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Three Bucks in Three Hours |
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Joe and Earl Willis with their 3 California Blacktails taken within 3 hours of each other |
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After a heavy rain the night before,Joe Willis and his brother Earl left their camp well before daylight.They wanted to get to an area before first light,where they had seen many good bucks in the past. |
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Shortly after sunrise the pair decided to still-hunt through a deep canyon filled with oaks.The two split up and began working out the numerous draws.Joe would walk the tops of the ridges while his brother paralleled him a 100 yards below...Almost immediately Joe spotted a big buck bedded down only 30 yards away.He was sure by the size of it's rack that it was a 4x4 ,so he quickly raised his rifle and fired,dropping the big Blacktail in his bed. |
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As Joe approached the downed buck he was surprised to find that it was actually a huge forked horn,not a 4 point as he had suspected.He was however very pleased,he had always wanted to kill a big "Forkie"and now he had.Joe's buck had a 21 inch outside spread and a giant body ,he estimated the live weight at 180 pounds. |
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While Joe field-dressed and quartered his buck,Earl continued to slowly hunt through the oaks.Not long after he had finished he heard two quick shots coming from the canyon below.Knowing it was most likely his brother,he set out to find him and see if he could be of some assistance. |
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Joe couldn't believe what he saw when he finally found him.Earl had come across two exceptional bucks and managed to drop them both(you are allowed two bucks in any of California's B-zones).The bigger of the two carried a heavy 19 inch wide ,4x3 rack and the other was a symmetrical 4x4 with nice eyeguards. |
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The two brothers spent the rest of the day quartering and packing their bucks the 4 miles back to camp.It was long after dark before they finished,but what an incredible hunt it had been.Three bucks in three hours. |
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