My 2017 Blacktails PT 2
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showth...lacktails-PT-1
After I shot buck my first buck I went back to my original area and hunted 3 more full days dawn to dusk but only saw does. On the 28th I woke up at 5 and decided to go back to sleep, hunting is a waste of time and I was tired. Well Turns out I hit the snooze button and my alarm went off at 5:10 this time I decided hunting is the best and I should drag my lazy ass outta bed and go hike around in the rain! So I did. I drove to the trailhead, hiked the 45 minutes into my spot and started still hunting. I was working my way along the edge of an opening and a big ridge that runs straight up the mountain I get about half way up the opening when I cross a well pronounced game trail heading from the opening to the ridge, the trail climbs in elevation. I figure I may as well head for the fresh snow as I'm only a few hundred feet below snowline. As I'm about to crest the ridge I see movement above me it's 3 does. I watch them, they watch me. I can't tell if they have a buck following them I start going to blow that same stupid doe bleat and I see another deer off to the left. Before I can get a good look at the mystery deer they have worked there way behind a rock and are gone my wind is good and i figure I'll close some distance while they're out of sight I get to the top of the ridge and see a deer at full sprint disappear over the far side of the ridge down a steep ass talus slope.
I figure I must have been too aggressive and spooked them, just blew my best chance since my last buck. I peek over and see a deer running below me, I think I see antler and there is another animal running behind it. Then it looks like they are fighting. I have never seen bucks chase each other like that so I tried to move up the ridge to get a less obstructed look the timber is thick and i can only catch the odd glimpse of movement but I can hear rocks flying and crashing they are maybe 75 yards down the hill. Then right in front of me I notice a cougar, crouched, facing away from me at maybe 25 feet, its Intent on what I now realise is another cougar killing a deer. I stay quiet and watch it as it slowly stalks its way down towards this commotion. I can hear a struggle but I can't see anything anymore. I waited there about 15 minutes, the commotion got patchy, it would be quiet and then I would hear thrashing, then quiet etc. I don't know for sure what happened. But I'm confident I was hearing the deer kicking as it died. The cat I saw was young and could well have been hunting with its mother. I started VERY slowly picking my way down the slope towards the commotion to get a better look until I heard a yowl from below me. I figured I better not push my luck and backed out back to the ridge top.
cougar 1 by jeff J, on Flickr
At this point I'm thinking it's not going to happen for me today. I've read how spooky BTs are and I figure if there is a family of cougars in the area there is a good chance those guys aint hanging around. But what do I know! I may not be a great hunter, but I am stubborn as hell, so I decide to keep working my way up the ridge. I put some distance between me and the cats and continue to still hunt. At this point I'm up in the fresh snow and not cutting any fresh tracks I stop eat a snack look at the GPS. I've gained 2500 feet in elevation I figure I'll go for an even 3000 and then head her home. A few mutes later I spot some movement and with the naked eye it looks like a massive antler is sticking out from behind a tree. I get shakey excited, throw up the binos... aaaaaand its a branch. I put the binos back in the harness take a few steps but I just have to check again... Its still a branch but Id swear I saw movement. Then I see a bedded buck staring at me, laying in a shadow right in front of the tree this stick is hiding behind. I take a few steps towards a fallen log and rest the rifle. Just as I get on him he hops up and walks over a small roll, I can only see his head. I'm pretty confident that if I scare him I can follow tracks and get back on him so I decide to be aggressive. I'm downwind so I start moving toward him and uphill to try to get an angle on him. I get into about 50 yards and see 2 other deer, they are does they don't seem spooked they seem more concerned with keeping away from the buck. I keep moving uphill from them, I get to about 30 yards and I notice another buck. He's bigger. He starts moving downhill away from me, so I blow that stupid little doe bleat and he stops turns around and takes a few steps. I still don't have a shot and its starting to look like he's gonna run. The other buck is a nice 2 point he's perfectly broadside focussed on the does, but I figure I'll take the risk and go for a slightly bigger deer, why not. I try the doe bleat again and.... its broken. It just makes an awful hissy screach sound. I'm done I though I blew, it I guess that's why you don't buy your calls at Canada tire. the buck and I stare at each other for at least 3 or 4 minutes and then starts working his way back to the does. I can't believe it. I go to put my hearing pro in before I take the shot and all of a sudden he turns broadside in a tiny shooting lane. The call is in my mouth so I blow it to stop him and that stupid Bleat thing doesn't make a sound... he walks right through the shooting lane. now he's working his way along this little tiny rollover. If he walks down any further i won't be able to see him and if he walks up ill have a shot. Poor guy made a mistake and took a step up the hill, I have a clear shot. The trusty old Tikka goes BOOM.
I look up and no deer. I listen... nothing. It's only maybe 20-30 yards to where he was so I quietly pick my way over there's a doe standing pretty much in his tracks. Am I crazy? Did I just shoot at a doe? Then I see him down below me, he's struggling to walk down the slope. I was confident with my shot but I wasn't taking any chances. I shot again he jumped and crashed down the slope. I didn't wait, I walked down there immediately, he's stone dead and his body is HUGE. Cut him up, boned most of it out, thew it in the pack and had one hell of a shitty walk back to the truck. weighed the meat when i got home it was 138 lbs (thats including his head) 4 days ago now and i still feel it. He's my first (I think) mature Blacktail. Couldn't be more pumped on my best year hunting to date. Region 2 finally produced two awesome Blacktails for me.
Anyone who's not having success this year, keep at it! Don't quit. it's not over until it's over.
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