So I just spent the last few weeks dog\house sitting for my parents. I was secluded with very little to do. Seeing old antlers on the walls and hides on couches made me go digging through TONS of photos.(can I get an amen for digital cameras?!?) I was looking for pictures of the first buck I saw taken. And I found them!
Here is the story as I remember it. It was the late westside hunt in 1986. I was 12. My dad had an unsuccessful methow trip and decided to take me out and show me the ropes. It was a weekend. He woke me up early and we took off for the cedar ponds area outside of Monroe. There were a lot of hunters out driving and walking the roads. We took a seat right off the road above a clearer area. People kept walking and driving past. Soon my dad said there were some deer! Sure enough! There was a doe followed by a buck.....I remember his head was just about ground level. Looked like he was crawling. I remember looking back at my father then to the deer and back to my dad steadying his aim....then back to the deer. Finally a shot rang out and down he went. We scrambled down the hill. The doe would not leave the area. I stood there in awe holding my dads red, felt, hunting hat. My dad wrapped up the field dressing. Deposited the heart and liver in the hat and drug him up the hill where we had an audience oogling over the deer. We propped him up so his antlers were showing above the tailgate and drove home. I can remember the look on the faces of other hunters as we drove out! It was awesome!!!! 930 am we had it skinned out in our driveway! I would say that I was hooked from that point on! The next year was my first year packin! And shot a 3 pointer with the trusty 30-30!
Anyways.....thanks for reading about years gone by!