First of all I'd like to say thanks to the hunt wa community. I've been lurking for some time here and have been trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can. Having no one to teach me the things that I learn here, it would certainly be a whole lot more trial and error if it wasnt for hunt wa.
Anyways. I had gone out both nights and mornings of opening weekend as well as every evening during the week. Hadn't spotted a single deer yet but I was determined. I was going to spend as much time out in the woods as it was going to take.
I had hiked in before light to get to the spot I had found the evening before that overlooks several nice clearcuts. On the way up I was passed by some ass in a truck who blew by without even so much as a wave, a nod, or even a look. Must be nice to have those gate keys. I got to my spot, glassed a while. Waited, glassed more. The ass in the truck pulls right into the middle of the cut im watching, parks, and proceeds to fiddle around outside of his truck. I thought maybe I'd try a different cut. On the way back out to the main road I thought I would walk up a freshly made road that would overlook a much older cut area. Maybe I could find one bedded down in there. Got up there and didn't see anything. I started formulating a new game plan, messing around on my phone looking at sat views of the area, and taking a short breather when I happen to look up and to my right and here is this little spike beebopping down the hill not 30 yards from me. Very quietly I slipped my phone away and started tiptoeing over to my rifle which I had leaned up against a downed tree. As soon as he went behind some cover I hit the dirt and waited with my sights on where he would reappear. It was going to be a walking shot and i didnt want to blow it. Boom! He hit the road and took off. I knew it was a hit. He stumbled about 50 yards down the road. I was so excited I grabbed my gear and started running down to him. My rifle was shooting a little high and right which I thought I had fixed but I guess not. What a great feeling. My first deer and my first big game animal taken with my own 30-06 handloads. I have no reservations about shooting a spike. I hunt for the meat, not the trophy. Before the season started I had already agreed with myself that I would take the first legal buck I saw. Perhaps next year I will be a little more selective, but I'm just happy to make this season a success. As I was dragging my bounty down the main road I see ass pull out from the road he took and head for home, I hope he saw the buck I was dragging behind me.
I went back to the same area yesterday to validate to myself that I could find a buck, instead of happen upon one. I glassed the cut I had watched the week prior and found two doe with a spike in tow. So if my little spike hadnt found me i could potentially have still got one on the last day. Success.
If the selfie is in poor tast, I apologize. I was solo so no one around to take a nicer picture.
