My boys and I had been looking forward to this trip, and we were a bit apprehensive about going all at the same time. This would be a first… the first trip to my in laws’ ranch since the passing of my wife, her brother, and my mom. Generally a trip to the ranch for my boys would include their mom and/or Uncle Dave. This time we had to make the trip without their physical presence, knowing that they were with us in spirit. No matter how many times I tell myself that it just doesn’t make things any better… not yet anyway, I have faith that one day it will.
Here is a picture of Donna and Dave their last Thanksgiving (2014) at the ranch.
We managed to get on the road about 5:30 AM Friday in hopes of beating the Houston traffic. We were not long on the road before the boys went to sleep. I made it through Houston without any problems, a good start to the weekend that’s for sure! We made a few stops including a stop for 15 sacks of corn in Ingram, a third of what we would eventually put out. We pulled off the pavement at about 11:00 AM traveling down the county road and ranch association road pulling into the ranch house drive at almost noon. We could have made better time on the dirt/rock road but we had to stop to look at whitetail, axis, black buck, and turkeys all along the way! Anyway, we were here… 240 acres of God’s country! I could feel the pressures of recent events lifting more and more after each and every mile further from pavement and cell service!
I wasn’t sure about hunting; I didn’t think my heart would be in it. My main goal was to get away and to make sure my boys had a good time and for us all to have a “reset and recharge”. Oh, I brought my bow and a bang stick, and I knew my father in law would have plenty of fire power for the boys. To give you an idea where my mind set was I haven’t brought a rifle for me on a hunting trip since 2003! I even told the boys on the way up that I didn’t think I would bow hunt. Heck, the last time I shot my bow was Thanksgiving weekend of last year.
Anyway, on the way up I talked to Papa a couple of times. He asked about me hunting and I told him I didn’t think I was going to. I was going to sit with my youngest son and be ready to help them with whatever they needed for their opening day get together. He said OK, but he sounded a little disappointed. He then proceeds to tell me… “We’ve got an eight pointer coming into the hill blind pretty regular; he’s one we’d like to take out. He’d be a good one with a bow.” Since 2003 my kill rate has dropped considerably, and I had yet to shoot a buck! All of the sudden my interest in hunting escalated a notch or two!
After we pulled in and got unloaded it didn’t take me long to pull out my bow. I looked in the case to find five arrows; two tipped with Montec G5’s, two with Slick Trick Mags, and one with a field tip. I knew from the past that all three flew true. I dug an old target out of the shed and set it up at 20 yards. I drew back and let my practice arrow fly; I knew as I touched the trigger the shot was off, it would have killed but it was off none the less. Settle down Anthony… I retrieve my arrow and take another shot, better but still a little off. I have to remind myself again the mechanics of the shot. I let it fly and this time I’ve hit the dot. Retrieve, repeat, retrieve, and repeat… several more times. I’m comfortable, just like riding a bike.
When 3:30 comes around I start looking for Papa only to find that he’s resting his eyes! I ask my boys if either one wants to sit with me, neither took me up on the offer. That’s OK; it’ll be good to have some time alone in the stand. And after all… it was still bow season! I ask my oldest son, Benjamin, to give me a ride to the stand. He jumped at the chance to drive the Polaris on the unusually muddy ranch roads. I had to remind him… NO mudding on the way back!
He dropped me off near the rifle blind and I made my way down to the bow blind. I went in and sat down to get a good idea of my shooting area; I then went out and threw some corn in the shooting lane. The one window was facing the feeder; that was pretty much the only shot! I settled in and got comfortable, which wasn’t too hard in this set up. It’s a roomy cedar box blind with a Millennium ground blind swivel chair. It was all I could do to stay awake! I ranged a few objects to get a general idea of the lay of the land. Although I ranged out to 30 and 40 yards my primary focus was objects 20 yards or less.
It didn’t take long for the activity to get started. I caught movement at the far feeder… turkeys, and they’re headed this way! They made the 150 or so yard walk over to see what was going on. It didn’t take them long to gobble up (did I really just do that?!) most of my hand corn! I thought about shooting one but didn’t want to mess up the chance of that 8 coming in from a blind side. They moved on and surprisingly didn’t come back after the feeder spun.
It didn’t take long for the whitetails to start showing up. First a doe with her fawn, followed by a little forky that thought he was king of the hill! A little six came in and proved him wrong! Both bucks left and another doe with her fawn came in. The four of them stayed around the feeder, each walking out of sight for a few minutes and then returning. They seemed a little nervous, I was kicking myself for not taking a little more time to de-scent. I was still in my jeans and camo shirt that I wore on the trip up.
I don’t know if I nodded off or just spaced out, but low and behold I look up and out of nowhere… there he is! He came in from a blind spot on the right. Wait, is it him? That looks like a seven, nope… his right main beam has a little fork at the end… that’s an eight! But is it THE eight? I don’t know, we never discussed anything about body size, age, characteristics of his antlers, nadda, nothing! Think Anthony, you have an idea of their management plan. Is it a cull? Yes, probably. Then I hear Dave… “Hell, any buck with a bow is a good buck! It doesn’t matter, especially if it’s your first one!” Thanks for helping me out with that brother (in law)! Yep, he was there in spirit!
Sometime while all of this was running through my head I managed to pick up my bow and clipped my release to the loop. I had already selected the Slick Trick Mag as the head of choice and the Carbon Express Maxima Hunter was on the rest and ready to fly.
When I made the decision that I was going to shoot him if I had the shot my heart rate picked up and I started to shake! He was standing over a rock that I had ranged at 15 yards. You have no idea how many times I have gotten to this point only to have something go wrong, a clank of an arrow, a swirl of the wind, the feeder spinning for the second feeding… what could go wrong this time?!
He was facing me for a while presenting quarter to a few times, then he turned away. Now would be a good time to draw back, but how long would I have to hold until he presented THE shot? I better not. He presented several hard quartering away shots, still not what I wanted. Here it comes… there it is… broadside. I come to full draw. He’s still there! Nothing spooked him! I have him in my sight window and I lose focus of everything except his vitals. Optimally I’d like him to turn slightly away and put his right leg forward.
His right leg moves forward but he’s still broadside. I like the shot, it’s now or never! I settle my 20 yard pin low on his chest about where his heart should be; he’s 15 yards out so it should hit a little higher. I touch the trigger on the release, the nock lights up and blazes a red trail straight to his vitals! He drops some but the arrow hits with a resounding THWACK and the nock disappears only to reappear on the other side of where the deer was standing. The arrow is on the ground about 30 yards out. A complete pass through and what I am sure is a good shot!
The deer bolts to the right and disappears from my sight in an instant. I’m listening intently as that is the only sense that is useful to me now. I hear what I think is him stumbling… then the fall… wheezing… silence. I’m shaking! I did it!
I’m reasonably sure he’s down but I wait my 30 minutes (almost!). I checked the time as soon as I thought to do so after the shot; it was 6:26 PM. I climbed out of the blind at 10 till 7:00. It was getting dark and I wanted to at least confirm what I thought by looking at the arrow and looking for first blood. I get to where I thought the deer was standing at the shot… nothing except his hoof prints where he kicked up dirt on his departure, no blood. Just then I here movement in the direction he ran! CRAP! Was he not dead?! Did I push him?! Now doubt is setting in. I move over to the arrow and see what I think is good blood all the way to the vein.
I wait a few more minutes and can’t take it. What I saw and heard after the shot tells me he’s down. What I heard when I got out of the stand had to be another animal. There’s only one way to find out, I start the track. He exited stage right so I go to the other side of the feeder and start looking for blood. There it is… a small drop on a white rock. He’s turning up dirt and rocks as he’s running. There’s another spot of blood on a rock, a splatter on a prickly pear, more on the grass, some on a small cedar bush. He rounded a corner around a clump of cedar, there is a large blood splatter on a rock… he made it another 30 yards and there he lies! He MAY have gone 80 yards total after the shot.
I’m shaking again! It’s setting in… I’ve just shot my first buck with a bow! I haven’t even thought about his antlers yet. Does it matter? Not according to “Uncle Dave”! I have to get my hands around them anyway! He’s not a Pope and Young trophy but certainly a trophy in my book!
Thinking back on the shot I realize that I had the shakes before and after, while I had the bow drawn and during the aiming and shot sequence I was uncharacteristically calm. No doubt I was listening to Donna, “Keep calm, you can do this, be patient and shoot when it feels right.” Yep, she was there in spirit too!
I went back to the blind to make sure I had everything gathered while I waited for my ride. I can hear the Polaris coming so I hit the tops of the trees with my light so they know I’m ready. My youngest son Noah rolls up with my mother in law. I tell them I’ve got one down and I ask my son if he wants to help me find it. He jumped at the chance and I didn’t dare tell him that I had already found him. I showed him where the deer was standing and he saw the arrow still on the ground where it came to rest after the shot. I told him the direction the deer went and he took the lead. I had to remind him to look for other signs besides blood but it didn’t take him long to find it. I think he was as excited to find it as I was to have shot it! By the time more help arrived we had it loaded on the rack and we were headed back to the house.
Once back at camp I had confirmation that that was the right buck. At that point though it didn’t matter so much, I was happy with him. Papa always lays out the ground work of what he wants you to shoot or not, but he always ends with… “but if you see one you like, shoot it!” The shot was a good one; it broke the 6th rib on the entrance and exited between the 7th and 8th rib. It was a little higher than I wanted and a little back on the exit but the Slick Trick Magnum did a number on both lungs!
Once we had him cleaned and hanging in the cooler we enjoyed a late dinner and good company of friends and family. I am truly blessed to have such caring, loving, and generous in laws. They would do anything for me and my boys. They are hurting after the loss of their children. Like the boys and I, we are all trying to pick up the pieces and trying to find a new normal, all the while trusting in God’s plan no matter how hard it is to understand or accept.
Before we hit the sack I confirmed with the boys that they both wanted to hunt the next morning. Well, at 5:30 in the morning it was a little different story. Noah had changed his mind and wanted to sleep in. I didn’t force the issue and let him to get some much needed rest. Benjamin on the other hand was ready to go. I dropped him at one blind and continued to the hill blind where I hunted the day before.
It was opening morning of gun season and shots were going off all morning. There were only three of us hunting the property that morning and none of the shots I heard sounded close. When I went back to pick Benjamin up he proceeds to tell me, “Dad, we’ve got to go get my turkeys.” “What turkeys? “ I ask, “I didn’t hear you shoot.” “No, really dad, I shot three turkeys!” Me… “What?! No way! You wouldn’t have shot three turkeys!” Him… “Yes, sir, I did! Mr. Cecil told me to.” Still not believing I asked to see his ammo box, three rounds missing. Still not buying it I ask to see the spent cases, he gets back in the blind and returns with three spent casings. Then he says “If you still don’t believe me look down there just past the feeder.” Sure enough there they lay! He could’ve just told me that to begin with!
He radioed in that he shot the first one and he was told to shoot more if he could. He told them he could probably shoot two more because they were strutting around and pecking at their dead buddy! They said shoot them… so he did! His next radio in was “Three turkeys on the ground!” Another first, he shot his first turkey (and second and third!) He couldn’t wait to get back to the house to show his little brother! A little bragging went with that I’m sure!
That afternoon we started discussing our evening hunt plans. I figured Benjamin would be headed back to the blind he hunted that morning because he said he saw a BIG 8 there but couldn’t get a shot. Papa and Cecil were bringing a guest across the road where they have a piece of ground leased for customers. It’s loaded with Blackbuck and their plan was to put him on some does. I asked Noah if he wanted to sit with me or he could ride with Papa and Mr. Cecil. He chose going with Papa. I figured as much, that hunt promised to be a little more exciting than sitting in a blind, and “Papa time” is always time well spent!
I still haven’t confirmed Benjamin’s plans yet. I find him in the bunkhouse taking a nap! I wake him up and ask where he’s going to hunt. He could go with Papa to shoot Blackbuck does or he can sit in a blind. He tells me he’s shot enough today and was going to rest. Ok, that changes my plan some; I’m going to sit in a ladder stand near where he saw the big eight that morning!
My evening hunt was peaceful. I saw lots of deer but never took my bow off the hanger. The big 8 never showed. Again I hear lots of shots, this time I’m pretty sure some are in the direction of the lease. When I get back to the house there’s activity around the cleaning rack! Another successful hunt! I see two does… and what is this?! A nice Blackbuck buck!
I get the story from Noah. After Mr. Ray shot his does they were riding around the property and came across another group of blackbucks. Papa asked Noah if he wanted to shoot one, Noah said “Sure, but can I shoot one of those black ones?!” The quick reply was “Absolutely!” They got in position for the shot and Papa tells him to shoot the one on the right in the shoulder. Noah had already steadied the Ruger Number 1 on his target animal; as soon as he heard “take him” he squeezed the trigger and sent the 50 grain .22-250 V-Max to its destination! Papa said it dropped like a ton of bricks! Another first, Noah’s first blackbuck… and it’s a nice one! There was lots of high fiving and back patting going on! Then, before the dust even settles, Noah says, “I can’t wait to show Benjamin!” Yes, a little more brotherly bragging!
The next morning was spent filling feeders; we put out over a ton of corn to make sure everything was set for Thanksgiving week. We had Benjamin’s birthday breakfast that morning and enjoyed reliving the hunts from the previous days. Another first, the first of our birthdays without Donna, this year we will have lots of firsts without her.
I know she was there in spirit; again, it doesn’t seem to make it any better. She wasn’t much on hunting, but she knew we enjoyed it. She would celebrate our success and feel our pain when things didn’t go right. Although, she also took the opportunity at a little playful ribbing when the time was right! I could see her at the table, her bright smile and her twinkling eyes, wishing Benjamin a happy birthday and congratulating all of us on our successes!
Here is our last family pic at the ranch.
I miss you sweetie, I love you!
Here is a picture of Donna and Dave their last Thanksgiving (2014) at the ranch.
We managed to get on the road about 5:30 AM Friday in hopes of beating the Houston traffic. We were not long on the road before the boys went to sleep. I made it through Houston without any problems, a good start to the weekend that’s for sure! We made a few stops including a stop for 15 sacks of corn in Ingram, a third of what we would eventually put out. We pulled off the pavement at about 11:00 AM traveling down the county road and ranch association road pulling into the ranch house drive at almost noon. We could have made better time on the dirt/rock road but we had to stop to look at whitetail, axis, black buck, and turkeys all along the way! Anyway, we were here… 240 acres of God’s country! I could feel the pressures of recent events lifting more and more after each and every mile further from pavement and cell service!
I wasn’t sure about hunting; I didn’t think my heart would be in it. My main goal was to get away and to make sure my boys had a good time and for us all to have a “reset and recharge”. Oh, I brought my bow and a bang stick, and I knew my father in law would have plenty of fire power for the boys. To give you an idea where my mind set was I haven’t brought a rifle for me on a hunting trip since 2003! I even told the boys on the way up that I didn’t think I would bow hunt. Heck, the last time I shot my bow was Thanksgiving weekend of last year.
Anyway, on the way up I talked to Papa a couple of times. He asked about me hunting and I told him I didn’t think I was going to. I was going to sit with my youngest son and be ready to help them with whatever they needed for their opening day get together. He said OK, but he sounded a little disappointed. He then proceeds to tell me… “We’ve got an eight pointer coming into the hill blind pretty regular; he’s one we’d like to take out. He’d be a good one with a bow.” Since 2003 my kill rate has dropped considerably, and I had yet to shoot a buck! All of the sudden my interest in hunting escalated a notch or two!
After we pulled in and got unloaded it didn’t take me long to pull out my bow. I looked in the case to find five arrows; two tipped with Montec G5’s, two with Slick Trick Mags, and one with a field tip. I knew from the past that all three flew true. I dug an old target out of the shed and set it up at 20 yards. I drew back and let my practice arrow fly; I knew as I touched the trigger the shot was off, it would have killed but it was off none the less. Settle down Anthony… I retrieve my arrow and take another shot, better but still a little off. I have to remind myself again the mechanics of the shot. I let it fly and this time I’ve hit the dot. Retrieve, repeat, retrieve, and repeat… several more times. I’m comfortable, just like riding a bike.
When 3:30 comes around I start looking for Papa only to find that he’s resting his eyes! I ask my boys if either one wants to sit with me, neither took me up on the offer. That’s OK; it’ll be good to have some time alone in the stand. And after all… it was still bow season! I ask my oldest son, Benjamin, to give me a ride to the stand. He jumped at the chance to drive the Polaris on the unusually muddy ranch roads. I had to remind him… NO mudding on the way back!
He dropped me off near the rifle blind and I made my way down to the bow blind. I went in and sat down to get a good idea of my shooting area; I then went out and threw some corn in the shooting lane. The one window was facing the feeder; that was pretty much the only shot! I settled in and got comfortable, which wasn’t too hard in this set up. It’s a roomy cedar box blind with a Millennium ground blind swivel chair. It was all I could do to stay awake! I ranged a few objects to get a general idea of the lay of the land. Although I ranged out to 30 and 40 yards my primary focus was objects 20 yards or less.
It didn’t take long for the activity to get started. I caught movement at the far feeder… turkeys, and they’re headed this way! They made the 150 or so yard walk over to see what was going on. It didn’t take them long to gobble up (did I really just do that?!) most of my hand corn! I thought about shooting one but didn’t want to mess up the chance of that 8 coming in from a blind side. They moved on and surprisingly didn’t come back after the feeder spun.
It didn’t take long for the whitetails to start showing up. First a doe with her fawn, followed by a little forky that thought he was king of the hill! A little six came in and proved him wrong! Both bucks left and another doe with her fawn came in. The four of them stayed around the feeder, each walking out of sight for a few minutes and then returning. They seemed a little nervous, I was kicking myself for not taking a little more time to de-scent. I was still in my jeans and camo shirt that I wore on the trip up.
I don’t know if I nodded off or just spaced out, but low and behold I look up and out of nowhere… there he is! He came in from a blind spot on the right. Wait, is it him? That looks like a seven, nope… his right main beam has a little fork at the end… that’s an eight! But is it THE eight? I don’t know, we never discussed anything about body size, age, characteristics of his antlers, nadda, nothing! Think Anthony, you have an idea of their management plan. Is it a cull? Yes, probably. Then I hear Dave… “Hell, any buck with a bow is a good buck! It doesn’t matter, especially if it’s your first one!” Thanks for helping me out with that brother (in law)! Yep, he was there in spirit!
Sometime while all of this was running through my head I managed to pick up my bow and clipped my release to the loop. I had already selected the Slick Trick Mag as the head of choice and the Carbon Express Maxima Hunter was on the rest and ready to fly.
When I made the decision that I was going to shoot him if I had the shot my heart rate picked up and I started to shake! He was standing over a rock that I had ranged at 15 yards. You have no idea how many times I have gotten to this point only to have something go wrong, a clank of an arrow, a swirl of the wind, the feeder spinning for the second feeding… what could go wrong this time?!
He was facing me for a while presenting quarter to a few times, then he turned away. Now would be a good time to draw back, but how long would I have to hold until he presented THE shot? I better not. He presented several hard quartering away shots, still not what I wanted. Here it comes… there it is… broadside. I come to full draw. He’s still there! Nothing spooked him! I have him in my sight window and I lose focus of everything except his vitals. Optimally I’d like him to turn slightly away and put his right leg forward.
His right leg moves forward but he’s still broadside. I like the shot, it’s now or never! I settle my 20 yard pin low on his chest about where his heart should be; he’s 15 yards out so it should hit a little higher. I touch the trigger on the release, the nock lights up and blazes a red trail straight to his vitals! He drops some but the arrow hits with a resounding THWACK and the nock disappears only to reappear on the other side of where the deer was standing. The arrow is on the ground about 30 yards out. A complete pass through and what I am sure is a good shot!
The deer bolts to the right and disappears from my sight in an instant. I’m listening intently as that is the only sense that is useful to me now. I hear what I think is him stumbling… then the fall… wheezing… silence. I’m shaking! I did it!
I’m reasonably sure he’s down but I wait my 30 minutes (almost!). I checked the time as soon as I thought to do so after the shot; it was 6:26 PM. I climbed out of the blind at 10 till 7:00. It was getting dark and I wanted to at least confirm what I thought by looking at the arrow and looking for first blood. I get to where I thought the deer was standing at the shot… nothing except his hoof prints where he kicked up dirt on his departure, no blood. Just then I here movement in the direction he ran! CRAP! Was he not dead?! Did I push him?! Now doubt is setting in. I move over to the arrow and see what I think is good blood all the way to the vein.
I wait a few more minutes and can’t take it. What I saw and heard after the shot tells me he’s down. What I heard when I got out of the stand had to be another animal. There’s only one way to find out, I start the track. He exited stage right so I go to the other side of the feeder and start looking for blood. There it is… a small drop on a white rock. He’s turning up dirt and rocks as he’s running. There’s another spot of blood on a rock, a splatter on a prickly pear, more on the grass, some on a small cedar bush. He rounded a corner around a clump of cedar, there is a large blood splatter on a rock… he made it another 30 yards and there he lies! He MAY have gone 80 yards total after the shot.
I’m shaking again! It’s setting in… I’ve just shot my first buck with a bow! I haven’t even thought about his antlers yet. Does it matter? Not according to “Uncle Dave”! I have to get my hands around them anyway! He’s not a Pope and Young trophy but certainly a trophy in my book!
Thinking back on the shot I realize that I had the shakes before and after, while I had the bow drawn and during the aiming and shot sequence I was uncharacteristically calm. No doubt I was listening to Donna, “Keep calm, you can do this, be patient and shoot when it feels right.” Yep, she was there in spirit too!
I went back to the blind to make sure I had everything gathered while I waited for my ride. I can hear the Polaris coming so I hit the tops of the trees with my light so they know I’m ready. My youngest son Noah rolls up with my mother in law. I tell them I’ve got one down and I ask my son if he wants to help me find it. He jumped at the chance and I didn’t dare tell him that I had already found him. I showed him where the deer was standing and he saw the arrow still on the ground where it came to rest after the shot. I told him the direction the deer went and he took the lead. I had to remind him to look for other signs besides blood but it didn’t take him long to find it. I think he was as excited to find it as I was to have shot it! By the time more help arrived we had it loaded on the rack and we were headed back to the house.
Once back at camp I had confirmation that that was the right buck. At that point though it didn’t matter so much, I was happy with him. Papa always lays out the ground work of what he wants you to shoot or not, but he always ends with… “but if you see one you like, shoot it!” The shot was a good one; it broke the 6th rib on the entrance and exited between the 7th and 8th rib. It was a little higher than I wanted and a little back on the exit but the Slick Trick Magnum did a number on both lungs!
Once we had him cleaned and hanging in the cooler we enjoyed a late dinner and good company of friends and family. I am truly blessed to have such caring, loving, and generous in laws. They would do anything for me and my boys. They are hurting after the loss of their children. Like the boys and I, we are all trying to pick up the pieces and trying to find a new normal, all the while trusting in God’s plan no matter how hard it is to understand or accept.
Before we hit the sack I confirmed with the boys that they both wanted to hunt the next morning. Well, at 5:30 in the morning it was a little different story. Noah had changed his mind and wanted to sleep in. I didn’t force the issue and let him to get some much needed rest. Benjamin on the other hand was ready to go. I dropped him at one blind and continued to the hill blind where I hunted the day before.
It was opening morning of gun season and shots were going off all morning. There were only three of us hunting the property that morning and none of the shots I heard sounded close. When I went back to pick Benjamin up he proceeds to tell me, “Dad, we’ve got to go get my turkeys.” “What turkeys? “ I ask, “I didn’t hear you shoot.” “No, really dad, I shot three turkeys!” Me… “What?! No way! You wouldn’t have shot three turkeys!” Him… “Yes, sir, I did! Mr. Cecil told me to.” Still not believing I asked to see his ammo box, three rounds missing. Still not buying it I ask to see the spent cases, he gets back in the blind and returns with three spent casings. Then he says “If you still don’t believe me look down there just past the feeder.” Sure enough there they lay! He could’ve just told me that to begin with!
He radioed in that he shot the first one and he was told to shoot more if he could. He told them he could probably shoot two more because they were strutting around and pecking at their dead buddy! They said shoot them… so he did! His next radio in was “Three turkeys on the ground!” Another first, he shot his first turkey (and second and third!) He couldn’t wait to get back to the house to show his little brother! A little bragging went with that I’m sure!
That afternoon we started discussing our evening hunt plans. I figured Benjamin would be headed back to the blind he hunted that morning because he said he saw a BIG 8 there but couldn’t get a shot. Papa and Cecil were bringing a guest across the road where they have a piece of ground leased for customers. It’s loaded with Blackbuck and their plan was to put him on some does. I asked Noah if he wanted to sit with me or he could ride with Papa and Mr. Cecil. He chose going with Papa. I figured as much, that hunt promised to be a little more exciting than sitting in a blind, and “Papa time” is always time well spent!
I still haven’t confirmed Benjamin’s plans yet. I find him in the bunkhouse taking a nap! I wake him up and ask where he’s going to hunt. He could go with Papa to shoot Blackbuck does or he can sit in a blind. He tells me he’s shot enough today and was going to rest. Ok, that changes my plan some; I’m going to sit in a ladder stand near where he saw the big eight that morning!
My evening hunt was peaceful. I saw lots of deer but never took my bow off the hanger. The big 8 never showed. Again I hear lots of shots, this time I’m pretty sure some are in the direction of the lease. When I get back to the house there’s activity around the cleaning rack! Another successful hunt! I see two does… and what is this?! A nice Blackbuck buck!
I get the story from Noah. After Mr. Ray shot his does they were riding around the property and came across another group of blackbucks. Papa asked Noah if he wanted to shoot one, Noah said “Sure, but can I shoot one of those black ones?!” The quick reply was “Absolutely!” They got in position for the shot and Papa tells him to shoot the one on the right in the shoulder. Noah had already steadied the Ruger Number 1 on his target animal; as soon as he heard “take him” he squeezed the trigger and sent the 50 grain .22-250 V-Max to its destination! Papa said it dropped like a ton of bricks! Another first, Noah’s first blackbuck… and it’s a nice one! There was lots of high fiving and back patting going on! Then, before the dust even settles, Noah says, “I can’t wait to show Benjamin!” Yes, a little more brotherly bragging!
The next morning was spent filling feeders; we put out over a ton of corn to make sure everything was set for Thanksgiving week. We had Benjamin’s birthday breakfast that morning and enjoyed reliving the hunts from the previous days. Another first, the first of our birthdays without Donna, this year we will have lots of firsts without her.
I know she was there in spirit; again, it doesn’t seem to make it any better. She wasn’t much on hunting, but she knew we enjoyed it. She would celebrate our success and feel our pain when things didn’t go right. Although, she also took the opportunity at a little playful ribbing when the time was right! I could see her at the table, her bright smile and her twinkling eyes, wishing Benjamin a happy birthday and congratulating all of us on our successes!
Here is our last family pic at the ranch.
I miss you sweetie, I love you!
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