Doe and Management Hunts

[salth2o]

Thanks Jay.

[Larry]

Well, that was a weird sit. Pig hit but not found. Last thing I was expecting! They were playing in the creek as soon as I got in ladder. Got tired of listening to them for an hour. Lowered bow. Got to bottom step and they were coming in! Downwind of course. Small ones winded me. Barely got bow unhooked and arrow nocked before last one left. 20 yd head on buried halfway. Found back half of arrow 50 yards into woods. No blood. Missing: 1 slick trick 100 gr Mag. If found, please set it on the kitchen counter.

[Bonesplitter]

Well, that was a weird sit. Pig hit but not found. Last thing I was expecting! They were playing in the creek as soon as I got in ladder. Got tired of listening to them for an hour. Lowered bow. Got to bottom step and they were coming in! Downwind of course. Small ones winded me. Barely got bow unhooked and arrow nocked before last one left. 20 yd head on buried halfway. Found back half of arrow 50 yards into woods. No blood. Missing: 1 slick trick 100 gr Mag. If found, please set it on the kitchen counter.

Lol. Suckers can be tough!

[Larry]

Rained all night but we've got a good break in the radar this morning. Hoping deer will be up and about! The boys are up. About to head out.

[justhrowit]

Rained all night but we've got a good break in the radar this morning. Hoping deer will be up and about! The boys are up. About to head out.

Right now, we're all wondering what happened to that break. I saw it on the radar....... It ob'ly closed. It's a down pour out here. If it Lets up, deer may show. Ground blinds are nice!

J

[Buckshot-73]

Can't kill em from the porch!!



Wait,I forgot where I was talking about..

[Johnny]

For a good while now, I have always wanted to visit the area in and around Bosque County. That's one area of Texas I have yet to travel through and from pictures I have seen in the past, I knew I would have to travel out that way one day. When I saw this thread pop up not long ago, I had my mind made up pretty quick I was going to have to jump on this. Not only would I be going to a place I've been wanting to visit for awhile but throwing in one of my passions on top of it would be icing on the cake. After a quick talk with my dad, we decided this would be a great opportunity to take my two boys and my nephew for a management hunt for their Christmas present from my dad (Pawpaw).

Unfortunately my oldest boy Brett had to stay at home at the last second because he was pretty ill with a stomach bug. I won't get too long winded on the trip but I did want to give a quick review. The reason it will be quick is because their are zero negatives to go along with our experience at the Cross J with Larry and Jay. One thing it made me realize is how much I miss the feel of a deer lease and sharing the good times in God's country with other's who share the same passion as I do. I grew up being on different leases with my dad growing up but I haven't been a part of one in 20 years. I appreciate Larry and Jay bringing us in and rekindling that old campfire feel my dad and I used to have many years ago.

The first evening found Colton and me hunting a beautiful spot that had deer country written all over it. Not only was it a beautiful spot but the weather was perfect...47 degress and very dreary.





Colton was packing along my old Parker Hale .243 which was the rifle I used to take my first ever deer with deep in the brush country of Webb County when I was 8 years old. With some old school tradition in the stand with us, the evening just had that special feeling to it. I have been trying for 2 years now on putting Colton on a good deer. We have had some close calls along the way but have come up short on a few occasions. As day light started to wane, I looked out the window behind me and saw a few doe working up a hillside out in the open 115 yards out. A few minutes went by and I saw antlers on the last deer trailing behind the does. With a quick game of musical chairs with Colton, I had him lined up on the buck in a matter of seconds. With one more quick look through the bino's to make sure he is what we wanted, I gave out a loud grunt which stopped the buck dead in his tracks. The Parker Hale broke the silence of the fog and the buck never took another step as he was dead before he hit the ground. I reached up to give my boy some knuckles and he slammed his home against mine and left me with a throbbing hand!! That boy was pumped!!

We sat in the stand for a few minutes reliving the moment then exited the blind on a slow peaceful walk taking in the moment. That evening was just made to be sitting in a deer stand. As we approached the buck we both looked up and gave eachother a good ol poop eating grin. Colton reach down to grab him by the antlers and this is exactly where he laid.







Jay came hauling tail down the road soon after and he seemed just as pumped as we were. We loaded him up and headed back to camp to share the success with the others. It was an evening both Colton and me won't soon forget.

Unfortunately we were not able to get Colton's cousin Dylan on a good buck because the weather got real wishy washy for the rest of the weekend which seemed to really keep deer movement down a bit. I was only able to break the camera out a couple of times because off all the rain but I was able to snap a few pics along the way.





A Deer Hunter's View







As the front rolled in Saturday evening.




The boys trying to get warm after a chilly and wet Sunday morning hunt.




Dang, I got long winded didn't I? As I said, zero complaints with our experience with Larry and Jay at the Cross J. They got a good thing going on over there in Bosque County with some dang good deer running around. Plans will be made for our crew to head back out that way next year and we are already looking forward to it. Next time I will be packing my bow along and I've got a good spot in mind I'd like to talk with Jay and Larry about. Thanks again fellas.....till next time!

[salth2o]

Great write up and recap there Johnny. Congrats again to Colton.

Funny story... When I was showing the pics to my son Noah (he's 5) he said "ooh dad, did he kill that at my stand?" I told him it looked like the spot we hunted. Apparently he laid claim to it while we were there a few weeks ago.

[Johnny]

Great write up and recap there Johnny. Congrats again to Colton.

Funny story... When I was showing the pics to my son Noah (he's 5) he said "ooh dad, did he kill that at my stand?" I told him it looked like the spot we hunted. Apparently he laid claim to it while we were there a few weeks ago.

LOL...yep, it's a good spot for sure. Tell Noah not to worry since all of the bucks caught on trail cam are alive and well. The one Colton killed was a buck Larry and Jay have never seen on camera. Tell your boy that Colton and me will officially call that stand 'Noah's Hangout'.

[Larry]

Great recap Johnny! I think you summed up something I've been thinking but haven't quite put into words...the deer lease feeling is something we all know or should know. It's sometimes hard to put into words, but I usually leave there on Sunday afternoons with my hunting heart full. Although...the weather shaped up nicely by the time we were leaving and I came THIS close to staying for the evening hunt last night!

We had a great weekend with you guys. Even had some leftover deer chili for dinner last night. Your chili got six thumbs up, btw! We definitely need to share camp again. Weekends like this are what I miss about the good old tbh group hunts. Meeting new people, sharing camp with them, eating good food and swapping hunting stories. The shared experiences around deer camp are priceless in my book. We're not professionals and will never claim to be. I'm truly blessed to be able to share the Cross J with others. Your son being able to take home a tangible piece of it is the icing on the cake I wish every hunter that comes out could take home, too. Please keep us posted on that shoulder mount.

Btw...got a text this morning that there were six does and two bucks standing in your dad's backyard spot this morning. It was fun ribbing him about slaving over a hot pot of chili instead of keeping an eye out back where I told him to Saturday evening. Classic.

[justhrowit]

Thanks for the write up, Johnny! I know I said this in a past write up of mine, but I will say it again. The people I've had the opportunity to meet this year through my affiliation with the Cross J Ranch has made this hunting season the best season I've experienced to date. Johnny, It was an absolute pleasure to share camp with you, your Dad, your son, and nephew. I hope to have the opportunity again in the near future.

The weekend started out with a bang; Pun intended. As Johnny wrote, I took he and Colton to the south ranch to hunt Jeff's Draw, or as Salth2o said, Noah's Stand As we made our way down the County Road I told Johnny I had a feeling about the night and I couldn't wait to be in stand. It was one of those evenings that just felt "deery". I dropped them off at Jeff's Draw, and made my way around to "The Ridge". Upon arrival I noticed the feeder at "The Ridge" was knocked over and emptied by our local bovine friends! Ask Larry how much he loves hunting around cows. Regardless, I propped the feeder back up, and settled in for the evening. About an hour into my sit I saw a small 6 pt chasing a doe through the pasture. I'd venture to guess it was the same 6 pt that walked UNDER me at "The Ridge" a week prior:

Bird's eye view by Jay DeSimone, on Flickr

He chased her out of view, and I was hoping he'd push her down a road that lead in front of "The Ridge". As I stood I saw 6 does running from the direction the first two entered into, and he was following closely. They ran back into the pasture and out of view. Deer were moving, and I was excited. Moments later I heard "POP" of Colton's .243! I immediately threw my hands towards the sky and had my own private, quiet celebration while in stand. Larry texted me saying "Good 8 down; he's was dead before he hit the ground", which I believe were Johnny's exact words. IMO, there's nothing better than a younger kid taking a deer, especially if it's a first of any kind. I sat in the stand as long as I could to finish my hunt, but the excitement of knowing someone had a deer on the ground was more than I could handle. I ended up climbing down at Deer:30, and made my way back to Jeff's Draw. This, I was to learn, was Colton's biggest deer.
Congrats to Colton and Dad!


IMG_1346 by Jay DeSimone, on Flickr

IMG_1354 by Jay DeSimone, on Flickr

We loaded the deer up, and got back to camp to engage in some celebratory high fives, and of course a few "deer beers" for the Old enough crowd!

The rest of the weekend was tough. Saturday morning we woke up with high hopes. It was awesome to see Johnny and Colton awake at 4:30 and still wanting to get out in the stand despite the fact their hunting was done. John, Colton, and Dylan hunted together the rest of the weekend, but deer movement was limited. Rain, rain, and some MORE RAIN. We stuck it out the best we could. The gun hunters saddled up in box blinds while I stayed in ground blinds at Jake's and The Cactus. I managed to see one decent 7 point at Cactus, and no deer at Jake's. The turkeys are abundant at Jake's. as I was playing on my phone, I looked up to see two toms chomping away on corn. As my passion for photography continues to grow, I used the opportunity to shoot the turkeys with the 7D, rather than my Mathews. It was a fun moment to me; A moment as hunters we see often enough and as we try explain to non-hunters why hunting isn't always necessarily about the kill shot. I hope you enjoy the photos:


IMG_1366 by Jay DeSimone, on Flickr

Gobble Gobble by Jay DeSimone, on Flickr

Tommy Boy by Jay DeSimone, on Flickr

I'm watching you by Jay DeSimone, on Flickr

The usual stuff happened around camp over the weekend as well. We all shared some laughs, and some food along with a couple beers. We all shared some of Johnny's venison chili on Saturday night and it was out of this world. We told stories about past and current leases, animals shot, shot at, or just seen. Talked about family, friends, and foe alike. Again, we experienced the things that as hunters, we often can't explain to the non hunter. It was a successful weekend all around. We'll see you next weekend at the Cross J!

J

[LastHurrah]

Great write ups guys! Looks like a great place to go! Good luck this weekend Jeremy!

[Johnny]

Btw...got a text this morning that there were six does and two bucks standing in your dad's backyard spot this morning. It was fun ribbing him about slaving over a hot pot of chili instead of keeping an eye out back where I told him to Saturday evening. Classic.

Funny you mentioned this. He just called me up here at the office about some work related stuff and the conversation switched over to this past weekend. I had to listen to him tell this story again about that big wide buck out behind the cabin (and how he screwed up) and how he almost knocked himself smooth out coming off the porch busting his head AGAIN on the rafter. LOL!!! Also while we were loading up yesterday, he hit his head so hard it shook the cabin. Of course that kind of stuff brings me to tears. The more I laughed the harder he cussed.

Great write ups Larry and Jay and outstanding pictures Jay! I sent the buck picture you took of Colton to his facebook page....awesome pic. Those turkey shots are very nice...great stand location too. I really enjoyed the views up there. I'm glad y'all enjoyed my venison chili. Its become a staple for my family during the holiday gatherings and I really enjoy throwing a batch of it together. You bet I will cook some more up next time we come out!

[Buckshot-73]

Great write-up Johnny.. Although we need the rain,I wish it would have held out so you could have had a better hunt.
Congrat's again to Colton,he will remember that for life.

I agree with you about the lease thoughts.. I can't wait till this Friday!!
After a grueling EMT school,I know Jeremy is ready to get in a stand and relax.

[Johnny]

Good luck to y'all buckshot! It looks like some good hunting weather come this weekend!

Oh, I left some of my homeade mesquite fire roasted salsa in the fridge in the cabin. It's in a mason jar so y'all feel free to eat it up!