Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Buglinbulls on November 15, 2007, 11:16:09 PM

Title: First Whitetail
Post by: Buglinbulls on November 15, 2007, 11:16:09 PM: Well, I thought that since I am always on this site checking everyone else’s posts, I had better contribute one of my own.

This was my first year hunting in Washington, and the first time going after a whitie. After a total of about two weeks of scouting and hunting, I was finally able to seal the deal last weekend on this little buck. I was hunting in the Coleville area.

Here’s the story:
It was just about dark and I was on my way back to the truck when a deer crossed in front of me a ways down the trail. It was too dark to get a very good look at him, but I could tell from his body outline and his composure that it was a buck. Since this was the first buck that I had seen all weekend, I decided to set up the next morning in the same area that I had seen him cross in front of me. I figured that chances were slim of actually coming across that same buck again, but I figured that I didn’t have anything to lose.
I got up the next morning and started hiking about an hour before shooting light in order to take my time and keep quiet. I ended up perching myself up on a rock ledge overlooking a patch of pines and downfall. It was just getting light enough to see, so I started glassing through the thick pines. As I scanned to my left I couldn’t believe it, but there was actually a buck standing broadside about 100 yards away, but he had me pegged. Because of the low light I couldn’t get a very good look at his antlers, but I could tell that he was at least out to his ears, so being the last morning that I would have to hunt, I decided to take him. I put the cross-hairs on his chest and pulled the trigger. He was quartered slightly to me, so the bullet entered his shoulder and came out a little behind his offside shoulder (you can see the exit hole in some of the pics). Not a big buck, but I was definitely excited to put a whitetail on the ground. Whether he was the buck from the night before, who knows?
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: Cougeyes on November 15, 2007, 11:44:32 PM: Nice buck, especially for your first in WA
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: Skyvalhunter on November 16, 2007, 05:31:01 AM: Congrats on the buck!! Job well done and welcome to Washington hunting
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on November 16, 2007, 05:38:44 AM: Congrats on your first WA Whitetail! Theres nothing quite like making a plan and having it work out. Thanks for posting the story and pics!
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: runningboard on November 16, 2007, 06:16:55 AM: nice buck, good story, thanks for sharing. congrats on your success!
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: billythekidrock on November 16, 2007, 06:39:08 AM: Congrats.
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: GoldTip on November 16, 2007, 06:47:54 AM: Good Job on your first whitey!
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: boneaddict on November 16, 2007, 07:10:03 AM: Thanks for signing up and posting the pics and story. Congrats on your first whitetail. As Cowboy said, way to make a plan, and have it be successful.
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: jackelope on November 16, 2007, 07:32:14 AM: I've decided the most succesful hunts are the ones that you plan out ahead of time....way to stick with it and make it work. congrats.
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: Buckshot Bill on November 16, 2007, 07:50:51 AM: Nice buck Buglinbulls! Great job on setting a plan and putting it to work and making it happen. Nothing like being in the right place at the right time. Congrats and keep up the good work.
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: Dman on November 16, 2007, 07:58:29 AM: Good story and pics, that's a fine whitetail. Your surmization that it might have been the same buck is probably accurate. Whities generally have a home range of only 2 square miles. I found a rub area about four years ago in our NEWa spot in mid-September and tripped over a buck nearly the same as the one you shot while scouting. I came back on the opener to find a boned out carcass with an arrow string leading 50 ft away from it, not over 100' from where I saw the buck a month earlier. :bash:

Congrat's
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: huntingnut on November 16, 2007, 08:19:48 AM: Welcome to WA and congrats to a nice buck.
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: Machias on November 16, 2007, 09:18:06 AM: Congrats, very nice buck. I'm taking my wife out there tomorrow, I hope she sees one just like it. What kind of rounds are those?
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: Muleyslyr on November 16, 2007, 09:35:06 AM: Nice....way to go!! That's a good buck....especially for your last day. Congrats and welcome to HW.
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: Buglinbulls on November 16, 2007, 02:09:00 PM: Thanks for the remarks. In response to the question above: "What kind of rounds are those?"

I was shooting 168 gr Barnes XLC handloads in a .300 WSM. It may have been a little overkill on a whitetail, but it did the job.

Question for all of you whitetail experts: How old do you think this buck is? (1 1/2 or 2 1/2 yrs. old)
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: Machias on November 16, 2007, 02:37:59 PM: Thanks!

2.5 IMO
Title: Re: First Whitetail
Post by: jackelope on November 16, 2007, 03:06:45 PM: I'm certainly no expert, but i'd think 2.5 also. i don't think he's 3.5, and he's definitely a younger deer.