Pump-House Blacktail

buckee

By buckee
in Deer Hunting

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buckee Monster Buck

buckee

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Well, I've been hunting as hard as I can the past couple of weeks, but the weather here, had just "NOT" been cooperating. I knew the rut was going to kick in any day now, and wanted to make sure I was there, when it did.

The last few days of storms, with high winds and rain had us sitting at home, chewing at the bit, wanting to get out there and see what's happening.

Yesterday (Nov 16), my wife had to go into work at noon (I always have to drive her), and the night before was just miserably cold, wet and windy. The forecast said rain, rain, rain for the next week. Bow hunting was out of the question. We slept in because of the weather and woke up late to partly cloudy skies and a good frost. OH, how I wish I had of got up at 4:30 to go hunting. Well the morning was shot, so Ken and I decided to go out to Chesters to hunt mid-day "IF" the weather held.

Well, the weather didn't hold. By noon it was blowing and pouring rain again, and we were both depressed. All afternoon we kept saying, maybe tonight if it slacks off. It stopped raining a couple of times, but then would start up again. By 3:00pm, it was really bad, so we decided not to go, because you pretty well have to get down there by 3:00, or 3:30, just to get set up for the evening hunt.

Well, 4:00 rolls around, and I'm sitting here in the forums, just chewin at the bit to get out there. I turn around and looked outside, and it had stopped raining again, but wasn't looking good at all.

All of a sudden, I had a brain-storm (or you might call it a quickening in my spirit)..LOL. With 1-1/2 hours before dark, I decided, I was going hunting anyway, and I'd go sit in the pump-house below the farm, on the edge of the field, where I could at least stay dry, and maybe see what was going on with the rut activity, before dark, if nothing else.

I didn't want to chance bow-hunting (for tracking purposes) so I grabbed the 12 gauge, and a handful of buckshot, and off I flew.

I got down there around 4:15, or 4:20pm, and got set up in the cramped little pump-house, beside the pond, that is fed by an underground spring, with my feet and gun barrel out the door, and sitting sideways on my chair to avoid sitting on the pump handle..LOL. It wasn't comfortable, but I was hunting.

I sprayed some doe-oestrus scent on the outside of the shack, and hung one of my home-made scent bombs on the pump.

It's a long way across to the bush-line, and I didn't see a thing moving, so I sat back and had one last cigarette before the light started to fade. It was blowing and raining again now, but I was under shelter. I flicked my cigarette out on to the field, where it lay smoldering, with a line of smoke going south.

Only a couple of minutes passed. I peeked out the door to the right and left, just to check for movement down along the field, and saw nothing. I leaned back, and all of a sudden, this big 2x2 comes strolling in from my right (north), right along the edge of the pond, only 10 yrds from me. He walks past my smoldering cigarette, only a few yrds from it, without giving it a glance, turns slightly quartering away, and steps down into the field at 15yrds. He never even looked my way the whole time, and here I am, with my feet and gun hanging out the door of the pump-house, with no cover in front of me, whatsoever..LOL

He put his head down, to feed, and that was my cue. Off came the safety, up came the shotgun, and boom. I hit him solid, mid-body(up and down) in the shoulder. Off he went running with one leg held up. I'm sure now, he wouldn't have gone far, but, I was in no mood to track in the rain, so at about 35 yrds, I pumped another one to him.

He was running full out on 3 legs by then, and I face=planted him so hard, he slid about 20 ft ..LOL. I went over where he lay, and there was a 6 ft long sod removal mark in the field, and his mouth was stuffed full of sod and dirt.

I didn't want to gut him, in the open field so close to the farm, so I dragged him up the hill to the truck, which was only 100 yds away. (Had to stop a few times to catch my breath..LOL)

I checked my watch at the truck, and it was now 4:40pm.

WOW...talk about a short sit.

I thought the buck was the one I named "Barb" from the game-cam pics, but he was missing the barbs on his right side. I think now, after looking at the pics, that he is another mature genetic 2x2, that I just never got pictures of.

Game-cam "BARB"

Big2x2Dons_Sept01.jpg

2x2_2006PumpHouseBuck002.jpg

TAG

2x2_2006PumpHouseBuck003.jpg

If you notice also, He must have his bedding area up on the hill in the Heavy blackberry patches and that's why his ears are all tore up. The tip is torn right off on his right side and his left, has a big chunk missing too. All healed up though.

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buckee Monster Buck

buckee

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Re: Pump-House Blacktail

[ QUOTE ]

Nice buck.

I'm really not up on my blacktail info but what does an avg. Blacktail weigh? What is a monster.

He looks like he might go 190? No?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never weighed a field dressed deer, but at the meat cutters, (hide, head and feet off) average mature buck weighs between 80 to 90 lbs. An exeptional buck will weigh in between 90 and 110lbs

Don't know what this one weighs. My guess is high 80's maybe more

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