I normally hunt Blacktails the last week of the California Zone B-2 season. That is always a waiting game hoping a late season storm will drive some of the of the larger mountain dwelling Blacktails down into the foothills. By comparison, the early season offers a chance at resident deer in balmy temperatures. This year, I was offered a chance at an early season hunt, and jumped at the chance! Pre-hunt scouting disclosed a non-typical. Maybe not the biggest NT, but I had never seen a non-typical Blacktail before, and I wanted this one. His horns were not overly long, and the additional tines gave him the appearance of sporting a butch haircut, reminiscent of the sixties. Two days of watching and searching, and I had my chance. One bullet from my 25/06 Encore ended the chase for The Butch. My wife commented that it must have been a tough hunt because the deer and I both have the same expression on our face!
