Well, this is gonna be different.....

[WapitiTalk1]

Heading out for a few Blacktail hunts, with rifle in hand, over the next two weekends (WA general deer season ends on 31 OCT). I have not owned a hunting rifle for geez, close to 30 some years but actually bought one almost two years ago (Weatherby Vanguard 2, .308). I purposely bought a rifle deer tag for WA this year to force me to finally get out and try out the new boomstick. We'll see how this goes. I'm sure I remember which end is the business end on a rifle (the skinny end, right), I can put three rounds in a paper plate at 30 yards so I'm good out to 500, right? , and will ensure I wear some flashy orange clothing so the normal rifle hunters know where I'm at and can avoid me. These types of weapons have an internal quiver thing where the arrows are stored, yes (in case I need more than one arrow, err, bullet)?  Looking forward to getting out and hunting some very wet WA terrain in search of a BT buck. They just run all around with signs that say "take me, take me", yes? Wish me luck.

[hollymaster]

   

[JimmyHoffa]

The orange clothing isn't so they avoid you.  It is so they focus more intently on whatever it is you must be on to.  Then they can try to shoot it first.

[Timberstalker]

Did Cryder hack into your account?

 

[Oldguy]

Remember to wear orange jockey shorts for those times that you might imitate the flash of a "White Tail."

[WapitiTalk1]

Remember to wear orange jockey shorts for those times that you might imitate the flash of a "White Tail."

Good tip, thanks 

[fishnfur]

Who says you can never go home? 
I'm sure it's a lot like riding a bicycle.  Once you learn.......   
You'll probably be tagged out by 0800.  Good luck, enjoy the rain.

[Oldguy]

Almost forgot; use Holloween napkins instead of white toilet paper!

[WapitiTalk1]

The .308 did its job and the meat hit the ground by golly .

[Timberstalker]

Nice. We need pictures!

[WapitiTalk1]

Huge buck.... I'm trying to reduce the pics so they fit on this forum   

[fishnfur]

Open it in Windows Paint program, choose resize, then click on pixels, go with 800 X 600 or so.
Quit goofin' around *censored*! 

[WapitiTalk1]

OK, I haven’t targeted deer really since I left the Big Sky State in 87 to finish my Army career (did 3 years from 79-82, came back in 87 after I realized I really wasn’t building much of a nest egg in MT). I’ve shot a handful of deer in the Evergreen State but always while archery hunting elk (you know those deer that won’t leave you alone, and, are close to a road, lol). Got a twinge last year and bought the first rifle I’ve owned in more than 30 years (have hunted strictly with stick and string all this time) to just perhaps, give the deer a go in WA state at some point with a rifle and mix my seasons up a bit. Fast forward to present. Called a buddy of mine a few weeks ago and asked him to help a brother out with an area/spot that holds a decent amount of black tail. He obliged and sent to a place with a series of gated road that he said held a decent deer population. Went there this morning, a bit after daylight, and off I went into the Washington sunshine, aka, rain. James’ directions were solid and I found myself at the gated road, gearing up. Off I went and soon found the intersection that offered a left or right choice. Armed with only my old school Lorwrance GPS (no map) I settled on left with an idea that I could circumnavigate this area by still hunting the old roads. Yep, it worked but by early afternoon, I’d humped 4+ miles and had seen no fresh sign and more importantly, no deer. I kept the faith however and continued to still hunt cautiously for the last 1 ½ miles (best guess to my truck’s location) in anticipation of seeing a grey ghost materialize… Ah ha! There is one now but what is it (probably around 1230 PM)? Scope covers off, take a bead and yep… it was a buck, with his nose down on the trail above the road. Would not certainly be my best buck by any stretch of the imagination but I had decided before I stared that on this day, I would take any legal branched buck (geez, a guy has to eat, right?). Barney Blacktail was around 150 yards away…. Sniffing, sniffing, stopping…”safety off” broadside quartering slightly towards me… BOOM! Slam dunk, yep… pretty glad with myself, yep…. The buck dropped out of site immediately and I chambered another round and slowly moved to where he had stood. Umm, no buck. I spent the next 30 minutes, in afore mentioned Washington sunshine, looking for the buck I knew I had hit…………. No buck, no blood, nothing, nadda. I was pretty disappointed as I knew the Vanguard .308 was dialed in solid at 200 yards and there was no way I could have missed…. But, perhaps I hit something that deflected the round… it’s happened before. The buck was coming down from a flat ridge so I started doing half circles up in that direction to see what I could see thinking he may have retreated to whence he cam. No blood, no significant tracks, nothing….. I guess I may have missed for some reason… Huge bummer…
OK, one last thought (I'm so glad that I decided to go on this last thought) is that the buck bolted straight down, across the old road (somewhat unlikely considering the shot I had and confidence in my weapon’s proficiency) maybe when I jacked another shell into the Weatherby and diverted my eyes. I started doing some sweeps below the walk-in road and after 10 minutes or so saw what looked like very minimal “goop” mixed with blood on some ferns. A quick touch with my fingers seemed to signify blood. Off came the pack and the flagging ribbon and peroxide came out. A quick “psst” with the peroxide answered my question, it was blood. I started there…… tracking down over the bank and within 30 yards, there lies the buck. I almost (almost) walked away thinking I had missed or my round had been deflected. Now the rain really started in earnest. I’m still drying out my gear at this stage in the evening. I worked on the buck for about an hour, considering whether I should bone him out or just throw the four quarters, straps, and loins in my pack…. (I should have opted for boning him out). The bone in quarters, loins, and straps were a “bit” heavier than I anticipated and it was a challenging pack out with a whole deer (bone in) for this “seasoned” hunter. No worries, the meat is hanging in my shop and will get cut up at some point tomorrow, after a good night’s rest. Is he the biggest buck I’ve ever shot? Not by a long shot but I feel I had to really work for this guy. I stayed the course and “found” him, and, had a good workout packing him out. BT Down!

[pd]

Yes Sir, that there is a western Washington special.  Wet forehead and all.  Congratulations.

[JakeLand]

Nice job !!! Great little blacktail

[fishnfur]

I had a feeling this was all going to turn out just like it did.  Job well done!
I now just need a friend like yours and I too will be in business. 
Congrats to a USA (Ret) from a USN (Ret).

[lokidog]

Great!   

[WapitiTalk1]

I had a feeling this was all going to turn out just like it did.  Job well done!
I now just need a friend like yours and I too will be in business. 
Congrats to a USA (Ret) from a USN (Ret).

Thanks Fish... Thank your for your service mister.   Threw a few back strap chunkettes on the grill tonight, tasted pretty damn decent.  Haven't notched an elk tag "yet" this year so mister black tail will get me through till I do  .  A guy has to eat, right? 


   

[tgomez]

Congrats on the blacktail buck.

[brokemillwright]

quite the story, congratulations!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[elkboy]

Congrats! Nice work, and way to stick to the recovery job! Looks like a beautiful bt forkie!

[fishnfur]

Nice dinner, and I like your choice of beverage too.  You musta done some time in Bavaria sipping a dunkelweizen somewhere along the way.  (Those were the days!).  Enjoy, and good luck on the elk.