Days Gone By (pics)

[wilecoyote76]

As I was looking through some old pictures, I came across some old black and white photos of my grandpa and a buck he shot some time ago here in Idaho. I asked my dad when my grandpa shot this buck but he can't even remember since it was such a long time ago. His best guess was in the mid 50's back when deer seasons went for three months and most old-timers only shot deer as meat bucks. If the deer had antlers, it was an added bonus. I recall stories of bucks passed by due to bad weather, too far from home, or simply because they "didn't want to give up their saddle". This particular buck tapes out at 37.5" wide with the small cheaters. I believe the mainframe is still a solid 35" without the cheaters so not half bad. My dad could care less about B&C scores so it hasn't been officially scored and probably never will.

My grandpa only shot one gun - a Remington 760 in .270 Win. The story goes that the deer was bedded under some trees trying to elude the weather but didn't elude the mighty .270 that day!! One well placed shot and the buck never got up.

For years, my dad searched for the antlers and lucked out eventually getting them from a cousin that lived a few hundred miles away. The antlers are now white and deteriorating from being hung on the outside of a barn wall for years and years.

It is always nice to look back and reflect on the 'good old days' and wishing at times I was born 40 years sooner so that I, too, could have taken huge mule deer like grandpa did!

These are pictures from pictures so I apologize in advance for the quality. Enjoy - Wilecoyote76

 

[Delw]

That is a great picture and story, not to mention a nice buck

Delw

 

[Moosie]

Quallity 100% good bud !!!!

Cool story and cool pictures.

 

[hunter cameron]

That is classic I like the olden day deer pics . Awesome . Thanks for sharing.

later , hunter cameron

 

[csutton7]

love the old pic--thanks---chris

 

[danr55]

Wiley, That's a great picture of a magnificent animal. You should try to get the antlers and have them restored....(and scored!)

Your comment about being hunting 40 years ago is interesting. I've often thought about that myself. I more or less came to the conclusion that I would have been too busy making a living to spend a lot of time searching for big deer. Given the fact that the mule deer herds in the west were almost depleted by the mid 40's and didn't come back until the late sixties, I've pretty much concluded the being hunting now is about as good as it gets. We have more time, better equipment, better optics, firearms, and more knowledge about the habits and habitat. I'm just grateful to be able to hunt at all. I'm afraid that in a couple of generations, a good portion of that ability will be lost.

 

[iminrut]

I love old pics too, and that is a nice one....thanks for posting it.

i gotta dig around and find the one of my Dad in camp with his brothers and friends......late 50's......I think it was like 10 guys lined up with 10 Muleys......a couple dandies as well.....I'll try to find it....

 

[Leet]

Great photo and a fine buck!! I have to agree with the previous poster that the good old days are now! Enjoy them while you can. Also take photos EVERY trip and keep them. I started hunting in the early 70's and we have no photos of that time. It really sucks not to have recorded some of those great times!