Hunting Washington Forum
Washington State Hunting Forum and Northwest Resource Site
Please
login
or
register
.
1 Hour
1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
News:
Free:
Contests & Raffles
.
Home
Help
Calendar
Advertise
Login
Register
Hunting Washington Forum
»
Big Game Hunting
»
Deer Hunting
»
Success in the Desert
Advertisement
Advertise Here
« previous
next »
Print
Pages: [
1
]
2
3
All
Go Down
Author
Topic: Success in the Desert (Read 6645 times)
Thehuntingdad33
Trade Count:
(
0
)
Pilgrim
Join Date: Sep 2022
Posts: 13
Success in the Desert
«
on:
October 29, 2022, 10:18:47 AM »
Always striving to out do yourself and kill a bigger buck than the last one can be a bit of a slippery slope. If you do not stay grounded, it can lead you down a path of disappointment. For us, it's always been about the hunt, being careful to not be so focused on the prize that you miss the joy in the journey. The journey is where most of the memories are made. With an amazing Idaho buck already to his credit this year, the plan for this very difficult draw tag was to at least find something in the same class. It didn't have to be bigger. He never set a goal on the number of points or how well it scored. He just wanted to kill a buck that was a good representation of what the unit could produce.
It can take well over a decade to draw this coveted tag. Some hunters have been putting in for twenty years and still haven't drawn it. Needless to say we were pretty excited to see "Selected" when we checked the results last spring. The Desert Unit, to those who are unfamiliar, is the area off to your right as you travel east on I-90 from Goerge to Moses Lake. It is a mix of private land, mostly agricultural circles, and public land covered in sage, irrigation canals, scattered ponds and cattails. It is a limited draw so on this particular hunt, Logan would have only a handful of other hunters to compete with in the 35,000 acres of public land. The season is only nine days so we planned on using all of them if need be.
It's funny how a person's mind operates, especially after the fifth day in a row of waking up at 4:55 a.m, hiking 10 miles through sand and old growth sage, back tracking miles because you couldn't get around another swamp or canal, glassing until your eyes hurt, dodging blood thirsty mosquitos, being whipped in the face with sage all day, with nothing more than sore knees and a couple glimpses at average bucks to show for it. Doubt can really start to creep in. Within 24 hours we went from, "I can't believe we only get four more days to hunt," to "I can't believe we still have to do this for four more days!" It becomes a grind, like getting up and going to work. Those big, Desert Ghost's are out there, unfortunately they are some of the smartest bucks I've ever seen
Every mile or so there will be a raised sand dune that sticks up ten feet higher than the rest of the terrain. The best way to hunt this area is to hike to the nearest dune, climb up near the top, but not so high that your silhouette stands out above the top, and sit and glass until your eyes can't take it anymore. If you get lazy and silhouette yourself, any deer within a mile will see you and you're busted. I told you they are smart. Once you decide to move on, you find your next dune and make a plan to navigate the sage to get there. You have to plan your route because with all the cattail marshes and Russian Olive trees, you will most certainly hit a dead end if you don't. This is how you end up logging 10 miles a day.
On day 6 we were back in an area where we had been seeing the most deer activity. Shortly after daylight we spotted a buck and watched him for a minute before he vanished in the sage. These bucks are masters of disguise. Several times we would spot a buck, take one step closer to get a better look and they would disappear without a trace. One day, after 12 miles of hiking, I spotted two separate bucks that all I did was look away for a second to get Logan's attention and when I looked back, poof... they're gone! I actually began to question my sanity that day. I seriously thought I could be losing my mind.
Around noon we took a break and sat on the end of what I guess you could call a ridge and rifled through our packs, searching for whatever stray candy bar we could find for lunch. We had bought everything to make sandwiches the night before but after the third snooze alarm went off, there wasn't the time or the motivation to build one. We were contemplating our next move when I glanced over to my right and saw what appeared to be a buck moving through the sage at 600 or 700 yards. I knew it was a pretty good one but couldn't get a second look before it disappeared in the sage, imagine that. But unlike most of the 17 bucks prior, this one actually reappeared. There was no need to study it, he was the buck Logan came here for. I ranged him at 640 yards, the same distance as his buck in Idaho. With the wind blowing at a steady 15 mph the shot was too risky. The second the buck disappeared over the rise, Logan took off running across the flat. It was pointless for me to attempt to keep up. I watched him as he crept up to the top and it was clear by his body language that the buck was still there. Within seconds he deployed his bi-pod, sat down and steadied himself for a shot, and fired. The sound of his .300 Win Mag going off was such a sweet ending to our emotional rollercoaster in the Desert.
Going into this hunt we were not sure what to believe. We heard people say you will be done in a day. Others were only a little less optimistic, saying we wouldn't be there all week. I've done this long enough to know there is a fair amount of luck involved in killing a mature buck. I don't care how good your tag is. Some people believe you make your own luck. I don't. The only thing you have control over is the amount of time and effort you put into it. We approached this hunt with the law of averages in mind; spend as much time as possible out there and our chances at crossing paths with one of these legendary bucks would go up every hour. I would like to say that there was some great lesson learned here about hard work, dedication and the reward, but that would be a reach. Life is hard. It's also not fair. I have always said that hunting teaches a person some of the greatest lessons about life. You are going to fail way more than you will succeed so concentrate on what you can control. That's it. In this case, perseverance, and a great deal of luck, is why we got this buck.
Reflecting back on the 6 days in the Desert, we had an amazing trip. We saw 18 bucks and more does than you could count. We picked up antler sheds, enjoyed camp and a week long supply of buck stew. We also met some great people along the way too, like Pheasant Bob & Quail Bobby. Two longtime buddies who rarely miss a weekend of bird hunting. We sat around their camp one day after a morning hunt and swapped stories over a cold beer and a zip lock full of pre-cooked bacon.
The Desert is an amazing place. It is truly a love/hate relationship. From a far, it is just a sage filled desert. But when you dive into it, especially 52 miles worth, you really begin to see the remarkable beauty that it holds. And if you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of one of these elusive Desert Ghost's...
Logged
Advertise Here
frazierw
Political & Covid-19 Topics
Trade Count:
(
+1
)
Scout
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 468
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #1 on:
October 29, 2022, 10:29:26 AM »
Greta buck and a great story! Congratulations
Logged
buckfvr
Washington For Wildlife
Trade Count:
(
+7
)
Frontiersman
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 4515
Location: UNGULATE FREE ZONE UNIT 121
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #2 on:
October 29, 2022, 10:30:02 AM »
Great buck, great write up !
Logged
storyteller
Forum Sponsor
Trade Count:
(
+14
)
Scout
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 313
Location: Marysville
Groups: NRA, DU
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #3 on:
October 29, 2022, 10:32:25 AM »
Great job of capturing the trip for us to enjoy, great looking buck
Logged
pd
Trade Count:
(
+7
)
Frontiersman
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 2527
Location: Seattle?
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #4 on:
October 29, 2022, 10:58:24 AM »
OP, I don't care about the deer (I lie, of course), but I love your writing. Thank you for the excellent story.
Logged
Si vis pacem, para bellum
highside74
Political & Covid-19 Topics
Trade Count:
(
+11
)
Old Salt
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5161
Location: Eatonville wa
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #5 on:
October 29, 2022, 11:56:13 AM »
I mean, I guess if you are into big bucks that one would work.
Nice job boys
Logged
Lincoln4
Born again Idahoan
Political & Covid-19 Topics
Trade Count:
(
0
)
Sourdough
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1268
Location: Middleton, Idaho
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #6 on:
October 29, 2022, 12:13:59 PM »
Nice buck! And thanks for taking the time for a great write-up.
Logged
Husband, Dad, and Grandpa
USN 82-88
Second Amendment Foundation
Gun Owners of America
Cancer Survivor
Retired LEO
Political Refugee
huntnfmly
Trade Count:
(
+36
)
Frontiersman
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 4722
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #7 on:
October 29, 2022, 12:42:48 PM »
Congrats great buck and write up thanks for sharing
Logged
I'm your dam tour guide Arnie please don’t wonder off the dam tour.
Take as many dam pictures as you want ....
Are there any dam questions ..
Buckhunter24
Political & Covid-19 Topics
Trade Count:
(
+2
)
Sourdough
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2193
Location: Eatonville
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #8 on:
October 29, 2022, 12:46:45 PM »
Quote from: frazierw on October 29, 2022, 10:29:26 AM
Greta buck and a great story! Congratulations
Logged
boneaddict
Site Sponsor
Administrator
Trade Count:
(
0
)
Legend
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 50475
Location: Selah, Washington
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #9 on:
October 29, 2022, 12:55:13 PM »
Nice one. I’m glad you guys had a great hunt out of it. That’s really the point isn’t it? Well done!
Logged
My BOOK Volume ONE
https://www.blurb.com/b/11881998-muley-madness-the-collection-volume-i
Volume TWO
https://www.blurb.com/b/11882571-muley-madness-the-collection
Mfowl
Political & Covid-19 Topics
Trade Count:
(
+6
)
Frontiersman
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 4388
Location: westside
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #10 on:
October 29, 2022, 02:21:26 PM »
Great buck and story! Congrats! Thanks for sharing!
Logged
Fish hard, hunt harder!
wheels1
Trade Count:
(
0
)
Hunter
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 142
Location: pacific
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #11 on:
October 29, 2022, 02:58:19 PM »
Congrats awesome buck
Logged
Ridgerunner
Trade Count:
(
+1
)
Old Salt
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 5053
Location: Enumclaw
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #12 on:
October 29, 2022, 04:21:58 PM »
Great buck and a great write up too
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Logged
teanawayslayer
Non-Hunting Topics
Trade Count:
(
+9
)
Frontiersman
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 4203
Location: Eastside
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #13 on:
October 29, 2022, 05:56:43 PM »
Great buck! And an even better write up! Thanks for sharing
Logged
Happiness is being in the woods!!!
CaNINE
Trade Count:
(
+5
)
Sourdough
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 1422
Location: Gig Harbor
Re: Success in the Desert
«
Reply #14 on:
October 29, 2022, 06:17:07 PM »
Great buck
Logged
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
Proverbs 12:27
Advertise Here
Print
Pages: [
1
]
2
3
All
Go Up
« previous
next »
Hunting Washington Forum
»
Big Game Hunting
»
Deer Hunting
»
Success in the Desert
Advertisement
Advertise Here
Quick Links
Front Page
Donate To Forum
Advertise on H-W
Recent Posts
Articles
Forum Rules
Recent Topics
Ritzville Rifle Buck - GMU 284
by
high_hunter
[
Yesterday
at 11:49:16 PM]
Antlerless Moose more than once?
by
shootem
[
Yesterday
at 11:25:51 PM]
Nooksack Muzzleloader Bull Tag
by
high_hunter
[
Yesterday
at 10:42:24 PM]
2025 Draw Results
by
kramman
[
Yesterday
at 10:27:20 PM]
My wife drew quality deer DESERT rifle 10/18-10/26!!!!!
by
high_hunter
[
Yesterday
at 10:17:15 PM]
Palouse buck deer
by
blumtnelkndeer
[
Yesterday
at 10:14:00 PM]
Drew Quality
by
Jimmer
[
Yesterday
at 09:34:00 PM]
Nevada guide draw Mule Deer
by
Beastmonger1987
[
Yesterday
at 09:33:34 PM]
Quality Swakane
by
Rainier10
[
Yesterday
at 09:09:17 PM]
Son drawn - Silver Dollar Youth Any Elk - Help?
by
VickGar
[
Yesterday
at 09:06:22 PM]
Observatory quality bull rifle
by
buglebuster
[
Yesterday
at 09:00:02 PM]
Anterless 1334 muzzle loader
by
Bdawg
[
Yesterday
at 08:46:31 PM]
A little Martini Cadet varmint rifle I have been working on
by
JDHasty
[
Yesterday
at 08:43:33 PM]
Pogue Quality
by
geauxtigers
[
Yesterday
at 08:38:35 PM]
Bow mount trolling motors
by
Happy Gilmore
[
Yesterday
at 08:06:18 PM]
2025 OILS!
by
HUNTNORTHWEST
[
Yesterday
at 07:46:27 PM]
A question for any FFL holders on here
by
Knocker of rocks
[
Yesterday
at 07:34:49 PM]
Last year putting in…
by
MADMAX
[
Yesterday
at 07:25:41 PM]
KODIAK06 2025 trail cam and personal pics thread
by
kodiak06
[
Yesterday
at 07:12:15 PM]
September mule deer velvet
by
NOCK NOCK
[
Yesterday
at 07:10:12 PM]
SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal