2013 General Western Buck Experiences

[Grizzly_A]

I'm curious how this season is going for folks? How was your opening weekend? What did you see, what did you need to pack, what should you have left behind?

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[Grizzly_A]

Went out hunting this weekend opening day. It's one of the worst days (weather-wise) I've been out in for opening day for deer. We were up in elevation and the clouds came down and limited visibility to about 30-40 yds. Got soaked, but it wasn't all bad. Saw a heavy 4x5 that was heading to the taxidermist on the shoulders of a very happy hunter. Also followed a cougar track for a while and saw lots of good elk sign. Fog/clouds finally lifted around 1pm.

 

[nwwoodsman]

Saw 6 does on Saturday, 2 elk on Sunday and tonight on my evening hunt I saw 11 does and fawns combined. Something is seriously wrong when out of 17 deer there is not one legal buck.

 

[Grizzly_A]

Something is seriously wrong when out of 17 deer there is not one legal buck.

That is frustrating! This morning I had 2 young bucks with spikes, 1 fawn and 1 doe all within 50 yds of my blind. I turned my spotting scope all the way up to see if there was a tiny fork, but no such luck. They do like eating those acorns and windfall apples.

 

[Brutus57]

Heck, I saw 3 does and 2 fawns Saturday all within a mile of the Orcas ferry terminal and Anacortes. If I had a tag I could got visit from a game warden.

Brutus Out

 

[Stomper]

I bagged a forked horn @ 8:30am on opening day about 5 miles North of Timothy Lake (Haven't had time to upload the photos.)

Me and one of my sons went out on Friday and scouted around flushed 4 does and a couple fawns, then slept in a two-man tent (wind and rain was almost like a hurricane) and hunted for a buck trying to service them does... 1.5 hours into our hunt @ 8:30am, 50yds. away and one .308 round we bagged buck!

 

[Working 4 U]

Man, me and a buddy planned a week to spend 4 days up in the hills, had it all cleared with the wives had the trailer stocked and by bud was taking his son. We were stoked.

I didn't sleep Thursday night because of the anticipation, so went to work on Friday on about 2 hours sleep, got home and headed out. Got out there got mostly set up and then it hit..... Hurricane Deer Season!

Didn't see much. Got pretty wet is an understatement. Best thing that happened was we had picked up some wrist rocket sling shots and put out some plastic bottles. I was taking an nap listen to the two of them talking about how they cant hit it, well as God as my witness, I decide to join them and go out and my first shot I nailed it. They stand in awe. If I was smart I would of gone back to taking my nap, but my next several shots showed them that it was luck.

The only other that that was good was eating the chili dogs listening to the Duck game, I now realize how uncomfortable the back seat of a Nissan Titan really is. We were only about an hour out of Eugene. WOW 5 fumbles in less than 20 plays. Man it was wet.

Good hunting guys.

 

[orygun]

So far....so far.

1st day (Saturday), late start. (long story) Crazy wind.
2nd day (Sunday) Did someone say rain? I think we got some that day...
3rd day (Saturday, today) Hot? Is it ok to hunt naked with all of your clothes on your backpack?

Maybe it will be cold tomorrow?


Have only seen the south end of a northbound deer.

Still beats workin!

 

[scrandall01215]

I didn't see ant thing today, except a huge bull antler driving by my house.Thur. I seen 4 2 does and 2?. last day of early muzzle loader thank god I have a multi season deer tag because next weekend is the opener for rifle in Wa

 

[Brutus57]

Jeez, I wish I was hunting and I really feel bad for you guys not getting a shot when I've seen 7 deer in 5 days going to work! Today, just about 1.5 miles from the ferry dock and within the Anacortes city limits....what do I see? A nice 2 plus year old spike, fat and sassy with well developed forks and just a smidgeon of a third tine on one. I didn't see any more growth on the other antler cause I rode by him at about 20 mph. He just stared at me like a dog. The urban deer certainly know they are safe!

Brutus Out

 

[deadeye]

Well there's deer around but no shots at big boys. So had to let older brother try out my 243 varment rifle on something a 100 or so yrds next to the house.

 

[scrandall01215]

that'll work!

 

[SG85]

5 little ladies, no big boys. Moved my cameras, keeping my fingers crossed and headed out again this week.

 

[nwwoodsman]

4 more does again last night. One came about 6 inches away from ending up as road kill. 21 deer seen and still have yet to put horns on one.

 

[MinnesotaORnewbie]

Hi, A friend and I have been out opening weekend during the typhoon and this last weekend as well. No bucks, and only a few does seen. The good thing is we have found a few really prime areas that we will continue our hunts at. This is the first year I have hunted in Oregon and The Western General or Coast range area in my opinion is one of the hardest terrain to hunt in the PNW. Wow, at times it gets so intimidating that one has to ask himself if there is any chance at all. I have hunted Whitetails in Minnesota for 22 years and felt that my knowledge would roll over to black tail hunting here and almost guarantee a buck harvested. LOL, it has helped some but I have to give praise and credit to you guys who have hunted the coast range and had success. We have been to BLM road 10 off of highway 34, west of marys peak, the Driftwood wilderness area, and just south west of BLM 10 loop.

I hope if anyone does get a black tail buck in the Coastal range on public property will post their pics and a small story on the terrain, the hunt, and even the preseason scouting. I do not want any specifics on your honey hole location but just some good truthful story telling.

 

[MinnesotaORnewbie]

I bagged a forked horn @ 8:30am on opening day about 5 miles North of Timothy Lake (Haven't had time to upload the photos.)

Me and one of my sons went out on Friday and scouted around flushed 4 does and a couple fawns, then slept in a two-man tent (wind and rain was almost like a hurricane) and hunted for a buck trying to service them does... 1.5 hours into our hunt @ 8:30am, 50yds. away and one .308 round we bagged buck!

Nice! congrats. I know you had to work for that one after the first weekends horrible weather.

 

[Koda]

trask unit last weekend. rousted up 4 does but no bucks. they logged out my honey hole over summer, now I gotta find a new spot....

 

[nwwoodsman]

but just some good truthful story telling.

Good luck with that. We're hunters. A hunter will take a picture while he's standing behind his animal so that it appears bigger and will embellish on the size of the rack as your standing in his living room looking at it. And every hunt consist of a 14 mile hike up hill in rugged terrain during pissing down rain...okay, that last part is true if you hunt in Oregon.

 

[Grizzly_A]

I didn't get a 600 series tag this year so I've been window hunting. I've got 2 deer with horns in my back yard. No forks, otherwise one would be in the freezer. One was looking like he might have a small fork growing, I had to pull out my 20X spotting scope at 15yds to make sure it was still a spike. They are eating acorns, apples, and sleeping in my backyard during the day. One bold one decided he was going to climb up on my deck and eat the fallen acorns. Never had a deer do that before.

Still nothing with a fork. Does, fawns, and these two spikes.

Anyone had success with getting Blacktail deer to come to your mineral blocks? I've tried Deer Co-Cain with zero success, but I had a blackberry salt lick that they tore apart several years ago. Anyone tried the swamp-donkey with success?

 

[gunfreak]

Filled my tag with a doe. I have a disabled veterans tag and the wife requires deer meat for the year so when my son "mentored youth" spotted one we took it.