Huge SW WA Public Land Buck

[Pete112288]

So this buck still blows my mind.
Hunting public land in SW Wa. I have seen some nice bucks in this area but nothing like this before.
I had filled my second doe tag on the east side and was not holding out for anything crazy for my main tag. I just told myself anything with a decent fork or better would be an automatic shooter for me. I had some close calls with some bucks but nothing that would give me a shot.
Spur of the moment I was able to take a couple extra days off work so instead of just a morning hunt on Tuesday the 27th I had all day. I hunted a couple small places scattered around the area without seeing much of anything.
I showed up here around noon and worked my way back to a grassy dirt road that wondered through the trees. Just was moving super slow and quiet. I knew they were hot on the does as of late and moving so I wasnt trying to cover a ton of ground. In the same spot I routinely see a doe I jumped a deer before I saw it. It only bounced off once and so I crept slowly off the path towards it. It jumped again but I could hear it moving and knew it didnt go far. So I just kept creeping. Gun slung on my shoulder, hands in my pockets, just taking all the time in the world. It was hard to see much with all the random sun spots shining through the trees and such. I saw one bright colored spot about 30 yards away. Picked up the binos and saw a doe staring at me. Then as I was starting to look around more, I saw the tips of antlers coming up behind her. I got ready and was hoping through the thick stuff they were in that I would get a shot. I knew it was a decent buck, but didnt expect much over a decent fork horn or small 3 pt. He gave me a straight on shot that I thought I missed. When he took off at the shot I saw how big frame wise he was and text the wife "I just saved us a bunch of money, I missed a buck that would dwarf the one I already have mounted." Haha. She said "sorry babe" and I moved up and circled the area for a while double checking for blood. 50yards out in every direction. Nothing. So I sat still for 45 minutes or so. I could hear deer moving around but didnt get eyes on anything. So I went back to picking my way down that dirt path. After another 100+ yards I look down and see blood on the trail. I instantly am terrified that it was a real bad shot. I take out marking ribbon and start very slowly following and marking blood. After about 20 feet or so I hear a crash about 30 yards off to my left. It sounded kind of like a stumbling animal. I didnt want to push it so I just kept slowly following blood instead of going straight to where I heard it. Then 100 feet or so more and I lost blood sign, it looked like it doubled back on itself. So I circled again for a few and finally just said I was going to check where I heard the crash in the brush. As I get close I see a doe 25 yards or so up in the brush, and there he is, bleeding but still nose down after the doe. I had a broadside shot with him at a slow walk at 20-25 yards. Nailed him right through the boiler room and he went down. I gave it a few moments and started working my way up to him. Like a dummy I set my gun down when I was about 20 feet away. I stepped a hair closer and he picked up his head to look at me. He ended up getting up and I had flashes of stories I have heard about wounded deer goring people and such. Cause he looked crazy POed and was only 15 feet or less in front of me. I stepped behind a tree and reached back for my gun. He ended up going another 20 yards before going down again. I gave him some more time. When I got up to him again I did not put my gun down. I could see the hole through his vitals but he was still trying to get up and struggle. I ended up shooting again to put him down and out. It felt kinda like a sloppy deal and I was kinda bummed that it happened the way it did instead of a good clean shot first time around. But it was done now. I had no idea how big he was till now. I looked down on him and just started jumping and hollering and making all sorts of celebration that would have made anyone within a mile think there was a crazy person on the loose. Haha. I was able to get the game cart up to 100 yards from him and got him out. Crazy heavy buck, in the antlers and the body. 3x3 + eyeguards. The eyeguards are crazy flat and blade like. Bases about as thick as my wrists. I could hardly drag him around for a good picture myself. Outside to outside the widest point of the antlers is right at 18 inches. The taxidermist measured the neck after getting it skinned the rest of the way out. He said 18" is the normal for the deer necks he gets in. A couple 20s every year, and that he does elk pretty often that are around 22 inches. This thing he measured at 25 inches. Hanging weight, meat and bones, no head, no feet, no hide, 165 pounds.
I am still in disbelief. And I feel like the pictures dont do it justice like standing in front of such an animal.
For me and my own way of looking at hunting and how I hunt, I consider this very likely a once in a lifetime blacktail.

[Sutherland]

Dandy buck! Well done!

[spin05]

Boy he had that rack all shined up and white.  Cool rack and unique for a blacktail

[TVHunts]

Congrats on a fantastic buck!  He is one big dude 

[Skyvalhunter]

That's a beauty

[fowl smacker]

Nice buck!  Thanks for the story.  Glad you ended up spotting that blood.

[Wolfdog2314]

Crazy story, amazing buck. Glad you’re mounting him!

[Fl0und3rz]

Very nice blacktail.  Congratulations.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Great buck!!

[Smith_22]

Awesome animal and write up!  Way to get it done!  I love his mass and eye guards. 

[Tenkara]

dandy buck, congrats.

[bornhunter]

Wow what a porker! Eyeguards are really cool.

[Pete112288]

Thanks everyone! I couldn't be happier

[trophyhunt]

Great deer, congrats!

[buckfvr]

Great blacktail, be tuff to beat.