A deer hunt

[Sitkaspruce]

Before I tell this hunting story, I want to post a warning

THIS STORY CONTAINS LEGAL HUNTING METHODS LIKE BAITING. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED, DON'T READ IT. THANKS


It has been a tough season to find the time to get out and hunt locally. I had two half days for elk in Sept, a week moose hunt at the end of Sept and a day and a half in early Nov. Life, house renos for our place on the Island, work and hockey all seem to be playing with my important time.....

Anyways a good friend (Badlands62) from the Island wanted to come up and see what hunting these whitetails was all about, so he booked the Nov 11 week to come up and try his luck. He is a meat hunter by heart and, like me, a timber hunter who finds sitting hard. But up here we hunt differently than most of BC.

We hunt over bait in ground blinds in the real thick stuff, where most hunters don't venture. It is up close and personal hunting, most shots are 20-30 yards. It can be very boring, especially when it is warm and not much snow. First year I did this, I sat 58 hours for 6 deer seen, last year was 36 hours for 3 deer seen. This type of hunting is a lot of work; a lot of all season scouting, setting up or re-establishing licks, checking trail cams, dealing with bears, elk and the odd upset deer, lost of time away from family, never mind the cost (truck fuel, salt, blinds, cameras, grain etc.). But it is fun and in my opinion, worth it.

Badlands
showed up on the 11th and we talked into the late night catching up on life and what to expect for the next week. The cameras have been showing lots of deer this year and lots of bucks. The weather was calling for a snowfall warning for Sunday night, so the hunting was looking up

Some of the bucks seen so far

This little guy and I will have a few encounters together

https://s6.postimg.org/jla7xm9a9/PICT0857.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/foww1moal/)

https://s6.postimg.org/hgpuwkhy9/PICT1900.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/5euh2f8pp/)

A buck worthy of chasing

https://s6.postimg.org/3zswdnpm9/PICT1292.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/t5tukhqwd/)

https://s6.postimg.org/9nz74jm8x/PICT1301.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/5euh2dizh/)

https://s6.postimg.org/xeykmowqp/PICT2079.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/qbqp72rb1/)

[Sitkaspruce]

another good buck

https://s6.postimg.org/6h4nkxoy9/PICT1479.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/vae7ll7yl/)

https://s6.postimg.org/vzwzxyg81/PICT1481.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/xrpysuzkt/)

A few others

https://s6.postimg.org/c7utynp8h/IMG_0114.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/7yq3whlz1/)

https://s6.postimg.org/7yq3whtox/IMG_0119.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/6joj7rslp/)

https://s6.postimg.org/rgkrcfb75/IMG_0154.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/fepdia1yl/)

[whitetailsheds]

Who is that hiding in your 4th photo? Looks like a good one!

[Sitkaspruce]

First day we travelled the hour from home and I dropped him off at one spot and I drove another 30 min to the other. First day was a great one for both of us. He saw a bunch of pesky elk (don't want them as they eat all the grain....)

https://s6.postimg.org/bzwl13fxt/20171112_091749.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/axmeijx4d/)

https://s6.postimg.org/4wopliksx/20171112_145536.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/f6r4kraod/)

The view

https://s6.postimg.org/qj3q2jr35/20171112_163641.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/bn56uyfod/)


and I had a couple encounters with this young tall 4x4 buck

https://s6.postimg.org/qhts94wz5/IMG_4004.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/qhts94wz1/)

https://s6.postimg.org/l6evoenr5/IMG_4015.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/psazwr9a5/)

[dougan]

Oh boy !!!! Can’t wait to see where this is going..

[Sitkaspruce]

A good day hunting in the blind!! Badlands was happy he saw the elk and also that he lasted 9 hours in a blind!!!!!

We had about 5" of the white stuff fall that night and was still falling the next day when we went back to the same spots.

Day two produced a 2 pt and 4x1 buck for Badlands and the same 4x4 buck as the day before for me.

My view that day, with the Excalibur crossbow pointed in the right direction......

https://s6.postimg.org/sme5a73qp/IMG_3990.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/awcgp5q5p/)

I bought an Excalibur Crossbow last year and was determined to take a mature whitetail buck with it. Last year I learned a valuable lesson when hunting in the blind and missed on a buck when my limbs smacked the side of the blind on the release and my arrow hit below the bucks legs as it had no energy..... This year I picked up a Caldwell Field Pod to help with stability due to a tremor and easier to sit in the blind with the crossbow.


Interestingly enough, two guys walked in while I was eating lunch, saw me, waved then PROCEEDED TO WALK RIGHT DOWN THE SHOOTING LANE, WITH THE CROSSBOW POINTED RIGHT AT THEM......just to say hi, sorry for bothering me and if we had shot anything from this stand......I was polite, but wanted to say a few choice words for them..... And the really weird thing about this was that there was already three trucks parked on a 1 km lease road: one guy was hiking down towards the river breaks looking for muleys and we had talked about where each of was going to hunt, another was going 180 degrees away from me to some fields a km away, so these guys figured another truck and two more hunters would not make it crowded......so much for being in a relatively quiet area.....

That night, we discussed moving Badlands to my stand as he would be happy with the tall 4x4 and I would go check a couple new spots that I was working about an hour away.

[Dash]

I'm hooked and eagerly waiting for more..!

[Surrey Boy]

Lovely thread.

[Sitkaspruce]

The next day, I dropped him off and made my way down to one of my new spots. I was sitting in one of the blinds, watching a few does and a small buck prance around

https://s6.postimg.org/5kxk4hm3l/IMG_3981.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/j1uincwf1/)

https://s6.postimg.org/45vzfrdap/IMG_3983.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/ajl2j0i6l/)

https://s6.postimg.org/5xoyan9i9/IMG_3988.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/6n7qn0a1p/)

While I was keeping an eye on the does to see if this guy would show up

https://s6.postimg.org/tvft11zu9/EK000600.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/cuwwsdmst/)

https://s6.postimg.org/vahdps8n5/EK000603.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/l0eyqjirh/)

My phone buzzed with an Inreach message.....

[325]

Great thread so far!

[scoutlt1]

Great story and pics.....and ya....waiting for more! :)

[Salty]

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/images/smilies/new/popCorn.gif .

[srupp]

Hmmmm simply amazing..yes the luckiest hunters are most always those that work the hardest..great thred" great deer representingmany many hours of hard efeffort.
I like the photo of the doe..
Thanks SS"
Cheers
Steven

[Sitkaspruce]

along with a message was this picture

https://s6.postimg.org/5xzkc1v35/Bills_deer_7.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/cbonfazz1/)

and a note to bring the toboggan.......

I grabbed my stuff, climbed out of the blind, hiked the 700 m back to the truck and drove the hour to meet up with him. I am pretty sure the wait was killing him.....

In his own words, this what transpired:


Story is that he was sitting watching a doe, when a small 2pt goes racing by, spooking the doe. As he is watching, he sees a deer standing off to his left, in the brush just looking around. A quick check shows that it is the tall 4x4, but the problem is that he shoots that weird side, Left, and the blind is set up for a right handed shooter, so there is no way he can get a shot. As he is trying to position himself, the buck takes off like he was lite on fire, running right beside the blind and gone.....As he is sitting there wondering what happened, he sees a deer walking from the right side, following the main trail in. He gets ready and as soon the deer, nose down to the ground, now ID as a buck, walks into the shooting lane, he doe bleats, the buck stops and a gun goes off.

After a 15 minute wait and an 80 yard tracking job, he came upon his first whitetail buck

As he lay

https://s6.postimg.org/sawoxnksh/20171114_154125.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/m9z00ky65/)
https://s6.postimg.org/tpy9mdtld/20171114_154117.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/sno33uarx/)

https://s6.postimg.org/lkg7o72rl/20171114_145103.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/4jxbfipq5/)

https://s6.postimg.org/ybudup4tt/20171114_145651_001.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/59g3rvijx/)

Split brows, mass and good tine length make this 7x7 (a basic 4x4 with kickers and split brows) a one hell of a buck and his first ever whitetail!!!

We took a bunch more pictures, loaded him on the toboggan and dragged him out to gut him on the lease. He was on cloud nine!!!

[srupp]

SS..what do you think for age on this chocolate heavy horned buck..?
Thanks
Steven

[blacklab]

Great thread and a really nice buck.

[Sitkaspruce]

The neat thing is that my hunting buddy has 3 years of pictures of this buck

2015

https://s6.postimg.org/uywr8tz8h/Bills_deer_6.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/suce7qxlp/)

https://s6.postimg.org/f0o1ioxap/Bills_deer_5.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/8myyffsel/)

2016

https://s6.postimg.org/u84137hhd/Bills_deer_4.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/st2gehge5/)

https://s6.postimg.org/dx3x6vx9t/Bills_deer_3.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

2017

https://s6.postimg.org/yu05bkig1/Bills_deer_1.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/5rlv8qw65/)

This buck would go for a walk about and disappear for weeks at a time and the last picture was Nov 1 and he was shot on Nov 14 trailing the doe that was seen earlier.

For the numbers guys:
30/06, 165 gr Hornady SPBT with IMR 4064. Was surprised the deer went as far as he did with both lungs jello.

Now the pressure was off for Badlands, it was my turn..........

[Sitkaspruce]

SS..what do you think for age on this chocolate heavy horned buck..?
Thanks
Steven

Steven

We estimated him to be 5.5 as he had a good body on him, was 158 at the meat locker with everything off him. He was a good buck in 2015, and put on some mass in the next two years, plus body weight.

Cheers

SS

[Sitkaspruce]

After the successful hunt on Tuesday, we took Wed off as we were tired and we had another snowfall warning and wind storm rolling through. We spent the day going through trail cam pictures, showing him Backcountry Sports and relaxing drinking beer and whiskey.

Thursday morning found me sitting in one of my new spots, looking for this guy

https://s6.postimg.org/ld6cwq8r5/EK000601.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/64gfiyf2l/)

Or this absolute tank of a buck who showed up the day Badlands killed his, before I got the blind......

https://s6.postimg.org/lo1aw02lt/EK000184.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/nslnx348d/)

[dougan]

Saweet buck ����

[twoSevenO]

that is some solid mass in that rack. Very nice buck. Congrats.

[Sitkaspruce]

Before I settled into the blind, I took a couple doe in heat drippers and hung them around the blind, just to see what would happen.

Once I settled in, things were slow for a couple hours, before this guy showed up

https://s6.postimg.org/hgju90w2p/IMG_4035.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/s3dneg47x/)

He was soon joined by another smaller buck

https://s6.postimg.org/n4q4zy301/IMG_4047.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/pm1w77mwd/)

https://s6.postimg.org/ukpelq3k1/IMG_4050.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/vmzl49md9/)

They soon wondered off, completely ignoring the doe in heat drips that were up wind of the site. The small buck appeared twice more and the 4x4 once more.

Then this guy showed up

https://s6.postimg.org/adbyteycx/IMG_4079.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/foqve4kfh/)

He has an interesting brown bump on his face that is distinctive as at first I thought he was the buck from this morning.

He hung around for a bit, then headed off towards where the other smaller bucks had gone. Soon after the smaller buck returned, but after a couple minutes, his head snapped up, he stared off to my right and stared, then turned quickly and headed off to my left.

My attention moved up a notch....

[grizzly550]

Good stuff man, stoked to hear the rest

[Sitkaspruce]

I was now on alert and looking for what had that buck nervous......only nothing showed.....I know they can take a long time to show, but after 30+ minutes......


As I was just starting to relax back in my chair, I caught movement in the bush. Thinking it was another of the small bucks, I watched with less interest that usual, only to have what walked out get my attention quickly. A mature whitetail buck is a wily critter and this guy was mature!! He stood, partial hidden by brush while he surveyed the area. He was really interested in my blind and kept coming back to it as he was looking around....second thoughts about scent entered my mind as I settled in behind the Excalibur. But after what seemed like a eternity but was probably no more than 3-4 minutes, he started to move to my right, towards the doe-in-heat drip. At approx. 22 yards he stopped quartering towards me and I thought if he takes another step, he will never offer a clear shot.

I will remember for a long time the settling of the cross hairs right behind his right shoulder, squeezing the trigger, watching the red Luminoc fly straight at what I was aiming at, the loud "Swack" and the deer turning and disappearing like smoke........

I had no idea if the "swack" was a deer or one of the small brush stems, but I knew I had to wait. I looked at my watch as saw it was 1430....ok I will give it until 1500 before I go look. I reloaded (not easy with -100 deg rig boots!!!) then sat and waited, reliving the shot over and over in my mind....had be long enough, looked at my watch...1435....Hmmm mm need to do something, so I grabbed my batteries and SD card holder and went to the camera and pulled the card and replaced the batteries. I wanted to but just could not go over and look where the deer was standing.

At 1500, I pretty well flew over to where the deer was standing, looked around and saw long grey hairs and a few small drops of blood on the snow. Time to start the tracking job

[nature girl]

Wow this is such a great thread. Ah to see so many deer. All I can say is lucky.

[Sitkaspruce]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kxuJasYl8M&feature=youtu.be

As he lay

https://s6.postimg.org/dx73b8ikh/IMG_4091.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/owsamu8zh/)

https://s6.postimg.org/yu3bfw8vl/IMG_4094.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/g1rgcbch9/)

https://s6.postimg.org/6tz7vlpzl/IMG_4097.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/c5e4gbc25/)

https://s6.postimg.org/fp0263jwx/IMG_0764.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/890skaw7h/)

The Excalibur SE 350, Diablo Arrow and Spitfire 125 head did it's job!! First animal with a crossbow!!! The Diablo hit just behind his right shoulder, the "swack" was the Spitfire cutting through a rib, penetrating the right lung, nicking the left and exiting right at the diaphragm. Deer went approx. 40 yards.

[Sitkaspruce]

A toast was in order

https://s6.postimg.org/sge8cmw9t/IMG_0770.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/52690pecd/)

https://s6.postimg.org/i6btddbj5/IMG_4107.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/p9joszgyl/)

This buck was a tank, we estimated him at around 300 lbs live weight.

Packaged up and ready for the haul out. Just did a quick gut job as darkness was approaching.

https://s6.postimg.org/dx73b7fzl/IMG_0778.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/6tz7vlajx/)

It was a "fun" drag out, I have a fancy tree stand harness that has a pull loop on the back, so I hooked him up and started to drag him the 750m back to the truck......once back to the truck, hooked the toboggan up to the drop hitch and drove down the road until I could find a place where I could get him above the tailgate and drag him in. Once that was completed, off to home I went.

It is interesting to note that I have no record of this buck, he was a complete stranger. The other two lived through the season and will hopefully make a date with me next year.

It was quite a week of deer hunting; two mature whitetails down, a shit load of great memories and to do it with a friend that I have been hunting with since 1990 makes it even better!! We now have some good meat in the freezer for our families.

https://s6.postimg.org/px60y4g4x/IMG_0783.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/ys6v8n4x9/)

https://s6.postimg.org/px60y4vkh/IMG_0785.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/lo1avysb1/)

For those who are interested

Badlands scored 143 gross
Mine scored 159 gross.....nets are for fish!!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

Cheers

SS

[Rattler]

Great thread, thanks for sharing! Two dandy bucks well earned...

[kennyj]

Great story and photos!! A couple of awesome bucks!
Thanks for sharing your hunt.
kenny

[twoSevenO]

nicely done man .... those are great. Some real nice mass on both of them. I don't believe in deductions either :D ... screw that. Congrats!

[Big Lew]

That was one heck of a good write up while keeping us on the edge of our seats waiting for the
next part of your story. Both of those deer are exceptional specimens anyone would be thrilled
to shoot....and you guys got both of them during the same hunt, congratulations!

[dougan]

Great post well done !!! Very nice bucks indead .

[LuckyIfYouGetOne]

Great buck and write up...congrats!

[Squamch]

Awesome thread! Those are stud whitetails!

[mpotzold]

[QUOTE=Sitkaspruce;1962782]



For the numbers guys:
30/06, 165 gr Hornady SPBT with IMR 4064. Was surprised the deer went as far as he did with both lungs jello.

Great & clear photos!

Shot a young buck one year with a 300 Win Mag 180gr on a hillside right beside Gaspard Creek where Eve & I were charged by a grizz. He was watching us & ready to sprint away from a fair distance but aimed for the lung heart area & knew I hit. He ran down hill for at least 100 yards before dropping. A laboured run of a mortally wounded deer. His heart was split in 2.
It has to do with being pumped up with adrenaline.

Almost all the deer I shot or have seen shot that were not aware of hunters presence dropped almost instantly & hardly moved.

[Salty]

Awesome write up, awesome hunt and two complete hawgs! Thanks for all the detail had me on the edge of my seat, and for the great pics first class bud. :)

[Whonnock Boy]

Very nice share.

[northof49]

Aug 30 buck is same one in background on Aug 28 photo. Great write-up and photos and two beauty bucks on the ground for you guys. Congrats

[gmachine19]

Nicely done! Thanks for sharing. Wish you had a video of shooting that buck. I know that's one regret I had when I harvested my first buck with an xbow.

[Badlands62]

Great write up Ken, it was a great time filled with amazing memories and great friends. As SS said I am not used to sitting in a blind for hours on end in freezing temperatures but I enjoyed every minute of it and can't wait to do it again. Thanks for everything Ken.

[islander7mm]

Great write up and awesome bucks you both got!

[HarryToolips]

Those two whitetails are tanks, congrats to you both....

[guest]

What a great Share SS!
Thanks for posting it, start to finish, your story. Greatly appreciated.

This is what it's all about! Great job and Congrats!

what a beauty buck, what's so cool about this too as you said, he never showed on any cam's..... Which what drives many if us, you just never know what may happen next.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Top shelf share, SS!!

congrats to you both!

[avadad]

A most excellent story. Congrats!

[blacklab]

Great story and really nice bucks.
Were you hunting crown or deeded land?

[bigbuzz]

Nice bucks, good story. To sit all day in a blind, you guys worked hard for those deer, well done !

[lovemywinchester]

Great bucks. 5 minutes is an eternity when waiting to track a deer.

[Looking_4_Jerky]

Congrats to you both and thanks for the great play by play. Nothing to complain about there with a double-down on two mature WT. Pretty solid buck densities there, it seems!

[HighCountryBC]

Congrats on connecting and great write-up! This site desperately needed a good hunting thread!

[Knute]

Nicely done SS and Badlands.

Two solid bucks there! "nets are for fish" well said ;)

[Looking_4_Jerky]

Congrats on connecting and great write-up! This site desperately needed a good hunting thread!

Agreed. There are a few, but not enough compared to the bashing, bitching and belittling.

[Bear Chaser]

Congrats on two great bucks. Excellent story and pics.
From the photos I would judge Badlands buck to be older than 5.5.

[steepNdeep]

Awesome! I was lookin forward to seeing him this morn. Beauty bucks! Pretty cool with a bow to boot.

I sat in quite a few trees, when I first started hunting & it's a tough mental game just sitting. I could only do a couple hours. A lot more fun when you put in the time, have trail cams out & know some of the bucks...

[feegz6]

Great read! Thanks for sharing, congrats on a couple beauty bucks!
cheers🍻

[IronNoggin]

Awesome Stuff Ken!! http://bigshotsbc.ca/images/smilies/Pozitive.gif

Loved that WooHoo when you saw your first Excalibur Kill! :D
That is going to become downright addicting methinks!!

Congrats on two very fine whitetail bucks!
You definitely earned them!
And many thanks for the great tale & pictures!

Cheers!
Nog

[Timbow]

Thanks for taking the time to share your deer hunts. Very nice bucks.

Shooting them that close inside a ground blind has be very exciting, even if there is a lot of sitting time. Do you guys use anything to mask your scent? How long are your blinds stationed at each site?

[BimmerBob]

Awesome thread, if there was only a "like" button... I could'a clicked it at least a dozen times. Congratulations on a very fine hunting result for both hunters! Those memories will last forever! Thanks for taking us along, taking the time to actually take the pictures and then write it up so well is something not many can do. What you have done is a special treat for those of us that lucky enough to get to read your experience here on HBC, I look forward to reading more of your submissions in the future.

[Mik]

Fantastic write up, what a great story. Congratulations to the both of you and thanks for sharing.

[BCHunterFSJ]

It's stories like this that make me stay on this forum.
Thanks!

[Brez]

Great story and photos!! A couple of awesome bucks!
Thanks for sharing your hunt.
kenny

X2! and congrats. one of the best stories I've read in a long time.

[rocksteady]

Good job... I never have a tag in my pocket by this time... I shoot the first legal buck I see..

[RugDoctor]

Easily one of the best threads of 2017! Thanks for taking the time

[Pursuit]

Congrats on two gorgeous bucks! Well done on the write up - thanks for bringing us along for the ride.

[Sitkaspruce]

[QUOTE=Sitkaspruce;1962782]



For the numbers guys:
30/06, 165 gr Hornady SPBT with IMR 4064. Was surprised the deer went as far as he did with both lungs jello.

Great & clear photos!

Shot a young buck one year with a 300 Win Mag 180gr on a hillside right beside Gaspard Creek where Eve & I were charged by a grizz. He was watching us & ready to sprint away from a fair distance but aimed for the lung heart area & knew I hit. He ran down hill for at least 100 yards before dropping. A laboured run of a mortally wounded deer. His heart was split in 2.
It has to do with being pumped up with adrenaline.

Almost all the deer I shot or have seen shot that were not aware of hunters presence dropped almost instantly & hardly moved.

Badlands buck had no idea there was any danger around, if there was any adrenaline, it was him thinking he was going to get lucky with the doe......


Aug 30 buck is same one in background on Aug 28 photo. Great write-up and photos and two beauty bucks on the ground for you guys. Congrats

That buck is the same one I was chasing and posted as a Nov 1 date. He visited the lick and bait site quite regularly and live though the season, hopefully through the winter and next spring, summer and early fall.


Great story and really nice bucks.
Were you hunting crown or deeded land?

blacklab, all the hunting is on crown land, no private land hunts for us. I found private land actually gets more pressure, unless you find exclusive access or own your own, but then you have poachers.......


Congrats on two great bucks. Excellent story and pics.
From the photos I would judge Badlands buck to be older than 5.5.

Three of us batted back and forth about the age, but the photos show he is at least 5.5, maybe even 6.5, but in the end, who really cares....


Thanks for taking the time to share your deer hunts. Very nice bucks.

Shooting them that close inside a ground blind has be very exciting, even if there is a lot of sitting time. Do you guys use anything to mask your scent? How long are your blinds stationed at each site?

No scent cover, just set them up to the prevailing winds and let the weather make your choice. Up here we have prevailing SW/W winds when warm and N/NE when we get cold weather, so I set my blinds up either E or SE of the site when I can and hunt them depending on the wind. Even if I know there is a big buck at a certain site, if the wind is wrong, I go a different spot, never hunt and play with the wind.

Blinds are set up around Oct 20 and I just took them down last week.


Good job... I never have a tag in my pocket by this time... I shoot the first legal buck I see..

Hahaha, that's why you don't have any big buck stories Mike....LOL!!! Although you eat well every year and usually kill an elk, which most of us don't!!

The funny thing is, Badlands had text me that day after I sent the third text showing another buck, saying I had more patience because it would have been boom with the 4x4 bucks....later that day I sent him a text saying patience paid off....and a crappy picture of my deer....

I am all about the meat in the freezer and with half a moose already there, I was selective, although I was determined to kill a mature whitetail with my crossbow, so no matter the freezer situation, I was looking for a mature buck.

Thanks for all the kind comments guys and gals!! I really hummed and hawed about posting this as this site has it's good days and it's bad, but in the end, it is still a HUNTING site and maybe posting this will get others to do the same.

Post up your stories!! We need to read more hunting stories and less political stuff!!

Cheers

SS

[d6dan]

Great story, pictures and a couple of solid mature whitetails Ken. Good to see Bill get his 1st Whitetail, Looking forward to next years hunt.

[tomahawk]

2 great bucks, thanks for sharing

[Roe]

Great adventure! Thanks for sharing.

[Ourea]

Great share SS.
You are without a doubt one of the better contributors of actual hunting content on this site.

I must admit that I marvel in the amount of daytime activity you get up there in the Peace.
The area I am in WT are pretty much vampires.
Pulled some cams today, numerous bucks, all keeping vampire hours.

[Kopper]

Thanks for posting SS. Couple good bucks forsure! Congrats.

[Sitkaspruce]

Great share SS.
You are without a doubt one of the better contributors of actual hunting content on this site.

I must admit that I marvel in the amount of daytime activity you get up there in the Peace.
The area I am in WT are pretty much vampires.
Pulled some cams today, numerous bucks, all keeping vampire hours.

Thanks Ourea, not as much pressure. This is big country and there is so much land that see very little pressure, especially when you go out side the ag zone and into the big bush country. However, you bump a mature buck during daylight hours and you can pretty well kiss him good buy as a day lighter. I did that one year, on a nice 155 class 4x4: set up the blind too late in the season (early Nov), he showed up the next day at 4 pm, saw the blind, stopped, stomped his foot a couple times and vanished before I could raise the bow. He returned at night for the rest of the season, never got a picture of him in the daylight again. Lesson learned......


Another thing I will add is that "most" of the daytime pictures of the mature bucks happened on Nov 1 (not sure of that day, cannot explain the reason why so many mature bucks showed up for that day) and the two days after the full moon, Nov 5, then it tapered off until the 13th-15th, right after we had two big snow fall warnings with over a foot of snow.

I had one camera that had 20-30 pictures per hour, every hour, for 36 hours starting Nov 6th. Mostly does, but two mature bucks and a bunch of smaller bucks hit the site repeatedly day and night. Over the last 5 years, we have noted that those three days around a full moon have the most day time activity for mature bucks, never mind if the rut is in full swing or not. I have never really paid attention to the moon phases before, but the cameras don't lie and over the last 5 years, we have had more mature bucks in the daytime at that time that any other time of the year. Full moon in Sept and Oct are not as prevalent but there is more activity, just not as much as when the rut is just starting. A possible combo of the full moon and the pre rut/rut activity?

The deer movement really picked up after the two major snow falls had blown through, Nov 14 and 16. It was cold, -15 to -20, with a mix of sun and cloud and light W winds. Perfect weather for hunting deer, no matter if you like to sit or sneak through the bush.

These deer were killed with a combo of hard work and pure good old fashion luck!!! Plus some good shooting!!

Thanks everyone!!

Cheers

SS

[floden]

Congratulations boys and great writing / pics - t hanks!

[Ourea]

I don't post all of the findings on my WT adventures.
With that being said, I have be on some hammers that are simply sporadic at best.
Get them on cams miles apart the same night.

I wish I had a few do-overs in retrospect.
Passed on him last year over a broken brow.
Only three daylight encounters in 2 years.

https://i.imgur.com/p0QFyGR.jpg

[Stéphane]

Awesome story and pictures to go along. Loved it. And I was watching your video and how happy you were with your blood trail, mine had about 5x more blood and I wasn't sure if I had a dead deer. Silly rookie me.

Thank you for sharing story and knowledge.

[ydouask]

:-) Just well done on all phases of the hunt. Congratulations !

[BStrachan]

Congrats to the both of you! Great post with great pictures.

[tayleoscar]

Great buck!! Awesome story!!!

[whognu]

hey SS


thanks for the story, pix and insights on moon phases

congrats

whognu

[RBooth]

Congratulations on two dandy bucks! Beautiful deer!

[Seeker]

Great stuff SS. Awesome pictures and incredible show of patience. After reading your threads over the last few years, I am glad to see you are being rewarded with some quality animals. Congrats to you both and I hope to see more in the years to come.

[albravo2]

I read the first part of this story as you were posting it up in pieces then forgot about it until just now and finished the story.

Excellent post, great story and great bucks.

[Angus]

A great read Ken! Congrats on those two beauty bucks.