Ridn9high
Active Member
- Messages
- 726
I made it out to Cali to visit family and friends and decided I was going to do a little blacktail hunting. I flew in SF on Friday night and we headed up to the property around 10am on Saturday morning. After getting situated in the ranch house, I made my way out for some evening scouting. I left the gun at the house as I didn't want to end the hunt on the first evening. I spotted many nice forks, a few smaller 3x3's and one really nice buck. It was almost dark when I saw the nice buck, but I didn't get a good look at him.
Sunday morning I went back to where I had seen the good buck. I stayed in the area for about 30 minutes without seeing him. As I made my way down the road, I spotted the buck pushing some does around. He was wide, tall, had decent mass but was only a 3x3. His front forks weren't that big. I decided to pass on him and look for something better. The next couple hours brought many bucks in the binoculars. Lots of heavy, wide forky's and some nice 3x3's, but just nothing I wanted to hang a tag on.
So I picked up the rattling horns and headed into the thick stuff, hoping to pull a buck from his bed. The first spot I started to rattle produced a nice forky. He came in at 10 years. After a 5 minute stare down, he went on his way. The 2nd spot didn't produce. I walked another 200 yards and sat down again. I started to rattle and instantly a nice 2x3 came out of some thick brush. He was ready for a fight and looking in my direction. He caught my movement and high tailed it out of there.
It was getting late in the morning and I was wanting to head back to the house to get some food. As I walking back to the truck, a doe appeared in an opening. I sat down and watched her, as every doe I had seen had a buck close by them. This time was no different. The buck came out in the opening and I knew right away he was a shooter. I pulled up the 243 and put a shot right through his front shoulder. The buck ran 50 yards and piled up.
Here is a photo of the buck. The buck is a 3x4, has a 20" inside spread and 18" tall. The buck was killed only a couple miles outside the "B&C blacktail boundry" He gross scores 149-1/8 and net scores 138-6/8.
Sunday morning I went back to where I had seen the good buck. I stayed in the area for about 30 minutes without seeing him. As I made my way down the road, I spotted the buck pushing some does around. He was wide, tall, had decent mass but was only a 3x3. His front forks weren't that big. I decided to pass on him and look for something better. The next couple hours brought many bucks in the binoculars. Lots of heavy, wide forky's and some nice 3x3's, but just nothing I wanted to hang a tag on.
So I picked up the rattling horns and headed into the thick stuff, hoping to pull a buck from his bed. The first spot I started to rattle produced a nice forky. He came in at 10 years. After a 5 minute stare down, he went on his way. The 2nd spot didn't produce. I walked another 200 yards and sat down again. I started to rattle and instantly a nice 2x3 came out of some thick brush. He was ready for a fight and looking in my direction. He caught my movement and high tailed it out of there.
It was getting late in the morning and I was wanting to head back to the house to get some food. As I walking back to the truck, a doe appeared in an opening. I sat down and watched her, as every doe I had seen had a buck close by them. This time was no different. The buck came out in the opening and I knew right away he was a shooter. I pulled up the 243 and put a shot right through his front shoulder. The buck ran 50 yards and piled up.
Here is a photo of the buck. The buck is a 3x4, has a 20" inside spread and 18" tall. The buck was killed only a couple miles outside the "B&C blacktail boundry" He gross scores 149-1/8 and net scores 138-6/8.
J/K!!
