Kentucky TJ's '09 season

KentuckyTJ · November 30, 2009, 07:56:00 AM

You may have seen these in the POWWOW section earlier in the year but wanted to put them here.

September 6th buck. 53 lb Morrison Cheyenne, Easton Trad Only 500 series arrows with 100 grain brass inserts and Magnus Stingers.

October doe. Schafer Silvertip with same arrow setup.

bluegrassbowhunter · November 30, 2009, 08:59:00 AM

Way to go Tom...& nice shooting on both of em......

ishoot4thrills · November 30, 2009, 09:24:00 AM

Excellent, Tom! Still looks just as big(maybe bigger!) as when you first posted the pics. Very nice mature doe as well.

Congrats on a great season! Wish you many more too!

Gatekeeper · November 30, 2009, 09:48:00 AM

GOOD GRIEF!

They're both huge...congratulations

BRONZ · November 30, 2009, 10:37:00 AM

Nice pics brother and congrats!

swp · November 30, 2009, 12:19:00 PM

Wow! They must be interbreeding with the elk down there.

billy shipp · November 30, 2009, 12:25:00 PM

2 nice deer Tom....that velvet buck is cool.

oneshot-onekill · November 30, 2009, 01:19:00 PM

Nice deer TJ...how about the TT? Any blood on it yet?

KentuckyTJ · November 30, 2009, 02:02:00 PM

Thanks guys. Terry, our three week gun season just ended. I stay out of the woods then. Will be after them now. Also just got my string settled in on the Tall Tines. Man that's a great bow. I'm glad you turned me onto them.

Thanks Brother.

cacciatore · November 30, 2009, 03:44:00 PM

Congrats TJ it is a very impressive sized buck

oneshot-onekill · November 30, 2009, 04:42:00 PM

I havent had alot of time in the woods lately...and then our shotgun season came in also...went out one day for 2 hrs and heard probably 30 shots....all from the same general area....hopefully can get some time now that it is over...if there are any deer left in the area...that buck is a bruiser!

I went to a 10 strand D97 string on my tt...almost as quiet with no string silencers as with the original string with silencers...really liken this bow alot....going to try a 8 strand and see how it shoots...will let you know.

KentuckyTJ · November 30, 2009, 04:56:00 PM

I already know. I'll p.m. you.

bowhawk archer · November 30, 2009, 07:07:00 PM

Way to go Tom! That buck is a bruiser.

pitbull · November 30, 2009, 07:21:00 PM

I would have waited another month to shoot that buck, so all that nasty moss fell off and he had shiny antlers!

joe ashton · November 30, 2009, 08:54:00 PM

those deer are beauts....Joe

Michael Arnette · December 01, 2009, 07:22:00 PM

Great deer Tom, good luck with the rest of your season. I have heard alot about Kentucky's management system, what are you thoughts on it?
I might have to try a D97 on my TallTines.

KentuckyTJ · December 01, 2009, 09:22:00 PM

Michael, I find myself sitting here debating on whether to answer you question publicly or not do to I by no means want to sound like a trophy hunter. Let me start by saying I've shot many small bucks in my time. I believe every ones hunting spot and personal standards are different. I was raised hunting a farm that a 110" buck was a sure trophy do to the low numbers of deer and the pressure from surrounding farms. I now however am blessed to hunt some of the greatest hunting land in the state and it is strictly managed for big bucks. So with that in mind here is my take on our Fish & Wildlife Departments efforts.

Our state has done an excellent job with our whitetail herd. When I started bow hunting in 1985 just to see a buck was an amazing event. They stocked northern strain deer from Michigan and Minnesota I believe as well as from other states which is the reason our mature deer have tremendous body sizes compared to other southern deer.

Our season is long Sept. - mid Jan. in my zone but we only get one buck tag, which I like. As I say they split the state up into different hunting zones depending on the herd sizes. I'm in a zone where the numbers are high and we can shoot as many does as we want as long as we keep buying bonus tags. In comparison the eastern mountainous part of the state has very few deer compared to our area and the take is regulated for much less. There are fewer deer there not due to the department not doing a good job but due to the land is mountainous and therefore they have very few crops and the land simply can't support many animals.

My wish would be to change some things though so more of our bucks could reach their full potential. I don't know anyone that given the opportunity to shoot a 150" deer over a 110" deer would pick the 110". An important issue there would be to move our three week long rifle season out of the rut. I really believe that's the next step in making some real jaw droppers in our state. Every season we lose many bucks that have great potential but are only 2.5-3.5 year old's due to them getting lead poisoning simply because they are in the rut. We also have another muzzleloader weekend in October as well as another week in December.

I would just like to see them take it to the next level of quality of deer over trying simply to control the numbers in my zone.

bluegrassbowhunter · December 01, 2009, 09:55:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
An important issue there would be to move our three week long rifle season out of the rut. I really believe that's the next step in making some real jaw droppers in our state.

I agree 100%

Big Ed · December 01, 2009, 10:06:00 PM

Congrats on a fine season

December 01, 2009, 10:38:00 PM

Congrats! What a brute!

Bisch