My weekend hunt didn't start until I arrived at the ranch after my drive from San Angelo to pick up a golf cart. I pulled in about 10:30 and cracked open a cold one. I was surprised to find everybody still awake and Corey still hadn't arrived. As the guys went off to bed Corey and I made up for a little lost time and had a couple more cold beverages.
When Saturday morning came along it felt like I had only slept about 2.5 hours and got kicked in the head by a mule. Not wanting to miss a single hunt I got ready and jumped in the Kubota. I got dropped off over a protein feeder where the oryx had been seen the day before since there was one in particular on my hit list.
About an hour after drop off I had what I thought to be 5 axis doe and one spike axis come in. I drew back on the oldest and biggest doe only to find out a few more doe came in a little further to my right and busted me spooking off my target. I sat and watched a pasture to the north of me for the rest of the hunt.
That morning I ended up seeing some black buck about 150 yards out and huge fallow buck about 75 yards out. When I got picked up I see that Ron had shot an axis doe and jumped in the kubota to head back to camp.
That afternoon around lunch after eating some of Snipemasters great taco soup (it really is great and the recipe is in the recipe section) we hunt to spot and stalk some piggies. We saw a lot of pigs and some black buck. When we finally spotted a group before they spotted us we put a game plan together and started the stalk. That is when Corey and I (known that weekend as the ADD twins) found a dead sow with 3 piglets. We wanted to catch a piglet for a pig call. Just when we made that little guy squeel Seth ended up shooting his sow. After a real short track job we got the pig loaded up and headed back to camp to prepare for the evening hunt.
I was the first dropped off at a ground blind that the black buck frequent. Right after being dropped off 3 axis roll in. A big doe a small doe and what looked to be a nubbin buck. I waited once again to get a shot on the big doe but she never offered one for me, so I passed on the smaller ones. After they had their fill of the native grasses they moved on. Shortly after that I had 3 blackbuck bucks roll in. 1 6"er 1 13"er and one huge one. He instantly jumped to the top of my hit list. As they grazed both smaller bucks offered me numerous shots but the big guy was either facing me or behind a bush or the other bucks. Suddenly they spooked and bounded off. I love watching those guys hop through the brush. Then came a fallow doe a sika doe and an axis doe. I knew these are what ran off my BB so one was going to be put in my cooler.
When the bigger of three offered me the shot at 23 yards I let the shuttle T fly. I knew I made a good hit watching the lumenok disappear and reappear right where I had made my mark. I sat for another hour hoping those BB would come in, especially since I got a text from Ron saying he shot goofy the oryx.
After being picked and watching Lucy work first hand we loaded up my fallow and headed to Corey's stand. He had made a shot on an axis doe he felt good about the shot but you could see the look of nervousness on his face due to only finding a tiny part of his arrow and a somewhat sparce bloodtrail (in the dark anyway) Skylar let Lucy do her work again and she went from point A to dead axis in about 5 seconds. After some high fives we headed back to camp to hear the other reports and see Ron's oryx. Took some trophy pictures and I started a fire for the ribs and tenders. We all recapped on our evening around some great food and drinks and hit the sack for the morning hunt.
Corey and I decided to sleep in and put a spot and stalk on some pigs again. After finding a group of likely targets I tried to get closer and almost stepped on a sleeping pig at the top of a dirt burm. I am not sure who was spooked more the pig or me. After that I called it a morning and wanted to go see what the other guys had shot so I jumped in the kubota with Kunta to get the guys. We first picked up Grant and Matt who hadn't seen a thing then Seth who had smoke a sika doe. After that we headed back to camp to get loaded up and hit the road.
All and all it is exactly as I expected good times with great people on a great ranch. I always enjoy the Diamond C.
When Saturday morning came along it felt like I had only slept about 2.5 hours and got kicked in the head by a mule. Not wanting to miss a single hunt I got ready and jumped in the Kubota. I got dropped off over a protein feeder where the oryx had been seen the day before since there was one in particular on my hit list.
About an hour after drop off I had what I thought to be 5 axis doe and one spike axis come in. I drew back on the oldest and biggest doe only to find out a few more doe came in a little further to my right and busted me spooking off my target. I sat and watched a pasture to the north of me for the rest of the hunt.
That morning I ended up seeing some black buck about 150 yards out and huge fallow buck about 75 yards out. When I got picked up I see that Ron had shot an axis doe and jumped in the kubota to head back to camp.
That afternoon around lunch after eating some of Snipemasters great taco soup (it really is great and the recipe is in the recipe section) we hunt to spot and stalk some piggies. We saw a lot of pigs and some black buck. When we finally spotted a group before they spotted us we put a game plan together and started the stalk. That is when Corey and I (known that weekend as the ADD twins) found a dead sow with 3 piglets. We wanted to catch a piglet for a pig call. Just when we made that little guy squeel Seth ended up shooting his sow. After a real short track job we got the pig loaded up and headed back to camp to prepare for the evening hunt.
I was the first dropped off at a ground blind that the black buck frequent. Right after being dropped off 3 axis roll in. A big doe a small doe and what looked to be a nubbin buck. I waited once again to get a shot on the big doe but she never offered one for me, so I passed on the smaller ones. After they had their fill of the native grasses they moved on. Shortly after that I had 3 blackbuck bucks roll in. 1 6"er 1 13"er and one huge one. He instantly jumped to the top of my hit list. As they grazed both smaller bucks offered me numerous shots but the big guy was either facing me or behind a bush or the other bucks. Suddenly they spooked and bounded off. I love watching those guys hop through the brush. Then came a fallow doe a sika doe and an axis doe. I knew these are what ran off my BB so one was going to be put in my cooler.
When the bigger of three offered me the shot at 23 yards I let the shuttle T fly. I knew I made a good hit watching the lumenok disappear and reappear right where I had made my mark. I sat for another hour hoping those BB would come in, especially since I got a text from Ron saying he shot goofy the oryx.
After being picked and watching Lucy work first hand we loaded up my fallow and headed to Corey's stand. He had made a shot on an axis doe he felt good about the shot but you could see the look of nervousness on his face due to only finding a tiny part of his arrow and a somewhat sparce bloodtrail (in the dark anyway) Skylar let Lucy do her work again and she went from point A to dead axis in about 5 seconds. After some high fives we headed back to camp to hear the other reports and see Ron's oryx. Took some trophy pictures and I started a fire for the ribs and tenders. We all recapped on our evening around some great food and drinks and hit the sack for the morning hunt.
Corey and I decided to sleep in and put a spot and stalk on some pigs again. After finding a group of likely targets I tried to get closer and almost stepped on a sleeping pig at the top of a dirt burm. I am not sure who was spooked more the pig or me. After that I called it a morning and wanted to go see what the other guys had shot so I jumped in the kubota with Kunta to get the guys. We first picked up Grant and Matt who hadn't seen a thing then Seth who had smoke a sika doe. After that we headed back to camp to get loaded up and hit the road.
All and all it is exactly as I expected good times with great people on a great ranch. I always enjoy the Diamond C.
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