A couple months back I secured an Axis lease for me and a few of my buddies. I have have always wanted to chase Axis, but never wanted to hunt day leases or package hunts that last 3 days. I would rather have some time to learn a ranch and it animals.
The ranch we lease is a 4300 acre low fence ranch out in the Leakey area. The ranch is extremely rugged not to mention the 10000000 rocks covering most of it.
Anyway, we leased it for a full strait 6 weeks. This ranch has never been leased for summer axis, so to say there are a few of them on the ranch is an understatement. The ranch has and outstanding camp house to boot, so this was a win win lease.
Anyway, I have been out there every weekend chasing the spoted critters. Well I would not say chasing. I am a pretty picky person so I was doing more spoting from a distance. In 5 weeks, I really only made 3 stalks on deer. All great 35+ inch deer. I probably have seen 200 differnt bucks. I have seen groups of 20 + bucks running together.
Saturday morning found me on one of my favorite hills looking at bucks in all dirrections. One buck caught my eye. He was a very tall deer with great brows and one good cottletine. He was not wide at all, so this in the long run made him a little deceiving. He was working a ridge/brush line with a doe. The wind dirrection was bad so I just watched him walk from one side to the other. To my surprise a bigger buck showed up and challenged him to a fight. Well the bigger deer lost and started to come back across the brush line. Well this was my chance. I moved down into the brush line and snuggled in next to a giant boulder. Well I was sitting on the ground taking my fanny pack of when a Doe walked down in the draw and came right at me. Well the tall narrow buck was right behind her and now heading at me. Well the doe was looking at me, but I am guessing my round shape blended in very well with the big roudn bolder!
The doe looked me over and found me harmless. She started to eat with her head behind a cactus. But the bick was still walking at me at 18 yards. I am not sure if the other buck was behind them, but the tall buck turned out to look back up the hill. Well this was my chance. I hadnot even knocked and arrow yet. I grabed my bow, then nocked the arrow. the buck was kind enough to turn broadside, then quartering away at 17 yards. The arrow smashed through both lungs. The axis ran 12 yards and piled up in plain view.
I did not have a Dig camera with me, but I did have my Mini DV, so the quality is not great.
Well after draging, loading, cleaning all by myself, I was worn out. After a couple hour nap, I decided that I would get back after it. Afterall, I was aloud to take 2 bucks.
About and hour before dark, I saw a buck we had seen on several occasion. He is is a very dark horned buck that lays out wide. He has had velvet hanging from his horns since the start of the 6 weeks. I only had and hour of light left to close the 400 yards and one deep canyon. I moved in below the ridge he was walking towards. I had no more cover in this directions so I sat and waited. Well he was up on top of the ridge and I could only see his antlers. Just as I was starting to think it was going to happen, he turned and went to my right. along the hill. Well I made a quick dash to the right up the draw and got behind a large oak. He was heading my way with a couple of Does. He was going to pass me at about 28 yards. So I put my 20 yard pin about midway up the bucks shoulder.
I tried to stop him with at least 5 grunts, but he was in love and did not care. He was walking very slow so I put it on the front of his should and squezzed. Well at 15 yards this shot works, but out to 30, not so much.
I clearly saw the arrow hit him low and in the stomach. Well I was sick. The buck jumped about 3 steps and stopped behind some cactus. He then turned and started down the hill. It was getting dark fast and I was able to glance him going over a knoll at 100 yards. way down in a draw.
I went back to camp sick, but I felt that he only went a ways and bedded up. 6Am came early and I was at the bottom of that draw about 1000 yards from where I last saw him. I was coming up the draw from the other directions so the wind was not in my favor, but it was the best way to approach him.
I climbed up on one side of the ridge about 35 yards. Just low enough to see in the bottom, but high enough to see the opposite ridge. I was getting within a couple 100 yards of where I last saw him. I came around a tree and WHAMO, he was right below me strairing right at me. He was 40 yards down the hill laying in a grassing area. I backed up behind the tree and he still did not move. So I backtracked and went down in the creek bottom. I came up on the Axis at 15 yards. I am only guessing he was sleeping or he would have bolted. I put one in the boiler room and he jumped up and ran strait up the hill. He only made it 10 yards before crashing.
Since I drove the truck to the bottom of the hill, I did have my camera. Taking pictures with the timer is a bit tough, but this is what I got. Was not a bad close to the axis lease. This will be a annual lease, so we will be back out chasing them next year.
No bring on the Whitetails.
Happy Hunting.
Krivo
The ranch we lease is a 4300 acre low fence ranch out in the Leakey area. The ranch is extremely rugged not to mention the 10000000 rocks covering most of it.
Anyway, we leased it for a full strait 6 weeks. This ranch has never been leased for summer axis, so to say there are a few of them on the ranch is an understatement. The ranch has and outstanding camp house to boot, so this was a win win lease.
Anyway, I have been out there every weekend chasing the spoted critters. Well I would not say chasing. I am a pretty picky person so I was doing more spoting from a distance. In 5 weeks, I really only made 3 stalks on deer. All great 35+ inch deer. I probably have seen 200 differnt bucks. I have seen groups of 20 + bucks running together.
Saturday morning found me on one of my favorite hills looking at bucks in all dirrections. One buck caught my eye. He was a very tall deer with great brows and one good cottletine. He was not wide at all, so this in the long run made him a little deceiving. He was working a ridge/brush line with a doe. The wind dirrection was bad so I just watched him walk from one side to the other. To my surprise a bigger buck showed up and challenged him to a fight. Well the bigger deer lost and started to come back across the brush line. Well this was my chance. I moved down into the brush line and snuggled in next to a giant boulder. Well I was sitting on the ground taking my fanny pack of when a Doe walked down in the draw and came right at me. Well the tall narrow buck was right behind her and now heading at me. Well the doe was looking at me, but I am guessing my round shape blended in very well with the big roudn bolder!
The doe looked me over and found me harmless. She started to eat with her head behind a cactus. But the bick was still walking at me at 18 yards. I am not sure if the other buck was behind them, but the tall buck turned out to look back up the hill. Well this was my chance. I hadnot even knocked and arrow yet. I grabed my bow, then nocked the arrow. the buck was kind enough to turn broadside, then quartering away at 17 yards. The arrow smashed through both lungs. The axis ran 12 yards and piled up in plain view.
I did not have a Dig camera with me, but I did have my Mini DV, so the quality is not great.
Well after draging, loading, cleaning all by myself, I was worn out. After a couple hour nap, I decided that I would get back after it. Afterall, I was aloud to take 2 bucks.
About and hour before dark, I saw a buck we had seen on several occasion. He is is a very dark horned buck that lays out wide. He has had velvet hanging from his horns since the start of the 6 weeks. I only had and hour of light left to close the 400 yards and one deep canyon. I moved in below the ridge he was walking towards. I had no more cover in this directions so I sat and waited. Well he was up on top of the ridge and I could only see his antlers. Just as I was starting to think it was going to happen, he turned and went to my right. along the hill. Well I made a quick dash to the right up the draw and got behind a large oak. He was heading my way with a couple of Does. He was going to pass me at about 28 yards. So I put my 20 yard pin about midway up the bucks shoulder.
I tried to stop him with at least 5 grunts, but he was in love and did not care. He was walking very slow so I put it on the front of his should and squezzed. Well at 15 yards this shot works, but out to 30, not so much.
I clearly saw the arrow hit him low and in the stomach. Well I was sick. The buck jumped about 3 steps and stopped behind some cactus. He then turned and started down the hill. It was getting dark fast and I was able to glance him going over a knoll at 100 yards. way down in a draw.
I went back to camp sick, but I felt that he only went a ways and bedded up. 6Am came early and I was at the bottom of that draw about 1000 yards from where I last saw him. I was coming up the draw from the other directions so the wind was not in my favor, but it was the best way to approach him.
I climbed up on one side of the ridge about 35 yards. Just low enough to see in the bottom, but high enough to see the opposite ridge. I was getting within a couple 100 yards of where I last saw him. I came around a tree and WHAMO, he was right below me strairing right at me. He was 40 yards down the hill laying in a grassing area. I backed up behind the tree and he still did not move. So I backtracked and went down in the creek bottom. I came up on the Axis at 15 yards. I am only guessing he was sleeping or he would have bolted. I put one in the boiler room and he jumped up and ran strait up the hill. He only made it 10 yards before crashing.
Since I drove the truck to the bottom of the hill, I did have my camera. Taking pictures with the timer is a bit tough, but this is what I got. Was not a bad close to the axis lease. This will be a annual lease, so we will be back out chasing them next year.
No bring on the Whitetails.
Happy Hunting.
Krivo
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