2021-2022 hunting thread

[deadshank 24653]

Followed these near 4 miles along our north fence line.  Came up out of the river and went east to our far NE corner, hopped the fence and went north to parts unknown.   
 

Good times. 

[686 3449]

A few years back one of our member's son shot a 170 class buck.  The member posted the pics of the buck on IG, hash tagged a bunch of key words, named the ranch and the pasture we lease.  I told him that is a really bad idea giving away that much detail. 
 
On cue, the owners of the ranch called me 3 or 4 days later to say they had been getting phone call inquiries about the place and blind offers from total strangers to double whatever we are paying. 
 
The owners declined the offers.  

Holy Shit what a dumbass kid and tip of the hat to you and the landowner for not letting that screw up a good thing y’all have going.

[deadshank 24653]

11 minutes ago, 686 said:

Holy Shit what a dumbass kid and tip of the hat to you and the landowner for not letting that screw up a good thing y’all have going.

Wasn’t the kid. It was his dad the member.  The kibosh was quickly out on that sort of thing.  

[crimsonlonghorn 2306]

On 4/23/2022 at 8:43 AM, deadshank said:

Oh, OK, cop. 

LOL

I’m just talking about pics of the porch and the bar and how it’s laid out and stuff like that. Genuinely curious about your set up just to get ideas for my own place. No identifying details wanted at all. Just thing your place looks really cool on the inside. 

[686 3449]

Wasn’t the kid. It was his dad the member.  The kibosh was quickly out on that sort of thing.  

I hope he feels appropriately guilty!

[BabaYaga 15297]

On 4/21/2022 at 9:51 PM, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

So we have a situation.
Cows are back on our land. Probably a downed fence like the last few times. Last count was 16. We’ve called the owner but he doesn’t respond.
Can we not open the front gate and push them out to the road?

Call the local sheriff and/or game warden.  It's your neighbors problem.  They have liability for their animals, but you should probably work together to get the fence fixed.  

[BabaYaga 15297]

On 4/23/2022 at 11:17 AM, deadshank said:

A few years back one of our member's son shot a 170 class buck.  The member posted the pics of the buck on IG, hash tagged a bunch of key words, named the ranch and the pasture we lease.  I told him that is a really bad idea giving away that much detail. 
 

On cue, the owners of the ranch called me 3 or 4 days later to say they had been getting phone call inquiries about the place and blind offers from total strangers to double whatever we are paying. 
 

The owners declined the offers.  

Finding really good hunters that see themselves as stewards of the land and not chasing horns are harder to find than you think.  We've been through multiple groups that were a PITA to deal with, messy, didn't know or care about proper management, etc.  

It's worth it to leave a little money on the table in return for A+, quality hunters that know what they are doing.  Good on him.  

[BabaYaga 15297]

Hey there little fella.  Pics a few weeks old, but my cousin helped bottle feed this little guy back to health, who was struggling with a new mama 

[Alex Karev 1030]

Anyone having any luck calling in the long beards this spring.

Going next week on upper Colorado on family ranch.

Dry as hell this year. We have all kinds of critters coming in this year. I think they are following the river looking for something green. I took out a few hogs a couple weeks back. Hundreds of deer starving to death. Its a damn shame.

Hogs all look healthy though.

Several long beards. A neighbor said they took 9 last week.

[fattyflattie 4639]

I know they are pests, but I really wish we had aoudad. 

[Spaulding Smails 1552]

I've been crazy busy with work and our new house for the last several months.  Barely hunted this fall but my son and I took a doe each for the freezer.  Two weeks ago, I had to head to Kerrville to pick up a new BBQ pit and decided to stay the night at the ranch.  It was incredibly dry and the 1" of rain we received last week up there was the first measurable rainfall since October.  We have two cisterns on the property, so at least they're getting some water.  We try to feed alfalfa during the spring as well, and we've ramped that up some.  But, it was sad looking.  Not a wildflower in site.  Looked like the dead of winter.  The whitetail I saw seemed frail and lethargic.  

We've seen more hogs than usual on the game cam, so I figured I'd climb in a stand and see what I could see for an evening hunt, then head out early the next morning back to work.  About 7:30, this donkey walked out.  Tipped out full velvet.  32" main beams and 15" brow tines.  Thicc mass at the bases.  180 lbs with his snout resting in the gravel... my A-frame wasn't tall enough to get him completely off the ground.  

I was so ill-prepared.  I didn't have an ice chest with me.  Gutted and hung him in the walk-in cooler overnight then flung him in the bed of the truck first thing the next morning with two bags of ice in the body cavity.  Ended up skinning and quartering him when I got home the next morning.  Meat on ice and hide to the taxidermist by 11 AM.  Not the morning I had planned, but made it work.  Should be a really cool mount.  

 

  

[Brisketexan 105139]

Sigh. The guys who own the ranch I’ve hunted for the last 10 years are getting older, and are gonna put it on the market. I’ve contributed my share over the years, I’m out here on a work weekend right now. But that’s where they are in life, so I suspect this will be my last season to hunt out here, and I’ll be without a place to go again. Bummed. Good group of guys, I’ve enjoyed hunting with them, the boy has grown up hunting with them.
So, I’ll probably regroup when it comes time for them to sell, and we’ll figure out our next plan. Nothing lasts forever.
We cut enough wood to fill the racks yesterday.

[Brisketexan 105139]

Full racks of wood, and a view of the porch with the fire pit.

[Both Tacos 1806]

Enjoy it while you can.

[Herbie Hancock 7347]

Wise County 24hr Kill ‘em All hunt ended this morning.

[fattyflattie 4639]

That’s a lot of dead swine. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

10 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Sigh. The guys who own the ranch I’ve hunted for the last 10 years are getting older, and are gonna put it on the market. I’ve contributed my share over the years, I’m out here on a work weekend right now. But that’s where they are in life, so I suspect this will be my last season to hunt out here, and I’ll be without a place to go again. Bummed. Good group of guys, I’ve enjoyed hunting with them, the boy has grown up hunting with them.
So, I’ll probably regroup when it comes time for them to sell, and we’ll figure out our next plan. Nothing lasts forever.
We cut enough wood to fill the racks yesterday.

I stroked the yearly check for mine this AM. Been sitting on ice all afternoon, it burns.  If we had a nicer place to sleep you’d be more than welcome to come shoot a few on our place.  

[BabaYaga 15297]

23 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Sigh. The guys who own the ranch I’ve hunted for the last 10 years are getting older, and are gonna put it on the market. I’ve contributed my share over the years, I’m out here on a work weekend right now. But that’s where they are in life, so I suspect this will be my last season to hunt out here, and I’ll be without a place to go again. Bummed. Good group of guys, I’ve enjoyed hunting with them, the boy has grown up hunting with them.
So, I’ll probably regroup when it comes time for them to sell, and we’ll figure out our next plan. Nothing lasts forever.
We cut enough wood to fill the racks yesterday.

Get on it now.  Leases already filling up.  We have a group of hunters, but I'm tempted to host a "assholes of Surly hiding from their wives" getaway at my place.  We have a house (cabin) that has a full kitchen, showers, indoor plumbing, AC, and sleeps close to 8 easily.  Close to Coleman/Valera area.  Splits Coleman & Runnels county.  

Shoot guns

Fish

Grill steaks and smoke cigars

Fuck around and find out.

The usual....

[Brisketexan 105139]

8 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Get on it now.  Leases already filling up.  We have a group of hunters, but I'm tempted to host a "assholes of Surly hiding from their wives" getaway at my place.  We have a house (cabin) that has a full kitchen, showers, indoor plumbing, AC, and sleeps close to 8 easily.  Close to Coleman/Valera area.  Splits Coleman & Runnels county.  

Shoot guns

Fish

Grill steaks and smoke cigars

Fuck around and find out.

The usual....

Our friends' place isn't too far away from there, south of OH Ivie.  I think we'll get a full season out of it this year.  It's the years after that will be interesting.  The boy is overseas and will be for the next 4 years, so he really just gets to hunt with me one weekend over Christmas break.  And as you'd expect, a big part of it is the group of guys that has just ended up being the core group that hunts and works out there, and will miss them getting together.  Who knows, one of the guys is looking at maybe buying the place (or, maybe he can buy enough of a share to give a cash infusion that the older guys want?)  We'll see.  But I expect that after this season, I'll be looking for a new place for me to hunt, use a chainsaw, cuss, etc., and the boy will join me when he can.  Maybe after college he'll be back in the US and we can hunt together more.

[hookemATL 11734]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

Get on it now.  Leases already filling up.  We have a group of hunters, but I'm tempted to host a "assholes of Surly hiding from their wives" getaway at my place.  We have a house (cabin) that has a full kitchen, showers, indoor plumbing, AC, and sleeps close to 8 easily.  Close to Coleman/Valera area.  Splits Coleman & Runnels county.  

Shoot guns

Fish

Grill steaks and smoke cigars

Fuck around and find out.

The usual....

I’ve always admired you and consider you a dear friend❤️
 

Edited May 2, 2022 by hookemATL
Or a DEER friend

[Herbie Hancock 7347]

We used to hunt west of Santa Anna from the early 90’s until 2002. I believe sometime in the 2008-2013 time frame the largest low fence B&C scored whitetail in Texas was killed in Brown County 3 years in a row.

[fattyflattie 4639]

2 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

assholes of Surly hiding from their wives"

My specialty.  

[deadshank 24653]

6 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Get on it now.  Leases already filling up.  We have a group of hunters, but I'm tempted to host a "assholes of Surly hiding from their wives" getaway at my place.  We have a house (cabin) that has a full kitchen, showers, indoor plumbing, AC, and sleeps close to 8 easily.  Close to Coleman/Valera area.  Splits Coleman & Runnels county.  

Shoot guns

Fish

Grill steaks and smoke cigars

Fuck around and find out.

The usual....

I think this is a great idea.  

Except your wives aren't hiding from me.

[hookemATL 11734]

31 minutes ago, deadshank said:

I think this is a great idea.  

Except your wives aren't hiding from me.

“Honey, what do you mean you got ‘shanked’?”

[deadshank 24653]

Troublesome start to the day.   Super fog followed by 105 heat this afternoon.  

[fattyflattie 4639]

105 already.  Oomph.  

[deadshank 24653]

11 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

105 already.  Oomph.  

Was gonna go shoot pigs tonight but supposed to be 100 until 9 pm.   

[RMac5 1551]

Looks like a run of heat for a while too. Come on dove season!

[deadshank 24653]

Checked a few cams over the weekend. A few big boars have to move on. 

[Kennythetiger 9382]

They’re enterprising pigs. 

[Herbie Hancock 7347]

Don’t rent ‘em.

[Alex Karev 1030]

It was so damn hot this  week the hogs didn't even come to feeders at night.

110° Monday 

[deadshank 24653]

96 out.  Going again. 

[deadshank 24653]

[RMac5 1551]

That looks lethal.

[Brisketexan 105139]

Pescado Rojo and I spent yesterday afternoon planting portions of our bird lease with sunflowers for dove season. And by “planting,” I mean “Pescado drove his truck slowly in rows while Brisket sat on the tailgate and hand-tossed/scattered 120 lbs of black oil sunflowers seeds, hoping like hell it rains sometime soon and they take.” It was f’n hot by the way.

[Both Tacos 1806]

Po' man's food plot.
I hope you at least used the seasoned sunflower seeds like pickle or bbq.

[Brisketexan 105139]

Po' man's food plot.
I hope you at least used the seasoned sunflower seeds like pickle or bbq.

There was jerky and Fritos in the truck cab. We don’t do this shit without snacks, we ain’t amateurs.

Man….I like those dill pickle flavored seeds, though.

[RMac5 1551]

What type of seed drill fluids were consumed?

[Frank Drebin 5639]

On way to Cotulla to smoke some pigs out to the heli tomorrow morning.  Probably my favorite thing to do.  

[deadshank 24653]

Our first might set up.  Got one boar and 3 coons.   
 

Got shut out last night at a different location.  Laid off the coons, tried to be patient and let a sounder into pen.  A big boar showed, winded us and bailed as the wind turned and blew toward the pen.   Another boar came to within 30 yards of us off our right flank.  He spooked before we could pivot on him. 
 

Still trying to perfect my tactics.  
 

The other group shot a few coons plus put a window in one of the protein feeder hoppers.   It now whistles when the wind blows.  🤣

[Frank Drebin 5639]

On 5/1/2022 at 12:40 AM, fattyflattie said:

I know they are pests, but I really wish we had aoudad. 

Used to have a bunch at a place I hunted near Roosevelt.  I shot everyone I saw.  Hated them.  

[BabaYaga 15297]

10 hours ago, Frank Drebin said:

Used to have a bunch at a place I hunted near Roosevelt.  I shot everyone I saw.  Hated them.  

They're a mess.  Stink to high heaven, inedible meat, and they are so big/strong they can drive off small, more desirable animals like Whitetail

Only this they are good for is a decent shoulder mount.  

[BabaYaga 15297]

22 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Pescado Rojo and I spent yesterday afternoon planting portions of our bird lease with sunflowers for dove season. And by “planting,” I mean “Pescado drove his truck slowly in rows while Brisket sat on the tailgate and hand-tossed/scattered 120 lbs of black oil sunflowers seeds, hoping like hell it rains sometime soon and they take.” It was f’n hot by the way.

I need to do that by a few of the larger stock tanks.  Does that work?  Just tossing them out like that?

[Brisketexan 105139]

4 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

I need to do that by a few of the larger stock tanks.  Does that work?  Just tossing them out like that?

Well......we'll find out.  I wasn't about to go buy a disc plow attachment for a Toyota truck, so we went with the old school way -- and our investment was just $120 in seed, so if it doesn't take, not a huge loss.  Sitting on the bed of a truck in the heat, hand-sowing seed....I hadn't felt that mexican in quite a while.

[BabaYaga 15297]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Well......we'll find out.  I wasn't about to go buy a disc plow attachment for a Toyota truck, so we went with the old school way -- and our investment was just $120 in seed, so if it doesn't take, not a huge loss.  Sitting on the bed of a truck in the heat, hand-sowing seed....I hadn't felt that mexican in quite a while.

I'd think the birds/critters going after seed on the ground would be a problem?

[Brisketexan 105139]

5 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

I'd think the birds/critters going after seed on the ground would be a problem?

I suspect so.  I expect we'll lose a fair amount to that.  BUT, it's not the time of year for them to be looking for that seed, so hoping they won't find all of it.  And, there was decent grass etc. growing, so in most places, it will stay a bit hidden.  But if we don't get some rain to make it sprout, yeah, a shitload of it will get eaten before it sprouts.  Like I said, a $120 experiment.  Will let y'all know what it looks like in three months.

[BabaYaga 15297]

1 minute ago, Brisketexan said:

I suspect so.  I expect we'll lose a fair amount to that.  BUT, it's not the time of year for them to be looking for that seed, so hoping they won't find all of it.  And, there was decent grass etc. growing, so in most places, it will stay a bit hidden.  But if we don't get some rain to make it sprout, yeah, a shitload of it will get eaten before it sprouts.  Like I said, a $120 experiment.  Will let y'all know what it looks like in three months.

Stuff grows everywhere except where you want it.  Fields by the house covered in sunflowers and the power lines have dozens, sometimes hundreds of doves lined up on them.  

[Shoxthemonkey 1981]

5 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I suspect so.  I expect we'll lose a fair amount to that.  BUT, it's not the time of year for them to be looking for that seed, so hoping they won't find all of it.  And, there was decent grass etc. growing, so in most places, it will stay a bit hidden.  But if we don't get some rain to make it sprout, yeah, a shitload of it will get eaten before it sprouts.  Like I said, a $120 experiment.  Will let y'all know what it looks like in three months.

You keep tossing that $120 figure around cavalierly like it's nothing. You are leaving out the expenses of jerky, Natty Light, and Funyuns. Gas is over $4, diesel even higher. I'm guessing the total cost is actually closer to $250. I'm not sure how you can do that on a lawyer's salary. Think of the children.

[CHIEF 5087]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

They're a mess.  Stink to high heaven, inedible meat, and they are so big/strong they can drive off small, more desirable animals like Whitetail

Only this they are good for is a decent shoulder mount.  

We should have CHIEF Jr.'s back shortly.

We made a run to the lease this weekend, put a 275 gallon tote with a water trough at our new spot. CHIEF Jr. and his buddy Clark filled 3000 lbs. worth of protein. The only feeders that have any activity are the ones with water stations. There is absolutely nothing to eat except the protein. We have changed out cottonseed for alfalfa, to try to give the deer a little more moisture. All the tanks are dry. The only water is from cattle troughs, and our water stations.

It was 117 degrees on Saturday afternoon. CHIEF Jr., Clark, and I had to find somewhere to cool off.

CHIEF