5 tags filled, one to go.

Hunter decided that he wanted to choose the where and how for his hunt today. We had seen a few deer last weekend in this one big bowl, just down from a landing. He wanted to glass it and wait them out. Turns out it was the perfect strategy for today.


We decided to leave the black rifles in the truck as the distances would be from 100-300 yards from our vantage point. While the 6.8spc and .458 Socom were up for the job, both only wear straight red dot type sights with no magnification. We decided to go old school with the 742 Woodmaster in .280 Rem that we inherited from one of Hunter's great uncles. I carried along my .300 win mag in case there was something WAY out there.

We got to the bowl about 6:30am, and nobody was there. We were literally in the clouds, and visibility was 30 yards at most. As it got lighter after shooting hours started, the clouds came in and out, giving us a peek into the bowl below us every once in a while.

About 9:30 I look into a hole in the clouds below and see white that I hadn't seen before, and it looked like a deer. Pull up the binos and sure enough, it was. Hunter was right next to me and I showed him the deer just as another cloud rolled in. That allowed him to move his position and get the shooting stick set up, and about a minute later the clouds parted and our deer was still there, locked on to us.

The staredown lasted a few minutes, and he was looking right at us, not moving. Dead on shot. I gave Hunter the option of taking a dead on shot, and he drilled the deer right in the neck below the jaw. It literally flipped over backwards, and that was it. A short 200 yard drag up a very steep slope and we were at the road.

We heard a number of trucks drive past our bowl that you couldn't see from the road, and we weren't more than 30 yards down from there. Funny thing is, these folks might have seen the deer if they got out and just poked into the brush a bit. Pays to get out and hunt, even if we were only 30 yards off the road.

Hunter felt pretty good about picking the spot and having the guts to stick it out. 2.5 hours for a 13 year old, sitting still, in the wind, fog & rain, waiting for the clouds to give you just the right shot is a chore.

He also got to skin out his deer, and he did pretty well.



Dad/guide duties are done now. Time for me to fish & hunt for myself!

good job hunter

[quote=Dogfish] picking the spot and having the guts to stick it out. 2.5 hours for a 13 year old, sitting still, in the wind, fog & rain, waiting for the clouds to give you just the right shot is a chore.

Right On ... that's what makes you a True Sportsman...not spending all day driving around hoping to shoot one out the window of the truck...Nice job Gentlemen!

Hell Yeah!

Had a good day myself.

Dad of the year in my book! Good job Dog, yer the man.

Great Job Guys!!! I thought i might see a deer in the barn when i drove by today but the light was fading and i missed it.
Good Shootin Hunter!

Should have stopped by. We had beer.

maybe wednesday afternoon. I am heading back down there to try again after scouting more today. tough to get access and i need a good layout boat but I might be able to get it done on the bay if I can figure it out. lots and lots of ducks down there.

Havin' a good year. Nice work. First buck?

4th deer, 3rd buck. 13 years old.

Heck of year for you and the boys. Great job!

neck shot? why is the blood shot near the vitals?

I happens, bullet fragment, bruise from going head over ass, or perhaps DF had to give it a death punch to the heart to put it out .. . . . .

Way to get em dogfish and family, if you run outta freezer space I can lend a hand

Congratulations Hunter!! .....and kudos to dad for overseeing the operation.

This is my first visit to this board this season. Who filled the other 3 tags and what?

You doing the late-season muzzleloader thing?

The bullet was a Barnes X solid copper hollow point. The bullet deflected down after taking out the spine and broke a shoulder, took out 3 ribs and then stopped somewhere unknown. We founds a number of petals from the bullet (the blood spots you see), but there was no exit wound so the bullet must have emnded up on the gut somewhere. Didn't figure out the real damage until we broke the deer down today. (that blood could also be from a bayonet wound)

Hunter & Ryan each got a deer in SE AK tis summer, and now they both have tagged out here in WA. Thank god they ae done. I'm a bit tired of skinning and butchering other folks deer. I also got an elk Eric, so that makes 5, and I have my own deer tag left for the late ML season. Can't wait to hunt really hard without anyone wanting to take a break. Let's hope for snow.

Ground up the burger tonight (Thanks Ryan, I'll get that grinder back to you ASAP. I need one.), and got the steaks cut wrapped and in the freezer as well. I figure about 600lbs of meat so far this year. Might have to share a bit more than usual.

LOL. When I got the picture mail on Saturday I was painting (does it ever end?), I said "Well, at least my grinder is getting exercised this fall."

Tell Hunter congrats. It is a big deal that he is starting to figure out strategies, and hunting techniques at his age. That is such a big part of success/failure, there are a lot of hunters twice his age who have a hard time figuring out what to do on a given day.

Oh yeah, I have been reserving a spot in my freezer for your excess meat storage needs.

D3S pm me which bays you are trying to access, I might be able to help.

Cool stuff.Congrates to Hunter who has lived up to his name.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Way to go Hunter! You guys were back home early Andy.

Sg