Big Jim’s Excellent Buck!

Congrats. Like the drop tine too.

Congratulations on a fine buck!

Thx Woody and thx all you guys for all the input and answering all my questions over the years.
Shot this guy on Monday evening. Monday was one of those nights when you could tell deer would be moving. I was sitting in a stand over looking a 5 acre field that we had planted with NWSG, 4th yr n this year the Switchgrass finally came in really heavily and the field has really held deer. There are woods to the north and south n I was on the east side looking west, stand on a tree line with a cut bean field behind me. In front of me, in the NWSG, is a half acre food plot section, the left standing soybeans and on the right landino n other clovers. Got out about 3pm EST and hadnt seen a darn thing, but kinda new this time of year and this stand that i wouldnt until later.And That i would most likely be covered up in the last half hour, usually with does n small bucks . One thing i had witnessed this year, with the maturation of the Switchgrass, was the amount of daytime movement earlier in the season and the number of deer it would hold. It wasnt uncommon to see or really hear deer running thru the field and the grunting etc during the chasing n seeking phase, sometimes they would pop into the plot before dark sometimes not. The plots get hammered at night n the beans have always been great late season especially after the snow flies.
About 430 about 125 yds infront of me in the switch i see a big rack slowly rising up n down coming directly to the beans. Heart rate n breathing instantly goes up as I could see this was a really big deer, no question shooter. I had passed up prolly a dozen 100-120” deer thru bow n rifle and seen some shhoters out of bow range. Almost immediately i see another big rack right behind him. So i grab the binos n start looking n calming myself so i can be as calm as possible when they ultimately enter the beans. Plot is from about 20yds in front out to approx 70 and 50 yds or so left n right. So i wach the front bucks rack n movement as he cover the 50 yards or so to the beans. He enters the beans n is a really nice big 10 ptr. Outside the ears heavy n tall , just quintessential high 140s 10. His buddy is the same not quite as heavy not quite as tall prolly high 130s . So they are into the beans , 60-70 yds out munching on beans. I look back n forth to confirm big boy on the right is the one and all of a sudden they look up. I freeze n worry. A few seconds later they browse again. So its go time n i grab the muzzle loader and am about to elavate it n they do it again. Again panic they saw me i think. Back to eating beans like nothing ever happened. Hmm ok. Get the gun up n scope on big boy n he does it again , the quick startled head snap to attention. Then i dont know if i glanced or saw out of the corner of my eye but to my right walking thru the snow covered clover portion is another buck. Big heavy bodied about 50-60 yrds away. So i relax on my gun n start looking at him. Back n forth now between him n the big 10. Hes now entered the beans 40 yds in front of me with the 10s behind him at 60. They are steering clear of him n hes the dominant buck in the field. Hes no where as tall and i decide to go back to shoot the original big 10, but as i keep glancing at him i notice the stickers, then i notice the split brow tines, then i notice the drop tine!!
Now im in a dilemma n keep going back and forth, big regal 3.5 - 4.5 yo 10 or this gnarly dominant older looking more unique guy with tons of character?? Back n forth back n forth, kind of maddening this embarrasment of riches that ive been thrown into and what do i do Was now getting nervous again. Finally decided that as majestic as that 10 was that he was more ordinary and while in no way easy it would be sooner before i saw another deer like him than old gnarly. So i kept going back n forth n decided that while he probably was only gonna measure 120?, that i was going with the old drop tine buck. Can u pass split brows and a drop tine??
So there he is guys. Lots of time in the stand and before and lots of help from alot of you guys, so thank you. I think hes gonna look awesome on the wall. And maybe no one happier than the wife, she likes the archery kills better tho

That's a great "problem" to have! 3 big bucks! Congratulations! I think you made a fine choice on which one to wrap your tag around.

Thx guys!