2024 Blacktail bucks

[NilsBackstrom]

Got this guy early August on POW.

 

[StuckoYota99]

 

[dihardhunter]

Crazy cool buck limpet

 

[limpet]

That’s really awesome, congrats!

Crazy cool buck limpet

Thank you. It’s pretty cool. She spotted this buck last year while we were backpacking which lead to us hunting this spot this year. She also spotted him for the shot. I gave her a dope for her rifle and we moved to some rocks so she could shoot uphill to him. It wasn’t a great position as far as comfort and she had to shoot sitting. He was working across a face I’m guessing to his all day bed and only stopped for a couple seconds quartering to us pretty hard. I told her to put it right on just shoulder and squeeze it off if she was comfortable. A split second later the rifle went off and I saw the impact exactly where I wanted it. He did a stumble run downhill 20-30 yards stopped as she was racking and finding him again. At this point the dog runs in front of the rifles so she grabs her collar and yanks her back in time for me to see him tip over maybe 10 seconds after the shot if that. It was a pretty cool experience for both of us. When we were cleaning him she decided she wants a shoulder mount so I caped him out and she carried the head cape and hams while I packed the shoulders plus all the other bits of meat and most of camp. She gritted it out and packed it all back to the truck 2.5 miles.

 

[roosiebull]

Got this guy early August on POW.View attachment 768493View attachment 768494View attachment 768495

Looks like an awesome place to chase deer

Good shooting too, I like that shot choice

 

[NilsBackstrom]

Looks like an awesome place to chase deer

Good shooting too, I like that shot choice

Thank you. He was bedded down 170 u
yard away with his ass towards me. I had plenty of time set up a good rest. Took about 5 mins until he popped his head and turned so I got a clean look. Needless to say I didn't have to go looking for him. Cutting off the head was a bit easier as well. Haha

 

[eLightfoot]

Me and my buddy opening week

 

[bretrinehart]

My son's first blacktail. Oregon.

 

[fishinpox]

Had 2 bucks sparring after dark last night in our pasture. Was fun to just sit and listen for a bit.

 

[ericacymcdonald]

A couple weeks back.

 

[ericacymcdonald]

Second buck from this weekend, twas a great year

 

[Steve300xcw]

Yall got that area figured out!!

 

[roosiebull]

Buck sign is just starting to pick up locally, hoping this week of weather turns on some buck movement

Yesterday on my way to work a little after 5 I saw a stud in town crossing the hwy walking fast with his mouth open, but I have noticed that town bucks aren’t a great representation of what is happening in the woods, but it still is encouraging to see a really big mature buck acting very rutty

No fishing this week, and no work until the end of the week at least, so I will at least find a couple bucks I assume. Hoping to find a respectable buck for my brother in law

I did a couple really long covering ground hunts last week and buck sign was really weak. Only saw one track to note, quite a few does, and a ton of doe sign

My last day was a flop, planned on setting up and glassing all morning but didn’t check the weather until I was about 3 miles into my walk in and realized the wind was not coming out of the direction I needed it to. As I was across the draw from where I wanted to be, a herd of elk came tearing over the ridge towards me and were really spooked, they ran all the way down the ridge without stopping and were running as long as I could hear them… never stopping and looking back… it wasn’t a person, and I was wishing i was over there where I wanted to be so I could have seen.

Whatever it was, they didn’t like it… they acted like it was rifle elk season and they were getting shot at, but that obviously wasn’t the case. Should be seeing some more coast bucks hitting this thread this week, but I can’t wait for the 20th on… I have unfinished business with a couple bucks, and they should start laying sign any day

 

[Taudisio]

Buck sign is just starting to pick up locally, hoping this week of weather turns on some buck movement

Yesterday on my way to work a little after 5 I saw a stud in town crossing the hwy walking fast with his mouth open, but I have noticed that town bucks aren’t a great representation of what is happening in the woods, but it still is encouraging to see a really big mature buck acting very rutty

No fishing this week, and no work until the end of the week at least, so I will at least find a couple bucks I assume. Hoping to find a respectable buck for my brother in law

I did a couple really long covering ground hunts last week and buck sign was really weak. Only saw one track to note, quite a few does, and a ton of doe sign

My last day was a flop, planned on setting up and glassing all morning but didn’t check the weather until I was about 3 miles into my walk in and realized the wind was not coming out of the direction I needed it to. As I was across the draw from where I wanted to be, a herd of elk came tearing over the ridge towards me and were really spooked, they ran all the way down the ridge without stopping and were running as long as I could hear them… never stopping and looking back… it wasn’t a person, and I was wishing i was over there where I wanted to be so I could have seen.

Whatever it was, they didn’t like it… they acted like it was rifle elk season and they were getting shot at, but that obviously wasn’t the case. Should be seeing some more coast bucks hitting this thread this week, but I can’t wait for the 20th on… I have unfinished business with a couple bucks, and they should start laying sign any day

We were just discussing this. With the weather rolling in, the full moon the 17th, the bucks are going to start getting active, real soon for sure. New moon on nov 1, it’s going to be full rut by then and the season doesn’t close until the 8th.

 

[DawnPatrol]

Checking in with another absolute stud

About noon I glimpsed a mature buck in a willow thicket at the bottom of ravine in a clearcut. He vanished before I could get set up, so I figured I’d wait him out. 6 hours later he hadn’t shown himself and I was running out of light when this tender young thing and his two friends came running in and started grabbassing around. The commotion didn’t get the big guy to show himself. I thought of my empty freezer and gratefully sent it. A good day!

 

[Taudisio]

Checking in with another absolute stud

About noon I glimpsed a mature buck in a willow thicket at the bottom of ravine in a clearcut. He vanished before I could get set up, so I figured I’d wait him out. 6 hours later he hadn’t shown himself and I was running out of light when this tender young thing and his two friends came running in and started grabbassing around. The commotion didn’t get the big guy to show himself. I thought of my empty freezer and gratefully sent it. A good day!View attachment 777253

No shade from me! I have always been one to take the first opportunity at any legal buck I get. I got This shirt because I had a few years straight of harvesting spikes. It makes me smile whenever I put it on.

 

[roosiebull]

I think I messed up this morning

Soaking mist and fog (same exact situation that I messed up on last year) and I had a buck 110yds below me that was at least a really nice buck, but I think it was a magnum

I walked into the spot I wanted to hunt and it was fogged in and misty and I got on some really good sign and decided to get out of there knowing I had a good chance of bumping deer (they see a lot better than us in the fog)

Being that it was still early, I decided to walk a different spot out and check for sign. I got up there and saw a big track that was pretty fresh… that’s good

I walked out on a landing and looked into the draw below me, and it looked good, but it was too foggy to see detail, and never would have seen this buck if he didn’t shake off. I knelt down and got my binos out and immediately saw it was a nice buck, and he was feeding up the edge of the timber, I was just waiting for him to get in some kind of background where I could see exactly what he was, but I couldn’t get confident to tell exactly what he had on his head

He was quartered away for probably 5 minutes before making it into the timber and then I couldn’t see him at all

It was probably 5 minutes later it cleared up quite a bit and I would have been able to tell what he was. I think if it was just fog, I would have had a little window to see him well, but that soaking mist got my binos soaked too so I was really struggling to make out how big he was.

This morning is going to haunt me for awhile, the last look I got at him he looked really big. It’s certainly the biggest buck I have passed. If it was late in the season it would have been a no brainer, but this early, I need to be positive what I’m shooting

After killing a stunted rack buck last year in the exact same conditions, I told myself I would never shoot a buck that I didn’t know exactly what it was ever again, I just didn’t expect to be tested like that with the very next buck I had an opportunity with

I walked out after that

 

[Or.hunter]

With only a few days for my daughter to hunt do to her sports schedule we weren’t going to be to picky. Passed on a few small forks the first day. Found this guy the evening of her second and last day to hunt. 16” wide older Forky. Probably just wasn’t going to be anything but a fork. We were happy to take him and she earned it. 29 degree down hill shot angle and a heck of a pack out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rogue Bay]

I think I messed up this morning

Soaking mist and fog (same exact situation that I messed up on last year) and I had a buck 110yds below me that was at least a really nice buck, but I think it was a magnum

I walked into the spot I wanted to hunt and it was fogged in and misty and I got on some really good sign and decided to get out of there knowing I had a good chance of bumping deer (they see a lot better than us in the fog)

Being that it was still early, I decided to walk a different spot out and check for sign. I got up there and saw a big track that was pretty fresh… that’s good

I walked out on a landing and looked into the draw below me, and it looked good, but it was too foggy to see detail, and never would have seen this buck if he didn’t shake off. I knelt down and got my binos out and immediately saw it was a nice buck, and he was feeding up the edge of the timber, I was just waiting for him to get in some kind of background where I could see exactly what he was, but I couldn’t get confident to tell exactly what he had on his head

He was quartered away for probably 5 minutes before making it into the timber and then I couldn’t see him at all

It was probably 5 minutes later it cleared up quite a bit and I would have been able to tell what he was. I think if it was just fog, I would have had a little window to see him well, but that soaking mist got my binos soaked too so I was really struggling to make out how big he was.

This morning is going to haunt me for awhile, the last look I got at him he looked really big. It’s certainly the biggest buck I have passed. If it was late in the season it would have been a no brainer, but this early, I need to be positive what I’m shooting

After killing a stunted rack buck last year in the exact same conditions, I told myself I would never shoot a buck that I didn’t know exactly what it was ever again, I just didn’t expect to be tested like that with the very next buck I had an opportunity with

I walked out after that

I can almost feel the heartbreak, but understand the caution too.

I messed up this year. I spotted a beautiful, mature, orange antlered 3 point that made his way into a draw. I moved up hill to get a better view of the draw and spotted the head of a white faced buck staring me down at 103 yards, a little left of where I expected the 3 point to be. I thought maybe he had circled back around. I could see this buck’s face, the base of his antlers and one side of his frame, but not much else. I convinced myself it had to be the same buck and put one under his eye. I made my way up to him and found a large bodied, goofy antlered forky.

I was a little disappointed at first but I have a Walla Walla any bull tag coming up soon so I was going to miss the best part of blacktail season anyway. So I’m grateful to have filled my tag. The 3 point I spotted first was a gorgeous deer. He looked like a Prince of Whales buck. Hopefully I can help my wife find him before I take off to chase elk.

I hope you get another crack at that buck roosiebull!

 

[Rogue Bay]

With only a few days for my daughter to hunt do to her sports schedule we weren’t going to be to picky. Passed on a few small forks the first day. Found this guy the evening of her second and last day to hunt. 16” wide older Forky. Probably just wasn’t going to be anything but a fork. We were happy to take him and she earned it. 29 degree down hill shot angle and a heck of a pack out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks like a giant body on that buck! Congrats to both of you!