My two hunting partners and I hunted the first three days of the modern deer season in Starbuck, WA. They both killed nice bucks. I came home with my tag. According to the GPS we averaged 7 miles a day on foot, and hunter hard. I then hunted the remainder of the season around my home in SW Washington. The regular season ended and I still had my tag. On Saturday of Extended Buck I hiked four miles behind a gate up near Mt. St. Helens. With six inches of fresh snow on the ground and not seeing another hunter all day I thought that it was going to be a sure thing. I saw eleven elk, but no deer. On Saturday night I promised my eight year old daughter that she could go with me on Sunday. She loves the outdoors. She has caught several nice kings, sturgeon and steelhead, but this was her first hunt. She is typically a good luck charm. Having nothing to loose we went to explore a different area 45 min. from home in Vader, WA. At daylight we found a little clear cut, walked to the edge of the landing and there he was. He was bedded down behind a stump. He stood up and we hit him from about 40 yards. He is one of the smaller bucks that I have killed, but he is one of my greatest trophies. My daughter was so excited. She held his legs while I gutted him. She then did her best to help drag him to the truck. In the end I drug both her and the deer, but she felt as thopugh she did it all on her own. At school on Monday, during sharing, she told her 2nd grade class and teacher that she shot, gutted and caried a deer all the way to the truck. She laughed so hard when her teacher replied, "oh my goodness sakes." She shoots the .17 HMR and .22 very well in the yard. Maybe it's time to start looking for a .243.
