South Llano River SP-end of January

[mikeyb_23]

Very nice, that place is one I always apply to.

[Lampasas]

Did you find it?

[Texas Grown]

Any updates?


@sticknstring

[sticknstring]

Sorry guys! Just been busy lol.
I found that axis doe got her out. Done cleaning her up , ate lunch, got more feed and alfalfa. Big groups of animals move in overnight and annilated corn and alfalfa I had out. Put out another 2 bags of corn and a square bale out. I could walk to my trailer from where I was hunting. Got cleaned up, more water and walked back into the blind by 2 pm. There were 3 black buck already there- had to sneak in. Unfortunately there are not to be harvested. It was like DQ on a small town Saturday night! The whole town was there! Lol gobblers, pigs , BB , had a fallow standing way back yonder in the thicket… luckily for her she just wouldn’t commit!
There is a 200 # boar hog that steps out on my right every few hours but he doesn’t come out into the mesquite flat I’m in. He roots around in his little patch of paradise for about 5 -10 minutes then goes back in the thicket to bed- could have killed him many times over just don’t want to booger the area. Killed another big axis doe early in the evening!! So far, I have a small sow( from the first evening) and 2 axis does getting a free ride home!

[Lee230]

Awesome!! Congrats on the success and be safe traveling home.

[Texas Grown]

Awesome! Congrats on the axis and sow.

The fish are biting, and there's hogs to be kill-t. Gotta go!

[sticknstring]

So today will be my last day to hunt due to the storm coming in. I ll get out by noon, so I can safely pull my trailer home before the ice sets in. I got to go north (aledo/ Hudson oaks area)- my brother has half the distance and heading south. He will prolly hunt my blind this afternoon. Tommorrow is the last day- if ice wasn’t in the forecast- I’d be here! Lol
So far this morning- I got in quietly in the dark. As daylight is lighting up the area- I could barely see a whole herd of animals 145 yards out in front of me! Seems like eternity waiting for enough light to identify animals! Finally I can pick out the 3 BB eating corn at 90 yards. I can’t tell what is in that big clutter of animals 145 yards out- still too dark!!! I can tell they are bigger and darker in color than the bb does. The waiting, squinting in the Bono’s is killing me!! Are they wt? Axis? Sitka?( sitka are legal). Minutes go by , I’m well within legal shooting time now 7:20 ish. I was shooting a T/C 50 cal blackpowder the last 2 days, this morning I brought out my 300 wm long range set up. Yesterday, made an observation that the animals are moving along the river bottom about 200 yards out in front of me- too far for my BP. Back to the hunt- I can fimally confirm that they are indeed axis and no wt’s in the mix( as you know are out of season). I range a big clutter at 144. I move my turret 1 MOA down and get my eye in the glass.About this time, a really big body axis separates from the clutter- I can see his horns sweeping back over his back. I faintly lit up the illuminated reticle as it’s game time!!

[Rwc]

Congrats and following along for you last hunt.


Rwc

[solocam_aggie]

What an exciting hunt so far! Hope you get a big one.

[Texas Grown]

And? And? And.....?


Hope you get home safely!

[sticknstring]

Well I made it home! That ride was rough! I nearly jackknife the trailer couple of times- I originally was going to hunt till noon but I’m glad I left early cause I really don’t think I would have made it to north Texas safely.
Back to my hunt! I was on the hammer when that buck separated himself from the herd. He was slowing walking with his head down- I had my thumb on the safety - about to disengage it. I was gonna shoot as soon as he stopped walking. Well , he stopped for half a second- turned around 180 degrees and walks out of there!! I need to make a decision wait him out or shoot a doe? I look over at the does- they all start trotting out of there single file Into the woods. I click my turret back to 0 and look for an opportunity through the trees 2-300 yards out, it never presents itself. Now it starts raining pretty good. I was originally going to hunt till 1-3 pm depending on weather back home. I decide to get out - I felt sort of ripped off, not wanting to end my hunt! I text my brother and tell him to take my blind, gave him the rest of my feed. He meets me at camp,( I was walking from camp to my blind) and takes my corn and alfalfa out to my blind and refreshed it. I break camp, clean 2 carcasses I had at the check station walk-in cooler and off I go. I get a text just outside of junction from Frank that he killed an axis doe! Then,He killed an axis buck later that afternoon! He lives a lot closer to junction and didn’t have to travel north which allowed him to take advantage of the situation. When I left, there was only one other hunter besides my brother in the park. That guy 2 axis does in the walk in cooler also.
South llano is an amazing park! The camp facilities were great, they even have shower stalls in the camp bathrooms… yet I was the only hunter camping. TPWD and the whole crew do a great job with that park! Bob and Dorie , the park hosts were amazing- Good people for sure! I wish I could have finished my hunt but I’ll be back!!!

[TXOUTLAW]

Tough decision but sounds like you made the best of it, got a little meat and got home safe to take care of responsibility there. Not a bad decision. Thanks for sharing


TxDad Outdoors-YouTube

[Texas Grown]

Glad you got home safely!


Sounds like you had a pretty good hunt in all. Congrats on the does and sow again. And thanks for the update. Also, thanks for taking us along.

[grizzman]

Mine and my BIL's favorite hunt site even more than Powderhorn. We loaded up on WT slickheads and Axis on the antlerless hunt a few years back.

[grizzman]

My BIL is really intent on getting drawn for Exotics at SLR and going back before we are two old. We have 17 points so maybe this next year.