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Thread: Waiting on a Whitetail

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Aldergrove, BC
    Posts
    4,466

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail

    Nice!!! Making HBC great again

    Solid! Great work on all those animals. The wolf looked particularly impressive in size.

    Where do you live that you have wolves in the back yard?

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    272

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail

    November 2015 rolls around and still no high scoring, mature whitetails on camera. We have a few up and comers showing up but nothing that gets us into full commit mode.

    I did find a couple of great mule deer on a different piece of property that I have permission to hunt so I asked my oldest if he would like to try for the older buck. He has yet to pull the trigger on any big game at this point and he was game to try.

    It took some time but we managed to spot him one afternoon with some does on the edge of the field. Parking the truck we stalked up on him. With the gun on the shooting sticks and the buck at 150 yards I told him that if he felt comfortable to take the shot. Buck fever was hitting him pretty hard and he could not get steady. The does got nervous and began to move off and pulled the buck around a roll in the field. My son was disappointed with himself. No problem I said if you aren't comfortable don't force it.

    Working around the roll we saw the deer drop into a draw. We quickly moved to the edge of the ravine to see if we could see the buck and there he was, 200 yards down close to the bottom. Grabbing a tree for a rest my son drops him in his tracks. I was stunned, a 150 yard standing shot in the field where retrieval would have been easy and he couldn't get comfortable, but a very steep down hill shot through the trees and he shoots like a pro. Two hours and 5 guys later we had the buck at the truck.

    Now this mule deer fooled me. I new he was a good,old deer but his body made his antlers look smaller. He was a stud of a buck, especially for his first big game animal.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    272

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail


  4. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    272

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail

    With no more excitement that November shed hunting commenced in late December with some off the bucks holding onto their antlers until February. We managed to find some of the antlers including this buck that showed some potential

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    272

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail

    Region 7B.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    272

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail

    2016 rolls around. We are starting to see our efforts on predator control are helping the whitetail again and we have more fawns making it through their first winter. We are also starting to see a wide range of age class in our bucks again. There are some bucks showing some real potential. Through the summer and on to the fall cameras are checked and bucks are spotted during haying. October comes and there is a mature buck that is obviously the cock of the walk. He is a 5-6 year old deer and has reached his full potential. Not a high scoring deer but I decide he will make great table fair if I am given the opportunity. There is also a nice 5x5 showing up. His right side is a bit smaller but he is showing some potential. Word is passed around and we all agree to give him time to grow. The deer days of November get crossed off the calender with no luck on the old buck. November 28 I am standing in my living room looking out into the field and low and behold who's walking across my field. The old guy. Lunch forgotten, I look at my bow but grab my rifle. This is going to be some fast action. Using my house for cover I drop into the trees and head towards the cow pasture to cut him off. It was one of those really bright sunny days and the glare off of the snow was almost blinding. In my haste I forgot how cold it was and my bare hands were starting to stiffen around the stock of the rifle. As I came out of the trees into the pasture the cattle noticed me and came looking for grain. Perfect I now have moving cover. I slowly walk to the trail I think he is on and get set up. My "perfect" moving cover is now becoming an issue. I am surrounded. I have to move the cows away. Making my rifle safe I hang it in a tree and push the cows back. They get that I have nothing for them and head back to the feed. As I turn to grab my rifle the buck is standing, staring at me 50 yards away. Acting as nonchalant as I could I gather my rifle, slide in my clip and chamber a round. The old boy is in full rut mode. He only has one thing on his mind and drops his nose back to the hot doe trail he was following and begins to move off. Giving a grunt I shoulder my rifle as he stops and snaps his head around. The impact of the bullet drops him in his tracks and his days of chasing does are done. Walking over I lift his antlers from the snow and run my hands over the his antlers with busted points and heavy bases. Funny, the cold had momentarily disappeared from my hands. My son heard the shot and came with the sled to lend a hand. Together we admire the buck and set to the task of taking care of him properly.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    272

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail

    The winter passes with plenty of trapping and winter activities and we get a late start on our shed hunting but we managed to turn up the 5x5.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    272

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail

    2018 is busy not much scouting is done. We have cameras out but it just seems like there is no time. We manage to get pics of a 6x6 whitetail on camera and we are excited. Looking at the pics we decide he is a non shooter as well. It doesn't even really occur to me that he is the 5x5 from the previous year. The season passes with not much harvested. The snow piles up and the deer move in with our cattle. Shed hunting was easy as most bucks lost there antlers in the yard and we picked up both sides of the 6x6

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    272

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail

    Sorry guys. My wife pointed out this all started in 2014 not 2013.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    272

    Re: Waiting on a Whitetail

    2019. Once again life was busy. We had more cattle and were doing more hay. The weather was terrible and haying season went on forever. Between break downs and rain it just didn't feel like we would get a break. Elk season went by and deer season was on us. No cameras out no info, the only ray of sunshine was a mule deer that I had been watching for the past few years.

    I didn't have time to pursue him during bow season and to be honest I wanted to leave him one more year. The rut rolled around and his patterns changed. He began to wonder. He had been safely living on private land where he wasn't visible to everyone but that changed.

    He was now in a field that was visible from the highway. Word got out and although no permission was given a few gentlemen figured he was worth the risk of trespassing. Fortunately they were thwarted in their efforts but the land owner and I talked and decided that if I wanted that buck I had better take him before someone else did. I gathered my gear and set out to cut my tag. It had been over 10 years since I cut a mule deer tag.

    The buck was spotted in some willows at the end of the field. Shouldering my pack I stayed on the ridge above and circled into range. I was above him and could see him at 220 yards but the willows were just too thick to thread the needle. Over the years I have learned to be patient so I dropped my pack, put on my warm gear and settled in.

    An hour goes by and all of a sudden he his on his feet and moving. He goes straight across the field without giving me a shot opportunity and it looks like he is on a mission.
    Thinking I know where he is going I start stripping off clothing. This has just turned into a race.

    Once again shouldering my pack, I drop out of sight and starting running. He is trotting and now and has a lead.
    I start pouring on the coal and the sweat starts to roll. The 6-8 inches of snow is really making me work. I have almost 1 mile to cover before he covers about a 11/2.

    I reach the first fence crossing and bail over it. Peaking over the ridge I see that I am going to have to step it up another notch to get this done. Dropping my pack it becomes an all out sprint to reach the treeline before he gets through the hedge row. I dive under the fence and into the trees just as he jumps the ditch parallel to me at 400 yards. Too far for me.

    In the trees I still need to cover 200 yards as fast and as quiet as I can in order to cut him off. Thankfully the heavy snow in the trees and the fog in his rut crazed brain help me. Out of breath with sweat pouring in my eyes I reach the fence post I need. Quick range, 180. Wipe my eyes and its time. My heart rate is so high from the run that I am having a hard time staying steady. Finally the cross hairs steady and the trigger breaks .

    He goes down. I hit him high. Climbing through the fence again I quickly close in and end it.

    He is magnificent. Dark heavy antlers, grey nose and that musky mule deer smell. I sit and take it all in.



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