Congratulates to Preston O’Dowd of Bennington, Nebraska on his harvest of an excellent whitetail.  Preston had hunted western Nebraska many times before, but this was his first visit to our ranch.  Preston had to work hard for this buck.  It was a hefty but skittish 4×4 pointer that didn’t give us many looks at him during daylight hours.  Preston described him as the largest buck he has ever taken.

The start of the November 2023 rifle season brought with it the usual fall temperature swings.  Cool mornings in the mid 30s and warm, summer-like afternoons in the 70s were the norm for this hunt.  Breezy afternoons and wind gusts up 25 mph made for a challenging hunt.

A few weeks before Preston’s hunt, we concluded thinning the last few acres of forest.  This was a big concern of ours. We didn’t know the extent to which thinning activities had upset deer patterns, if at all.

Patience and Thoughtfulness Wins the Day

Patient and thoughtfulness are the two words I would use to describe Preston and Aaron’s pursuit on this trip.  They really put in the time scouting and it paid off.  Each evening they shared their observations with CJ, who manages our ranch cameras and deer logs.  CJ is a wealth of information when it comes to deer on our ranch.   On the afternoon of the last day, they worked a trail that finally produced a buck in broad daylight!

Preston was hunting with his older brother, Aaron, who also was an experienced hunter.  His father and mother, Jake and Michelle, and his uncle Keith accompanied the hunters, but did not hunt.  Despite frosty mornings, Jake and Uncle Keith suited up each day to stay close to the hunting party in their pickup.  Throughout the hunt they remained ready to help bring out a buck or to share their own knowledge of the hunt.  In the end, we believe it was the time Preston and Aaron spent in the field and their patient observations that proved key to the harvest.   Everyone had a great time and Preston took home a great buck.  We are also quite sure that this will not be the buck of a lifetime for young Preston.