opening day blackie

[Smith_22]

 I met my dad at the gate and we began our short walk to our tree stands.  For the last three years we have worked this property, getting trail cam pics of some great bucks, but never seeing any during legal shooting hours.  After a quarter mile walk my dad split off to the right in to 20 year old timber, his stand awaited him 40 yards off the grass covered road.  I still had another hundred yards to walk before I crept off the road to the left and began my 50 yard journey to my stand.  My stand overlooked a small grass clearing with an old alder choked skid road leading directly away from it.  Out and to my right I overlooked a field of scotchbroom and fir trees, to my left, mature alder and fir trees grew out of the swampy forest floor. 20 yards left to my stand, "still 45 minutes til shooting light, take it slow" I told myself.  Behind my stand is a bedding area, I was hoping this morning would find the beds vacant...no such luck.  15 yards left...crash crash crash!  Then...whoooosh...as the deer snorted at me from 40 yards in the timber..."you have to be kidding me" I thought.  Spirits dampened, I made my way to my stand and climbed in.  Silence.  After an eternity the world around me started to take shape, first just dark shadows and silhouettes, then two dimensional shapes, it was time, shooting light was upon me for the 2013 deer season.  I scanned left, right, down the road, nothing yet.  I looked down the skid road again and saw a horizontal line that looked out of place, "has to be a deer's back!" I tought to myself.  I slowly raised my binoculars and steadied them on their target, 40 yards away.  A spike buck staired back in my direction, curious of the blob up in the tree.  Then another deer head...doe..and another...doe.  I watched these three feed into the trees to my left, they were on high alert from the deer that jumped earlier.  Once out of sight I stretched my legs out to get my blood flowing..crash crash crash!  "Seriously?"  The three deer must have bedded down just  inside the trees and caught my movement.  An hour past, no movement, then out and to my right, 50 yards, I see a white nose rise from its bed in the scotch broom.  Buck, and a nice one!  50 yards out, the only view I have is of the head, as soon as he had appeared, he was gone.  Thinking I may still have a chance I contorted my body to the right, re positioned my rifle and began scanning the 8ft tall scotch broom and brush where I had seen him last.  nothing at first, then, what I thought was a branch moved...antler tips!  He was still there!  I exchanged my binos for my scope.  I looked just in front of and behind my buck, no openings in sight.  If I was going to get a shot, he was going to be now or never.  Ive seen these grey ghosts disappear before.  After an eternally long four minutes, the buck lifted his head, he was broadside and looking straight ahead.  I steadied my cross hairs behind and just below the ear, squeezed...silence.  The shot had hit home.  I couldn't see the deer in the tall brush, but knew he had to be there.  I called my dad, and guided him to where the buck last stood.  "Your going to be happy with this one!" He called out. I let the shaking subside before I climbed out the stand.  My best blackie to date, and on opening day!



as he lay

[wafisherman]

Way to go - nice work!!

[Blacktail Sniper]

   NICE!!!

[blackveltbowhunter]

Nice buck!! 

[Huntboy]

Nice buck, congrats.

[Natures Way]

congrats on a nice buck!

[bearpaw]

congrats 

[pianoman9701]

That would make a heck of a nice mount. Way to get it done.

[djnoodle]

Way to go! That is a nice blackie.

I've seen em disappear like that as well. Can be very frustrating. Now you can look at this one whenever you want to. 

[X-Force]

great looking deer.

[singleshot12]

They were definately out and about opening day this year.. very respectible blacktail

[BOWHUNTER45]

sweeeet ...good story too !!   

[madmack76]

I love the look of those little 3's good job, and awesome write up.

[grundy53]

Nice buck and great write up!

sent from my typewriter

[FLIZZ]

Good to see some Blacktails on here!