beanshooter
11-09-2011, 05:05 PM
I don't post too often on here, but have learned a lot from the site in the last few years. I moved to this beautiful province 3 years ago and took up hunting soon after as a way to harvest some quality meat and explore the surrounding mountains. After 2 unsuccessful frustrating years, I decided this one was it and I would put in the time necessary to up my odds.
I've been hunting with a few different other new hunters this year, but decided to head out alone on Sunday. I was a little late to the show and didn't get hiking until close to 8am. I hiked a couple hours up the trail, still hunting in the good ares when it opened up. I saw the back half of a good sized deer but couldn't get sight of it's head before it disappeared. After another hour or so I decided to follow a game trail off of the main trail and was pleased when I passed some good sign.
It was only about 5 minutes after leaving the main trail when I spooked a deer about 25 - 30 yards away right near the top of a little hill. He bounded off and down the hill about another 30 yards away. He was partially hidden behind some trees but once I pulled out the binos I caught a glimpse of some bone up top, GAME ON! He slowly started making his way up the hill almost perfectly broadside as I raised my rifle. I was down on both knees and the cross hairs were all over the place! I shifted a leg up so I could rest my elbow on a knee and he immediately stopped and looked right at me. Now with a stable rest, I placed the cross hairs behind the front leg and pulled the trigger before he could bolt.
As soon as the shot rang out he bounded off away from me and up the hill. A couple seconds later a brief silence, then a bunch of loud crashing as he tumbled down the hill. I couldn't see him at first through the trees, but heard the heavy wheezing of his final breaths. A few seconds later there was silence and I was able to see his head through the trees with the binos, eye wide open, not blinking.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee183/grahamrc/buckdown.jpg
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee183/grahamrc/buck2.jpg
I proceeded to take a long pull from the red stag that had been riding in my pack all season for just such an occasion and made my way down the hill. I was pretty excited to say the least and somewhat overwhelmed with the job ahead of me. I snapped a few pics with the phone, got out the knife and got to work. Now I must say, watching youtube videos is good, but it would have been nice to have an experienced hunter with me for the first time. Either way, it all worked out and 4 hours later I had a loaded pack and not much time to make it down before dark. It was all I could do to get the pack on and stand up, and after stumbling about 100 yards I bailed trying to cross a log. There was no way this was going to work so I stashed the 2 hindquarters under a log and put the head up on a stump. I was a little choked having to leave the head but at this point I was too exhausted to care. I packed out the rest of it and made it to the bottom of the trail just about the time I would have had to dig out the headlamp. The next day I came back for the rest of it with a buddy and snapped another couple shots.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee183/grahamrc/photo1.jpg
A couple words of advice to fellow new hunters out there:
A good sized deer is too big to pack out by yourself, unless you're built like an ox. If I had boned out the legs it would have saved some weight, but probably not enough to avoid blowing out my knee on the way down. cell service would have helped to call a buddy.
bring a knife sharpener! I would have been hooped if I didn't have one!
Just get out and spend some time in the bush. don't waste time in areas without sign just because it seems like a good zone. Find the sign and move slow.
There's quite a lot of meat on a decent sized deer, make sure you have freezer space.
Fortunately I have plenty of room in the freezer, once this one is cut and wrapped I'll see if I have enough room to go after another.
I'd like to thank Marc and all the HBC members contributing useful information to this site, it really is a wealth of knowledge about BC and hunting in general. I'd also like to thank numerous PWA members for all the local knowledge, encouragement, and pointing me in the right direction.
Officially hooked!
I've been hunting with a few different other new hunters this year, but decided to head out alone on Sunday. I was a little late to the show and didn't get hiking until close to 8am. I hiked a couple hours up the trail, still hunting in the good ares when it opened up. I saw the back half of a good sized deer but couldn't get sight of it's head before it disappeared. After another hour or so I decided to follow a game trail off of the main trail and was pleased when I passed some good sign.
It was only about 5 minutes after leaving the main trail when I spooked a deer about 25 - 30 yards away right near the top of a little hill. He bounded off and down the hill about another 30 yards away. He was partially hidden behind some trees but once I pulled out the binos I caught a glimpse of some bone up top, GAME ON! He slowly started making his way up the hill almost perfectly broadside as I raised my rifle. I was down on both knees and the cross hairs were all over the place! I shifted a leg up so I could rest my elbow on a knee and he immediately stopped and looked right at me. Now with a stable rest, I placed the cross hairs behind the front leg and pulled the trigger before he could bolt.
As soon as the shot rang out he bounded off away from me and up the hill. A couple seconds later a brief silence, then a bunch of loud crashing as he tumbled down the hill. I couldn't see him at first through the trees, but heard the heavy wheezing of his final breaths. A few seconds later there was silence and I was able to see his head through the trees with the binos, eye wide open, not blinking.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee183/grahamrc/buckdown.jpg
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee183/grahamrc/buck2.jpg
I proceeded to take a long pull from the red stag that had been riding in my pack all season for just such an occasion and made my way down the hill. I was pretty excited to say the least and somewhat overwhelmed with the job ahead of me. I snapped a few pics with the phone, got out the knife and got to work. Now I must say, watching youtube videos is good, but it would have been nice to have an experienced hunter with me for the first time. Either way, it all worked out and 4 hours later I had a loaded pack and not much time to make it down before dark. It was all I could do to get the pack on and stand up, and after stumbling about 100 yards I bailed trying to cross a log. There was no way this was going to work so I stashed the 2 hindquarters under a log and put the head up on a stump. I was a little choked having to leave the head but at this point I was too exhausted to care. I packed out the rest of it and made it to the bottom of the trail just about the time I would have had to dig out the headlamp. The next day I came back for the rest of it with a buddy and snapped another couple shots.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee183/grahamrc/photo1.jpg
A couple words of advice to fellow new hunters out there:
A good sized deer is too big to pack out by yourself, unless you're built like an ox. If I had boned out the legs it would have saved some weight, but probably not enough to avoid blowing out my knee on the way down. cell service would have helped to call a buddy.
bring a knife sharpener! I would have been hooped if I didn't have one!
Just get out and spend some time in the bush. don't waste time in areas without sign just because it seems like a good zone. Find the sign and move slow.
There's quite a lot of meat on a decent sized deer, make sure you have freezer space.
Fortunately I have plenty of room in the freezer, once this one is cut and wrapped I'll see if I have enough room to go after another.
I'd like to thank Marc and all the HBC members contributing useful information to this site, it really is a wealth of knowledge about BC and hunting in general. I'd also like to thank numerous PWA members for all the local knowledge, encouragement, and pointing me in the right direction.
Officially hooked!