Young deer hunter executes whitetail double-header
DEER HUNTING -- Full disclosure: I didn't even SEE a buck during legal hunting hours over the weekend around my hunting niches in Northeastern Washington, but serious whitetail hunters were filling their tags as though the world was about to end.
I saw does with fawns and no bucks following. But it's just as clear that bucks are turning on virtually everywhere. Rattling and calling were getting results.
North of Spokane, 12-year-old Karsen Enevold and his grandpa, Randy Enevold, devoted a well-chosen weekend to filling his buck tag from a tree stand. It was time well spent. After patiently waiting as several does milled around near their stand, Karsen smoked a nice buck that came in to tend them, and then filled his doe tag with a second shot -- all within 10 seconds. Mission accomplished.
In the Idaho Panhandle, hunters are reporting considerably more buck activity, and some nice bucks are hitting the dirt.
But Joe Cabral of Russell Pond Outfitters near St. Maries was still relaxed with plenty of time left in his seasons.
"The Tuesday before Thanksgiving is prime time here," he said. "I ALWAYS see bucks cavorting around that day."