It has been a very bad year for our group on the lease this year. I have taken a couple of deer, but not really a true trophy. On our lease in Christoval that could be anything from a 120 class buck to a 150 class buck.
After the company I was employeed with for 11 years let me go, I had plenty of time on my hands for a few weeks before I started the job search. So, I spent many hours in the stand in hopes of seeing that trophy buck.
I hunt with my brothers and a buddy from Austin. My brothers stands are on an area that allows for many good bucks to cross and feed in the mornings and afternoons. My brother, who has a nice 9 point from last year that he has yet to mount told me about a buck that he had seen on two occassions.
With that, I spent the next three weeks sitting on the stand and moving back and forth to mine in hopes of seeing a mature trophy buck. Unforunately, I was seeing that same bucks and zero doe at the feeder. I did observe many nice 2.5 yo and 3.5 yo bucks many times. Our ranch also through a couple hundred head of Black Angus in on us in early December and that really made the dance that much more difficult. They seemed to always be hanging down around the area of the lease that I hunt.
The week of December 11th, I spent some time in my brothers ground blind and I saw the 9 point that was so elusive. He came in the feeder at about 6:45 AM and waited for the feeder to go off. It went off at 7:00 AM and he slowly moved in to feed. He would walk straight in to feed and never really ever settle in to feed and offer a shot. He then became very nervous and unsetttled when the sun would start to peak and the birds started to sing. In the afternoons he would walk in, look at me in the well brushed in ground blind, eat the corn around the perimeter for about 5 minutes and then walk striaght out to whence he came. This went on for three weeks.
This buck was so wise and aware of his suroundings that the popping of my brothers DIY stool caused him to take an alert pose and then immediately exit to the rear. This all pretty much took place in the dawn and dusk hours of the twilight.
On Sunday morning, I actually was so tired from sitting, I had decided to take a break and move the hunt back to my stand for a different scene. I needed a break and so did he.
I woke up at 5:00 AM. sat on the edge of my bunk and flipped quarter to confirm what I should do. Heads I do to my gate stand, tails and I go to my brothers stand that I have been sitting on. I picked up the quarter, flipped it and it was heads. I go to the gate stand!!!!!
As I rode my 4 wheeler in to the lease, I noticed that all of the Angus where not at the gate or the wind mill, so that meant that I would be covered in bovine that would spend about 4 hours bawling and mooing. GREAT!!!!
At that point, I made a decision to go back to my brothers stand for one last hunt before the end of the season. I was running late and the sun was starting to show the first signs of wanting to peak over the horizon. It was 6:30 AM and it was that time of the morning when you could see all of the stars you would ever want to see but then again you could gaze to the East and see the first waning moments of the coming day.
I settled in to the ground blind with no great expectations, but many hopes of seeing the wise ol buck stand in the brush in anticipation of nature giving him the all ok sign to move in and begin his morning routine.
The feeder went off at 7:00 AM and no sign of the 9 point. I saw a couple of deer moving just along the cedar brush line but I was not confident that this was the 9 point. At 7:15 AM, I noticed that the deer that was standing in the brush owuld not come in and they began to move away from sight. at that point, I noticed a deer walking gracefully my way with the grace of Fred Astair and the cofidence of Frank Sinatra.
As he began to move in through the brush towards the feeder, I had already made my decision that this was to be the second, the minute, the hour and the day. He walk slowly to the feeder but he would not give me antything better than a quartering shot. He would then take an alert pose and then shuffle back a few yards and stand. He would not settle down and feed. He then walked out to 30 yards and at one point I thought I should go ahead and take the shot he offered, but I did not want to make any mistakes and he deserved better than a bad shot and a failed opportunity. As began to circle to my right and move in to shooting range, I deciede that I would go ahed and draw the Switchback and take a chance that I could hold the draw for as long as I needed to to get this done. I drew my bow and my heart was pounding like the oil rigs in the distance. It took all of the energy and concentration I had to hold my draw and keep my left hand steady. Actually, I did not do such a great job. As the wise ol buck moved into position that offered my a shot, it seemed as though time stood still. all I could remember to think about was to pick a hair abd shoot low. to this day, I can visually remember what I saw just before I released the Carbon Express to find it's mark. Under the circumstances, I has very little left to hold the draw any longer and I knew that could not prolong the inevitable and I needed to release my arrow. He took one step into my sights. I went throught the remander of my progressions and I let it fly.
All I can remember is not being able to see my arrow as I was shooting through the shot through mesh. I heard it hit it mark and the buck hunkered and ran out the way he came in. I can still remember seeing him running out very low to the ground, but he did not kick as I have seen many times in the past. I was a bit confused and I began to become very negative about the whole situation.
I sat for about 15 minutes and I decided to creap out and find my arrow. i could not stand it one more minute. I slowly wlaked out to find an arrow covered in the fresh blood of the stoic beast that I had hunted so hard for three weeks. I then made it a point to leave the arrow and area as it was and retreat back into the ground blind. I then spent the next 45 minutes praying for devine intervention.
After the eary Sunday mornig service that I had decided to commence, I walked to the place he had exited and found a decent blood trail. I walked about 50 yards and I could not believe what I was seeing. He had ran about 50 yards to fence and crashed. The shot was not exactly where I thought it would or should be, but it did the job. He was a mainframe eight with a crab claw and split brow tines.
This experince has given me a totally different perspective of the sport and passion that we all enjoy and share. I have so much respect and connection with this buck, that I am going to have a pedestal mount done in the pose I remember him best. I can close my eyes and see the majestic and proud ol man standing tall. It was a bitter sweet experience. He has my respect and I will have that same feeling and connection everytime I look at the mount. I am sure he will stand proud through eternity!!!!
After the company I was employeed with for 11 years let me go, I had plenty of time on my hands for a few weeks before I started the job search. So, I spent many hours in the stand in hopes of seeing that trophy buck.
I hunt with my brothers and a buddy from Austin. My brothers stands are on an area that allows for many good bucks to cross and feed in the mornings and afternoons. My brother, who has a nice 9 point from last year that he has yet to mount told me about a buck that he had seen on two occassions.
With that, I spent the next three weeks sitting on the stand and moving back and forth to mine in hopes of seeing a mature trophy buck. Unforunately, I was seeing that same bucks and zero doe at the feeder. I did observe many nice 2.5 yo and 3.5 yo bucks many times. Our ranch also through a couple hundred head of Black Angus in on us in early December and that really made the dance that much more difficult. They seemed to always be hanging down around the area of the lease that I hunt.
The week of December 11th, I spent some time in my brothers ground blind and I saw the 9 point that was so elusive. He came in the feeder at about 6:45 AM and waited for the feeder to go off. It went off at 7:00 AM and he slowly moved in to feed. He would walk straight in to feed and never really ever settle in to feed and offer a shot. He then became very nervous and unsetttled when the sun would start to peak and the birds started to sing. In the afternoons he would walk in, look at me in the well brushed in ground blind, eat the corn around the perimeter for about 5 minutes and then walk striaght out to whence he came. This went on for three weeks.
This buck was so wise and aware of his suroundings that the popping of my brothers DIY stool caused him to take an alert pose and then immediately exit to the rear. This all pretty much took place in the dawn and dusk hours of the twilight.
On Sunday morning, I actually was so tired from sitting, I had decided to take a break and move the hunt back to my stand for a different scene. I needed a break and so did he.
I woke up at 5:00 AM. sat on the edge of my bunk and flipped quarter to confirm what I should do. Heads I do to my gate stand, tails and I go to my brothers stand that I have been sitting on. I picked up the quarter, flipped it and it was heads. I go to the gate stand!!!!!
As I rode my 4 wheeler in to the lease, I noticed that all of the Angus where not at the gate or the wind mill, so that meant that I would be covered in bovine that would spend about 4 hours bawling and mooing. GREAT!!!!
At that point, I made a decision to go back to my brothers stand for one last hunt before the end of the season. I was running late and the sun was starting to show the first signs of wanting to peak over the horizon. It was 6:30 AM and it was that time of the morning when you could see all of the stars you would ever want to see but then again you could gaze to the East and see the first waning moments of the coming day.
I settled in to the ground blind with no great expectations, but many hopes of seeing the wise ol buck stand in the brush in anticipation of nature giving him the all ok sign to move in and begin his morning routine.
The feeder went off at 7:00 AM and no sign of the 9 point. I saw a couple of deer moving just along the cedar brush line but I was not confident that this was the 9 point. At 7:15 AM, I noticed that the deer that was standing in the brush owuld not come in and they began to move away from sight. at that point, I noticed a deer walking gracefully my way with the grace of Fred Astair and the cofidence of Frank Sinatra.
As he began to move in through the brush towards the feeder, I had already made my decision that this was to be the second, the minute, the hour and the day. He walk slowly to the feeder but he would not give me antything better than a quartering shot. He would then take an alert pose and then shuffle back a few yards and stand. He would not settle down and feed. He then walked out to 30 yards and at one point I thought I should go ahead and take the shot he offered, but I did not want to make any mistakes and he deserved better than a bad shot and a failed opportunity. As began to circle to my right and move in to shooting range, I deciede that I would go ahed and draw the Switchback and take a chance that I could hold the draw for as long as I needed to to get this done. I drew my bow and my heart was pounding like the oil rigs in the distance. It took all of the energy and concentration I had to hold my draw and keep my left hand steady. Actually, I did not do such a great job. As the wise ol buck moved into position that offered my a shot, it seemed as though time stood still. all I could remember to think about was to pick a hair abd shoot low. to this day, I can visually remember what I saw just before I released the Carbon Express to find it's mark. Under the circumstances, I has very little left to hold the draw any longer and I knew that could not prolong the inevitable and I needed to release my arrow. He took one step into my sights. I went throught the remander of my progressions and I let it fly.
All I can remember is not being able to see my arrow as I was shooting through the shot through mesh. I heard it hit it mark and the buck hunkered and ran out the way he came in. I can still remember seeing him running out very low to the ground, but he did not kick as I have seen many times in the past. I was a bit confused and I began to become very negative about the whole situation.
I sat for about 15 minutes and I decided to creap out and find my arrow. i could not stand it one more minute. I slowly wlaked out to find an arrow covered in the fresh blood of the stoic beast that I had hunted so hard for three weeks. I then made it a point to leave the arrow and area as it was and retreat back into the ground blind. I then spent the next 45 minutes praying for devine intervention.
After the eary Sunday mornig service that I had decided to commence, I walked to the place he had exited and found a decent blood trail. I walked about 50 yards and I could not believe what I was seeing. He had ran about 50 yards to fence and crashed. The shot was not exactly where I thought it would or should be, but it did the job. He was a mainframe eight with a crab claw and split brow tines.
This experince has given me a totally different perspective of the sport and passion that we all enjoy and share. I have so much respect and connection with this buck, that I am going to have a pedestal mount done in the pose I remember him best. I can close my eyes and see the majestic and proud ol man standing tall. It was a bitter sweet experience. He has my respect and I will have that same feeling and connection everytime I look at the mount. I am sure he will stand proud through eternity!!!!
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