Old Blue.

[nileboy]

Dads buck.

[Armadillo]

Nice looking buck, do you have a story about that hunt? where'd he come from?

[nileboy]

Oh yeah... Quite the story actually. He's a Blue Mtn. buck. Gotta head out for now. I'm not so computer litterate so attempt the story later tonight or tomorrow.

[littlebuf]

thats a smasher right there 

[JackOfAllTrades]

Every Deer, every hunt has a story.

-Steve

[Pathfinder101]

beautiful, symmetrical buck.  Nice taxidermy work too..

[boneaddict]

Alright, we've given you a week.  Clocks a tickin. LOL

[nileboy]

My Dad took this buck in 07. This would be the last year Dad and I get to hunt together. Shortly after taking this buck my Dad had a stroke. I'm not scared to mention his name on here either. My father is Ernie Armstrong. I know a lot of you guys on here may know him. My family owned the woodshed restraunt and lounged along Hwy 410. Dad sat over in the store and would b.s. you folks while mom waited tables in the restraunt. You know... the store with all those pictures.
 In the season of 2006 I finally conviced mom to hire someone to run the store so dad and I could break away for a day or two. I knew dad was in no shape to do any hiking in the area we were hunting so we went ahead and loaded up on the rasberry filled doughnuts and chocolate milk! The evening we arrived to our destination we saw nothing but does. We did hear some shooting across the canyon then a bunch of crashing and hooting and celebration. I remember telling dad "sounded like me when i got my first buck" He laughed... Then said "you get pretty excited'' Anyways... We head back into town to get a room, supper and a good nights rest. For him anyways. He snored so freaking loud I had to go sleep in the truck! Morning time comes and someone is pounding on the hood of my truck!! UP AN AT EM! LETS GO! Those were his infamous words to get my ass outta bed while growing up. I just laughed Then shouted "YOUR DRIVING ALL DAY SINCE YOU KEPT ME UP" Without an arrguement dad took the keys and off we went. Our drive to where we wanted to go was about 30 mins. By the time we got up there the fog still had'nt lifted. We had some visiability though. Enough to see a small four point run in front of the truck only to then vanish into the fog. About an hour or so later the fog is gone and the day is looking awesome! We pull up to a place where we can glass a hill side... I get out and find an ol' rotten stump to lay on while I look. After about 30 mins or so I get up and find dad slepping in the truck. So what do I do... smack the hood of the truck and shout"UP AN AT EM LETS GO"! I thought he may have *censored* his self as bad as I scared him! By smacking the hood of my truck I think I may have spooked the biggest buck we had ever seen! Once we left dads napping spot, we get about 100 yards down this road and see a shooter! As we think anyways! I shout! Shooter! Hop out and look to see about a 30 inch 2 pt. I aint *censored*tin ya either! This buck was huge! Dads freakin because i'm not shooting. I could not glue a freaking eyegaurd or a third point on this buck at all! Here comes dad out of the drivers seat with the .243. I am not kidding he looked like Elmer Fudd! His eyes were the size of saucer plates. He put the scope on him then said nope! can't shoot him. We could have shot this buck like ten times. We just watch him run off into the trees and admire. We get back into to the truck then head down the road. By this time i'm thinking we had found a decent little honey hole. once we get to the turn around we decide it's timee for a pee break. I zip up then wander around behind dad while he's still pisssing and see a buck standing right in front of him! e's oblivious to it! It's just about a 12 inch spike or so. I grab is shirt tail while i'm pulling him back. The buck is unaware of us at this point. I run back to grab my rifle to go look again and there is a three point standing there with him. Not really standing though by now tey have spotted us and are bouncing across the small clearing we spoted them in. I let a shot fly, only to no come up empty handed.
It's dark now and mom's freakng out! SO we head back to the nile valley and call it quits! Not one bit disappointed though! In the back of my head i'm already planning next years trip, thinking of who would be capable enough to run the woodshed while dad and I take a week and head out.
2007 season is the next day! Dad and I, with a few other selected buddies are on our way! Get camp set up right before dark and start b.s.ing. The old man had a real nack for being able to make people laugh. I don't know how he did it! When I woke up the next morning and started hiking down this trail I felt this pain in my stomach. I was wondering what the heck did I do??? It only took me a few seconds to realize that it was from laughing so hard at and with my Dad the night before.
By now the hunt is on! I really wanted to find that 2 pt. again. Me or dad I did'nt care I wanted one of us to get a nice buck! I was really bird dogging for him! Ended up meeting up with this little owl that was pearched on a limb while i was taking a breather. He was like three feet from me! This little sucker just sat there and was amused with me! As I was with him! Then here comes cousin Greg down the ridge. The owl had flown off by this point. He was'nt very big either! I may have tried to catch him and put him in my pack... Who knows! LOL! I told Greg about the owl and he asked me "did you chase him off right away''? He seemed intense and serious about the whole deal. Then began to tell me that I had beeter tell everyone close to me that i loved them. Something to do with owls being, not really bad luck but...they were trying to tell you something. Cousin Greg Has always had my upmost respect. Everything he has always told and taught me I have taken in. Anyways... We end up pushing a nice 3 pt. probably a 150 class buck! down to Kelley. Once we get all that taken care of we head back to camp to have lunch. Were all sitting on rounds of wood craming sandwhiches into our mouthes as fast as we can so we can head out again before dark. Here we go! Four of us bouncing down the road. Dad and I are the last ones to break off... When it's just him and I, I reach around and put my arm around him and kinda pat him on the back. We both look at each other in the eyes. I did'nt tell dad I loved him... I wish I would have!!! We knew each other like the back of our hands though... He knew what I was thinking. We were really in our element! We did'nt care if we bagged a buck or not! We got to tell stories and eat watever we wanted without MOM bitching at us... I give him one good pat on his broad shoulders an tell him good luck! After parting I find a nice buck rub and I can smell him too! SO I zig zag back and fourth trying to get this buck back to dad! I don't get out of the woods til after dark! While i'm walking back down the spur road I see the fire blazing and everyone laughing! I'm thinking WTF! I did'nt hear any shooting??? ANd there all celebrating! At this point I know something is up... When I get closer I hear Jerry say... ''Hide em back here Ernie''! "dont say anything" I go right over to where Jerry was pointing and there he was "OLD BLUE" Dad had the nicest buck of is life! He was grinning from ear to ear! Like a kid on Christmas morning! He was packing Around those antlers all over camp! I don't kow how I did'nt hear the shot... I must have been going through some thick brush at the time. None the less he had got one!!! Dad had all of us rolling that night by the fire! He was telling us how he would buul*censored* all the hunters that would come into the store. He would'n to b.s. em to be a jerk... He would do it to entertain his self. My Dad was and still is the nicest and best man I have ever met! He would let people charge gas, milk,eggs,cigarettes,beer And knowing that he would never see the money for it. One winter it snowed so bad up by MUD LAKE, Dad and I had to rescue about 18 elk hunters. There we went heading up the steep grade with the cat! Quit intense actually! There was an article in the Yakima Hereald about it.
If any of you guys know my father feel free to stop by the house and visit with him. I know he can only say two or three words and can't get up and walk. However he is still very alert and remembers everybody. Stokes have a weird effect on the brian. I remeber the last thing my Dad told me before they had to sell the buisness, I want you to have him. So here he is o my wall! A great reminder of my best friend. DAD.

Thanks for letting me share my story.
Beau James Armstrong

[Instinct]

beautiful buck man! and sorry to hear that bout your pa. that was an awsome story, cant go wrong wth them family storys like that... those are the best ones i think.

[runamuk]

That is an amazing story...what a family memory

and Blue is awful nice

[bowhunterforever]

Awsome story and buck! Memories to cheerish a lifetime.

[huntnphool]

Great write-up, great memories.

[firecrotch]

great story thanks for sharin!

[winston2789]