I got on a new lease in Feb in southern Refugio Co. Put up a feeder pen, started feeding protein, made trips out in the summer heat every 2 weeks to make sure the deer were happy. I started baby sitting a couple and eagerly watched their development. By Sept everything was ready to go. Then opening weekend of bow season and how do they show me their gratitude?? I GET SKUNKED. Not a deer, nada. Ole Groundthreat starts belly aching and complaining how this happens every year. Deer disappear, best plans go awry. I was feeling pretty disappointed. A run out to the lease Thursday to make feed run and check cameras confirmed he was still around.
Here is his monthly progress starting in April
A picture of him walking right in fromt of blind
After a dismal Friday night football game I wasn’t looking forward to getting up early but the arrival of a cold front had me confident. I woke up dead tired but managed to drag myself out of bed for the 50 min trip to lease. After bumming a couple pounds of hand chum corn, I was off to pop up. After statically placing each kernel, I nestled into the tent. Right on cue, feeder burps out yellow gold and within 15 seconds 3 bucks hop in for breakfast. They must have been staged up right outside my area. The buck I’d been coddling all summer was first to my shooting window. He was very relaxed and seemed preoccupied by a few does off in the brush. Full draw, no problem. Anchor. Target acquisition check. Seemed arrow was off before I was ready but it sounded solid. Buck jumped then bounded over feeder pen. I could see the arrow hanging out but with limited windows he was out of view within seconds. Exactly 31 minutes later I found arrow where he had landed covered solid in blood. I couldn’t have dipped it in a 5 gallon bucket and got any more blood on it. Ground was soft so I basically tracked him African style by staying on his running tracks with occasional blood to confirm. 175 yds he was down.
He was bigger bodied than I thought especially for these coastal deer. After retrieving some camp help we loaded him up and made it to check station. 201 pds live weight. All that summer protein.
Final tally 139 6/8 with a 3 ½ inch “drop”. The drop is a freaky little curl and when viewed from above, looks like a kudu spiral curl.
Here is his monthly progress starting in April
A picture of him walking right in fromt of blind
After a dismal Friday night football game I wasn’t looking forward to getting up early but the arrival of a cold front had me confident. I woke up dead tired but managed to drag myself out of bed for the 50 min trip to lease. After bumming a couple pounds of hand chum corn, I was off to pop up. After statically placing each kernel, I nestled into the tent. Right on cue, feeder burps out yellow gold and within 15 seconds 3 bucks hop in for breakfast. They must have been staged up right outside my area. The buck I’d been coddling all summer was first to my shooting window. He was very relaxed and seemed preoccupied by a few does off in the brush. Full draw, no problem. Anchor. Target acquisition check. Seemed arrow was off before I was ready but it sounded solid. Buck jumped then bounded over feeder pen. I could see the arrow hanging out but with limited windows he was out of view within seconds. Exactly 31 minutes later I found arrow where he had landed covered solid in blood. I couldn’t have dipped it in a 5 gallon bucket and got any more blood on it. Ground was soft so I basically tracked him African style by staying on his running tracks with occasional blood to confirm. 175 yds he was down.
He was bigger bodied than I thought especially for these coastal deer. After retrieving some camp help we loaded him up and made it to check station. 201 pds live weight. All that summer protein.
Final tally 139 6/8 with a 3 ½ inch “drop”. The drop is a freaky little curl and when viewed from above, looks like a kudu spiral curl.
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