Photo Gallery & Stories | Deer Hunting & Management

Big South Texas Buck Harvested on Las Raices Ranch

Deer hunter Marko Barrett of San Antonio, Texas, made Muy Grande Deer Contest history with this record-breaking Webb County white-tailed buck he entered in the All-Around Men’s Division of the contest in 2007. The buck scored roughly 273 gross Boone & Crockett points with 34-points and a 25 1/2-inch spread. The mature buck was still in velvet when it was harvested off the 4,000 acre Las Raices Ranch. Marko harvested the huge white-tailed buck using a rifle from a brush blind at about 120 yards. Now that’s a Texas-sized buck!

Barrett describes the deer as a 7 year old that he had been watching for years. This year, the ranch received “56 inches of rain and counting” which pushed this deer well over his historical best score. Barrett thinks that he will score somewhere in the 270’s when “he is stripped of velvet and dry”.

Barrett describes Las Raices Ranch management program as an “all native deer” operation without breeding facilities. The ranch does feed protein year-round and “use multiple feeders so the dominant buck won’t keep the others from the feed.”

Barrett says things have been crazy since he shot the buck with all of the emails and phone calls. However, that is what “buck fever” is all about.

Congratulations to Marko Barrett and the ranch’s great habitat management! In addition, thanks to Marko and the Las Raices for the great photos. They have proven what good genetics, habitat management, and harvest management can do!

Bobcat Attacks White-tailed Deer – Photos

Will a bobcat attack a full-grown white-tailed deer? Yes! And these game camera photos prove it. I’ve always figured that the biggest threat a bobcat could impose on a whitetail was while the deer was still a fawn, and I still believe this to be true. But maybe bobcats kill more deer than we thought. The bobcat is an effective predator, but the larger coyote takes more deer.

In these photos, you will notice that the deer is still battling the deer after two minutes have passed. This seems plausible considering the crushing power of bobcat’s jaw and incisors are really being put to the test considering the size of its prey.

Even a large bobcat at 25 to 30-pounds can only hope to physically wear down an adult deer while biting into it’s neck to increase blood loss. It’s a tough way to go, but nature is violent.

Although the bobcat wrapped up this doe, I suspect that a bobcat would not launch an attack on a larger-bodied, antlered buck. At least not one in a healthy condition. And the health of this doe was unknown when attacked.

Bonus bobcat photos:

Big Iowa Buck Taken In 2007

Those of you that live for hunting monster white-tailed bucks, start the drooling. Check out this great Iowa buck harvested during the 2007 hunting season. I don’t know what this big boy scores, but does it really matter! This buck has points, mass, and a huge spread and I think just about anyone would consider this the whitetail of a life time!

Need more antlers? Take a peek at some of the other big white-tailed bucks harvested over the last hunting season. And whipe that slobber off your face!

Fencing for Deer: What Not To Do

Thinking about building a new fence on your property? Well, if you have any consideration for the white-tailed or other deer living in your area, avoid building fences that look like the one pictured. Basically, any variation of the ornamental (wrought) iron fence seen here should be avoided to prevent continually finding dead deer hanging around your residence, property. It’s important to do it right the first time, and the same principle applies to building fences in areas where deer are found.

This buck was found hanging on this pointed-iron fence after attempting to cross. The deer was likely trying to gain access to the tempting, irrigated yard which looked like a food plot ripe for the picking. In addition to making wildlife-friendly fences, be sure that are gates constructed in an equally deer-friendly fashion as deer will try to pass through them as well.

Think ahead, get the word out to hunters and non-hunters alike and let the whitetail deer grow a little older in your area!

Muzzleloader Monster Whitetail 2007

Check out this muzzleloader monster buck a lucky deer hunter managed to harvest this year! I received these buck photos in an email without any information, so I’m not sure which region or even the state that this big boy was taken from. The best I can tell, it looks to be the southern mid-west.

These photos show an abundance of browse available to deer in the area, so it’s no wonder this white-tailed buck got this big! High quality food helped this deer maintain a high nutritional plane and put on some mass, on both body and antlers. Good habitat means good bucks.

Obviously, the buck had great potential for antler growth, too. It’s awesome that this buck was allowed to complete skeletal growth, mature and really put some energy/minerals into antler growth. A very healthy deer, great trophy for this deer hunter!

If you have any information about this big whitetail buck, contact me or leave a message in the comments section below! Until I have more information, just enjoy the photos of this great buck!

VIDEO: Another Nice Muzzleloader Buck