SD West River Prairie buck

[Outdoors Junkie]

The SD West River firearm deer season is Nov. 16-Dec. 1st. Since I was hunting in MN  Nov. 15-18 and then traveling out of state to my in-laws for Thanksgiving, this past weekend was the only time I was going to get out to try and fill my SD West River Buck tag.

I hunted Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday. I had a small doe come by the ground blind on Saturday afternoon (I’m hunting on State land). But other then that I hadn’t see much. Sunday morning I got up showered with my scent killing shampoo, sprayed myself down with scent eliminating spray after each layer, and headed out to hunt well before legal shooting. I got to my blind 20 minutes before legal shooting, sprayed some pine cover scent on each window crack I opened and watched the time until 30 minutes before sunrise. I had a good feeling and was scanning the area with my binoculars. Ten minutes later I hear a deer blowing directly down wind of me to the SE. I glance out the small crack I have open to that side & see a small basket rack buck beginning to trot off. I point the 30.06 out this little crack and make a “mep” noise and it stops & looks back at me stopped between two trees. I get the cross hairs on him & squeeze the trigger, then he disappeared. I waited 15 minutes, replaying things in my mind realizing I had to shoot right handed because of the situation (I shoot left handed) and then walked over to check. There he laid. It’s not a big buck but I’m happy for the opportunity to harvest him with the very limited time I had to hunt.

Here are a few pictures. 1st is waiting for legal shooting time. 2nd is the small area I had to shoot out of from the window of the ground blind. 3rd is the two trees the buck was standing between. The last is my small 6pt basket rack buck.

[glenn57]

hey a deer is a deer!!!!!!!! congrats...…...besides I've never really seen a good horn reciepe!!!

[mike89]

 

[LPS]

That looks like a good eater OJ.  Good job!

[deadeye]

Congrats on the buck.  Always nice to shoot a deer.

[dakids]

Good eats for sure.  Public land deer on short time is hard.  Enjoyed the story and pictures.