So, it was friday at 6 am when my cousin Curtis, my neighbor Steve, his son Tanner and I headed out for the 2nd annual Hotter n Hell ram hunt. I went last year and so I already knew that the name of the hunt was literal. The drive wasn't bad at all. I did have a ten year old in the back seat asking questions the whole time, but he isn't annoying in the way he asks. It almost seemed like the more questions he asked the more ancy and excited I was getting about arriving and getting started on the hunting. We met Bob and Chance about 10:45 at the Oasis hunting store in Uvalde, but the restraunt was closed so we had Whataburger and moved on. When we got there we unpacked pretty quick so I could show the newcomers that were with me around camp and a few hunting sites.
About 4:30 we headed down to hunt. I set up Steve and Tanner in L1 and Curtis and I went further down to the fence line. The tree stand and ground blind in our spot are spitting distance away, and there was no breeze, so needless to say it was hot. We sat for about an hour and a half withou seeing anything and decided to go back to where Steve and Tanner were so we could watch Tanner get his first ram. We weren't there more than five minutes when I hear bob calling my name from the top of the ridge. He tells me there are 2 4 horns and a catalina in the mountain pasture. I decided to go take a look and really liked the catalina. I snuck up pretty slow so I wouldn't scare them. As soon as I got close the two 4 horns spooked and ran up the mountain. The catalina rtan to my right and stood quartering to me for an eternity. Finally he turned. I guessed him to be about 22 yards, put my pin on him and released. ffwwiiiit thonk!!! That is what I heard. I hugely miscalculated the distance. It was more like 36-37 yards.The arrow went right behind his front legs and right under his chest and lodged in a cedar tree behind him. Of sourse he ran off up the mountain. Bob got me his pop up blind and I set it up really quick under a tree. I waited in that sauna with about a million flies for about an hour and a half. I look up and see white feet behind some trees, and then tanner lets loose with the 22-250. The ram doesn't run though. After all the commotion he finally makes his way down about 35 yards out. A chicken came out and started pecking his feet and worked him up to 20-22 yards. This time when he turned I took a deep breath setted my pin right on the edge of his shoulder. fffwiiit THWACK!!! Perfect heart shot. He dropped right in his tracks. His teeth went right into the rocks. I noticed later that his horn stopped the arrow on the opposite side. There was a slice in the horn and one blade was all bent up and mangled. Anyway here he is. I also met alot of fellow TBHers. All were very cool and I wasnt to thank them for making Tanner feel like he was one of the guys. He is still talking about it and probably will continue to talk about it until next year.
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About 4:30 we headed down to hunt. I set up Steve and Tanner in L1 and Curtis and I went further down to the fence line. The tree stand and ground blind in our spot are spitting distance away, and there was no breeze, so needless to say it was hot. We sat for about an hour and a half withou seeing anything and decided to go back to where Steve and Tanner were so we could watch Tanner get his first ram. We weren't there more than five minutes when I hear bob calling my name from the top of the ridge. He tells me there are 2 4 horns and a catalina in the mountain pasture. I decided to go take a look and really liked the catalina. I snuck up pretty slow so I wouldn't scare them. As soon as I got close the two 4 horns spooked and ran up the mountain. The catalina rtan to my right and stood quartering to me for an eternity. Finally he turned. I guessed him to be about 22 yards, put my pin on him and released. ffwwiiiit thonk!!! That is what I heard. I hugely miscalculated the distance. It was more like 36-37 yards.The arrow went right behind his front legs and right under his chest and lodged in a cedar tree behind him. Of sourse he ran off up the mountain. Bob got me his pop up blind and I set it up really quick under a tree. I waited in that sauna with about a million flies for about an hour and a half. I look up and see white feet behind some trees, and then tanner lets loose with the 22-250. The ram doesn't run though. After all the commotion he finally makes his way down about 35 yards out. A chicken came out and started pecking his feet and worked him up to 20-22 yards. This time when he turned I took a deep breath setted my pin right on the edge of his shoulder. fffwiiit THWACK!!! Perfect heart shot. He dropped right in his tracks. His teeth went right into the rocks. I noticed later that his horn stopped the arrow on the opposite side. There was a slice in the horn and one blade was all bent up and mangled. Anyway here he is. I also met alot of fellow TBHers. All were very cool and I wasnt to thank them for making Tanner feel like he was one of the guys. He is still talking about it and probably will continue to talk about it until next year.
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