Well I will start off with an apology, I don't get to post on here very often, seems with work and family not much time to play on the internet but I had to share this with fellow bow hunters. I have been helping my in laws at there ranch with cattle and game management for a good awhile now, with help from some friends and some hard work we are now seeing the benefits. It has been great being a part of and watching another ranch turn around and grow some big deer. It was a little frustrating when we worked one pasture for a few years to later lease away and take over an area where the previous hunters we had did not manage at all, we got our numbers in check took out trash the next 6 years. We began to supplemental feed this last year. With the rain and the cottonseed we have had a great horn year. To my surprise the deer took to cottonseed quicker then my place in zapata, after they started to eat I was filling feeders once a week. Well once the game cams were going we see three harvestable trophies for this year. My father -in-law harvested a beautiful 184 and if he hadn't broke off a tine he would have gone 190. This ranch is low fence by the way. Well when I showed him a picture of his buck I learned very quickly i had no hopes of harvesting him but I was given the green light to harvest a deer me and my buddies call Splitter.
I obviously had no problem going after this deer so I go to the area he is at and find a mot with a nice spot for a chair. I go to work on adding some cover and cleaning a lane 27yds to bingo. I started hunting him opening weekend.
Little did I know what I had in store with this deer, I have a few sits and spot is working, I have this great temptation of a buck 6.5yr old 6x5 that would tease me for the next two and a half months. Splitter has been the most frustrating deer for me, I could get no pattern on him, he would come to the feeder a couple times and disappear for days on game cam. Of course when I couldn't hunt he would show and when I did hunt he was a no show, I have a group text going with some hunting buddies, all I did was vent about the luck I was having and tired of not seeing him! Well a month into the hunt splitter shows himself. He walks in and starts to feed at 32, I know his distance but range him anyway, I clip into the string to get ready and a javelina moves in pushes him out and he never returns. Well about three weeks, I lost count of how many sits later he pops in one afternoon again, this time I am at full draw when a fight breaks out in the flat and he takes off after it and never returns. Frustration with this deer grows and talk of harvesting the 6x5 takes over the conversation on the group text.
Luckily this ranch is close to home so I can get in a lot of time hunting with my wife's support. Now it became the point of time put in I was determined to wait for splitter. A few days after the fight incident he comes again feeding at 32yds about 5 yards shy of my lane and a javelina comes to ruin my hunt again, he leaves and doesn't come back, that night I ordered and overnighted a silenced air rifle for the javelina. The rut is right around the corner, he is close to a boundary, my time is limited. Frustration grows with each sit and every shot from the neighbors I think he is dead until I can see a game cam pic of him. With the full moon in December he goes nocturnal only showing at night. i am so tired of the same spot, same deer over and over, the hunts were fun had good action but no Splitter. Christmas eve comes around with a cold front and talking to all my friends I tell them he always shows on a cold front. I go sit and sure enough he comes in, there is a lot of action chasing does, bucks establishing territory fights, its all happening around me. Two times I am at full draw ready to shoot and have to draw down because a 10 pt wants to fight him and pushes him out of the lane. All I can think of is, I am not going to be able to get a safe shot today, the idea of that is killing me with all the time I have put in, I can't resist I go for the gamble, he comes in 30yds broadside, I draw and as I am squeezing the trigger I hear the stomps of the 6x5 coming to push, I knew I was screwed, the arrow buries into the rear leg. He pushes off 10 yds looks around and walks off with arrow in his leg. Gamble lost, instant depression, nothing lethal about the shot, I give it a quick look for blood and get out of the spot. You had your chance is my only thought. I talk to Martin and describe how Splitter seemed not to know he had been hit with an arrow but probably thought it was the 6x5. He tells me I need to go back he will return. Well as you can imagine Christmas Eve at the inlaws was terrible, I report the news to my father-in-law and the good guy he is he told me not to worry it wasn't over yet. Christmas day family time is over and I go to the deer blind with my 338 Lapua Mag and 300 grains for splitter if I see him. I text the guys a pic of the rifle, some wish luck and Martin throws a comment in, if he isn't limping bad I would pass. Sure enough I see him moving in from the cactus flat and he looks fine, I text the guys and pull the rifle out to shoot, 150yds, safety off, finger on the trigger, i feel bad, I am not excited, my heart is not in this, guys are texting shoot, I get a text from Martin, he will be back don't shoot. It's all I had to hear, I don't shoot. I text my father-in-law asking if it was ok if I passed, the deer looked healthy and I wanted to finish what I started with a bow. He gives me a
. I watch him for another five minutes and he walks off. I spend the rest of the night thinking did I make the right choice? Will I see him again?? Yesterday I practice shooting a little and on my drive to get in the mot I call Martin and tell him by the end of the season I will curse your name in hate or I will tell you I love you man! I get in the mot at 3:15, not to long and an old ten comes by chasing a doe and ready to fight. I like the sight of that, a little later feeder goes off and all the usual young bucks are there, at this point I assume he will not show, start texting the guys, I hear noise, I look up through the brush and I see his horns in the flat chasing a doe. Right away I know its him and i grab my bow clip in quick, doe crosses my lane and here he comes, stops eats corn for a couple seconds takes a few steps and stops again, I know he is within 25 I draw anchor in, set my pin and quickly let it fly. I see the arrow bury behind the shoulder and knew it was over, I hear him run and crash quickly. I text the guys and everyone asks how I feel about the hit. I start typing I smoked him and then erased it and said I feel good about it guys. Walk to the truck make a few calls and drive to the spot. To my surprise I find my arrow full pass trail starts from impact.
About 40 yards into the trail I see horns above the grass and the greatest feeling rush over me.
I sit with him for a bit, have a word and say a prayer to give thanks for a great harvest. After that the phone calls, texts and pics go off, now the celebration starts. Hardest deer I have ever hunted and the pay off was great, I still can't believe how it all worked out. I said it once and I will say it again in a public forum Martin I LOVE YOU MAN!! Thanks to my wife for letting me hunt so much, my father-in-law for the gift, Martin and Cortez pushing me to stick with the bow and Jacaman for driving out today and getting some great pics of a great memory. I also thank you all for reading and letting me share.
OFFICAL SCORE 169 6/8 To bad he broke but I still consider myself making it into that 170's category. At least thats my brag for the next year or two with the guys. 170 KILLER BOYS!!!
I obviously had no problem going after this deer so I go to the area he is at and find a mot with a nice spot for a chair. I go to work on adding some cover and cleaning a lane 27yds to bingo. I started hunting him opening weekend.
Little did I know what I had in store with this deer, I have a few sits and spot is working, I have this great temptation of a buck 6.5yr old 6x5 that would tease me for the next two and a half months. Splitter has been the most frustrating deer for me, I could get no pattern on him, he would come to the feeder a couple times and disappear for days on game cam. Of course when I couldn't hunt he would show and when I did hunt he was a no show, I have a group text going with some hunting buddies, all I did was vent about the luck I was having and tired of not seeing him! Well a month into the hunt splitter shows himself. He walks in and starts to feed at 32, I know his distance but range him anyway, I clip into the string to get ready and a javelina moves in pushes him out and he never returns. Well about three weeks, I lost count of how many sits later he pops in one afternoon again, this time I am at full draw when a fight breaks out in the flat and he takes off after it and never returns. Frustration with this deer grows and talk of harvesting the 6x5 takes over the conversation on the group text.
Luckily this ranch is close to home so I can get in a lot of time hunting with my wife's support. Now it became the point of time put in I was determined to wait for splitter. A few days after the fight incident he comes again feeding at 32yds about 5 yards shy of my lane and a javelina comes to ruin my hunt again, he leaves and doesn't come back, that night I ordered and overnighted a silenced air rifle for the javelina. The rut is right around the corner, he is close to a boundary, my time is limited. Frustration grows with each sit and every shot from the neighbors I think he is dead until I can see a game cam pic of him. With the full moon in December he goes nocturnal only showing at night. i am so tired of the same spot, same deer over and over, the hunts were fun had good action but no Splitter. Christmas eve comes around with a cold front and talking to all my friends I tell them he always shows on a cold front. I go sit and sure enough he comes in, there is a lot of action chasing does, bucks establishing territory fights, its all happening around me. Two times I am at full draw ready to shoot and have to draw down because a 10 pt wants to fight him and pushes him out of the lane. All I can think of is, I am not going to be able to get a safe shot today, the idea of that is killing me with all the time I have put in, I can't resist I go for the gamble, he comes in 30yds broadside, I draw and as I am squeezing the trigger I hear the stomps of the 6x5 coming to push, I knew I was screwed, the arrow buries into the rear leg. He pushes off 10 yds looks around and walks off with arrow in his leg. Gamble lost, instant depression, nothing lethal about the shot, I give it a quick look for blood and get out of the spot. You had your chance is my only thought. I talk to Martin and describe how Splitter seemed not to know he had been hit with an arrow but probably thought it was the 6x5. He tells me I need to go back he will return. Well as you can imagine Christmas Eve at the inlaws was terrible, I report the news to my father-in-law and the good guy he is he told me not to worry it wasn't over yet. Christmas day family time is over and I go to the deer blind with my 338 Lapua Mag and 300 grains for splitter if I see him. I text the guys a pic of the rifle, some wish luck and Martin throws a comment in, if he isn't limping bad I would pass. Sure enough I see him moving in from the cactus flat and he looks fine, I text the guys and pull the rifle out to shoot, 150yds, safety off, finger on the trigger, i feel bad, I am not excited, my heart is not in this, guys are texting shoot, I get a text from Martin, he will be back don't shoot. It's all I had to hear, I don't shoot. I text my father-in-law asking if it was ok if I passed, the deer looked healthy and I wanted to finish what I started with a bow. He gives me a
. I watch him for another five minutes and he walks off. I spend the rest of the night thinking did I make the right choice? Will I see him again?? Yesterday I practice shooting a little and on my drive to get in the mot I call Martin and tell him by the end of the season I will curse your name in hate or I will tell you I love you man! I get in the mot at 3:15, not to long and an old ten comes by chasing a doe and ready to fight. I like the sight of that, a little later feeder goes off and all the usual young bucks are there, at this point I assume he will not show, start texting the guys, I hear noise, I look up through the brush and I see his horns in the flat chasing a doe. Right away I know its him and i grab my bow clip in quick, doe crosses my lane and here he comes, stops eats corn for a couple seconds takes a few steps and stops again, I know he is within 25 I draw anchor in, set my pin and quickly let it fly. I see the arrow bury behind the shoulder and knew it was over, I hear him run and crash quickly. I text the guys and everyone asks how I feel about the hit. I start typing I smoked him and then erased it and said I feel good about it guys. Walk to the truck make a few calls and drive to the spot. To my surprise I find my arrow full pass trail starts from impact.About 40 yards into the trail I see horns above the grass and the greatest feeling rush over me.
I sit with him for a bit, have a word and say a prayer to give thanks for a great harvest. After that the phone calls, texts and pics go off, now the celebration starts. Hardest deer I have ever hunted and the pay off was great, I still can't believe how it all worked out. I said it once and I will say it again in a public forum Martin I LOVE YOU MAN!! Thanks to my wife for letting me hunt so much, my father-in-law for the gift, Martin and Cortez pushing me to stick with the bow and Jacaman for driving out today and getting some great pics of a great memory. I also thank you all for reading and letting me share.
OFFICAL SCORE 169 6/8 To bad he broke but I still consider myself making it into that 170's category. At least thats my brag for the next year or two with the guys. 170 KILLER BOYS!!!
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