I shot this guy about 5:00PM opening day using a .54 T/C Hawken and patched round ball @ 75-80 yards. He came in quickly and was leaving when I stopped him with a big loud "BAAHHHH". He froze giving me a small, quartering-to-me-shot. The Hawken roared and through the edge of the smoke cloud I saw his tail drop. He traveled 20 yards and piled up.

He is "The Members Buck" because I used the T/C Hawken I bought from tattoo and pulled him out with the 4 wheeler I bought from huntsemall.

I will know his score in a day or so. h.h.

He is a DANDY!!! Congrats!!!

Congrats on a nice buck and pretty neat name for him

Nice one HH, congrats!

Man he's wide. Congrats!

Nice wide one there!

Yessir... that's a fine buck... congratulations man!
Your name stands true

"Wide Load"....... Very nice HH!!

Congrats on a monster buck, Mike!!

Great Deer with Old School gear.. WTG

HH that is one fine buck, congrats. I am glad you got it with the hawken, I guess you can put me down with an assist.

Nice Job HH !!

Congrats

You must have a "thang" for big 8's HH!!! A bruiser for sure!!! Congrats!!!! Now……get after the yaps!!!!

Thanks everyone for the congrats! First time I had ever seen this deer.

Got a question, what head form do you all think would be the best to highlight that beam curl? I'm not sure what the correct term is for the beam curl but it sure looks unique. What do you think guys? h.h.

Congrats, probably a sneak would really show that off.

I agree. I think a sneak would look cool...

A sneak form is what I was thinking too.

Here is the recovered ball that was just under the hide. Its a 230 grain Speer.

Cool! Did you weigh the recovered ball??

It weighed 231 grains so it lost no weight. It ticked ribs going in and out but hit no other bones and ended up under the left shoulder hide. When we rolled him over the hide had a big bulge where the ball was. The mark on the ball is where it hit ribs, there is another mark on the opposite side. h.h.

HH:

I don't like the sneak forms as the deers head is way to low for me. I like the semi sneak as it is more natural and just short of the upright that everyone seems to get. I would suggest a semi sneak in a left or right sweep depending on where you are going to display this deer. By the way GREAT DEER! Ask your taxidermist to show you the sweep mounts pretty cool mounts.

As far as not seeing him before......he was an "interloper". He visited your area earlier and located a few family groups and was back to find a "girlfriend". we see many bucks each year that are not resident bucks but the interloper, He spends all year in his area but visits outlying areas to spread his genes. You might also call him a "Sailor". If you know what I mean............

Love the perfect 8s. Very nice buck

That ball did the trick!! Thanks for the reply, HH!!

OMG...Nice one

JB, he could have been an interloper along with that big 8 I killed last year. I'd had never seen that buck before that day either. h.h.

Personally, and as a taxidermist, I'm not a fan of the full sneak mounts. Those and the "deer in the headlights" full upright, straight forward mounts, are my least favorite, of mine and customers. Figure out where you want to hang the mount, and pick a good, full shouldered, semi-sneak or semi-upright mount. The horns will speak for themselves……That's just my opinion.

Actually that is my favorite pose... Only because it is what I would call a "universal mount"... You could put it on any wall in any location and it would look good...

I also like the semi turned mounts, they can look pretty sharp as well...

Yaz, I didnt know you were a taxidermist, cool! h.h.