Got my personal best Blacktail on Halloween

[Okanagan]

Got my best blacktail ever yesterday

7:36 AM Halloween. 



Called in within four minutes, shot at about 100 yards with a little 6ARC Ruger American carbine, 105 grain Hornady hollow point.

The buck made it 40 yards and died in a creek.




My game retrieval system below.  This grandson took a couple of hours off work to come and get my deer.  We got permission to drive to within 80 yards of the deer.  When Jon showed up he was carrying a steaming mug of hot coffee for me.  The grandkids spoil me!



Grandson Zay has this buck on his trail cam.  It's the biggest buck in the area, one he and his wife have hoped to get.  I just lucked into it on the first frosty morning of the year.  Grandson Jon drew on this buck at 12 yards on opening morning of archery season but it bolted when he drew and he did not get a shot.  I've called in several bucks this season without success, and was lucky to get my first shot of the season on the biggest buck on the last day of rifle season.



By the way, for folks in mule deer and whitetail country, this is a very good coastal blacktail. 

My first pictures are blurry and I thought that the phone camera was fogged in the early norning.  Turned out it was some pitch on the camera lens.  Below is a pic I took with my old digital camera of the same "as he lay" in the creek.  The water is clear but my boots were stirring some mud up.

[HuntnCarve]

Congrats Clyde, on a fine trophy buck!  The mug of coffee was a nice touch to a good morning.

[nastygunz]

Wow! What a beauty!

[Hawks Feather]

That is a fine trophy buck and I am sure the grandkids were happy with you getting it on the ground. That ending in the water was not the way you wanted it to happen, but then again, a buck like that would more than compensate for getting it out of the water. The coffee was a nice deed and probably his thoughtfulness was learned from you.

[remrogers]

That is a mighty fine blacktail! Congratulations.

[pitw]

Atta boy Rem.      

[nastygunz]

There is a puddle of water within 3 miles they will always manage to fall into it

[bigben]

I dont really know blacktails other then what you see on tv but looks big.  Congrats

[Okanagan]

Thanks for the good words all.

 HuntnCarve, wish we could hit Shady Maple for lunch today and catch up on life.  What is that math genius son of yours up to these days?

This buck came strutting in to my call across an open pasture like he was boss man, which he was in that area.  He was looking for me, stopping to crane his neck and look.  He turned straight toward me and started up through the strip of patchy waist high brush where I was hunkered.  But he kept working his way to my right also, which would put him into thick brushy timber and downwind.  I shot him before he got into the cover.

[Okanagan]

A nephew told me that I am doing "Drive through deer hunting."

He said that I drive out and make a deer call.  When the buck comes out I shoot it, then make another call to grandsons.  They bring me hot coffee, drag the deer, load it, haul it to my house and hang it.   

[FinsnFur]

I missed this one, But daaang thats a nice bodied deer right there.

[Todd Rahm]

Nice!!!! Some awesome coloring on that rack too!