500 Bucks (dial up beware)

[jrebel]

Bone....I love your pics!!  Wish you were with me today so I could have captured a quality pick of a monster 4x4....guessing he was 30-32 wide.  My pics just don't do him justice. 

[boneaddict]

Thanks jrebel. 

[Pete112288]

Good golly, haha, and to think... all I am begging for is 1

[BiggLuke]

That's my goal this November.  I am hitting the deer woods and want to see 500 bucks and get as many of them on film that I can, or that are worthy. 

.

You still use FILM?!?!?       

[brianmtsinc]

WOW!  Great stuff Bone!!!    
THANKS FOR SHARING!!! 

[boneaddict]

Started out real slow this morning but finally picked up.

31 bucks today  Didn't count the doe, that was too much of a pain.   More doe, less bucks today.   Total 308

[dblungshot]

What a pic! Great job Bone!

[Timberstalker]

Gettin close Bone. What % complete would you say the muley rut is? 60%?

[packmule]

Along the same lines as Timberstalkers post, how many more days do plan on being out there. . . I'm doing the mental calculations trying to figure out if you'll reach 500.  308 is a lot of bucks!

[Pete112288]

I am on the same page as a few others earlier on this topic. I'd love to see someone like yourself go see what they can do on the west side for blacktail. I know of a few folks up north that do it and get some stud bucks on camera but what I'd kill to see is how someone good as yourself would fair in the SW area, like between Washougal unit and the coast.

[boneaddict]

I am sure it will happen Pete.   

The rut is waning.  I was going to post that in the last count, but I hadn't convinced myself of that yet.  Yesterday I photo'd a couple almost "bachelor groups", that were with a couple does but not really interested and not competeing.   One had 7 bucks.  Then on the flip side, I had one with 9 bucks, and they were still interested in one doe.  That's also sort of a sign.   The big boys are also down a lot (getting tired).  If they don't have a nose in a tail they are on the ground either next to the doe (midday) or close by.   There are also large groups of does that aren't being covered.  Bucks will show up, check them out and move on.  I don't think I am going to hit 500.   Too much family time.  I am home for a couple days with a daughters birthday and soccer, then switching gears and going whitetail.   I usually don't spot near the number of whitetails.   Yesterday was almost slow again.  I got a big one right at first light, then nothing for a long time, then the fog came in.  DANG IT!   I got right on top of a 5x4, but only got fog pics at close range.   Talk about longbow range.   I could have speared him with the arrow without the bow.  I finally went in the low country and my numbers jumped as I spotted and worked the groups I mentioned.  Right at sunset I got in on a buck and should have gotten some good light pics on him.  I spotted a bigger one bedded on the hill in the rocks but didn't think I could get to him in time if at all.   He was watching me at over a mile away.   That's not usually a good sign.

Yesterdays buck count.....42 muleys, 4 whitetail, total 46 bucks      TOTAL 354
todays buck count 6 benchlegs/muleys ........................................TOTAL 360   

[boneaddict]

I blew a really good photo yesterday.  I had spotted an old buck bedded and a group of does (and smaller bucks).  I decided to make a move on him.  First thing I did was forget my 2x extender.   Guess I will need to get closer....  I started down this gulley/gut.  I was thinking, man this would be a good spot for a trailcamera.  Might have to put a post in the ground.   ( I am having trail camera coversations in my head now, trying to convince myself if I should try this hobby or not)  Pretty obvious pickings for a permit guy though.   ....back to the trail, it starts widening at the base of the coulee.  There is a whitetail doe feeding, probably 50 feet.  She hasn't picked up on me.  She heard something but looked the wrong way.  I immediately look for bones in the deep grass.   Nothing sticking up.  I am carrying my camera on a monopod, so put it up and snap a couple pics.  At that close range, she hears the clicking.  She stomps her foot at full attention. Then she jumps about 4 feet and blows.  At this time 6 muley does stand up.  WHOA.   Now I am thinking muley buck.   She snorts and takes off.  I take two steps and there standing with his head low, a gorgeous whitetail buck.   I unshoulder my camera and go to pull the trigger (it focuses of course) boom, gone.   I haven't checked yet to see if I got anything but a blur.   I have no idea where he went.  Really open country, but don't know.    I was sort of exposed looking for him to the other bucks I was filming, so I gave up, and began that part of the expedition.

[boneaddict]

sorry for the blur........thought youd still like to see him

[jrebel]

   What a great whitetail....didn't even notice the blur while staring at his horns.  Great shot.

[JackOfAllTrades]

I've seen that 'White Flag' before!   
 
-Steve