Well...it's just about my favorite time of year. Island BT's and good friends. I've been running my cams since the middle of the summer and like every year, we have another bumper crop of animals...including a couple of real bruisers. They went hard horned around the 3rd week of August - which is a bit earlier than normal. Lots and I mean LOTS of does around this year. They seem to be travelling in a larger herd than normal as well. Usually, it's just small family groups of no more than 3 does, but this year, I'm seeing gangs of 6 - 8 at a time...which is new.

We also bought a very nice camper trailer this offseason, so our digs will be better than ever before. Trails are looking great after some summer work and the stage is set for BOOM TOWN.

I am pretty stoked! The last week or so of heading to work in the dark and fog has got me hard horned for hunting season, too

They usually do a pretty good job of putting most of the rut during the closed period between general and late seasons...I think that it's going to be full swing for the entire second half of general season this year.

Boom!

Fish on...

Todd

We also get to hunt Nov. 1st. Any day past Oct. 31st is a major bonus.

BOOM TOWN!

One week. Tick tock.

If ya happen to see any bare naked asses on your trail cams.....

blame Rico.

Uggh. Our first year on the island, we lived and died by our trailcams. Toff and I were sitting in the car overlooking our hunting grounds and flipping through cam pics. I come to this one pic and I don't see anything. No deer, squirrels or windy branches. Why did the cam trigger? Then I see it. At the very edge of the pic is a floating log. I look closer. Wait a minute! That's not a log! What is that? Is that? Oh...oh God. NOOOO! Fvck you Todd! He just laughs and laughs. So gross.

I believe it was Canyon Man's trail cams that got the full "brunt" of Rico's bare ass.

For some reason, he doesn't hunt on that property any more.



NOTE: I'm still traumatized from the one and only time I hunted with Rico. I can't go back to the Island......

I think the entire Whidbey Island deer population, and half the residents of South Whidbey, are still traumatized from your...ahem..."hunting".

Fish on...

Todd

I imagine all this is normal hunting behavior in WA State.

There is nothing normal about The Paker's hunting, from the way it was described to me, both by him and by Rico.

The Paker's hunting career is a gigantic fuckin PETA advertisement

Fish on...

Todd

Just checking to make sure the 206 hasn't violated your being.

You pass.

Yeah, it kinda is.

Fish fear me.
Birds fear me.

Deer only fear me because I'm their Hannibal Lecter. I'm the one in the stories Mamma Deer tells Baby deer at bedtime.

I will say that if and when I'm ever on a hunt, guaranteed that I will see the most and biggest bucks/bulls.

I won't get 'em...but I'll at least see them. Don't even ask me how I found them. They found me....I was just out on an armed nature hike.

Someone who knows what the fvck they are doing should just follow me. They'd have all the wall hangers they would ever need.

I, on the other hand, would still not have filled my tag.

Oh well. At least I have fun trying to learn something new to me.

If we can't laff at ourself's, and all the [Bleeeeep!]-show's we get into then life is just too fukked up! Totally appreciate the honesty Parker! Sometime's I just wonder "who's controlling this outcome right now" , when a situation that should a P.o.C. (piece of cake) turns into an atomic CF of epic proportions! And I'm the one that's smack in charge, albeit work or fun related (shakin head)!

Where's Evo-juice to tell you what you've been doing wrong all this time?? LOL

Good luck and safe hunts to everyone headed out this weekend!

Good hunting out there everyone!

Heart punched at 60 yards. The 308 barks and they drop!
Our season lasted roughly +/- two hours including the drive time from my front door.

Very nice, war paint! I’ve been eager to see how people are doing.

Nice buck, WP!

Great job WP! Nice looking animal. Congrats!

Nice Buck War Paint, is that a little of your paint on the tip of his antler?


Deer camp 2020 is pretty plush... with one of the high points being that when I shot my deer at 645pm Sunday Night, I got a text saying who shot and where are ya. 10 minutes later it was in the bucket of a tractor headed for the shop.






Roughin it!


....Not!

Ill let the boys fill in with any other stories from opening weekend if they dare.

Camp is good. Some beers died, and some deers died.

Back at it next weekend.

Fish on...

Todd

I guess that means deer camp stories stay at deer camp, ROFL.

Nick usually starts the Deer Camp thread, we provide no in-season updates, and then we promise an end of season wrap up that we typically fail to deliver on.

I think in the many years we have done this together Nick and I have posted a grand total of one single photo, and that was my super-Mondo buck from last year.

That's the process you have been adopted into, Sky-Guy

Fish on...

Todd

Dandy buck wp!

Congrats on the groceries sg!

Todd and the Bronco Fan are pretty much worthless for vicarious buck adventure pixels & prose. Not as nearly as bad as Parker tho'.

Rut seems slow this year. Have stealthily shadowed a few does but have only seen a button buck hanging near 'em on one occasion rather than his testosterone-addled great grandpa....

Good luck, all!

Maybe we'll birth a few photos and/or words at the end of the season, come January...but we'll probably forget, or more to the point, for get to care to do so

I gave an entirely accurate report this morning, if not particularly satisfying for others

Fish on...

Todd

Helps if one were to go hunting, something I haven't done in over 2 years. We gave up the Tonasket Game Preserve land rights after the deer populations crashed a couple of years ago and had the wolves move in.

Can't say that I miss climbing Mount Mick at 2:00 am on opening morning, but I do miss that time of morning when the wind dies down, becomes earily calm, and one can just start to glass and see deer returning from feeding to their beds. The ghosts of the mountains.

I declined to hunt on the Toff Deer Game Farm and Preserve, as I'm still on the Island's Top 10 Most Wanted by PETA.

Next year......out of state.

Hunting Iderho.

May not kill anything and may not take any photos, but I'm sure I'll have stories to tell!

"Hiking the Northwest With a Gun"
Paperback $1.99

elparquito

I ain't seen chit. That concludes my hunting report.

We killed alot of deer... and a moose died, good week.

Pics or it didn't happen. You can't be talkin' bout a downed moose and not provide pics! C'mon man!

We rented a house in Gardner, MT for a few days last month. On the morning of the last day, as I was packing the car, a 5-point bull elk sauntered down the street past our driveway. I guess stuff like this is common there. The day we arrived there was a large pile of grizzly scat in the driveway.

Here on the home front, archery season began on Sept. 1. I haven't seen a BT buck since the 3rd week of August.

You know you are in a different area when you have to pack just to check the mail.

You'll start seeing those sneaky neighborhood bucks on does in the daytime anytime now. The pre-rut is firing up and they're starting to sniff butts. It won't be long and they'll get real stupid, which is what I'm counting on. I need their stupid to match my stupid or it doesn't work out very well.

LOL

Paker thinks Patchouli is a cover scent and kale smoothies count as trail food. He finds it adorable when chipmunks eat organic free range almonds outta his hand. He often tries baiting them up the inside of his pant legs into his warm & spacious chippy cave. That's the word on the streets.

The Pied Paker

The flute jokes just write themselves. I can totally see him skipping down the lane with small forest critters in tow. Zamfir ain't got chit on the Hammer.

LOL
If he goes through the woods playing that chit, then he's been cornholed by that big buck.

"And this one, I shot right off of Paker's backside."

I'm going to have borrow Dan's lighter for you and Nick.....

No need. Just point out that in a few weeks, they'll likely have just as much fresh venison in their freezer as you do....

Can confirm.

Fish on...

Todd

You were there??

Great buck WP! Congrats to the others who had success as well.

Honestly, "success" to me anymore is being able to actually get a week off from my hectic work schedule to be able to enjoy the camp life with my son and my friends. Harvesting critters just makes it even better. Our camp went 7 for 7 on mulies up in the Northern wheatfield country, with 6 bucks (5 being in the "mature" category), and a kicker doe.

The highlight for me was pulling a double with my son. He had spotted a healthy 3x3 he wanted, so he made a good spot-n-stalk and dropped the hammer at 297 yards. I was on an adjacent ridge about 150 yards away, and a larger 4x4 decided to head my direction after all the commotion. That proved to be a fatal mistake for the large buck, and within a minute there were 2 bucks on the ground. Neat father/son moment, for sure.

That's awesome!

Thanks man, much appreciated!

Great job on a couple of nice bucks. Your big 4x4 is a dandy!

Thanks Nick! I was more excited for my son anchoring his 7th buck, plus later that day he filled his 2nd deer tag on his own. That gives him 10 deer now; dam good for a 16yo!

Well done!

10 deer for a 16 yo is stout. Good jorb dad!

I'm still holding out for a boss hog. I have 3 more days this coming weekend and then multiple late seasons. We shall see.

The rut is happening, at least in Olympia and Goldendale. My buddy got an extra stinky 3 pt Monday after work with extra wet and stinky glands. My dad shot a buck Sunday and had another buck horn the crap out of it after it dropped.

Now's the time!

The rut is happening, at least in Olympia and Goldendale. My buddy got an extra stinky 3 pt Monday after work with extra wet and stinky glands. My dad shot a buck Sunday and had another buck horn the crap out of it after it dropped.

Now's the time!

Yup - it's on! Big ol' stinky, thick neck sonofaguns.

I'm not surprised that one went after the buck your dad shot WSU. Once they see red, they get awfully dumb don't they?

Can't wait for this next 3 day weekend!

Too bad the weather is staying so nice, but the rut should have them moving regardless.

Good luck fellas!

The clear, moonlit nights seem to have diminished early morning appearances as the boys are likely bedded or sequestered with does in quiet places well before first light. As slight confirmation, was just about to leave the stand yesterday evening when there were a couple of young bucks in a full out, knock down, turf tossing donnybrook so I stayed put to spectate. A forkie appeared to investigate the young gladiators and shake a few low fir boughs himself as darkness started to firmly enfold the remainder of the day. He turned abruptly and focused his attention that redirected the Leitz 10x light gathering view through the trees to a mature buck staring back at him but tending a doe. Too dark to count points as he again turned to the doe but they swept up well above and beyond his ears. Although nothing for the freezer from that encounter, a heart was quickened and more memories were made....

Headed back out Saturday eve, Sunday... Can't wait to see one of them mature bucks out trolling.

Can't wait!

Keith

I'm a bit bummed I filled my tag. I always wait until the end to get serious and this year you get an extra day! The 1st should be the best day of the whole season.

Had another fun weekend out in the woods. The moon phase and weather was crap, but some animals were out and about moving around here and there.

I passed on an ancient, totally white faced old man buck that had a broken off antler on one side and a weird regress on the other. He was a big bodied animal, but he would have been a hamburger deer. I wouldn't doubt that he was 9 or 10 years old.

Still have late season modern Whitetails, Blacktails and late archery + muzzy, so I have a bit of time...

Sounds like you gave the Patriarch one more winter, eh Nick?

The waxing moon and clear nights definitely messed with my mojo this year. T'other evening had a very tired doe troll a persistent forkie past the stand three times in her hopes of getting him permanently off her ass. Didn't work....

Middle of last week, saw a doe squat & pee for a flemming buck as objective proof to Romeo that she was not in estrus. He got a good sniff of her stuff and sure enough, walked off to find better options. Last Friday evening was the first time bucks were seen hard at it with does. That said, perhaps we'll have better luck in a couple weeks!

Perhaps the deer in WA are queer?

I guess I'm getting to be a bit of a big softy the older I get. That old Gladiator was a haggard, scarred up, battle tested beast who obviously lived a full life of fightin' & lovin'. He looked really content to just be enjoying some of his last apples during his last glimmer of his last warm fall sunshine. He earned it.

Our encounter made me wonder and ponder a bit about if'n I'll ever put my guns in the ground.

That's what I've enjoyed since the boy has started hunting that last 8 years; is focusing on getting him a deer (or 2). During this time I've only killed 3 bucks. Once we'd harvest a deer for the freezer, then I could enjoy "the hunt" for a bigger buck rather than just focus on killing any legal buck.

It's like when I morphed from "having" to kill a limit of steelhead/salmon to make the trip "successful", to enjoying the trip and IF we caught fish or if they were only wild it was still a great trip!

Way back in the early '80's, I was a young buck that deer hunted with a co-worker that had horses and a long time pard of his that was decades of seasons ahead of us both. After being out playing hide-n-seek with alpine mulies from can't see to can't see, I returned to the wall tent and a hissing Coleman lantern to share dinner and our stories of the day. When it was our camp patriarch's turn he recounted the number of bucks he'd seen and how close or off yonder they were. I inquired as to why we weren't packing meat in the morning and he told me "Why would I ruin a perfectly good hunt?" with a grin and a wink for emphasis. He'd been blessed with many good hunts, good company around many campfires, left countless boot tracks over the mountains of many states, and lived to his middle 90's before the Good Lord punched his tag. We should all be so lucky....

Amen.

At 55 I can relate.
Not sure how many miles I covered this year but it was many, many miles.
Most between 7,000 and 10,000 feet.
All the different weather experienced.
Saw every four legged creature in the woods I traveled ....except a griz.

A truly great year spending time with loved ones younger than me.

I passed on that old buck for two reasons. #1 his meat would have been shite and #2 my season would be over.

Two weekends from now, Toof and I are breaking tradition and heading over to the far east side for some hot Whitetail & Turkey action for a couple of days. There are some very nice bucks on cam and the weather & moon is going to be perfect, perfect. 1" - 3" of snow each night; cold with little wind. Nothing too huge on cam (yet), but several VERY nice shooters. For several reasons, I'm convinced that this specific country holds a true toad and while we haven't seen him yet....he's in there.

I haven't hunted WT's since I left Michigan, so 20 years. I've been fortunate to have culled truck loads of WT's with our farm permit. Like 4 in five minutes type killin'. But now, I'm so used to sneaky arsehole BT's thieving in the night, that I've almost forgot how normal deer operate. Fookin' BT's man - true bastards. I love to hate em' and hate that I love em'.

Besides spot n' stalk & still hunting, we'll have a ground couple of blinds set up. The plan is too take the shotty and rifle and many sammies, plop my butt down and chill for whatever may happen by. I might even take a nap just for Jaek.

If that hunt doesn't work out, we'll turn around and go back to the island a couple of days later for late Modern over here. Then it's a couple of days off until Nov 25th and I'm going Elk hunting until I get my animal.

So yeah...I'mma be fired soon.

Another cool thing...at least for me.

First, I FINALLY get to take my rebuilt Weatherby out after some animals. It's been a long time coming. It's a silky driver at the range and I expect no less in live action.

But more importantly, I get to break out my Gramps old 1894. 26" + iron sights. Much like the ol' Model 12 that slays island deer, this gun has killed more chit than small pox. 3 generations worth back to the late 30's. My dad took his first deer & elk with it, I took my first deer & elk with it. All those CO Mulies & Elk and MI WT's. Bart Starr dropped it on some rocks and gashed the stock (yes, that Bart Starr). So some history.

Old, cranky and VERY loose. Almost a mantle gun now, but still has a hunt or two left.

Stories like this are appreciated, get her back out and let her bark! Mantle biz, that's just silly talk.

Keith

Damn kid has been making me pack his baggage............Again.






Hope you guys find success.
.
.
.
.

Solid work!

I hope he shares with you, at least.

Fish on...

Todd

LOL.
At 14 I just hope he does his chores so I don't have to.

He will have some work to do now!

Seems like a good time for pops to explain the finer points of elk butchering...from 5 feet away sitting in a lawn chair with a cold drink.

Fish on...

Todd

Good job kid and dad! That's a nice bull for a youngin'. What color did he bite on?

330" 329"
He bit on a 300 mag at 738 yards.
Beware of the kid that shoots one gun.

He does pretty well with a knife. Just a little slow. I need to work on my patience.

Wife got hers with stick and string. Fun stuff with lots of bulls responsive to calling.




Shoot straight guys.

HELL YES TO ALL OF THAT!

Friday morning sunrise can't get here soon enough.

CONGRATS to all involved! Fantastic Wapitis!

Congrats to your son on a fine bull and exceptional shooting!

Probably not WA given it's not a spike. Have seen a goodly number of Clydesdale bulls up close with the ubiquitous WA spike only tag in the pack. Love MT and WY for better odds....

Todd and I had a great EA WA WT hunt. Tags are still unnotched. We passed on some dinks. Lots and lots of animals, but no hot does or swollen necks just yet....which was a bit frustrating. Not even a lone cruiser. We had a mix of weather from cold and snowy rain to warmer sunshine. The rut in there will probably start tomorrow morning.

Oh well. Its a neat area with lots of animals. I had a blast and I can't wait to get back there next year.

Now it's back to the Island for 4 final days next weekend to git' er done.

Thanks for the report and good luck !

Nick

That's been the majority of my experiences with Wa St late rifle whitetail season in the NE as well, since the mid 90's. WDFW has adjusted the season's overall, so the rifle hunter just barely gets a glimpse of the rut (it appears to me at least). Sure, there are some "rutting bucks" but those dummies usually get wacked, toot-sweet. Mid to late 80's in the NE was fantastic hunting, as the season ran through T-day, and half of Spokane didn't head North to hunt as well.

If I want to hunt a late whitetail; ideally it's a special permit where the number of hunters are controlled, or I go to a neighboring state where the season runs to the end of November. Road trips are always fun regardless though! Glad you got to see some different scenery too.

I chased elk around the neighborhood this weekend, and the bulls are still chasing cows and bugling. Gotta be a couple of cows that they missed last month and that has these 2 big bulls pissed off! I keep finding cow/calfs pairs, rather than a barren cow for my tag but I have lots of time too.

I, too, expected a little more rut action, and was disappointed to see that it didn't happen...we had times with bucks and does both together in our area, and they mostly ignored each other.

Several opportunities for some really beautiful two points arose, but we weren't there for those, so passed...we sure saw a lot of deer, though, and that is a significant difference compared to our usual western Washington blacktail efforts!

We had a day of sideways 33 degree slushy rain with 5 or 6 inches of actual snow on the ground...lots of activity that day, to say the least, just not the shooters we were looking for.

The weather, unfortunately, got nicer and nicer over the trip, and though we saw many deer every day, we saw more in one afternoon on the crappy weather day than the entire rest of the time combined.

Nothing to be too disappointed about, it was great to get out of town and do something new and different, been a while since I was in the field with a rifle, which was cool, even if I didn't shoot it at anything

Fish on...

Todd

Armed nature hikes. I love 'em!

Fun stuff.
Good luck this weekend.

Truth! The rut over there generally gets going right at the end of late rifle. So there are only maybe 2 - 3 good days before it shuts down on the 20th. The late muzzy season that starts on the 25th might be a good bet too.

I told Todd that next year, we need to take the last few days off and then, if unsuccessful, immediately drive back over here for the late BT season.

The good news is that the BT rut is still going strong, so there should be some good action these last 4 days. Our landowner notified me that there was a 5x4 standing in his driveway the other day. I'm thinking he's a new buck that we haven't got on camera before. Hope he's still around come Thursday.

Good luck filling your cow tag Snit. Dry cows can be a pain in the butt to find, but they're out there. Gotta keep after it my man!

The Paker Mule was on standby over the weekend......

Coming to a donkey show near you.

I thought Lefties were only allowed to have double barrel shotguns.
(black powder of course)
Who knew ?

Keep that mule on standby for Nov 25th - Dec 15th, cuz' I have a big fat cow to plop on the ground.

Speaking of that, does anyone have any wet side big fat cows I can plop on the ground?

Also, I didn't capture this in my trip report, but it was an awesome feeling to be carrying my old 1894 again. That gun is just money and feels so right in the hand. It's like carrying rarified air. They certainly don't make em' like that anymore.

I just recently caught the lever gun bug.
Grabbed me a Marlin 1895 45-70 22"
Pimped it with a big loop lever, Skinner Alaskan peep and a Montana sling.

Ooo...very nice! I was just chatting with Todd on our Sunday drive home about wanting a 45-70 lever gun for dark timber Elk and possibly maybe a bear one day. While not classic styling, this one has caught my eye. Marlin 1895 Dark Series. Slap a reflex on and it should be good to go. I do wish they made this model with a bit longer barrer though.

I like dark colored, coated metal & synthetic stocks for the wet side. Less to worry about as I like to hunt my guns instead of having safe queens. Meaning I could care less about aesthetic and nicely grained wood that swells or metal that can rust over night. Timbered Elk is a contact sport, so if'n it can take a beating from the elements (and me) and still get the job done, I'm all in.

You'll have to let me know how yours shoots and works out for ya'... pretty please.

Marlin 1895 GBL has a 20" barrel and laminated stock that would be fine in the dark wet woods.
Also Henry has an all weather 45-70 18.5"

Saddle guns.
You cowboys getting a horse?

I'm already part horse. A mini horse, but a horse none-the-less.

Rarefied air is air that does not contain much oxygen, for example in mountain areas. ... living at very high altitudes where the atmosphere is rarefied.

I hate it when PP edumacates me

Don't let him fool you, Nick's a Donk Man.
Come to think of it, anything more than 16" would high-center that Donk.

You guys are speaking my language! Love me some lever action!

Were I so inclined, it'd be a '94 in 45 Colt or 44 mag. Much more fun to repeatedly pop a primer on that than the -70 with same-same external/terminal performance.

Seemed to be a recurring idea as I played hide-n-seek with heavily-timbered creek bottom bulls in WY and WA, sans horse.

Good luck out there!

32 Special.

Just saying

Have a 5-digit serial number '86 in 45-70 with peep and adj vert site.

Neat old gun. Haven't poked a hole in a critter yet, but we're threatening to make deer camp a "levers-only" weapon for a season. I know another outfit that does it, and they have a hoot!

The only hunting rifle I own is a 50 year old Marlin 30.30...I love hunting with that gun, and look forward to more of it!

Fish on...

Todd

Nice.

First time afield as a ruddy-faced boy, I toted a weathered 336 my father had borrowed for me to use. Subsequent paper route money went to a 99EG in 300 Savage with stories to tell....

Nothing wrong with a 32 Special.

Just sayin'.... *grin*

Same gun. It was my old man's gun before that, I think he bought it right around 1970, and right around 1980 was when it became mine.

It's at Nick's house right now, as the original scope is finally being swapped out to a new Vortex that I picked up in September.

Fish on...

Todd

Blurrrbbbhhhh

Marlin 336/1895...what a great design.
I'm going to try the Skinner Alaskan peep and see how that goes.
The Skinner is beautifully made and it fits the big Marlin receiver perfectly.

Hard not to think about Custer's troopers trying to fend off that overwhelming force while single-loading those 45-70 rounds.
At 405 grains, the round could most likely bang-flop a horse as intended.

Always wanted a '94. Sold off some other guns to get one. Wanted a carbine but what they had was a rifle (longer barrel). Made in 1900, a .30-30. Don't know the history but it will be my preferred hunting rifle for modest range animals. Open sights and age help to make it that way. The backups are a .243 and .30-06 that my Dad made. Sporterized an Enfield and purchased the .243 action from Herters. Did all the stock work, bluing, and such. Have taken two deer with the little one.

Love me some SA's but the .243 is a personal fav. If one has a quality barrel twisted faster than the SAAMI 10, she really shines. Barnes now has a 95 grain LRX that elevates that little pill to +P. Easy-peasy recoil in an easy to tote flyweight package, flatter that a pancake external ballistics and with 80, 85 or 95 grain X's for flawless terminal performance, she's a slayer.

Just got an email from Henry.
They are adding side loading gates to several popular models.
This is good news, Henry has been criticized for their tube-fed lever guns.
Nice-looking rifles they are.
https://view.email.henryusa.com/?qs=c730...4691dfeb7be6cdf

Those guns just got 549% more interesting to me.

Fish on...

Todd

Here's my completely not in-depth wrap up for Deer Camp 2020.

It's not a 100% given, but nearly so, that you get two tags where we hunt...the "second deer - antlerless" is almost a sure thing.

Plan was to shoot an antlerless deer, and unless a masher walked out, sit on my buck tag and take a trip over to eastern Washington to my turkey grounds, which also happen to be good whitetail grounds, and see about a big WT for the other half of the take.

Took care of the antlerless deer easily enough, sat on the buck tag, and took a trip east.

Nick and I saw a metric shitton of deer over there, and plenty of legal bucks, but none of the mashers we were hoping for...so didn't fill the buck tag on that trip.

Whidbey was kind enough to provide a big bodied 3x4 for me, and while he wasn't as big as a few of the deer I passed on in eastern Washington, he was a good one for a blacktail!

FWIW, my third biggest blacktail since hunting on Whidbey commenced seven years ago now...

He and I spent about 15 minutes together waiting for hunting hours to commence, and about 15 seconds into legal time he was down...



...and then a bit later when Nick arrived, pic #2...



The other fellas can fill in their stories...or not...as they see fit

Fish on...

Todd

My 2020 report:

Nick drank all the Whiskey, and Todd Drank all the beer.

Tough year, but I shot a deer.

The end.

Seems only fitting that this be in a haiku.

Whiskey did Nick Drink
That damn Todd drank all the beer
but I shot a deer

My multi-season tag remains open. 2nd Doe tag has been filled. Spent 3 days over Thanksgiving with the muzzy, but no shots fired. I have another 8 or so days going after late Archery Elks and Deers. Time is starting to run out a bit, but more to follow...

[Bleeeeep!] Parker, LOL....I specifically remember in 6th grade, thinking to myself "I will NEVER need to know WTF or HTF to write a phuggin' haiku once I'm an adult"! Almost made it to 50yo, and then "Smarty Pants Parker" pulls one out from the Way-Back-Time-Machine, Noice'!!

Those Blackies are sure neat lookin' swamp rats! Another fine specimen for the freezer/wall Todd! Appears "The Island" has furnished "The Crew" with a decent amount of venison for the winter.

The boy's N.M. buck was deer #4 for the larder. Just me and my wife here for T-day, but socked in with fog for 3 of 4 days so the elk (if they were here) were safe. The weather has been pretty mild the last week, and by all indications, the local elk boogied out. Had a chance a week ago, and didn't pull the trigger...Regerts! 1 month count down offically starts now for the end of cow season.

Thanks, Snit.

It really is a labor of love to consistently harvest mature blacktails on the island...there are a ton of deer, of course, but seeing as how they are about 99% nocturnal, even during the rut, getting one roused is a trick.

Getting in the bushes with them with a shotgun and being within 30 yards of them to get a shot, another trick, the trickiest one.

If you are a trophy hunter, it's a tough sell...they do not get "big", though we have shot several that actually are big...and their racks are not going to impress mule deer hunters or those who hunt Cascade blacktails all up and down the coast; the island deer are a breed all unto themselves.

The difficulty of the hunt, both the critters and the terrain, is what makes it special to me...and there is no tastier deer in the woods, period.

Fish on...

Todd

Good lookin' animal. Well done.

Hey Nick, I still have the 2x3 buck here in the hood, along with a couple spikes and a hunerd does if yer in stick-bow mode. At least I think they're all still here; I heard 2 shots ring out just after daylight this morning down the hill.

Thanks Salmo! I may just take you up on that offer depending on how my next hunt goes. Archery closes on 12/31, so there's a few days left.

This.



Managed to stealthily shadow does almost every day I had opportunity. As unsuspecting bait, they yielded romantic spikes, forks and one trey letting an unsuspecting fork horn lead the charge that were all left for future opportunities. One can afford to be a tad particular when there's still bounty in the freezer. Regardless, bearing witness to Ma Nature's delicate dance as performed by her wondrous creatures, many memories were made....

Congrats on a fine BT buck Todd. Are you finally using slugs?

Nah, 00 for the win. Shot the very first Whidbey BT with a slug, right in noggin, but all the rest have been with buckshot.

Buckshot has better range and knock down...but since this is more like grouse hunting than deer hunting, being able to snap one off at the chest and feel good about a hit works better with the 00.

I've passed on a couple of shots at unsuspecting bucks that were a bit too far to throw shot at, when I may have taken a poke with a slug, but I know I've hit a couple on the hop that would have been far less likely kills with a slug, including the biggest island BT that I've seen in person, the one I shot last year.

Fish on...

Todd

Good deal.

I thought you wore a cowboy's hat??

Driftin sure fanicies himself a Shakespeare. Jesus. Talk about Big Stick leaving impressions.

I speak softly....

Haiku's and the need for a thesaurus takes me out of the running to be a blacktail hunter it appears. Plus, I don't even own a cowboy hat...but that's because the horses went away when the first wife did too!

I will say though Mr. Todd, that the size of the horns are relative to the species (as you know) and I definitely respect the coastal blacktail. Having spent 1 late rifle season a few years ago chasing them with a "local buddy" who has a wall filled with large ones, yet we never saw a buck in 4 days. I can honestly say they surely earned my respect! We had snow and wind, just nasty weather overall. And every morning we jumped the same big buck (so we think, by the track) in this gnarly thick timbered draw, that is choked with vine maple, and each day we hunted him a different way and he gave us the slip over and over. Never even getting a glimpse of him! RESPECT!

Same as the Couse Whitetail the boy and I hunted in New Mexico for the tag he won last month. The N.M. seasons are only 5 days, and by day 3 I felt we had a legitimate chance to waylay a buck. We were seeing does/fawns, and in an area with lots of sign as well. Those grey-ghosts would glide through the junipers and pin oaks, and then just disappear. Super steep terrain in canyons, so it was alot of spotting from the canyon rims. As a side note, we'd met 2 other hunters who'd scored on "trophy-sized" Coues the day before. I'm telling ya, I'm glad I got to actually put my hands on a couple of keeper Coues, otherwise, if I had seen those bucks on the hoof I would have advised my son to let them go. Not much bone on a 95" Couse, but everything is relative. As it turns out, the first buck we encountered was a mule deer that made the kids mind up for him, and we then loaded up and made the 25hr trip home (driving straight through, just like the way down..was a kick in the pants!).

Cue ABU..."Too Long"

I saw the pics of your your son's NM mule deer...hard one to pass up!

Contrasting eastern Washington whitetails with our island blacktails...in one whitetail afternoon, in one area not bigger than 30 acres, we had more deer in our sights than we see in five years of island blacktail hunting.

I'll admit that we generally harvest a good mature blacktail a time or three each season now...but it took us three years to get our first one, and that was three years of many hunting days from dawn til dusk...the learning curve out there was long, and flat, for a long time.

Every mature buck we shoot is a satisfying critter, to say the least.

When I was a kid I did the traditional western Washington blacktail hunt...sit on a clearcut and wait for one to walk out. It worked, but it sure didn't feel much like hunting to me...after taking 20 years off and starting anew with hand to hand combat in the bushes with a shotgun, it sure feels a lot like hunting again!

Just seeing one feels like a win, and if you aren't ready to shoot, that's all the win you might get.

Fish on...

Todd

The ol' "Chit Buck" will git ya' every time.

Been running the 00 Buck as well in area's the long gun can't come out of the case. Did step up to the HEVI-Shot Dead Coyote load 5-6 years ago. It's hard to come by in the 3.5" but I have a few of those Roman Candles left. It literally hit's like a ton of bricks. Last one I shot did a triple axle ending in a cartwheel. I'd have scored it a 9.8/10 had I had a score sheet on me at the time... Only reason I didn't score it 10/10 was it landed on it's belly, had it landed on it's back ready to be gutted it would have got the 10 mark...

Keith

I have always wanted to shoot a deer with a shotgun! Being raised a wing shooter, it just seemed like a natural fit...it would be a hoot to watch one just flat-out come undone when a cloud of 00's do their job!

I can tell you this, Snit...at close range, a bang in the head with buckshot makes for a deer that is literally dead before it hits the ground. Best way ever to put zero holes in your food.

Nick shot a spike a few years ago and we couldn't even find one of its antlers

Usually a good shot to the lungs that hits well results in the now familiar and expected back flop...they tip up on their hind legs, and go over backwards...they may kick a bit, but they are dead dead dead.

The knock down power of 00 buckshot from 15 to 30 yards is crazy heavy...nine .32 caliber BBs traveling at high speed can do some damage...and if you shoot Nick's gun, that shoots 3 1/2 inch magnums, you get 12 of those BBs.

Keith, I'ma go look up that shell right now!

Fish on...

Todd

They look lethal!

My gun(s) only shoot 2 3/4" shells, and it looks like those loads only come in 3 and 3 1/2s, unfortunately.

Fish on...

Todd

I ordered a couple boxes this year of the 3" HEVI shot 00 Buck from Optics Planet or something like that. They ain't cheap, but I'm telling you that nothing I mean nothing hit's harder than these things... That one that did the triple axle for me was about 40 yards and I put the bead right at the base of her neck as she was 45 degree angle walking from me, caught her with 4 or 5 of the pellets neck to head...

It isn't cheap but worth every penny in entertainment when you pull the trigger...

HEVI shot 00 Buck

Keith

Yeah I think you're right. They're near impossible to find in stock. I ordered mine in July and got them in September. Now I have 2 boxes on the shelf again. Might be digging a couple sticks out this weekend and go fill my multi-season tag on a big fat doe!...

Keith

Good luck!

Fish on...

Todd

Thifteenfiddy is smokin' along for 1-3/8oz payload. I've neve shot Hevi anything before.

So...what "chokes" do you run for these marbles that you're tossing at the unsuspecting deere's ?

Sounds so fun to play "Tonya Harding" to the Nancy Kerrigan's of the deere's woods! (Well...I guess you're all really being Gilooly's LOL)

I shoot two...a full choke, and a modified, and the patterns on the two are not all that different at 30 yards with buckshot.

Broadside at 30 yards, aiming at the chest, you should be able to put five or so of the nine pellets in the kill zone...and that's a lot of .32 caliber bullets Unlike rifle bullets, of course, they do not blow out the backside, many end up stopping in the hide on the backside, and rarely do they make it all the way thru.

On headshots I find a few rattling around in the brain box if I euro mount them.

Fish on...

Todd

Ah, the Chit buck story!

Nicest deer I saw all season was the good ol Chit buck. I was poopin away in the woods mid morning, and hadnt seen a mature buck all season until I had my pants around my ankles and my gun 6 feet away.

As I finished, It was like we both looked at my shotgun at the same time, and as soon as I made a move (not movement) on it, he took 2 steps and was 30 yards away in the bushes.

Never poop without your shotgun!

Snit, I use a Kicks Industries Buck Kicker choke and like the pattern it shoots.

No special choke for me, just the factory Mod and it seems to hold 4-5 pellets on a deer at 40. No point it checking the pattern at $8 a stick shipped to your doorstep.. Just point and send it, turns into a flop show!

Keith

Good work, Toff !

28" barrel, factory full choke, Winny 3.0" Double X @ 1450 fps for 12 hard coated copper / lead pellets.

Link to shells

Spreads about 10" at 40 yards and about fist at 15 yards. The hard coated copper pellets helps the lead retain weight. We usually find a couple in every deer and they are pretty mashed up, but nothing compared to regular lead. I save them all in an old shot glass.

I bought an extended Carlson buckshot optimizer choke that works amazingly well with standard 2 3/4" shells, but not as good with the 3.0" shells for some reason. So I just run my factory full and 3 inchers. If someone wants it, they can have it. It works GREAT with 2 3/4" shells.

I shot this year's doe twice in the head from 15 yards. First shot dropped her, but didn't finish her. Second shot while she was on the ground blew a 2 foot wide circle out of the dirt like a mini mortar round. Her head actually bounced up off the turf a bit. Suffice to say, there wasn't much left of her noggin'.

I still got muzzy and archery for my buck. I could've ended the season long ago, but then I wouldn't get to hunt. That'll probably come back to bite me...but whatever.

Another note on the difference between the shells Nick shoots and regular buckshot...because they are copper coated, they are actually round, and tend to fly more true...the lead BBs in mine are imperfectly round, and occasionally you'll put five pellets in the chest and then one will graze the back leg 20 inches away...you get some fliers!

Fish on...

Todd

This is what I used this year:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1601190866

...and the main reason why is that back in March when I was shopping, I was unable to get buckshot anywhere, from anyone, due to Zombie Invasion Pandemic Concerns.

Even though these, too, were out of stock everywhere, I made a few phone calls and was able to locate a case in a back room

We were shooting some other shells...

These: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2900857119

...that had softer brass, and they jammed consistently...loading and unloading the same shells a few times per day would really mark up the brass and the burrs would get stuck in the works.

No problems at all with these Remingtons, and they killed things pretty damn dead.

Fish on...

Todd

I'm kinda surprised the full choke gives the better pattern, as I figured a loose modified would be better for trying to jam those marbles down the pipe? But what do I know?!?!?

Todd, when you mentioned your shells..have you cut open one of the shells and noticed the 00 deformed before firing? Is there an actual wad cup surrounding the shot, or just an over-the-powder wad?

I'd wager Knick's pellets have some/more % antimony in them (premium shell), which makes them "harder", but a tad bit lighter. Copper coating is supposed to be slicker in transit down the pipe, less deformation through the choke as well. I'm a believer in buffered loads, especially if they're HOT as the buffer mitigates deformation on ignition.

Copper-I always thought was a sales pitch. As long as I had a high antimony content shot (like 5%+) that made the shot "hard", way harder than "chilled" lead shot. Easily distinguished by the "crush-test" with needle-nose pliers. When shooting trap at night, if one really paid attention, you could tell who was shooting copper shot (and on the rare occasion, who was shooting nickel plated shot) by the reflection. Kinda cool useless info..

On the two guns I shoot, one has an extra long barrel and a full choke, and it shoots virtually the identical pattern as the regular barrel with a modified choke.

I haven't cut apart any of the shells, I am going by the ones I find in the deer while cleaning them! If they hit bone, of course, they are blown up...but if they end up in soft tissue then you can see that they aren't perfectly round.

Not sure if it makes all that big of a difference, honestly, and the fliers are out of the ordinary, but it happens enough that I know something is going on in there.

It's no big deal, unless one ends up in the belly...which it hasn't, not yet.

Fish on...

Todd

gotcha..thanks. very interesting!

Good buck, Todd.

I haven't seen a big buck yet in my area. The camera's have yielded a couple of photos of some dandy bucks. Haven't had the opportunity to encounter them yet as they have been mostly nocturnal. Still a little over a week left.

Snit - all I know is that my shells are a couple hundred FPS faster than normal shells and the copper is hard, hard under pliers. The pellets blow / crush thru everything and we often find them on the back side hide (or blown clean thru). Heavy damage. It's frickin' fun gettin' BT's with a shotty.

So...I'm actually off to chase Elk at 0'dark tomorrow morning for 3 days and then 4 days next weekend. Seriously - this Elk season has been such cluster fvck of epic proportions. First the September fires shut me down and now late archery season has been unbelievably hard to pull off and make happen. Every plan has been shot to shreds with 00 buck. I'm not on plan b, c, or d.....I'm on plan p. Cluster fvck! I haven't spent 1 minute in the Elk woods all season and that changes tomorrow.

But here's the deal...I'mma shoot myself a nice bull or a big fat cow. Come hell or high water, something is going to get some fletching.

Toodles,