Xoxiliv
11-29-2010, 06:50 PM
2008 was my first year hunting Whitetail Deer and this is the results. My youngest son and I had spotted him two days prior in the morning. We walked in on a slash. Immediately upon entering the slash I seen a flash of movement to my right..about 30 yards away...I seen a doe and this buck looking at me. Before I could get my rifle to my shoulder he turned and started to walk away...right behind a large, overturned stump. He did not come out the other side. As soon as he was hidden from my view, behind the stump, he ran directly away from me. We checked over the rest of the slash and spotted nothing else. Not wanting to make the deer spooked I opted not to hunt the same area that evening nor the following day....
...Tuesday morning arrived. Today I was hunting alone and need not worry about a 6 year old dragging his feet or stepping on sticks. I parked my truck about a half mile from the slash and began my walk in. As I approached the slash, on an old overgrown skidder trail, I heard what I thought was a grunt. I stopped and waited for what felt like an eternity. Nothing else was heard so I continued my walk in. As I made the last corner and looked into the slash, a doe ran across the opening, approx. 50 yards from me. She came to a sudden stop and did a quick, playful 180 degree spin...looking back the way she came. Lucky for me, standing in plain sight on the trail, she did not notice me. I took a knee and waited. Moments later a small buck came into visit her. I brought my rifle up and took aim through my scope. As I was about to drop the hammer another movement caught my eye coming in from the right. I looked up and in the early morning light I could see this second deer had a much bigger rack on his head. I changed my focus on this new buck....
...the doe not wanting all the attention she was getting decided to walk directly away from me. Both bucks following. I thought of taking a shot to the back of the buck's head but decided to wait as I still had not been spotted. The doe, followed by her two suitors, walked about 70 yards out, and made a left turn behind a large fir tree. She came out from behind the tree and was perfectly broad side to me. She kept walking and was soon followed by the smaller buck. Now I knew how the larger buck was going to present himself and I readied my cross hairs on the open side of the tree...
I'll interrupt my story at this point to mention I had a very good dose of Buck Fever by this time. My legs were shaking, my arms were shaking and I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. My heart beat sounded like drums in my head. My vision had tunneled and I was worried I wouldn't be able to make the shot.
... The buck stepped out and I took aim ( with all the shaking I was doing I figured the movements would "average" out and would hit what I was looking at ) just behind his front shoulder. BANG! I looked up and the deer was gone. I didn't see him fall and I didn't see him run. The doe and smaller buck ran for about 40 yards and stopped and looked back. Where was the buck I had shot at? I quickly chambered another round and continued to stalk into the slash. I walked about 20 yards and came around a small outcropping of trees. There was the buck, standing broadside to me, looking completely confused. I through my rifle up in one smooth motion, took aim at his neck....and the result is now up on my living room wall.
This Whitetail ended my 15 year drought of unsuccessful hunting, prior to which I had taken a Mule Deer and a moose. Since this deer my luck (or skill) has dramatically improved. I took a 5X4 Whitetail in 2009 and this year was blessed with a 4X4 Mule Deer, a small basket 4 point Whitetail, and a calf elk.(LEH) I have been back to the same slash on many occasions since taking this 5X5 and have yet to see another deer.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/DSC00811_900x675_.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/DSC00817_900x675_.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/DSC00813_900x675_.jpg
...Tuesday morning arrived. Today I was hunting alone and need not worry about a 6 year old dragging his feet or stepping on sticks. I parked my truck about a half mile from the slash and began my walk in. As I approached the slash, on an old overgrown skidder trail, I heard what I thought was a grunt. I stopped and waited for what felt like an eternity. Nothing else was heard so I continued my walk in. As I made the last corner and looked into the slash, a doe ran across the opening, approx. 50 yards from me. She came to a sudden stop and did a quick, playful 180 degree spin...looking back the way she came. Lucky for me, standing in plain sight on the trail, she did not notice me. I took a knee and waited. Moments later a small buck came into visit her. I brought my rifle up and took aim through my scope. As I was about to drop the hammer another movement caught my eye coming in from the right. I looked up and in the early morning light I could see this second deer had a much bigger rack on his head. I changed my focus on this new buck....
...the doe not wanting all the attention she was getting decided to walk directly away from me. Both bucks following. I thought of taking a shot to the back of the buck's head but decided to wait as I still had not been spotted. The doe, followed by her two suitors, walked about 70 yards out, and made a left turn behind a large fir tree. She came out from behind the tree and was perfectly broad side to me. She kept walking and was soon followed by the smaller buck. Now I knew how the larger buck was going to present himself and I readied my cross hairs on the open side of the tree...
I'll interrupt my story at this point to mention I had a very good dose of Buck Fever by this time. My legs were shaking, my arms were shaking and I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. My heart beat sounded like drums in my head. My vision had tunneled and I was worried I wouldn't be able to make the shot.
... The buck stepped out and I took aim ( with all the shaking I was doing I figured the movements would "average" out and would hit what I was looking at ) just behind his front shoulder. BANG! I looked up and the deer was gone. I didn't see him fall and I didn't see him run. The doe and smaller buck ran for about 40 yards and stopped and looked back. Where was the buck I had shot at? I quickly chambered another round and continued to stalk into the slash. I walked about 20 yards and came around a small outcropping of trees. There was the buck, standing broadside to me, looking completely confused. I through my rifle up in one smooth motion, took aim at his neck....and the result is now up on my living room wall.
This Whitetail ended my 15 year drought of unsuccessful hunting, prior to which I had taken a Mule Deer and a moose. Since this deer my luck (or skill) has dramatically improved. I took a 5X4 Whitetail in 2009 and this year was blessed with a 4X4 Mule Deer, a small basket 4 point Whitetail, and a calf elk.(LEH) I have been back to the same slash on many occasions since taking this 5X5 and have yet to see another deer.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/DSC00811_900x675_.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/DSC00817_900x675_.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/DSC00813_900x675_.jpg