What an unbelievable year! We really didn't know what to expect after the drought but were hoping for the best. The year started out with the annual Labor Day trip to set everything up, shoot some dove and lay the smackdown on a bunch of hogs.... we got everything set up but saw a total of 4 dove and 1 hog (who is no longer with us..) The ranch was dry.
We planned our hunt for the last week of October... No moon, and this year we decided not to put up cameras... we wanted the first hunt to "be like Christmas morning". When the day finally arrived we were ready! My bud Terry is only hunting an absolute monster or the best "management" buck on the ranch. I was after a mature buck...... bigger is better.... but not expecting a whole lot due to the drought. The first morning we decided to sit "The Honeyhole" and see what happened. When the sun came up we had several deer come by.. a few doe and young bucks. Then they all looked up and seemed to back down from something in the brush. This was the first time we laid eyes on my nemesis. He was about 75 yds and closing. I am ready to rock, Terry is right behind me with the camera rolling. "This is gonna be too easy!" we thought! The buck gets to about 25 yds, one bush to clear, bow up and ready to draw. And they ALL spook! "WHAT DID YOU DO!" we both asked. Then we see the culprit. A lone boar hog came strolling through and didn't even stay around long enough to pay the piper. Here is where the buck got the "Lucky" part of his name.
That evening we went to "The Hog Blind" down by the river. Terry's turn. Time to see what Santa left us down there! We were covered up in doe and young bucks again, but no shooters.
The next day we had a buddy, Denny, coming so that we could cover more territory and still hopefully get some decent video. That morning Denny and I went back to The Honeyhole looking for The Buck. He showed up right on cue. This time he makes it all the way to us. He is there forever but always facing the blind and very jumpy. We wait for him to turn but he WILL NOT do it! This sucker is inside of 20 yds and I can't even think about trying a shot. Finally he starts to turn.. I slowly start to draw and POOF! He busts and runs about 20 yds and looks back. The other 4 or 5 deer nearby never moved or looked our way. Be Cool... He'll come back..... sure enough... here he comes. We videoed this exact scene 3 more times, before I finally get him broadside and get to full draw, but this time another deer walks and stands in front of him.... I guess volunteering to take the bullet... or in this case take the arrow.... I held as long as I could but finally had to let down which of course boogered him again. He waltzed over to the brush and disappeared.... this is where get got the "Psychic Ninja" added.
The score is now Lucky Psychic Ninja-- 5..... Toby--0
THIS DEER IS DRIVIN' ME NUTS!
We didn't have any more encounters with him for the rest of the hunt. I was depressed...... The Lucky Psychic Ninja was in my head! He had beaten me and made me look like a rookie while doing it!
While I was getting abused Terry was sitting The Hog Blind and had spotted 2 very good management bucks. Both 5-6 years old, one "toad" of an 8 pt and a big 7 pt. With the season so young, and he having more trips to the ranch, he held off.
It was a long drive home.... defeated....TR2 skunked for the first time EVER!! Maybe next year.
THANK GOD for sweet wives! I don't know if she could sense how bad I wanted another crack at The Lucky Psychic Ninja (fetal position on the couch, blank stares for hours...) or what but when I asked for another kitchen pass she said "go for it!" Suddenly the Rocky Theme started playing in my head, I called Terry and TR2 was back in the saddle!
We left on Dec 1 for round 2. Colder, rain in the forecast and rut.... would he still be around? We went to The Honeyhole the first morning and got a glimpse of him. He stood out at about 75 yds... stared and walked away. As we glassed him it appeared that his left eye was missing. Score now Cyclops The Lucky Psychic Ninja--6 Me--0....
We go to The Hog Blind that evening, needing to get the goose egg off the board and some meat in the freezer. Terry makes a perfect shot on a fat doe with his new PSE Evo. Deer down. Now we rockin'! The 2 mgtmnt shooters don't show up.
Back at camp we had a pow-wow and decided that we would split up and go solo. We were running out of time and had no bucks and no video. If we were splitting up we would have to leave early so Terry could drop me and my gear off..... so we watched a movie and crashed. We should've watched the weather!
Terry dropped me on the main road near The Honeyhole about 2 hours before daylight. I grabbed all my gear and started walking... hmm... It's starting to drizzle. Then it turns to a light rain. Then I break into a sprint as the bottom falls out and dive into the tent blind. Ain't this nice!
It was now pouring and I started to hear noises from the north. I peaked out the window and could see lightning. Not flashes. The kind that look like they stick in the ground and twist. Here comes the wind. Howling. The lightning is getting closer. Water is now flowing through the blind. I took off my jacket and put it in my pack to keep it dry so I could use it to warm up after the blind blew away...... just in case. First time I've been scared in a stand since I saw The Legend Of Boogy Creek! I sat there in the pitch dark 35 degrees soaking wet holding the tent blind down while wondering what normal people do for fun. Finally the sun starts to rise and the storm passes as quickly as it appeared. The deer were practically doing cartwheels after the rain! They were everywhere. I had the camera on the tripod and thought I was ready. Here comes Cyclops. He walked right in and through the shooting area before I could get everything set. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!.... 7 to 0.. This self video aint easy! Sit tight. Don't punish that doe. He'll come back. Be ready. After about an hour I could see him coming. This time everything is perfect. Camera running and he stops in the shooting lane as if there was an X marking his spot. 27 yds. I drew, aimed, and absolutely drilled him. Beautiful mule-kick, turns and runs straight away and never makes it off-screen before he goes down. Cyclops The Lucky Psychic Ninja Buck is down. I checked his left eye and it was fine.... I guess he was just winking at me.... tormenting me... What a deer!
We took him back and got him cleaned up and hanging in the cool. Then we got cleaned up and hooked it back to The Hog Blind. Terry is hunting, I am filming.... more accurately... I will film if Terry wakes me up. I am crashed in the corner when Terry keeps nudging me with his foot. After about the third nudge I open my eyes and see the "Toad" 8 pt standing at 20 yds. Wow.. time to get to work. He finally turns to a good angle and Terry drew, held (forever) and drilled him. Are you kiddin' me? We have been trying for a month to get these 2 bucks and killed them both in a couple hours!!!
We planned our hunt for the last week of October... No moon, and this year we decided not to put up cameras... we wanted the first hunt to "be like Christmas morning". When the day finally arrived we were ready! My bud Terry is only hunting an absolute monster or the best "management" buck on the ranch. I was after a mature buck...... bigger is better.... but not expecting a whole lot due to the drought. The first morning we decided to sit "The Honeyhole" and see what happened. When the sun came up we had several deer come by.. a few doe and young bucks. Then they all looked up and seemed to back down from something in the brush. This was the first time we laid eyes on my nemesis. He was about 75 yds and closing. I am ready to rock, Terry is right behind me with the camera rolling. "This is gonna be too easy!" we thought! The buck gets to about 25 yds, one bush to clear, bow up and ready to draw. And they ALL spook! "WHAT DID YOU DO!" we both asked. Then we see the culprit. A lone boar hog came strolling through and didn't even stay around long enough to pay the piper. Here is where the buck got the "Lucky" part of his name.
That evening we went to "The Hog Blind" down by the river. Terry's turn. Time to see what Santa left us down there! We were covered up in doe and young bucks again, but no shooters.
The next day we had a buddy, Denny, coming so that we could cover more territory and still hopefully get some decent video. That morning Denny and I went back to The Honeyhole looking for The Buck. He showed up right on cue. This time he makes it all the way to us. He is there forever but always facing the blind and very jumpy. We wait for him to turn but he WILL NOT do it! This sucker is inside of 20 yds and I can't even think about trying a shot. Finally he starts to turn.. I slowly start to draw and POOF! He busts and runs about 20 yds and looks back. The other 4 or 5 deer nearby never moved or looked our way. Be Cool... He'll come back..... sure enough... here he comes. We videoed this exact scene 3 more times, before I finally get him broadside and get to full draw, but this time another deer walks and stands in front of him.... I guess volunteering to take the bullet... or in this case take the arrow.... I held as long as I could but finally had to let down which of course boogered him again. He waltzed over to the brush and disappeared.... this is where get got the "Psychic Ninja" added.
The score is now Lucky Psychic Ninja-- 5..... Toby--0
THIS DEER IS DRIVIN' ME NUTS!
We didn't have any more encounters with him for the rest of the hunt. I was depressed...... The Lucky Psychic Ninja was in my head! He had beaten me and made me look like a rookie while doing it!
While I was getting abused Terry was sitting The Hog Blind and had spotted 2 very good management bucks. Both 5-6 years old, one "toad" of an 8 pt and a big 7 pt. With the season so young, and he having more trips to the ranch, he held off.
It was a long drive home.... defeated....TR2 skunked for the first time EVER!! Maybe next year.
THANK GOD for sweet wives! I don't know if she could sense how bad I wanted another crack at The Lucky Psychic Ninja (fetal position on the couch, blank stares for hours...) or what but when I asked for another kitchen pass she said "go for it!" Suddenly the Rocky Theme started playing in my head, I called Terry and TR2 was back in the saddle!
We left on Dec 1 for round 2. Colder, rain in the forecast and rut.... would he still be around? We went to The Honeyhole the first morning and got a glimpse of him. He stood out at about 75 yds... stared and walked away. As we glassed him it appeared that his left eye was missing. Score now Cyclops The Lucky Psychic Ninja--6 Me--0....
We go to The Hog Blind that evening, needing to get the goose egg off the board and some meat in the freezer. Terry makes a perfect shot on a fat doe with his new PSE Evo. Deer down. Now we rockin'! The 2 mgtmnt shooters don't show up.
Back at camp we had a pow-wow and decided that we would split up and go solo. We were running out of time and had no bucks and no video. If we were splitting up we would have to leave early so Terry could drop me and my gear off..... so we watched a movie and crashed. We should've watched the weather!
Terry dropped me on the main road near The Honeyhole about 2 hours before daylight. I grabbed all my gear and started walking... hmm... It's starting to drizzle. Then it turns to a light rain. Then I break into a sprint as the bottom falls out and dive into the tent blind. Ain't this nice!
It was now pouring and I started to hear noises from the north. I peaked out the window and could see lightning. Not flashes. The kind that look like they stick in the ground and twist. Here comes the wind. Howling. The lightning is getting closer. Water is now flowing through the blind. I took off my jacket and put it in my pack to keep it dry so I could use it to warm up after the blind blew away...... just in case. First time I've been scared in a stand since I saw The Legend Of Boogy Creek! I sat there in the pitch dark 35 degrees soaking wet holding the tent blind down while wondering what normal people do for fun. Finally the sun starts to rise and the storm passes as quickly as it appeared. The deer were practically doing cartwheels after the rain! They were everywhere. I had the camera on the tripod and thought I was ready. Here comes Cyclops. He walked right in and through the shooting area before I could get everything set. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!.... 7 to 0.. This self video aint easy! Sit tight. Don't punish that doe. He'll come back. Be ready. After about an hour I could see him coming. This time everything is perfect. Camera running and he stops in the shooting lane as if there was an X marking his spot. 27 yds. I drew, aimed, and absolutely drilled him. Beautiful mule-kick, turns and runs straight away and never makes it off-screen before he goes down. Cyclops The Lucky Psychic Ninja Buck is down. I checked his left eye and it was fine.... I guess he was just winking at me.... tormenting me... What a deer!
We took him back and got him cleaned up and hanging in the cool. Then we got cleaned up and hooked it back to The Hog Blind. Terry is hunting, I am filming.... more accurately... I will film if Terry wakes me up. I am crashed in the corner when Terry keeps nudging me with his foot. After about the third nudge I open my eyes and see the "Toad" 8 pt standing at 20 yds. Wow.. time to get to work. He finally turns to a good angle and Terry drew, held (forever) and drilled him. Are you kiddin' me? We have been trying for a month to get these 2 bucks and killed them both in a couple hours!!!
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