Season is over too soon

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Well shoot! Ended my 2017 WA deer season with less that a day's hunting in. Went out opening morning until noon and it was so dry and there were so many rigs I decided to wait a few days. With the change in weather this morning I decided the time was right. Got this forky about 9:30 AM.  The 125 yard shot was the easy part. I had three choices to get him out. Drag him 250 yards uphill to the road above him, drag him 300 yards down the ridge to the lower road, or drag him straight to the road I was parked on which about 125 yards. The devil was I had to drag him down into a steep little gully and then drag him up a steep hill through blackberries and branches trimmed from trees when they logged. My first plan was to drag him down to the lower road. Fortunately I drove down to look at the bottom end. There was 50-75 yards of everything bad you could think of at the bottom end, so I chose the gully. It took a while to get him out pulling a foot at a time and fighting the vines and branches, but eventually I got him to the road. Meanwhile the rain cut loose and the wind whipped up, so I was soaked to the core when I was finished. Took the long way out looking for grouse and there were lots of uprooted trees along the road and branches that had blown out of trees and when I got to the mainline out, there was a big alder over the road that wasn't there when I drove in. Luckily there was just enough room to drive down in the ditch and get around it. All's well that ends well.

[vandeman17]

Nice job! I no longer drag my deer now that I feel good about quartering or boning them out. 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

So, the first pic here is the hillside he was on when I spotted him. He was across right above the larger vine maple.

The second pic is looking over to the road from the area the deer was in. I think he was either bedded in the little strip of timber between the clearcut and the road or right along side it in the clearcut. I glassed the area pretty good when I drove down to the bottom the first time and did some glassing on the lower end, then drove back up and decided to glass the cut one more time so I stopped and got out at the end of the timber strip and as soon as I raised the glasses I saw him and knew it was a buck. Grabbed my rifle and he waited broadside for me. I think I either kicked him out driving down the hill or on my way back.  The road in the second pic is along side the white sign in the upper left part of the pic.

The third picture is looking down the ridge towards the bottom road. It looked inviting for a drag, but the bottom end was fly blown. The timber had too much blow down in it.

[bobcat]

Good job Rick!

I was wishing I was out there as I was sitting in the office today. Maybe I'll have some luck on Friday.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

I just noticed the time and date stamp on my camera is off a bit. lol Must be from when I changed the batteries.

[Pegasus]

Nice. Is that a bullet hole through the ear?

[blackveltbowhunter]

Nice work!! Nice buck Congratz

[tgomez]

Congrats on a fine blacktail buck.  I also only hunted for one day this year.  Now comes the fun of helping family and friends notch their tags. Now it's time to play bird dog,  LOL.

[N7XW]

Very nice.  Congrats!!

[Harbor_hunter]

It sure was nasty around here today, good day for deer hunting!  Good work!

[huntnphool]

 

[Seahawk12]

 
Congrats!

[fishnfur]

Well done man!  It was a great day to be out. 

[JakeLand]

Nice buck !
Trust me I know ! Last year I tagged out opening day and then spent the rest of the season helping friends get there tags filled
Have fun

[Smokepole]

Good looking buck.  Love hunting them Christmas trees.  I shot a blacktail once in a spot that looked just like that.  Trails all over in that brush.  Congrats!