2013 late Whitetail hunt...

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

This was the first deer tag i had drawn and i was excited as i had never hunted whitetails before.

I asked questions, and got lots of help. Thanks to Jackelope he was a lot of help. I also have a buddy that i work with that has hunted there before and i got a little info from him.
My brother in law also got some info from some on here and we also thank you.

So i traveled over on the 11th, i left early and set camp up. I didn't have time to go look around on the 11th, but Jackeloope stopped by and said he had seen a few. I was excited to say the least.

Tuesday morning we hit it early, we did a little driving to check the area out. We saw a lot of deer while driving, and passed on some nice 4 points. We were going to hold out for 5 points to start the week. I did see one nice heavy horned 4 point that in retrospect i should have taken the first day @ daylight, but it isn't any fun to end the hunt 15 minutes into opening day. We didn't see anything we were willing to end the week for on tuesday, and no real rut activity. Realized that these hills were brutally steep and we were not used to hunting steep like that, (we usually hunt the west side in the smaller draws). I hiked a road about 3.5 back into an area, i was following bear tracks that lead to a huge black bear, i didn't have a bear tag so i backed out and continued to look for deer. Back at camp we had Elk burgers and fried potatoes, great dinner. A couple of beers and the Hives kicked in. Brutal night of sleep.

Wednesday comes and we decided that it was time to look around at different places in the unit. We got up into the wind farm and saw a lot of mule deer. Seemed the Mulies were rutting but the whiteys were not yet. The coolest thing about wednesday was a cow, calf and bull moose crossed the road in front of us. It was a first for 2 of us. Also saw some big horns.

Thursday morning it seemed like the deer we had been seeing in the morning knew something was up and they disappeared, hiking the hills i jumped 2 does up on top of a ridge, way up the ridge with no buck in sight (weird). So i am working my way down the ridge into one of the draws and a buck jumps up out of the huckleberry brush, there is no way i spooked it, i was 500 yards up the ridge from it, i could see it was big. I found it in my scope and let loose... Looking back on it i wish i had taken my time, it wasn't spooked. By shot 3 i was just lobbing lead as it was on a dead run. We followed it for a while and determined by lack of blood or the fact it wasn't slowing down that i clean missed it. It was a stupid decision that i regretted the rest of the day. I wish i would have slowed down.
In the evening i drop my brother in law off to walk the bear road, and other buddy off to walk a different road, and i am going to hike one of the ridges an sit until dark and watch the draws. All i see is 7 does, and no bucks in sight. I hear a shot and it was my brother in law dropping the hammer on a 4 point. I went to find other buddy and he tells me he has a little 3 point down. He said he was tired and just wanted to finish it, the little guy game him a good shot so he took it.
We went back to camp and grabbed the game cart and got my brothers deer out, and then went for the other deer. When we got to it i said little? My ass... It is a nice 5 point with a split eye guard. Exactly the deer i thought we were going to see on this hunt. It was a late night.
Friday i was determined to finish the hunt. I didn't want these guys waiting on me. They both have families as do i and it was time. So i told them the first legal animal goes down. Well i lied, i passed a dinker spike by 3. it had 2 spikes but one had an inch fork at the top and a 1 inch eye guard. Next buck i saw was a 4 point that i passed on opening morning. I had it broad side @ 200 yards, 1 shot from the 300 and it was all over.

This was an awesome hunt with good friends. Met some really nice people. And saw some new country.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

I just finished processing meat tonight... 53 Lbs of burger, 15 pounds of breakfast sausage and 16 pounds of steaks.

The middle buck is mine.

[jackelope]

Nice Chris. It was good to meet you. I hope you guys had fun down there. It's a great area to spend some time in.

[Wacenturion]

Thanks for sharing....my favorite hunt.  Maybe next year again.

For some reason....no picture above?

[C-Money]

Sounds like a great hunt! Congrats on all your success. Looking forward to seeing the pic!

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Weird. Pic shows up for me

[10thmountainarcher]

Shows a little tiny box, but no photo for me.

[jackelope]

Works fine for me.

 

[LndShrk]

No Picture..

Must only be visible to those "Special Ones" 

[carpsniperg2]

Working now. Congrats on the bucks

[jackelope]

No Picture..

Must only be visible to those "Special Ones" 

Not sure what you're talking about.
 

[WhiteDove]

nice bucks good hunt congrats

[gunnarnewt]

 

[chukar58]

Congrats on your hunt and nice post!

[Easy-E]

I just finished processing meat tonight... 53 Lbs of burger, 15 pounds of breakfast sausage and 16 pounds of steaks.

The middle buck is mine.

53+15+16 lbs off of the middle buck? Surely not off of all three?!?