1 Down 1 to go! (Second 1 down)

[high country]

stellar job guys. I wish I could hunt with my dad

[mikelonsford]

Great buck. Love the mass!!!  How can I think about work when I get to go to the Entiat in a week and a half!

Mike

[arrowflinger]

Wow...............what mass!  great job with the photos and story. congrads to you both.

[burnhamrandr]

Can't wait I have the bow tag I will be there in 1 1/2 week. Snow and time will help.

[CJ-5]

Those are a couple of great bucks! Good work!

[WACATHUNTER]

Thanks for all the nice comments, it was a hunt of a lifetime.  Good luck to all heading over for the archery hunts.  We saw plenty of nice deer and i'm sure there are plenty up high that still need to come down.  

So as the story goes:
My dad and I have been putting in since the first year of the points system some where at about year 4-5 we got put in for a wrong hunt and got drawn for a doe tag.  Didn't hunt probablydue to general season kills.  We had been puting in for this hunt as well as some other tough ones ever since.  This was our year!!!  Before we had found out the results we had already purchased our tags and licence for our annual late Idaho rut hunt.  (Nov. 13-18.  Well as you all know the best time to hunt WA is the last week or so.  Ultimatly we had thought about eating our Idaho tags, but in the process would let my uncle down and throw away 4-5 hundred etc.  So we decided to give the Entiat our best 11 days 1-11 and leave for ID on the 12th.  We second guessed that decision every day of our hunt until I killed my buck on the 9th.

Day 1 drive from Wenatchee to the Unit, contemplate the whole drive about where to go, see a buck first thing nose to the ground looks to be a pretty nice buck.  We put together a stalk and cut him off at 40 yds.  20-22" 4x3 heavy mature buck, my dad says he's a shooter and pulls up his gun, I say NOOO its the first buck we've seen, we'll see better.  Total count 4 Bucks 22 Does.

Day 2 everything the same convincing my dad to pass and seeing lots of deer.  

Day 3-5 Same.

Day 5 Snow up high Deer are showing up and rut is kicking in even more. Spot a 24" very tall deep forked buck (blowdown buck) but coouldn't get a grat look at him through the spotter so decided to put a stalk on him.  Deer was in some really thick brush in the creek bottom and never did find him. 3 Hours of hiking for nothing until right near the end my dad finds two sheds.  Both three points but the one is just flat awesome. Pics posted above, we commented on hoe nice it would be to kill a buck with that mass.

Day 6 Snow everywhere easy to spot bucks not alot of fog seeing 40+ does and 10+ bucks now.  See two nice bucks several miles away in an area without roads so put a stalk on them and to no avail they were on the move and never saw them again.  Decided to try and find the Blowdown buck again.  Arrive at our glassing area and instantly find the BD Buck, first place I put my glasses he was standing alone feeding, good buck probably 170's awesome tall frame. Drive to another location to begin a stalk and the buck disappears in the blowdowns and bruch again.  No way of using a spotter becasue we got fogged in, we pulled out prior to getting on top of him to avoid spooking him.  What do we do tomorrow?  Pretty common ? asked everyday.  

[WACATHUNTER]

Day 7: Decide to go to another area, raining like hell and 3" of snow on the ground.  We get to a very nice basin and spot a 3 point chasing some does, instantly my dad says shooter buck to the right, he grabs the gun and I range it in the fog and rain at 176, he asks how big I say I can't count points great frame 26 or so. I see a quartering away and looking away on a ridge, he has a log in the way, does are starting to move out quick and my dad has a shot at back of neck and boom deer disapears. I think I saw it drop, but can't confirm. After an adrenaline filled hike/run we find him with a bullet whole perfectly in the back of the neck, what an awesome experience and buck!!!

[WACATHUNTER]

After caping and taking care of the deer on last photo before we head out in search of another in the nasty fog.

[bucklucky]

Great bucks! Love the mass on the narrow one!

[WACATHUNTER]

Day 8 go look for Blowdown, fogged in all day getting a lil frustrated because I am starting to count days, 2 left 1 more with dad.  Sticking to my guns to only kill something that I go wow when I see it, not worried about score spread mass just the WOW.  Go home early to catch up on some sleep due to 50 feet of visiblity.

Day 9: Go out yesterday with the best plan weve had all week, following our plan and about 9 after some serious glassing and seeing a ton of deer (40 DOES 5 BUCKS before 9.)  We spot a massive buck movin quickly with some does, I looked through the scope and went WOW look at the mass, i shot a lil far back and he went down into the bottom where I finished him of with one in the neck.  Just an absolute hog IMO, we were both so excited, high fives and pics, then the work began.  

We were never able to see Blowdown again due fog, and if he even stayed in his little area, but we both were happier with our deer than ole BD. Although it would've been nice to tape him, because I think he would've suprised me and my 170's guess.

Thanks to all who have helped out with this hunt, It was the best hunt I have ever been on and memories that will never be forgotten.  

[WACATHUNTER]

A couple more!

[MichaelJ]

AWESOME!!!

Michael

[bowsandhose]

way to cool  congrats

[MichaelJ]

Where you from Cathunter?  You from the Valley?

Michael

[WACATHUNTER]

No, just moved here in March of 06, originally Tieton, then E-burg, then S. oregon and now Wenatchee.  Probably make this home for a while.

WACAT