2010 Hit List - A Work In Progress

Well, rifle season and muzzleloader season came and went. I only heard of one nice buck being taken around The Hill by muzzleloader and that was East of Orville's (a good 2.2 miles from the cabin). I've yet to see a picture of it either. There's only 9 days left of the 2009 archery season, and the likelihood of anyone shooting a nice buck (that keeps his antlers on his head) is pretty slim. Out of our original top seven, there have been two confirmed dead (Crazy 8 & Wide 9). Out of the other 5, Ive gotten pictures of two of them after muzzleloader season. I got a picture of a heavy short 8 point that was bleeding by his ear on November 21st that I'm going to call the scabby 8. I just got a picture of him two nights ago. He's about a 120" 5 year old. He'll go on the list for 2010. I also got pictures of a 10 point that looks a lot like a deer I got some pictures of this late summer out by John's pond, but he doesn't have the distinct split G2 on his right antler, so I'm guessing they're brothers. He's a four year old that would go about 125. Last year's hitlist was made up of bucks that I got pictures of out of velvet - mostly because of the very different ranges bucks occupy from summer to fall and even fall to winter. In fact, all of the "top seven" pictures were taken from October 21st through November 1st. There were two bucks that should've been on the list that we had velvet pictures of, but once fall came, they dissappeared. The buck that already dropped his antlers could very well be one of those two bucks, I still need to go check that out. So if I was to rank the survivors with the "would be's" for 2010, I would have a list that looked something like this:

1. The Clown (Oct 22/Jan 30 [shed])

2. Mr. 140 (Dec 23/Jan 7 [shed])

3. Hanger (Oct 31) - CONFIRMED DEAD

4. Wide Web (June 19)

5. No Name 10 (Dec 28)

6. Pond Buck (Sept 1) - CONFIRMED DEAD

7. Sky Scraper (Jan 25)

8. Scabby 8 (Jan 18/Feb 1 [shed])

9. Bullwinkle (Jan 22)

10. Inside Crab 10 (Jan 24/Feb 4 [shed])

I'm really just hoping for confirmation from the sheds, and to try and get two other bucks photos to be satisfied: The Clown and Hanger. They're both older bucks, and to figure them out will be the most difficult. Wolves do not simplify the matter.