2019 Blacktail Early Season activity reports - anybody seeing bucks?

[Skyvalhunter]

 

[fishnfur]

0900:  Had a spike chase a doe out into the cut I was sitting on this AM. Cold and windy but they didn't care. She ran like hell and finally lost the little guy.  She came down right in front of my blind and hung out a bit.  Her tail was sticking straight out, horizontal to the ground.  Hot Doe!!!  She stands there a bit, tucks herself into the brush, puts her butt to the wind so that it carries her scent downwind of her and into the sloped, heavy brushed in area farther down the draw.  I"m thinking GOLDEN TICKET!

0915:  I planned on a pretty quick response because of where she positioned herself to the stand of Alder, brush and inpenetrable thicket.  I can see her ears working as she's listening for her suitor.  Less than 10 minutes later, mature 3-point massive bodied buck jumps out of the brush and they are in love......

[blackveltbowhunter]

That is a terrible leave fishnfur

[Bullkllr]

Dude...that's just wrong!

[sagerat]

No kidding, where’s the grip and grin already...

[elkrack]

There’s was a heavy 3 point cruisin along the Jersey barrier along 1-5 at the Tacoma dome this morning  if I had a passenger they would have been able to give the buck a high five

[fishnfur]

I wish there was a happy ending to the story.  I'd been hoping for the 3 X 4 or the wide forkie thqt I had caught on my cam earlier in the season.  This buck comes in, he's easily five, maybe six years old, and an almost replica (but bigger) of the buck I killed there five years ago.  Just a gorgeous animal.  He was golden in the sun, probably somewhere between summer and winter coats.  I saw the antlers and even though he was pretty wide, I was going to pass on him, but once he stepped out into the clearing, it became apparent that this was not a deer to pass on, even though it was not the ones I'd hoped for.

I grabbed my gun while he was hopping around the doe, seemingly very happy to meet her.  I clicked off the safety and put the crosshairs just behind his shoulder and took the shot.  He reared up on his hind legs, swung around in a 180 and fell to the ground.  He got up after a second ran about 10 feet, and fell again.  He stayed there for maybe five seconds.  He started to get up again, so I jacked another round into my chamber and he hopped  for another 10 yards and fell.  I tried to put another shot in him there.  He fell with his head and antlers facing me and the rest of his body hidden in the brush.  I put my scope on him, but the morning sun at 0930 was reflecting into my scope at the direction he was laying from me. I couldn't see anything clearly, so I just watched.  He tried to get up once more, but didn't get anything more than a struggle to get up before he gave up and lay still. 

So, as is the norm for me, I swear that is the last buck I will ever kill, since I really hate killing these beautiful animals.  I suck up my gut and ready myself for an afternoon of hard work (I hate work these days...I'm retired).  While I'm getting my gear ready to get out of the blind, the doe comes back to look for her boyfriend.  I sit patiently and let her look around and once I can no longer see her, exit the elevated blind and head out to get my rig.  I'm taking my time since it's still early and I've got all day to suffer through the work ahead.  I open the forest gate and drive in, find some timbers to lay on the tailgate so I can slide the deer up onto the bed of the truck.  I came back about 45 minutes, plus or minus 5 minutes later to get the buck. 

Last summer, I'd bought a deer drag utility sled/toboggan looking thing made out of plastic that seemed perfect to help me get a deer out of this spot, so I emptied my hunting pack except for knives, game bags, etc,  Trying to keep my load light, because I've got a bad back, I left my gun in the truck and headed out loaded only with the sled and the pack with butchering gear. 

I work my way out to where I shot the deer, dragging that stupid sled behind me, looking for the buck in the waist-tall brush and blackberries.  I've got a good idea where he is, but from ground level, 30ish feet below my blind, I can't see him like I could from the top of the hill.  I'm working my way back and forth, knowing that I am close, and suddenly the brush erupts!  That freeking buck is up and running up the hill.  He stops 25 - 30 yards up the hill from me, turns, quartering away, and just looks at me over his shoulder.  He's not moving, just looking at me.  I'm standing there with that stupid sled in one hand and an imaginary big swinging **** in the other.  I have no response.  I'm standing there looking at a resurrected ghost of a buck, basically flipping me off, and I cannot do anything at all.  I just mentally mark his location, turn and walk away.  '

I felt sick, since I didn't believe the animal would live.  I couldn't figure out what kind of shot would allow a buck to get up 45 minutes after being shot and run away like it had never happened.  The rifled 20 ga. slug gun was zeroed at 3.5 inches high at 100 yards so that it would be zero at 150  yards, and it was accurate.  Tops, my shot shouldn't have been higher than 4.5 inches high in my mind.  On a deer this size, it should have been a kill shot.  Whatever the case, it was enough to drop it and keep it immobile for 45 minutes, and then the deer was all better.   To be safe, I pulled out and gave the deer 2.5 hours then returned and did grid searches of the hillside of where he was headed when he gave me the finger.  I never found any blood, and quite obviously, never found him. 

After the fact, I've got a feeling that perhaps I backstrapped him with the shot, stunning his spinal chord so that he couldn't run. By the time I'd got back to him, He'd recovered enough to get up and go.  I'm now feeling like he was not mortally wounded.  He looked too alive when I saw him, too normal.  He's likely got a bad flesh wound that hopefully will heal without complications.

I totally destroyed the area looking for him this afternoon.  I bumped three does from beds and left my stink all over the spot.  Times like these, I think about taking up a new sport......  What to do tomorrow??

[7mmfan]

Man that is rough. I'm going to say something, and it is in no way meant to be derogatory or demeaning, it comes from my own personal experience very similar to this. I was with my dad when he neck shot a cow elk several years ago. She tipped right over in her bed, lights out. Rather than moving g directly to her to make sure,  he walked away to get his pack, odds and ends, something I dont remember,  but he'd be gone a few minutes. In that time frame, I watched the cow wake up, stagger around, gain her feet and then bed down again. As dad approached from a different direction probably 10 minutes later she got up and left like nothing ever happened.

Moral of the story,  if you think they're dead, make sure they're dead before you walk off to get stuff. Just eliminates one more potential situation like this.

I feel your pain, I'm with you though, I think you rattled him good somehow, but it probably won't kill him. Get back out there and give them hell until it's over in a couple days.

[fishnfur]

Thanks man.  Been a tough day.  Easy to second guess every move you make in the woods.  There's a lot of mistakes to be made.  I'm just getting tired of making them.  I just hope the deer is OK.

[TriggerMike]

You never went and checked out the buck before heading to the truck...? I couldn't imagine doing that. Anyway, I'd give it a day then be back in there on Halloween. Sounds like he was rutting pretty good, he'll be back at some point.

[TriggerMike]

On a different note, saw a very big buck today with a doe at 5:00 PM on the edge of a cut, heading up into the timber. Couldn't get a shot though. She was running, and he was chasing her. Hopefully he'll be in there 1 of the next 2 evenings.

[fishngamereaper]

Ouch man.. that's a tough pill to swallow... animals are tough, I've knocked them down before and always go directly at them for that very reason..had couple over the years get a second wind. Keep at it and don't consider that cut busted. If it's got the cover and the feed the deer will be back..your scent doesn't last that long.

[7mmfan]

Keep at it and don't consider that cut busted. If it's got the cover and the feed the deer will be back..your scent doesn't last that long.

I agree with this as well. They have such a small home territory, that I highly doubt the does will leave. Even if that buck is "gun shy" now, others will be moving through checking on that hot doe. There will be more opportunities.

[brokentrail]

@fishnfur I have a similar story from last year's season with my youngest shooting his first deer.  He had a youth doe permit in an any buck area.  I glassed a deer feeding just after daybreak on the edge of a cut.  I directed him to where, we spent a few minutes so he could find it, then he got setup in his shooting sticks and let one fly.  I saw the deer jerk and move off and lay down.  Where it laid down at was out of our sight.  We waited 30 minutes as I was being cautious not knowing where he hit it at.  After 30 minutes we started easing up there and at about 40 yards from it, it stands up.  I help him get on his sticks again and tell he's got to get another one in him.  He shot 3 more times, the last shot I heard the thunk and knew he hit it again.  So, by this time he has shot the 4 shells I had in the gun, I didnt have extras with me.  I leave him to watch again where the deer laid down and off I go almost 2 miles back to the truck to get more shells.  Then back up the hill to where he has at.  He said the deer didn't get up, so we reloaded and eased up there and thankfully found him expired.

I said all of that to say this, his first shot went through the meat of the brisket.  Had we not shot him again, I think it would have healed over and he'd have lived.  The first one hit him and shocked him enough that he laid down but it certainly wasn't a kill shot.

I'm sorry you lost one that you hit, it's a really bad feeling, I know, I've been there.

Hang in there and try not to get down on yourself.  It happens and is an unfortunate part of hunting.

Hope you get another chance at him!

[trophyhunt]

Burned some fuel today in Hancock kapowsin , since walking or riding is not happening!  Got there at first light, didn’t see a single deer!  Where’s this rut bs I’ve been hearing about?? Taking my dad in the am, hoping the South Gate is better than king creek was!