The great thing about Oregon is that you can sometimes be very lucky enough to have two (2) deer tags.   One of those special tags if you have property to hunt is the Willamette Unit 615 tag.  You can take a buck or doe during the long time frame of the hunt with rifle or bow.  So if you’re a bow hunter and a rifle hunter you can pick and chose your weapon of choice.

In this case Mark who is one of my hunting partners here in the valley had decided to bow hunt the parcel of land we have access to in the valley and harvest his first archery deer and make it a Blacktail buck. He also had enough preference points to be able to draw the 615 tag.  Mark drew his 615 Willamette tag and also purchased the archery deer tag.

Prior to the hunt in the early summer months of June, Mark and Jr. were very instrumental in getting all the tree stands up and ground blinds on the property for the archery season and Mark’s 615 Hunt.  The ground work had been set for a great 2012 season.  The big thing for those of us archery hunting for a buck was to get it done prior to September 1st, as the 615 hunt starts on the 1st with lots of action in the rural valley and it might effect the archery season.

Mark during the archery season had one (1) particular Blacktail buck that he wanted to harvest along with the rest of us and that was “Stickers”.  During the first two (2) weeks of the archery season in Oregon “Stickers” never came in to the view of any of us.  In just one evening Mark had more than 9 bucks to choose from within 25 yards and past up all of them.   It is very interesting to me as there were 2 other shooters for the early part of the archery season.   Another buck that never came in during daylight hours has been the Odd 3 X 3, leaving only the Even 3 X 3 doing the daylight hours once in a while, which know all to well.

That is another story within itself and this is about Mark’s great hunt and shot. Mark did not make the opening day of the 615 Willamette hunt, but managed to get enough time to go out the same evening that Jr. was hunting from another tree stand about ½ mile away during the middle of the week.   Mark had decided to use his tree stand on the western sector of the farm, plus use his trusty 308 Browning Lever Action that is Grandpa gave him.   There was about 20 minutes of legal light left of hunting during the first evening of this great hunt for Mark!

About a week earlier there was a buck that had been hit by an arrow with only a surface wound and the buck was doing very well, which was evident on the trail cams.  Mark heard a noise of breaking dead-fall and the 3 X 3 that had taken the arrow hit appears!  Mark thought about taking him, but at 8 yards he can tell the buck is doing well and this is a special tag for the chance of getting a very good Blacktail.  There was still about 15 minutes of legal light and he decides to wait just a little longer.  He hears another twig snap along one of the access trails to the field.  Along comes “Stickers” on the trail, but with brush making it difficult to get on him, Mark just waits him out.  He is now hidden behind a tree, not giving a shot.  Light is fading and Mark is a real sticker of being legal with his hunting.

Great hunting ethics as Mark has been taught from his Grand Dad and Father.   Just then “Stickers” moves away from the tree and comes broadside at 10 yards!  The rest is history as the 150gr. Remington Core-Lok put the buck down in his tracks. Mark then gets a call from Jr., “is that you who did the shooting”? Jr. and Tamra quickly make their way over to Mark!   Mark has Jr. get his truck and they were able to get within, Ah! Maybe 15 yards of the fallen trophy Blacktail!  Get Pictures is all I text back to all of them!!!