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Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 04:47:27 PM


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Title: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 04:47:27 PM
Finally getting a few minutes to get on HuntWA and get some stuff posted.  I didn't kill a deer this season, since I drew a quality tag in Idaho (which I ate), I decided to concentrate my local efforts on getting both of my sons' tagged out.  PathfinderJR is a junior at EWU and an ROTC Cadet, so he hasn't been able to get away to hunt for the last couple of seasons, but this year he said he would be able to make it home for opening weekend.  Little Pathfinder is in 7th grade, so I had the whole season with him.  We had several good deer scouted prior to the season, but 2 of them were killed during the muzzleloader season. 
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 05:05:10 PM
PathfinderJR rolled in late the night before opening day and we were up at 4am and headed to our spot.  When we parked the truck the temp on the dash said 18 degrees.  The three of us started hiking and warmed up quickly.  As we climbed the ridge out of the cold pocket we thought the temperature had warmed into the 30s.  After an hour hike we set up with our backs to a big sage bush and got out our glass to wait for light.
As it got light we spotted a few does and then a small buck.  I had explained to both boys that they were both old enough to go by the following rule:  Whoever spots the buck first, gets first right of refusal.
That's the rule I have always followed when hunting with buddies.  It's simple and fair.  Whoever is paying the most attention, gets first shot.
About 30 minutes after daylight we hear shooting from our north.  After a few minutes we see a deer running over the ridge in our direction.  Looks like a decent buck, a wide 3 point.  PathfinderJR spots him first and says that he wants him.  We are set up watching this particular canyon, because I have found that when the shooting starts on opening day, this is the first place they come to hide.  The buck enters the canyon, slows to a walk and starts coming in our direction.
PathfinderJR moves down the hill to intercept the buck and sets up for the shot.  I am watching through the spotting scope when he fires.
A clean miss, and the deer runs off unharmed.
He comes back hanging his head, telling his younger brother "I should have let you take that shot.  Its been so long since I had a deer in my scope that I got excited and yanked the shot."
I suggested that we go down into the canyon and make sure there was no evidence of a hit.
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 05:41:44 PM
We located the buck's tracks and satisfied ourselves that it was a clean miss, then decided that in the absence of a better idea to follow them, just in case we might find him bedded in another draw.  Before long we lost the trail in the brush, so we climbed a hill and set up to glass some more. 
Before long we saw a farm truck drive into a wheat field to our north.  It always drives me nuts to see people hunting this way; just driving around in the wheat scaring stuff and hoping to get a running shot at something they spook.  But honestly, more often than not, they wind up not getting a shot and chasing deer someplace where they can hide and we can stalk them.  That's exactly what happened in this case.  The truck slams on its breaks and people start jumping out.  No shots.  I tell the boys to get ready. 
About a minute later PathfinderJR whispers excitedly "There they are!"
A herd of deer with 3 bucks and two does comes trotting into the canyon.  They slow to a walk and start climbing the hill.  After a few minutes of checking their back trail they see they are not being followed and settle down on the side of the hill about 800 yards away.  We glass them for a bit as they start feeding and working along the side of the ridge towards the south.
Too easy.  We can easily walk up one of the draws and set up to intercept them.  A long, looping trek puts us in position and JR gets set up for a shot. 
"if they don't show up in a few minutes, we'll move one draw closer." I tell the boys.  The plan was for PathfinderJR to pick out the best buck (a good 4 point that looks like he has some extras) and put him down, then if the deer stay long enough, Little Pathfinder will take the next best buck in the group, a solid 3 point.
We don't have to relocate.  In a few minutes the deer feed up out of the draw and onto the hill in front of us.  JR steadies for the 250 yard shot and this time his aim is good as the crack of the shot reports a solid "whop".  The deer scatter, with JR's buck sporting a broken shoulder.  After 50 yards he stops and I tell JR to anchor him with a second shot, which he does.
The other deer never stopped long enough for LP to get a shot and we watched them disappear over the hill. 
PathfinderJR was absolutely elated.  He ate his tag his senior year of high school and his college schedule had prevented him from hunting the last two seasons.  Deer steak in his freezer and a new euro mount for his apartment wall were both very welcome.
His little brother, always gracious was as excited for him as he was.
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 05:44:01 PM
Happy young man.
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 05:46:43 PM
With JR's tag filled, we headed to town to skin and hang him, then get back to get to work finding Little Pathfinder a buck.
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 06:26:37 PM
That evening we parked the truck and began the long hike into our area.  I had an idea that the deer would congregate in an area that hadn't been pressured, and I thought I knew where that would be.  We set up on the highest point overlooking the canyon I expected to find the deer.
We found the deer, but they weren't where I expected.  500 yards onto the next property (the land owned by the guy in the farm truck that had scared JR's buck to us that morning), we spotted the deer.  There were 5 bucks, including the tall 3 point in the first picture that I posted.  There was also a wide 3x4 with heavy, light colored antlers that we really liked.  I found myself hoping that the farm truck would come busting in there and chase them back towards us.  It didn't, so we were forced to watch them until dark.
After a while, the tall 3 point and the wide 3x4 started sparring.  Then the spar turned into more of a fight.  This was only opening weekend and the rut hadn't started yet, but the cold weather must have been making them both feel spunky. 
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 07:18:12 PM
I had a feeling that I knew where the deer would bed when they came out of the wheat that night, so we decided to go back and sit on the same ridge the next morning.  As it started getting daylight, we immediately spotted the wide 3x4.  He was with a doe and a spike, feeding on the opposite side of the canyon we were glassing.  We watched them feed over the top and quickly packed up our gear.  I knew what draw they were headed for. 
So we climbed the hill and slowly worked over the top.  I found some cover and we sat down to glass.  After a bit I turned up the doe and the spike.  They slowly fed down into a brush choked draw.  That was all the information I needed.  I knew the buck would be bedded in that brush.  Slowly we inched down the draw until we could see into it.  No buck.  I knew the brush was taller than it looked, and there were still a couple of folds I couldn't see into.  We crawled up towards the head of the draw.  I was a few feet in front of Little Pathfinder, and suddenly I spotted antler tips.
We stopped and I had him set up.  When we were sitting, the roll of the hill prevented us from seeing the buck, but I felt confident that when he stood, we would have a clear shot.
There didn't seem any way this could get screwed up.
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 07:28:19 PM
For 30 minutes we waited in intermittent rain for him to stand.  We had the wind, at 90 yards, if I got up on my knees I could see his antlers. 
Then suddenly everything went wrong.  When the buck stood up, apparently we couldn't see him, because suddenly there he was, running straight away from us. 
No shot.  Just mule deer butt and antlers.  Little Pathfinder looked like he had just dropped his ice cream cone.  I imagine I probably did too.
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: tgomez on November 08, 2019, 07:46:09 PM
Thank you for sharing with us and congratulations to you and your boys.
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 07:49:26 PM
We watched that buck bound into one draw and up the other side, one after another and knew he was a done deal, probably for the rest of the season.  The only thing I can think of is that the wind must have swirled without us noticing it and he smelled us.  He was certainly headed out when we saw him. 
We decided to hunt another spot that evening. 
Moving to a glassing point on top of a ridge we set up and a couple of hours before dark we started seeing deer. First a couple of does and a forkhorn, then we spotted a deer with a decent rack.  He was feeding in a patch of brush near a guzzler and looked decent, so we made the stalk.  We watched him bed down in the thick brush and then belly crawled to inside 250 yards and set up.  The buck was dozing with his head tipped forward towards us.  He looked to be over 20 inches wide and had a nice square rack.  Little Pathfinder was excited.  No way this one was going to give us the slip.  We had him dead to rights.
Then the one thing that could have gone wrong did. 
LP peered through the scope.  "Dad, does he have 3 points?"
I looked through the binos.  In the thick brush it was impossible to tell for sure.  I dug out my spotting scope, which seemed silly at 250 yards, but I thought might help. 
I still couldn't tell.  I crawled 30 yards to our right and was able to see through a gap in the brush.
Yup.  A slick, 22" wide 2 point.  Not another bump on him anywhere.  I crawled back to LP and told him the buck wasn't legal.  He scrunched up his eyes and gritted his teeth.
It just wasn't going to be our day, no matter what.
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: elkboy on November 08, 2019, 08:24:40 PM
Awesome story so far! Seems like there is more to it... Tagging along...
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 08:25:03 PM
For the rest of the week, we hunted when we could, but mornings were out of the question because I teach an early class, and by Thursday afternoon we still had not found another buck.
I picked up LP after school and we headed to the spot where the buck had given us the slip on opening weekend. 
We parked the truck at 4:30 and began to hike up the ridge.  From nearly a mile out we spotted two deer bedded on the hill above the draw where we had lost the deer on Sunday.  I had accidentally left our spotting scope at home, so it was impossible to see antlers at that distance.  With no other prospects we decided to loop around close enough for a better look.  By the time we could see them again we were at about 450 yards.  I could see antlers on the deer bedded lower.  He seemed to be asleep and was bedded with his nose pointing into the wind, perpendicular to us.  We pulled back and looped again, coming out at 300 yards.  Little Pathfinder can whack steel at 400 yards with this rifle, but the grass was too tall for a clear shot, even with the bipod extended, so we crawled to a bare spot.  I ranged the buck at 247 yards.  Still bedded, still asleep.  At this range we could tell the other deer was a buck now too, either a forky or a small 3 point.  The other buck was clearly bigger, but with his head turned to the side we were having trouble counting points.  We were proned out, but clearly in the open, and the smaller buck spotted us.  After a minute the buck we were watching seemed to wake up.  I was looking through the binos and LP was looking through the rifle scope when he turned his head towards us, revealing 3 points on each side and antlers that clearly were outside his ears. 
"Okay, he's legal.  Just take your time and when you're ready squeeze really gently." I told him. 
I waited for what seemed like forever.  Expecting to hear the rifle crack at any second.  About a minute went by.  I looked over at my son.  He seemed to be calmly peering through the scope, finger on the trigger.  Still nothing.  Another eternity went by, probably only 30 seconds, but it felt like forever.  I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he still looked calm, so I kept quiet. 
Finally the rifle barked.  I heard the solid "whop" and both bucks were on their feet, running.  LP jacked another round into the chamber. "Did I hit him?" he whispered. 
I watched the the buck stumble, his shoulder clearly broken, still trying to run.  "Get ready for a second shot" I told him.
But it wasn't necessary.  Less than 40 yards from where he had been bedded he plowed nose first into the dirt, rolled over, kicked a few times and lay still.
A second later Little Pathfinder was on his feet, hugging me.  "Oh my gosh dad!  He is soooo wide!  I couldn't stop shaking!"
My 12 year old had just experienced his first real bout of buck fever.  He had done the right thing.  The buck had been bedded and not really alarmed.  He just waited for the shaking to subside and then took his shot.  I was so proud of him. 
Now that it was over his emotions let loose.  He was laughing and crying at the same time, shaking and babbling about the buck. 
After he calmed down, we made our way over to the buck.  He was so excited when he put his hands on him.  After admiring him, we said a little prayer and got to work getting him field dressed. 
We also found that my phone was dead, and I didn't have another camera.  So after he was gutted and tagged I left LP with his buck and hiked back down the hill to the farmhouse to borrow a camera.  It was well past dark when I got back and found LP guarding his buck from yapping coyotes that sounded like they were on the next ridge.  He was on the rifle when I drove up, peering through the scope into the dark.  Nothing was going to take his buck. 
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 08:31:06 PM
We snapped a few pictures and loaded the buck into the truck.  It was a late night by the time we got him skinned and in CoryTDF's cooler.  A happy, exhausted kid collapsed into bed that night.  Still chattering about his big, wide buck. :)
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 08, 2019, 08:35:41 PM
We euroed out both bucks.  I just got them both bleached out and all that's left is to mount them on plaques.  I believe this will go down as the best year that I didn't kill a thing. 
Nothing better than watching your kids learn and grow. 
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: 87Ford on November 08, 2019, 08:42:08 PM
Some very nice pics  :tup:
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: westsideoutdoorsman on November 08, 2019, 08:42:56 PM
 Congrats to both boys and a happy Daddy!!!

Great job!!!
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Dan-o on November 08, 2019, 09:35:13 PM
SO FANTASTIC!!!!!
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: full choke on November 08, 2019, 09:52:41 PM
Awesome!  :tup:

Way to go Pathfinder family!
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: EsotericPA on November 09, 2019, 09:58:31 AM
Great work! This is what it's all about.  :tup:
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on November 09, 2019, 10:20:29 AM
Thanks guys.  Was a great year.   :tup:
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: hunting4sanity on November 09, 2019, 11:51:21 AM
Two fine looking bucks and young men. Congrats to your sons ......... and their dad!
Title: Re: Pathfinder Junior and Little Pathfinder's Season
Post by: wheels on November 09, 2019, 11:53:55 AM
awesome
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