Wilfinator nails a Monster blacktail

buckee · November 30, 2005

I'm posting this for Wilf, because he was pressed for time and had to get to work. Here's his story

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Nov 29

I woke up this morning to 2 inches of fresh snow at 5AM. Since this is only my third year of hunting, and the fact that Vancouver Island rarely sees any snow before January (I live at sea level), I was excited about my first hunt in the snow.

I met 3legs at Don's farm just around 5:45, well before legal shooting time to try to get set up before the deer started to cross. There were already a couple of deer that we could see crossing, so we got down right away.

Couldn't have picked a more beautiful morning if we tried.

First snow in the Valley, Nov 29th, a very memorable day in more ways than one.

Ken made his way down to the far blind while I headed for the corner where Buckee had got his deer the other day. He had shown me the two spots that he had carved out a few days earlier. With the snow on the ground, I couldn't really tell where they were now, so I set myself up tight against some brush, with a little bit of tall grass in front of me. Although I felt totally out in the open, the bit of NW breeze was right in my face - perfect for the deer coming across the field toward me.

While I was waiting the remaining half hour before legal shooting time, several deer came out right at the corner where the neighbors deer fence meets with our field. One was a smaller spiker chasing a small doe, along with two other does and a fawn. They crossed about 30 yards in front of me, then came straight towards me. They passed by be at 10 yards to my left, not even stopping to check me out. By this time I didn't dare move. So far so good...

Ten minutes to legal shooting time, a doe suddenly bolted into the field fromm the same spot and stopped about 5 yards in, looking back toward the spot she had just come from. Buckee had told me about what to do if I ever saw that (don't shoot, just wait and see what comes out). He was right. About a minute later, a very large buck came out of the brush in persuit of the doe. I thought that it was probably the 2x2 we had seen the day before in this same corner. The doe started running towards where I was sitting, then heading about twenty yards to my right this time. The buck was still running after her when she suddenly stopped when she got beside me. While this was all happeng, I managed to get a better look at his antlers, at least 3 on each side, maybe 4. My heart was pounding by now and it was all I could do to sit still. The doe did an about face and ran back into the spot where she had come out. The buck still had no idea I was there, but followed her back to the edge of the field and just stood there watching her (40 yards away by now). After about 5 minutes, he just walked back into the bush. I really thoght at this point that I would never get that close to a deer that big again. I said a quick prayer to the Lord and asked if He could send the deer back my way, and waited.

Finally, legal shooting time. I carefully and slowly got my shotgun shouldered in such a way that it would take minimal movement to raise it up to shoot. Being this exposed, I didn't want to give myself away right when I needed to shoot. The way those deer were coming out to cross beside me, I would only get a few seconds for a shot. The move payed off big time. Fifteen minutes after legal shooting began, The doe reappeared from the bush, about 70 yards up,and headed straight out towards the middle of the field. Ten seconds later, the big buck popped out as well, nose to the ground and running the whole time. The doe started running towards where 3legs was set up, then suddenly turned and started heading straight towards me and the trail to my left. The buck followed, not even breaking stride to change direction. The doe passed me at about 5 yards. The buck slowed down at about 10 yards, giving me just enough time to get my gun up. Just as he raised his head to look at me, I shot at him. He dropped where he stood. I was stunned. My simple prayer had been answered! As I slowly walked up to him, I started counting points. Four on one side, five on the other. WOW!

Buckee didn't beleive me when I phoned him on my cell to let him know that I needed help with my deer. His jaw dropped when he saw it for the first time. As it turns out, I wasn't sitting anywhere near where Buckee had set up the first spot in the grass. I was almost sitting on the deer trail itself. Goes to show that during the rut, anything can happen. Sorry Ken, got the gun wet This truly was an incredible hunting experience, one I will remember for a long time

My 5x4 blacktail

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VermontHunter · November 30, 2005