# JBo Is Back



## Echo

That's him with his ear's laid back as he's approaching Butch to settle a dispute over the best seat at the dinner table. Both Bucks are in the 5.5 - 6.5 age class so I'm expecting plenty more in the way of antler growth over the next couple of months. Both have six points each at present.

Also pictured is a younger 8-point that I call Lewis. He had a nice wide 8-point rack last year so I'm really looking forward to watching him develop this summer as well.


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## Fuzzy D Fellers

Looking forward to the pics and update as I did last year. Keep them coming.


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## cliff&pam

Welcome back j bo. Its gonna be an interesting few months,  keep us posted Echo


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## Echo

Migmack said:


> Looking forward to the pics and update as I did last year. Keep them coming.





cliff&pam said:


> Welcome back j bo. Its gonna be an interesting few months,  keep us posted Echo



Will do. I'll post some new ones up every week or so or anytime that I get anything that might be of interest.

JBo seems to run a week or two behind most of the other bucks but I'm sure he'll be impressive as any by August. He's a little lean right now as well but he's eating good - I've got a small plot that I keep seeded with sunflowers and soybeans to supplement the corn that I just started putting out. They want that corn though!


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## deermaster13

Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to see him grow. I kept viewing your post last year.


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## BlackEagle

Love watching JBo!


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## MFOSTER

Glad he made it the dog days of summer would not be the same without him


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## BSFR98

Glad to see him again.  Thanks for the update.


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## deerhuntingdawg

Looking foward to the photos of him growing this summer!!


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## Echo

deerhuntingdawg said:


> Looking foward to the photos of him growing this summer!!



Me too, it's amazing how fast their racks can grow at this time of year. 

Here is one more that I took on the same night as the others.


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## trkyhnt89

Awesome! I was looking forward to this post.


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## BornToHuntAndFish

That's cool, Ernie.  Glad they are back & growing bone on their heads.  Ought to be even more of a blast this year with JBo & Butch in their prime expressing their potential peak headgear.  Be careful with those big boys.   Appreciate the rocking update.


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## ALPHAMAX

Ernie, that's cool, appreciate the pics


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## Echo

ALPHAMAX said:


> Ernie, that's cool, appreciate the pics



Sure, and I'm glad that so many folks enjoy keeping up with JBo. Seems likely from what I've seen so far that he and Butch have formed their own exclusive bachelor group for the summer.

I wasn't taking pictures last night but I did notice the beginnings of what will be the G3's coming in on JBo's rack. Seeing that this early in the growing season tends to make me believe that he'll have a good shot at being a nice typical ten this fall. Time will tell!


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## bigelow

Nice n


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## Echo

Another regular showed up just in the last couple of days. I'm pretty sure the buck in the first pic is one that I call Karl. If it is he'll definitely be one to watch later on as he grew a nice 8-point rack last year.

The next pic is of Lewis who I think I'm going to have to start calling Big Lew by the way his rack is shaping up. I really haven't gotten a great a photo of him yet but he looks to be about 17'' wide and is really impressive in person.

Last one is JBo and you can see the G-3's starting to come in now.


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## Echo

Ol' JBo has been busy growing that rack over the last week and is really looking strong and healthy. He's ruling the feeding grounds as usual and even let fly with a grunt/snort/wheeze at an intruding buck the other night.


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## wcg2

Amazing that you are able to witness this up close and personal and I want to thank you again for sharing this with us ! My favorite of everything GON !!!


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## tjchurch

Up close and personal. Cool shots.


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## Echo

wcg2 said:


> Amazing that you are able to witness this up close and personal and I want to thank you again for sharing this with us ! My favorite of everything GON !!!



Wow, thanks. I'm glad you're a JBo fan! Stay tuned, he's going to really grow a lot over the next month.



tjchurch said:


> Up close and personal. Cool shots.



Thanks, hanging out with JBo and his pals for a little while each night has become just about the favorite part of my day.


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## sman

Jbos G2s are going to split. I m interested in seeing how he turns out this yr. 

Lewis looks like he is going to have a heck of a rack this yr!


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## NorthGaBowhunter

He is looking good Ernie,


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## Echo

sman said:


> Jbos G2s are going to split. I m interested in seeing how he turns out this yr.
> 
> Lewis looks like he is going to have a heck of a rack this yr!




I've noticed his G2s were getting real thick in a hurry. I hadn't thought about the possibility of them splitting off but it certainly could go that way.

Lewis is a small bodied deer with a huge rack. He's way ahead of all the other bucks development-wise but I believe he'll still add quite a few inches to his main eight point frame. Right now, I don't see a lot of him because JBo and Butch are coming in fairly early this year and they run Lewis off as quickly as he shows up.



NorthGaBowhunter said:


> He is looking good Ernie,



Yes he is.


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## Arrow3

Great pics Ernie!


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## Jim Thompson

glad he survived and look forward to the growth again Ernie


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## BornToHuntAndFish

Having a blast watching JBo grow.  Sounds like ole young Lewis is not feeling the love from his older bro's Butch & JBo.  Appreciate the updates.


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## Echo

Arrow3 said:


> Great pics Ernie!



Thanks, Big Stopper!



Jim Thompson said:


> glad he survived and look forward to the growth again Ernie



Yeah Jim, I was real glad to see him again and if anything he seems to be even more relaxed around me this year. It wouldn't surprise me too much if he's eating right out of my hand before long. Caution is still very much required on my part though - I've seen how fast he can throw up those hooves and I have no desire to take a JBo kick to the jaw. 



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Having a blast watching JBo grow.  Sounds like ole young Lewis is not feeling the love from his older bro's Butch & JBo.  Appreciate the updates.



Glad you're enjoying the updates! Nope, no love at all being shown for Lewis or any of the other younger bucks. I'll put the camera out tonight and see if I can get an updated pic of Lew.


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## Talltine10

Ernie , have you found any sheds from any of them deer ? Or  have you ever tried looking. Them are very nice deer. Glad to start watching the growth of these bucks again


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## Echo

Talltine10 said:


> Ernie , have you found any sheds from any of them deer ? Or  have you ever tried looking. Them are very nice deer. Glad to start watching the growth of these bucks again



Yes as a matter of fact I've found quite a few. I found both sides of Karl's rack in the back yard one morning last January and I've got a matching pair as well as the last three year's right sides from Butch.


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## Echo

I got a pretty good shot of Lewis last night. He's on the right with Butch standing to the left for comparison. As you can see Lewis is already well outside of his ears and if he can stack on some height and mass, he's going to be something - and only a 3.5 year old.


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## Gut_Pile

Those are some great bucks. Looking forward to watching them grow


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## Dirtroad Johnson

I really enjoy keeping up with your posts on these bucks.

It would be interesting if the DNR would dart ol Jbo & put a collar on him to see where all he goes after leaving
your place; how far is bedding area -- where all he goes during the rut, etc... Very unusual to see any deer on your patio must less a mature buck. It's sure been fun seeing all this. Keep on posting & be careful.


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## Remington89

he is a nice buck for sure


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## Echo

Gut_Pile said:


> Those are some great bucks. Looking forward to watching them grow



Thanks, Gut Pile.



mack1974 said:


> I really enjoy keeping up with your posts on these bucks.
> 
> It would be interesting if the DNR would dart ol Jbo & put a collar on him to see where all he goes after leaving
> your place; how far is bedding area -- where all he goes during the rut, etc... Very unusual to see any deer on your patio must less a mature buck. It's sure been fun seeing all this. Keep on posting & be careful.



Thanks mack, glad you're enjoying the updates on JBo. Yeah, he's a ghost in the daytime....never have seen him at all till after dark.

Right now he's fairly easy going and he'll run from me if I make a sudden move or sound that he doesn't like. Starting as early as late July and into August though it's not hard to sense a change in his attitude......he's incredibly strong and I'm respectful of that fact.



sman said:


> Jbos G2s are going to split. I m interested in seeing how he turns out this yr.




By golly, I think you're on to something there, sman. I saw what definitely looked like the start of some splitting on the left G2 last night.



Remington89 said:


> he is a nice buck for sure



Thanks Remington. I tell him that all the time.


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## Echo

6-24 
JBo on a rainy night in Georgia.


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## Talltine10

Awesome Ernie ! What model stealth cam do you have ? Takes great pictures !


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## tjchurch

Great pics. You can defiantly see the g2's starting to split.


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## Echo

Talltine10 said:


> Awesome Ernie ! What model stealth cam do you have ? Takes great pictures !



Thanks Talltine, but I took those last night with my Nikon Coolpix while standing just a few feet away from JBo. My Stealth cam is just a basic IR model that I picked up at Sam's a few years back.



tjchurch said:


> Great pics. You can defiantly see the g2's starting to split.



Yes you can! I think his rack is going to score a lot of character points this year.


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## XJfire75

Any updates sir? I like how much they grow in such a short time around this part of the year. Bet he's added several inches already


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## Echo

XJfire75 said:


> Any updates sir? I like how much they grow in such a short time around this part of the year. Bet he's added several inches already



Well, he's getting big! I should be able to add some updated pics later on tonight or tomorrow morning but rest assured that JBo's rack is coming right along and he's even added some more heft to his body size as well. I actually hand fed him a mixture of peanut butter and corn from a spoon the other night which I got quite a kick out of.

The other bucks are looking real strong too.


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## GTHunter007

Echo said:


> Well, he's getting big! I should be able to add some updated pics later on tonight or tomorrow morning but rest assured that JBo's rack is coming right along and he's even added some more heft to his body size as well. I actually hand fed him a mixture of peanut butter and corn from a spoon the other night which I got quite a kick out of.
> 
> The other bucks are looking real strong too.



If he knew what you do to his brethren...he'd feed you that spoon in a not so nice way.


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## GA DAWG

I believe you could pet him


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## Echo

GTHunter007 said:


> If he knew what you do to his brethren...he'd feed you that spoon in a not so nice way.



It is a bit ironic, I suppose....given the amount of time and effort I've put forth over the years to get his kind in the crosshairs. He's a very unique deer though and I hope he hangs around for a long time. 



GA DAWG said:


> I believe you could pet him



Probably won't be long, GA DAWG.


Okay, JBo and Butch came in together again tonight after traveling separately for the last few nights. JBo tolerates Butch for the most part while he's feeding but he did give him a little grunt/snort/wheeze at one point just as a reminder I guess. I'm sure there will be a lot more of that as the summer wears on.

Here are a few shots that I took and as long as the Stealth Cam isn't having any problems I'll have some more to add tomorrow.


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## XJfire75

Man that's gonna be a gnarly lookin deer in a few months! You're lucky to have that kinda entertainment nightly!


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## BornToHuntAndFish

Looking better & better.  Thx for posting.


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## antharper

This is my fovorite post, and how old is jBo ,and how many years have you known him.  Thanks for sharing


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## Echo

XJfire75 said:


> Man that's gonna be a gnarly lookin deer in a few months! You're lucky to have that kinda entertainment nightly!



I'm very fortunate, no doubt about it. 



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Looking better & better.  Thx for posting.



You're welcome! 



antharper said:


> This is my fovorite post, and how old is jBo ,and how many years have you known him.  Thanks for sharing



I believe that JBo is 5.5 years old now. I first saw him in late summer of 2011 so it's been almost four years.

Back then I didn't even try to go outside amongst the bucks when they came to feed because I didn't want to scare them off. JBo distinguished himself from the others by the way he would occasionally approach right up to the window that I was watching from and just stare at me through the glass. I thought.....something is up with that buck! So, one night I went out to throw some corn and he didn't run.....from there I guess a 'friendship' was born.

Now with him being the dominant buck, I seem to get a lot of credibility with the other bucks in the herd when they see him basically showing very little fear of me.


Here are some shots off the trail-cam of some other bucks that visited last night - notable among them is Lewis, who is just going to be a toad before he's done! Perfectly symmetrical, very wide and high. I watched him coming in before dark yesterday and it looked like he was carrying a couple of 2x4's on his head!


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## Duff

Great stuff Erinie!!!! Look forward to following their progress!!!


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## GA DAWG

Got any pics of lewis from last yr? To see how much hes grown. He is a good un.


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## Echo

Duff said:


> Great stuff Erinie!!!! Look forward to following their progress!!!



Thanks Duff!!



GA DAWG said:


> Got any pics of lewis from last yr? To see how much hes grown. He is a good un.



Sure, here he is sneaking in about this time last year and he was already showing his good genetics. Below him is a pic of JBo from the same set last year. Lewis is always a fast starter whereas JBo tends to run behind the other bucks.....that is until it counts!


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## Dirtroad Johnson

Good stuff Echo.


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## Echo

mack1974 said:


> Good stuff Echo.



Thanks, mack! I'll post an update in just a few more days.

Happy 4th to everyone from JBo and the gang!


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## string music

Always enjoy this thread. Looking forward to watching them grow.


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## XJfire75

He been back?


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## georgiadawgs44

Wow! Awesome thread. I don't know how I've missed it the last month. I'll be checking in regular now for sure! Thanks for sharing with us!!!!


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## Echo

string music said:


> Always enjoy this thread. Looking forward to watching them grow.



Good deal, string music.



XJfire75 said:


> He been back?



Yes he has, XJ but it's been several days since I've seen JBo. That's typical for him this time of year, with the intense heat we've been having he normally will start getting here an hour or two later. I'm hoping he'll wander up tonight in time for me to get some good close ups but I've got the trail cam out just in case he sticks to the late night pattern.

I have been seeing a good bit of the other bucks - Butch, Lewis and Karl...respectively and they are looking real nice. Lewis looks like he's going to be a solid 125 if not bigger before it's over. 



georgiadawgs44 said:


> Wow! Awesome thread. I don't know how I've missed it the last month. I'll be checking in regular now for sure! Thanks for sharing with us!!!!



Hey, you're welcome bud! Check back in the morning and hopefully I'll have something new posted up.


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## Echo

Well, patience paid off as JBo decided to pay me a visit last night around 11:30. He's looking good and still has quite a bit of growing ahead of him over the next month or so.

Also pictured in order are the bucks that I call Karl, Butch and Lewis. All eight points right now and still growing strong!


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## Gut_Pile

Thanks for sharing. It looks like JBo might add two more points before it's all said and done.

You have some impressive bucks hanging around for sure. Lewis is going to be a stud of an 8 point.


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## Arrow3

Looking great Ernie!


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## Echo

Gut_Pile said:


> Thanks for sharing. It looks like JBo might add two more points before it's all said and done.
> 
> 
> 
> You have some impressive bucks hanging around for sure. Lewis is going to be a stud of an 8 point.



I'd like to see JBo add a couple more myself and he certainly has a shot at it. His rack matures about 2 weeks later than the others so it could still provide some surprises.

Lewis is amazing to see in person. A little short legged buck with this huge rack on his head! 



Arrow3 said:


> Looking great Ernie!



Thanks, Brandon!


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## Jim Thompson

keep em coming echo


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## antharper

Lewis has 1 beautiful rack , u said he looks like he'd go 125  I'd say easily


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## Echo

Jim Thompson said:


> keep em coming echo



Will do, Jim. I plan to start getting some video pretty soon.



antharper said:


> Lewis has 1 beautiful rack , u said he looks like he'd go 125  I'd say easily



He does and I think you're right. Easily in the 125 - 130 range as he stands now. I knew he had great potential last year when he was so unusually wide and symmetrical as a 2.5 year old but he's really got his foot on the gas now.


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## GA DAWG

Ol lewis might surprise yall when he gets done. I think he will go nearly 140.


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## Echo

GA DAWG said:


> Ol lewis might surprise yall when he gets done. I think he will go nearly 140.



Could be GA Dawg but if he does he'll be bettering the county record with room to spare. I'm already looking forward to velvet shedding time.

He just came back for a bite and gave me a good photo op. I was a little late on the last shot but you get some idea of how impressive Lew's rack is getting to be with that rear view.


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## deerhuntingdawg

Awesome photos!!  If ole Lewis is only 3 1/2, I can only image what he'll be by 5 1/2!!


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## Beagler282

I sure hope Lewis will make it 2 more yrs.I would like seeing him at his peak! One beautiful 8 pointer.


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## Echo

deerhuntingdawg said:


> Awesome photos!!  If ole Lewis is only 3 1/2, I can only image what he'll be by 5 1/2!!





Beagler282 said:


> I sure hope Lewis will make it 2 more yrs.I would like seeing him at his peak! One beautiful 8 pointer.



Yeah guys, I hope he manages to be around for a long time. Believe it or not he is still low in the local buck hierarchy so unless that changes it will probably work in his favor as far as survival goes.


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## Echo

Saw a nice buck tonight. Pretty sure he saw me too though.


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## antharper

That's awesome,I'd spend way to much time setting on the porch.


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## BornToHuntAndFish

Wow, that's cool having more new viewing angles of your good sized yard bucks.  Appreciate the fine updates.


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## Beagler282

You should be holding one of those bottles of scent blocker up in that pic and send it in to the company.Might get a lil check in the mail for the endorsement...lol


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## Echo

antharper said:


> That's awesome,I'd spend way to much time setting on the porch.



I spend a fair amount of time out there, that's for sure. 



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Wow, that's cool having more new viewing angles of your good sized yard bucks.  Appreciate the fine updates.



Glad you liked it. JBo doesn't seem to mind where the camera is as long as there is corn nearby. I think every deer that came up last night was aware that the camera was in a new spot however and it spooked a couple of them at first.



Beagler282 said:


> You should be holding one of those bottles of scent blocker up in that pic and send it in to the company.Might get a lil check in the mail for the endorsement...lol


\

Not a bad idea. Maybe I'll offer to field test a few doe-in-heat scents this fall. They could become JBo certified!


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## lostatsea

Love the thread and I kept up with your adventure last year and will do the same this year and hopefully for more years to come but a couple of questions. Sorry if they seem weird but here goes.

Do you talk to JBo or any of the other bucks? If so how do they react.

Have you ever tried sitting on the porch in camo and an orange vest? If so did they react differently or have they ever been spooked by just the clothes you are wearing.

Thanks!


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## Echo

lostatsea said:


> Love the thread and I kept up with your adventure last year and will do the same this year and hopefully for more years to come but a couple of questions. Sorry if they seem weird but here goes.
> 
> Do you talk to JBo or any of the other bucks? If so how do they react.
> 
> Have you ever tried sitting on the porch in camo and an orange vest? If so did they react differently or have they ever been spooked by just the clothes you are wearing.
> 
> Thanks!



I'm glad you enjoy the threads, lostatsea.

To the first question, you bet I do.  I mean, it's quiet, you're sitting there with all these big critters walking around you - sooner or later you'll want to say something to them. They're pretty vocal themselves, just not in response to me. I hear grunts frequently and if history is any guide I'll start hearing snort-wheezes almost nightly as velvet shedding time grows near. There's a lot more chasing and posturing going on by then as well. 

JBo seems to react more to my voice than any of the others. When I first walk out of the door or when he first coms up if I'm already outside, I'll usually say "Hey Buddy" or something to that effect and it seems to reassure him a little bit. Many times he'll drop his head  down at that point and come on over to feed at the bench or wherever I've placed the bowl that night. Naturally there have also been quite a few bucks that have turned inside out at the sight of me being outside or the unexpected sound of my voice.

 One thing that has surprised me a little bit is that they all seem to have their own unique way of relating to each other, to me and to the food source. No doubt a lot of this is just do the constant pecking order being maintained among the group but I'm of the belief that each buck has a very specific way of going about the day to day business of survival.

I have sat out with them in snake boots and camo many times after being in the woods all day and noticed no change. I don't think I've tested blaze orange but it's something that I will do in the future.


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## kevincox

Great pics Ernie! All I could wish for is to find a buck like that this season to hunt on one of my tracts. Very impressive deer


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## deermaster13

Very cool thread! I look forward to it. Thanks!


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## lostatsea

Echo said:


> I'm glad you enjoy the threads, lostatsea.
> 
> To the first question, you bet I do.  I mean, it's quiet, you're sitting there with all these big critters walking around you - sooner or later you'll want to say something to them. They're pretty vocal themselves, just not in response to me. I hear grunts frequently and if history is any guide I'll start hearing snort-wheezes almost nightly as velvet shedding time grows near. There's a lot more chasing and posturing going on by then as well.
> 
> JBo seems to react more to my voice than any of the others. When I first walk out of the door or when he first coms up if I'm already outside, I'll usually say "Hey Buddy" or something to that effect and it seems to reassure him a little bit. Many times he'll drop his head  down at that point and come on over to feed at the bench or wherever I've placed the bowl that night. Naturally there have also been quite a few bucks that have turned inside out at the sight of me being outside or the unexpected sound of my voice.
> 
> One thing that has surprised me a little bit is that they all seem to have their own unique way of relating to each other, to me and to the food source. No doubt a lot of this is just do the constant pecking order being maintained among the group but I'm of the belief that each buck has a very specific way of going about the day to day business of survival.
> 
> I have sat out with them in snake boots and camo many times after being in the woods all day and noticed no change. I don't think I've tested blaze orange but it's something that I will do in the future.



Thanks for the reply, sir.

I find it purely amazing that a wild mature whitetail buck will go against everything he has learned his entire life and all of his innate behaviors like these do. Your voice, smell, presence and all.

The camo and orange vest thing was more about do they know what these things are or indicate and do they also associate them with danger.

Do you think that if something happened to JBo that the next buck in line would assume JBo's place with you or is he a 1 in a million buck.

I can only imagine the adrenaline rush you felt the first few times he came in close and just to be so close to such an amazing animal.


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## bobby07

I gotta know. What's in the bowl? Looks like cookie dough for deer. Wanna share the recipe?


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## j_seph

awesome this sir would be nice to enjoy in the evenings


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## Echo

kevincox said:


> Great pics Ernie! All I could wish for is to find a buck like that this season to hunt on one of my tracts. Very impressive deer



Thanks, Kevin. JBo is a nice buck but I think his continued dominance of the group now is due in large part to his body mass, strength and attitude. He is noticeably bigger bodied than the other bucks when viewed in person and is very quick and agile. 

I'm sure you'll find a good one to hunt any time now. 



deermaster13 said:


> Very cool thread! I look forward to it. Thanks!



Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy it!



lostatsea said:


> Thanks for the reply, sir.
> 
> I find it purely amazing that a wild mature whitetail buck will go against everything he has learned his entire life and all of his innate behaviors like these do. Your voice, smell, presence and all.
> 
> The camo and orange vest thing was more about do they know what these things are or indicate and do they also associate them with danger.
> 
> Do you think that if something happened to JBo that the next buck in line would assume JBo's place with you or is he a 1 in a million buck.
> 
> I can only imagine the adrenaline rush you felt the first few times he came in close and just to be so close to such an amazing animal.



He is totally wild as you mentioned and there are weeks and even months throughout the year when he picks up and heads for parts unknown, particularly during the rut which seems to stretch from late September into January around here.

It was a gradual process with JBo getting used to me but he was different from the other deer from the start. Really before I had even entertained any thought of trying to go outside with the group of deer that I  was feeding he would come up close to a window and just stare right back at me. Odd. I'd never seen anything like it. 

Probably in large part because they saw JBo do it, other bucks have started looking for me to come out with a bowl of feed for them. The big 8-point that I call Lewis especially has come around this summer and is just about coming as close as JBo now. 

It was definitely an adrenaline rush the first few times! 



bobby07 said:


> I gotta know. What's in the bowl? Looks like cookie dough for deer. Wanna share the recipe?



Sure, pretty simple - about a tablespoon of JIFF Creamy to every half gallon of shelled corn. It's a fan favorite!

Now what I feed these deer is of course just a miniscule part of their diet. Ill get about two weeks of feeding out of one bag of corn so none of them are in any way dependent on what I provide. I also try to keep a very small foodplot going on year round as well. Right now I've got some millet getting ready to head out and they'll strip those seeds right off when they ripen.



j_seph said:


> awesome this sir would be nice to enjoy in the evenings



Thanks, I enjoy it a lot.


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## Fletch

Cancel the cable, toss the DVD player in the trash.......invest in a quality video camera for when you are unable to get outside to see your friends (hopefully at a ripe old age)........ you have a truly amazing opportunity ongoing here and thanks for sharing.


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## bobby07

Oh I know. There's now way they get that healthy on your bowl of goodies alone. Just wanted to know what was so good they join you for a night cap. Cool deal you got going. Keep the pictures coming. I know J Bo is the crowd favorite but Lewis is tough to pull against.


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## Echo

Fletch said:


> Cancel the cable, toss the DVD player in the trash.......invest in a quality video camera for when you are unable to get outside to see your friends (hopefully at a ripe old age)........ you have a truly amazing opportunity ongoing here and thanks for sharing.



You're welcome I think you're right about the need for a better camera. I'm looking into it....my Stealth cam is showing it's age a little bit.



bobby07 said:


> Oh I know. There's now way they get that healthy on your bowl of goodies alone. Just wanted to know what was so good they join you for a night cap. Cool deal you got going. Keep the pictures coming. I know J Bo is the crowd favorite but Lewis is tough to pull against.



Yeah, they are in great shape this year with all of the rain we've had - never seen so many sagging bellies!

Lewis is a great buck and he's a real pleasure to have around. He's also usually one of the first to arrive and I'll often see him coming from quite a ways off before dark. 

Here's another shot of him from a couple of nights ago.


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## sman

Lewis is a STUD!


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## BornToHuntAndFish

Yep, good ole Lewis is bringing his A-game in coming to show off his big wide headgear.  A bit shocking how large the bodies are on your mature yard whitetails.  Appreciate the updates.


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## Echo

sman said:


> Lewis is a STUD!



He sure is but he had a hard time of it last night. He got here late after JBo and Butch had already arrived and neither of them was willing to share. Quite the ruckus broke out shortly thereafter complete with grunting, charging, running and kicking. It was on!

Poor Lewis would stop long enough to look at me as if he was hoping that I would intervene on his behalf before running off to keep just ahead of JBo. Next year I'm not so sure about, but I don't see Lewis making a serious run at JBo's hold as top buck anytime soon. 



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Yep, good ole Lewis is bringing his A-game in coming to show off his big wide headgear.  A bit shocking how large the bodies are on your mature yard whitetails.  Appreciate the updates.



They're well fed. JBo and Butch are heavyweights for sure while Lewis is still filling out. If he ever gets the body size to go with that rack he'll be something!

Here's Lewis just a little while ago. He made sure that he got here before the crowd tonight.


----------



## EAGLE EYE 444

Ernie,
I look forward to this annual thread just like I look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  I really enjoy your slice of heaven and your fantastic display in sharing these with the rest of us.

My Daughter and I were discussing JBo yesterday morning at about 3 AM as we were traveling north on I-95 coming home from our annual Florida vacation.  She is also a member on here and also loves your photos and updates on JBo, Lewis, and the rest of their buddies.  She is also a photographer and absolutely loves wildlife opportunities as well.  Please keep up entertaining the rest of us.


----------



## Echo

EAGLE EYE 444 said:


> Ernie,
> I look forward to this annual thread just like I look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  I really enjoy your slice of heaven and your fantastic display in sharing these with the rest of us.
> 
> My Daughter and I were discussing JBo yesterday morning at about 3 AM as we were traveling north on I-95 coming home from our annual Florida vacation.  She is also a member on here and also loves your photos and updates on JBo, Lewis, and the rest of their buddies.  She is also a photographer and absolutely loves wildlife opportunities as well.  Please keep up entertaining the rest of us.



That's awesome EAGLE EYE! So glad to hear that you and your daughter enjoy the updates and pics. I plan to continue as long as they're still coming around and folks still have an interest in seeing them. 

Some more shots from last night...

First one is Lewis cautiously approaching the bench for a snack. Safe to say that we're buddies now. 

Next is Butch and Karl. Karl looks a lot like JBo in both rack and body and it would not surprise me if he was a direct offspring of JBo. 

Pic of Butch showing off his unique rack. Those G2's are like billy clubs and they are still growing.

Last but certainly not least...a close up of JBo's progress. I think he has one more good spurt of rack growth to go before he's done.


----------



## Killdee

very cool!


----------



## smitty

Thanks for the pictures and updates !


----------



## kevincox

Any homes for sale Ernie in your neighborhood? LOL I'd love to be able to look at bucks like that every evening from the porch. Just awesome


----------



## Echo

Killdee said:


> very cool!





smitty said:


> Thanks for the pictures and updates !



Thanks guys!



kevincox said:


> Any homes for sale Ernie in your neighborhood? LOL I'd love to be able to look at bucks like that every evening from the porch. Just awesome



Funny you should say that Kevin, I was thinking the other day if we were to put this place up for sale I'd be well advised to advertise it here on GON. 

I plan to stay for a while longer though - it's a tough place to leave.


----------



## BornToHuntAndFish

Nice having 'em showing up regularly for their photo ops.  Expect it's very entertaining experiencing that in person, too.  Thank you, Sir.


----------



## Talltine10

Wow them are some nice deer! That's awesome. Thanks for all the updates. I like the wide buck! Not sure what his name is but he's big with the others.


----------



## kevincox

Echo said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> 
> 
> Funny you should say that Kevin, I was thinking the other day if we were to put this place up for sale I'd be well advised to advertise it here on GON.
> 
> I plan to stay for a while longer though - it's a tough place to leave.


Yep, I bet. It was tough for me to move from my last home since I had a 130 buck using my property. Now my cousin is hunting him. He always disappears right when season comes in and then shows again in Dec


----------



## gsubo

Love this thread too.   Butch has one sweet set of horns!


----------



## Lone Wolf

Great Looking Deer thanks for the pics.


----------



## Echo

BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Nice having 'em showing up regularly for their photo ops.  Expect it's very entertaining experiencing that in person, too.  Thank you, Sir.



Keeps me out of trouble between turkey and deer seasons. 



kevincox said:


> Yep, I bet. It was tough for me to move from my last home since I had a 130 buck using my property. Now my cousin is hunting him. He always disappears right when season comes in and then shows again in Dec



Kevin, you might need to twist his arm a little for an invite. 



gsubo said:


> Love this thread too.   Butch has one sweet set of horns!



Good deal, Eric. Yeah, Butch is a bad dude - those horns just jump off of his head. I'd like to see one just like him out in the swamp!



Lone Wolf said:


> Great Looking Deer thanks for the pics.



Glad you like them, LW. It's been so awfully hot lately that I think they're waiting until after midnight to move. I know it's been a few days now since I last saw JBo or Butch but I suspect they're still dropping by after I've turned in for the night. I've got my camera set up a few miles away right now trying to catch some different bucks so I can't say that with complete certainty however.

Lewis is still coming by early enough and he's looking like he's about done on growth. I think last year he shed his velvet early - maybe about 8-21 so that's something to look forward to.


----------



## Echo

JBo is still laying low but here is a week later update on Lewis. Like I said earlier, he appears to have just about maxed out on antler growth for this year but given his relatively small body size and age I think he did very well for himself.


----------



## XJfire75

Man, Lewis is a great deer. Hope to see JBo finish off nicely. looks like he's gonna need every bit of inches on his head to fend off these other studs come Nov. lol


----------



## Echo

XJfire75 said:


> Man, Lewis is a great deer. Hope to see JBo finish off nicely. looks like he's gonna need every bit of inches on his head to fend off these other studs come Nov. lol



I think he'll be up to it!


Well after almost two weeks out of sight, JBo showed back up last night with Butch in tow. As you can see it didn't take long for JBo to make himself at home and take a load off.

The standing 8-point in the fourth photo is Karl who I believe is closely related to JBo in some way.


----------



## firefightermpc

Nice bucks! I really like that BIG 8!


----------



## georgiadawgs44

Any updates Echo?


----------



## Echo

georgiadawgs44 said:


> Any updates Echo?



Yeah georgiadawgs, they're eating me out of house and home! 

They really have been hungry lately which is typical for August as the bucks start trying to beef up for fall and summer food sources aren't quite as tasty as they were a couple of months earlier.

JBo is still looking real strong and starting to smell a little that way too. I have seven different mature bucks coming around now and it's easy to sense the tension in the air whenever more than a couple are present at one time. Lots of posturing, chasing and kicks being thrown!

Lewis came by a couple of hours before dark after a big rain last Saturday and I was able to get a nice daytime photo of him.


----------



## Jim Thompson

keep the updates coming Echo


----------



## georgiadawgs44

Thanks Echo! I really enjoy this thread!


----------



## firefightermpc

Awesome


----------



## kevincox

Great pic Ernie!


----------



## Echo

Jim Thompson said:


> keep the updates coming Echo





georgiadawgs44 said:


> Thanks Echo! I really enjoy this thread!





firefightermpc said:


> Awesome





kevincox said:


> Great pic Ernie!




Thanks guys - had another good crowd tonight and got some pretty fair pics of JBo and Butch. They've become pretty good buds this summer but I don't how much longer it will last.....probably about 3-4 weeks if I had to guess. I'm just really looking forward to velvet shedding time right now.

I took the second pic after JBo had knocked the bowl off the bench which he does quite often. I hope it gives you some idea of how broad he is across the back. He's is a big boy for these parts! Also shows the level of trust he must have in me to obscure his vision like that while I'm sitting just a few feet away.


----------



## Triggerfinger_4

JBo has a very cool, unique rack... Lewis going to be a giant if he makes it a few more years.. And Butch is a sky scraper! You sir, are an extremely blessed man to be able to witness these fantastic deer so frequently and from such close distances.. Wow!


----------



## BornToHuntAndFish

Whoa, those backyard bachelor group bad boys are coming along rocking impressive velvet headgear right fine now.  Can hardly imagine the great shows they are putting on for you.  Thx for posting, Sir.


----------



## sman

I'm surprised none of the hunting shows hasn't contacted you to do a show on this.  Seems like there is a lot that could be learned.


----------



## GA DAWG

Is jbo still boss? He could lose the thrown this yr if he is. That other big 8 could take him. Be interesting to see what happens when velvet sheds.


----------



## bhblackwell

i love this thread keep them coming


----------



## Echo

Triggerfinger_4 said:


> JBo has a very cool, unique rack... Lewis going to be a giant if he makes it a few more years.. And Butch is a sky scraper! You sir, are an extremely blessed man to be able to witness these fantastic deer so frequently and from such close distances.. Wow!



I agree with everything you said, Triggerfinger!



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Whoa, those backyard bachelor group bad boys are coming along rocking impressive velvet headgear right fine now.  Can hardly imagine the great shows they are putting on for you.  Thx for posting, Sir.



You've got a way with words, BTHF! 



sman said:


> I'm surprised none of the hunting shows hasn't contacted you to do a show on this.  Seems like there is a lot that could be learned.



That's okay - somebody might get an itchy trigger finger. 



GA DAWG said:


> Is jbo still boss? He could lose the thrown this yr if he is. That other big 8 could take him. Be interesting to see what happens when velvet sheds.



You bet he is! Believe me when I say I know for sure that he will remain so as well. All of the other bucks get out of the way when JBo arrives.



bhblackwell said:


> i love this thread keep them coming



Roger that!


----------



## flattop

Awesome thread my friend!


----------



## humdandy

Looks great!  Also, it looks like it won't be long until they started shedding.


----------



## Whaler_Dave

Awesome stuff, Echo!

You may have already posted this...but what's in the bowl?

Regardless, thanks for sharing!


----------



## Echo

flattop said:


> Awesome thread my friend!



Thanks bud! Glad you like it.



humdandy said:


> Looks great!  Also, it looks like it won't be long until they started shedding.



They're all in good shape this year no doubt helped along by all the good rains that we've had this summer. You're right, humdandy - it won't be long at all now and I think Lewis will be the first to slick out......likely within the next 10 days or so.



Whaler_Dave said:


> Awesome stuff, Echo!
> 
> You may have already posted this...but what's in the bowl?
> 
> Regardless, thanks for sharing!



My pleasure, Whaler. Tonight I was serving a mix of birdseed and corn with a side of Jif Creamy peanut butter but it's usually just the corn and a little peanut butter. They really like the peanut aroma!




Tonight's pics : First is of Karl...his name doesn't get called a lot because he's kind of camera shy and though he's 4.5 half years old and has been coming around for most of his life he remains highly suspicious of every move that I make. That said he has a tight grip on the #2 spot in the group and actually bears a great resemblance to JBo both in antler and body characteristics. He was also kind enough to leave me both sides of his rack in the back yard one morning last February.

Next two of are Lewis who is just about your perfect looking young typical buck. I feel very confident that he is just nearing 3.5 years of age. I caught a good shot of him tonight going for the Jif on the side of the bowl.


----------



## ReelAffair

Man, i love viewing this thread.


----------



## Defcon15

Great thread! Have you tried to get them to eat out of your hand?


----------



## Dirtroad Johnson

Echo, As usual this is good stuff -- always enjoy the updates. Thanks for sharing. Never seen anything close
to this.


----------



## Echo

ReelAffair said:


> Man, i love viewing this thread.



Well, stay tuned it should get real good by the end of the month.



Defcon15 said:


> Great thread! Have you tried to get them to eat out of your hand?



Yep - well not directly out of my hand but JBo will take peanut butter off a spoon if I catch him when he first shows up and he's hungry. It's an experience. 



mack1974 said:


> Echo, As usual this is good stuff -- always enjoy the updates. Thanks for sharing. Never seen anything close
> to this.



I'm glad you enjoy it!


----------



## chevymann67

This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Thanks Echo for taking the time to share with us. The experience of being that close to a wild deer has to be a rush. Looking forward for the updates.


----------



## OmenHonkey

Best thread on GON. I notice your from southeast Ga. anywhere close to me?


----------



## Echo

chevymann67 said:


> This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Thanks Echo for taking the time to share with us. The experience of being that close to a wild deer has to be a rush. Looking forward for the updates.



Hey you're welcome, chevymann67! I have a lot of fun with those deer - no doubt about it!



OmenHonkey said:


> Best thread on GON. I notice your from southeast Ga. anywhere close to me?



Glad you enjoy it, OmenHonkey! 

No, I'm quite a bit east of you but I bet that's some nice country in Irwin County - big buck territory for sure.


----------



## OmenHonkey

Glad you enjoy it, OmenHonkey! 

No, I'm quite a bit east of you but I bet that's some nice country in County - big buck territory for sure.[/QUOTE]

We hold our own in the Deer category!! Best kept secret in the south!! Lol. Well until I hit the Enter key anyway!!


----------



## Echo

[/QUOTE]We hold our own in the Deer category!! Best kept secret in the south!! Lol. Well until I hit the Enter key anyway!![/QUOTE]

Oh don't worry, no one ever really reads these threads.  I'd like to hunt in that part of the state one day though - I've heard a lot about and have seen some pics of huge bucks from Dodge, Telfair counties as well as Irwin.



The JBo and Butch pic of the day.....only two more weeks until the velvet comes off!

 I also included a couple of shots of last year's velvet shedding day for JBo which took place on 9-3-13.


----------



## OmenHonkey

I doubt it is but, I always thought that the process of them shedding looked painful!!!!! Great pics as usual.


----------



## Echo

OmenHonkey said:


> I doubt it is but, I always thought that the process of them shedding looked painful!!!!! Great pics as usual.



Yeah, only they know for sure but I've seen quite a few going through it - some didn't act any different while others seemed a bit out of sorts during the process. It's definitely an interesting thing to watch and brings with it the excitement of a new season.


----------



## bulldawgfan007

I hunt in Irwin too Echo, not far outside of Irwinville. Big boys are here, but are hard to hunt


----------



## Beagler282

bulldawgfan007 said:


> I hunt in Irwin too Echo, not far outside of Irwinville. Big boys are here, but are hard to hunt



The reason they are hard to hunt is because they are seeking refuge on Echo's place!!


----------



## Echo

bulldawgfan007 said:


> I hunt in Irwin too Echo, not far outside of Irwinville. Big boys are here, but are hard to hunt



I know the feeling, bulldawgfan. The full grown ones are hard to see everywhere that I hunt too. 

May Big Boy slip up while you're watching this year! 



Beagler282 said:


> The reason they are hard to hunt is because they are seeking refuge on Echo's place!!



They've been pretty safe here.......so far.


----------



## Echo

Here are the latest pics of JBo, Butch and Lewis.

JBo has really put on the weight over the last 6 weeks or so - even though I see him almost every night now I'm still a little taken aback by his sheer size sometimes. 

Butch is going to look great this fall!

The velvet on Lewis's rack is really drying up now. I expect him to be slicked at anytime.


----------



## jaymax

I'm still following this thread after 3 years...really have enjoyed as usual.  Wish I could sit back and enjoy some of  the sights and their behavior you get to witness. ..keep pics and info coming! And a huge thank you for sharing! !


----------



## Echo

jaymax said:


> I'm still following this thread after 3 years...really have enjoyed as usual.  Wish I could sit back and enjoy some of  the sights and their behavior you get to witness. ..keep pics and info coming! And a huge thank you for sharing! !



Well thanks, jaymax I'm glad you enjoy following along and of course I enjoy sharing what I'm so very fortunate to have a front row seat to watch. I'd like nothing better than to have all of JBo's fans over for a personal viewing but I don't know if he could stand that much extra attention.


----------



## mguthrie

I'd make sure you keep your location a secret. You know there's some on here trying to figure out where you are so they could get one of those boys. Sure would hate to see one of those guys poached


----------



## Echo

mguthrie said:


> I'd make sure you keep your location a secret. You know there's some on here trying to figure out where you are so they could get one of those boys. Sure would hate to see one of those guys poached



As much as we dedicated, genuine hunters may hate it, the fact is that there has always been a very small but unfortunately very visible number of lowlifes that operate on our fringes and try to pass themselves off as one of us.....often times by poaching a big and even well known buck.

I will say that these deer live in an area with a much higher than normal DNR Ranger presence and if it were not for that fact then I probably would not be sharing these images in the way that I have. 

I do appreciate your concern though and I would of course hate to see any of them meet with foul play as well.


----------



## humdandy

Echo said:


> As much as we dedicated, genuine hunters may hate it, the fact is that there has always been a very small but unfortunately very visible number of lowlifes that operate on our fringes and try to pass themselves off as one of us.....often times by poaching a big and even well known buck.
> 
> I will say that these deer live in an area with a much higher than normal DNR Ranger presence and if it were not for that fact then I probably would not be sharing these images in the way that I have.
> 
> I do appreciate your concern though and I would of course hate to see any of them meet with foul play as well.



Well said, however, I know where they are.


----------



## trophyslayer

None of these deer look related at all... one thing I've noticed about different places I've hunted is the deer normally have similar shaped racks(well most of them anyways)... none of these deer have any similarities!


----------



## Echo

humdandy said:


> Well said, however, I know where they are.



No worries.....I can't even talk you in to coming over to watch them. 



trophyslayer said:


> None of these deer look related at all... one thing I've noticed about different places I've hunted is the deer normally have similar shaped racks(well most of them anyways)... none of these deer have any similarities!



Good point, these three that I photograph most often certainly are night and day from each other. There are some others however.....one in particular that looks a whole lot like JBo in both antler and body but his attitude regarding coming close to me is a complete 180.

Here he is in the foreground with JBo bedded down behind him. Also pictured is another very old buck that definitely has his own unique look going on.


----------



## southerndraw

That is awesome...even though I hunt I would get attached to these deer and would worry about their safety. Yeah I hunt but love and respect all animals and that is way too cool... Very lucky to have it like that.


----------



## BornToHuntAndFish

Sure does fire us up as we have a blast with your great photos.  That last one is quite a whopper of a whitetail with that overwhelming body size but surprised he does not have the typical sway back or sagging back yet despite his sagging big belly & sagging chest brisket.

Really appreciate all entertainment you kindly post for us, Ernie.


----------



## OmenHonkey

That last one is a beast!! As usual awesome pics!!


----------



## Echo

southerndraw said:


> That is awesome...even though I hunt I would get attached to these deer and would worry about their safety. Yeah I hunt but love and respect all animals and that is way too cool... Very lucky to have it like that.



That about sums it up. I know speaking for myself anyway that one of the main reasons that I wanted to start deer hunting many years ago was simply to have a chance to see and observe deer. I'm sure it's still that way for many hunters and thus all the complaints in recent years over too few deer in the woods. We all want to see them whether we pull the trigger or not.



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Sure does fire us up as we have a blast with your great photos.  That last one is quite a whopper of a whitetail with that overwhelming body size but surprised he does not have the typical sway back or sagging back yet despite his sagging big belly & sagging chest brisket.
> 
> Really appreciate all entertainment you kindly post for us, Ernie.



You're welcome as usual, Born to! That buck you're referring to apparently was born with a few abnormalities. He's hobbled around on a bad back leg his whole life as far as I can tell and he grows a bizarre rack every year with each new addition only vaguely resembling the one previous. Very odd and he is of course my wife's favorite of the bunch. 



OmenHonkey said:


> That last one is a beast!! As usual awesome pics!!



Thanks, Omen-dude!


----------



## Mike81

I wonder how old that last buck is?  His legs look they are a foot tall.


----------



## Echo

Mike81 said:


> I wonder how old that last buck is?  His legs look they are a foot tall.



That's about right. The front legs especially are extremely short - about a foot or maybe a little better off the ground. Like I mentioned he's got something seriously wrong with his rear legs even though he appears to be and I guess he is - otherwise healthy. I think he may be the oldest buck that comes to visit but he is on the bottom rung of the totem pole dominance wise.

I just saw him a couple of minutes ago as a matter of fact along with the big 8-point Lewis. They've been running together all summer.


----------



## GillCommander

Echo - I saw you mention that you think Lewis will go in the 120s. I couldnt help but voice my opinion and add 10 more to that. hes got tremendous tine length and long beams. Add the width to that and i think its a done deal.


----------



## Echo

GillCommander said:


> Echo - I saw you mention that you think Lewis will go in the 120s. I couldnt help but voice my opinion and add 10 more to that. hes got tremendous tine length and long beams. Add the width to that and i think its a done deal.



Could very well be, GC. He's a solid buck certainly with at least 17'' inside spread, near 10'' G2's and main beams around 20-22''. The only thing he's lacking in at this stage is real strong mass and I think that will become apparent when he loses the velvet. 

I had expected him to be slicked out by this weekend but now I'm not so sure. I will however make an effort to give everyone a good look at him when it does happen.


----------



## Echo

Put the Stealth cam back in action last night and got a few pics of JBo, Butch and me. The shot of JBo and me both looking down on the ground was right after we discovered that a couple of baby raccoons had moved in right under our feet to feed on the spilled corn.

Later, Lewis showed up all slicked out but got the bum's rush from JBo. Hopefully Lewis shows up earlier tonight and I can see him up close and get some color shots.

Date on camera is off due to changing batteries.


----------



## GTHunter007

Awesome!  JBo's neck looks like it is getting bigger already.  He is filling out and bulking up.


----------



## BSFR98

Great pic of the two of you looking down at the raccoon.  To bad that wasn't a color shot!  I guess you are able to move a round slowly even with JBo right next to you without spooking him?  As always great experience and thanks for sharing.


----------



## Echo

GTHunter007 said:


> Awesome!  JBo's neck looks like it is getting bigger already.  He is filling out and bulking up.



Yeah, Will his neck is getting bigger by the day now. Another thing about being that close to him - he smells just like deer season! 



BSFR98 said:


> Great pic of the two of you looking down at the raccoon.  To bad that wasn't a color shot!  I guess you are able to move a round slowly even with JBo right next to you without spooking him?  As always great experience and thanks for sharing.



You're absolutely right BSFR, it would have been great to have that shot in color. 

I can get away a lot more movement with JBo this year as opposed to last. As long as it's not too abrupt he's fine with it. I'm not so sure that he wouldn't allow me to touch his antlers but I haven't tried it yet. Might just as easily get me a swift kick in noggin.


----------



## Echo

Finally got a good look at the new Lewis tonight and he didn't disappoint at all!


----------



## antharper

Lewis is one beautiful buck , and that's the first time I've seen that unique looking deer that's beside Lewis , have u been seeing him all summer . Looking forward to seeing jBo slick antlered


----------



## kevincox

Great pics Ernie! That is just too cool


----------



## Echo

antharper said:


> Lewis is one beautiful buck , and that's the first time I've seen that unique looking deer that's beside Lewis , have u been seeing him all summer . Looking forward to seeing jBo slick antlered



He certainly is a beauty, antharper. Although I had very little if anything to do with it, I'm very proud of him and how he turned out this year. Hopefully he'll pass on his great genes many times this fall.

The other buck was one of the first that ever came to visit here and he's an old guy for sure. He walks with a bad limp but can get up and run with the best of them when necessary. His rack is always very much on the non-typical side and seems to never grow the same way twice. 





kevincox said:


> Great pics Ernie! That is just too cool



Thank you, Kevin!


----------



## BIGABOW

Keep'em comin' Echo, It helps me get through the day sometimes......
Take a pic or two of oldtimer if you don't mind.


----------



## humdandy

BIGABOW said:


> Keep'em comin' Echo, It helps me get through the day sometimes......
> Take a pic or two of oldtimer if you don't mind.



He is in one of the photos.........he did just turn 55.


----------



## Echo

BIGABOW said:


> Keep'em comin' Echo, It helps me get through the day sometimes......
> Take a pic or two of oldtimer if you don't mind.



Thanks, I'll do my best BIGABOW!



humdandy said:


> He is in one of the photos.........he did just turn 55.



Funniest thing I've heard all day!


----------



## Duff

humdandy said:


> He is in one of the photos.........he did just turn 55.


----------



## jaymax

So impressive Ernie. Please keep them coming as I know you will. Wish more guys would follow this thread


----------



## Echo

jaymax said:


> So impressive Ernie. Please keep them coming as I know you will. Wish more guys would follow this thread



Thank you, Jaymax! Glad you're still checking in. 



Well, the Big Guy finally let me grab ahold of his antlers tonight! Even got in a little scratch on his forehead before he backed up. I was pretty surprised that he basically had no reaction to me touching his rack though....pretty cool. Maybe tomorrow I shoot for head noogies! 

Here's how he looked a just few minutes ago - still holding tight to the velvet but I noticed that his buddy Butch had a quarter sized patch of velvet missing from his right beam last night.


----------



## BSFR98

You both will be frolicking in the grass together before you know it!  Lol....too cool.


----------



## Echo

BSFR98 said:


> You both will be frolicking in the grass together before you know it!  Lol....too cool.



Hey, I'm just glad he's on my side. He's starting to get real aggressive with the other bucks now!

Brother Butch showed up just a little while ago and not too surprisingly he was all slicked out. Get a load of those crab claws!

In the straight up pic you can still see a little velvet hanging on to the side of his upper neck.


----------



## hambone76

I've enjoyed following this thread. Thanks for posting.


----------



## BSFR98

Serious pinchers there!!  Very unique buck for sure.


----------



## deermaster13

Daily check in. Thanks for posting


----------



## j_seph

Looking great


----------



## BornToHuntAndFish

Having a blast with the mighty good photo captures.  Those big bad boys sure are rocking their proud headgear these days. The side views sure do show some heavy hefty heifer body sizes.  Thanks for posting the entertaining updates.


----------



## Echo

hambone76 said:


> I've enjoyed following this thread. Thanks for posting.



You are quite welcome. Thank you!



BSFR98 said:


> Serious pinchers there!!  Very unique buck for sure.



He is unique. Always has good mass out to and including the G2's but gets a little thin after that. He's impressive when he throws that head up though!



deermaster13 said:


> Daily check in. Thanks for posting



Thanks. Good luck this season!



j_seph said:


> Looking great



Thanks, I'll pass that along. 



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Having a blast with the mighty good photo captures.  Those big bad boys sure are rocking their proud headgear these days. The side views sure do show some heavy hefty heifer body sizes.  Thanks for posting the entertaining updates.



Always look forward to your posts!



Got another, little bit clearer shot of Butch a while ago and you can still see the velvet hanging near his right cheek bone. That buck loves the peanut butter!


----------



## tjchurch

Great pic of Butch. Thanks for sharing. This is always the first thread I check out.


----------



## Echo

tjchurch said:


> Great pic of Butch. Thanks for sharing. This is always the first thread I check out.



That's cool - I'm glad you like it. 

Unlike JBo and Lewis, I have never seen Butch feed from the bowl while it was sitting on the bench. I'm working on getting him in closer though and have made a lot of progress with him this summer. Another odd fact about Butch is that I had found his sheds for two straight years before I ever laid eyes on him....and they were over a mile away from where he stands now.

 It wasn't until last summer when his rack really started taking shape that I realized just who he was!


----------



## Amoo

I check this thread 3-5 times a week and really enjoy it even though I have yet to speak up, so let me say thank you for sharing Echo.

I only started following it this year, so my question may have already been answered.  Do you hunt in a area around your house?  If so, or even if not, if you did, would you be able to bring yourself to take one of these bucks in season?  I would venture to guess you couldn't shoot Jbo even if you had a clear shot and all the time in the world, but what about some of the others?  I'm not suggesting anything one way or the other, just curious how attached you have become to your cliche.


----------



## BornToHuntAndFish

Woo-Hoo, way to bring it Butch & Ernie on another fun recent update!

The rest of the backyard boys better watch out for Butch's tall skyscraping tines.


----------



## Echo

Amoo said:


> I check this thread 3-5 times a week and really enjoy it even though I have yet to speak up, so let me say thank you for sharing Echo.
> 
> I only started following it this year, so my question may have already been answered.  Do you hunt in a area around your house?  If so, or even if not, if you did, would you be able to bring yourself to take one of these bucks in season?  I would venture to guess you couldn't shoot Jbo even if you had a clear shot and all the time in the world, but what about some of the others?  I'm not suggesting anything one way or the other, just curious how attached you have become to your cliche.



Amoo, first let me say thanks and I'm glad that you enjoy the thread. I knew I was going to have a good group of mature bucks to watch this summer if they all returned and thankfully they all did!

I'm really excited about this deer season and I plan to hunt as often as possible in hopes of putting a couple of big mature bucks on the wall. 

To answer your questions....no I don't have anyplace to hunt in the immediate area - my closest spot is about 10 miles away and because of terrain and man-made features it would be virtually impossible for any of these bucks to make it there. But even if they did I wouldn't shoot any of them. 

I've been lucky enough to put several mature bucks on the wall and as much as I enjoy looking at those mounts and antlers I must admit that I get a lot more pleasure from watching these live bucks go about their business up close and personal. I think almost any hunter would if given the opportunity.







BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Woo-Hoo, way to bring it Butch & Ernie on another fun recent update!
> 
> The rest of the backyard boys better watch out for Butch's tall skyscraping tines.



Yeah you're right, Borntohunt! Butch is really feeling his oats now that he's hard horned! He turned around at one point last night and faced the gloom away from the lights and I caught a silhouette of another buck coming in - well Big Butch put his head down, laid his ears back and stiff legged it over to the edge of the yard before stopping and pawing the ground like a bull. It was awesome! 

After the pawing he went on after the intruder and I heard a sharp snort-wheeze before they both came trotting back into view. It was a smaller but very aggressive 7-point that he had issue with and the younger buck did not stick around long this time and Butch went back to eating. Wasn't long after that he set out again though and he just had a look about him that said he was going to go look for a fight!


----------



## Jim Thompson

looking good echo.  thanks again for the thread


----------



## Dustin Pate

Every single one of those bucks is awesome is their own way!


----------



## sman

These pics are unreal.  Thanks again for sharing. 

Most ppl wouldn't believe it till they see this.


----------



## georgiadawgs44

Awesome pics Echo! Thanks again for sharing with us! Is Lewis a 2 1/2 year old?


----------



## Echo

Jim Thompson said:


> looking good echo.  thanks again for the thread



You're welcome, Jim! Man, I'm fired up for this season!



Dustin Pate said:


> Every single one of those bucks is awesome is their own way!



Very astute observation, Dustin!



sman said:


> These pics are unreal.  Thanks again for sharing.
> 
> Most ppl wouldn't believe it till they see this.



Thanks for checking in, sman. These bucks surprise me with something almost everyday. I really didn't think JBo would go for letting me touch his antlers but he did it again last night. Maybe they're at the stage where they itch and it feels good to him? He had some moss wrapped around the right base so I'm sure he's getting ready to shed velvet any time now. I think he's going to look awesome when he does!



georgiadawgs44 said:


> Awesome pics Echo! Thanks again for sharing with us! Is Lewis a 2 1/2 year old?



Thank you, georgiadawgs! Old wide Lewis is a 3 1/2 year old this fall. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that he makes it through to his fourth year. He'll be special if he does.

Go Dogs!!


----------



## trkyhnt89

My favorite thread! Thanks for taking the time to share....


----------



## Echo

trkyhnt89 said:


> My favorite thread! Thanks for taking the time to share....



Absolutely, I'm glad you enjoy it.




Wow, it's been an interesting night to say the least.


----------



## Echo

A few minutes later the right side is almost cleaned up and I observed JBo eating some of the longer strands. He was not in good humor tonight either - at different times escorting three different bucks from the premises and uttering several loud snort-wheezes while doing so.

He wouldn't let me touch his antlers tonight either.


----------



## peanutman04

Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## kevincox

Awesome pic Ernie! Great timing on the shedding tonight. He will be rubbing trees tomorrow I bet


----------



## BornToHuntAndFish

Whoa, that's some crazy cool photos.  Seems like you're experiencing, documenting, & reporting whitetail activities many of us may never see or hear in person.  Outstanding job!


----------



## BigCats

What u feeding him he's has a nice healthy Shiney coat lol


----------



## gsubo

Jbo looks like he's in full rut already!  Awesome!


----------



## Echo

peanutman04 said:


> Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing.





kevincox said:


> Awesome pic Ernie! Great timing on the shedding tonight. He will be rubbing trees tomorrow I bet



Got real lucky on the timing - he could have stayed gone for a couple of days and would have been all cleaned up. Glad I got to see it and share with you folks!



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Whoa, that's some crazy cool photos.  Seems like you're experiencing, documenting, & reporting whitetail activities many of us may never see or hear in person.  Outstanding job!



Thanks BorntoHunt! Last night was really something.



BigCats said:


> What u feeding him he's has a nice healthy Shiney coat lol


 
Must be the peanut butter!



gsubo said:


> Jbo looks like he's in full rut already!  Awesome!



Eric, he's on full go rut-wise. He was doing a lot of rub urinating last night and you can already smell him from several yards away. It looks like he had already been in a fight as he had a small visible puncture wound on his upper neck. Last year I never saw a mark on him.


----------



## Echo

JBo (in the back) getting vocal with Karl.


----------



## wcg2

Been following this for a couple years and all I can say is absolutely amazing ! Thanks so much for sharing this with us !!!


----------



## Echo

wcg2 said:


> Been following this for a couple years and all I can say is absolutely amazing ! Thanks so much for sharing this with us !!!



I appreciate you taking the time to follow the boys, wcg2!

Here's a clip from last night of Butch making a move towards Karl. Looks like it was a standoff but I expect these two to mix it up pretty good anytime now.


----------



## bsanders

Thus is the best post on gon.


----------



## sman

Cool videos!


----------



## Duff

Ernie, those pics are flat out awesome!!


----------



## tcoker

This is probably the coolest thread on here. I've seen the JBO threads for a couple years now and didn't really follow. Now I'm hooked. The video's are awesome. I think you should quit your job, and video these guys 24/7. The pay is terrible but your fans would appreciate it...


----------



## Lee

Great thread. Amazing pictures and videos. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## deermaster13

Those are cool pics. I went out of town and this thread was first thing i checked. Thanks again for sharing


----------



## Echo

bsanders said:


> Thus is the best post on gon.



Thanks, I just try to keep interesting which isn't too difficult given the interest that most all of us share in watching mature bucks. 



sman said:


> Cool videos!



Thanks, sman! With the velvet coming off and buck aggression increasing by the day I just thought it was time to go to video.





Duff said:


> Ernie, those pics are flat out awesome!!



Thanks, Duff! Good to hear from you!



tcoker said:


> This is probably the coolest thread on here. I've seen the JBO threads for a couple years now and didn't really follow. Now I'm hooked. The video's are awesome. I think you should quit your job, and video these guys 24/7. The pay is terrible but your fans would appreciate it...



Good deal, tcoker! Enjoy!



Lee said:


> Great thread. Amazing pictures and videos. Thanks for sharing!





deermaster13 said:


> Those are cool pics. I went out of town and this thread was first thing i checked. Thanks again for sharing



You're welcome!!




Here's a clip for all the Butch fans...


----------



## TREY1984

Echo  The end of hunting season you should set up a paypal account to take up donations to feed the deer. I know feeding those bucks are killing your pockets.


----------



## Echo

TREY1984 said:


> Echo  The end of hunting season you should set up a paypal account to take up donations to feed the deer. I know feeding those bucks are killing your pockets.



It's not all that bad, Trey and more than worth it for the entertainment value they provide. No telling how much corn they would eat if I was willing to put it out but I ration it pretty good. They're also gorging themselves on a bumper grape crop hitting the ground right now and acorns are looking good as well. They're going to be in fine shape this fall!


----------



## tjchurch

Butch is a tall tined fatty. Lol.


----------



## Echo

tjchurch said:


> Butch is a tall tined fatty. Lol.



I don't think he's ever been lean a day in his life. Boy likes to eat....he'll stay out there all night as long as there's food!

JBo came back tonight all cleaned up and with an amazing amount of color to his rack especially considering one could clearly see it was bone white under the velvet a couple of nights ago.


----------



## GillCommander

boy he looks nice


----------



## Echo

GillCommander said:


> boy he looks nice



Yeah GC, JBo always shapes up real good. I thought he would probably add more inches than he did this year but he ended up just adding a little mass and a couple of kickers to his frame. That's okay...he's still my buddy!  


Another clip from later last night - Listen as Butch gives a sharp snort-wheeze to Lewis:


----------



## OmenHonkey

Excellent job as usual ECHO!!!


----------



## jmharris23

You've probably answered this before but do these bucks "leave" as we move toward fall or do you still see them around occasionally?


----------



## Echo

OmenHonkey said:


> Excellent job as usual ECHO!!!



Thanks, OmenHonkey! One day I'd like to hear how you came up with that name? It's a good one! 



jmharris23 said:


> You've probably answered this before but do these bucks "leave" as we move toward fall or do you still see them around occasionally?



They do break up and spread out, jmharris but I also still see them occasionally. That will probably start happening pretty soon too....as soon as the acorns start to fall good and the rut kicks in they'll be off in search of better numbers of does than we have right in this general area. 

Of course like most of us, very soon now I'll be hunting every chance I get so I just sort of get out of the routine of looking after them on a daily basis. It doesn't take them too many trips to the back door to realize that the free lunch is over for awhile and they'll head to where the best concentrations of natural food and cover are just like any other deer would. However, I've got a new "Sweet Tea" plot that I'm trying to get established here in the side yard so I'm interested to see how they'll take to that.


----------



## OmenHonkey

An omen  is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change.[1] Though the word "omen" is usually devoid of reference to the change's nature, hence being possibly either "good" or "bad," the term is more often used in a foreboding sense, as with the word "ominous". 


honkey. insult to white people. same as whitey and cracker, but no white person is offended by these words no matter who is saying them.


The last part of the definition for Honkey is hilarious to me because its so true.

And just to add a little more info. I'm a white dude that shoots a PSE OMEN !!!!


----------



## OmenHonkey

To shorten it up Echo. I'm a phenomenal white man!! lol But, HonkeyOmen didn't sound quite right.


----------



## Echo

OmenHonkey said:


> An omen  is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change.[1] Though the word "omen" is usually devoid of reference to the change's nature, hence being possibly either "good" or "bad," the term is more often used in a foreboding sense, as with the word "ominous".
> 
> 
> honkey. insult to white people. same as whitey and cracker, but no white person is offended by these words no matter who is saying them.
> 
> 
> The last part of the definition for Honkey is hilarious to me because its so true.
> 
> And just to add a little more info. I'm a white dude that shoots a PSE OMEN !!!!





OmenHonkey said:


> To shorten it up Echo. I'm a phenomenal white man!! lol But, HonkeyOmen didn't sound quite right.



Well then, that all sounds perfectly logical to me. Thanks for the insight!


----------



## TurkeyKiller12

This thread may possibly be the best going for this forum. I've enjoyed it very much. I have a question Echo, is your trail camera a "black out" cam or is the IR visible when in video mode? I think its neat how the cam in video mode doesn't spook the bucks any. Thank you again for sharing your adventure here.


----------



## Echo

TurkeyKiller12 said:


> This thread may possibly be the best going for this forum. I've enjoyed it very much. I have a question Echo, is your trail camera a "black out" cam or is the IR visible when in video mode? I think its neat how the cam in video mode doesn't spook the bucks any. Thank you again for sharing your adventure here.



Well thank you very much, TurkeyKiller. I give JBo and the gang all the credit though. Once I gained their trust they've been very cooperative and not shy at all about having their picture taken. Just about all of the color pics that I post are taken with a flash and JBo shows virtually no reaction to the flash even though it's sometimes only a couple of feet away from his eyes. Lewis is pretty good about that as well.

The Stealth cam is not a black out model. The IR definitely glows red when it's recording. I have seen them notice it before and I have seen a few get a little spooked but by this time of year they feel pretty safe here as well they should.

Hopefully I'll get a JBo doing a good snort-wheeze tonight. He's been belting them out several times a night lately but the camera has yet to record it.

Update! Apparently I overlooked this clip of Butch confronting a late arriving JBo last night. Some nice posturing from both and a good snort wheeze from JBo to temporarily settle the issue...


----------



## tjchurch

I'm not sure that is temporary. I think Butch knows who's running this show. Lol.


----------



## BornToHuntAndFish

Echo said:


> Eric, he's on full go rut-wise. He was doing a lot of rub urinating last night and you can already smell him from several yards away. *It looks like he had already been in a fight as he had a small visible puncture wound on his upper neck.* Last year I never saw a mark on him.



Thanks for confirming what a I thought may be an injury with your photo showing the puncture wound on his upper left side of his neck just below his head.  I'll embed your photo with your quote above.  What a tough dude he is.





Echo said:


> I don't think he's ever been lean a day in his life. Boy likes to eat....he'll stay out there all night as long as there's food!
> 
> JBo came back tonight all cleaned up and with an amazing amount of color to his rack especially considering one could clearly see it was bone white under the velvet a couple of nights ago.



That was great seeing you sitting in the video there talking to JBo while he eats so close in front of you. 

Those are some mighty good videos too showing fine sized bucks posturing & somehow getting some snort-wheezes among other deer vocalizations. 

Those are some incredible experiences I thought I may never see or hear.  Mega-Thanx Ernie for taking us on some wild rides in your rocking whitetail wonderland you created.


----------



## Echo

tjchurch said:


> I'm not sure that is temporary. I think Butch knows who's running this show. Lol.



I believe you're right, tj! It's amazing though....just a few days ago they were the best of friends.



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Thanks for confirming what a I thought may be an injury with your photo showing the puncture wound on his upper left side of his neck just below his head.  I'll embed your photo with your quote above.  What a tough dude he is.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That was great seeing you sitting in the video there talking to JBo while he eats so close in front of you.
> 
> Those are some mighty good videos too showing fine sized bucks posturing & somehow getting some snort-wheezes among other deer vocalizations.
> 
> Those are some incredible experiences I thought I may never see or hear.  Mega-Thanx Ernie for taking us on some wild rides in your rocking whitetail wonderland you created.



Yeah, the buck that decided he wanted a piece of JBo is one that I haven't seen yet. I'd like to get a look at him though! Of course JBo was either still in velvet or in the process of losing it so the other buck may have had a little advantage. Then again we don't know what he looked like after the fight. 

There was a good turnout last night with JBo a notable no show - understandable though since he's got a lot of business to attend to this time of year.

Did get a nice clip of Lewis:


----------



## jmharris23

Lewis is a stud…..I didn't say this earlier but to echo everyone else's thoughts let me just say how much I appreciate this thread. It's entertaining, informative, and unbelievable all at the same time. 

The only problem I would have with doing this, and I imagine that you would as well is the possibility of eventually seeing one of these fine animals on the back of tailgate. 

Lewis is a stud and would make some hunter a very happy individual but knowing that he was gone would probably make me very sad.


----------



## Beagler282

Oh yes jmharris, Lewis would make me very happy.Large 8's like that are very rare and beautiful! If I were sitting on that porch with a camera I could fill a 32g card up quick taking snapshots of him.


----------



## DSGB

This thread gets more impressive every time I open it! I wonder how much longer it'll be before one of the other bucks pushes JBo out of the top spot? Thanks for sharing your backyard buddies with us!


----------



## tcoker

Butch wanted NONE of JBo. Getting to see the pecking order unfold is a treat.

Lewis is a stud.

Days of friendship are gone, they only appear to be tolerating one another now, kinda.


----------



## GTHunter007

Awesome example of how attitude rules the woods not antler size.  JBo is alpha, he knows it and everyone else apparently does too.  That puncture wound could be from the new comer learning his place.  


No body wants a piece of the crazy 5'6" guy that shows no fear.  Not saying they won't whoop his butt, but they aren't interested unless it is unavoidable.  
I am just in awe of Butch...I love that buck.  A true beast of an animal.


----------



## Echo

jmharris23 said:


> Lewis is a stud…..I didn't say this earlier but to echo everyone else's thoughts let me just say how much I appreciate this thread. It's entertaining, informative, and unbelievable all at the same time.
> 
> The only problem I would have with doing this, and I imagine that you would as well is the possibility of eventually seeing one of these fine animals on the back of tailgate.
> 
> Lewis is a stud and would make some hunter a very happy individual but knowing that he was gone would probably make me very sad.



Well, jmharris I've been around this place since the days when we were all using dial-up and it took five minutes to load a page! So I've certainly enjoyed it over the years and learned a lot myself - nice to be able to give something back!

No, I certainly would not want to see one of them shot or laying next to the highway but I do know the score - they are all nice buck deer and as such they lead a hazard filled life to say the least.





Beagler282 said:


> Oh yes jmharris, Lewis would make me very happy.Large 8's like that are very rare and beautiful! If I were sitting on that porch with a camera I could fill a 32g card up quick taking snapshots of him.



He is a beauty alright! I'm also glad to see that he's starting to assert himself a little more among the other bucks as well. He's not so quick to give way anymore.



DSGB said:


> This thread gets more impressive every time I open it! I wonder how much longer it'll be before one of the other bucks pushes JBo out of the top spot? Thanks for sharing your backyard buddies with us!



Thanks! None of these bucks will push him out this fall, I'm confident of that. Next year? I don't know...I just hope he'll still be around.



tcoker said:


> Butch wanted NONE of JBo. Getting to see the pecking order unfold is a treat.
> 
> Lewis is a stud.
> 
> Days of friendship are gone, they only appear to be tolerating one another now, kinda.



Yeah tcoker, I was surprised he even went as far he did with the bluff but he's serious about his groceries plus he's no slouch himself. His neck is swelling good and he's got a head like a mule! 



GTHunter007 said:


> Awesome example of how attitude rules the woods not antler size.  JBo is alpha, he knows it and everyone else apparently does too.  That puncture wound could be from the new comer learning his place.
> 
> 
> No body wants a piece of the crazy 5'6" guy that shows no fear.  Not saying they won't whoop his butt, but they aren't interested unless it is unavoidable.
> I am just in awe of Butch...I love that buck.  A true beast of an animal.



Come on down and meet Butch, Will. Be more than happy to introduce you! 

If you ever saw JBo person you would really understand why he is the alpha. It's so clear especially right now because he's turning into such an absolute hulk of a bulk - his muscle definition and size is just stunning and I don't believe the camera really captures that unfortunately but it's there!


----------



## humdandy

Echo said:


> I believe you're right, tj! It's amazing though....just a few days ago they were the best of friends.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, the buck that decided he wanted a piece of JBo is one that I haven't seen yet. I'd like to get a look at him though! Of course JBo was either still in velvet or in the process of losing it so the other buck may have had a little advantage. Then again we don't know what he looked like after the fight.
> 
> There was a good turnout last night with JBo a notable no show - understandable though since he's got a lot of business to attend to this time of year.
> 
> Did get a nice clip of Lewis:



Do you get brown spots on your lawn from deer urine......I know I have several from my dogs!


----------



## Echo

humdandy said:


> Do you get brown spots on your lawn from deer urine......I know I have several from my dogs!



There's one that I haven't been asked yet. 

The answer is no....in fact other than it getting a little worn in places from all the traffic my St. Augustine grass holds up very well and seems to appreciate all of the extra fertilizer it receives.



Here's one more clip of JBo from the night he shed velvet. What he's doing here is what he spends an awful lot of his time doing in between snacks - just standing, looking and listening. I suspect that's how most mature bucks pass a lot of their time even when on their feet.


----------



## OmenHonkey

Truly Astonishing This thread, And the creatures in it!!! We are all blessed. Thanks Again Echo.


----------



## Echo

Deer do some funny things sometimes - crazy doe just literally walked up to my back door. Guess she just wanted to see when dinner was going to be ready...


----------



## kevincox

I found myself picking a Spot behind the shoulder of JBO.LOL. in the video


----------



## Echo

kevincox said:


> I found myself picking a Spot behind the shoulder of JBO.LOL. in the video



I'll pretend I didn't hear that. 


Butch and Lewis from last night..


----------



## RedHeader

Wow, that's a sight to see!


----------



## huckhgh

This is the first thread I check when I get on! Thanks for sharing.

Also, how many does do you see a night?

Huck


----------



## humdandy

I say we pitch in and buy you a better camera!


----------



## OmenHonkey

humdandy said:


> I saw we pitch in and buy you a better camera!





^^^ Several of them!!! This is better than "The Crush Cam" to me!!!  Possibly because It's Ga. giants eating from a bowl and not a feeder. LOL


----------



## Beagler282

Echo said:


> Deer do some funny things sometimes - crazy doe just literally walked up to my back door. Guess she just wanted to see when dinner was going to be ready...



Those are some very smart deer for sure! Just make sure they are not on the porch looking in when you unwrap a packet of venison cubed steak.Something tells me they might all head for cover and disappear!!


----------



## Echo

RedHeader said:


> Wow, that's a sight to see!



Yep!



huckhgh said:


> This is the first thread I check when I get on! Thanks for sharing.
> 
> Also, how many does do you see a night?
> 
> Huck



Huck, right now I'm only seeing one or two does a night. They just aren't real comfortable around all of these bucks at the moment.



humdandy said:


> I say we pitch in and buy you a better camera!



Sounds great!  

Which one would you recommend?



OmenHonkey said:


> ^^^ Several of them!!! This is better than "The Crush Cam" to me!!!  Possibly because It's Ga. giants eating from a bowl and not a feeder. LOL



I'm so glad you enjoy it Omen-dude! Giants may be a little stretch but they're doing the best they can.



Beagler282 said:


> Those are some very smart deer for sure! Just make sure they are not on the porch looking in when you unwrap a packet of venison cubed steak.Something tells me they might all head for cover and disappear!!




They are smart....what happened was that doe saw some empty bowls up on the deck and went over to check them out. There's more going on upstairs in a deer than most people may realize.






Here are a few still shots from last night and tonight...





Check out the girth and muscle of JBo's neck - not bad for the first week in September!

Also Butch looking in between Lewis's rack - Butch can't quite get up the nerve to come feed at the bench and he seems frustrated that Lewis does so regularly.


----------



## XJfire75

Man that's incredible. I just moved to a nice house with wooded backyard and found some deer sign. Hopefully I'll too have them eating out of my hand! Hahaha not

Lewis is gonna be gnarly next year.


----------



## Echo

XJfire75 said:


> Man that's incredible. I just moved to a nice house with wooded backyard and found some deer sign. Hopefully I'll too have them eating out of my hand! Hahaha not
> 
> Lewis is gonna be gnarly next year.



Good deal, XJ! Just be patient....and remember not to shoot them. 

Jumpy doe from last night..


----------



## hikingthehills

I just looked through all 10 pages, man this thread is awesome! Thank you Echo!


----------



## TREY1984

Echo said:


> It's not all that bad, Trey and more than worth it for the entertainment value they provide. No telling how much corn they would eat if I was willing to put it out but I ration it pretty good. They're also gorging themselves on a bumper grape crop hitting the ground right now and acorns are looking good as well. They're going to be in fine shape this fall!




Cool Cool well if you decide to set up a Pay Pal I'll send ya sum deer food


----------



## Echo

hikingthehills said:


> I just looked through all 10 pages, man this thread is awesome! Thank you Echo!



Then you're all caught up! Glad you liked it.



TREY1984 said:


> Cool Cool well if you decide to set up a Pay Pal I'll send ya sum deer food



Thanks I'll keep that in mind, Trey!





A good look at the herd bull on a rainy night in Georgia..


----------



## Ajohnson0587

That neck is really starting to swell! He's a stud!


----------



## BornToHuntAndFish

Echo said:


> A good look at the *herd bull* on a rainy night in Georgia..



Mighty good looking "herd bull" you got there in a fine video capture & a hoot of a trail cam audio feed with rain drops & whitetail sniffing.  Incredible how we can see muscle ripples in JBo's intimidating growing thick neck.


----------



## bfriendly

Alright, that Photo with Butch behind Lewis needs to be sent to GON and an article needs to be written about this.........as fortunate as we are to see this(THANK YOU ECHO!!!), it should be shared with others.................simply an amazing experience to be had here................

Cant say thanks enough Echo!


----------



## kevincox

Ernie you and JBo have really bonded well the past few years.LoL


----------



## Echo

Ajohnson0587 said:


> That neck is really starting to swell! He's a stud!



By the day, Mr. Johnson!



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Mighty good looking "herd bull" you got there in a fine video capture & a hoot of a trail cam audio feed with rain drops & whitetail sniffing.  Incredible how we can see muscle ripples in JBo's intimidating growing thick neck.



You are the man, BorntoHunt! 



bfriendly said:


> Alright, that Photo with Butch behind Lewis needs to be sent to GON and an article needs to be written about this.........as fortunate as we are to see this(THANK YOU ECHO!!!), it should be shared with others.................simply an amazing experience to be had here................
> 
> Cant say thanks enough Echo!



Thanks for the nice plug, bfriendly but I feel like this forum is the probably the best venue for JBo and gang. I could send that pic in though and maybe I will. It came from just spending many hours out there with those bucks and of course that's a labor of love for me!



kevincox said:


> Ernie you and JBo have really bonded well the past few years.LoL




Kevin, the big guy routinely lets me touch his antlers now even with him going into rut.....however I realize the need for caution gets more important every day.


Another clip similar to the last showing JBo's neck continues to swell.


----------



## GTHunter007

This thread needs a disclaimer..."Do not try this at home"


----------



## Echo

GTHunter007 said:


> This thread needs a disclaimer..."Do not try this at home"



Okay Will, you're right - Definitely do not try this at home!


----------



## jimboknows

Holy Moly...that video of you touching the antlers is awesome...I bet you were a little nervous the first time.
I have 4-16 does in my backyard almost nightly...I have never seen a buck though.  I have a 50# trace mineral block to keep them coming and they wear it out, rabbits too.
I may start putting your "dinner bowl" out for them to see if they will start getting more bold.


----------



## GTHunter007

Echo said:


> Okay Will, you're right - Definitely do not try this at home!


----------



## Beagler282

The Deer Whisperer!


----------



## OmenHonkey

Yep I see nuggie's in the future between you two Echo!!! LOl Awesome as usual!!!


----------



## GillCommander

incredible. Id like to know how you first decided that these deer would start coming up to you and feeding out of the bowl off your back patio. I mean you cant just call a deer over and say foods on the table. so cool, youre so blessed with that opportunity.


----------



## Ricky

Glad to see they still haven't tried sizing you up,Ernie.Great pics and videos!It's awesome to hear their vocalizations.I REALLY hope Butch makes it, and stays around, a couple more years.He is a brute! Keep them coming!


----------



## Echo

jimboknows said:


> Holy Moly...that video of you touching the antlers is awesome...I bet you were a little nervous the first time.
> I have 4-16 does in my backyard almost nightly...I have never seen a buck though.  I have a 50# trace mineral block to keep them coming and they wear it out, rabbits too.
> I may start putting your "dinner bowl" out for them to see if they will start getting more bold.



Yep, a little nervous the first time I reached out to JBo but I figured the worst he would do is walk away. 

Good luck with your does - if you can win the confidence of just one you'll have a chance of getting them to accept you. If not you can at least have lots of cube steaks. 



Beagler282 said:


> The Deer Whisperer!



I do find that speaking in a low voice and tone seems to help. 



OmenHonkey said:


> Yep I see nuggie's in the future between you two Echo!!! LOl Awesome as usual!!!



Thanks Omen-Dude!



GillCommander said:


> incredible. Id like to know how you first decided that these deer would start coming up to you and feeding out of the bowl off your back patio. I mean you cant just call a deer over and say foods on the table. so cool, youre so blessed with that opportunity.



Long story and process, GC. They all ran from me at first just like all deer do when a human enters their immediate surroundings but I have managed over time and lots of feeding, especially during lean times of the year, to gain their trust.

JBo has been with me for about four years now and he was just different from the start. One night I had a group of bucks feeding out back when I went out to scatter some more corn for them and of course they all ran off - except for JBo. We've sort of been pals ever since.





Ricky said:


> Glad to see they still haven't tried sizing you up,Ernie.Great pics and videos!It's awesome to hear their vocalizations.I REALLY hope Butch makes it, and stays around, a couple more years.He is a brute! Keep them coming!



Thanks, Ricky! 

I had one of my hunting buddies over tonight and he got to see Lewis, Butch and for the first time, JBo. He was very impressed with Lewis and Butch of course but was just blown away by the size and confidence that JBo displayed. He even treated us both to a mighty snort-wheeze that was really more like a roar! I'm really hoping that the camera was rolling when he did that.....I'll check it tomorrow.


----------



## peanutman04

Mr. Echo, do you ever see them (the bigger bucks) during daylight hours or do they just show up after dark?


----------



## Bowfishin93

Hey MODS anyway we can make this a sticky.. I think its worth it, Its the first thing i check when i get on and would make it easier.


----------



## Echo

peanutman04 said:


> Mr. Echo, do you ever see them (the bigger bucks) during daylight hours or do they just show up after dark?



Peanutman, JBo is the only mature buck that has come around regularly that has never showed up at least once before dark. Just yesterday as a matter of fact we watched Lewis coming in from about 100 yards away in what would have been perfectly good shooting light.


I call this one "Rise and Shine."


----------



## tcoker

A free roaming mature whitetail just laying in the yard a few feet from you, gets up instatnly when he hears "the dinner bell". That's crazy. I would say, he's fairly patterned.


----------



## Beagler282

A deer wagging its tail like a dog heading to the dinner bowl.


----------



## sman

Amazing!


----------



## deermaster13

Thats just cool


----------



## dsweat

Echo, you must be having so much fun.  Thank you for the posts and please keep them coming.  I look forward to this thread on a daily basis. Bravo!


----------



## Brewskis

Who was the second one in the background who was just starting to get up at the end of the clip? Can't even wrap my head around this! Thank you for sharing.


----------



## Echo

tcoker said:


> A free roaming mature whitetail just laying in the yard a few feet from you, gets up instatnly when he hears "the dinner bell". That's crazy. I would say, he's fairly patterned.



Patterned and always hungry! Never underestimate the needs of a whitetail's stomach. 



Beagler282 said:


> A deer wagging its tail like a dog heading to the dinner bowl.



JBo is a very good natured deer - unless you happen to be another buck!



sman said:


> Amazing!





deermaster13 said:


> Thats just cool



I always enjoy watching them bed down because that is something you don't get to see a lot of while hunting. This was the first time I can recall seeing two bucks bedded here at the same time.



dsweat said:


> Echo, you must be having so much fun.  Thank you for the posts and please keep them coming.  I look forward to this thread on a daily basis. Bravo!



Thanks dsweat, I just set the camera so hopefully I'll capture something of interest tonight as well.



Brewskis said:


> Who was the second one in the background who was just starting to get up at the end of the clip? Can't even wrap my head around this! Thank you for sharing.



That was Butch, Brewskis. Sure helps me sleep good at night knowing that they're both out there keeping an eye on things.


----------



## woods-n-water

Crazy cool


----------



## tcoker

Question Echo, do you think the power of their stomach is strong enough to alter their natural instincts? What I mean, is you said JBO doesn't come around in daylight. Which most studies show, once a deer reaches 4.5-5.5  they become mostly nocturnal, even during the rut. The instinct to live outweighs all others (in mature bucks). So by varying the feeding times, do you believe JBO would adjust his pattern or would he remain nocturnal??


----------



## Echo

woods-n-water said:


> Crazy cool



It is pretty cool! 



tcoker said:


> Question Echo, do you think the power of their stomach is strong enough to alter their natural instincts? What I mean, is you said JBO doesn't come around in daylight. Which most studies show, once a deer reaches 4.5-5.5  they become mostly nocturnal, even during the rut. The instinct to live outweighs all others (in mature bucks). So by varying the feeding times, do you believe JBO would adjust his pattern or would he remain nocturnal??



Even when he was just a youngster I can't recall ever seeing him before full dark, tcoker. I think if there was continually not any extra feed available when he arrived that I wouldn't see him nearly as often, so no I don't think I could change his habits at this point.


JBo didn't show at all last night but I did get this clip of Butch and Karl. They're both solid contenders for the #2 spot in the hierarchy and you can almost feel the tension whenever they meet.


----------



## Echo

Last night was a good one for videoing! I finally captured JBo giving the heavy version of his Grunt-snort-wheeze that I really wanted to share with everyone.




There were other good ones from last night as well and I'll post some of them up later.

I think with deer season finally here that this would be a good time to bring this thread to a conclusion. I knew that there was a lot of interest in JBo and the gang from last year's posts but to say that I've been overwhelmed by the response and support from so many of you this summer is a huge understatement. Thank you all so much for all the great comments and the appreciation that you have expressed to me for sharing my backyard buddies with you! I've enjoyed every minute of it!

I'll still be posting some updates now and then so this is certainly not the end JBo's adventures on GON.


----------



## Echo

Thought this was pretty funny until I realized it was some netting and a branch from my blueberry bushes he was carrying around. JBo let me remove it a few minutes later.


----------



## deermaster13

I have enjoyed this and thank you!


----------



## Echo

deermaster13 said:


> I have enjoyed this and thank you!



You are welcome, deermaster!


Had to show one more of Old Butch - my buddy sure enjoys his peanut butter!


----------



## OmenHonkey

I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread this year Echo! Good luck to you and "Your boys" This season. I hope its a happy ending for all of you and I hope to see you all back here next summer!! Again Many thanks for the unbelievable entertainment!!


----------



## sman

Enjoyed it. Hope they all make it through the season.   Good luck.


----------



## SGaither

I watched in awe through this entire thread. Thank you for sharing this as the majority of us will never experience God's creatures in this manner if it wasn't for you. I hope these deer make it through the season so we can see their growth and life cycles next year.


----------



## Echo

OmenHonkey said:


> I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread this year Echo! Good luck to you and "Your boys" This season. I hope its a happy ending for all of you and I hope to see you all back here next summer!! Again Many thanks for the unbelievable entertainment!!



Thanks OmenHonkey! I have appreciated your comments!



sman said:


> Enjoyed it. Hope they all make it through the season.   Good luck.




Thanks sman! I hope they do too!


SGaither said:


> I watched in awe through this entire thread. Thank you for sharing this as the majority of us will never experience God's creatures in this manner if it wasn't for you. I hope these deer make it through the season so we can see their growth and life cycles next year.



Thank you, SGaither! They all made it through last fall and winter so I'm certainly hoping that will be the case again but I know it's a lot to ask. Especially for JBo because he'll soon be travelling an awful lot and exposing himself to all manner of dangers both from nature and man. He's proven himself to be a survivor though and I'm optimistic about his chances!

Here are the last couple of photos of him for awhile anyway.....I'm sure glad that he held still and let me remove that netting....


----------



## GeorgeShu

Thank you very much for sharing your incredible friends with us.  You have let us look into a very special place with some unforgettable characters.  I too hope they all make it through this season and return again to your place for a snack and some comfort.

Thanks again, been following you the last two years and vicariously sharing your experiences.  I look forward to more in the future.


----------



## kevincox

How many acres of woods do those deer have access to Ernie? Just curious as to how much area they have to roam on. Do any of your neighbors feed the deer also?


----------



## alan

Excellent thread! Thanks so much!


----------



## Echo

GeorgeShu said:


> Thank you very much for sharing your incredible friends with us.  You have let us look into a very special place with some unforgettable characters.  I too hope they all make it through this season and return again to your place for a snack and some comfort.
> 
> 
> Thanks again, been following you the last two years and vicariously sharing your experiences.  I look forward to more in the future.



Well, thank you, George.....I appreciate that!



kevincox said:


> How many acres of woods do those deer have access to Ernie? Just curious as to how much area they have to roam on. Do any of your neighbors feed the deer also?



They have thousands of acres to roam, Kevin. I'm sure there are other folks feeding but I'm not aware of any others in the immediate area.



alan said:


> Excellent thread! Thanks so much!



Glad you enjoyed it, alan! I hope to do it again next year.


----------



## Duff

Enjoyed it as always Ernie!! Best of luck this season bud!!


----------



## BornToHuntAndFish

Echo said:


> Check out the girth and muscle of JBo's neck - not bad for the first week in September!
> 
> Also Butch looking in between Lewis's rack - Butch can't quite get up the nerve to come feed at the bench and he seems frustrated that Lewis does so regularly.



Just WOW! 





Echo said:


> Kevin, the big guy routinely lets me touch his antlers now even with him going into rut.....however I realize the need for caution gets more important every day.
> 
> 
> Another clip similar to the last showing JBo's neck continues to swell.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *"JBo in rut condition"*



Heckuva thick neck growing on JBo as he continues to work out to get in tip top rut condition.  Be very careful out there, Ernie even though he does not mean to hurt you.  Glad you're staying cautious.  





Echo said:


> Okay Will, you're right - *Definitely do not try this at home!*



OMG! Naw, oh no he didn't, or did he really do that & get it on video??? Whoa, you sure are making me nervous for you.  Whatta mind blowing awesome video capture! 





Echo said:


> *I call this one "Rise and Shine." *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Rise and Shine!*



What a hoot!  Just calling in your very well trained yard whitetail pets.  More proof they know Ernie like one of their very own family.





Echo said:


> JBo didn't show at all last night but I did get this clip of Butch and Karl. They're both solid contenders for the #2 spot in the hierarchy and you can almost feel the tension whenever they meet.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *"Uneasy Truce."*



I get nervous when those big bad boys get near each other & I sure do feel the tension in the air like frienemies ready square off at any second which I kinda hope not to see since they've been friends & hung out for so long all spring & summer & longer. 





Echo said:


> Last night was a good one for videoing! I finally captured *JBo giving the heavy version of his Grunt-snort-wheeze* that I really wanted to share with everyone.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There were other good ones from last night as well and I'll post some of them up later.
> 
> I think with deer season finally here that this would be a good time to bring this thread to a conclusion. I knew that there was a lot of interest in JBo and the gang from last year's posts but to say that I've been overwhelmed by the response and support from so many of you this summer is a huge understatement. Thank you all so much for all the great comments and the appreciation that you have expressed to me for sharing my *backyard buddies* with you! I've enjoyed every minute of it!
> 
> I'll still be posting some updates now and then so this is certainly not the end JBo's adventures on GON.



Very intimidating loud snort-wheeze by big ole JBo. 

Very well done, Ernie & backyard buddies, as usual.  Kudos to you with all your memorable mind blowing posting treats that have spoiled us with all the mighty good entertainment. Much applause to you & cannot thank you enough on what you've done for us in this wild ride.





Echo said:


> Thought this was pretty funny until I realized it was some netting and a branch from my blueberry bushes he was carrying around. JBo let me remove it a few minutes later.



Very amusing netting decoration on your big backyard buddy. Very sorry about your blueberry bushes.  Cannot imagine what that looked like as JBo let you take the netting off his head.  Way to go coming to the rescue after that netting attack that refused to let go!





Echo said:


> You are welcome, deermaster!
> 
> 
> Had to show one more of Old Butch - my buddy sure enjoys his peanut butter!



Sounds like your backyard buddies know you have the best tasting yummy peanut butter in the whole neighborhood.  Glad they were not fighting each other over it. 





Echo said:


> Thanks OmenHonkey! I have appreciated your comments!
> 
> Thanks sman! I hope they do too!
> 
> Thank you, SGaither! They all made it through last fall and winter so I'm certainly hoping that will be the case again but I know it's a lot to ask. Especially for JBo because he'll soon be travelling an awful lot and exposing himself to all manner of dangers both from nature and man. He's proven himself to be a survivor though and I'm optimistic about his chances!
> 
> Here are the last couple of photos of him for awhile anyway.....*I'm sure glad that he held still and let me remove that netting*....



x4, hope your backyard buddies make it through the season & looking forward to ya'lls reunion family get together next year. Incredible photo of JBo's headgear netting decoration.  Thank God he let you get it off his head.  Mega-Thanx for treating us to all your rocking backyard experiences which we will have stories to tell for a lifetime. 

Wishing you all the good Lord's best in the future, Ernie.


----------



## jaymax

Thanks again for another awesome year Ernie. You're do for a break yourself! You should get a tripod and a video cam to leave sitting beside you for all the hours you spend on the deck. I'm sure you would capture some amazing footage.  Even if you can't share it all, great to have for yourself. Good luck this year and I sure hope the boys make it through!


----------



## SAhunter

*JBo is back*

Ernie
Many of us enjoy your documentary on those boys. I appreciate your commentary on their behavior, and communication with each other. It's interesting to learn how each deer develops a level of trust with you once they figure out you are not a threat. "Rise and Shine" is a great video segment. My 8 y.o. daughter has enjoyed the entire thread. It gives me an opportunity to teach her about the life of the whitetail and it is great to see her interested to learn about them. Thank you again. Looking forward to more footage.


----------



## Echo

Duff said:


> Enjoyed it as always Ernie!! Best of luck this season bud!!



Hey thanks a lot, Duff! Same to you, Bud!



BornToHuntAndFish said:


> Incredible photo of JBo's headgear netting decoration.  Thank God he let you get it off his head.  Mega-Thanx for treating us to all your rocking backyard experiences which we will have stories to tell for a lifetime.
> 
> Wishing you all the good Lord's best in the future, Ernie.



Thanks, BornToHunt! These threads wouldn't be the same without you! Good luck, Buddy!



jaymax said:


> Thanks again for another awesome year Ernie. You're do for a break yourself! You should get a tripod and a video cam to leave sitting beside you for all the hours you spend on the deck. I'm sure you would capture some amazing footage.  Even if you can't share it all, great to have for yourself. Good luck this year and I sure hope the boys make it through!



Thanks, jaymax! A tripod and video cam would be excellent!  I hope they make it through again too - would be kind of amazing if they all did but I'm hopeful. 



SAhunter said:


> Ernie
> Many of us enjoy your documentary on those boys. I appreciate your commentary on their behavior, and communication with each other. It's interesting to learn how each deer develops a level of trust with you once they figure out you are not a threat. "Rise and Shine" is a great video segment. My 8 y.o. daughter has enjoyed the entire thread. It gives me an opportunity to teach her about the life of the whitetail and it is great to see her interested to learn about them. Thank you again. Looking forward to more footage.



Wow I'm touched, SAhunter! So glad to hear that you and your daughter have found all of this both entertaining and educational. That's awesome!





Thanks to all of you who have looked on with interest as JBo and his pals have gone about the business of preparing themselves for their individual challenges ahead. Again, I'll be sure to update on their sightings occasionally and Lord willing we'll all be back here at the same time next year. 

Good luck!

Ernie


----------



## georgiadawgs44

Thank you Ernie, I appreciate you sharing this with us very much!!!!! Hope you have a safe and successful season!!


----------



## hatchhackle

*JBo is the Man!*

Thank you for all the time and dedication it took to provide this awesome thread! We have all really enjoyed it!


----------



## Echo

georgiadawgs44 said:


> Thank you Ernie, I appreciate you sharing this with us very much!!!!! Hope you have a safe and successful season!!



You are welcome, georgiadawgs and thanks to you for following along!



hatchhackle said:


> Thank you for all the time and dedication it took to provide this awesome thread! We have all really enjoyed it!



My pleasure, hatchhackle. Glad you enjoyed it!




Just a little mini update here for those that may be wondering....I did have a nice visit with Lewis, Butch and JBo last night in that order. Of course they are all doing great and looking stronger and more impressive all the time. At one point JBo had just finished a bowl at the bench when he looked over at Butch and took a couple of steps his way before uttering a mighty grunt-snort-wheeze at him! In addition all of the hair on his back and flanks was standing on end at the time - it was a completely awesome display for me to see and hear from just a few feet away!  

Butch didn't exactly head for the hills but he did back off just a little bit.


----------



## ReelAffair

This is my soap opera right here.  I cant wait to check on this post.  I've also been following J-Bo for the past couple years.  Again, thanks for posting these pics and videos!!!


----------



## bfriendly

ok so its Archery season.................Please show us some recent pics.........I am also a Huge Fan of this fantastic Thread!! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!

I share this thread with my 10 yo son and am always looking forward to the next Episode. Even my wife, who thinks ya'll and I are a bunch of Rednecks, Loves This Thread

Anywho, I for one am just a tad Nervous for the boys survival. It is the time of year when many will have the opportunity to search for and try to harvest such beautiful Animals. Any member of this gang you've shared with us is the ultimate prize. 

My only hope this season is the gang WINS, as they have thus far


----------



## Echo

ReelAffair said:


> This is my soap opera right here.  I cant wait to check on this post.  I've also been following J-Bo for the past couple years.  Again, thanks for posting these pics and videos!!!




You are so welcome, ReelAffair. I'm glad you enjoy it!



bfriendly said:


> ok so its Archery season.................Please show us some recent pics.........I am also a Huge Fan of this fantastic Thread!! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!
> 
> I share this thread with my 10 yo son and am always looking forward to the next Episode. Even my wife, who thinks ya'll and I are a bunch of Rednecks, Loves This Thread
> 
> Anywho, I for one am just a tad Nervous for the boys survival. It is the time of year when many will have the opportunity to search for and try to harvest such beautiful Animals. Any member of this gang you've shared with us is the ultimate prize.
> 
> My only hope this season is the gang WINS, as they have thus far



Hey bfriendly, yeah everything is good for JBo and his pals so far but I'm keeping my fingers crossed as well. I think we all are hoping he makes it through to see another Spring.

That's cool that your family likes JBo too, he seems to have quite the appeal even among non-hunters.

I had a good visit with him and Butch last night and started feeding them an apple flavored corn which went over big with both of them. JBo is in full rut condition right now and his neck is incredibly swollen.

You can also find an update I did on him a few days ago in this forum but here he is last night keeping watch over the backyard for tresspassers.


----------



## kevincox

He looks like decoyLoL


----------



## yellowhammer73

Thank you so much for the video and pics. Me and the whole family fight over the lap top to view your thread. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Geffellz18

Wow! How in the world have i passed over this thread. Have seen it and looked at it before a year or so back. Just thought it was a prospect deer being targeted for the upcoming season. 
Thats just amazing to me. You must feel blessed. I like his name too. That was one of my childhood nicknames. Thanks so much for sharing this!


----------



## Echo

kevincox said:


> He looks like decoyLoL



As I've mentioned before, Kevin when he's not eating he spends a lot of time just standing, looking, listening and testing the air. Right now it's mostly about looking to confront other bucks who may be approaching or just passing by but he always seems to be aware of anything that could possibly pose a threat as well.



yellowhammer73 said:


> Thank you so much for the video and pics. Me and the whole family fight over the lap top to view your thread. Thanks for sharing.



Well, thank you I appreciate that and maybe I'll go ahead and continue posting up more updates than I had planned to, given the interest out there.



Geffellz18 said:


> Wow! How in the world have i passed over this thread. Have seen it and looked at it before a year or so back. Just thought it was a prospect deer being targeted for the upcoming season.
> Thats just amazing to me. You must feel blessed. I like his name too. That was one of my childhood nicknames. Thanks so much for sharing this!



No, I can assure you Geffellz....JBo is not being targeted - at least not by me. 

You're welcome and I hope you'll check back often.


I call this one "Traffic Jam." JBo makes an appearance at the end to clear everybody out. 




9/23/14...JBo and a fawn


----------



## CraigMo

I sure wish I could post a pic of my 8-point from last year. When I saw the photos of Lewis, I had to do a double-take.
I figured it out. Avatar.


----------



## OmenHonkey

Echo, Have you rubbed his forehead yet? And just my thoughts with his size I would make sure I didn't have any residual Doe urine on me!!!!


----------



## Echo

CraigMo said:


> I sure wish I could post a pic of my 8-point from last year. When I saw the photos of Lewis, I had to do a double-take.
> I figured it out. Avatar.



Looks a heck of a lot like Lewis, Craig! Nice buck, buddy!



OmenHonkey said:


> Echo, Have you rubbed his forehead yet? And just my thoughts with his size I would make sure I didn't have any residual Doe urine on me!!!!



Omen, towards the end of that video I reached over and scratched his forehead a little bit....a little while later he let me get in a good scratching. He's my buddy! 

Ya'll hold down the fort, I'm headed to deer camp for a couple of days!


----------



## OmenHonkey

Awesome!! I'm jealous from your previous post. Deer Camp, I miss those days.


----------



## lostatsea

This is one of the coolest most awesomest threads ever!

Thanks for all the pics and videos Echo.

I bet it is unreal when you get to touch JBo. I would be like a 3 yr old petting a pony.


----------



## HawgWild23

this is a Awesome thread.


----------



## Koby1980

Awesome thread !! I love this. Im sure you have been asked multiple times , but what kind of camera is the white flash cam? or the "in color" camera?  takes awesome pictures


----------



## bfriendly

lostatsea said:


> This is one of the coolest most awesomest threads ever!
> 
> Thanks for all the pics and videos Echo.
> 
> I bet it is unreal when you get to touch JBo. I would be like a 3 yr old petting a pony.




You said it brother!! That would be Crazy Awesome!!


----------



## Echo

OmenHonkey said:


> Awesome!! I'm jealous from your previous post. Deer Camp, I miss those days.



This was just a WMA deer camp, Omen but I met some fine folks there and the weather was good for this time of year. The hunting - not so much. For me anyway.



lostatsea said:


> This is one of the coolest most awesomest threads ever!
> 
> Thanks for all the pics and videos Echo.
> 
> I bet it is unreal when you get to touch JBo. I would be like a 3 yr old petting a pony.



Hey you're welcome, bud! I've got to admit it's pretty amazing to get to scratch JBo between the antlers. That buck just never fails to amaze me!



HawgWild23 said:


> this is a Awesome thread.




Thanks, HawgWild!




Koby1980 said:


> Awesome thread !! I love this. Im sure you have been asked multiple times , but what kind of camera is the white flash cam? or the "in color" camera?  takes awesome pictures



It's just a basic IR Stealth cam, Koby. I really should update as it's several years old now but it still works pretty well. Only knock I have on it is the way it eats up batteries.



bfriendly said:


> You said it brother!! That would be Crazy Awesome!!



My bud JBo has temporarily left the building, bfriendly and Butch must have gone with him. I did see Lewis last night but he actually laid his ears back at me and walked a few yards away and started pawing the ground so I let him be. They're bad in rut right now!


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## OmenHonkey

This was just a WMA deer camp, Omen but I met some fine folks there and the weather was good for this time of year. The hunting - not so much. For me anyway.


My trip was a bust too!!! But, it was fun to get away for a weekend and explore new dirt. I'm looking forward to the coming weeks now. Leave for Kansas on the 31st of Oct. Good luck to ya ECHO!!


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## mcagle

Awesome thread!!  Thank you for sharing with us. I look forward to next year!


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## bowtie

what an awesome thread....thanks for the updates


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## Echo

mcagle said:


> Awesome thread!!  Thank you for sharing with us. I look forward to next year!





bowtie said:


> what an awesome thread....thanks for the updates



Thanks guys! Glad you enjoy it!

JBo and Butch are out being big bucks somewhere else right now but I'm still seeing Lewis pretty frequently and I captured this new young six-point sparring with old man Gimpy last night. Quite a contrast in neck size with these two bucks!


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## S-Balentine

How old is the gimpy buck?


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## Echo

S-Balentine said:


> How old is the gimpy buck?



I can't say for certain but I know he's been around for a good while. I estimate him to be 6.5 years old as of this fall. There's been a few times over the last couple of years where I didn't think he was going to make it as he walks with a bad limp and has occasional bouts with skin and hide troubles but he's a survivor and looks as good as he ever has right now. He never runs with the other older bucks but buddies up with the new crop of up and comers each year instead.


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## tcoker

I like at about the :19 mark Old Gimpy takes a quick bite, not at all worried about the "kid"


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## Echo

tcoker said:


> I like at about the :19 mark Old Gimpy takes a quick bite, not at all worried about the "kid"



He sure did, tcoker! That's funny - I didn't even notice that. He's played that game before, that's for sure!


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## BornToHuntAndFish

Echo said:


> I call this one "Traffic Jam." JBo makes an appearance at the end to clear everybody out.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 9/23/14...JBo and a fawn





Echo said:


> Thanks guys! Glad you enjoy it!
> 
> JBo and Butch are out being big bucks somewhere else right now but I'm still seeing Lewis pretty frequently and I captured this new young six-point sparring with old man Gimpy last night. Quite a contrast in neck size with these two bucks!



You sure do keep the amusement going with your yard whitetail entertainment that you keep surprising us with something new.  Really appreciate your backyard buddies updates.


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## humdandy

Is he back yet?  I'm sure you are ready to see him again!


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## OmenHonkey

I've been wondering the same thing!!!


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## Echo

humdandy said:


> Is he back yet?  I'm sure you are ready to see him again!



Not yet. I just started putting corn out again this week  but they have been slow to get on it. We had one of the heaviest mast crops that you can imagine this year and in fact the live oaks are still holding and dropping good acorns so it may be a while before the corn starts getting hit hard again. Of course the plus side of that is that there should be some really good racks growing this summer.

In the meantime I'll be sure to report any sightings I have of JBo and his pals.


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## bfriendly

Echo said:


> This was just a WMA deer camp, Omen but I met some fine folks there and the weather was good for this time of year. The hunting - not so much. For me anyway.
> 
> 
> 
> Hey you're welcome, bud! I've got to admit it's pretty amazing to get to scratch JBo between the antlers. That buck just never fails to amaze me!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks, HawgWild!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's just a basic IR Stealth cam, Koby. I really should update as it's several years old now but it still works pretty well. Only knock I have on it is the way it eats up batteries.
> 
> 
> 
> My bud JBo has temporarily left the building, bfriendly and Butch must have gone with him. I did see Lewis last night but he actually laid his ears back at me and walked a few yards away and started pawing the ground so I let him be. They're bad in rut right now!



Oh no, I aint seen Butch, but I've been lurkin

Cant wait to to see his little ones

Bet thats why he hangs with the Youngens too


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## Echo

bfriendly said:


> Oh no, I aint seen Butch, but I've been lurkin
> 
> Cant wait to to see his little ones
> 
> Bet thats why he hangs with the Youngens too



I sure hope to see Butch again very soon myself, bfriendly and hopefully get to make it four years in a row that I have found at least one of his sheds. I just put a little more corn out a little while ago so I think it's only a matter of time before a couple of them catch wind of it and then it's just a matter of waiting to see who all shows back up. 

Hoping they all come back like they did last year but of course I'm also very much aware of the fact that being a good sized antlered buck in Georgia is a dangerous way to make a living.


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## Mudhill

I can't wait to see who shows up. My wife and I just went back through all 13 pages of the thread. She made me stop at every color picture and she cackled like a hen at the bucks. She now wants to move further into the country and try her hand at it...I think she is hooked. Thank you for posting all of this.


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## Echo

Mudhill said:


> I can't wait to see who shows up. My wife and I just went back through all 13 pages of the thread. She made me stop at every color picture and she cackled like a hen at the bucks. She now wants to move further into the country and try her hand at it...I think she is hooked. Thank you for posting all of this.



That's great, Mudhill! I've put these threads out there solely for people to look at and enjoy and I'm always glad to hear when that has been accomplished.

I did have my first returnee last night and it was old Gimpy! He was still hobbling along but otherwise looked to be in good shape and still had both antlers intact. He has never been one to approach me real close like some of the others but he didn't run when I walked outside and I got the feeling that he did recognize me.

Going to be a little delay on any new pics as my old Stealth Cam finally went belly up. Shopping for a new one online now so I should have it by the weekend.


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## jonesey

I dont know how i missed this thread , guess i have been hiding under my rock too long but i just went through all of it and i am amazed .. Best thread ever Mr Echo . I am super jealous of you ... oh and i will be checking in for updates now !!


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## mguthrie

Yea. One of the best threads anywhere on the forum. Cool to see them start showing back up. Can't wait for pics


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## Echo

jonesey said:


> I dont know how i missed this thread , guess i have been hiding under my rock too long but i just went through all of it and i am amazed .. Best thread ever Mr Echo . I am super jealous of you ... oh and i will be checking in for updates now !!



Well, I'm glad you found it. Hopefully this year will be as eventful and interesting as the last.



mguthrie said:


> Yea. One of the best threads anywhere on the forum. Cool to see them start showing back up. Can't wait for pics



They're coming back but it's slow as I thought it would be with the ground still covered with good acorns in most places. They're just not ranging far from the heavy cover right now but that's bound to change soon enough.

Still no JBo or any of the other big rack bucks sighted but when my new and improved Stealth cam arrives this week it will certainly help me keep an eye out for him. I really hope he is still with us.


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## BornToHuntAndFish

Hurry back JBo, Butch, & Lewis. Hope they made it through the hunting season. 

Glad Old Gimpy is already back.  

Thanks for the updates. Good luck with your new trail cam.


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## irishredneck

Love this thread. Its so cool that you have deer come up to you like that but the fact that they are pretty decent bucks makes it even cooler. 
My wifes aunt has deer like that on her property, she opens her front door and they walk through her living room into her kitchen to eat from bowls then they walk back outside & into the woods.


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