2011 Sultan Blacktail Buck Down ( updated with better pics )

[dirty24d]

So i sealed the deal yesterday after 4 days of playing peek a boo with this guy and the piebald buck i been watching for 2 years.

Friday morning I hit my stand at about 5:45 am and enjoyed the silence of the morning for about 45 minutes before a trio of yotes decided to sniff around, tempting me to take a shot at them. I held back and eventually they made there way out of the clearing after hanging around for about 20 minutes. Note: I was feeling pretty good about  my stand set up considering they didnt even look up at me or act like they knew anyone was in the vicinity.

At about 7:15 am i caught a glimpse of my buck and the piebald about 250 yards from my stand. They slowly browsed and made their way towards my stand when at about 100 yards out the piebald decided he'd bed down. My buck kept gradually getting closer till he hit about 50 yards and instantly looked up directly at me.   

For no reason other than my stand was only about 12 feet high he stood and stared at me for about 2 minutes and stomped his hooves a couple times. I didnt move a muscle.  He then started walking parralel to my stand but very slowly and spooked every 10 seconds or so he's snap his neck towards me looking for a reaction, at one point when he was directly in front of my stand he jumped and bounced around for about 10- 15 feet and then turned around and started walking back the direction he came.  He started grazing again turned around again nad continued to walk directly towards my stand pausing every 5 steps or so and looking up at me. At this point i was standing but still hadnt taken an arrow from my quiver yet.

The buck walked directly below my stand and then around my stand at this point i grabbed an arrow and nocked it. I made a couple squeals to get him to turn around and he jumped 3 or 4 times back towards my stand  directly to my right at about 20 yards inbetween two trees when his vision was blocked i drew back quickly and raised my bow, he looked up at me again only briefly standing broadside and then put his head down and switched to quartering away i took a breath held exhaled and began to squeeze the trigger.

At the moment of release he took a step and my arrow hit about 10 inches back from where i wanted it.  Partial lung and exit gutshot. He jumped and beelined for the woods at about 200 yards he tried to jump a 5 foot barbwire fence but didnt make it, he slit open his belly and side pretty good and expired at the fence. He was just out of view from my stand so i decided to give him a few minutes i took off my facemask threw in a chew and waited 5 before approaching  when i came over the hill top we was down and out and the piebald buck who had followed him was about 5 feet away staring me down i yelled at him a few times and he bounced off. I had to drag him about 450 yards to were i could get my truck in and get him loaded up.

I got him back to the house made a few calls looking for some assistance to get him hung up for skinning but nobody was around so i had to skin him on his side and roll him and do the other side which ended up not being too bad.  Sorry for the low quality pics they were with my cell phone I'm gonna get a few more pics of his rack today he had some nubbin eye guards that i havent measured yet so i'm guessing he could possibly be a 3x3 but most likely a 2x2.

The pictures do his body size no justice he was a fat boy and kelso's was  so busy they didnt weigh him in front of me there 6 guys waiting to drop off deer when i got there. I'm calling them today to get his hanging weight.

Thanks for reading!!!

[smitty8202]

congrats on the buck

[sweetlou]

congrats man! way to go!

[dirty24d]

the third picture shows the barbwire wounds and the gut shot exit. Wasnt too much of a mess suprisingly but i was laboring over him because i tweaked my back pretty good during the drag.      I know I'm a sissy!   

He'll definitely fill the freezer, and made me wait another year to see if my piebald buck turns into a really nice 3x3 next year!!!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Sweet but I have to ask why he is not gutted yet .....it was not on a T.V show now was it ? 

[dirty24d]

Sweet but I have to ask why he is not gutted yet .....it was not on a T.V show now was it ? 

I hunt on private property less than  mile from my house and the only request from the landowner is that i not gut the animals on his land.  Dont know why but  i respect his wishes. I took him home skinned him guts  still in and then took his head off and took him up the hill to gut him.

[Ripper]

Congrtas on the buck. With private property access at a minimum, it's best to honor their wishes. good job

[dirty24d]

Congrtas on the buck. With private property access at a minimum, it's best to honor their wishes. good job

thanks man.

[AKBowman]

Very nice! I never gut my deer anyways, never have.

Looks like the archery equipment with the modern tag allowing you to hunt during the rut paid off!

[dirty24d]

Very nice! I never gut my deer anyways, never have.

Looks like the archery equipment with the modern tag allowing you to hunt during the rut paid off!

x2!  this is the 2nd year i've done it and i'm loving it for the fact that i hit spots the rifle guys cant.

[dirty24d]

some pics from today with a better camera.

[dirty24d]

1 more

[PolarBear]

Congrats!

[buglebuster]

Congrats man, I've never seen a blacktail dead in person before, how little are they?

[dirty24d]

Congrats man, I've never seen a blacktail dead in person before, how little are they?

thanks,  You know you'd be surprised at how big bodied they are. They are pretty short compared to whities and mulies but the two i've taken have been built like a tank i'll have the hanging weight on this guy on monday cuz i didnt call in time today.

[dkecoleman]

Good job man, very nice deer. I really like the color of his rack

[saylean]

Freaky blackie man. 

[dirty24d]

Good job man, very nice deer. I really like the color of his rack

Thanks,   Ya  the coloring on his rack is way different then the one i took last year.

[dirty24d]

Freaky blackie man. 

Thanks Brother but i'm still jealous of the hog you took!!! God I love this time of the year its so bittersweet when you punch that  tag, glad the freezer is full and that I got a nice blacktail but sad the adventure is over for another year. Time to refocus and see if i can tag a bear in the last 24 days of the season!!!!

[cannon-master]

congrats on your buck!!! did you wait till you got home to gut it??

[dirty24d]

ya i skinned him guts in and then gutted him.  Was pretty pleased with it.

[lokidog]

Sweet but I have to ask why he is not gutted yet .....it was not on a T.V show now was it ? 

I hunt on private property less than  mile from my house and the only request from the landowner is that i not gut the animals on his land.  Dont know why but  i respect his wishes. I took him home skinned him guts  still in and then took his head off and took him up the hill to gut him.

Same here, don't gut until it's home.  People don't like it when their dogs get into gutpiles near their yards.  We also enjoy watching the eagles, ravens, and buzzards sharing in our bounty up behind the house.

[dirty24d]

i tell ya what skinning with guts in was waaaay cleaner then gutting first, being that it wasnt hot out i wasnt too concerned. I did the skinning in my garage and then took him in the truck to a skidder on the basin and gutted him, back home and a quick rinse with the hose a pat down and he was in the game bag and on his way to the butcher.