That's the only thing I've ever successfully convinced my wife of my whole life. She's cooking some elk carne guisada right now.

Yahtzee!!! Got my first buck off my own property!!! I bought this place several years back (currently have it listed) and haven't connected on a buck until now. I've seen a ton on camera over the years, but hadn't seen the right buck while hunting until now. Came across him as I was about to head home. He was with a bigger buck I couldn't get a shot at. Free handed at about 125 yards right before he was going to jump the fence. Measuring him later. He won't score well, but he was big bodied and my first one so I'm happy with him.

Was gonna start a thread, but then this one popped back up so I figured I'd just tack on to it.

Went north of Fredericksburg this past weekend, wanted to try out some new ammo I got last season, but hadn't had a chance to take anything with. It's Winchester Deer Season XP, in .243. Saw lots of good bucks throughout the weekend, but I was a guest and wanted to follow/help out their management plan as much as possible. They were really trying to get rid of all the bucks without brow tines, and there were sightings of a big 12 that didn't have any, but none of us ever got a chance to connect with him, and the only bucks we saw without brow tines were too busy chasing tail and wouldn't stand still long enough to shoot. They also had a strict rule that any pigs or goats were to be shot on sight (the ridgelines were covered in aoudad, mouflon, and ibex goats, but none came closer than 400 yds and I wasn't confident at those distances).

Saw these guys the first night.




Then the next morning a herd of pigs came out about 100 yds away right at first light, but I couldn't get a clear view in my scope yet. Right as they were moving back towards the treeline, a little sow popped out at about 30 yds so I dropped her. There were some deer at another feeder, and they spooked at the shot, but didn't waste much time getting back to eating so I waited to see what else would show up. That's when this guy stepped out.



He looked like he was only 3 1/2, but I was more interested in meat than anything, so I settled for a couple good pictures, and a hope to be invited back out next year to see what he turns into.

About an hour later a big white boar stepped out at another feeder and right as set the crosshairs on him a little 4-point jumped in front of him and wouldn't let me get a shot off. They went back and forth for about 5 min, with the buck staying between us. When he finally stepped a few yards away, I dropped him where he stood. Figuring that was a good enough tally for the hunt, I gave him a few minutes, and went down to check him and the little sow out. I looped around him so the sun would be at my back, and as soon as I got on his back side I heard a noise behind me, turned around and saw another big boar step out 20 yds behind me. He saw me turn, and just sat there flicking his tail and gnashing his tusks. Before he could decide what to do I channeled my inner Franz-Albrecht and dropped him too. Didn't get a pic of the sow, but the 2 boars are below.




I took the loins and the shoulders off the big boars, and everything off the sow. And that's when it got interesting. I had hit her through the back of her shoulder at 30 yds, and there was only a tiny pinhole exit wound. When I got everything cut off, I found the bullet jacket lodged in her far shoulder. Heart and lungs were both shredded, and the jacket had stayed together perfectly with a very symmetrical "flowering", and very little damage to the meat.

That afternoon I got to watch a lot more great bucks that look they have amazing potential, and couple real nice aoudad rams playing up on the ridges.

The last morning I saw a lot of young bucks, including a nice young 10 point, playing around and chasing some does at first light. They all ran off when the feeders kicked on, but a couple young bucks came back within a few minutes. All of a sudden they both got spooked, and another 10 point walked out, he looked like he was 4 1/2, but didn't have near the antlers that some of the younger deer did so I decided to take him. He was about 80 yds away when I pulled the trigger, saw him nose dive, but then he took off down into a gully and back out the other side. As he ran, I guess he spooked another big boar, and I was confident in my shot placement on the buck, so I went ahead and dropped him as well.

After about 45 min, I went do to find the buck, and I couldn't find any blood at all. Zero, zilch, nada. After about an hour of searching (lots of internal cussing, lots of praying) I found him about 30 yds from where he was when he was hit, laid up in some tall grass hidden behind a cactus thicket. Same story as the sow, only a pinhole exit wound, but when I field dressed him both the lungs were toast, and the jacket was lodged in his far shoulder. Not a trophy by any means, but he's the 2nd biggest buck I've taken and a beautiful animal overall.




TL;DR fun weekend in new terrain with new ammo. 5 shots, 5 kills. Winchester Deer Season XP does exactly what it's supposed to, but beware if you have to trail the animal, as none my animals had a substantial exit wound and the only one that ran left no discernable trail.