Texas Hunt - Phase 2 - Quick Summary

 I will blog in more detail when time permits.  In order to get the news out, here's a real quick summary:

1.) All 3 hunters in our group took an aoudad. So did the fourth hunter in camp.

2.) My nephew Dave took a monster.

3.) My shooting was atrocious but I got it done on fourth try.

4.) These animals live in really tough country and are incredibly tough to kill.

5.) Great job by outfitter Hidden Creek Texas Aoudad and by our guides River and Brett.  Their Facebook page has some photos.  Hidden Creek FB

6.) As usual, there was a lot of adversity, twists and turns.

7.) It is physically challenging - and terrifying for anyone not completely comfortable with heights (me).

8.) Everything in this country has a pricker, needle or spine that will stab you and tear you up.

9.) Camp is functional but not luxurious. Great Wi-Fi though.

10.) Food was tremendous - Charles was the cook.

In order taken - Dave on evening of arrival.

Me on morning of the last day (after missing three times on day one).

Eric on afternoon of the last day.

A little perspective on how big Dave's was.

The three of us.

My shot was from top of the rim rock (marked "X").  The arrow shows route we took for recovery - across top of rimrock to find a chute, down below rimrock, sidehill to downed animal at "O".

Descending the chute.

Some typical shots of the topography on this 75,000 acre ranch.  Here's the actual location Coal Mine Ranch Location

We could see Mexico from the hunting grounds and there was evidence of illegal immigration thru the area.

Lots more to describe but it will take me some time to compose after I catch up on other priorities.  Stay tuned to this channel.

Texas Hunt - Phase 1

Eric and I met up in Springfield MO and consolidated into his rig. We stopped at a sporting clays course in Oklahoma City to reacquaint ourselves with our shotguns. Neither one of us had shot birds or clays in years. 

We were headed to Coleman Texas to hunt ducks and hogs with First Shot Outfitters. Mike Wyatt was our outfitter and guide and we stayed at this awesome lodge. 

The duck hunting was a little slow but we shot some gadwalls and buffleheads. The group before us had limit days so our timing was just a little off. That’s hunting for you. Mike has done a great job for us and the food has been super too. 

In the late morning and afternoons, we hunted hogs. We did both some spot and stalk and some stand hunting over feeders. As I’m writing this, we have another evening to hunt hogs before we move on to aoudad tomorrow. My nephew Dave is joining us for this evening’s hunt. 

Poop of the week - wild hog poop. 

Two boars last night. Eric’s guesstimated weight is 175 pounds and mine might be 275. We’ll see what this evening turns up. 

Then tomorrow we move on to the Van Horn TX area for 3 1/2 days of aoudad sheep hunting. More to follow in Phase 2. 

Creigh Scores During ML Season!

 Creigh got it done this weekend after this buck had teased a number of us all season.

We've been watching him on camera all year. Here's a shot from him in velvet.

He's got two forked tines on the right side that look like crab claws so we've been calling him "Crab" or "Crabbie".

During archery season, I frequently saw a large buck in the brassica but I was usually looking at him thru binos from 400 yards.

During gun season, he took a spin in front of Creigh's stand at about 50 yards - caught him off guard and he never got a shot at him.  He proceeded over to Eric's stand and walked right out underneath him.  He spooked a bit and went to the edge of the field when another buck, Speed Racer, showed up.  The two bucks were squaring off for a fight when Eric shot the closer one and Crab got to walk.

So after a photogenic season and several close encounters, Crab was still on the loose when muzzleloader season rolled around.  We had some snow and frigid weather leading into ML weekend.  Here I am checking cameras on Friday in 15F weather.

For the Saturday morning opener, I was in the driveway stand wearing my new electric heated vest (Christmas present).  It was needed.  

But during the day on Saturday it got above freezing and the food plots started to emerge from the snow. I spent Saturday evening in the main field stand overlooking the brassica.  At one point I had seven does on the edge of the field but they didn't stay long.  I was expecting them to feed out and I didn't get a shot.

Meanwhile Creigh was over in the pond stand.  He started getting some traffic from a small buck and several does at about the same time as I was seeing does in the main.

Creigh on stand before the moment of truth.

He had a long sit that afternoon and amused himself with photos of a hawk in a tree.

So he texted me and told me he had some traffic out in the field. Then he texted me and said "Crab is in front of me, 75 yards quartering to".  So I braced myself for the boom and I waited.  And I waited.  And I waited.  Going thru my mind is "did he let him walk - again?".  Light was starting to fade and finally - BOOM!  It was actually only 11 minutes but it seemed like forever.

He thought the shot was good and it looked like he was hit - but he wasn't sure.  Crab bolted out of the field into the woods.  We gave him some time, went to the barn, got lights and returned to the scene.  At first we didn't pick up any blood but we found the tracks in the field.

We started to track and the blood got heavier and heavier.  About 30 yards into the woods we found this.

I could hear the exhale of relief.

No ground shrinkage on this one - he's a beauty.

I got the tractor and we dragged him out of the woods and into the bucket

We got him up to the barn, took a few photos, and then went to work.  It wasn't easy with ice frozen in the hose.

Of course we recorded all of the vital statistics.

He has a 10 point rack but he also has two 1" or so stickers on the right base.

Creigh noticed a "war-wound" in his neck.  He had some missing fur and a puncture wound apparently from sparring with another buck.

We used the string-him-up method for gutting and Creigh did most of the dirty work.

Sometime during that process, the rain started and that continued thru the night and for most of Sunday.

But we had a celebratory dinner with the backstrap off my buck from a couple weeks earlier.

This is a photo from the morning showing our tracking trail.

I was looking for a doe for the freezer and this is as close as I got on Sunday morning - poop of the week.  It poured and we had about 2" of rain.

The bobcat is still showing up on trailcams.

And this is the load out as we took Crab to the processor and taxidermist.

Anyway, Crab tempted us one too many times - Congrats Creigh on a great buck!