I'm a lucky SOB.......

[RaffleMule]

Companions/Hunters/Outdoor Enthusiasts

I was the lucky recipient of the Mule Deer Raffle for Washington State and was just informed of this site over the weekend while on a hunt.  Since I have been eating and breathing Mule Deer since Sept 1st I thought I might as well find another reason to become distracted at work.  The stories, pictures and advice from everyone are such a great resource and definitely a common ground to us all.  Your forum has prompted me to put something together to chronicle my adventure in hope of returning the favor.

First of all, I look in the mirror and call myself a lucky SOB every day.  Then I proceed to work and feel guilty/pissed off/anxious (because I am not hunting) only to feel an enormous amount of pressure after I read emails from people asking if I have found the 200’ buck yet.  Trust me, when I started this I thought a 200’ was in the bag and I might settle for a 190’ if I had Xmas plans and didn’t feel like driving up North again.  As this Lottery unfolds I can promise you if I end up with a 175’ so be it, this experience will never be replicated so hopefully I can share it with you.  Yes, I am a lucky SOB………

When I received the call from the WDFW and they asked me to verify my name and address without stating the reason and all I could think of was what the hell did I do….take 16 razor clams instead of the allotted 15?  Forget to turn in a hunting report?  As I reluctantly whispered my name he said congrats you’ve won the Mule Deer Raffle and all the rules/tags/etc. would be mailed within 7-10 days.  Again, I heard the phrase you are a “lucky guy” although I know he meant SOB….

I get off the phone and think to myself “now what?”  I’m not a mule deer guy.  In fact my only experience was hunting in Dayton the previous year and seeing 100 deer a day and getting hooked.  I grew up on the Olympic Peninsula hunting elk and deer with open site rifles because we never fired over 75-100 yds and a scope would be fogged up or wet.  I had never carried a pair of binos in my life.  My Dayton experience was a whole new ball game.  So, I began reaching out to people and I heard the same thing……you lucky SOB.  You are going to shoot a 200’ Pig.  I then start to call outfitters in every corner of the state asking if “they have 200’ bucks” roaming around.  Kind of funny looking back!  I now know why they all laughed and said “nope” not here.  I did here a common theme though and it was hunt the Desert in Sept., hang out in Oct. and then live up North from mid-Nov-Dec.  Do these people have jobs?  A wife?  I figure in the next month I may lose both.

I could go on and on about the people I have spoken to….some good guys but most extremely selfish and a lot are full of sh*t (is profanity allowed in the forums?  I like to swear but trying to keep it respectable in my virgin post).  I’ll stop there but I do want to thank some guys.   I’ll keep there names off the board unless they want to chime in but you know who you are…….I do appreciate it!

Sept. 1st rolls around and I feel like a buck in the rut.  I called the local WDFW office to tell them where I will be (regulations) but with more on the agenda.  I was hoping this dude would just tell me where Mr. 200’ was hanging out and I would be the new state record holder.  He was a nice guy and told me they just flew the potholes area and “wasteland” analyzing and counting dead ducks but spooked up some bucks along the way.  I asked if he had seen any nice ones and of course he replied yes…..I waited for more but he wasn’t budging.   Maybe it was my westside accent?  We just ended the call with him saying “it’s been pretty dry over here, good luck getting them out of their beds.”  Any of you hunted the Desert Unit?  They don’t tell you when the water levels are low those deer are not coming out and you aren’t going in.  My first weekend in the Desert I did not see one single deer……not even a doe.  Hmmmmffffff………

Now, I just go back yesterday from another trip to the Desert.  They are in the rut and there are deer running all over place.  I have seen between 20-50 deer per day the last 3 times I have been out there but it is tough area to hunt.  Looks like desert but the illusional pockets and deep sage make it ideal for deer to vanish before your eyes.  If I threw out a ballpark figure, I have seen probably 100 bucks so far but nothing above 190’.  I’ve seen two deer between 180-185’ and probably five above 165’.  Some of the people who have joined me have taken pictures and videotaped some deer so hopefully we can put some things together to share with the group.

This is getting a little long so I’ll shut up but I’ll try to jump back in and give everyone an update as the weeks go by.  It’s becoming “go time”

[quadrafire]

Good luck!

[high country]

thanks for appreciating the tag. I dream of such a win. you will recieve plenty of gainful insight here.

good luck, and post pics!

[wsucowboy]

good luck!

[teanawayslayer]

you lucky sob. congrats. good luck.  

[BLKBEARKLR]

yes you are one lucky SOB, good luck on doing justice to that tag.

Joe

[WAcoyotehunter]

what a treat!  Good luck and keep us posted...you're the new "most popular guy' on the forum!!   

[k_rex]

Congrats on the tag and I hope to see updates very soon. 

[HUNT]

Welcome to the site!  Good luck and have fun!

[hogsniper]

Looking forward to your updates!   Good luck and post him when you get him down!   You Lucky SOB!!! lol

[MuleDeerCrazy]

Don't be afraid to wait til after the rut, I killed mine on December 30th.  I found new bucks rolling in well into the winter.  And don't be afraid to hunt somewhere besides the Desert Unit, it certainly has big bucks in it, but not the only place to find a trophy mulie!

Just because you have the best tag in the state, doesn't mean you don't need a little luck to go with it, but you're right about one thing... it's the experience of a lifetime!

Enjoy it.

[bigdave]

Thanks for sharing your awesome adventure. Don't worry about "doing justice" to the tag, just get out and enjoy the experience. Good luck. Whatever deer you harvest will be the memory of a lifetime either way.  

Did I mention....I'm very jealous........

[MuleySniper]

Go give er hell! Throw on some chains and get away from the desert!! Good luck too.
MS

[400out]

Go give er hell! Throw on some chains and get away from the desert!! Good luck too.
MS

there is some of that good insite 

[woodywsu]

You are a lucky SOB. Good luck. Things are only gonna start to get better from here.