Well I found my way back...... I have not been on the site for a long time, and am glad I rememberd my password let alone my username. "firstlight" what a stupid username.
Why couldnt I have figured out somthing better then that? Like "SleepIn"
Anyway, I guess I have a few years of Deer chasing stories to tell. Short Stories
I think the last one I posted on here was my 2008 Toad. The one I never thought I would get one bigger or even close too. But I was sure gonna keep trying......
2009 was a tough hunting year for me. Lots of work and not enough play time. It was rough hunting in the early rifle for me, with minimal sightings. I was however blessed with the opportunity to hunt some private property toward the end of the early season, that I fell in love with. Not the best genetics in the area, but plenty more numbers then the other spots. I managed to take a tall spike a couple days before early rifle closed.
2010 was when my 2 pt streak started. I took a 2pt on the 3rd day of the season after seeing the buck both days prior. Trigger finger got really itchy
2011 I finnally changed it up and hit the east side for Mulies. Got to meet, and hunt with some great new people in the beutiful Pumpkin Patch, I mean Methow Valley........ I did manage to take the small 2x3 mulie on day 5.
2012 started out kind of Crazy. Left from work heading over to Winthrop for the week when the cell phone rings in Sedro Wolley. My wife tells me her father just had a heart attack on his hunting trip in Wyoming, and was being transported to the closest cardiac hospital which was in Billings. A mad dash home to pick up the family and drop kids off my folks house. The flights were all booked out of SeaTac till 7pm the next day so we decided to drive it. Truck troubles in Kellog Idaho at 3am. GOOD TIMES! We made it Billings around noon and were glad to find out he was OK, but needed a valve replacement. He was cleared to fly back to Bellingham to have the surgery there. We got flights booked for them and started the treck back home. When I got home I packed back up the truck and headed for Winthrop for a few days hunting. I managed to see 3 shooter bucks on the first day with no shots, then nothing for the remainder of the trip.
I got home Sunday night and had to work Monday morning. With all my gear in the truck I decided to sneak out to my spot after work for the last 45 minutes of light. And what did ya know............. 2pt down.
2013 No description needed here............... 2pt
2014 was a intereseting early season. Day 1 started with finding a nice bear in my hunting area. I took a good 120 yard shot at him standing broadside. It seemed like I stung him good the way he was flopping around on the ground and reaching back trying to bite himself.................... but he ran off in the brush before I could get another round in him. I waited awhile before tracking him and called a buddy. We found good blood 30 yards in the brush and started the track.
500yards of 6 or 7 drops for evey step he took. Couldnt believe he wasnt expired yet. He then went into a small swamp and rolled and churned up the mud plugging his wounds and the blood trail stopped. We found where he went out of the swamp and some fresh tracks another 70 yards down the skidder road, and then nothing..... Searched till 8 that night, and back the next morning for 1/2 the day. Nothing. 4 days later I found fresh bear scat in the same area I shot him, and another 4 days after that while at work I get a picture/text of a dead bear from the other guy that hunts the property. He said my bullet just missed the spine, and passed clean through.
At least someone got him and he wasnt dead going to waist. The rest of the early season was tough hunting. I found plenty of doe's every day but no bucks, praying that the rut would kick in. Finally 3 days before it closed i caught a small 2x1 creeping through the timber with his nose to the ground. A simple 80 yard shot..... but I couldnt pull the trigger. I dont know why, but I let him walk. Glad I did!
Day 1 of the late season turned up 5 doe's with no bucks....... I couldnt believe it... Where are they? For whatever reason I was done with my spot. Time to find some new ground. Could have been the bear in the area, or maybe we over hunted the area but I was done here for the year. I went to an area I hadnt hunted or scouted in a long time, but for some reason it just felt right. Pretty overgrown and one hell of a hike to get into, but it all paid off in a matter of seconds. Between the frost and the maple leaves they had to have heard me from 200 yards away, but when I spotted him he was only 35 yards away starring at me. with a quick turn of his head to look at his doe, he gave away how big he was and the trigger was pulled. down he went without a single step and another big mature Blacktail buck for the wall. I did my usual prayer for the animal, then started the work, and the drag from hell. Im curious to know what he scores for a 3pt, but his G1s were 13 inch's long. Cant wait now for 2015!
