First Whitetail

[Buglinbulls]

Well, I thought that since I am always on this site checking everyone else’s posts, I had better contribute one of my own. 

This was my first year hunting in Washington, and the first time going after a whitie.  After a total of about two weeks of scouting and hunting, I was finally able to seal the deal last weekend on this little buck.  I was hunting in the Coleville area.     

Here’s the story:
   It was just about dark and I was on my way back to the truck when a deer crossed in front of me a ways down the trail.  It was too dark to get a very good look at him, but I could tell from his body outline and his composure that it was a buck.  Since this was the first buck that I had seen all weekend, I decided to set up the next morning in the same area that I had seen him cross in front of me.  I figured that chances were slim of actually coming across that same buck again, but I figured that I didn’t have anything to lose.
   I got up the next morning and started hiking about an hour before shooting light in order to take my time and keep quiet.  I ended up perching myself up on a rock ledge overlooking a patch of pines and downfall.  It was just getting light enough to see, so I started glassing through the thick pines.  As I scanned to my left I couldn’t believe it, but there was actually a buck standing broadside about 100 yards away, but he had me pegged.  Because of the low light I couldn’t get a very good look at his antlers, but I could tell that he was at least out to his ears, so being the last morning that I would have to hunt, I decided to take him.  I put the cross-hairs on his chest and pulled the trigger.  He was quartered slightly to me, so the bullet entered his shoulder and came out a little behind his offside shoulder (you can see the exit hole in some of the pics).  Not a big buck, but I was definitely excited to put a whitetail on the ground.  Whether he was the buck from the night before, who knows?

[Cougeyes]

Nice buck, especially for your first in WA

[Skyvalhunter]

Congrats on the buck!! Job well done and welcome to Washington hunting

[Hunting Cowboy]

Congrats on your first WA Whitetail! Theres nothing quite like making a plan and having it work out. Thanks for posting the story and pics!

[runningboard]

nice buck, good story, thanks for sharing. congrats on your success!

[billythekidrock]

Congrats.

[GoldTip]

Good Job on your first whitey!

[boneaddict]

Thanks for signing up and posting the pics and story. Congrats on your first whitetail.  As Cowboy said, way to make a plan, and have it be successful.

[jackelope]

I've decided the most succesful hunts are the ones that you plan out ahead of time....way to stick with it and make it work. congrats.

[Buckshot Bill]

Nice buck Buglinbulls!  Great job on setting a plan and putting it to work and making it happen.  Nothing like being in the right place at the right time.  Congrats and keep up the good work.

[Dman]

 Good story and pics, that's a fine whitetail. Your surmization that it might have been the same buck is probably accurate. Whities generally have a home range of only 2 square miles. I found a rub area about four years ago in our NEWa spot in mid-September and tripped over a buck nearly the same as the one you shot while scouting. I came back on the opener to find a boned out carcass with an arrow string leading 50 ft away from it, not over 100' from where I saw the buck a month earlier. 

Congrat's

[huntingnut]

Welcome to WA and congrats to a nice buck.

[Machias]

Congrats, very nice buck.  I'm taking my wife out there tomorrow, I hope she sees one just like it.  What kind of rounds are those?

[Muleyslyr]

Nice....way to go!!  That's a good buck....especially for your last day.  Congrats and welcome to HW.

[Buglinbulls]

Thanks for the remarks.  In response to the question above: "What kind of rounds are those?"

I was shooting 168 gr Barnes XLC handloads in a .300 WSM.  It may have been a little overkill on a whitetail, but it did the job.   

Question for all of you whitetail experts: How old do you think this buck is? (1 1/2 or 2 1/2 yrs. old)

[Machias]

Thanks!

2.5 IMO

[jackelope]

I'm certainly no expert, but i'd think 2.5 also. i don't think he's 3.5, and he's definitely a younger deer.