caddisgirl bags a blacktail buck

[Onesock]

Just wondering why you had trigger locks on your rifles?

[caddisguy]

good story Caddisguy. and congrats to the Mrs. I cant wait to get out tommorrow. we've spoke about your usual areas. and I'm heading out tomorrow morning just over the mountain from you in the next valley. gonna be a long day of tough hiking in knarly blacktail country. I hope my day ends as well as yours did.

Thanks! We hope yours ends as well, but has less drama in the process!

[caddisguy]

You are just thinking of finding the deer and she is just standing by the creek. Her time is going by slowly and your time is going fast.

...

I hope I didnt sound mean but us women we worry when our man takes off and is gone longer then he says.

You hit the nail on the head there naturegirl. I read your post to caddisgirl and she agrees 100%

I figure peak frustration was after all she went through physically, followed by all the worry, climbing back up to me up the slope with both packs and her rifle with the earth just eroding slowing progress and thinking the chase/tracking is still mid way as it had not registered that "the buck stopped".

She might actually be the toughest animal in Region 2. Tougher than me that's for sure.

[caddisguy]

Just wondering why you had trigger locks on your rifles?

It's a good question. I just keep trigger locks on everything at home by default (even though technically they are not needed there since they are in a safe) Normally if I am solo hunting or it's just two people and two guns we take the trigger locks off before we leave home. I always have one or two in the Jeep just in case I need to leave something unattended for whatever reason. The only time I really leave a lock on anything is if there is a third gun in play (perhaps a shotgun for grouse on the drive home) which is going to get left in the car while we are out deer hunting. Or if I am walking round looking for birds and leave the rifle behind, sometimes I will just take the bolt out.

[srthomas75]

well written, thanks for taking the time to share this with us. I enjoy your recap of your adventures

[boilerroom]

I was looking forward to the story and it was better than I imagined! thanks cguy and cgirl for taking me on your adventure!

I'm so sorry for all of the trials and tribulations - but please know that you have helped me and I'm sure many of my fellow hunters through your adventures. So much more educational than a simple bang-flop story... though "not that there's anything wrong with that"

[caddisguy]

Just for fun... here's a couple tail shots. The first one is caddisgirl's buck, which I believe to be a pure blacktail or very blacktail dominant specimen. The second (the archery buck) I believe to be a mule or muley dominant + blacktail hybrid. Any feedback from those in the know would be greatly appreciated. My thinking about the first is the tail is very stubby and pure black, while the second looks more "ropey", but the black goes all the way up. In the case of both bucks, the antlers were cagey / curled inward. Educated insights much appreciated. And if it makes any difference, the archery buck is "summer coat" (taken Sep 4, still in velvet)

[caddisguy]

Congrats. Every great adventure starts with poor planning. It's so easy to get complaisant because hunting involves hours of walking, sitting and watching and only a few seconds of aiming and shooting. Or just walking, sitting and watching.

I absolutely love that quote. It is so true. We all try our best not to live by it and would prefer to avoid the "great adventures" even if they do make for good story telling.

[Salty]

Well caddisguy and girl the main thing I'm reminded of reading this latest adventure is... methodical tracking, keeping a cool head and a shit load of persistence can most certainly trump some less than stellar planning and a good dose of bad luck. kudos to you two once again. Man, I remember some years back caddisguy you be all full of questions, starting from the start in this hunting thing. Now I'm learning from you guys. For real. And one last bit of advice if I may, you guys might want to look in to a bigger freezer. LOL. Epic year congrats!

[bottles]

So awesome man. Congrats caddisgirl. ��