Muzzy opening weekend - West Klickitat Blackie

[Amsdad]

So I thought I would post another opening weekend success story. I have a second deer tag (doe) for West Klick so a friend and I rolled south to try our luck. Got down Friday night and set up camp, only had time enough afterwards to check out one of the 2 sites I had scouted a couple of weeks ago. The area still looked active, lots of fresh sign, but some active tree harvesting had moved into the area.

Saturday was a bust, could find no deer for love or money..Spoke to a few other hunters who hadn't seen a single deer in the area. Didn't even hear a muzzle blast all day. I suspect that bright full moon Friday night wasn't doing us any good either.

Sunday morning looked better, overcast was keeping the light down. Back in my spot at 5:30 watching a small hillside in a cut that appeared to get some traffic. By 8:45 was getting a little antsy so I stepped out of my hidey hole and stepped up on a stump to get a better view. Right then a little spike walks over the hill not 15 yards from where I'm standing. Nose to the ground he had no idea I was standing there. As I'm watching him, I see another deer come over the hill about 20 yards further away, a forkhorn with a cream rack. Right behind him is another buck with a dark rack, looked to be another fork with more height, but then he turned and I saw the eye guard. Legal. When I popped the safety off, and lifted the rifle the little spike finally saw me and blew, then trotted off. The other two slipped behind some pines, but I could follow them a bit as they traveled downhill and I watched where the forkhorn slipped through a notch in the trees. I just held on that spot until the 3 point showed himself and I put a maxi-hunter through him at 60 yards. He dropped like a rock. Turns out he had a crab claw on the guard side as well so he's a 4X2. My first early season blackpowder buck and I couldn't be happier.

And I still have one more weekend to try to get a doe, then its on to elk. Feeling very optimistic this year.

[ELKBURGER]

Great job. West klick is pretty country.

[markts]

Great to see a blackie hit the dirt-congrats

[mtndew]

Nice buck, congratulations

[spottedhand]

Nice buck ! 

[Pathfinder101]

Nice.     Good luck with the rest of your season.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Nice buck! 

[carpsniperg2]

congrats on a fine blacktail. also good luck with your 2nd tag as well

[ELKBUGLE5]

Way to start the season, nice buck, good luck..

[Wyoming08]

NIce Buck. Congrats! 

[Bulldog]

Congrats,  Nothing like a muzzy kill!!  Nice buck!