redthorn
11-28-2012, 01:39 PM
Blacktails are hitting the ground around this time of year....
I have had the privilege of helping several new hunters over the last couple of years harvest their first animals. I'm a first generation self-taught (as in failed experiences and a lot of reading...) hunter myself, and never had the opportunity to learn from anyone. So I spent the first 3 years with out shooting anything more than grouse. That sort of frustration gives you a soft spot for those about to start hunting, and so I like to at least show them the type of terrain to be in, the signs, rubs, beds, and how to make an effective hunt happen. Also I like to make them hike hard doing it...
With a hectic schedule and baby at home, I've been limited on the overnight trips and therefore hitting the local mountain pretty hard after work and weekends. Swamps, ravines, and nice old Cedars have been my best friends.
Ty has been diligently shooting bow since the beginning of summer, and just got his Core finished this fall. So we headed out after work twice last week to try a nice little area. The first day we got close to a doe, and jumped a very fast 3 point. Nothing like hearing a freight train in the brush and glimpsing his antlers to get a young gun fired up. We went back in 2 days later, and I was pushing us fast and hard to get through the swamp to get into some nice cedars with lots of rubs and a really nice shed. We cut a fresh track, went over aging it, and then slowed down as it was still very sharp in the rain. About 50 yds later I saw an animal, and he saw us. I was desperately trying to point him out to Ty before he bolted. Finally he saw him and we both confirmed the presecence of antlers. Ty came up to draw just as he started to trot. I mouth bleated twice at him and he stopped broadside about 40 yds off. "Shoot him" And he did... Nice clean arrow and he went down hard right away. Pics and a quick lesson on gutting... He was riding high after that. Spent a total of 3 hrs hunting in his life, and arrowed a 2x2 blacktail. Next year will be a rude awakening to the reality of spending time just looking most likely.
http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/vv278/redthornboards/Tylerandhis2point.jpg
Well that got me fired up as well,and I went back out 4 days later. Followed a ridge up and was working my way down when I spotted a buck feeding. 3 point!!! I had no clear approach for the stalk, so I sat on my butt in the stream and slowly slid my way down towards him whenever he would put his head down. Took a good 1/2 hour to make 60 yds, and I was freezing. Finally was within comfortable range and got up and to draw. Let one go and it passed through his lungs. He tumbled down the bank and stood wobbling above the creek. Rather than let him suffer it out I put a second one through his lungs and he dropped into the creek. That was a mistake. He went down over the 2 small waterfalls below him and washed into a pool. Tough recovery. Luckily Ty owed me a favour and knew roughly where I was. So a very steep, tough, uphill drag and a few hours later we had him out and home.
http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/vv278/redthornboards/IMG-20121127-00194.jpg
Just a bit over 17 in wide, and not lots of mass, But I was very happy with him. Turns out he had been blinded in one eye fighting (his cape/head/neck/shoulder was cut through to the flesh in 8 places. You can see one on the top of his head.) Also turns out I had been freezing my butt off stalking him on his blind side down a stream.
Something bigger out there beat him up pretty badly. Here's a shed and rub... Next Year....
I have had the privilege of helping several new hunters over the last couple of years harvest their first animals. I'm a first generation self-taught (as in failed experiences and a lot of reading...) hunter myself, and never had the opportunity to learn from anyone. So I spent the first 3 years with out shooting anything more than grouse. That sort of frustration gives you a soft spot for those about to start hunting, and so I like to at least show them the type of terrain to be in, the signs, rubs, beds, and how to make an effective hunt happen. Also I like to make them hike hard doing it...
With a hectic schedule and baby at home, I've been limited on the overnight trips and therefore hitting the local mountain pretty hard after work and weekends. Swamps, ravines, and nice old Cedars have been my best friends.
Ty has been diligently shooting bow since the beginning of summer, and just got his Core finished this fall. So we headed out after work twice last week to try a nice little area. The first day we got close to a doe, and jumped a very fast 3 point. Nothing like hearing a freight train in the brush and glimpsing his antlers to get a young gun fired up. We went back in 2 days later, and I was pushing us fast and hard to get through the swamp to get into some nice cedars with lots of rubs and a really nice shed. We cut a fresh track, went over aging it, and then slowed down as it was still very sharp in the rain. About 50 yds later I saw an animal, and he saw us. I was desperately trying to point him out to Ty before he bolted. Finally he saw him and we both confirmed the presecence of antlers. Ty came up to draw just as he started to trot. I mouth bleated twice at him and he stopped broadside about 40 yds off. "Shoot him" And he did... Nice clean arrow and he went down hard right away. Pics and a quick lesson on gutting... He was riding high after that. Spent a total of 3 hrs hunting in his life, and arrowed a 2x2 blacktail. Next year will be a rude awakening to the reality of spending time just looking most likely.
http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/vv278/redthornboards/Tylerandhis2point.jpg
Well that got me fired up as well,and I went back out 4 days later. Followed a ridge up and was working my way down when I spotted a buck feeding. 3 point!!! I had no clear approach for the stalk, so I sat on my butt in the stream and slowly slid my way down towards him whenever he would put his head down. Took a good 1/2 hour to make 60 yds, and I was freezing. Finally was within comfortable range and got up and to draw. Let one go and it passed through his lungs. He tumbled down the bank and stood wobbling above the creek. Rather than let him suffer it out I put a second one through his lungs and he dropped into the creek. That was a mistake. He went down over the 2 small waterfalls below him and washed into a pool. Tough recovery. Luckily Ty owed me a favour and knew roughly where I was. So a very steep, tough, uphill drag and a few hours later we had him out and home.
http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/vv278/redthornboards/IMG-20121127-00194.jpg
Just a bit over 17 in wide, and not lots of mass, But I was very happy with him. Turns out he had been blinded in one eye fighting (his cape/head/neck/shoulder was cut through to the flesh in 8 places. You can see one on the top of his head.) Also turns out I had been freezing my butt off stalking him on his blind side down a stream.
Something bigger out there beat him up pretty badly. Here's a shed and rub... Next Year....