4x5 Western Oregon Blacktail

[waco]

Out hunting yesterday with my brother and a good friend from work. My friend pulled the trigger but we all did a ton of work to get him out of that hole. Unless you've hunted in the Pacific Northwest, your probably not too familiar with our hunting grounds. Super thick brush, reep rod, and very steep terrain. From where the buck fell dead from a heart shot, it was about 300 yards back uphill to the road. 4 1/2 hours it took us to drag/carry this 230lb plus beast of a deer(for this part of the country) back to the truck. Once we hit the base of the almost vertical hill we used rope tied to the hitch ball and had to pull him out. Very sore today but well worth it. Three other hunters stopped by to lend a hand. If it wasn't for them we would have had to quarter up the buck for sure. The pictures don't do any justice of how steep it is, but here are s few pics. Enjoy.
Waco.

 

[Brad]

I can't catch my breath just looking at the terrain. I'm a flat lander and prod of it.

Nice deer and story.

 

[waco]

It kicked my butt, I wont lie! Very sore today.

 

[Rick]

Great deer & really good size for a coastal black tail.

I'm very familiar with the terrain in western Oregon. I lived in Cave Junction for a few years, used to back pack into the Kalmiopsis Wilderness area. We would get dropped off at the end of a fire road before sunlight, as soon as there was enough light to walk we started hiking and hiked until too dark to keep going not even stopping for lunch. According to the Forest Service grid map our progress was two miles. We spent two weeks up there in December gold panning. Yep, tough terrain for sure.

 

[Ian]

One heck of a nice buck, no matter where you're from. Pics of the scenery were enjoyable, too, helps tell the tale.

 

[35 shooter]

That is one fine looking Blacktail rack...wow!
Nice pics and beautiful country...and yes, i can see why your a bit sore lol!

 

[GaryN]

Nice deer!!!! I have spent a lot of time getting meat out of the mountains. I have got it down to the point now that I not only bone them out, I separate the muscles. I don't bring out anything I can't eat other than the horns and cape if I plan on mounting it. I cut them up myself when I get home. It takes a while to cut them up (at least two hours for an elk if alone). But is easier than trying to drag them. I don't even gut them. The last thing I took out of the mountains was a moose. It took four trips. I have taken cow elk out in one very heavy trip. This is all not possible if your local fish and game regulations do not allow it.

 

[waco]

 

[Chris]

That is a dandy buck for sure. Congratulations!

I didn't realize the blacktails got so big, that's darn near a big woods whitetail in size. I worked as a timber faller in the central cascades many years ago, and I can sure testify about that steep ground.

Most of the blacktails we shot were really small, I had no idea they ever got size to them.

Good job.

 

[Chris]

Nice deer!!!! I have spent a lot of time getting meat out of the mountains. I have got it down to the point now that I not only bone them out, I separate the muscles. I don't bring out anything I can't eat other than the horns and cape if I plan on mounting it. I cut them up myself when I get home. It takes a while to cut them up (at least two hours for an elk if alone). But is easier than trying to drag them. I don't even gut them. The last thing I took out of the mountains was a moose. It took four trips. I have taken cow elk out in one very heavy trip. This is all not possible if your local fish and game regulations do not allow it.

If I need to drag over a mile I just bone them out like you do. I have a little pulley setup that doesn't weigh much and lets me get even a big buck hung on a tree limb. You can bone them out on their hide but hanging is cleaner.

With a frame pack you can carry 70 pounds way easier than drag 180. Double easier if you don't have snow to reduce friction. Of course you might want to wrestle dragging a trophy buck for show 'n tell, that's understandable.

 

[smokeywolf]

Great buck and swell pictures. I'm afraid if I'd been there to help drag that hunk of venison out, someone would have ended up having to drag me out too.

 

[KHornet]

Nice pics! Have hunted country like that when much younger. Kicked my butt also.
Will stay on the flats in my dotage.

Paul

 

[freebullet]

Nice buck for sure!

I will admit to carrying 1000' of rope in the truck for such activities. It's spooled up on a garden hose reel.

 

[waco]

Trust me. When we tied the rope to the buck and the bumper of the truck, they pulled us out of that hole too. It was WAY too steep. My buddy wanted to go back to that same spot this year and I said NO!!!!!
Call me a sissy. I don't care!

 

[fiver]

reminds me of the time I shot a buck up in the Beaver Dams.
all I heard was Dawn yelling NOOOOOooooo!!!
then a semi mumbled your on your own I'm going to the Truck.
she seen which direction I was facing when I pulled the trigger and it wasn't UP Hill..

here is what I looked like after me and the boy drug this one mostly down hill about a mile.
it's a 3X4.
I'm 6'0 and weigh about 230 lbs.
thankfully 2 guy's come by and helped us lift it in the truck cause I was done for.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?318500-Hunting-with-runfiverun-2017

 

[waco]

That's a nice big buck Five! I've been skunked so far this year. I have untill Friday to hunt. I'll probably try and get out a time or two after work this week...

 

[fiver]

I was up grouse hunting this afternoon and took the opportunity to scope out the ridgelines, from about 5-6:00 pm. the does were starting out and feeding pretty good in the afternoon sun.
it was a pretty constant 41 in the draws and such so I'm sure the sunlight felt pretty good to them.
the bucks didn't start moving until after 6:15 or so.
I thought they might start hanging out with the does [pre-rut] but we still have another week or two until the rut starts and they are still a bit shell shocked from the heavy amount of hunters this year.

there was a nice fresh coat of snow on the ground and I didn't cut a single track in the 5 miles I covered today.
everything is staying up high on/near the sun side of the mountains or has gone down to the foothills.

over where you are could be totally different.
but if you have snow and some cold I'd play the odds on the sunny side of the hills near the top in the late afternoon.

 

[waco]

It's sunny and mid 60's today.........lol

 

[freebullet]

It been so nice here lately I might shed a tear if it snowed soon. Not ready for winter just yet.

 

[Intheshop]

Motorcycle weather here.....but ties in on fivers suuny side/shady side.The steeper the mnt. the more effect.We can be all grins strafing on bikes......on the sunny side.It's completely opposite on the other.Think,knee down vs arse down.

The ability to get your Deer out here,is more of the right to passage than anything.One of my fav's;

12 y.o. #4 is out of school for something goin on 20 years ago.It's hunting season(he suddenly got sick).Calls me at work sayin he's blasted a Deer with his .243,is there any way I could come home early?

So,screw work,my boy needs me,haha.Arriving home,he's getting ready to start hacking up this meat.Which is kinda funny but isn't from a serious butchering standpoint.

When questioned about "the story"....He goes,"yeah,there 4 does on the other side of the lake,past that big ditch,etc.".....yeah,says me....."well I thought about dragging it home,so I shot the smallest".

How he managed to drag that Deer a 1/4 of a mile,pretty much uphill the whole way,willpower?

Thanks for posting pics,always fun hunting with family and friends.