Finally getting around to posting the pic and story for my 2013 buck.
This rifle season I was really hoping to get one of the big mule deer bucks we scouted in the high country in the early season. Unfortunately, after covering more than 40 miles on foot over the first 4 days of season, I wasn't able to connect. The snow had pushed the bucks out of the high country so we moved down low. I only saw 5 deer down low but one of them was a 4 point and another was a 160+ buck neither of wish I was able to get a shot at. Despite the lack of deer, my buddy and I still had a blast! Here's just a few pictures from the hunt:
After the bust opening weekend, I decided to hit the Whatcom County high country on the second weekend of season. I ended up seeing a few mountain goats and two does but with the high pressure system really stopped the deer from moving. I found bear and deer sign everywhere, just couldn't find the animals.
For the rest of season, I hit up some of the lower country that I hunt. I had one clearcut that was loaded with scrapes and after hitting it before or after work 4 or 5 times I finally got a glimpse of him. Again, I wasn't able to get a shot. That night I caught him thrashing a 12 foot sapling to death but again was unable to get a shot in the thick brush. I hunted that clearcut a few more times but only found a fresh gut pile.
I was able to get out one morning with my dad in one of his spots that he shot his last big blacktail buck in but there weren't any deer moving.
Finally, Halloween morning hit and I decided to make a last ditch effort in a new clearcut before work. I figured the rut would be going strong and with some rainy weather finally hitting, I might find some bucks cruising. After two hours of hunting, I had seen 21 different does but not a single buck to be found. I couldn't believe it. I really had to get to work so I was going to check one more spot and then head out. As I came around a big brush pile I saw a deer standing at about 75 yards away, I pulled up my binoculars and saw he had antlers. He was a forky but that was enough for me at this point in the season. I pulled up my gun and took a shot and he immediately flipped over on his back and then jumped back up and took off running out of sight. Immediately, the clearcut erupted as he was with at least 7 other deer and there were deer going in all directions. I had no idea which way he went once he went out of sight but I was sure he would be down soon.
I went over looking for him and found blood everywhere where he had flipped onto his back. Unfortunately, I could only find about 3 more drops of blood leaving that spot and it wasn't even going in the direction I saw him run (I think they were actually splatters from the original shot.) I started circling the clear cut and looking. I kept circling further and further looking for the buck. I couldn't find him anywhere and not a drop of blood to be found. I would circle back to where I shot and look for more blood (never with any luck) and then make a larger loop. After nearly 2 hours of looking, I still had no trace and had reached the edge of the clearcut. I decided just to walk the edge of the clearcut and see if I could find a trail going into the timber. I had circled almost all the way behind where I had shot from when out of the blue I walked right into my buck laying dead. It turns out my shot was a little back and he was quartering away from me at the time. I only clipped the back of one lung.
All in all, it was a tough season with not a ton of deer spotted (until the last day, but then only the one buck) but I was glad to be tagged out. After Alaska, this was my 4th blacktail for the year which is pretty awesome!
