My brother and I have put a lot of thought into this year of deer hunting. Last year we finally got permission to hunt private land....after 5 years of trying!!!!!...2500 acres of farm land. We call that spot "The Buck Hole". We are in love with that spot and we took good care of the farmer this year. He got A LOT of BEER and smoke salmon. We also put in for second deer tags in GMU unit 410, Island County (island specific). We picked an island we have had good luck on and secured permission to hunt private land. Both my brother and I and my brother's father in law (BFIN) all put in for second deer tags. Luck was with us and we all pulled tags!!!
We all have been hunting together for 6 years and I have a cabin at Alta Lake that we use as our base camp. We look forward to this trip every year and we all bring a ton of food and plenty of beer.
We managed three mulies this year. We are all deer hunters and not horn hunters. We have all decided over the last few years that we will shoot the first legal deer that we see. But that was when we were hunting public land and now we are hunting private land. I don't think my brother will shoot such a small one next year. As I will be giving him a hard time all year!!!
Opening morning we are set up in two different fields and I see a buck walk out from the sage into the field and start feeding. I know it’s a buck but I can't tell if it’s legal or not, its legal shooting time but still to dark to tell with both scope and good bino's. After 15 min or so I can clearly see that he has three on one side and I pull the trigger. Perfect double lung shot and he only runs 25 yards right toward my truck and lays down right at the edge of the field. As I walked up to him he was better than I hoped. A nice 4x4...just then the farmers drive's by and I wave him down. He is nice enough to help me drag him over to my truck
. That was the only deer we shot on opening day.
Second day I am glassing for the brother's father in law(BFIL). We had dropped my brother off in another field, soon after daylight we hear a rifle shot and then I get a phone call, buck down bring the truck. I get to were my brother is and take a look at his deer. Barely legal as the third point is pretty small. The deer walked right up to him and with his scope he was positive it was legal before he pulled the trigger. The deer was only about 20 yards away from him before he shot it. While we are gutting the deer a HUGE 4x4 walks right up to us as if we went even there. Biggest buck I have seen in WA, and BFIN way to far away..o-well, next year. So two bucks down only one to go!!.
Day three, my brother and I spot for the BFIN. I see a shooter buck but it’s on a piece of property we can't go on, so we pass. My brother and I both beat brush hard all afternoon and the best we can kick out is a bunch of doe's.
Day four, we set up in the dark and wait daylight. I spot two buck's walking across the field and I can see one's a shooter (600yds). BFIN does not want to chase but I talk him into it. We do a fast stalk and follow them down a hill where we finally get a shot on bigger of the two buck's. He makes a perfect shot right into the back of the neck. Nice 3X4 down and this deer had a huge body!!! Three bucks in four days a new record for us, as someone usually eats their tag. We are home by wends and have all our deer cut and sausage made by Sunday.
My brother and BFIL go to our little island sanctuary a few days later for their second deer tags. While I am at work I get two picture messages. Two more bucks down. A 2x2 and a really nice 3x3 island deer. What luck, I don't have a chance of going over of the rest of because of work and family.
Late buck comes around and I an only able to go on opening day. So I grab a buddy and hit the island. We beat brush all morning for nothing. I hit up my favorite land owner and I see a nice doe in one of his fields. My buddy had never shot a deer before so I give him my slug gun with scope and tell him to sneak up and shoot the deer right behind the shoulder. Well the doe had already split before we snuck up to the field....no luck. We end up chasing a couple doe's around with no shot. I walk back to find my buddy and I walk right through the field where we saw the doe's. No deer. I hook back up with my buddy and we walk back to the truck through the same field and there is a nice 2x2 buck standing there. I don't wait and shoot it right in the neck. Buck #6 down. My buddy ends up getting a doe out of the same field a few hours later for his first deer. What a season 6 bucks for 3 people and my buddy gets his first deer ever!!!!!.
First pic:
#1 Me with 4x4 mulie
#2 Brother with 2x3 mulie
#3 BFIL with 3x4 mulie
#4 Me with 2x2 blacktail
#5 Brother with 2x2 blacktail
#6 BFIL with 3x3 blacktail
