Author Topic: Finally time for my late Swakane story. (Read 8637 times)

HntnFsh · « **on:** December 12, 2010, 12:14:01 PM »

This was a long time coming!But I think I finally have time to sit down and take care of business.

The odds were stacked against me getting this up in a timely fashion.Got home on the last Friday of the season.Saturday at midnight my daughter in law calls.My son is in the E.R. spent 4 days in the hospital.Hes having serious liver and pancreas issues.Hes doing better now.But needs very specialized surgery and we are praying he can get into Virginia Mason sooner than later.

Then we have been dealing with these little guys and gals.

HntnFsh · « **Reply #1 on:** December 12, 2010, 12:17:26 PM »

Screwed that one up!!! I'll see if I can get the story finished. Sorry.
Obviously this high tech stuff pushes me to the limit.

NWBREW · « **Reply #2 on:** December 12, 2010, 12:45:54 PM »

I'm confused.....but that is nothing new. Hope your son recovers fast. Best wishes to you and your family.

HntnFsh · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2010, 01:42:59 PM »

The bullet is a 7mm mag.

The tracks led us into the thicker trees,so we decided to go above and past where the cat went in.Hoping it would go out to a ridge and provide a shot.
1/2 way to the ridge Matt (son)stayed,I worked my way out and down then back,trying to cut tracks.Ian(brother in law) motioned me up a ways.Where I cut track that led to the ridge.I had circled it! We tried motioning Matt out to that ridge thinking the cat would be in the open.But couldnt get the message across.I ended up following the tracks to where they crossed the tracks I made when trying to circle into it.It was headed exactly where I wanted Matt to be.I got to and around the ridge in time to see the tail end of an animal take off.Dont know if it was the cougar, or a deer it that was spooked by it.So much for the cougar hunt.So close!

Sunday Matt and Ian headed home.So I hunted most of the week by myself.I was getting trashed.Hunting daylight to dark.Hardly any sleep.It was taking a toll on me.Thursday morning I was feelin pretty out of sorts.Just too tired to function very well.I decided that morning I was going to take the first decent buck I saw.Then head home.

Fortunately Deep Forks and his Son met up with me and helped me look for a nice buck.They kept me going.And although it snowed a bit the night before.We werent seeing much.Probably the slowest morning since I got there.We decided to go to an area where I had been seeing a lot of deer and a lot of different bucks.Still didnt see much and it was getting to be late morning.Early afternoon.

We knew the deer were there.Just not showing their selves.We decided I would get a ride up to the top,and hunt back to my rig.On the way out to the drop point I spotted a deer down in the draw.Thought it was a doe.

We glassed it and saw it was a 4 point on 1 side.And I thought it was missing a horn on the other side.Just as we realized it had a smaller horn opposite the 4 point side.Deep Forks Son grabbed me and pointed out a nice buck that popped up about 1/2 way between us and the first buck.

I got there in time to see it take off and get down the ridge a few hundred yards.We could see it was pretty wide and I took a shot.Missed.Dang!

It stopped and I got a rest.Deep Forks says 369 yards.I allowed for it and shot again.We could hear the whack of the bullet and the buck did a big swerve.I hit it.But wasnt sure how well.It took off running.DFs son says.You hit him hard.I took another shot.And thought I missed again.Now it was over the ridge and out of sight.

I went up to the next ridge over.Easing my way down to intercept him if it kept going.DF had his son go down the ridge where I shot and guided him to where the buck was when I hit him.It was getting iffy.He couldnt find any track or blood.And I wasnt seeing anything either.We did see the first buck though.He was a very neat 4x spike.With 4 inch eyeguards.The 4 point side was fairly wide and tall and the spike side had the same width height and mass.Looking straight on you would have though he was a matching symetrical buck.If I would have been 100% sure I missed the buck I shot at.I would have taken this 1 and had a head mount done.He was that unique!

I was getting kind of bummed.Not seeing the buck I shot at.Not seeing any sign.It wasnt looking good.I was easing my way over to where DFs son was.Looking through my glasses.Hoping to see something.About the 3rd or 4th time I look.I think I see horns.I get another view and see a body.Theres a buck bedded down below a tree.Its either the 1 I shot or one that died by other means.My hopes escalate.I guide Dfs son down to it.Hes a bit above.Throwing sticks at it.It doesnt move.But he says he doesnt think its the buck I shot.We get to it about the same time.It is the buck I shot!!! It bedded down and died.Yeehaw!!!!

So heres pics of my buck,our buck! Because it really was a team effort.

My new friends

The shot.

I didnt hit it where I wanted to.Come to find out my scope was only on 4X and I wasnt seeing my target as well as I thought.I got the right results though.The bullet hit a ways back.Went through the liver.Then through the top of the heart.

I know its long winded.And a lot of pics.But I hope you enjoyed the story of my Swakane hunting trip.

Thanks again for all the help everybody gave me.Especially to Deep Forks and his Son.It made for an experience of a lifetime.

HntnFsh · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2010, 01:46:42 PM »

Damn,I thought I had this figured out.but the pics didnt end up where they were supposed to.And part of the story is missingHope you can figure out where they were supposed to be in the story.

The rack ended up being just over 25 inches wide.And its in the process of getting mounted.

alanger · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2010, 01:48:49 PM »

Good pictures, looks like a fun hunt. Cool pups.

HntnFsh · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2010, 01:53:06 PM »

I cant figure it out.When I go to edit.The whole story is there. But when I post.Part is missing.Heres the part of the story about the cougar that is missing.

Sorry its such a cluster.

On Saturday morning,my Son was able to come over and join us.We went to an area that held a lot of deer the day before.While glassing the hillside from about 700 yards I saw a deer in some thicker pines that were probably about 7 or 8 years old.Well I thought it was a deer,until I saw a tail about 3 ft. long!!! :yike:Then I realized it was a cougar.As my Brother in law watched through a spotting scope.My son put a stalk on.Most of the area around where we saw the cougar was pretty open.Just not where it was at at the time.We walked down the rd.to a gate that led to where the cat was at.That was when we saw.And followed these.

The bullet is a 7mm mag.

7mag. · « **Reply #7 on:** December 12, 2010, 02:07:28 PM »

Cool story and pics, nice buck too. What kind of pups are those?

HntnFsh · « **Reply #8 on:** December 12, 2010, 02:13:34 PM »

Quote from: 7mag. on December 12, 2010, 02:07:28 PM

Cool story and pics, nice buck too. What kind of pups are those?

AKC German Shepherds

MLBowhunting · « **Reply #9 on:** December 12, 2010, 04:07:10 PM »

Great pics of those pups and a nice buck also

huntergreg · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2010, 04:18:40 PM »

Awesome buck!!!! Congrats!

elkslare · « **Reply #11 on:** December 12, 2010, 06:09:41 PM »

Great looking buck and awesome story

CountryslickR · « **Reply #12 on:** December 12, 2010, 07:31:26 PM »

Great buck! Nice mass!

markts · « **Reply #13 on:** December 12, 2010, 07:40:36 PM »

Very nice buck and great write up

Pathfinder101 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2010, 09:18:28 PM »

Very cool

Deep Forks · « **Reply #15 on:** December 13, 2010, 04:51:41 AM »

I'm very sorry to hear about your son, wish you had called, we couldn't have done nothing but would've helped any way possible. Those are sure some neat looking pups. Looks like the little female is the aggressive one, story of our life.

Hope everything is getting back to normal.

Great pics and story, that was a fun day and you did that old buck a favor harvesting him cause he was getting really old. You didn't even take credit for the moving shot, I'm still impressed. How was he for eating, good I'll bet. For not having any snow to speak of you sure seen a bunch of bucks.

Well, my son and I are very glad we met you and the bro-in-law, you're great guy's and a lot of fun to hunt with, not to mention ethical hard hunting big game fanatics. Like I told you would happen, as soon as the season ended it started snowing and I seen 22 does and 5 bucks across from the house the next Friday. John

PacificNWhunter · « **Reply #16 on:** December 13, 2010, 05:14:12 AM »

Congrats on the buck.

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #17 on:** December 13, 2010, 05:42:22 AM »

Congrats on a fine deer!!

jstone · « **Reply #18 on:** December 13, 2010, 08:26:14 AM »

Nice Looking Buck... Good Job.. Hope your boy will be ok

ridge line · « **Reply #19 on:** December 13, 2010, 05:38:57 PM »

That's a nice buck.

spin05 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 14, 2010, 01:27:00 AM »

Hey how much for the pups??

HntnFsh · « **Reply #21 on:** December 14, 2010, 05:48:38 AM »

Sold em all.Males went for $700 females $800

Trying to decide if we will be having another litter next spring.

spin05 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 15, 2010, 05:48:55 PM »

man i miss having sheperds....Ive had 3 and they are awsome. I decided to try a miniture australian sheperd this time. He is a very loving,protective dog and smart. But when you grow up with german sheperds and you dont have any you really start to miss em.

ser300wsm · « **Reply #23 on:** December 15, 2010, 08:32:25 PM »

Sorry to hear about your son, wish you all the best... Great pics of the pups & the buck, congrats to you...

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Author Topic: Finally time for my late Swakane story. (Read 8637 times)

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