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The first order of business after arriving at the 5 Star ranch was to find the
microwave phone to test the line to see if we'd be able to establish an
internet connection to do an update. We had already determined that our
cell phone dial up connectivity kit only worked in digital service areas and not
using the analog reception that we were able to get at the ranch. After
multiple attempts, I was finally able to log on at a blazing 4800 bps!
That might be enough to do text updates with a few pictures, but the bigger
problem was that at that speed, it is difficult to maintain the connection.
After a couple of minutes online, we got booted off before we could even get
logged onto the web server.
That out of the way, we decided to focus on hunting! Our guide, Trey,
showed us a very roughly drawn map of the ranch, and we divided up into groups
in different areas to set stands for the evening hunt. Glenn, Ed and I
chose a location that was several miles from the main ranch. The terrain
was rockier and consisted of more dense brush than the majority of the
ranch. Glenn set up his tripod near a corn feeder, and then I set my Brush
Country camo'd ICE Blind in a pretty good looking spot near a small creek that
must feed into the Rio Grande a mile or so away. We spent a couple of
hours looking for a good spot for Ed, before finally returning a few hundred
yards away from my setup on the creek, where the creek dried up a bit, creating
a great spot for the hogs to wallow. Ed set up his Doghouse tent blind on
a bluff overlooking the creek bed nearly 15 feet above. The creek bed was
full of tracks, including one set that was created by a monster of a boar!
We returned to camp for a quick shower before heading back out just before
dark for the evening hunt. We got out later than we had planned, just a
half hour before sundown, but as I was walking out, I received a call on my cell
phone (it's got the vibrating ring feature). It was Casey, and he informed
me that he had already arrowed a hog! While walking to his tripod, he
spotted a group of about ten hogs feeding in the area. He stalked to just
behind his tripod, picked an eater-sized sow from the group, and after waiting
for a broadside shot opportunity, fired a perfect 20 yard shot into and through
the hog! He decided to get Les to assist with the tracking, and together
they made short work of the tracking job.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group was more or less blanked up through the
early part of the night. Glenn, Ed and I hunted our respective locations
until around midnight before returning. All of the other hunters, with the
exception of Steve and Ben, had returned to camp. Robert, who had arrived
later than the majority of the group, was just getting ready to head out to hunt
the rest of the night. Ben and Steve came in, briefly, shortly after we
got back to camp. Glenn and I decided to ride out with Robert as he made
his way to his blind. We corned the couple mile road leading to his ICE
Blind. He dropped us off in the road and then headed to his lookout.
Glenn and I waited on the road for a half hour, or so, before beginning our slow
walk back toward camp, still hunting the road in the moonlit night.
Unfortunately, we arrived back at camp without spotting any wildlife.
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