Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Thenewguy on December 03, 2009, 09:27:35 AM
-
I just spoke to Cody Arocha (sp?) at WDFW licensing division. He confirmed that I can hunt anywhere, with any weapon, any deer and any time between sept 1st and december 31st. The area of the regs you were looking at simply means I could not hunt an area that was not open for either a general season or a special permit season. I can hunt during or outside of those season. If hunting during the season, i needed to use the weapon of that season. He sent this to me so i now have the documentation again. WABONE, I would suggest not accusing people of things when you have a only a fraction of the truth available to you. Not cool.
p.s. 4 gmu's are closed to this hunt; numbers 157, 418, 485 and 522
-
Hey good luck with that tag is by far the best deer tag you could have. :drool: Have you got any picked out yet that are options? Good luck
-
418 is closed? That is retarded! The popultations in there are healthy! :bash: Stupid WDFW! Good luck though, you got an awesome tag!
-
Good luck newguy! You should have a pretty decent crop to choose from. ;)
-
what a tag.keep us informed on this hunt good luck
Kram
-
i cant believe you havent filled this tag yet,what are you waiting for? i think i would have been hitting the rut :twocents:
-
Probably waiting for the snow to condense the animals into their winter range where he can take his pick?
-
i cant believe you havent filled this tag yet,what are you waiting for? i think i would have been hitting the rut :twocents:
:yeah: Did you try the Desert unit?
-
I agree, get out there, time is slipping by. Go find a nice buck and put that tag to good use.
-
:yeah:
-
Boy that sounds like a hot tag! Congrats and good luck!
-
Holy crap, the bones have been out of velvet for months. I'd have been all over this thing. I've already seen a buck or two I'd have hung this tag or any other on. The rut is almost over...other than winterrange and the walmart parking lot, what are you waiting for????
-
I have been out several times, I was waiting for the winterrange.
-
Gotcha....Good luck.
-
You are certainly more reserved about this tag than I would be. I'm sweatin bullets just dreaming about it
-
Actually I think its smart to have waited for all the permit hunts to be over. He has a month to himself now and the deer will likely relax a bit now that the pressure is off.
-
:yeah:
-
sweet tag!! congrats, and have fun, try not to stress out, cause it will stress you out. And please dont wait till the last day!! :) keep us posted on how the hunt ends up. You probably only have the gov tag and the raffle tag to contend with. Not bad odds.
-
You are more then Welcome to come along Bone. I am about to become super stressed. Some of the moderators here have helped me calm down a bit!
-
Good luck filling that tag,Hope you get a brute. :tup:
-
Digital camera in the pack.... pictures, pictures, pictures. Good luck!
-
Wow, I'm exited for you, what a tag to get.
Good luck. Have fun.
-
No need to be stressed. I hope you have a good truck for that Entiat country and a good set of chains. Access to snowmobiles can be helpful but so far it seems you have lucked out. Shoot me a pm with your contact numbers. I won't be out much this December with my basketball schedule, but I still get out occasionally. I hope you find a nice old mossback.
Any ideas on what you are holding out for? Goals? other than jsut saying I want a big one.
-
Well I am sure if you need a hand that there are plenty of guys that would help you out. All you have to do is ask. Good luck to you
-
No need to be stressed. I hope you have a good truck for that Entiat country and a good set of chains. Access to snowmobiles can be helpful but so far it seems you have lucked out. Shoot me a pm with your contact numbers. I won't be out much this December with my basketball schedule, but I still get out occasionally. I hope you find a nice old mossback.
Any ideas on what you are holding out for? Goals? other than jsut saying I want a big one.
I have a suzuki and a 350, chains for both. The roads are getting dicier and dicier but I can walk. The best place I have found it a short drive and a long walk from the road.
I am crazy about width, the buck i missed a shot at Wednesday (300 yds, clean miss) had width several inchs past both ears and HUGE mass. I would not mind finding him again. Other goals I have are to learn as much as possible so I can use that knowledge on other hunts (work in progress) and see some deer and areas I have never seen before.
-
A word of advice - I have seen mule deer bucks in Chelan County drop antlers before Christmas in some years. I'd try to get it done before 12/21.
-
It will have to be done by the 17th, I am going to Texas for Christmas
-
It will have to be done by the 17th, I am going to Texas for Christmas
More pressure!
-
It will have to be done by the 17th, I am going to Texas for Christmas
Dude, you better get some time off and get out there, just because your hunting December, doesn't mean its gonna be easy. Get going! And good luck!
-
Good luck on your hunt! show us the big one
-
I was out today, saw a ton of deer, 43 bucks, two monster three points and a couple dandy 4x4's and one 5x6. Awesome day. but i did see 4 bucks with only one antler, i was super suprised. two of the bucks were big mature deer. good luck on your hunt and have fun.
-
I live in the desert unit I see HUGE Bucks everyday If you need any directions i can help
-
this could be good.... i hope. any updates?????
-
I would've spent Sept 1st in the high country... Would've spent first week in October around 6000'... then waited till November and hit the Desert, then back to the Entiat for December... Good luck
Michael
-
Man you better be out hunting. My buddy that has been taking out the governor tag holder and been passing alot of 170 and he passed on a mid 180's yesterday 6x5.
He is holding out on a 190's
-
You must be single. Because if I had this tag I'd have been divorced by now. :dunno: I'd be worth it. :chuckle:
-
turkey- does your buddy work for okanogan valley outfitters?? I heard the gov tag guy hired them possibly. Again just what i heard. These guys with the incentive tag, raffle tag and Gov Tag should be loving the lack of snow down low so they can access a lot of the winter grounds easier. I know i am jealous. Couple years ago it was i think the opposite. ;)
-
WA Muley,
We are guides for Okanogan Valley but Okanogan has nothing to do with this. Few of us are just help out since we no the areas. I no we are loving it , we can drive alot closer then get out on foot in sted of walking 2 miles to a spot
-
thanks for the response turkey. Im sure you will be taken care of for your services. And i am also sure you want to find that big buck before all the snow comes. Good luck to you guys hope your having fun.
-
You must be single. Because if I had this tag I'd have been divorced by now. :dunno: I'd be worth it. :chuckle:
:yeah: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Good luck newguy! Go get 'im...
-
Thanks guys, It's go time now. I will try to take alot of pictures and will tell the story.
-
NICE Shoot a big one! and have fun!
-
Not meaning to jack the thread a little, but what IS the incentive tag?
-
Not meaning to jack the thread a little, but what IS the incentive tag?
I think it is the tag the state gives out to those that submit hunter reports before the deadline and get entered into the drawing, I dont think i've heard of the raffle tag as being called an incentive tag so that is my guess. If it is the tag for submitted reports before the deadline then that is the first tag i've heard of being drawn based on that....so there is hope.
-
Yep incentive tag is as Cougeyes guessed. Everybody who reports their hunts before the deadline gets entered into the drawing for the tag...
Michael
-
You better get to the Entiat... lots of snow today and more predicted on the way here in Wenatchee... talk about a Godsend for ya! Good luck!
Michael
-
Thenewguy is out hunting today. hopefully he will have a tag notched later on.
updates to follow....
-
Yes, please hurry up and kill one, with only 3 more days to hunt you better make something happen! I'd hate to see you eat tag soup like that guy with the westside incentive tag did last year. :bash:
-
doesnt he have till the 31st?
-
doesnt he have till the 31st?
Yeah but he's heading out of town or something like that for chrismas... he's only got till the 17th or something to finish his hunt. :rolleyes:
Michael
-
Right, if you read some of his previous posts you'll see where he says he has to be done hunting by the 17th, as he is going to Texas for Christmas.
-
Thats insane.... talk about a lifetime opportunity with the INCENTIVE tag of all things, I'd tell Texas to screw off it'll never happen to the guy again.
Michael
-
Nice fresh snow for the hunt. Should be an outstanding next three days.
-
Nice fresh snow for the hunt. Should be an outstanding next three days.
no kiddding. its dumping it.
-
Thats insane.... talk about a lifetime opportunity with the INCENTIVE tag of all things, I'd tell Texas to screw off it'll never happen to the guy again.
Michael
me too mike me too, probably why im single and dont have many friends who arent hunters, hunting always comes first for me, i was upset when my grandparents planned a family trip to cancun a coupla years ago because i had to miss the first week of late archery deer i still went but i was not happy to be there
-
way easyier to find a new family than draw that tag agin ;)
-
Im thinking they are going to get somthing huge.
-
I hope he shoots a bigger one than the mystery goveners buck.
-
atleast he might post a pic.........
-
Im thinking they are going to get somthing huge.
I say 175" TOPS... just a gut feeling and still a LOT bigger than anything I've ever shot...
I'm thinking he'll pull the trigger on a 160's class buck personally unless he gets some help from some locals that have a buck already spotted... my .02
Michael
-
who knows.....new snow....decent roads....could bring back something amazing. atleast i hope so.
-
Im thinking they are going to get somthing huge.
I say 175" TOPS... just a gut feeling and still a LOT bigger than anything I've ever shot...
I'm thinking he'll pull the trigger on a 160's class buck personally unless he gets some help from some locals that have a buck already spotted... my .02
Michael
he's got a guy holding his ammo for him.
-
just wondering if the tag is transferable? if so, can it be sold, or does it have to be given away? i wouldn't mind getting/buying it if he doesn't fill it. ;)
-
He could just drive down the road look out the window see a huge buck on the hillside get out of the truck and shoot it. Just like the gal who shot that great Chewuch buck. :dunno:
-
Id give him 1,000 bucks for it today
-
no buck down today...1 day to go.
-
Thats gonna be some tuff tag soup to eat.
-
they were on a 170 buck at last light but it didn't come together. maybe he'll be in the neighborhood tomorrow a.m.
-
I hope they get a nice one with that tag. I offered my young legs and 10K in hog-muley-finding-optics, but apparently, they had enough help. Hopefully it is enough to find a nice buck. If I ever draw or buy a tag like that in WA, I will be more than happy to have an army working for me!
-
I don't think he has every tagged a buck, I would make sure to at least notch this tag. Hope he gets a dandy.
-
Thanks guys. I can apparently get on the site from my cell phone in wenatchee. We did see some bucks today but only went after one. On my last trip up here I missed a 300yd shot on a 180. This will be my first buck, first deer as well. I am learning a lot and having a great time. Some pics will come tomorow
-
Keep working your butt off new guy! Sun up til sun down!
-
If it were me, and I hadn't shot a buck before, I'd look for a dandy til noon tomorrow then shoot the next buck I saw. People may say you should hold out and be prepared to eat tag soup...that's easy for them to say from their computer. There's a lot to be learned from taking your first buck, regardless of what kind of tag is in your pocket.
-
Good advice. If I'd never killed a deer before, and with only having a day or two left to hunt, I'd be shooting the first 4x4 I saw.
-
Good luck, were rootin for ya.
-
I'm usually a tag soup advocate, but since this is your first buck, I would say nail one and have a smile on your face when you get your picture taken. Goodluck!
-
Is he hunting with someone that knows the area if not my self and a few friend can be there in a 45 min. to help?
-
By the way, I'd see if that tag was transferable or if you could sell it since it was an incentive tag. I doubt it, but I know at least a couple guys that would give you a grand for it for what time is left...
-
Not sure Slayer, I couldn't get free until Christmas break maybe to help him, but it was too late. I think Phool was taking him out.
-
he's with huntnphool and they're in the entiat area today and yesterday.
they are seeing deer as of last night.
i'm suspecting he'll have blood on his hands by the end of the day today.
-
I would certainly think he could must up at least a 150 buck.
-
I agree with Bone on the tag soup sort of thing, but with this being thenewguy's first deer, he should drop what he can. He has today and tomorrow if I've read the thread right, I'd put the first buck he see's tomorrow morning on the ground if he hasn't tagged something today. Either way he's learned a lot of country and a lot about hunting deer in different stages, so he's put in his time packing a slip of paper that allows him that time. Can't wait to see whatever he tags with that "first buck" grin on his face!
-
Good luck Thenewguy, hope you can down your first buck with Rob!!
-
I bet about this time next year. The new guy will look back and think about what a tag he had! Obviously phool knows whats up and how to field judge deer so I think we can rest assured hes in good hands! Can you imagine what The new guy must feel like with all these different people giving him advice, I bet his head was/is spinning. I hope he nails one.
-
Poor sucker... had no idea probably what kind of pressure automatically occurs when you draw that kind of hunting opportunity... especially after you post it on the internet. Hope he gets a buck atleast.
Michael
-
BBD!!!
-
What a tag to have for a first buck? I am still shocked. I had been reading this post and didn't realize until today that this was going to be a first buck.
looking forward to the story and pics.
-
BBD!!!
Cool. Congrats to TheNewGuy. Hopefully we'll see a pic soon. I'd bet we will see a pic of TheNewGuy's buck before all of us see the governor tag holder's buck.....
-
BBD!!!
Right on, I was rooting for the guy!
-
well there's 1 guarantee. the photo's will be good.
i don't know when they will get back in town or when they will post pics...i just got a text from his "guide"
:)
-
:IBCOOL: :IBCOOL: :kneel: :whoo: :whoo: :whoo: :whoo: :whoo: :whoo:
Oh boy! I bet its a sweet one!
-
Any word on how big the buck is?
-
That is awesome. :IBCOOL: :IBCOOL: Congrats and can not wait to see the pictures.. :drool:
-
Any word on how big the buck is?
not yet...waiting on more info.
prolly have to wait till the guys get back in town tonight.
-
sweet
-
That was cutting it close :o congrats to him, can't wait hear the story and see the pics
-
I herd he shot a dink... J/K :DOH:
Sorry can't help myself somtimes....Good job newguy.
-
Congrats newguy! Can't wait for the pics!
-
I hope it wasn't one of those dink 180-190 bucks like the Gov tag holder shot.
Congrats on your first buck. What a tag to have.
-
:bumpin: :llam: :hunt2: :bfg: ;D :party1: :hunter: :rockin: :rockin: :brew: :tup: :whoo:
Can't wait to see the pics! Way to go newguy!
-
SWEET! Big Congrats to him! You know he's driving home a happy camper right now with a big perma-grin on his face! Hope it all worked out beautifully for him no matter the size of the buck!
Michael
-
Right on! cant wait to see it.
-
doohhh....
it's a nice buck.
-
That's awesome...can't wait to see it!
-
Awesome, cant wait to see it!
-
nice buck.
-
nice buck.
%#@!! You have seen that one too....??!!
-
Awesome Buck!
-
I spoon for pic's what can I say.
-
Yup, great buck, and there's that first buck grin! The new guy is stoked!
-
Damn it and your cell phone pics :bash:
Congrats Thenewguy!! Cant wait to see pics of your trophy!
-
WOOOHOOOOO! Congrats to thenewguy. Can't wait to hear the story and see the grip and grin pics.
-
Congrats, can't wait to see the buck!
-
wish my first buck was a dandy! Sounds like he did great!
-
well someone post the dang pic, not fair.
-
out of respect for thenewguy i will not post the pic and let him have his moment in the sun.
it's a nice buck and will be worth the wait.
disclaimer:
if he leaves for texas tomorrow without posting pics and a story i will then post the pic and i don't care if it bugs him that i do.
:chuckle:
-
out of respect for thenewguy i will not post the pic and let him have his moment in the sun.
it's a nice buck and will be worth the wait.
disclaimer:
if he leaves for texas tomorrow without posting pics and a story i will then post the pic and i don't care if it bugs him that i do.
:chuckle:
I'd back you up on that! lol Great buck newguy! helluva lastday/first ever buck!
Michael
-
Congrats to thenewguy, good on you phool for helping a brother out.
-
Very nice buck Newguy :o Looks like you got a new friend in Rob!I am jealous of both of you :)
-
:dunno:
-
OH MAN! I just got a huge smile on my face! :IBCOOL: I am STOKED it came together for him! He can have a nice relaxing trip to Texas now! Way to go new guy! Good job helping him out huntinphool and whoever else was along!!!!! I need to get into the cell phone loop so I can see all these "private" pictures :chuckle:
-
:rolleyes: Can't wait for pics now. I just re-read the whole post and realized this is his first buck. Congrats and waiting now! ;)
-
You know what, I don't think I am stepping on toes since its taken by a mod, and of a member that wanted to share his whole hunt with us. I hope this isn't taboo to post while we wait for better ones. If it is, I'll take my whippin for it. You look at the guy who shot the CO Govenors tags face, and you look at newguys and you tell me who is happier.....
Unreal first buck. Its a far cry from what I got as my first deer. CONGRATS
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2FAntler%2520Images%2F12-16-099514311.jpg&hash=57835c1c26ab1a8d541d15294a356b51caa7931a)
-
THats a HELL of a first deer....or 10th deer IMHO. Congrats to Thenewguy! Looking forward to the read~
-
Awesome Great buck!
-
Thats a great buck for sure. better than my first buck.
-
Way to go Newguy! Awsome first buck, love the split ear shows he was a scrapper and worked hard for the ladies! Cant wait to see more pics
-
NO DOUBT SAYLEAN, makes a guy want to turn his tags in on time. :)
-
You did the right thing Bone! Thanks for posting the pic! Great buck new guy! I bet he is still smiling that big right now! Good mass, typical main frame buck! I bet he is hooked and I bet we've created another trophy hunter!
-
WOW worth the wait
-
DAYM!!!!! WHAT A FIRST BUCK!!!!! Way to go!!!
-
Congrats
-
Wow, more pics! Congrats!!!
-
Great buck!!!!!!
-
Good job :tup:
-
Wow! Awesome job newguy! Makes me want to turn in my tags on time, though I probaly still won't. lol CONGRATS
-
That is awesome! Beautiful, big, old, warrior buck. :tup: :tup: :tup: :tup: :tup: :tup: :tup: :tup:
Can't wait to see more pics and hear the story!
-
Bone-i got the ok from phool to post the pic so we're in the clear. :)
-
That's an awesome buck!! Congrats:)
-
I am really proud of thenewguy congrats!!! I told ya to listen to Phool and you won't go wrong, it sounds like you did great. I recieved the text about 3 and all it said Was ...
BBD!
I had a smile about as big as yours!!! :) I can't wait to see the pics I know your guide kinda knows a thing or two about takin pictures too! :chuckle: Once again a testimate to the kind of person Phool is ... very unselfish and a great friend to have, especially when you have a late tag! ;) Nice work Rob!!! :bow:
-
That is a peach of a mule deer. congrats .I would love to see some more pics.
-
AWESOME!!!!! Congrats Newguy.
-
:) Great buck and looks like he's enjoying it! Congrats newguy. Can't wait to see the rest of the high quality pics
-
awesome frist buck :) now thats going to be hard to outdo for awhile newguy congrats
-
Congrats newguy that is an awesome buck you for sure did that tag well.. I remember reading your first post when you got the tag and to see you getting a deer like this is awesome....
-
Right on man!!! That is a saweet buck!!!
-
Awesome deer, nice job!
-
congratulations! Glad you didn't come home empty handed. It will be a hunt you'll remember forever. Awesome snow hunt. Eniat? That is a great unit. Our nephew got a 175 gross that netted 165 in there on a permit hunt last year. Hope to see more pictures.
-
Congrats man even though i already told ya. I hope you made it back safe. Precious cargo man. Its a great deer guys!! Lots of character around the bases. And he still had that grin on his face when i left him!!! Congrats again man, that 4 am flight will definitely be worth it!! And congrats to Rob as well thats what sportsmen are all about. Helping a guy out, and helping him get into an area and pull out a big buck. Cant wait to see the rest of those crazy pics!!!
Garrett
-
Just got home guys, taking a shower and going to bed. I will post some pics tomorrow, here is a non cell phone pic until then. ;)
Congrats again Tom, I'm proud of you for sticking it out and staying positive, you did the tag proud and I'm grateful you let me tag along. :tup:
Click On Image For Full Screen
-
Out-f'ing-standing!!!! Way to go Newguy!!!
-
Nice Buck NewGuy!!! congrats!!!
-
Awsome buck :drool: Congrats to you newguy! :tup:
-
Nice picture Rob! Cant wait to see him. Looks like some seriouse splittage on that right ear too, just adds a little more charecter to the mount!! Congrats again on the dandy buck Tom!
-
Nice picture Rob! Cant wait to see him. Looks like some seriouse splittage on that right ear too, just adds a little more charecter to the mount!! Congrats again on the dandy buck Tom!
Adding another to the drying room?
-
:tup: :tup: Double thumbs guys! Glad you shot one of those pesky Entiat deer and left the Methow ones alone. :chuckle: Have a good flight Newguy, I know what you will be thinking about.
-
:yeah: on the Methow bucks!!
-
Wow is all I can say, that is a great buck. Congrats thenewguy, you made that tag all it could be. You hunted hard and reaped the rewards. Good job!
-
Very Very nice buck!!!
-
Congrats new guy,
Outstanding deer, you are now hooked for life congrats again. Have good and safe trip. I wish I could of been on the hunt.
Slayer
-
WOW...Great deer...especially for your 1st....ruined for life!.. :chuckle:
Congrats and Kudos to those who helped! :brew:
-
Great buck!!
-
That's frigging awesome, congrats!
-
Wow, again that is an awesome deer! And a great pic phool! Congrats again!
-
Congrats - what a great buck! And to those who helped out, a big thank you from the hunting community! :)
-
Again, awesome buck newguy. Very cool a couple members were able to get out and help!
-
where's the rest of the pics?
-
where's the rest of the pics?
:yeah:
-
Don't know about Toms pics but I am waiting to see if he writes up his story in a new thread or uses this one.
I was thinking of starting a new thread with a title that would go to the top of the list if someone did a search for "Incentive Tag" looking for info in the years to come. If Thenewguy posts it on this thread then I won't, but if he doesn't get around to it in the next day or so then I will do it and give the story of the last day and a half from my side of the camera, but I really should let him go first since it was his hunt. ;)
-
Until I can get the writeup done, here is a different view of Tom and his trophy.
-
Dang nice buck.. :tup:
-
Boy that ear really is torn up. Great looking deer.
-
I think it's one of my favorite deer on the site this year, keep coming back to look. :drool:
-
Absolutely an awesome buck. Good job phool on helping out a new member to the forum.
-
Nice and heavy rack. Those are my favorite. Congrats to thenewguy and major props to fool for the work he did to help out. :tup:
-
That is an awesome buck, congrats again to you thenewguy and a big thumbs up to you phool. :tup:
-
Nice Job!! Way to go Rob for spending you time helping!!! That is a very good deer In any circle. Can't wait to hear the story.
-
i like that picture. rob there was a buck standing there today same spot looking around. must have been missing his buddy!! lol
-
Sweet buck!! Must of been hard to hold out so long, when you have never killed a deer! Congrats!!
Now I better go fill out my harvest report so I can get that tag!!
-
Thanks guys for all of the support! I have to say, this was absolutely the time of my life. I should be able to post the whole story tomorow. Its been a little crazy with taking care of the deer, and then heading out to the boonies of Texas.
I want to say a HUGE thanks to those who helped me. Obviously this starts with Rob. I think I learned more in 2 days with Rob then in the rest of my hunting career combined. for those who haven;t met Rob he is a great guy who made sure I defined the hunt and was able to take away the maximum amount of memories. Can't say enough about him. Thanks man. Josh, gave me direction with this hunt from the start (believe me, i was lost). He answered lots of those silly questions that typically people are to scared to ask. There are alot of others who offered tips, locations and showed a willingness to come out and glass. I am not throwing names out because I am not sure they want to be recognized but a HUGE thank you. It gave me a big lift the last day knowing so many people cared.
p.s. Rob, feel free to post pictures and your account of the hunt. I will follow it up as soon as I can. I am exhausted and still in kind of a high from the whole thing. Hard to concentrate to do the story justice
p.s.s. Charlie, thanks ahead of time for an awesome mount :chuckle:
-
i can see you smiling that big grin right now thinking about your buck!!! rob is awesome and glad you had an awesome time on your hunt man!!
-
Your welcome in advance :chuckle:
-
glad to see it all came together for you, Tom. thats what sites like this are all about. everybody's a new guy at some point, and questions are meant to be answered. there'll be a bunch more next year too. forget the pissing and moaning and arguing and bickering...this is what it's all about and the reason this place exists. thanks for taking us along.
now about the rest of the pics....
-
Congratulations! You did us all proud!
( Don't let this hunt spoil the rest of your future hunts.....heh heh heh.... :chuckle: )
What a great experience!
-
forget the pissing and moaning and arguing and bickering...this is what it's all about and the reason this place exists
A-men to that!
-
Congrats on a dandy buck man! That deer has got everything to score well and will make a great trophy......
-
Man, that's a good-looking old warhorse of a deer. Way to go newguy! We may have to change your screen name :chuckle:
-
Part 1, prep work
After the call from WDFW I immediately come here to find out what the heck being able to hunt Sept 1st - December 31st meant and to get ideas. I think I got about 800 good ideas :). Alot of people offered to help but Josh was by far the most helpful. I started studying google map and looking at pictures of big mature bucks trying to set the bar. I found out I truly dig mass and width (who doesn't). My original plan was to hunt chinook pass starting in September, this thought was quickly disappeared after hearing about Migrator bucks and wintering grounds :rolleyes:.
The plan at this point became to hunt those wintering grounds. The problem here is that I had to wait until the end of November and I am not a very patient guy! I starting heading out scouting in October so i got used to the roads and lay of the land. The problem with this is the deer weren't in yet so I didn;t know what to expect from them. I made 3 scouting trips without my rifle and saw; 18 does, 1 forky, a spike and a mature WT buck. Not what I was hoping for but I knew it was early.
In late November I started taking the rifle along. I started higher in the mountains but still wasn't seeing the deer in the numbers I was hoping. I was starting to get a little dismayed as I know I was going to back into a time crunch with Christmas in Texas starting on the morning of the 17th. Just before the first snows really hit, about 2 weeks ago, I hit an area I had heard was holding some bigger bucks. After sitting on a ridge for the early morning I started hiking over the next ridge. I got to the top and as I was climbing over a fallen tree I caught antlers out of the corner of my eye. I froze and glassed the spot. A big mature buck and about 15 does. looking around some more I found 2 more mature bucks and one was enormous. They were at around 300-320 yards across a ravine and I wanted to make sure he was a shooter before I made my next move. At this distance I couldn;t tell alot of details with my Binos so I had to use the rifle scope on the confirmed deer (please dont judge, no spotting scope, yet). He was broadside to me but his head was facing away. I know looking through a scope there can sometimes be some ground shrinkage but I still think this is the biggest buck I have ever seen. He had width about 6 inchs 3-4 inch's beyond each ear and HUGE mass. He was a typical 4 point and absolutely a shooter in my book! I decide to take the shot and rest my 30.06 up against a branch. I start the breathing process and take the shot.... I miss clean but the buck doesn't go anywhere. I decide against another shot for 2 reasons; This is a shot I have never taken before (the rest was also more wobbly then expected) and I only brought 2 more rounds with me. I know if i expended the rounds without a killing shot, I would regret the 4 mile hike back to the truck maybe even seeing a shooter when i don;t have the ability to take the shot. I decide to back out and get to the ridge above the deer. The friend I took up with me lead the way. Unfortunatlly the path he took was to direct and he took it to quickly. Once we crested the ridge there were the does, but no mature buck.
to be continued...
-
Congrads on your buck.. Great deer... Any measurements you would like to share?
-
there was a buck standing there today same spot looking around. must have been missing his buddy!! lol
Thats probably the buck with the kickers.
-
HOLY CRAP, I just first seen the pic. Great job young man. That is a hell of a buck. Thanks also to Rob for the photos. Can't wait to see the score on that pig.
-
Thats a great first deer. I believe i have some video clips of him feeding around.
-
Man, that's a good-looking old warhorse of a deer. Way to go newguy! We may have to change your screen name :chuckle:
how about "grizzeld ole trophytaker"
just got back from Texas it was Washington cold, hope it's warmer for you.
congrats to you, and those that helped thanks
-
Very nice buck newguy! Glad you posted your hunt and enjoyed your time out there. It's priceless. :)
-
Are we waiting for the rest of the story before more pics are posted? If so, that's cool... but my attention span is starting to get sore... :chuckle:
-
I got the privilege to touch this deer yesterday while Phool was en-route to Charlie's and All I can say is ... UNREAL :yike: it is really nice super heavy all the way up until about an inch from the tips!!! It seemed to me to be larger than it appeared in the pics but at any rate just a pig of a deer Congrats again newguy thanks fro the opportunity! :)
-
I got the privilege to touch this deer yesterday while Phool was en-route to Charlie's and All I can say is ... UNREAL :yike: it is really nice super heavy all the way up until about an inch from the tips!!! It seemed to me to be larger than it appeared in the pics but at any rate just a pig of a deer Congrats again newguy thanks fro the opportunity! :)
I was at Charlie's place yesterday picking up the Hunt-WA Head Trophy and had an opportunity to handle the rack too, WOW!!! His first deer is bigger than any deer I've every taken. Sorry thenewguy, but it's all downhill from here.
-
Well a shortened version of this story was in the NorthWest Sportsman Magazine and I recieved a email from Eastmans a while ago saying they were considering the story but its time to post it up here, enjoy.
Incentive - Noun
1. A positive motivational influence.
2. An additional payment (or other remuneration) to employees as a means of increasing output.
This is Websters definition of incentive, and clearly the motivation behind the Washington Dept. Fish & Wildlife push to have all of us fill out harvest reports on time. For those unfamiliar with the process, every year hunters are asked, by WDFW, to report their success, or lack there of, in an effort to help them better understand and keep track of big game numbers. This information helps them set hunting seasons and allocate special permits, as well as several other important factors.
WDFW realized that although this reporting was important, the hunting community didn’t seem to make it a priority, therefore late reporting or the omission of reporting was becoming the norm. They needed some way for the hunting community to buy into the process. The brainchild was what is now referred to as “The Incentive Tag.”
The Incentive Tag has since become known as one of “The Big Three,” having basically the same freedoms and luxury as the “Raffle Tag” and the big daddy of them all, the “Auction Tag.” What this tag does is allows the lucky individual the opportunity to add an additional deer/elk to their harvest, at the same time expanding their season for that particular animal from September 1st – December 31st, in any GMU that was open for harvesting big game during that year.
The public forums are all abuzz with anticipation when the draws are finally announced and this year was no different. Bummed that I had not drawn any of the permits I had applied for, I got online to check and see how my many internet friends had faired. There were a few happy hunters, but for most of us the depression of knowing it would be yet another year before we would get to hunt our choices had just set in.
I was sitting there checking out some of the threads when I noticed a young man had posted saying he had drawn the incentive tag, His name was Tom and this would be his second season of hunting, he was looking for suggestions on where and when to go to take advantage of this tag. There was no shortage of opinion and soon his head was spinning with information overload.
I kept track of his progress as the season went on and as November came and started to go he still had not filled his tag. I sent him a email and told him that if he found himself in a pinch and needed someone to help or just tag along that I would be up for it, he said he would take me up on it if the time came.
December 6th I received another email from Tom informing me that he could not hunt the rest of the month as he would be heading out of town for the holidays, and wanted to know if I would like to go hit the hit hills with him. With hunting season being over for me and cabin fever beginning to set in, he didn’t have to ask me twice. I let him know I could go but it would have to be the following weekend. He said he was going to go during the week but would let me know if he still had his tag the following weekend. I received another email that next Saturday the 12th, he still had his tag. I said I can go but now had plans for the evening of Monday the 14th but could leave Tuesday morning after dropping the kids off at school. He said great, I will see you on the East side around noon on Tuesday the 15th.
I packed up my truck with a weeks worth of gear and Tuesday morning hit the road. The pass was a winter wonderland, 21*, snowing heavily with compact snow and ice covering the entire highway. I made my way over but ran a little longer than anticipated, so I ended up meeting Tom at 1:00pm in McD’s. We shook hands and chatted while standing in line for a quick lunch. After grabbing a burger and ice-t we were off. With the intention on hitting some areas farther north we decided to stop at an area on the way and hunt the last couple hours of daylight, getting in as much hunt time as we could.
The first area we decided to hit had a good 6”-7” of fresh powder and I could tell that Toms street tires on his Suzuki were not going to cut it. Watching him slide all over the place I motioned for him to pull over. I told him to grab his gear and get in, this would allow us to check out both sides better while heading up into the hills anyway and not have to spend our remaining time digging out of a ditch. This also gave us time to chat and get to know each other better. Tom informed me that this would be his first big game animal and I could tell he was as excited as a kid in a candy store.
We drove up to a ridge, got out and started glassing, spotting deer in almost every draw. Walking from draw to draw we would check them out, get deer in the spotter and discuss them. I pointed out a young 2 ˝ year old three point, Tom gets all excited and asks “should I go after him” smiling I said no, way too small. This happened a couple more times before I spotted a good buck in the timber about 100 yards off. He was very tall, had good mass and looked to be about 26”-27” wide. Long tines and mains but his right g3 was only about 7”. I told Tom I would put him in the 170 class and asked him if he could see it. It took a minute or so before he picked the buck up but thought he looked good enough to go after. It was right at the end of shooting light, between us and the buck were some small branches crossing between the trees. I explained to Tom that although he could probably make the shot, unless he dropped it right where it stood we may run the risk of losing it before dark. We both agreed to pass on the buck and headed back to the truck and down the mountain.
On the way back down to Toms car I asked him where he had planned on staying for the night. He looked at me with a confused look and said he really hadn’t thought about it, although we were both prepared to sleep in our rigs in sleeping bags. He looked a little down and I told him not to worry about finding a good buck, I knew the areas well and was sure we would get him one before the weekend so he could catch his flight. That’s when the “pucker factor” came into play. Tom then informed me he had to get up at 4:00am Thursday morning to catch his flight, he could only hunt through tomorrow and would have to leave, with or without having filled his tag.
As you can imagine the pressure multiplied ten fold, but having been in the same situation with my own tag the year before, I knew it wasn’t over until the fat lady was singing, and she wasn’t warming up yet.
The next morning Tom was pounding on my window at 5:30am, clearing off his windows and warming up his car. I got out of my bag and got dressed, noticing the temp was 18*. I dressed for the bitter cold temps, got out to discuss the plans for the day. The snow had stopped and the clouds looked to have lifted a little bit. Trying to stay positive about the whole situation I told Tom “wouldn’t it be great if we dropped your buck and the sky was bright blue with big fluffy white clouds for the pictures.” he smiled and skeptically said “yeah, that would be awesome”.
I suggested taking our time since it wouldn’t be light out until after 7:00am and we didn’t want to be driving past a good buck in the dark. Tom ordered breakfast and I grabbed a couple ice-t’s for the road and we were off. Shortly after we hit our turn and headed up into the hills. I flashed Tom with my headlights to get him to pull over.
About ˝ mile up the road we pulled over and waited, it was light enough to see the snowy road but still not light enough to be able to pick out deer without the use of optics. We got out of the cars and I pointed up one of the hills to make my point. Although the hills were covered with snow we still were likely to drive by any deer that were not out in the open. I could tell Tom was excited and itching to get going so we took off.
We stopped a couple miles in and dropped off Toms car, he grabbed his gear and jumped in. Only a couple miles up the road my worst fear was becoming reality, the fog was getting thicker and thicker the higher we climbed. We headed for the area we had seen the tall buck the night before, and saw a few does and a couple small bucks. The first buck we spotted was a old mature buck. I put the scope on him and noticed he was one of those “Super Forkies,” mature buck with heavy dark antlers but lacking the genes to make him anything but a 2 point. He was about 2” outside his right ear but his left side main was broke right in half.
We continued up to the ridge when Tom spotted a buck out the passenger side of the car. I stopped and we both put up our binos. I saw a 3 ˝ year old 3 point and thats all I could see besides the back of Toms head. I was just about to drive off when Tom said “there’s a bigger one” I got my binos up just in time to see the big buck from the night before, bounding off into the fog. We parked, grabbed our gear and went in after him. We followed in the snow but with visibility of about 50 yards it was evident there was little chance of getting on him. We headed back for the truck and hit some other spots. We hunted in the fog until about noon and realized it was unlikely to lift before dark so we decided to drop down in elevation and hunt the lower draws.
The next couple hours were pretty uneventful, small 130-140 class bucks but nothing with any real size or character. At about 2:00pm I told Tom we had about 2 hours of light left and should go hit a different area I knew. I had been given a report by a friend that had seen a couple decent bucks a couple days before in the area and he said it might be worth a look.
We headed down out of the hills but I really wanted to check the last draw before hitting the road. We stopped where we had pulled over on the way in in the morning, remember it had still been dark. I pulled up my binos and spotted a buck right away. Grabbing the scope, I set it up and could tell right away Tom would like him. He had a nice typical frame with long mains and an outside spread of about 27”. He had average mass and had a small kicker out each side. I estimated upper 170’s gross on the conservative side and got out to talk with Tom. I walked back to his car where he was glassing and asked him if he saw him. He said he saw the two does but didn’t see the buck. I told him to come check him out through the spotter and let me know what he thought. He took a look and the two of us decided that with not much light left, we should make a stalk.
Tom grabbed his gear, I grabbed mine and off we went. We worked our way up to get as close as we could without spooking him. We soon ran out of cover and decided to set up for a shot. Tom placed the sticks in the snow and got a good rest. He sat down in the snow and dialed in his scope. I set my spotter up to watch and snapped a couple pics of the buck on the hill while he was still on the hoof. Once done with a couple pics I got back behind the spotter to watch and all of a sudden I spotted another buck. I zoomed in on him to compare but it didn’t take but a second to decide which one I would shoot.
Tom saw the new buck about the same time through his scope and held his shot. He asked me which one he should shoot and naturally I said “shoot the biggest one” Laughing, I told him that if it were my tag I would shoot the new buck. Quick field judging I could see he had great backs, well over 18” and long g3’s as well. His g4’s looked to be close to the g3’s and he had huge mass. He had nice brows too but his mains looked to be on the short side. Overall I told Tom I thought he was a solid 170 class buck and even had the potential to be larger.
That was all Tom needed. He hunkered down behind his scope, took a deep breath and let it out, squeezing the trigger the buck humped up and started limping off around the knob, he was hit hard and wouldn’t go far.
We hiked up the rest of the way, to just under the ridgeline and started side hilling until we found blood in the snow. There was a clear line to follow and I knew he wouldn’t be far. We got around the knob and found a spot he had bedded down in but must have heard us coming and got back up. I had Tom jack another cartridge in and slowly lead the way, we knew he was just ahead of us. Just then the buck stood up, about 80 yards out. Tom settled in behind his scope again and finished him off, the buck took a nose dive into the snow. Tom turned to me with a grin even his orthodontist would be proud of. I gave him a quick high five and congratulations, he had just filled his Incentive tag.
Being on a steep slope, when the buck hit the snow, he slid more than 100 yards down the hill, finally piling up next to a tree. His rack had got caught under a boulder on the way down and his momentum had carried his body up and over the rock, leaving him to rest with half his body sticking straight out over the ledge. I took picks as Tom checked to make sure he was done and then wrestle the rack out from under the boulder. Once the rack was free, the weight of the buck propelled him over the rock and onto the snow.
As luck would have it, about that time the sky opened up and was the brightest blue you could imagine. The clouds that remained were like giant cotton balls, we couldn’t have planned it any better, even though that morning we were joking about it. We snapped some pics and let him go, he slid almost the rest of the way to the bottom.
Now the real work begins I told him. I asked him if he brought a knife, I had, so I wasn’t worried. He pulled out a brand new one, this would be his first field dressing, for him and his knife. I talked him through the whole process without a hitch, he did it like a pro, grinning the entire time. It wasn’t until later that he admitted he thought I was hazing him when it came to hollowing out “the hole,” but after he was done he understood why.
We slid the buck to the road and I was just about to walk to retrieve Toms car when the game warden came pulling up. He got out and asked how we were doing, I don’t think he needed to ask, the ear to ear grin on Toms face should have given it away. I explained to the officer that Tom had just taken his first buck and that he was the holder of the Incentive Tag. The officer was clearly overjoyed to hear this, probably thinking that we had just poached the deer. He explained that he really wished that holders of these tags would call and inform them that they would be in the areas, so when they get phone calls they don’t panic, which is understandable.
He checked out Toms credentials and then checked out the buck. He had about as big a grin as Tom did, patting him on the back. “That’s a dandy of a first buck you got there” he said, “going to be hard to top him.” I waited by the buck as the officer gave Tom a ride back to pick up his car. On the way back by, the officer stopped and asked if we would stop at the station in town so his biologist could take a look at him. We stopped at the station and one look at the buck he was grinning like Tom too. He asked if we would send him the lower jaw so he could run some tests but he tentatively thought the buck was about 5 ˝- 6 ˝ years old.
The moral to the story, although Tom has filled out only one report in his life, he did it and he did it on time. Get your reports in and this could be you next season.
A great buck for anyone at any point in their hunting career, let alone their first. Congrats again to my new friend Tom, I’m proud of you for staying positive and sticking with it, well done!
-
wow great write up! :tup:
-
Great write up Phool. You are a heck of a guy!! Nice job!! :tup:
-
That was a Great read and a great ending to the story! :IBCOOL:
-
Great story thanks for the write up :tup:
-
-Best Hunting story Ive read in a long time!! :tup: