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Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: ljsommer on November 15, 2019, 12:33:52 PM


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Title: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: ljsommer on November 15, 2019, 12:33:52 PM
My earlier season hunting had been half-hearted, as I knew I wanted to hunt with my mom during late season rifle. I had a Weyco pass and had bought her one as well to accompany me, and as my interest in hunting has a lot to do with familial bonding and maintaining tradition, I really wanted to share that with her. The antlers hanging in my house are from my grandpa back in the 1960s and his legacy is one I am trying to honor (along with the hundred other reasons I hunt).

After a near-miss on a heavy bodied 3 point on Halloween, I knew where I wanted to be coming opening morning. We parked a ways off from the cut I wanted to hunt, and as the fog was blowing in I took out my phone to take a picture of my mom. This hunt was about time with my mom, not success on a deer.
As I photographed her glassing a ridge near the cut, she whispered "I think I see a deer!"

Now, my mom jokes like this all the time so I was 100% certain she was pulling my chain, and I said so. She responded "Honey, I think I see a deer and I think it has antlers".
Keep in mind this is about 2 minutes after getting to that cut. I pull out my binos and sure enough, a beautiful buck with a regal crown of antlers is standing on the opposite ridge staring at us fully alert. I immediately whispered to my mom "Don't move".
I slowly stowed my binos and went prone, only to realize that there was more of a hump in the hill than I expected and I couldn't see the deer through my scope when prone. I quietly removed my pack and propped the rifle on it - still no line of sight.
Sure that I'd blown it, I sat on my butt and propped the rifle on my knee to stabilize. Finally a shot window! Somehow the buck hadn't moved, and I settled my breathing and pulled the trigger. My scope didn't move much and I maintained focus but the deer had vanished. He'd vanished so quickly that I knew I had to have dropped him in his tracks. The shot was 176 yards with a .308.

My mom was panicking as she'd lost him in the binos and thought we'd wounded him. She wanted to track right through that cut and find out. Somehow, I was calm and composed and told her that we needed to stealthily loop around the road and come across to get a better approach angle on his position so that we can decide how to handle it.

We reached a hill that gave us a better vantage but neither of us could glass him up. I hiked through some brutal cut debris and eventually found him laying there, and my heart raced. I contained a loud yell of celebration but only barely. I hiked back up to my mom, told her the good news, and we went to get the truck.

My mom is fairly disabled so it took us a long time to get her down to where the deer was, but it was worth it. She got to share the entire experience start to finish with me and she couldn't be prouder. She said my grandpa would've had a big smile on his face. My mom fondly reminds me that my grandpa never said "I love you" to anyone until I was born, and then it unlocked something and he was able to express himself.

Last night we got home, stowed the meat safely and both slept like the dead. We get the rest of the weekend to hang out, talk, and celebrate.

I've been a whiny, petulant child about my frustrations with hunting. I learned a lot this season, and now I know: This is possible. I can do this. It won't be easy, but it *will* be rewarding.
Thanks for all the help. I've had a lot of support from these forums.

Special thanks: Rainier, 7mmFan, others I've chatted with
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: ljsommer on November 15, 2019, 12:35:31 PM
More pictures
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: lamrith on November 15, 2019, 12:37:16 PM
Congrats!  That's a nice buck!
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: 7mmfan on November 15, 2019, 12:47:04 PM
Fantastic! Great pictures, other than the ticks, you could have left those out. Just sayin.

Great job ljsommer. You asked lots of questions, got lots of mixed answers and advice, and were able to decipher it all, put the time and hard work in, and get the end result. A one shot kill on a beautiful buck in ground you knew and had seen animals in, all while with your mom, sharing and making memories and putting a bunch of healthy meat in your freezer.

It truly doesn't get much better than that.

PS: How did your wife feel about a deer head laying in the kitchen sink? Mine isn't real fond of that.  :tup:
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: cougforester on November 15, 2019, 12:56:22 PM
Nice work! Glad to finally see you put it all together.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: BULLBLASTER on November 15, 2019, 01:07:18 PM
 :tup: Heck ya! Solid work! Nothing better than putting in the time and effort and being rewarded for it! Hopefully the first of many! Great buck.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Yelper Guy on November 15, 2019, 01:21:23 PM
Well done - congratulations!
Thanks for the story & pics.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Blacktail Sniper on November 15, 2019, 01:26:08 PM
Congrats, nice job!!   :tup:
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Karl Blanchard on November 15, 2019, 01:28:41 PM
My man👊  perseverance ALWAYS pays off! Did I or did I not tell you that archery sucks and focus on the gun :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Buckmark on November 15, 2019, 01:42:53 PM
Good job  :tup:
Ticks  :chuckle: i have seen grown men see those on an animal for the first time turn into little pansies
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Platensek-po on November 15, 2019, 01:46:06 PM
Well done!! Extra points for getting your mom involved!!
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: ljsommer on November 15, 2019, 03:37:13 PM
The ticks were a real surprise, I didn't know we had them over here. This fella was covered in them. Dozens. I found them fascinating, but between them and my sloppy knife-work I did not bring the cape home. Sad, because the fur on that animal was soft and beautiful. I couldn't be happier with how it all went down.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: hunting4sanity on November 15, 2019, 03:39:16 PM
Congratulations! Great hunt report and great experience that you involved your mom. Thanks for sharing those photos, maybe not the ticks - I hate ticks.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: OutHouse on November 15, 2019, 03:55:05 PM
Nice job man!
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Buckmark on November 15, 2019, 04:00:39 PM
The ticks were a real surprise, I didn't know we had them over here. This fella was covered in them. Dozens. I found them fascinating, but between them and my sloppy knife-work I did not bring the cape home. Sad, because the fur on that animal was soft and beautiful. I couldn't be happier with how it all went down.
Even a cut up hide could be used for something, next time  :tup:
Oh and dont worry about the ticks on the hide (all deer have ticks on them) they will die or move on due to the host being dead..
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: bracer40 on November 15, 2019, 04:20:33 PM
Congratulations! Nice deer. Cool pics and story!
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: TheStovePipeKid on November 15, 2019, 04:27:38 PM
Great job! That is a fine deer. Nothing quite like hunting with family.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: hunterednate on November 15, 2019, 04:34:39 PM
So cool you got to experience that with your mom. Your post made my day. Congrats on a beautiful buck.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: teanawayslayer on November 15, 2019, 04:46:16 PM
Congrats on the buck! Thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Skyvalhunter on November 15, 2019, 05:08:47 PM
Congrats that's awesome
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Rutnbuxnbulls on November 15, 2019, 05:22:18 PM
Great story and thanks for sharing.  I don't think my mom would ever accompany me on a deer hunt!  So cool!  :tup:
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: bigmacc on November 15, 2019, 05:44:03 PM


Nicely done :tup:
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: full choke on November 15, 2019, 05:53:26 PM
Right on!  :tup:

Congratulations!
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: brew on November 15, 2019, 06:08:25 PM
great job...perseverance pays off.  In the words of one of my heroes Jim Valvano "don't give up...don't ever give up"  if you need some help cutting it up give me a shout.

bryan
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: mburrows on November 15, 2019, 06:11:50 PM
 Congrats man! Good to see it pan out for you after the trials and tribulations
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: kschab123 on November 15, 2019, 06:36:48 PM
Legit. Congrats on your first buck! Trying to make that happen for myself as well. Awesome you were able to share that experience with family as well. That's whatnits all about.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Sutherland on November 15, 2019, 06:41:25 PM
Man great story! Good family times. Hard to beat that. Thank you for sharing with us!
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Bowhunter3 on November 15, 2019, 06:59:42 PM
Well done!
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Turner89 on November 15, 2019, 07:38:06 PM
Awesome job.  Awesome buck :tup:

I don't  know what 7mm's talking about, most wives love bucks in the kitchen sink :dunno:
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: elksnout on November 15, 2019, 07:50:30 PM
Excellent and so cool your shared the experience with your mom. You're a lucky duck.

Elksnout
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: grundy53 on November 15, 2019, 09:17:22 PM
Great job! Your perseverance paid off! Awesome that you got to share it with your mom!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on November 15, 2019, 09:33:48 PM
Awesome job.  Awesome buck :tup:

I don't  know what 7mm's talking about, most wives love bucks in the kitchen sink :dunno:

I know my wife loves venison in the sink.. Awesome buck!  :IBCOOL:
I feel bad for guys that don't have wife's that appreciates venison in the sink.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: jmscon on November 15, 2019, 11:16:13 PM
Great buck, congrats!!
I’ve never seen those green ticks before, interesting.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Old Man Yager on November 16, 2019, 04:44:42 PM
Awesome story and buck, congrats!
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: JasonG on November 17, 2019, 10:23:27 AM
Dude!!!! You put in the time!! It happened!! I know how hard you worked for that !!! Awesome
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Bob33 on November 17, 2019, 11:29:35 AM
That's absolutely fantastic. Great job. That's a deer and memory you will never forget.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: LeeRay on November 17, 2019, 12:34:29 PM
Fantastic story and very well written. Thank you for posting.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: NOCK NOCK on November 17, 2019, 04:48:23 PM
Congrats on a beautiful buck.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Rainier10 on November 17, 2019, 05:11:31 PM
Way to go man. Not sure how I missed this thread. I’ve been waiting for it since you told me about the success.

I’m so happy it finally came together and that your mom was there.

This should give you a ton of confidence.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Okanagan on November 17, 2019, 05:21:37 PM
What a great story!

Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: JakeLand on November 17, 2019, 05:36:39 PM
Good job ! Great finish to a long overdue season! And don’t let Turner fool you he’s spoiled by the boss of the house
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on November 17, 2019, 06:45:15 PM
Awesome buck and a great memory!!  Congratulations
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: ThurstonCokid on November 18, 2019, 07:09:41 AM
That’s a nice buck! Great story as well thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: boneaddict on November 18, 2019, 07:17:07 AM
Nice job :tup:, thanks for sharing your story with us.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: scrapperdude on November 18, 2019, 07:32:29 AM
Congrats on your buck, not sure I would put the head in the house with the ticks and dogs but great job
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on November 18, 2019, 12:36:43 PM
Just saw this thread.  Really happy for you!  As a self-taught hunter who didn't kill a deer until my third year, I really related to all of your posts.  Congrats to you and your mom.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: b0bbyg on November 18, 2019, 01:33:24 PM
Congrats, great pictures and write up. Being able to share an experience like that just makes it twice as rewarding and fun.

I have never seen ticks that big, I would be checking and itching for days after seeing those.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: fishnfur on November 20, 2019, 10:32:36 PM
Congrats again on getting 'er done.   That will give you the confidence in the future to make a plan and stick with it.  Many times, hunting just comes down to staying out in the field until something you get a chance to see a buck up and moving and take appropriate action.   :hunter:
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: cb1989 on November 21, 2019, 06:20:25 AM
Awesome deer man. Glad you could make it happen. WA blacktails are still solidly eluding me.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Elkpiss on November 21, 2019, 04:42:47 PM
wow fantastic, those are some great memories made with your Mother.. Congradualtions man..  :tup: :tup:
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: pianoman9701 on November 22, 2019, 07:19:06 AM
Great job and a nice buck.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Buckhunter24 on November 22, 2019, 07:56:45 AM
My earlier season hunting had been half-hearted, as I knew I wanted to hunt with my mom during late season rifle. I had a Weyco pass and had bought her one as well to accompany me, and as my interest in hunting has a lot to do with familial bonding and maintaining tradition, I really wanted to share that with her. The antlers hanging in my house are from my grandpa back in the 1960s and his legacy is one I am trying to honor (along with the hundred other reasons I hunt).

After a near-miss on a heavy bodied 3 point on Halloween, I knew where I wanted to be coming opening morning. We parked a ways off from the cut I wanted to hunt, and as the fog was blowing in I took out my phone to take a picture of my mom. This hunt was about time with my mom, not success on a deer.
As I photographed her glassing a ridge near the cut, she whispered "I think I see a deer!"

Now, my mom jokes like this all the time so I was 100% certain she was pulling my chain, and I said so. She responded "Honey, I think I see a deer and I think it has antlers".
Keep in mind this is about 2 minutes after getting to that cut. I pull out my binos and sure enough, a beautiful buck with a regal crown of antlers is standing on the opposite ridge staring at us fully alert. I immediately whispered to my mom "Don't move".
I slowly stowed my binos and went prone, only to realize that there was more of a hump in the hill than I expected and I couldn't see the deer through my scope when prone. I quietly removed my pack and propped the rifle on it - still no line of sight.
Sure that I'd blown it, I sat on my butt and propped the rifle on my knee to stabilize. Finally a shot window! Somehow the buck hadn't moved, and I settled my breathing and pulled the trigger. My scope didn't move much and I maintained focus but the deer had vanished. He'd vanished so quickly that I knew I had to have dropped him in his tracks. The shot was 176 yards with a .308.

My mom was panicking as she'd lost him in the binos and thought we'd wounded him. She wanted to track right through that cut and find out. Somehow, I was calm and composed and told her that we needed to stealthily loop around the road and come across to get a better approach angle on his position so that we can decide how to handle it.

We reached a hill that gave us a better vantage but neither of us could glass him up. I hiked through some brutal cut debris and eventually found him laying there, and my heart raced. I contained a loud yell of celebration but only barely. I hiked back up to my mom, told her the good news, and we went to get the truck.

My mom is fairly disabled so it took us a long time to get her down to where the deer was, but it was worth it. She got to share the entire experience start to finish with me and she couldn't be prouder. She said my grandpa would've had a big smile on his face. My mom fondly reminds me that my grandpa never said "I love you" to anyone until I was born, and then it unlocked something and he was able to express himself.

Last night we got home, stowed the meat safely and both slept like the dead. We get the rest of the weekend to hang out, talk, and celebrate.

I've been a whiny, petulant child about my frustrations with hunting. I learned a lot this season, and now I know: This is possible. I can do this. It won't be easy, but it *will* be rewarding.
Thanks for all the help. I've had a lot of support from these forums.

Special thanks: Rainier, 7mmFan, others I've chatted with

Right on thats a nice buck!

And bold move with the head on the counter my wife would kill me :chuckle:
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: ljsommer on February 25, 2023, 05:47:33 PM
My mom passed away this morning at home. Last night I was holding her hand and talking to her until 1am and she was looking at the very pictures from this thread, framed on her wall.
I am sorry for replying to an old thread but I wanted you to know, because she was an amazing woman and the world is a little colder today.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Jake Dogfish on February 25, 2023, 05:53:14 PM
Sorry to hear that.  We lost another hunter.  God bless.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: teanawayslayer on February 25, 2023, 05:56:57 PM
Sorry for your loss! Prayers sent
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: HillHound on February 25, 2023, 06:02:07 PM
So glad you were able to share that experience with her and reminisce the good times. Sorry for your loss
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Alan K on February 25, 2023, 07:07:52 PM
So sorry to hear!  I remember this thread well, all the effort you put in and it finally came together. I remember thinking about how awesome it was for your mom to be there to share the experience with you.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Dan-o on February 25, 2023, 07:17:43 PM
So sorry for your loss. 

I'm glad you and she got that last hunt in. 
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: 7mmfan on February 25, 2023, 09:07:09 PM
Lars I'm sorry to hear that. I'm glad you were able to be there with her in the end.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 25, 2023, 09:52:21 PM
Sorry for your loss sir. Prayers sent to you and your family as you go through these challenging times
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: redi on February 25, 2023, 10:34:38 PM
Congrats.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: TVHunts on February 26, 2023, 06:18:45 AM
Sorry for your loss....many condolences and prayers for you and your family.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: MightyWhite on February 26, 2023, 07:06:54 AM
Good memories! I am so sorry about your Ma
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: NW SURVEYOR on February 26, 2023, 09:51:38 AM
Sorry to hear about your loss, your mom sounds like a very special person.
I'm sure that you know how lucky you are to have had her as a friend as well as a parent.
Like my deceased dad is with me, your mom will always be with you on your hunting adventures.

Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: Sitka_Blacktail on February 26, 2023, 09:55:22 AM
So cool that your mom hunted with you. Sorry for your loss.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: sladich88 on March 01, 2023, 11:15:46 AM
Sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing the story of hunting with your mom and having success. May she rest in peace
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: hunter399 on March 01, 2023, 11:30:44 AM
Heck ya ,congrats.
Also sorry.
Title: Re: First success in hunting: blacktail buck
Post by: OutHouse on March 01, 2023, 11:36:27 AM
I hope you find some peace and comfort knowing that she was there with you an a tremendous hunt, that you two built wonderful memories together, and that her spirit gets to continue living through you.
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