seems very unusual to have velvet in mid November.
Sonora, Mexico. All others we saw were rubbed out & darkened horns. Shot yesterday (11/13 4:00 pm). The .300 H&H knocked him over as chest shot in fairly thick brush & uphill. Correction 1 other muley harvested by another hunter with hardened velvet & told rut here not until February, latitude location I assume.
Last edited:
bloorooster
Enjoys long walks and short blood trails
I love Saturday morning hunt shows!
Moved to Sako’s Afield
The 70% loss of adults & 90% of fawns does not bode well for the next 10 years of recovery barring a repeat of the multiple cold fronts of 2023. Permits may be non-existent in some regions to allow recovery. If wolves allowed then the areas will become predator pits, meaning no appreciable or huntable game at all. Nothing good from this as the survivors are at higher risk from predators.
My opinion is for all to become predator hunters to help the long term recovery.
My opinion is for all to become predator hunters to help the long term recovery.
Attachments
Bucktote
Well-Known Member
What a difference!
Here in my home in coastal GA, where the winters are but a few days of cold and not consecutive for more that 3-5 days, the deer population thrive to damaging levels. During the past 3 years I have seen the azaleas fail to bloom due to the numerous deer herd constantly pruning the flower buds the entire year. Last week a group of 20 crossed the road & dined in our & neighbors home lots. I love to see deer & the little ones, but realize that nature in all the world suffers when mankind tries to do GOOD & interrupts the natural order of things. Professional culling is going to happen again this year. Mixed feelings!! B/T
Branxhunter
Well-Known Member
bloorooster
Enjoys long walks and short blood trails
It’s been a while…
Been busy this summer building and fabricating our hunting container. A strong security design to keep the “honest men honest”. It’s been fun working with my son and faithful hunting partner.
Started on the day after Independence Day.
We should be ready for opening season!
Been busy this summer building and fabricating our hunting container. A strong security design to keep the “honest men honest”. It’s been fun working with my son and faithful hunting partner.
Started on the day after Independence Day.
We should be ready for opening season!
Last edited:
bigcountry4me
Sako-addicted
Very cool. So will there be bunks and a kitchen area? Folks here purchase shipping containers for the same purpose, (maybe yours is simple and secure storage) then set trusses on top for the snow roof affect. They also install wood stoves, insulation, electrical outlets for a gen-set, etc, or solar panels and batteries . - and all sorts of creatures comforts. Oh yeah and most importantly, a nice fire pit for the proper ambiance.
Last edited:
bloorooster
Enjoys long walks and short blood trails
Yes..
Bunks, cots and sleeping bags
Coleman type cooking stove ( along with camp fire cooking)
Generator power with some solar back up lighting
Buddy heater …
Simple by 21st century standards
Bunks, cots and sleeping bags
Coleman type cooking stove ( along with camp fire cooking)
Generator power with some solar back up lighting
Buddy heater …
Simple by 21st century standards
