Another grandson got a buck today

Okanagan · October 11, 2014, 10:01:06 PM

My wife and I just enjoyed an excited phone call from a 13 year old grandson on his way home with a 3x3 blacktail buck. Riley is Code and Jonathan's cousin, whose Dad has helped them hunt elk.

Riley and his Dad backpacked into an alpine wilderness area on the Olympic Peninsula of WA State yesterday evening so they could hunt the opening morning today. 230 yard shot up a rock slide with my (formerly mine

) Rem 700 30-06 SS Mountain rifle. The buck was above timberline in terrain where we have often seen mountain goats.

Killed about 11:00 AM, dragged down to a trail, boned out by Dad while Riley retrieved full packs from their camp, they had it in the vehicle and called from a cell phone while driving out at 7:40 PM. The buck was killed 4 1/2 miles from the nearest road and several thousand feet higher.

Our expanding family is going places and doing things my legs won't handle anymore but I enjoy the stories.

FinsnFur · October 12, 2014, 12:01:29 AM

And so do we my friend, and so do we.

Congrats on a successful hunt like that Riley

Carolina Coyote · October 12, 2014, 05:08:51 AM

I hear you on not being able to participate in some of the events, but like Jim thanks for sharing the stories. cc

JohnP · October 12, 2014, 12:29:25 PM

Tell your grandson I said congratulations, seems to me you have your extended family on the right path. Must be the DNA

I can remember my grandsons first deer. He called and was so excited he could hardly get the words out. Offered to do a quick freeze, pack in dry ice and ship overnight delivery. Couldn't say no to that offer.

HaMeR · October 13, 2014, 05:36:34 AM

Dang that's cool Ok!! Congratulations to the young man on a fine Blacktail!!

Okanagan · October 14, 2014, 01:14:27 AM

The pic above doesn't do justice to how steep. Riley put his daypack on a boulder for a rest.

Very good blacktail for that country where three stubby points on one side is considered a trophy by the only guide I know. Riley killed a 3 pt in his back yard before school one morning last year. With this one 4 1/2 miles from a road his average for packing one out is now 2 1/4 miles!

HaMeR · October 14, 2014, 05:42:27 AM

That is still a nice place to live & hunt!! And I think I get the idea of how steep that place is by their body positions altho I might still not fully get it.

And it's a dandy buck for sure!!

Question,, Blacktails don't get over 100" of antlers very often do they? Just wondering.

Okanagan · October 14, 2014, 10:24:38 AM

Quote from: HaMeR on October 14, 2014, 05:42:27 AM

Question,, Blacktails don't get over 100" of antlers very often do they? Just wondering.

You are right that a lot of them don't get 100" or more of antler, especially for deer north of Oregon. Boone & Crockett minimum used to be 135 and now is 140 I think.

Most of the record book deer are from dry northern California, where they don't even look like northern black tails but rather like mule deer. IMO it is not fair to put CA "blacktails" in the same book with northern WA deer.

Body sizes are generally small, though the area where this buck comes from has produced a few big bodied deer (with small antlers).

In my first post I said that they were above timberline but they saw this buck when they were moving back down and were in the subalpine. Skinny strips of stunted trees poke like fingers up into the open rock and steep meadows. Deer love that zone of mostly open with pockets and strips of dense cover in good escape terrain and higher nutrient forage. My favorite kind of cover/terrain to hunt. Still hunt along with spot & stalk.

Dave · October 14, 2014, 10:57:50 AM

Congrats to both father and son (and grand pop, too). Thanks for posting the story and pics. You guys really have to work hard for those.
Seems like that 'once in a lifetime' hunt happens every weekend for you and your family!!!

Hawks Feather · October 14, 2014, 06:14:27 PM

I am starting to see a pattern here with you and your relatives. All of you go out and get venison. That is a great pattern to have. Tell him congratulations! I enjoy seeing the pictures. The blue masks seem to work, but around here most wear camp.

(For anyone wondering - yes, I know why the blue masks are there.)

Jerry

gravesco hunter · October 14, 2014, 07:41:33 PM

nice deer and beautiful country

coyote101 · October 14, 2014, 08:20:20 PM

That is spectacular country!

Congratulations to all involved.

Pat

FinsnFur · October 14, 2014, 10:21:34 PM

They've been taught well

Thanks so much for sharing that hunt...and kudos to you boys if your reading this.

HaMeR · October 15, 2014, 07:56:20 PM

Thanks Ok!!

I had read on the internet about the 100". We all know just how that goes don't we??

I didn't know about the Ca blacktails being so much larger either. Could be the warmer climate with a better forage growing season perhaps. Or maybe they have bred with the White tail os maybe even some Mulies in the past. With them being so far from Ohio I honestly know very little about them. Perhaps I should use some of my internet time to learn a few things!!

Okanagan · October 16, 2014, 10:06:47 AM

Quote from: Dave on October 14, 2014, 10:57:50 AM
Seems like that 'once in a lifetime' hunt happens every weekend for you and your family!!!

It feels that way to me. Can't believe how blessed we are.

There has been serious pain in our extended family in the past couple of years as well but we've mostly enjoyed swapping good stories here.

Added tidbit: Just heard that it alternated snow, rain and sun breaks and was snowing pretty hard when he shot the buck.