In December a couple larger bucks made their appearance. a fairly wide 4×3. The usual coyote. And lots of bucks of all sizes rubbing the willow tree branch.
Tag Archives: blacktail buck
October Trail Cam Videos
August & September Trail Cam Videos
Compilation of the deer trail from August and September. Some unusual non-indigenous creatures make their appearance at the halfway point.
August Bow Hunt
August and I’m back to the Diamond C Ranch for a blacktail bow hunt. I’m after several bucks, some we’ve seen previous years. Moose, a big non-typical, Johnny a nice 4×3, Stubby a thick based 4×3, and AP a super wide symmetrical 4×4. Moose is the primary target. Friday I’m in a blind looking for him to come in. At dusk a super tall buck appears. I’m thinking of taking him but further scrutiny shows he’s aptly named ‘Off-Limits’ a big 4×3 that’s too young. Saturday night while heading to the Herf blind we spot a big buck walking in the woods below us to our right. It’s ‘Johnny’. Dylan and I are after him, walking above him parallel to his path searching for a good shooting lane. Finally one develops. Dylan ranges him at 38 yards. I hold my 40 pin on his body, he’s quartering away, I release. I hear my arrow impact a branch on the way. It deflects my shot but we hear it impact. He’s off and we decide to cross the creek bed and see if we can head him off. While on the opposite side I can hear him walking through the woods. We cross back and at the creek bed we can see him bed down above us on the side I shot from. We recover him there. My arrow went through both back legs and hit an artery. He’s a great buck! Nice 4×3 with his velvet intact. My best bow buck by far.
My August blacktail bow buck “Johnny”
With so many great bucks on the ranch I decide to sit the Herf blind Sunday night in hopes of seeing AP. While I’m getting into the blind a tall 4×3 stands up from under an oak tree and slowly walks off. I thought it was Off-Limits again but Dylan texts me that it was Stubby and I can take him if I want. He looked pretty good but I’m thinking of holding out for AP the huge 4×4. Around 6:30 a doe walks in. She’s pretty spooky, starting at the slightest noise from the blind and staring in. She leaves eventually. Later another doe comes in and same thing, slightest noise has her full alert. Sunset is 8:18 and at 8:20 a young fork horn walks in. Around 8:30 Stubby is back as well. I give him a good look with the binos. He looks pretty good. Taller than Johnny but not wide. Super thick bases. Finally at 8:40 he stands broadside at 23 yards looking my direction. I decide to take him. I draw and can make out his back line. Lower the green 20 pin below and slowly release. I hear the arrow impact and the black silhouette of a buck walking out and away to the left. I grab the binos but not in time to identify which. I think I see movement in the grass. I call Dylan and tell him I shot Stubby. I think the shot is good. Possibly he’s ‘dead right there’. We give him 30 minutes and then the truck pulls up. I’m out of the blind. Stow my gear in the truck and then go look for my arrow. There is Stubby lying dead where he was standing. Too good to be true. He’s a super buck with 6″ plus bases and patches of white velvet. A great double for the weekend and my two best bow bucks by far.
My August 2013 blacktail bow buck ‘Stubby’
August Bow Hunt
I had originally planned to head up to the Diamond C Ranch in October for my first hunt this year however Dylan contacted me to see if I’d like to try for a buck we call ‘Club’ Dylan had been seeing regularly on a trail camera. He thought I could get a good chance at him with my bow hunting hunting from a ground blind. I was definitely up for it. I first saw club with twin towers and the 4×5 I took in 2009. That year his left antler was a single knob gaining him his nickname. Last year he was a 3×4 but this year he is a 4×5 and looking huge. Probably at his best given his age so we want to take him this season.
I drove up Sunday morning on August 12th. Dylan and I both sat in the blind that first night. Unfortunately it had really heated up and we didn’t see a single deer the first night. The next day wasn’t much better. I sat in the blind alone before dawn and then back in it again at 6:30, again not a single deer. Luckily the blind was in the shade and a light breeze would blow in the opening now and then. After we would pull the trail cam card and review the pics we’d see club right there again with a bunch of other bucks and a big black pig but a half hour after shooting hours.
Tuesday Morning I’m in the blind well before dark and just before dawn I see the flash fire from the trail cam illuminating a tall buck in the distance across the fence line. I can see him in my binoculars, he’s a tall tined 2×3. It’s way too dark to make him out otherwise or even try for a shot. At dawn he is long gone and I don’t see any more deer that morning. The evening it’s now a lot cooler and at 8pm I see a tall velvet spike crest the hill and approach from the left. He jumps the fence and stops in front of the blind. I draw my bow on him to practice from within the blind. Shooting from a chair is not easy. I took Dylan’s advice and gave it some practice before coming up. It’s a 27 yard shot and feels good. I let down and hope more deer are on the way. At 8:30 I hear rustling in the trees on the hill to my right and a large pig emerges and starts to make his way down. It’s too dark to even read the lcd numbers on my range finder. When he passes in front of the blind I estimate 15 yards and can barely make out his outline through the tall grass. I try to hold my 20 pin on him and at the shot he speeds off and I hear my arrow clang against a metal fence rod in the distance. Miss! Now it’s too dark to shoot and a velvet forky appears on my left along with the tall tined buck off to my right. Dylan picks me up and we head back encouraged by getting a shot off and at least seeing some deer.
The next morning back in the blind. It’s much cooler actually rains a little. No deer sighted in the early hours. Dylan texts me to see what I want to do. With the cooler weather and light rain I want to look around and see if it’s got the deer moving. He picks me up and we head down to the willows and walk the ridge but don’t see any bucks below. We move off to another area that he’s seen a couple management bucks. As soon as we turn the corner there are two deer on a hill top in the distance under a big oak. It’s a doe and one of the management bucks. We slip out to try for him. We’re able to get very close before the doe busts us. He moves back to 23 yards and remains broadside while I draw and shoot. The shot is perfect and after 20 minutes we find him piled up over the crest of the hill. He’s a great management buck, nice bases, eye guards, and still in velvet with his summer coat and nice and fat. I am thrilled to have taken another buck with my bow four years after my first. I’ll be back in November chasing Club again, looking forward to seeing him hard horned and hopefully take him with my bow but am not above pulling out the rifle.
Big Fork Buck
Hunting with Dylan Carr for a late rut hunt at the Diamond C in Humboldt County, California. We were looking for several big bucks, one in particular called ‘The Teacher’ but the weather wasn’t cooperating. Much of the ranch was socked in with thick fog. The first day we spotted this very big fork horn which captured my imagination. Late the second day we spotted him again from far away. Confirmed it was him through a spotting scope and then decided to try for him. We made a quick drive to the lower part of the ranch, hiked a ways, crossed a rocky creek bank, and eased up to a large rock formation. Dylan eased up and saw his doe in some trees. He put his pack down and had me come forward to set up saying the buck’s coming out any minute. I spun the power setting on my scope up a little and settled right in. Just as I did the buck emerged and then stopped broadside. Had him lined up perfectly and took the shot. They both ran over the ridge and we were pretty certain he was hit hard. We headed up to where he was at the shot but couldn’t find any blood. We walked just beyond the ridge and there he was down, shot perfectly behind the shoulder.
Couldn’t be more pleased with this old ‘management’ buck. You don’t see too many big fork horns since they are usually shot as management bucks. I have always wanted to take a big fork horn. He’s a great trophy in my book. We set up to take some pictures and the sun even came out for us. All the pics here.
Hightower
Hunting up at the Diamond C this week. The plan was to try and take a buck with my bow, however, I’m always willing to pull out the rifle when there is a buck that we simply want to take ‘by any means necessary’ right now! On Dylan’s ranch that’s not an unusual circumstance and pretty much what happened.
Wednesday I had a couple close bow opportunities. First with a bedded 3×3 that by the time I decided to get serious wisely evacuated the area. Later that night we came on a band of pigs and got to 50 yards. There were two black sows with a bunch of little ones. I found a lane in between the low branches of the oak we were under and put my 50 pin on one of the sows. My arrow sailed just over her back and they milled for a few seconds and then scrambled off. The next morning I shot three arrows at 50 on Dylan’s range and they grouped six inches high! Adjusted the pin and was good to go.
Thursday morning it was foggy up top. We weren’t seeing many deer out below and headed up there just as it was breaking up. Dylan had been guiding a very accomplished bow hunter before I arrived that tried for a big buck up here they named ‘Hightower’. He was pretty smart and they could not get within 100 yards of him.
It turns out he was the same buck standing next to my 5×7 last year when I shot him. After the 5×7 dropped he just stood there for the longest time and without the 5×7 next to him Dylan and I realized what a great buck he was too. In fact I was just about to shoot him when he moved off. We agreed if we had a chance at him we’d just pull out the rifle.
Well Thursday morning when we were checking out the ranch up top we came on a buck and a doe in the middle of a big clearing with no cover at all. We got up to a big oak tree. When he picked his head up I could see he was the tallest buck I’d ever seen. Dylan confirmed it was Hightower. The wind was wrong and the doe next to him had already busted us so we didn’t have a lot of time. Dylan handed me my Sako 30.06 and I jacked a round. He was about 120 yards and fell dead at the shot.
Was using the new Hornady Superformance ammo with a 150gr SST. I recovered the bullet from just under the hide on the offside. These shoot great through the Sako and it’s great to see they perform so well in the field too. The expanded bullet is actually wider than the .410″ three shot group from my ‘zero check‘ preparing for the hunt.
Thursday night we headed back out to hunt the pigs. We found that same band not far from a pond in a grassy clearing. We were able to sneak through the woods and get to about 30 yards as they fed towards us. I was able to shoot two of the smaller ones pretty quickly. They didn’t really spook and one of the larger black sows came right back into the middle of the field by us at 40 yards and I made a good shot on her as well. Having Dylan next to me with his Leica range finding binoculars made it seem easy. I really like my Hoyt Carbon Element bow. I will try again for my second bow buck when I return in November.
New kids on the block
First bucks showing up on the trail cam for 2011 along with some new fawns. Lots of pics with a doe with a single fawn and this doe with two fawns.
And lots of video of this young buck sporting a single spike in velvet.
And our first full fledged buck of the year, this buck was barely a forky last year so we’ll see how he does by fall.
Book Buck!
I was finally able to get my November 5×4 officially scored for Boone & Crockett and he makes the all time record book with a net score of 137 2/8″
So happy to hear that he makes the all time record book even with his fifth point that is deducted from the net score!
I brought both last years racks to Steve and we scored them in his garage which is an incredible display of world class trophies. My large non-typical falls short of the record book threshold netting 149″ but he still even makes awards on his typical frame alone even after deductions at 127″.
One interesting highlight was a corner of the garage with a mound of abalone shells and some incredible large ones hanging above. He has a framed picture commemorating a day he took three 10″ and one 9.5 back when you could pull four in a day. He also has a great recreation of abalone in their environment.
November Blacktail Hunt
Friday November 12 – Arrived at the ranch around lunchtime and after getting unpacked Dylan and I head out. The first buck we see just within the tree line is a pretty good buck with a broken main beam. He’s also missing an eye on the other side. Looks like he’s gotten the worst of it. He’s watching a spike with three does in the open field and we wonder when he’ll come drive the spike off. We drive on and come to a right hand turn that has hills to our right and a lower slope down on the left. we see a coyote sitting in the distance on the hill side. Dylan has those Leica geovids and ranges him at 281 yards. I dial my new CDS turret on my .270 Cooper to 280 and step out for a shot. I try to center the shaking reticle on it’s chest and squeeze. It falls at the shot and Dylan says I got it. We move up to check it out. I hit it low but still killed it. It’s a bitch with a nice coat. I’m so pleased with the CDS turret and ready for any shot on a big buck. Eventually we see Club again, he’s a nice 5×4 this year. A big fork horn in an opening with a doe. Later in the hunt we see a big 4×4 far out in a field with some does. Dylan calls him ‘The Teacher’ as he’s probably out of another buck they called ‘The Principal’ and he’s been pretty elusive. He looks interesting but we move on. Back near the cabin we get out and glass from the mound above the food plot. There is a buck with a short deformed rack in the near clearing. Farther down we find a rack in the grass that looks like a whitetail. Kenny arrives while we’re glassing. A cow died on the upper ranch and he’s going to sit over it this evening to try for coyotes. Holly arrives shortly after and we have a nice dinner of fried whitetail steaks from their Wisconsin trip.
Saturday November 13 – Up early and eventually back down to the lower ranch again. Right off we see a big 4×4 on a hill above us to our left. It’s the Teacher again and this time I get a closer look. He’s huge! I’m out and loading a round as he is moving below and to our right. We move to a grassy knob and I go prone but it’s too late for a shot. He does seem like a smart buck. Moving on we come to a narrow opening that has a nice looking 3×3 with a doe. We watch him for a while and Dylan take some video. Back to the cabin for lunch with Clayton and Ashley. Kenny is setting up again on the dead cow but nothing’s touched it so far. We’re back out after lunch. We see a spike with a doe and then a big fork horn with a doe. A little further on we see an odd looking buck. He’s a 4×3 and his left main beam hooks up. Dylan calls him ‘Captain Hook’ He’s also with a doe. We start thinking he might be a good bow buck. We drive on and enter a narrow wooded area and stop near a 4×4 just inside the tree line watching us. I take some pictures. He’s not a bad 4×4 although his backs are a little shallow. At the turn around we can see another ranch across the river and count 20 bucks in a clearing. Back to the Cabin for dinner with Holly, Clayton and Ashley, rib eyes off the bbq.
Sunday November 14 – On our way out there is a 4×3 above the decrepit ranch house with 3 does. We move on and see spikes and some forkies. We pass by Hook with a doe and a spike. Further on we have a view of a distant hill side where a lone coyote is sunning himself in an open field. He’s 800 yards so we leave him be. We pass a nice 3×3 with does.
Coming back now Hook is on the knob just above the rock pit. We drive to the barbwire fence line and he’s probably 100 yards from us. He’s with a doe and staring right at us. At this point we decide to see if I can get him with my bow. I slip out and Dylan hands me my bow, I crouch with the bill of my hat covering my face and slowly start moving in a low crouch up the fence line. I have a post in mind to range from. I take my time hoping that he doesn’t spook. I get to the post and take my rangefinder out and he’s still standing there. He’s at 55 yards. I estimate three posts to forty yards and start moving again. I get to my post and look up to range again. Still there. 39 yards. I start to clip my release on and as I do he turns endwise and puts his head down feeding! Now I’m thinking I can get to 30. I move up two posts stand and as I draw he takes three steps forward putting him just over the horizon of the hill side. I move even closer and now he’s broadside to me at 20 but I only see his back line. I contemplate shooting but decide against as I wouldn’t be able to see the impact. It would make too much noise to cross the fence so I back out. Back to the truck Dylan asks why I didn’t just shoot at 40. He says he’s still there and to approach from the other side of the fence line and keep a tree in between me and the doe. I’m off again, now my heart is pounding and I’m shaking a little. Try to calm down as I creep to the tree. I’m moving faster than before up to the tree but didn’t see the buck or the doe as I got closer. I get to the tree and then step out. There he is broadside at 10 yards, the doe as well, neither spook. I clip on and draw, I have my twenty pin buried in his chest and just as I put my finger in front of the trigger he simply walks down the hillside and the doe follows. I move to the other side of the knob but don’t have a shot. I should have drawn my bow before stepping out, should have believed that they were still there. Still, this was such an exciting stalk, one that I will be thinking about for the rest of the year.
We do some more glassing and watch one incredible buck fight. Two big bucks really going at it in the distance, the victor ends up with a rack full of grass. You can see how they can get hurt badly during the rut.
Lunch back at the cabin and then we take the Rhino up to Crandall’s to swap a trail cam card and put in batteries. We glass bucks from Deadman’s for a while. There are two 3x3s with a doe below us and a 3×3 in the distance bedded with a doe. After a while we head back to the cabin and into the truck. We see a pretty nice 4×4 right near the road who doesn’t seem bothered by us. We take some video of him and he eventually moves off. We head up to the willows and there are about 14 turkeys there. We look down into the valley and see a big 3×3 gets up with another big buck with a broken main beam. We decide to head back to the cabin and then eventually come back again to try for the Teacher. We’re seeing a couple spikes and lots of does out near the cabin from the knob above it. Soon Dylan spots a big buck and we get the spotting scope out. He looks awesome, deep forks. He’s a big 5×4. I see him leave the tree line and think he’s gone but he comes back out again with a doe. I grab my Cooper and rack a round, drop the bi-pod and we crawl forward on the knob. Dylan had grabbed the video camera. He says he’s at 234 yards and shoot when ready. I set the turret to 230 I’m holding on him and squeezing just as he turns his head back. He kicks at the shot and I try to find him in my scope as he runs in a large circle now moving away, I shoot again holding on his shoulder and he drops. I hit the base of his neck. Actually the first shot was perfect and he was probably about to drop. I’m so happy with him. He is a fantastic buck with deep forks and a small fifth. He looks like a potential B&C buck! We celebrate with a great dinner of Caribou steaks from their recent hunt.
Monday November 15 -Up early monday to try for pigs with our bows over at Dylan’s. Halfway there we can see it’s completely socked in so decide to abort and head back to the ranch to take care of my buck. We tour the ranch first but not much is out. A coyote manages to elude us. Back to the cabin for lunch and then we skin and quarter my buck. Dylan capes him and then we put the tape on him. He’s 139 3/8 gross with about 4” in deductions. He just might make the book when I can score him in January. Regardless it was the end of an amazing 2010 season taking the two best bucks of my life and so many great experiences hunting with Dylan again on the Diamond C.
