Post by: javman on May 20, 2008, 12:35:30 AM
I hadn't filled a tag since 2003 -- that year I shot my nicest blacktail on opening day (the bigger head mount below, 4x3 about 18.5" widest spread)... After getting one like that, it's hard to shoot a smaller one, and I challenge myself to find the mature bucks. I don't consider myself a trophy hunter, I just like the challenge that the mature bucks offer. I passed on several smaller 3-points in '04, '05 and '06, just cuz those little guys are so cute and stupid -- it's hard to pull the trigger when they're looking at you from 30 yards away and not even scared!
Anyways, I passed on a smaller 3-point during general season, and come late-buck, I was getting anxious, and told myself I'd shoot any 3-point with eyeguards. I had to stop my 3 year drought! The last day of late buck was pretty stormy. My dad had other plans that day, so I took off alone. Got my truck up in the high country in a few inches of fresh powder in the middle of a blizzard. Made a slow mile long push below a ridge, spotted a doe bedded under a small hemlock, and by the way she was looking below her I thought she might not be alone. After eyeing her for 10 minutes, I couldn't sit still in the cold anymore, so I started towards her and off she went. Sure enough a decent buck track was right below her. I tracked them a ways, but after a half hour, both tracks already had an inch of snow in them and they were going the wrong way :( So I looped back to the truck, a little worried about getting stuck in the snow.
By then it was noon and I was already wet and cold, so I reluctantly said goodbye to the alpine country for the season. Drove down below the snow level, and decided to make a push through an area where I'd never seen a decent buck, but had seen lots of does and smaller bucks. I climbed straight up the spine of a ridge about a thousand feet vertical back above the snow level. I started side-hilling slowly through a system of benches in between several cliffs (nice natural funnel if ya know what I mean). No fresh sign anywhere. I was starting to get the "last day depression", and wasn't paying as much attention as I normally do. I was crossing a steep open gully, ten feet out of the timber, when I look down and 40 yards below me, there's a deer staring at me -- "oh **** that's a buck!". Surprisingly, I didn't do anything wrong :P In about a 5 second span, I flipped off the safety, flipped up the scope covers, saw 3-points, decent eye-guards, lowered the crosshairs behind the shoulder and fired. He lurched and took off like I do when I step on a hornet nest :chuckle:
There was a mess of blood and hair, and I knew I'd got him good, so I didn't wait long to follow his trail. I don't know how he went as far as he did :dunno: 2-300 yards at least, before I lost his trail. Down below me I spot a bloody mess of skid marks going over a 30 foot cliff. Then another 15 foot cliff below that. Blaaaah. Took me a half hour to get down there! Luckily it was a downhill drag back to the road, and I got him in my truck easily.
Moral of the story: Don't ever give up on the last day of the season!
Anyways, I made a plaque for the rack this weekend to match the other ones my dad has made for me in the past. I just hung some racks up on the wall, which has me all anxious for October to roll around now.
Pics:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.javinelliff.com%2Ftmp%2Fdeer%2F2007-3pt-1.jpg&hash=048a1079f0ccdb97f668b1aee8ff142e284d0f96)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.javinelliff.com%2Ftmp%2Fdeer%2F2007-3pt-2.jpg&hash=3c92bab3ff4d8bc7d72863c4d2ccd4c7a2144c60)
And here he is visiting with some of his relatives:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.javinelliff.com%2Ftmp%2Fdeer%2Fwall1.jpg&hash=4a52c7fd9b72025ea4da928eeb06284a7258527f)
Top left 2007; bottom plaque 1995 (first deer); right plaque 2000; head-mount 1998 -- I was 17, he was the biggest buck I'd ever seen so I had it mounted ;)
And the other side of the room:
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.javinelliff.com%2Ftmp%2Fdeer%2Fwall2.jpg&hash=90cba9a72a576f1990c521d5425d555f0c87598b)
Head mount 2003; little fork sitka blacktail I shot in 1997.
Post by: robb92 on May 20, 2008, 02:46:13 AM
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on May 20, 2008, 05:28:36 AM
Post by: boneaddict on May 20, 2008, 06:01:42 AM
Post by: MIKEXRAY on May 20, 2008, 08:08:39 AM
Post by: bucklucky on May 20, 2008, 08:10:25 AM
Post by: archery288 on May 20, 2008, 08:12:36 AM
Post by: Alchase on May 20, 2008, 11:50:18 AM
Post by: Head-shot on May 20, 2008, 12:13:50 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on May 20, 2008, 12:47:58 PM
Post by: saylean on May 20, 2008, 01:21:00 PM
Post by: Muleyslyr on May 20, 2008, 01:31:49 PM
Post by: chukar-ridge-quest on May 20, 2008, 05:09:40 PM
Post by: singleshot12 on May 20, 2008, 05:13:53 PM
Post by: Wea300mag on May 20, 2008, 05:36:38 PM
Post by: Dman on May 20, 2008, 05:48:16 PM
Welcome.
Post by: M_ray on May 20, 2008, 06:41:03 PM
Post by: javman on May 20, 2008, 06:54:38 PM
My hunting fever has been rising lately as I'm planning an August trip for a sitka blacktail hunt. Can't wait to smell the muskeg again!
Post by: Jackjr on May 20, 2008, 07:25:20 PM
Post by: Black Ghost on May 22, 2008, 06:14:40 PM
Post by: PacificNWhunter on May 24, 2008, 01:46:09 PM
Great looking blacktails.