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Before I went to bed last night, I baked the lasagna that
Casey's wife, Barbara, had prepared and frozen for me to
bring to eat on all week!
Mmmmm. Doesn't that look good? Thanks,
Barbara!
Then I figured I needed to fix my bumper so that I
didn't have to circle the ranch counterclockwise all
weekend since I couldn't make left turns without the
bumper rubbing the tires. With a chain, a metal rod
and the post that was responsible for the damage, I
managed to pull the bumper out enough so that it no longer
rubs on the tires.
The alarm sounded early this morning, and despite my
repeated efforts to snooze it, the alarm won out. I
was in my ICE Blind at 5:45, almost a full hour before
shooting light. It was a cold son of a gun here in
South Texas this morning! I was thankful that I had
my new insulated Brush Country jacket! It's too bad
they don't make insulated bibs, though, because while my
upper torso was plenty toasty, my legs nearly froze!
Shortly after daylight I spotted movement in the
brush. It was a real pretty eight pointer with good,
long tines. The buck approached from my right as I
looked out the blind. Unfortunately, I had my camera
pointed out the left shooting window. I contemplated
trying to move it, but experience reminded me that I
haven't often been successful at moving a tripod across
the blind. I figured if I was patient, the buck
would eventually work his way into the camera's view
through the left window. Other bucks soon joined the
parade in the road. A small racked buck came in from
the left, allowing me to get a photo before he moved on.
Another small buck and a spike spent time feeding in
front of the blind as well. The eight pointer made
sure they didn't get too close, however, as he ran them
off time and again. Suddenly, the eight darted after
the smaller buck pictured above and ran across the left
window, but only offered a blur.
A mature, but small racked six pointer approached from
the right where the eight had vacated. The buck's
rack had good mass, but was not real wide, nor did he have
brow tines. I contemplated culling the buck if he
presented a shot on camera, but like the eight pointer
before him, he remained in the right hand shooting
lane. As the morning progressed, it became an
agonizing ordeal, as both the eight and the six presented
several excellent shot opportunities, but never in front
of the camera window. Although I wasn't going to
shoot the eight anyway, I still wanted to get him on film.
Finally, with the six still feeding in the right lane,
I could see the shadow of the larger eight as he was
approaching from the left. I hit record, but then
had to turn off the camera as the buck stalled. I
could only watch his shadow as he fed just out of
view. After what seemed like forever, but was
probably closer to 20 minutes, the six walked across and
actually ran off the larger buck.
I was disappointed, having missed an opportunity to
film a nice buck. Just as I was giving up on seeing
him again on this hunt, he appeared once more from the
right. He must have circled around the blind and
come back up the road. This time, I decided to force
the action. As quietly and gently as I could, I
released the quick release plate from the tripod, and with
one hand managed to get the camera off without spooking
the buck, which was a mere 10 yards away. I was
finally able to get some good pics of the quality, young
buck.
This buck has potential, with good tine length and main
beams, and decent mass and width. A couple of more
tines, along with slightly longer brow tines and I might
not have been quite as patient!
Click on the photo above for a video clip of the scene.
Although the buck is looking directly at me in the
picture, neither he nor any of the other deer seemed to be
bothered by the well-brushed in blind.
I hunted until about 10:00, and then decided to change
my setup. I relocated the ICE Blind to a relatively
secluded area of the ranch where Casey and I had set up a
Straight Shooter feeder in September. You may recall
that my six year old daughter, Micheala, and I shot a hog
from there early in the season. There was an
incredible amount of sign in the area surrounding the
feeder, including well beaten trails, tracks and multiple
rubs.
I set up a chain on stand in a mesquite tree only a
hundred yards, or so, from where I had my blind this
morning. It offers a bit more viewing area than this
morning's setup, and it is the same setup from which I
arrowed my 143 inch buck two years ago. I'll likely
hunt it this evening and then switch to the ICE
Blind/Straight Shooter setup tomorrow morning.
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Sunday afternoon's update is going to be packed with
pictures and video clips, so apologies to those of you
with slow connection speeds!
The action started early, even while I was making my
way to my stand. As I walked up the road and reached
the trail that cuts off toward my stand, I spotted the
tail-end of a deer with it's head behind some brush!
I quickly knelt in the dirt, dropped my gear, unzipped the
zipper on my camera bag and started filming the deer,
which was less than 20 yards away. I briefly
considered attempting a shot, but a combination of having
left my release in the pickup and there being no way to
film the shot, I decided just to get some video footage of
what turned out to be a nice eight pointer..
The buck finally wised up and decided to check it's
surroundings, at which point it noticed me and made a
hasty retreat. Click on the image above for a video
clip of the scene. (371k)
I quickly made my way back to get my release, and was
positioned in my treestand by 3:30. The Strong Built
chain on, mounted on the trunk of a mesquite tree, has
proven to be an exceptionally well concealed setup, even
though the base of the stand is only 4 feet off the
ground. Being seated right at the point where the
trunk begins to branch, I appear to be simply an extension
of the trunk! I've had deer within several yards
that never knew I was there. Today would prove to be
no exception!
Early in the afternoon, a very nice ten pointer came in
from my right. My camera arm was mounted to the
trunk of the tree, which positioned the camera just above
my lap on my left side, allowing me to easily control the
camera with little movement. The buck came straight
in and fed on corn that I had strategically placed so as
to "direct" the stars of my home movie! It
worked perfectly!
I quickly added up the total length of tines on the
buck, trying to decide if he qualified as
"shooter" status. The setup was perfect
for a filming opportunity; head behind a cactus, excellent
lighting for a clear picture, no other deer around to
spook while attempting to draw, a stiff breeze to conceal
even the noise of my on-again, off-again limb creak (which
naturally is "on-again" every time I want to
shoot an animal, and "off-again" when simply
trying to detect it's source!). As it were, I could
have played yo-yo with my bow string and the buck would
have been oblivious to my presence, a mere 12 yards
away! I drew back on the string, anchored the
release at the corner of my mouth, nose touching the
string, placed the pin low on the buck's vitals. . . and
then decided that the buck was still not mature enough to
take! I let down and continued to watch the buck
feed. Click on the image above for a video
clip of the buck tossing brush off his antlers
(408k)
Click on the image above to watch him go
(634k). I'm still not sure I made the right choice,
but for now he's free to live another day!
After he left, it was quite some time before other deer
began to appear, but then the bucks seemed to come from
everywhere! This small eight pointer came in for a
bit, before being run off by a nine pointer with a broken
tine.
The nine seemed to be the dominant buck of the group,
as the other deer, including the bigger eight pointer that
I had seen this morning, took a wide berth when walking
near this buck.
The eight pointer walked past me at less than 7 yards
on several occasions and never knew I was there!
A couple of does tried to get in amongst the bucks, but
with so many bucks around, it was a difficult endeavor.
I watched the deer feed and chase each other for most
of the evening, until suddenly all of them started
becoming nervous. There was only one thing it could
be. . . you guessed it, hogs!
Three hogs came in from my left, passing by about three
feet from my tree! Then I saw something I've never
seen before. The hogs and the deer actually fed
together, though the deer kept some distance between
them. All except for one nervous and confused
doe! She couldn't figure out which way to go!
Click on the picture above for a video clip
to see the doe walk back and forth four yards from my
tree! (661k) Sometimes I feel that way, myself!
I couldn't decide whether or not to shoot a hog.
Initially, I opted not to because I didn't want to alert
the deer that were still in the area. However, once
the hogs fed close to the deer, they retreated to the
brush. The hogs were at about 30 yards, and I didn't
want to take a shot at that distance. They kept
tempting me, however, as they started working closer
in. I still opted not to shoot since I didn't want
to track a hog in the dark since I'm at the ranch by
myself. Then, as I shivered in the tree, I realized
that it would be plenty cold enough tonight to allow me to
track the hog in the morning. OK, I talked myself
into it! Then I had to decide which one. I was
originally going to shoot the biggest one, but then
decided, in part because it would be a better
"eater" pig, but mostly because it wasn't black,
that I would shoot the red one. I focused the camera
on the hog, drew back the bow string, placed the pin as
low as possible behind the shoulder and then watched the
arrow disappear, though I couldn't initially tell if it
went through the hog or under it! Click on the image
below to decide for yourself! (1.5 meg)
As I watched the hog run away, I could see confirmation
of the hit as blood poured out from behind it's
shoulder! I waited just a few minutes before getting
down to inspect the blood. There was a big spot at
the point of impact, and two, that's right, two absolutely
incredible, continuous trails of blood that led all the
way to the hog, only 35 yards away. The Jak Hammer
left the most amazing blood trail I've ever seen! So
much for having to track in the dark!
I returned to the cabin and quickly skinned and
quartered the hog to put on ice. My intent was to
get in bed early, but I got wrapped up in reviewing video
for pics to put up on the Live Hunt and kept staying up
later and later. While working on the video clips on
the computer, I watched a couple of hogs vacuum corn from
the feeder behind the cabin. Not wanting the hassle
of skinning another hog, I opted to watch. That is
until the hogs disappeared and became replaced by deer,
only to have the hogs return and chase away the
deer. Nothing makes me madder! I decided this
would be a perfect opportunity for my first shot at a live
animal with my 21st Century Longbow! Not being
confident enough in my shooting to attempt to take a deer,
this was the perfect chance to test my shooting ability
while, at the same time, eradicating one boar hog to
prevent additional spreading of his gene pool!
I set up the camera, grabbed my 21st Century Edge and
an arrow, and stalked. . .ok, walked, around the side of
the tool shed behind the cabin, placing me 15 yards from
the hog. In order to shoot, I would have to step
into the open, so I slowly took three steps, careful not
to alert the hog. Once in position, I waited for the
hog to offer a broadside shot. As he did, he looked
up at me and I thought the game was over. However,
satisfied that I posed no danger (obviously he's seen me
shoot), he put his head back down and continued to
feed. I pulled on the string, while at the same time
pushing on the riser with my left arm until my right
middle finger touched the corner of my mouth, and in one
continuous motion, the arrow was on it's way! Click
on the image to see the shot (
Although the hog dipped slightly, the 140 grain Muzzy
slammed hard into the boar's side. Most of the arrow
was still protruding from the hog as he disappeared into
the brush. Again, I decided it best to wait til
morning to track the hog rather than go it alone at
night. Back inside the cabin, I reviewed the video,
and then decided just to see if I could find the start of
a blood trail to mark for the morning's tracking.
Having not gotten a passthrough, I was a little worried
about the prospects of finding the trail, much less the
hog. Much to my surprise, however, I spotted blood
immediately. And lots of it! I followed it
into the brush where the hog had disappeared, and then
immediately to the black blob that had piled up only 50
yards, or so, from where I had shot!
My first traditional kill! I drug the hog back to
the woodpile for pictures.
Knowing how some folks frown on such things, even with
nasty, destructive hogs, and not being too keen on doing
so myself, I decided to go ahead and gut the hog. I
will take him tomorrow to Cotulla to have him weighed, and
then donate him to Los Cazadores' meat donation program.
Today was certainly exciting! My intentions are
to spend the entire day tomorrow in my ICE Blind
overlooking my Straight Shooter, but if it gets too warm,
I may have to get the hog on into Cotulla to keep it from
spoiling. Stay tuned!
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