Post by: elkoholic1 on December 05, 2018, 12:20:44 AM
we worked up the slippery snowy slopes tripping and sliding along the way, we closed the gap and we popped up thinking wed be close just to find out the does have started milling away from there last location and the buck was slowly following them we tracked them for about a good 3/4-1 mile and I finally told the kid we are never gonna get close enough just following there tracks hoping they will just bed up or something, so made the decision that were going straight up this mountain to the top ridge line and gonna try and circle them and come in on top of them (hopefully) we finally made it to the top of the ridge where we where very happy to find an old road which made our trip around them not any shorter but much more maneuverable and quicker, after about a good hour we came to a spot where we hoped we would come to find them settle back down, looking to our left sneaking along when a quick glance to our right found them in another pocket that we didn't know was there, quick change of direction and got us with in shooting distance by this time one doe caught our movement so it was now or never ranged the buck and set the sight only shot was hard quartering away laid pin right on front edge of rear hip and squeezed the release trigger the buck jumped and humped hard took about 15 steps and sat there all hunched up re-ranged the distance figured get another arrow in him if possible reload and reset sight just settling pin and squeezing the release as he started to walk to late arrow off, hit him again but back, this time he took off like a rocket up over the hill and out of sight with all the does in tow, we made our way over to where first impact was made, had gobs of hair but no blood, made way up to second impact location found arrow complete pass through but smelled and looked like guts and maybe liver... follow tracks up hill about 15 yards blood, blood everywhere spraying out like good lung hit, we sat down regrouped and gave him a good hour before continuing on blood trail followed tracks and blood to top of rock cliff outcrop and his tracks just stopped at top and disappear no tracks to left or right just stop at edge of 25 foot rock cliff and then was a steep almost vertical shoot of heavy brush and thicket for next 40 yards, scratched head for awhile and then had son head around to side of shoot and I grabbed all the trees and limbs and brush I could gather and traversed my way down shoot after this old guy, made it down first almost vertical part and got to brushy shoot where I slipped and ended up riding down 30 yard shoot on ars hoping I would no break any body parts, lucky finally came to stop and was still in one piece, found few drops of blood and crawled my way through the thickest nasty stuff id seen in a while to come out to and open area where low and behold the beast lay still and silent.. celebration commenced with step son and high 5's where flying after further inspection found first arrow clipped front of rear hip and went up inside taking out some guts and 1 lung, second arrow took out liver, well know we where a good 3/4 mile from the closet road and we had no knife with us as we left jeep in a hurry and didn't think about grabbing a pack, lucky for us the drag was almost all down hill and had snow to make the drag easier but also made it much more treacherous navigating all the sticks and holes we couldn't see that where covered up by the snow, got down to an old logging road got wife navigated over close to use with jeep and she brought pack with knife down water bared road to where we where and we where finally able to lighten the drag by gutting him out and gained another fresh pair of legs to finish the drag out to the jeep, definitely one of my most memorable hunts and a real trophy of a buck in my opinion for a black tail with a bow....
Post by: huntnphool on December 05, 2018, 12:22:42 AM
Post by: redi on December 05, 2018, 12:55:40 AM
Post by: bowhunterforever on December 05, 2018, 01:10:23 AM
Post by: Fl0und3rz on December 05, 2018, 01:39:54 AM
Post by: TVHunts on December 05, 2018, 03:18:20 AM
Post by: go4steelhd on December 05, 2018, 04:30:03 AM
Post by: JakeLand on December 05, 2018, 05:27:43 AM
Post by: oldschool on December 05, 2018, 05:59:57 AM
Post by: blindluck on December 05, 2018, 06:07:54 AM
Post by: Pete112288 on December 05, 2018, 06:36:29 AM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on December 05, 2018, 06:37:21 AM
Post by: Falcon on December 05, 2018, 06:39:14 AM
Post by: Widgeondeke on December 05, 2018, 06:39:37 AM
Congrats :tup:
Post by: Lapua338 on December 05, 2018, 07:03:43 AM
Post by: starbailey on December 05, 2018, 07:17:10 AM
Post by: SpurInSpokane on December 05, 2018, 08:04:27 AM
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on December 05, 2018, 08:12:53 AM
Post by: elkrack on December 05, 2018, 08:25:11 AM
Post by: jackelope on December 05, 2018, 08:52:04 AM
Post by: highside74 on December 05, 2018, 09:17:11 AM
Post by: boneaddict on December 05, 2018, 09:37:54 AM
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on December 05, 2018, 10:35:55 AM
Post by: teanawayslayer on December 05, 2018, 10:36:13 AM
Post by: 2MANY on December 05, 2018, 10:37:37 AM
CONGRATS!
Post by: Watimberghost on December 05, 2018, 10:45:57 AM
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on December 05, 2018, 12:17:17 PM
Post by: elkoholic1 on December 05, 2018, 03:51:36 PM
Cool buck and heavy, shoulder mount, European?
[/quote
At taxidermy getting full shoulder mount :tup:
Post by: elkoholic1 on December 05, 2018, 04:07:02 PM
#BUILDINGLASTINGMEMORIES####
Post by: coonhound on December 05, 2018, 04:08:56 PM
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on December 05, 2018, 06:02:01 PM
Post by: actionshooter on December 05, 2018, 08:03:16 PM
Post by: fishnfur on December 05, 2018, 08:30:01 PM
Post by: Harbor_hunter on December 05, 2018, 08:36:28 PM
Post by: jmscon on December 05, 2018, 10:35:06 PM
Post by: Turner89 on December 05, 2018, 11:52:36 PM
When I was younger it was all about filling my tag. The sooner the better. Now for me it's about getting a mature buck. The longer that takes the better. In 2011 I decided i was only shooting big/mature bucks for the same reasons you did. Since then I get one about every other year. Last year I had my favorite hunting season yet, and didn't fill my tag. Had plenty of opportunities, but nothing I wanted to end my season on.
Great write up also.
Post by: elkoholic1 on December 06, 2018, 02:14:53 AM
Awesome blacktail :tup:
When I was younger it was all about filling my tag. The sooner the better. Now for me it's about getting a mature buck. The longer that takes the better. In 2011 I decided i was only shooting big/mature bucks for the same reasons you did. Since then I get one about every other year. Last year I had my favorite hunting season yet, and didn't fill my tag. Had plenty of opportunities, but nothing I wanted to end my season on.
Great write up also.
definitely agree its not just about filling a tag anymore for me its all about the hunt and the adventure and the cat and mouse games one plays with a wise old buck, the ones you usually comes out on the short end of the stick more times than not.... lol
Post by: Skyvalhunter on December 06, 2018, 05:15:45 AM