Blacktail Season '12

[blackveltbowhunter]

   Heres some pics and stories  from this season blacktail harvest, the rifle buck is my hunting partner and the archery buck is my deer taken on Monday. 

   Being an archery hunter at heart, but also loving rutting blacktail bucks make for difficult times at my home :chuckle Once I start seeing those big swollen necked, dark horned, white faced, thick bodied brutes on the prowl  , and feeling the temps dip a little with the rain setting in, I admit it gets tuff to sit still. Over the years I have learned to live vicariously through friends, take pics, and generally just get in the woods and scout to ease the suffering until bow season starts.

   I was able to tag along on a couple hunts in with my hunting partner in late October, along with some scouting trips on my own. Seeing some small bucks and does, But not seeing the bigger deer or rubs like I was the same time last year. I typically dont hunt from stands, ( which is prolly why I dont ever kill masher bucks ) preffering to hunt on the ground, but did get a couple hung in some area that I knew held good bucks.

   Another thing that has been very cool is my daughters are both at an age now where although limited, they are both able to get out and get a "true" sample of hunting. So after dropping off my oldest at school, my youngest was able to accompany me on short scouting missions. Although just short little excursions into some tucked away holes, we both were having a ball, and enjoying getting out. I was pleasantly surprised to see her enthusiam since she is typically very much my "girlie girl". But as long as she was dry and warm, she was loving it.

   Opening day of late buck, after getting off work in the morning.  My plan was to pack up my youngest with the bike trailer and go for a little longer outing since the weather was slated to be overcast but dry.  After sending a "good luck" text to my hunting partner who had hit the woods early, I was surprised to get an almost immediate response " Did you hear the shooting " HaHa... 0800 on opening day Buck Down!! And a good one. Since everything was loaded, we just changed our plan and headed up to assist in packing out a buck. This was my daughters first taste of the work that goes into it all and actually seeing a "whole" dead animal. ( Shes always been fine with the head etc.. but the meat usually  shows up in pieces, from daddys backpack ) She took to it like a duck to water, posing for pics, and helping load up packs. But she drew the line when asked if she would trade her seat in the trailer on the ride out... LOL   She wasnt giving that up! It was one of my favorite day of the year in the woods, we had an awesome time and sharing it with a great friend and my little girl really made it special.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Onto my Buck....

     Opener came and went. Things seemed to have slowed down in the spots that a week before were just raging. After spending the Holiday with the family, I decided to take a trip to Swakane ( never been there ) just for a change of pace and some different scenery. I spent 3 full days over there and had alot fun. Didnt see alot of deer, but saw legal bucks each day and had one close encounter. Overall a trip well spent.

    After returning home, I figured the rut was winding down and it was time to start hitting the " bedrooms" hoping to dig up a buck feeding close or tending a second cylce doe. To be honest when it comes to blacktails, for me a branched deer is my goal with archery equipment. And I wasnt seeing any. Lotsa spikes, and one 1x2 but the bigger boys had gone nocturnal. I had another close call with a gorgeous bruiser buck, but the wind got me and he was gone.

   On monday i made a hunt in the morning on some elk, nothing panned out. So I decided to hit up a couple spots for a buck late morning. The rain and wind over the last few days had been crazy and I hoped a buck might be on his feet. In this weather, this time of year, I knew putting your time in would pay off sooner or later. It did.

   After spotting the buck on the move through an older reprod cut, and some repositioning, I was able to get a shot, I lost the buck and impact of my arrow in the thick stuff, but thought it may have been further back than I wanted. After waiting as long as I dared in the rain, I took up the trail. After finding several spots with excellent blood, it dissapated as the trail washed away in the thick ferns, and vinys he was heading toward. I had a good read on his track and was able to follow him that way for a hundred hundred and fifty yards or so. I felt relativley confident based on the info he left me and prior knowledge of the area, where he was going. After pushing into his bedding area I heard him get up, pushing through the vine maples quickly anticipating him getting into the more open alder/fern area they love so much. As soon as I was clear I could see him moving very slow and head down obviously sick. Another arrow through the goodies and it was over in seconds. Persistence pays!!  Although he wasnt a monster I am excited for any buck I am able to take, and was thankful for the opportunity.

    In all the excitement I had forgotten it was getting into the after noon and I needed to pick up my oldest from school. Perfect. Now i was really excited to take this buck and share it with her as well.  I would roll the guts out of him, and drag him to an old skid road, then go pick her up and do photos and drag him down to the road where we could get the pick up. It worked out great, I was able to share another buck and pack out with my oldest daughter as well! Another great WET day in the blacktail woods.

 

   

[packmule]

Excellent post and congratulations on a great season!

[E-man32]

Nice buck! 

[coastie hunter]

 That's a good looking buck and with archery gear good job

[Skyvalhunter]

Sweet looking bucks. I recognize those areas, job well done

[Elkrunner]

Nicely done

[LittleJohn]

GREAT JOB!!! Way to get the kids involved, you will never regret getting them out into the woods.

[Kowsrule30]

Congrats!!! 

[hrd2fnd]

Great story and buck my friend.  Cant wait for the day I can take my grandson along on my hunts, kids are so much fun

[deerhunter_98520]

Awsome! Looks like alot fun with the kids!

[Relish the Journey]

Nice deer and great write ups!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Right on man ...glad ya got it done ... Nice buck 

[lewy]

  nice work. cant you buy a rifle tag and hunt with a bow if you like the seasons better

[blackveltbowhunter]

nice work. cant you buy a rifle tag and hunt with a bow if you like the seasons better

Yup.  Your exactly right  . Or i could just rifle hunt. Last year i hunted on a multi-season tag, and killed a buck with a gun. I dont necessarily like rifle season better. They both have their pros and cons. I just enjoy that time of year and the deer activity that goes along with it.