2008 dear season was as tuff as they get in our area. Very few bucks taken, and lot's of empty tags this year.
Deer numbers are way down close to home, HLS, predators, and a tuff winter took it's toll close to home.
So I promised my son I would take him out of school for the last week of the season and we would go to a special place that I havent hunted in a few years. Of course, if his grades were excellent.
So we load things up and head for the foothills of the Cascades. We get camp set up, and the weather set's in....
We stayed warm and dry with the help of a kerosene heater and a good wall tent.
First day out, we hike in an old cat road that washed out years ago. 3 miles in, we have a big 3 point step out on the road, but by the time Kenny could get a rest, the buck ran up the hill.
So we move up the road a little way's and sit down to let the area rest. The wind was in our favor, and we had a fair size creek at our backs to cover any noise. My other hunting partner had brought some old antlers he had tied together, and I suggested we rattle to see if we could get something moving.
I start hitting the horns hard, the creek was loud and I wasnt sure if anything in the area would be able to hear them.....One Did!
I look behind us, and there is a decent fork running down the hill on the other side of the creek coming our way. I get Kenny turned around, he got a good rest, and then the buck stopped about 150 yards away.
One shot with his 270, and it hit the ground.
One proud 13 year old!
And of course one proud Dad!
I want to thank my long time hunting partner James. He could have shot both of those bucks, but gave Kenny the chance. James and I went with out bucks this year, but it was my most succesfull deer season ever.
And of course I need to thank Mike, Gary, and Jim. You guy's are great, even if you are totall wimps for staying in this thing....
It was a great place to play poker every night. But remember where you put your clothes to dry out each night.