Greg
07-16-2015, 02:03 PM
I have been trying to find a deer that's over a slingshot for a couple years now since moving to Haida Gwaii. The long season and large limits are fun, but part of me really wanted to get a mature buck that's more then a two by two. I've spent countless days scouting and figuring out where the large deer eat and sleep, but the big guys are tough to get. Last winter I shot an old buck after it's antlers had dropped, I wasn't going to shoot, but it was blind in one eye so I pulled the trigger.
This morning I went out and was trying to see if I could surprise a few bucks in a skunk cabbage patch. I crept through the forest but did not see a single deer. I decided to turn the hunt into another scouting trip and see if I could push into a new area a few kilometers deeper in. I was carrying a sks with open sights since the bush I am hunting is so thick. Now I was walking into an area with a few meadows in a wet low lying area. The sun was out but the rain clouds were coming and I had forgot my coat. My pants were already soaked from walking through the dew laiden tall grass and now my cotton shirt was getting soaked as well. I picked my way through meadow after meadow sneaking from spruce tree to spruce tree. Suddenly I looked over and a buck was staring at me from his bed not 50 meters away. I pulled up the binoculars and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Four points on the top on one side was all the go ahead I needed. I started shaking like a leaf. This has to be the worst time I have ever had buck fever. The tall grass was covering the bucks chest and only his head and neck were showing. Normally this wouldn't be a hard shot but I was shaking so bad I knew I wouldn't connect if I tried off hand like that. I saw a tree 15 feet away the was devoid of branches on the lower ten feet so I slowly made my way over to it. I thought the buck was going to run with every step I took. Somehow I made it to the tree and lined the buck up. Bang! and the buck starts running. Bang. Bang and the buck disappears into the treeline. I walked over to where the buck was bedded and not a drop of blood. I started looking through the tall grass and still no blood, no hair. I couldn't believe this was happening. So close to my goal and then to have it slip away.
I walked home with my head held low. I scolded myself for not using my 270 with a scope and stalk that fits me. I mopped around for the afternoon then told the wife I was going back out to see if I could catch the buck out feeding before nightfall. I walked the 5 kilometers back into the bush and waited.......nothing. I decided to go and take another to see if I could find the buck. I studied the bucks bedding spot...no blood. I walked through the tall grass into the timber and started walking all in all the places where the tall grass was flattened. Bingo there he was, out cold. The shot ended up right where I aimed with the bullet entering the neck and ended up in the upper hip. What a relief. I took some pictures at the kill sight but I didn't have a memory card installed and my lcd on the back is broken so I couldn't tell at the time. So all I have at the moment is a cheesy inside the house shot.
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y467/nleenders/Mobile%20Uploads/photo_zpsek7jnpf4.jpg
This morning I went out and was trying to see if I could surprise a few bucks in a skunk cabbage patch. I crept through the forest but did not see a single deer. I decided to turn the hunt into another scouting trip and see if I could push into a new area a few kilometers deeper in. I was carrying a sks with open sights since the bush I am hunting is so thick. Now I was walking into an area with a few meadows in a wet low lying area. The sun was out but the rain clouds were coming and I had forgot my coat. My pants were already soaked from walking through the dew laiden tall grass and now my cotton shirt was getting soaked as well. I picked my way through meadow after meadow sneaking from spruce tree to spruce tree. Suddenly I looked over and a buck was staring at me from his bed not 50 meters away. I pulled up the binoculars and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Four points on the top on one side was all the go ahead I needed. I started shaking like a leaf. This has to be the worst time I have ever had buck fever. The tall grass was covering the bucks chest and only his head and neck were showing. Normally this wouldn't be a hard shot but I was shaking so bad I knew I wouldn't connect if I tried off hand like that. I saw a tree 15 feet away the was devoid of branches on the lower ten feet so I slowly made my way over to it. I thought the buck was going to run with every step I took. Somehow I made it to the tree and lined the buck up. Bang! and the buck starts running. Bang. Bang and the buck disappears into the treeline. I walked over to where the buck was bedded and not a drop of blood. I started looking through the tall grass and still no blood, no hair. I couldn't believe this was happening. So close to my goal and then to have it slip away.
I walked home with my head held low. I scolded myself for not using my 270 with a scope and stalk that fits me. I mopped around for the afternoon then told the wife I was going back out to see if I could catch the buck out feeding before nightfall. I walked the 5 kilometers back into the bush and waited.......nothing. I decided to go and take another to see if I could find the buck. I studied the bucks bedding spot...no blood. I walked through the tall grass into the timber and started walking all in all the places where the tall grass was flattened. Bingo there he was, out cold. The shot ended up right where I aimed with the bullet entering the neck and ended up in the upper hip. What a relief. I took some pictures at the kill sight but I didn't have a memory card installed and my lcd on the back is broken so I couldn't tell at the time. So all I have at the moment is a cheesy inside the house shot.
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y467/nleenders/Mobile%20Uploads/photo_zpsek7jnpf4.jpg