It's Official!!!

[blacktailer]

I officially suck!!!  First year in 25 years I have not tagged out on deer.  Hit it pretty hard late season.  Could have shot a fork horn at 4:00 this evening but let him go in hopes he'll be around next year.  Very frustrating season.  I hate the thought that after all of the anticipation, it's all over.  Start planning for next year I guess

[wrangler]

ok, soooo you let a buck walk at last light on the last day after tagging out for 25 straight years? thats an impressive streak i would think you would have wanted to continue... 

[MHWASH]

Sounds pretty successfull to me.

[Axle]

I know how you feel. I passed on a small two point BT buck. But not to worry, there was this yearling spike on my neighbor's property and I had made a promise to shoot a legal deer when possible on his place. Well, it happened, and the arrow did its job. The deer ran back to my yard. 53 lbs of meat later, I was feeling much better (and so was my 86 year old neighbor). Biggest yearling I've ever put in the freezer. Talk about tender! That little dude had eaten a lot of apples.

[Gutpile]

Bummer. I got skunked a few years back. had not been skunked since I tagged my first one about a dozen years prior. It's a bitter pill to swallow.

[squeeze2drop]

I ate some tag soup this year also, and i dont have a valid excuse, i missed 5 times!(go ahead and laugh, i deserve it) ive NEVER missed a deer that i have shot at, ive missed, but every deer i have shot at, i killed. 150 yds, was on the move but never in a sprint, and there was no trees around, what sucks is the sagebrush was so thick around him, that i couldnt see where my shot was, so i couldnt make any adjustments, oh well, its gonna be a looooooong wait till next year to redeem myself         

[elkaholic_74]

I hear you guys, No deer for me as well this year, first time in 8 years that I dont have a deer in my freezer. I passed up a couple spikes and small 2 points during general season cuz you cant shoot the big ones if you shoot the small ones first. I did get an elk so the season was a success none the less.

[searchnfor]

Hey Nathan, I  know the effort you put out this season, having an opportunity and making the dessicion not to take him sounds like it a successful  season to me. congrats on the long streak! Good for you letting the forky grow for a year.

[PolarBear]

Hey Nathan, I  know the effort you put out this season, having an opportunity and making the dessicion not to take him sounds like it a successful  season to me. congrats on the long streak! Good for you letting the forky grow for a year.

No, you don't suck!
It's better to let one walk that you might not have shot during the regular season than to drop him just to keep a streak alive or fill a tag.  Good job!

[Tikka Bird Dog]

its tough when you dont get tagged out, but i agree with you one hundred percent on letting a two pt go. i did the same thing on the last day last year and ate my tagg. the thing about if fellas that you might not even think about, if blacktailer has shot a deer 25 years in a row im guessing that he's shot some good deer! my opinion is, whats one more two pt?

[Tikka Bird Dog]

if more people had more self control and passed on smaller bucks to let them grow up, dont they realize that there would be more mature bucks around? i just want to say good job blacktailer and more people should follow in your footsteps and take a little bit of management into there own hands and stop complaining about not seeing any mature deer! STOP SHOOTING THE FIRST ONE YOU SEE JUST TO GET ONE!!!

[Blacklab]

Sorry to hear your streak had a hicup 

This yr was a bust for me as well which is okay. What I'm having a problem with is the only deer I seen were from my truck  8 total does and yearlings with one spike. I've had the dredded tag soup many times but have never experienced the absence of game when I hunted these areas. That's whats got me scatching my head. Anyway next year is on the way  and I'm going after wiley coyote till then.

[JackOfAllTrades]

I heard that Scout, your dad and brother were successful! That's great!

Like you, I'm eating tag soup save for some Grouse this year. Just odd....

Nathan, You don't suck. Those that know you, know you've got very good hunting skills. Shane and I hunted hard this year; nothing to show for it except stronger muscles, mental stamina and increased respect for mother nature. She won this time.

I still hope to get in the hills more this fall/winter for some varmints, and look forward to spring. It's in our blood!

-Steve

[sdwwaverider]

Out of the 7 buddies I hunt with 5 tagged out. Not a bad season just not mine, lots of great times & memories though.  Just glad late elk starts Wed., takes some of the sting out of it. Took my brother out on the last weekend of modern elk and if it had been late archery which is cow only for the unit I'm hunting I would have tagged out 10 times over. That may be a little over confident but I sure would have been slinging arrows. At least a dozen elk within 25 yards. Hope it repeats its self during the season. Good luck to all those still hunting. For those that aren't and also didn't tag..... there's always next year.

[SkookumHntr]

-Nothing wrong with letting the littleguys go and not notching the tag, I passed up at least 10 shot opportunities this year including 2 on the last day. If you shoot the small ones you wont ever get a big one, spikes and 2 points are for women and children as far as I'm concerned

[carpsniperg2]

i pass a lot of smaller decent bucks lookin for mister big, some times it sucks havin to guess if you should fill the tag or still hold out, but at least we have had opportunity's

[squeeze2drop]

Hey skook, I hope u didn't just open up a whole new can of worms with that comment lol

[Gutpile]

Hmmm, this may get good. Measuring ones manhood on the size of deer they shoot? Guess I'm not much of a man because I just don't give a  

[SkookumHntr]

- Take it easy guys, I'm just saying for me its 3pt or better know matter what unit I'm hunting, I'm not saying your a bad hunter if you shoot small bucks but I like shooting Big Bucks and theres only one way to get the Bucks big! The young Bucks sure are tender though but I'll save um for my daughter

[SkookumHntr]

-Ha right on I didnt mean to offend you about my comment, like I said the young ones are good eats! I enjoy seeing lots of deer and lots of bucks, thats why I hunt the 3pt min units as much as I can, If my home unit was 3pt min it would be the best blacktail hunting in the state bar none, but that wont ever happen!

[Tikka Bird Dog]

i agree with you on this one scook, im lovin the commentary, and sounds like someone got their feelings hurt ill take eating tough steaks and lookin at it on the wall for years, rather then some little spike with milk on his lips. not saying ive never shot a spike, but not since i was 10. shoot what you want, but not very good management!

[squeeze2drop]

Milk on his lips? Lol wow, you owe me a new monitor and keyboard for me spittin my pop out after readin that!

[bear]

It seems like every time blacktailer starts a thread, this is what happens.

[lewy]

In my opinion blackies should be a 2 pt minimum state wide, at least it would get them spikers through their first year when they are dumber than *censored*. As for a 3pt. minimum......there are alot of very mature 2pt. blackies, thats just all they get to be sometimes so I dont think that you can do that.... Good thread!!!

[Wayne1]

Personally....  I like holding out for 3 pt. or better.....  But I also realize, that alot of hunters would rather eat meat rather than horns

[RockChuck]

I hunt for the meat not the horns, but the big ones do look a lot better on the wall!

[Houndhunter]

ive held out for a big buck the last 2 years, ive shot some decent blackies cant really say alot cause ive only been deer hunting 6 years. but this year i got 5 days to hunt deer and passed on a few small branched bucks during the general, and ended up taking a spike on sunday for the freezer. ive never shot a small deer before and typically i wouldnt but we really could use the meat so why i may not be proud of the horns im proud to be providing for my family. to much bitchin goin on about stuff like this on the site, typical though now trying to prove yourself to people you dont even know

[blacktailer]

Well thanks for all the "Pick-me ups"   I certainly was not throwing myself a pity party could really care less about the streak.  It's just been a frustrating season.  I have shot more "Tweener" bucks than most anyone I know.  The big ones always seem to elude me.   A good part of that is not letting the small ones go and hunt only mature deer.  I practiced a lot more restraint this year and passed up 5-6 young bucks.  It is very frustrating and these damn blacktail really frustrated the heck out of me this year.  They are the most unpredictable and cagey ungulate God ever created (up for debate).  I agree 100% with letting immature deer grow to maturity but would never fault anyone for shooting a spike or forky.  It's a personal choice, and we all hunt for the same reasons yet with different goals.   I'll make up for it next Fall!!!

[SkookumHntr]

-I would love to see them turn the Skookumchuck into a 3pt min unit with a few any deer permits for the early season. It would be the premier trophy Blacktail unit in Washington!

[alecvg]

Nathon, you worked your butt off this year, so you deserved one.  I broke my streak too, though mine is a little less than yours!

[JackOfAllTrades]

Broke my streak four years ago. Workin on the opposite streak now! Hope to break that one next year. 

-Steve

[strutnrut1984]

wow nathan sorry to hear u didnt score this season. i feel for ya i had a very long streak of killing at least 1 deer everyseason. when i moved out here to washington. youll get the big one next year.   brian

[boneaddict]

As most have already said goodjob on passing on the smaller one.  Thats how it goes.  THere is always next year.  I hear you about the streak, I hit number 27 in a row this year.  There for awhile, probably about 20 or so, it seemed like there was a lot of pressure to tag one just to keep the streak alive.  Now I really don't think about it.  You'll probably enjoy next year just that much more. 

[squeeze2drop]

An uncle of mine who lived in the imnaha unit in oregon, and has killed numerous trophy deer and elk had a simple rule for himself, he didn't shoot it unless it was bigger than the previous years animal, needless to say, some of the animals were amazing and his streaks didn't last long, I sure as hell don't have that kinda discipline

[boneaddict]

I'm currently trying that with elk.  Try to explain to your family why you let several 300+  bulls walk.  Not sure I'll have the perservearance to keep that up.  I like elk meat.

[jackelope]

Broke my streak four years ago. Workin on the opposite streak now! Hope to break that one next year. 

-Steve

i'm with you, Steve. i killed a buck 6 years in a row here in wa, then decided i wanted to wait for a bigger one, now it's been 3 years since i killed one...still working on this year with the bow on the wet side....maybe...we shall see.

[Nash]

Im working on my 9 year streak without a dear so I guess Im pretty well over the feeling of not getting one.  I figure I still got a month left to give 'em hell though.  Just lets me stay in the woods long if I dont tag out early.

[lamar_hunter]

i think where im at over hear in the walla walla/clyde area should be 2 point min. there are so many huge muley 2 points over here its not even funny. i know that people would take advantage of it and shoot the smaller bucks but it sure would be nice to get those big 2 point genetics out of here.

[Houndhunter]

I'm currently trying that with elk.  Try to explain to your family why you let several 300+  bulls walk.  Not sure I'll have the perservearance to keep that up.  I like elk meat.

try explain that to anyone