Twitch
WKR
I’ve been wanting a solid 4x4 blacktail since I first started chasing them. In my area of the coast range foothills, it seems like 3pts are the norm, with an occasional crab claw 4pt.
We moved this year about a month before the season started, and with all the chaos I didn’t think I’d have much time to hunt. Somewhat frustrated, I began searching OnX for likely looking secluded units.
I found a spot not far from my new house and confirmed with both the timber company owner and a state police fish &wildlife trooper that it was indeed an open area.
I arrived just before dark and was the only rig at the gate...which usually means it’s not an area worth hunting, but I wanted to see it and went in anyways.
As I got to my pin, I was met with 8’ tall scotchbroom and even taller fir trees. Apparently the satellite imagery was about 8 years out of date... I was about to bag it and hike out when I started noticing rubs and fresh BIG tracks. There were definitely bucks here. Hmmmm. I could see the tops of more open faces of some steep hillsides on the far side of the cut and thought maybe if I push through the scotchbroom I could find a glassing point onto those faces.
About 200yards into the scotchbroom I walk out on the edge of a beautiful little bench that provides a clear view into the sidehills and also a small valley in the bottom of the unit. I got excited and pulled out my binos, but thought “ if I spot something from here, I don’t have a good place to shoot from. Find a shooting spot first, then glass from it” so I moved another 70yards or so along the edge of the bench
until I found a nice stump.
I sit down and think to myself “if I was a buck, I’d be right down there” and started panning my binos along the bottom of the little valley. I scanned about 100yards and there he was! He as facing straight away, feeding, but I could see horns extending past the sides of his body. Definitely a good buck.
I get settled, range him at only 216, and as he turned quartering towards me, I put the crosshairs on the point where his neck met the front of this shoulder. I was just watching him when BOOM the gun went off. Perfect surprise shot, and I see him drop like a sack of potatoes through the scope. I let out a yell and scrambled down through the little valley (and blackberry covered creek) over to him. I was shocked, there was a perfect 4x4 with dandy eyeguards!!! I had never even counted points after I first spotted him, I could just tell he was a shooter buck and never looked at horns while I settled into the gun.
We moved this year about a month before the season started, and with all the chaos I didn’t think I’d have much time to hunt. Somewhat frustrated, I began searching OnX for likely looking secluded units.
I found a spot not far from my new house and confirmed with both the timber company owner and a state police fish &wildlife trooper that it was indeed an open area.
I arrived just before dark and was the only rig at the gate...which usually means it’s not an area worth hunting, but I wanted to see it and went in anyways.
As I got to my pin, I was met with 8’ tall scotchbroom and even taller fir trees. Apparently the satellite imagery was about 8 years out of date... I was about to bag it and hike out when I started noticing rubs and fresh BIG tracks. There were definitely bucks here. Hmmmm. I could see the tops of more open faces of some steep hillsides on the far side of the cut and thought maybe if I push through the scotchbroom I could find a glassing point onto those faces.
About 200yards into the scotchbroom I walk out on the edge of a beautiful little bench that provides a clear view into the sidehills and also a small valley in the bottom of the unit. I got excited and pulled out my binos, but thought “ if I spot something from here, I don’t have a good place to shoot from. Find a shooting spot first, then glass from it” so I moved another 70yards or so along the edge of the bench
until I found a nice stump.I sit down and think to myself “if I was a buck, I’d be right down there” and started panning my binos along the bottom of the little valley. I scanned about 100yards and there he was! He as facing straight away, feeding, but I could see horns extending past the sides of his body. Definitely a good buck.
I get settled, range him at only 216, and as he turned quartering towards me, I put the crosshairs on the point where his neck met the front of this shoulder. I was just watching him when BOOM the gun went off. Perfect surprise shot, and I see him drop like a sack of potatoes through the scope. I let out a yell and scrambled down through the little valley (and blackberry covered creek) over to him. I was shocked, there was a perfect 4x4 with dandy eyeguards!!! I had never even counted points after I first spotted him, I could just tell he was a shooter buck and never looked at horns while I settled into the gun.
