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Author Topic: My blacktails...  (Read 6390 times)

Offline javman

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My blacktails...
« on: May 20, 2008, 12:35:30 AM »
I've made a couple posts here but mostly lurked... Figured I'd share a few pics of my blacktails and formerly introduce myself as a hunter ;) My name's Javin, 27, located somewhere near Tacoma. My dad grew up a meat hunter, and I started hunting with him at 13. Nothing gets me more excited than a good storm system in October/November in western Washington!! I hunt hard every weekend of deer season, up around 4 a.m., and try to get at least a half mile off the road in steep country before light.

I hadn't filled a tag since 2003 -- that year I shot my nicest blacktail on opening day (the bigger head mount below, 4x3 about 18.5" widest spread)... After getting one like that, it's hard to shoot a smaller one, and I challenge myself to find the mature bucks. I don't consider myself a trophy hunter, I just like the challenge that the mature bucks offer. I passed on several smaller 3-points in '04, '05 and '06, just cuz those little guys are so cute and stupid -- it's hard to pull the trigger when they're looking at you from 30 yards away and not even scared!

Anyways, I passed on a smaller 3-point during general season, and come late-buck, I was getting anxious, and told myself I'd shoot any 3-point with eyeguards. I had to stop my 3 year drought! The last day of late buck was pretty stormy. My dad had other plans that day, so I took off alone. Got my truck up in the high country in a few inches of fresh powder in the middle of a blizzard. Made a slow mile long push below a ridge, spotted a doe bedded under a small hemlock, and by the way she was looking below her I thought she might not be alone. After eyeing her for 10 minutes, I couldn't sit still in the cold anymore, so I started towards her and off she went. Sure enough a decent buck track was right below her. I tracked them a ways, but after a half hour, both tracks already had an inch of snow in them and they were going the wrong way  :( So I looped back to the truck, a little worried about getting stuck in the snow.

By then it was noon and I was already wet and cold, so I reluctantly said goodbye to the alpine country for the season. Drove down below the snow level, and decided to make a push through an area where I'd never seen a decent buck, but had seen lots of does and smaller bucks. I climbed straight up the spine of a ridge about a thousand feet vertical back above the snow level. I started side-hilling slowly through a system of benches in between several cliffs (nice natural funnel if ya know what I mean). No fresh sign anywhere. I was starting to get the "last day depression", and wasn't paying as much attention as I normally do. I was crossing a steep open gully, ten feet out of the timber, when I look down and 40 yards below me, there's a deer staring at me -- "oh **** that's a buck!". Surprisingly, I didn't do anything wrong  :P In about a 5 second span, I flipped off the safety, flipped up the scope covers, saw 3-points, decent eye-guards, lowered the crosshairs behind the shoulder and fired. He lurched and took off like I do when I step on a hornet nest :chuckle:

There was a mess of blood and hair, and I knew I'd got him good, so I didn't wait long to follow his trail. I don't know how he went as far as he did  :dunno: 2-300 yards at least, before I lost his trail. Down below me I spot a bloody mess of skid marks going over a 30 foot cliff. Then another 15 foot cliff below that. Blaaaah. Took me a half hour to get down there! Luckily it was a downhill drag back to the road, and I got him in my truck easily.

Moral of the story: Don't ever give up on the last day of the season!

Anyways, I made a plaque for the rack this weekend to match the other ones my dad has made for me in the past. I just hung some racks up on the wall, which has me all anxious for October to roll around now.

Pics:



And here he is visiting with some of his relatives:

Top left 2007; bottom plaque 1995 (first deer); right plaque 2000; head-mount 1998 -- I was 17, he was the biggest buck I'd ever seen so I had it mounted ;)

And the other side of the room:

Head mount 2003; little fork sitka blacktail I shot in 1997.

Offline robb92

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2008, 02:46:13 AM »
Great story and pics!!! Thanks for posting them.
"ITS NOT WHAT THE WISE MAN SAYS BUT WHAT THE WISE MAN DOES IN HIS LIFE THAT MATTERS"


Offline Hunting Cowboy

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2008, 05:28:36 AM »
Awesome! Great pictures. Nice collection of trophies and a great write up! Looking forward to many more of your contributions!

Offline boneaddict

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2008, 06:01:42 AM »
Thanks for the pics and story.  Glad you are out of lurker status. THANKS!

Offline MIKEXRAY

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2008, 08:08:39 AM »
Nice last minute deer, good luck this year. thanks for the post.

Offline bucklucky

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2008, 08:10:25 AM »
Nice blacktails!

Offline archery288

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2008, 08:12:36 AM »
Congrats on the nice bucks!

Offline Alchase

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2008, 11:50:18 AM »
Great looking Blackies, welcome
Only 2 defining forces sacrificed themselves for you:
The American Soldier and Jesus Christ. One died for your freedom, the other for your soul.

My rock,
He trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.
Psalm 144.1

Offline Head-shot

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2008, 12:13:50 PM »
Nice looking bucks, congrats.
Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or destroy it, piss on it and walk away!

Offline Michelle_Nelson

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2008, 12:47:58 PM »
Those are some Nice Blacktails!

Offline saylean

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2008, 01:21:00 PM »
Thanks for posting. Love the pics of the Blackies.

Offline Muleyslyr

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #11 on: May 20, 2008, 01:31:49 PM »
Right on.....nice collections!!  That's a great lookin' last minute buck.  Thanks for the pics.

Offline chukar-ridge-quest

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2008, 05:09:40 PM »
Very nice!!
GOD GAVE US TWO EARS AND ONE MOUTH, SO WE CAN LISTEN TWICE AS MUCH AS WE TALK!!!

Offline singleshot12

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2008, 05:13:53 PM »
That's Blacktail hunting,"when you least expect it"--great story and pictures.
NATURE HAS A WAY

"All good things must come to an end"

SEARCHING FOR TRUTH, SEARCHING FOR PURITY, something that doesn't really exist anymore..

Offline Wea300mag

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #14 on: May 20, 2008, 05:36:38 PM »
Welcome javman, you're gonna fit right in here.
Keep your nose in the wind and your eyes on the skyline

Offline Dman

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #15 on: May 20, 2008, 05:48:16 PM »
 Looks like you've put your time in and done your homework hunting blacktails, nice work.
Welcome.

Offline M_ray

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #16 on: May 20, 2008, 06:41:03 PM »
Nice Job and Welcome!
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed here are not those of HW Management, Admins, Mods or Myself... But they are the opinions of Elvis who has revealed them to me through the medium of my pet hamster, Lee Harvey Oswald...


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Growing old is mandatory ... Growing up is optional!

Offline javman

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #17 on: May 20, 2008, 06:54:38 PM »
Holy moly -- Thanks for all the replies!

My hunting fever has been rising lately as I'm planning an August trip for a sitka blacktail hunt. Can't wait to smell the muskeg again!

Offline Jackjr

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #18 on: May 20, 2008, 07:25:20 PM »
nice bucks.  thanks for sharing

Offline Black Ghost

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #19 on: May 22, 2008, 06:14:40 PM »
NICE, gotta love blacktails!   ;)

Online PacificNWhunter

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Re: My blacktails...
« Reply #20 on: May 24, 2008, 01:46:09 PM »
Welcome to the best hunting site online!

Great looking blacktails.

 


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