Show Us Your Trophy [PHOTOS]

On 11/14/2012 I shot my first buck in western South Dakota. I was hunting with my husband on public land when we saw a nice buck about 1 mile away deeper into the public land we were hunting. We walked the mile in using the terrain to hide us. My husband spotted the buck again bedded down in the grass because his antlers were sticking out of the grass! At the time he didn't tell me how big he was! We had to 'belly-crawl' 75 more yards to the crest of a hill to get a shot. The buck got up and started to chase a few does and it was now or never! After a few tense moments of not being able to find the buck in my scope, I shot him at 250 yards and he ran 10 yards before expiring. I shot him with my new .243 Winchester rifle that my husband bought for me this summer. We spent a lot of time at the firing range practicing shooting and it paid off! The buck measured a green gross score of 165 3/4 inches. If he didnt have a broken 'G2' tine he would have measured 172 3/4 inches! He is my first buck and it was a hunt to remember! My husband says I should expect dissapointment while deer hunting from here on out as I'll likely never shoot a deer this big again! What a day!

I had pictures of this deer for the past three seasons on my trail cameras where I bowhunt at my father in-laws. I honestly had never seen him in person until opening day of rifle season this year. It was the first time i had a rifle tag to hunt this property since acquiring pictures of the deer. I had packed a lunch and planned to sit in the tree all day in hopes of seeing him. At 11:06 am I saw him at 400yds running directly at my stand along a dry slough bed. I got ready for the shot. I figured he would stop once he entered the cover by my stand. Unfortunately he kept moving and I kept seeing trees in my scope. I felt happy to see him but dissapointed I didn't get the shot off. The wind was in my favor and I knew where he should have held up on the south end of the property. I got out of the tree and moved to a hill overlooking the slough that he went into. I g ot things ready for a shot if he stood up. As i figured he didn't get on his feet until 12 minutes after sunset. When he stood up I ranged him and his doe at 400yds. I'm capable of that shot but waited to see what he would do. He started running towards me. At 250 yds he stopped facing my direction. I waited for him to turn broadside and took a good aim and squeezed the trigger. I heard the report and the deer took of running. I was amazed he wasn't falling so I chambered another round. I couldn't see him well enough through the tall grass to shoot again. As he entered a small circular patch of timber I saw him appear to fall. I quickly made my way to where I thought he was and couldn't find him or blood. I called my father in-law and asked him to come with flashlights to help. We searched the area and could not find him or blood. I became confused and dissoriented. I decided to come back in the morning and look with daylight. It was a long night and some quest ioning of wethor I hit him. The next morning I went to where I thought he was standing and found blood which led to the edge of the circular timber 100 yds away and he laid dead 10 yds in. We had walked within 5 yds of him the night before 3-4 times. I was relieved to recover him and elated to collect the deer I had so much history with.

This is my son Nolan's first hunting trip. He turned 4 just 2 weeks before opening day. He was a trooper that day and walked over 2 miles through the fields. This was the first pheasant I shot that day and he was so excited that he wanted to carry it as long as he could, and he kept calling it his pheasant.

My dad had sat in my stand the morning and evening before to scout for deer and see what was showing up. The night before opening rifle he said there was only two littler bucks and 5 doe walking past the stand on a regular basis. Opening morning i sat expecting nothing other than those 7 deer to walk by. I rattled and grunted all morning in a mobile stand my dad and I built. My little cousin(who's starting to really get interested into hunting) sat inside with me. I grunted and rattled some more and that's when I seen this big buck! I ranged him at 200 yards, grunted to stop him, he turned, thats when I pulled the trigger and put him right down! My hands were shaking and I called dad (who was in a nearby stand and heard my shot) and told him i got a big one! he drove the pickup out to the field, where I jumped outta my stand fist pumping and giving my cousin high fives! Then I finally got to see how truly big he was! (5x6 with a total score of about 150 inches!) This was the first time we ever seen him! And that was the first time I'd ever grunted in a buck during rut! Everyone in our group was high fiving and smiling! There's nothing better than hunting!! Later that evening, me and dad sat in a different stand and I grunted in a littler 6x6 that dad shot!

This is actually my husband's trophy. It takes a special meaning. My father passed away unexpectedly 3 weeks before our wedding in August. He was the biggest hunter you could ever know, it was his life. He had gotten his dream buck 2 years ago, and was waiting to get the mount back. The taxidermist has been busy and has not finished it. My dad's grandson always dreamed of getting a buck using rattling horns to bring him in. He had this dream come true 2 weeks ago, knowing my dad was there. When my husband went out yesterday (11/17), he was almost shocked when he rattled in his buck. He was so proud, and it brought me to tears when he told me the same exact thing happened with him. It just brings me great joy my dad's legacy is being lived out each and every day, that he is out there helping them hunt. This is Joe's 8x6.

This buck was taken on the banks of the Missouri River during opening weekend of South Dakota's rifle season. It is my personal best muley and I had my brother and dad there to enjoy it with me!

I was sitting in the open, in the middle of the pasture when this big guy walks right by. It should have been a 5x5 but one of the brow tines were broke. Nice deer, though!

Shot this gnarly old 6x6 buck up by Mina, SD opening day East River deer.

My son's first hunting trip

This is Adam, his little buddy Udell and our hunting dog, Sadye with her nose on a trail in Wessington Springs, SD.

This is our son Jayden showing off the pheasants that his family and friends shot on opening day of pheasant season. Jayden walked the fields with Dad and made sure the dogs were also taken care of. Jayden is Dad's little helper and wants to be a "Worker Man" when he grows up!

42 Roosters! Good times with great friends!

2012 Mule Deer West River

Finally got my first buck! Shot this big bodied 4x4 on Friday morning (11/16) at Sand Lake. Took a 180 yard shot at this him while he was running and dropped him straight in his tracks.

I went out opening morning and within the first hour I had a doe come walking out of the CRP ground into my corn and bean stubble and she kept looking back and i was thinking it was a little fawn following her, but i look again and here it was a beautiful buck. Boom, I had him on the ground. I was so excited because it was the first buck that i seen since the middle of summer. In our area we got hit really hard with blue tongue. We lost so many deer over the year it has been super crazy. So to shot this deer i am super excited that i got a deer this nice. Opening morning i was the only shot fired in our area.

I shot this 8 x 7 in Moody County Sunday morning. It scores 175 7/8 green. My dad and I have gone out the last few years together and this is the first buck I have ever shot. A hunter had shot at this deer and missed, sending it on a run towards where I was posting in the fence line. The deer jumped the fence about a hundred yards away and I shot it on the run. Lets just say I'm eating my words because I had just got done telling my bf a few days before that we will never have a deer mounted :)

6x5 that scored 150." Shot on October 23rd with my Mathews Z7

Main frame 4x4, 7x8 overall taken with bow from 15 yards!