The Brown-Tail Stalk (9/8/12 Deer Hunt)

Another morning trying to shoot a deer. I am beginning to question whether or not its worth the effort this year. My ankle throbs constantly and the possible health issues I face constantly nag at me. I am not really enjoying myself this time around. Maybe things will change.

I was out with Eric this morning. He picked me up at 3:30 am and we headed out to the Blue Mountains. Unlike last weekend, elk season is open. That means more people in the woods which normally equates to the deer scattering to the wind.

We arrived at our spot on Whiskey Creek Road shortly after 5. We headed in two seperate directions with a plan to meet back at the truck later this morning. After an hour and a half of walking, I started back towards the truck. I needed to get off my ankle for a little while. On the way back, however, I heard sticks breaking in front of me about 100 yards out. I was fairly certain it was not a deer. The footsteps sounded too heavy. My thoughts jumped to the possibility of a elk. This was, after all, the very same area I shot at an elk last year. I knelt down and listened for another 10 minutes or so and had a good idea where the noises were coming from. Slowly I worked my way forward. As I neared the top of the hill, I knew I was close to the source of the noise but could not pinpoint it yet. I found a small tuft of bushes to hide in. Once I finally arrived, I looked over the small ridge...bursting with excitement and to my amazement there was no deer. There was no elk. There was no bear or cougar. I did not have a license or tag to shoot what was making all of that noise. Before me stood a cow. A "Brown Tail." Frustration overwhelmed me so I headed straight back to the truck. I just wasted a lot of time and energy stalking an animal that I can't shoot...and even if I could would simply require me walk up and shoot. Stalking is not required on cows.

Eric and I tried a few more spots but were not able to find any deer. We decided to quit hunting for the morning. As I write this, I am sitting at Sharon's cabin getting ready to take a nap. Who knows, maybe this afternoon I can manage to sneak up on someone's pet llama.

Just as predicted, this afternoon didn't pan out any better. After running into Walla Walla for some lunch, we set up in two different spots on Whiskey Creek Road. I was overlooking a ridge that I have seen deer walk across in the evening on their way to the field to eat. I sat and watched the sun go down until about 6:00. Then, a doe and a fawn jumped the fence onto some private land. These deer were officially off limits unless they kept walking onto the public land. As I watched the deer, I grew more frustrated at the state of public hunting around here. See, just before those deer jumped onto private land, they came from an area that used to be public last year. Then someone bought the land and won't let people hunt there any more. That was good land that I would have hunted again this year if it would have remained public. As I sat in my popup blind stewing about things, I saw two does and a fawn hop the same fence at the same location. That really didn't help my frustration level. Finally, as the sun went down, fate flipped me off one more time by sending another doe walking right past where I would have set up in that other land if it would have remained public. Someone please remind me why I like deer hunting so much. This state, like it does in so many other ways, frustrated the hell out of me. It's the goddam liberals on the west side screwing things up. I know it is. The hunting regs here are jacked up and don't show signs of improving.