In an attempt to help get this site back on track with a hunting story, I'm posting a story about some Whitetail firsts with my family and friends.
Years ago, reading some terrific threads here on HBC about WT hunters and their successes, along with pics of some great times with friends and families, combined with a life altering change in my health brought me to reach out for some helpful advise. I PMed a few on here, and with some great helpful suggestions for tips on areas, methods, seasons etc etc, our pursuit of the WTail grew.
Im getting closer to 60 now, have hunted in some way shape or form since following my dad pheasant and duck hunting in the early 60's. I got the hunting bug big time early in life. Begging to go with pops any chance I could. Dad usually hunted waterfowl, pheasants, deer and moose. A man out hunting for table fare for his family, and of course time with the buddy's. Mom would accompany him along with a few other wives of his friends on those big moose hunts up north from time to time. I begged to tag along but always got the ...... Wait till your older, OK fair enough.
My bro and I kept the pressure on dad to get back into bird hunting for ducks, geese and pheasants which we did for several years, but we wanted more. We wanted to hunt deer, big game. The pressure was on poor dad to satisfy these young guns dreams.
So came the time to start going on the odd deer hunt with dad, carrying an old Winchester pump in 22WRF. Cool! In my mind I was starting my big game hunting, although I was the designated grouse gun, picking off one every once in a while. But I wanted more then the ruffed grouse of the Harrison mountains, I wanted to hunt deer. We would have to wait longer as dad kind of grew away from his pursuits of big game for the time being and my bro and I needed to be older to go on our own. Those years went by slowly, but when the time finally came for us to hunt by ourselves dad again joined back in. We were going deer hunting.
We all hunted together for mostly Mule deer and moose with some success, until the drive grew larger and larger to reach out for more big game adventures. At the same time dads desire was fading so it was up to us to get out there and just do it. Which we did. I was lucky enough in my early adulthood to have work schedule that favoured me to be out for several days at a time, while my brother wasn't so lucky and only had weekends off. My horizons broadened.
With that the White Tail became on the hit list. We didn't live any where near WTail range , it was a long drive compared to what we were used too.
My desire grew for these cagey buggers. I found them to be flighty, fast, lightening speed compared to the mule deer and Blacktail we previously hunted. Cool! The challenge before me grew greater, I appreciated the WTail deer more and more.
So like many others from the Lowermainland, Rock Creek and surrounding areas was where I cut my teeth on the Whitey. Many years past with success on several small bucks, leh does. I needed more. The West and East Kootenays were what we were told was the areas to go to find some better bucks and more deer. Wow what a road trip, yes I found deer, lots of them matter fact. But...... never hunting late seasons the same old continued, small bucks and LEH does. All by still hunting or while traveling to and or from hunting spots. I liked all these hunts if the WTail, never ever did combine it with a Mule deer or Elk hunt. Always wished for the last of the season hunts in cold snowy weather but never did it happen.
We just got used to being happy with what we had, some success and great eating deer along with tremendous shares with family and friends when some could make it. I always wanted the big buck WTail but wasn't helping myself in any way by not opening horizons on how when and what to do to be good what it takes for the big guys.
Then, like many other hunters my goals changed, Elk, Goat, Sheep, Caribou more Moose and Mule deer became on the hit list. For years this consumed me as the WTail took a back seat to my desires of bigger better things. Little did I know just what it does take to harvest a big Whitey buck.
Sorry about the several post thing...... The time out thing becomes a hassle. Back to the story.
So now, after many many years of terrific hunting experiences with to many people to mention and great successes on a wide range of BC game, the last couple years has come back to the WTail with me and my family sharing some great times together. My lovely wife has joined me several times over the years, but in the last couple has shown more desire to harvest, along with two grown up daughters that have completed their CORE and also want and desire more rather then just a camping trip while dad hunts.
With the change to my health of not being able to go like I used too, and the amazing help of some new to us friends, the WTail have become more of a target. A fit fir my family and I . Allowing us time together, both in and out if season figuring these critters and their habits out. The helpful tips and suggestions, from those more educated on the WTail habits and habitat have been so greatly appreciated. You know who you are. We are very grateful to you! We've been out there finding trails, pinch points, habitat the WT hang out more frequently in. We've set up cameras, in attempt to find what works and even who's in the area. Which has been quite an eye opener, Bear, Deer of both types,Elk, Moose Cats and Dogs ....... It's all new to us this style of hunting and is like going to a candy store as a kid to check a July, Aug, early Sept Camera or two. It's family time were sharing and enjoying every bit of it along with a couple close friends. Great shares together.
I don't think there's a finer game animal in this province. They're everymans deer form new hunters to old guys like me.
I think any white tail buck taken in the bush is a trophy.
2016 October any WTail season rolls in, my wife and I are in the best position we could be in with some help from a terrific mentor and the homework he's done for the area. We're hunting out of a ground blind, in an area of pinch points, a number of trails. It's my wife's goal to tag her first deer. From daylight to dark, we sit in the blind with a number of opportunities for experienced hunters .....but four days passed until she gets the perfect broadside and still shot at a big WT doe. I am so proud of her for waiting for the perfect chance, as she steadies on the target the big doe and likely her yearling have no idea were there. Slowly and calmly she squeezes the trigger, boom! A perfect hit through the boiler room, a number few short leaps and the task is complete. My wife's first big game animal. I admire her patience, her ethics for a perfect shot. It was bang on! As many of you know, your first and any harvest is with mixed emotions, this was no different. She was proud, but no one more prouder of her than me. Tag was cut, pics taken, then onto the field lessons of cleaning, hanging and skinning. What a great day! A quick call to family and our mentor followed the tasks at hand.
I tagged a WTail doe the next day as well, we sat around camp, enjoyed the outdoors and the comfort of our wall tent Glamping not camping lol. With some terrific eating venison and memories that will last our lifetimes we headed home.
I returned in late October with my best hunting partner of all time DH..... Boots on the ground we found a few more spots we thought would produce for WT and notably bucks. He would still have opportunity at a doe if the opportunity came. Well we worked at it for four more days, daylight to dark, cam's showed we were in the right places, it was just if they would show during legal shooting light. Sign was good, cam pics interesting as some subjects looked better than others. Time was running out, DH closed the deal on a fine lone doe, other friends that had attempted to join us a few days just grew frustrated with what it took to bag the WTail. Their patience thin, they left empty. So be it, they aren't the stand there and stare, wait, look back again Mule Deer they were used to.
I crossed my my fingers and hoped I could return for them late season bucks I've always heard about. We will see.
Again 2016, My cousin and I returned nearing the end of the November gun season in hopes of cold cold weather and deep snow to drive the big boys down. Well, it didn't happen, rain at 4000 feet, unreal. We did a combination of hunting, he still hunted while I sat again in the blind. With little activity, and no weather push I decided I'd take the first buck that came if any. As I was making a five to ten year plan for the WT buck of my dreams to come along, and likely the rain wasn't helping me. No sign of rut activity, camera showed night time little bucks and does. I'd take what I could get.
Sure enough, a little fella came in on day three in daylight hours, boom! He's on the ground, cuz and I won't be skunked .......another great eating WTail was headed to the lower mainland . My cousin was tired and soaked from still hunting for a few days with only long distance sightings of fleeing WTail. I coaxed him into the blind. Never having done this style before for any of us, it is a big change, but IT WORKS, lol. At about ten minutes of last legal light, a small basket racked 5x4 no wider then 12 inches approaches from down the hill. Confirmed WT Cuz, your good to go, and with the turn to broadside, boom, the buck is dropped! Smiles all round as another tag is cut and our work begins. Great shares with those who mean so much to us.
All firsts for us ........ In the pursuit of WTail.
So 2017 rolls around. Early May, Black Bear are open and there's WTail recon to complete.
Our homework begins, new bigger areas to pursue, better trails to find. Boots on the ground, this is going to take some time and lessons of where and when. We mount several cameras in numberous spots, some questionable as we try to figure out what's going to benefit our goals best. It's all a learning curve. Dominate wind direction, pinch points, game trails, shelter and protection, rut lines etc etc ...... We're still learning and I have a feeling we always will with these adaptable critters known as the White Tail . Cool ..... New challenges ahead. It's fun and certainly not a given with these smart buggers. I'm up to it, as my health can't allow me what I was so used too for many many years, that's ok it's fun period !
As as were busy doing what we're doing, I'm waiting for buddy roadside sitting on my tail gate. All hell is breaking loose in the bush beside me ....... Crash snap etcetc, out of the bush and crossing the road come two WT does and a Buck already showing some good growth for May..... Flying across the road ....... And right behind them a Black Bear in hot pursuit. Making this the last two Black Bear I'd seen were in hot chase of deer, likely one of these does was ready to have her fawn ....... No chance for a shot at Blacky ...... Dam. Save a deer shoot a Pred is my logic.
So with cam's set, we revisited locations through July, August and into September with pics of various wildlife, but most gratifying, our target species, Some nice WT bucks, a few wide, a few tall, a few non tippys and yes does fawns and small bucks. Cool this looks interesting for the up coming season.
With plans set for my wife and I to be joined by our two girls and a boyfriend that just completed his CORE, we all headed out of the Lowermainland excited for what lay ahead, but a long drive and set up for a week would take time. How often would we be able to all do this together with careers, growing families etc etc. It was all a bonus to heading out together as a family anticipating what lay ahead.
Finally arriving at our chosen spot for more Glamping with bonus of a comfy huge wall tent, we set up. We were eager to get out there. Wifey and I took them all out to a number of spots we thought would offer best opportunity to the all green new hunters that had never harvested their own game. We discussed the whys, when and what of each spot, with that, we set up a couple blinds, checked cam's and replaced the chips, we would view them fire side that night in anticipation of tomorrow's daylight hunt.
After a rather restless night for us all from having to reboot the wood stove to the restlessness of the unknown for many, morning coffees were served well before daylight. A quick oatmeal cereal was downed by us all and we headed out with headlamps on, as we searched for our trail markers into our blind locations well before daylight.
I sat in one blind with a newbie, the wife in the other blind with the other two. Sitting in silence, taking it all in the share together in the middle of the forests we all knew had active Cougar, Bear the odd Dog and yes, ungulates of various species but ...... We all waited for the WTail we knew were around. Would they show, could our newbies pull it off with out being detected by the wary WT ....... The new crew wanted lunch breaks ..... I reluctantly agreed.
Lunch down, back out we went, a quick check of a cam, and dammit! We shouldn't have left, but we did, within ten minutes of leaving one camera had a doe pass through. Thems the breaks. Told ya so lol. So, a few days went by, a few quick chances had came and gone for the newbies, they just were not quick enough, but with me driving home proper shot placement and ethics, no shots were fired. Again I was proud these guys were holding off for the right shot ! Good on you guys.
Then, as my youngest daughter was doing great, her patience tested, waiting on a big WTail doe to get into the right position for a shot, it was only a matter of time. This was going to be her first deer. Darkness came closer, she remained calm. I was grinning from ear to ear, then a loud boom sounded a ways to our right, was it our other hunting party members, we crossed our fingers as the doe we watched what seemed for ever took off. We Waited a short time, picked up the radio and YES ! Confirmation, deer down! We packed up and went to their aid for some field dressing lessons.
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