Blacktail shot in Monterey CO.
Blacktail shot in Monterey CO.
This is the
best buck to date that I have shot, and it was with my bow for that matter. This is what
you can expect from a blacktail 4X4 on the coast. They don’t get real wide or high,
although there always are exceptions. This buck was actually a 4X5, having sort of a melt
tine on the left side that you cannot see in the picture.
Anyway, this buck was
the first morning of the season, and my first time ever hunting in Monterey county. It was
last year and I had just recently moved here from Sacramento. I had no clue where to
begin to look for hunting areas, so I contacted Fish and Game and talked to a biologist
there. She told me about the Los Padres National Forest and the Ventan Wilderness area,
both being less than an hours drive from my house. Well, I drove down to the ranger
station in Big Sur and picked up a map. After studying the map, I picked a place where a
fire road bordered the wilderness area. It looked like just off the road there was a draw
that led to a long, flat valley.
Opening morning found me desperately trying to
decide where I was on the map. I resigned to just getting out as soon as it got light and
hiking into the backcountry. It was a warm day, already in the high 60’s at sunrise. The
land was steep and thick, with few trees. This was definately not the cool, pine covered
forests of the Sierra that I was used to. However, I also saw loads of tracks and a number
of game trails.
I started following one of the trails, hoping it would lead me to
an area where I could see a little more than 20 yds. About an hour into the hike, I jumped
a small group of hogs. I never did see them, but heard them grunting as they crashed off
into the brush. That was a new experience for me, for I had never hunted anywhere that
hogs are commonly found. It was really exciting, yet also kind of scary. I began to realize
that those tunnels I was sometimes crawling through were also the hogs escape routes.
At about 10:30, hot, tired, dirty, and desperate, I decided to just sit for a while
and see what happens. The terrain had opened up a little and I had a decent view of a little
grassy patch under a couple of oak trees about 75 yds. away. I was sitting there drinking
from my canteen when movement caught my eye. Sounds just like field and stream doesn’t
it? Well, not quite. This buck was bedded down in the same grass I was watching, it just
took a little movement on his part for me to notice him. Now, with my heart racing, I
quickly decided how to go about this situation. I know many people who claim to make
shots this far with consistency, but not me. Maybe on the 3D range, but not a living,
breathing animal.
Amazingly, he did not see me. He was looking downhill from
him, which made me at his back. My only approch was straight at him. After just a few
feet, I dropped down into the brush again. Luckily, there was a nice big pig tunnel, so I
moved the next 30 yds. relatively quickly and quietly. When I slowly emerged from the
brush, my buck was still there, completely unaware of me. I raised my bow with the arrow
nocked, drew, aimed, and released. There was an audible “crack” as the arrow busted
through the ribs. The buck bolted straight at me, veering at the last second when he finally
saw me.
He did not make it far, the thick brush slowing him greatly. I sat and
watched this buck die, not 20 yds. from me. Little bubbles of blood kept popping up from
his wounds as the last air from his lungs was expelled. It was sad watching this great buck
die. Sometimes I still think of how many years he has sat on that very knoll, overlooking
the waves crashing 10 miles down and away.
I was happy with this great buck,
especially since I got him with my bow. This was my fourth deer and my third with a bow.
I still can’t figure out how he didn’t hear, see, or smell me. I guess I am just lucky. Better
lucky than good though.
Now, the fun began. Just field dressing him in that mess
was difficult. It took me over three hours from start to finish to get him out of there.
While driving home, I stopped next to a game warden who was on the side of the road. He
could not believe that a buck of that caliber came out of there, which really surprised me.
He informed me that too many people just hunt the roads and never see anything other
than does and small bucks. He told me to be proud of my buck, but I didn’t need his
advice for that. It was at this point that I started kicking myself for capping him. He would
have made a great shoulder mount.
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Email: christygarcia1@juno.com
