Chelan County Success Story added

[Mackerson]

That's a wall-hanger!   

[C-Money]

Great looking buck! Congrats!

[WildBear]

Story-

   Been hunting and learning this particular area in Chiwawa for 9 years now, and am now 4 for 9. This being my personal best, beatting last years deer by quite a few overall inches. Unfortunately just putting him on a plaque, no head mount Just don't have the money. So, I've been working higher and higher up the mountain year after year and have found many, many beds and rubs just about where all the folage starts to disappear. I worked up the right side of this area opening morning. As I approached the top I heard some snorting or grunting, still sorting this out. Have assumed it's bucks being territorial, but I'm no expert. I could hear an animal making it's way through the bushes away from me to the left side of the mountain from where I am. Was probably 70, 80 yds away getting further. I crouched down, took off my pack and got out my binos and kept my eye on this opening where I thought It might appear. Sure enough it did! Taking time to analyse this deer with my binos, I come to find it's a decent legal buck. Meat hunter so I shoot first legal buck I see. Deer never really stopped so when I picked up my gun, he was already gone. Being on the radio with my dad who is way down the mountain I tell him of this buck. Bout that time the buck appears straight in front of me on this rock ledge broadside starring right at me. Now I see he's definitely too big not to take a shot. I estimate he's pushing 300yds away, but a rather large target for my .30-.30 open sights. Having all the time I need and given the elevation change between us I lay down and use my pack for a rest. I moved the sights on my gun a click, take my time, and let one rip. Deer runs up a bit as I put one more in him and he collapses down a cliff. Dad got a play by play of all this as I tell him he's down! bout that time it appears he's back headed straight up the mountain.... as I say I missed him, I hear my buck tumbling down the mountain sideways for nearly 400yds. Come to find it was another deer moving up the cliffs. I wait for awhile before I make my way towards him.  Now the work. Took me about 2.5 hrs to get him straight down to the path I walked in. Heavy brush and downed timber made this task almost unbearable. Give my pack and gun to my dad as he walks out to the trucks to try and find me some help. Dad is disabled and walking roads is about his max. He finds another hunter and his dad who graciously aid in the dragging of this deer nearly a mile to the truck. had it not been for these too individuals I would have had to quarter the buck. As for the other mystery deer still up there, I'll be there next year to see if it's a buck!!

[WildBear]

Terrain.

[hunter_sean08]

That's Chiwawa country at its finest right there. Good work, great story!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Good work. I gots room on my wall.

[Rainier10]

Sounds like you have found a productive spot and they get bigger each time, nice.  What did this one score?  160?

[halflife65]

Nice shootin' with that old .30-.30; great buck.

[WildBear]

Need to have it scored still, and last years. not sure where to have it done. Taxidermist?

[BOWHUNTER45]

Wow ...nice buck and 300 yrds with a 30-30 thats takes one hell of a marksmen  Good Job ! 

[Rainier10]

Need to have it scored still, and last years. not sure where to have it done. Taxidermist?

My taxidermist does it unofficially, he has a guy named Russ that stops by and is an official scorer.  I found a matching set of elk antlers with my kids a couple of years ago and took them to Russ's house and had them scored for entry into the big game record book for my kids.  In the NW big game record book they have a list of official measurers with contact information.  It is free to have them measured, conflict of interest if you paid them to measure your animal.  Pay a little more get a better score kinda thing, no pay keeps everyone honest.  The fee comes in when you want to enter the official score into the book.