My first Blacktail (With Pics)

[mhpoole]

Well here is the story I was hunting in Scappoose, OR on 2 hrs sleep, been there since 5am, shot him at 3:45pm at 330 meters away with 80 meter drop luckily I had my Nikon Range finder. The shot went behind his front leg down low. He took about 5 steps in really slow motion and dropped like a sack of potato's. I got down to where I thought he was and couldn't find him so i went back to the truck approx 1000 meters for one trip there and back. I had tied a rope from my truck to get down the first drop of 40 meters because it was almost straight down. Excited i fell while holding the rope and got a nice rope burn but saved myself from much worse. I used my range finder and ranged the area again and i was about 30 meters short. Everything out there is dead wood so it all looks the same.
 
I get back down to the spot it now being about 20 minutes before total darkness and about 38 degrees and things getting a little slippery. I start looking quickly with no sucess. I try to calm myself down and think, the sun is gone 5 minutes before total darkness i spot him in a ditch about 15 ft from me. I tried my best to drag him but i got about 30 meters before my heart was going to explode. On my last cell phone attempt i got my buddy who had been to the area one time. I started to gut him to get him a bit lighter but didnt seem to do much good. I decided to prop him down on a log that i recognized and head back to the truck and find my buddy because he didnt know the area very well. I was just going to tell him we can come back in the morning because this was to hard at night. With frost on the sticks and fog rolling in i decide to make the trek back without my deer which was another 1000 meter walk thru thick brush. About 10 meters from my truck pulling myself up the rope my buddy has arrived.
 
I tell him lets just come back and he said " hey im fresh lets try to get him out". I reluctantly agreed. After getting a drink of water I was making the trek for the 3rd time. Everything has a nice frosty coating and the fog making out trip near impossible but we found it about an hour later. It took us both 4 hours to pull him out from there. Now that I look back at it I dont know what i was thinking shooting it way down there. With advil in my body at all times I am not feeling quite up to par yet but in a couple days I think ill live. I shot this deer on the last hour of the last day of the season. To my buddy I owe a bunch of meat and a huge thanks.
 
My rifle is a newly aquired Remington VS in .308 with an IOR HD20MOA base and rings, Shilen trigger set to 2lbs and a crappy scope until i can afford the one i want.
 

 
First thing my son Gavin says at 2 1/2 when I said daddy got a deer was "Eat um" LOL
 

[Daryl (deceased)]

Looks like a nice buck!  Congrat's.
 
Az

[rockinbbar]

Nice rack!

Looks like he very well fed too. Gotta get ready for that young-un to join ya soon it looks like....

Rockinbbar

[M1Garand]

Congrats on getting a nice buck.

[DEADBIRD]

Great story and a nice deer to boot. I can't imagine the energy you guys expended dragging that deer out.  The farthest drag I ever did was about 500 yards up and down two ridges to get to my boat.  Then I had to turn around and do it again to bring out my other deer.  Congrats on a great hunt.:o

[gitano]

Congratulations! Nice buck! THat "crappy" scope seemed to do just fine at 330 yds. :)
 
Paul

[mtsharps]

Nice buck there mhpoole

[ShadowRider]

Very nice buck mhpoole. Congrats on your first! That young uns got the right attitude.

[Oregonhunter]

Awsome buck!
 
Congrats on your first Blacktail!
 
Oregonhunter