Finally got away huntin'

[Tanya]

Not sure if this should go on this forum or not. I do live on Vancouver Island, but I did go hunting on the mainland.

Anyhoo....after finally getting crops off and poop on the fields etc.... we actually were able to escape the farm and the Island for a quick, relaxing, much needed hunt.

Headed out on Sat. 13 in the rain for region 7 with visions of whitetail, no cell phones, mulies, no kids, grouse, no cows....you get it. Arrived on the 14th mid day in a downpour with temps hovering a couple degrees above freezing. Unpacked the neccesities and headed out for an afternoon hunt. Saw 3 does, dark at 4:30, retreat.

John however did see a buck, but alas this is not his story so I'll let him add a piece later on what transpired on that afternoon....if he so chooses. :cry:

Monday, more rain, a doe. Drove up a valley mid day lookin' for muley sign.....diddlysquat. Rain quit, temps cooled muchly.

Tues. morning nadda....too cold and crunchy, same on the mid day muley excursion, nothin. Tues afternoon......nothin', but ccccccold.

Wed. morning, scrap the early thing, read a Louis L'Amour. Head out mid day for whitetail, thinkin' maybe they'll be moving now...blaaahhh.

Wed. afternoon getting colder and snowing pretty good. Head out about 2:30. See a doe. 20 minutes later a buck. Wouldn't give me an angle to judge, and I wasn't taking a young un'. He wanders off into the depth of the spruce forest. Well, my heart rate got up, saw a buck, I'm OK if that's all that this hunt brings.

Twenty minutes go by and it's snowing harder. I detect antlers against the spruce...a minute later a buck steps out into the clearing...my decision is made. Click, nothing, chamber another round, click nothing....chamber yet another, squeeze, bang flop!! Had some issues with this gun in Sept. thought it was OK, not. It has a date with my chosen gunsmith. It was not the ammo, I am sure.

Anyhow, this is my best B.C. whitetail to date, I am very happy. Had a great relaxing holiday, came home with a good buck... bring on the ducks!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/TRV58/Tsbc5x510.jpg

[Mr. Dean]

Yup, shoulda gone in the ML Hunting Forum and you're goin to drive Gate's, ABSOLUTELY NUTS! :wink:
Nice deer though!

[trapperdan2061]

Nice deer and sounds like a great hunt, thanks for sharing

[bruin]

It's good for Gate to have alittle stress! Great buck Tanya

[d6dan]

Congrats on a good 10pointer Tanya..Sounds like you and John had a great time. Nice pic...love the flakes......

[Blainer]

Great job Tanya.
As above mentioned,great picture w/ winter conditions.

[BlacktailStalker]

Great whitetail.

[Dragginbait]

Another one for the "dead room" WTG and congrats on a great buck.

[cavebear]

Great buck Tanya, and as always your patience and perseverance pays off huge. Im guessing johns is smaller :-D

[1/2 slam]

Nice Tanya...Congratulations

[luckynuts]

Nice buck looks like he was a bit of a scrapper, congrats on a good hunt. How's the snow down there back on the island? I here you are getting quite a bit :-D

W.

[nano]

Nice buck, congrats!

[Buckmeister]

Very nice buck there.

[hunter1947]

Very nice WT deer Tanya congrats are you going for a head mount on this deer ???.

[Tanya]

Thanks for moving it Mr. Dean, wasn't sure as I said.

Thanks to all, yes it was great to get away and relax , even if it was only for a few days. The drive home however was not relaxing - crappy conditions most of the way, some real slow going north of through Blue River area, north of Merritt and at the snowshed. So, so happy to see rain when we hit the Island, although it was snow by the time I parked the truck.

Yes, I'm going to have him mounted, he's my best B.C. whitetail, not quite Sask class, but I like to have the memories, and it's interesting to look at the differences between the animals that abound the "Dead Room".

Yes, luckynuts, we have snow here and it is snowing this morning although much warmer at -1, was -11 on Tues. morning. Conditions here are nothing like they are now we were hunting though, -30 there the other day.

[northof49]

Nice buck. Good shootin. That problem with your gun could have been it freezen up in that cold weather. Had similar problem with Rem Mod7 when it would get cold. was easy fix - gunsmith said he removed grease from the bolt which was freezing up and lubed with graphite, never had a problem after that. If it is going click when you pull the trigger though, likely something else, maybe pin? hope this helps...nothing worse than putting in all the legwork only to watch them walk away as you contemplate throwing your gun at them.

[shotgunjohn]

So I guess I'll fess up. I missed. Grabbed a ten pack of 270 shells off the shelf and just quickly checked that they were 270. Forgot that we had bought some 180 grain shells for a proposed moose hunt several years back. Long story short gun is sighted in with 140 grain ballistic tips 180 grain bullet is heavy for 270 and drops about 7 inches from my zero. End result a nice 4x4 whitetail with 3/4 inches of hair shaved off his brisket.
Oh and to make Tanya's story better the only reason the buck didn't hear her action being worked is that there was a train going by close enough to cover the sound.

[Tanya]

Nice buck. Good shootin. That problem with your gun could have been it freezen up in that cold weather. Had similar problem with Rem Mod7 when it would get cold. was easy fix - gunsmith said he removed grease from the bolt which was freezing up and lubed with graphite, never had a problem after that. If it is going click when you pull the trigger though, likely something else, maybe pin? hope this helps...nothing worse than putting in all the legwork only to watch them walk away as you contemplate throwing your gun at them.

Actually I'd been keeping gun out in the cold, and dry fired it twice pre-loading it. I don't think it was the freezing, I'd had a similar problem in Sept. here on the Island with said gun. I think it may be a weak spring. Anyway it is parked until I get it to my gunsmith.

[luckynuts]

Yes, luckynuts, we have snow here and it is snowing this morning although much warmer at -1, was -11 on Tues. morning. Conditions here are nothing like they are now we were hunting though, -30 there the other day.[/quote]

Oh I know the -30 While you were up here hunting I was working trying to keep my compressors running and wells flowing:-D. Seen a lot of good bucks cruising around on the Monday though most were well before and after legal shooting light. Though a few gooders were taken on Monday Boss shot a large mulie and some friends took a couple of nice whities. Gotta love the nasty weather.

Glad you connected

W.

[308Lover]

I don't think I've seen a whitetail buck before this Tanya---but I have seen the rain, and the snow, and how about minus 20 Celsius? Still, it seemed like a fun trip for you. I just bet there are people (like myself) that were just not as happy, and, while I'm at it, why couldn't you stay on the Island, with your critters, and leave me just one chance---sigh--. Nice buck, anyway.

[Tanya]

I don't think I've seen a whitetail buck before this Tanya---but I have seen the rain, and the snow, and how about minus 20 Celsius? Still, it seemed like a fun trip for you. I just bet there are people (like myself) that were just not as happy, and, while I'm at it, why couldn't you stay on the Island, with your critters, and leave me just one chance---sigh--. Nice buck, anyway.

Sorry to hear you've not seen a whitetail buck, that is most unfortunate and unlucky, I'm sure there's one out there for you somewhere.... You are certainly welcome to come to the Island and try your hand at finding a blacktail, or for that matter a bear - we're overrun with those. Good luck on the rest of the season.