2022-2023 Hunting Thread

[BabaYaga 15210]

18 hours ago, Ragde said:

Went to my new lease in Arkansas for muzzle loader opener this weekend. Had a gentleman on the lease who had a gas leak in his camper. Long story short check you equipment and get a fire extinguisher. This could have gone really bad. 1 person with minor burns and a 1 with some a bit more serious. 

Ho-leee fukbalz, that could have been bad. 

Good friend had a single-wide get struck by lightning near Millersview.  Those flimsy things go up like they are made of straw.  Glad everyone is ok.  Landowner was probably not in the best of moods....

[Ragde 244]

11 hours ago, williemackgarza said:

Holee shitt.
Hope they turn out ok.
Keep us posted.
That coulda been so bad

Worst part is this is an old, retired guy that basically moves into this camper on muzzle loader opener and goes home at the end of deer season which in Arkansas is end of February. He lost almost all of his clothes, blankets, towels, kitchen / bath stuff.... Couple of us are trying to get a list of things to help replace it. He's got some pretty rough spots but says the pain is getting better every day. He is one of those just in general tough ass old Arkansas mountain guys.

[Ragde 244]

58 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Ho-leee fukbalz, that could have been bad. 

Good friend had a single-wide get struck by lightning near Millersview.  Those flimsy things go up like they are made of straw.  Glad everyone is ok.  Landowner was probably not in the best of moods....

It's lumber company land. Not sure if anyone has heard from them yet. We had 4 game wardens come to this campsite and to a man they all said they knew this camp was out here, but they weren't sure where. Then they all dropped pins. The drug task force came out as well. Turns out exploding campers deep in the woods aren't always so easily explained. 

[BabaYaga 15210]

1 minute ago, Ragde said:

It's lumber company land. Not sure if anyone has heard from them yet. We had 4 game wardens come to this campsite and to a man they all said they knew this camp was out here, but they weren't sure where. Then they all dropped pins. The drug task force came out as well. Turns out exploding campers deep in the woods aren't always so easily explained. 

Guessing meth lab was their first assumption

[Ragde 244]

23 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Guessing meth lab was their first assumption

That or a moonshine still is my guess. 

[davidg 4025]

So, how much product did y’all lose?

[Kennythetiger 9334]

11 hours ago, 686 said:

Well, bad luck today again. On my way into the spot I wanted to hunt today I spooked a good size herd that was bedded maybe 30 yards off the trail. It was too dark to see them but it was a good number of elk, lots of noise as they got up and got out. There wasn’t a way to pursue them through the thick timber and private land was only a mile or so the direction they headed, so I waited at my spot, a nice meadow up the hill from where they were bedded, but no luck. Another beautiful day 8000’ above my typical rat race. Taking a nap in the mountains after a backpack lunch out of cell service is best nap possible.

That ain’t bad luck, friend. 

[Player 4575]

On 10/18/2022 at 12:24 AM, 686 said:

Saw a cow and her calf today but no bulls. Didn’t hear a single rifle shot today, so something had the elk hunkered down. Hitting it again early in the morning, two days left to the season.

 

That pic is so pretty it almost doesn't seem real. 

[williemackgarza 1826]

Worst part is this is an old, retired guy that basically moves into this camper on muzzle loader opener and goes home at the end of deer season which in Arkansas is end of February. He lost almost all of his clothes, blankets, towels, kitchen / bath stuff.... Couple of us are trying to get a list of things to help replace it. He's got some pretty rough spots but says the pain is getting better every day. He is one of those just in general tough ass old Arkansas mountain guys.

Damn, man. Thats terrible.
Let me know how to throw in a few bucks for the old guy. PM me if you dont want to post here.

[686 3405]

 
That pic is so pretty it almost doesn't seem real. 

I sat at that spot for 12 hours so I had plenty of time to work on the composition and wait for the light to get just right for my palate. I grew up watching Bob Ross so maybe he rubbed off on me a little. The weather here has been great for photos but bad for hunting. Too hot and no snow. We threw everything at it today, hiked/stalked over 10 miles, 2000’ elevation gain from 8500 to 10500 and back, glassed thousands of acres and no elk. Didn’t hear a shot all day. The elk are just hunkered down. Bummed about that but still a great trip. Thank the Lord my leg held up (torn calf injury still healing) and didn’t leave me stranded anywhere.

Had 15 hen turkeys feed up this valley to within 20 yards of me at this first spot while I watched a grey fox catch mice and play with/eat them for an hour. She would take the mice out of the tall grass to a big rock and let them go, catch them again and then eat. She was playing. I’ll never forget that. The turkeys let the fox get within ~30 yards with no concern, I was very surprised.




Aspens on old logging trail at 9500’:



Sunset at 10,000’; logging trail through rockslide:





Thanks for everyone’s kind words on the photos. Hunters see some amazing things that most other folks will never experience. I like trying to capture that to share.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

To me, my favorite part of hunting is being out in nature and having the time to take it all in and watch stuff like that. It's better than just straight up hiking because you don't really have to be anywhere or make it to a specific campsite before dark or anything like that. You just take your time slowly stalking through the woods and watching everything that is going on around you. If you get a shot at whatever game you are chasing that is just icing on the cake.

[BabaYaga 15210]

5 hours ago, 686 said:

I sat at that spot for 12 hours so I had plenty of time to work on the composition and wait for the light to get just right for my palate. I grew up watching Bob Ross so maybe he rubbed off on me a little. The weather here has been great for photos but bad for hunting. Too hot and no snow. We threw everything at it today, hiked/stalked over 10 miles, 2000’ elevation gain from 8500 to 10500 and back, glassed thousands of acres and no elk. Didn’t hear a shot all day. The elk are just hunkered down. Bummed about that but still a great trip. Thank the Lord my leg held up (torn calf injury still healing) and didn’t leave me stranded anywhere.

Had 15 hen turkeys feed up this valley to within 20 yards of me at this first spot while I watched a grey fox catch mice and play with/eat them for an hour. She would take the mice out of the tall grass to a big rock and let them go, catch them again and then eat. She was playing. I’ll never forget that. The turkeys let the fox get within ~30 yards with no concern, I was very surprised.




Aspens on old logging trail at 9500’:



Sunset at 10,000’; logging trail through rockslide:





Thanks for everyone’s kind words on the photos. Hunters see some amazing things that most other folks will never experience. I like trying to capture that to share.

Tell you what, with those amazing pics, I'd send them off to those online photo places and have them make you a coffee table book to chronicle everything.  

[Kennythetiger 9334]

11 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Tell you what, with those amazing pics, I'd send them off to those online photo places and have them make you a coffee table book to chronicle everything.  

We did this with our Lonesome Dove trip from Mexico to Montana. 

[Ragde 244]

13 hours ago, williemackgarza said:

Damn, man. Thats terrible.
Let me know how to throw in a few bucks for the old guy. PM me if you dont want to post here.

If you, or anyone wants to help, i can give my venmo info. Say a prayer and think happy thoughts is my only hope here tho.

[deadshank 24651]

7 hours ago, Kennythetiger said:

We did this with our Lonesome Dove trip from Mexico to Montana. 

Did anyone get kilt by water moccasins while fording the Nueces?

[Kennythetiger 9334]

53 minutes ago, deadshank said:

Did anyone get kilt by water moccasins while fording the Nueces?

No. We also never found the Buffalo Heifer in Ogallala. 

[Noogman 161]

On 10/17/2022 at 4:50 PM, Noogman said:

Heading out to the lease this evening to catch some of this cold weather tomorrow morning. Was able to get in 3 hunts for the archery opener, but didn't see much. The rainfall the area received just before the start of the season has it looking like spring out there. Nothing is coming to the feeders.
I have a spot about 15' up in an oak tree that gives me a good view in every direction. Saw a nice, dark-horned 7 or 8 pointer from that spot a few weeks ago about 120 yards out...wouldn't mind getting a closer look at him. Wouldn't mind putting a doe in the freezer either.

Hopped into my treestand on Tuesday morning (which sits about 250 yards from my feeder), and I came away with some freezer filler.

With the sun coming up, I kept hearing what sounded like something busting up brush to my 3 o’clock. Caught a glimpse of a deer, and then a few minutes later, a small, velvet 7-8 point popped out about 60 yards in that direction. He disappeared, and again, I kept hearing some brush busting in that direction. I caught a glimpse of a deer about 30 yards out and coming towards me, and I grabbed my bow. As the deer came in to about 10 yards, I saw horns on his head, and he kept working to my 12 o’clock until he was directly in front of me at about 18 yards to beat up a bush. I drew back, and after having to squat down to get a shot underneath a couple of leaves, I released my arrow. The buck didn’t know what hit him. Blood started spurting out, and he ran about 20 yards down the hill before his ass fell out from under him and he toppled over. The bush he was beating up on is in the center of the photo below.







Helluva way to spend a Tuesday morning. Looking forward to sitting in that stand during the rut.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited October 20, 2022 by Noogman

[Anastasis 23394]

Yeah, I think that shot will work. 

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

Beating on some bush….this is definitely a Steelshank deer.

[Da Fino 2738]

Nice shot. 

[Call 393]

I’m tired about talking about the game today. With quail opening next weekend, how are quail #’s looking for everyone after the drought? We are way down and I’ve always enjoyed watching the Blue’s run around while I’m hunting. and will throw out some cracked corn and milo near whatever stand I’m hunting just for entertainment. I’m not really seeing any Bob coveys this year and a lot less of the Blues.  I’ve always enjoyed the option of shooting a couple mid afternoon for appetizers and it is looking like this season we will give them a pass for the most part in Webb County. 
 

apologies for the drunk rambling, but fuck Sark and shitty play. 

[fattyflattie 4636]

1 hour ago, Call said:

I’m tired about talking about the game today. With quail opening next weekend, how are quail #’s looking for everyone after the drought? We are way down and I’ve always enjoyed watching the Blue’s run around while I’m hunting. and will throw out some cracked corn and milo near whatever stand I’m hunting just for entertainment. I’m not really seeing any Bob coveys this year and a lot less of the Blues.  I’ve always enjoyed the option of shooting a couple mid afternoon for appetizers and it is looking like this season we will give them a pass for the most part in Webb County. 
 

apologies for the drunk rambling, but fuck Sark and shitty play. 

We've actually seen a ton of bobwhite this year, which has been pretty typical for the last 5-6 years.  The Borrego fire ended at our fence line, so I was a bit concerned how much that was going to affect everything, but the quail specifically.  So far everything has been looking like normal.  Haven't seen what I'm wanting wrt antlers yet, though     

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Got out yesterday and spent the afternoon trying to develop loads for my muzzleloaders.

My .54 Caplock Lyman Great Plains Rifle had a crack through the lock area that I had glued, but not only did the glue not hold, but the crack got worse. I guess a new stock would be a fun project to work on.

Shot all afternoon and finally was able to get my .50 flintlock Pedersoli Scout to give a goof enough group for deer out to 100 yards. Turns out it was shooting to the right and I had to drift the front sight to get it on target. I thought I was just flinching bad from not being used to a flintlock, but after my lock got good and dirty and my flints got good and dull, I had enough flashes in the pan and times where the pan failed to ignite to figure out that I wasn't flinching anymore if I ever was. I probably still need to work on follow through, however.

A bit dirty.

Good enough.

[Call 393]

22 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

We've actually seen a ton of bobwhite this year, which has been pretty typical for the last 5-6 years.  The Borrego fire ended at our fence line, so I was a bit concerned how much that was going to affect everything, but the quail specifically.  So far everything has been looking like normal.  Haven't seen what I'm wanting wrt antlers yet, though     

Love/hate relationship with Bobs.  They always startle the shit out of me when they flush if I’m not in area I’ve seen them previously if I don’t have a dog ahead. Every god damn time.  

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

As a side note, the new hunting pouch is I've been working on is pretty much done, and the powder horn to go with it is coming along nicely.

The hunting pouch is loosely based on the pouch worn by Stephen F. Austin in this portrait painted during his 1833 trip to Mexico City.

His pouch looks to be made from bobcat or possibly Mexican Jaguar (which likely had a much more extensive range during those times). Not having access to those furs in historically based tanning methods, I've made mine out of deer from the first deer I ever killed which I had the presence of mind to tan using a method that was pretty similar to methods available to settlers at the time. The horn is a Southern banded horn style that comes from North Carolina, where some of my ancestors from the Isaacks family who settled in Texas before the revolution hailed from before they came to Texas. If my research is correct, my great some odd grandmother died during the Runaway Scrape. While I can't find evidence of any direct ancestors fighting in the revolution, there were at least two lines of them who made it here and became Mexicans. The hunting pouch was made with materials and methods as close to accurate as possible to those that would have been available to the settlers of early Texas, and while I've cheated and used a modern drill for the powderhorn, it has so far been otherwise been constructed using only hand tools, and I will be using historically accurate methods such as traditional cuttler's resin to finish it out.

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

Will post an elk hunt recap later this week or over the weekend, but here's the Cliffs Notes:

-Northern New Mexico is stunning.

-Free range elk hunting is bad ass, and I will be back.

-Check your zero before you hunt so you don't shoot and miss at a bull.  Oof.

-A cow tastes the same as a bull.

-Deboning and prepping elk meat takes much longer than a whitetail. 

[deadshank 24651]

1 hour ago, Spaulding Smails said:

 

-Check your zero before you hunt so you don't shoot and miss at a bull.  Oof.

 

Say it ain’t so. 

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

2 hours ago, deadshank said:

Say it ain’t so. 

Yup.  Unfortunately, it's true.  I was driving tacks at 300 yds before I left.  Shot and missed a 240 yd shot.  Shooting circumstances were less than ideal, so I chalked it up to the Indian not the arrow.  The last night of the hunt, I shot the cow at 120 yds.  Spine shot her.  Thrice.  Finally walked up and put one in the head to get her down.  First three shots were all within a 6" radius through the spine.  I was aiming for the lungs.  I was 18" high at 120 yds, so 3' high on the 240 yd shot.  To add insult to injury, I blew big holes in both backstraps.  

I need to do some forensics this week.  Either the scope got bumped somehow, or I have something up with the mounts.  Regardless, it suuuuuuuckkkkked and I'm still kicking myself.   More details when I can upload pictures and post them.

[deadshank 24651]

1 hour ago, Spaulding Smails said:

Yup.  Unfortunately, it's true.  I was driving tacks at 300 yds before I left.  Shot and missed a 240 yd shot.  Shooting circumstances were less than ideal, so I chalked it up to the Indian not the arrow.  The last night of the hunt, I shot the cow at 120 yds.  Spine shot her.  Thrice.  Finally walked up and put one in the head to get her down.  First three shots were all within a 6" radius through the spine.  I was aiming for the lungs.  I was 18" high at 120 yds, so 3' high on the 240 yd shot.  To add insult to injury, I blew big holes in both backstraps.  

I need to do some forensics this week.  Either the scope got bumped somehow, or I have something up with the mounts.  Regardless, it suuuuuuuckkkkked and I'm still kicking myself.   More details when I can upload pictures and post them.

Dang.  That’s tough. You’ll get it resolved. 

[fattyflattie 4636]

Damn. That’s rough @Spaulding Smails 

[Ragde 244]

23 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

Yup.  Unfortunately, it's true.  I was driving tacks at 300 yds before I left.  Shot and missed a 240 yd shot.  Shooting circumstances were less than ideal, so I chalked it up to the Indian not the arrow.  The last night of the hunt, I shot the cow at 120 yds.  Spine shot her.  Thrice.  Finally walked up and put one in the head to get her down.  First three shots were all within a 6" radius through the spine.  I was aiming for the lungs.  I was 18" high at 120 yds, so 3' high on the 240 yd shot.  To add insult to injury, I blew big holes in both backstraps.  

I need to do some forensics this week.  Either the scope got bumped somehow, or I have something up with the mounts.  Regardless, it suuuuuuuckkkkked and I'm still kicking myself.   More details when I can upload pictures and post them.

I come to this board to read stuff that isn't a crotch kick. This hurt as bad as the game recap. Damn it man.

[fattyflattie 4636]

52 minutes ago, Ragde said:

I come to this board to read stuff that isn't a crotch kick. This hurt as bad as the game recap. Damn it man.

How's your lease mate doing? 

[Ragde 244]

1 hour ago, fattyflattie said:

How's your lease mate doing? 

Took a trip this Saturday to visit and drop off some things. Turns out small town Arkansas isn't the best place to stock up on topical burn creams and bandages. Also turns out small town Arkansas old people are quite unfamiliar with Amazon and having things delivered. They are getting better slowly. The lady is really just fighting an extremely bad sunburn. The gentleman has some tough days ahead. His arms and legs took the most damage. He gets his wounds cleaned and rebandaged twice a day and it takes about 4 hours to do each time. He should make a full recovery but it's going to be slow. He's come to terms with not hunting this year and has asked us to kill a couple of extra if we could. He takes care of a couple of families and needs 4 deer to not have to buy groceries. 

Edited October 25, 2022 by Ragde

[solamente73 1132]

@Spaulding Smails man, that’s a tough go.  Looking forward to the recap and forensics.  Still excited for you and your adventure, though.  New experiences and new learnings.  

————

I was fortunate last weekend to bring another into the fold.  A long-time friend had gotten into shooting the last few years, but he had never had the opportunity to actually go hunting.  He recently moved back to Texas, so I invited him up to the farm to help with hogs.  

Armed with his brand new Ruger Precision Rifle chambered in 6.5 Creed and a Sitemark Wraith, he made the trip.  I guided him through three long hunts.  The first night, we were down scope on a sounder when, literally about to take the shot, drunk neighbors unleashed the Second Tet Offensive on their gun range.  Pigs fled.  Nothing the rest of the long night.

The next morning came early, but the hogs didn’t show up until late morning, and when they did, they just barreled through the kill zone - no shot.

That night, for hours we heard pigs but they wouldn’t show.  Finally, a boar poked his head out from a tree line.  99 yards at night, one shot to put him down.  

I really like what @NotActuallyALonghorn posted about above - hunting can provide a pace that allows the hunter to immerse himself in nature… and therefore grow to appreciate it so much.  My friend got to experience that, and he’s now hooked.  

[Izhmash 558]

Damn - found out we are in a CWD zone and have to check all whitetail harvests. Kindof puts a damper on the excitement for me. Does anyone here have experience with the process?  Feeling a bit bummed…hoping to hear some positive experiences.
 

Location: Doss, TX

[fattyflattie 4636]

22 hours ago, Izhmash said:

Damn - found out we are in a CWD zone and have to check all whitetail harvests. Kindof puts a damper on the excitement for me. Does anyone here have experience with the process?  Feeling a bit bummed…hoping to hear some positive experiences.
 

Location: Doss, TX

I’ve heard it’s a minor inconvenience but nothing crazy. Ymmv. 

[HOOKEM4 5017]

23 hours ago, Izhmash said:

Damn - found out we are in a CWD zone and have to check all whitetail harvests. Kind of puts a damper on the excitement for me. Does anyone here have experience with the process?  Feeling a bit bummed…hoping to hear some positive experiences.
 

Location: Doss, TX

You have to drive a loooong way. That is the inconvenience. Your cwd check station is at I-10 and 2169 I think? That is where I go and it is right down the road. The process is easy unless you have a trophy buck. They like to be able to cut into the cheek and get the lymph node. I THINK they can get what they need from the spine if you keep 2 vertebrae but I am not sure. The process takes less than 10 min. The biologists will age your deer for you so I guess that is a perk.

Edited October 28, 2022 by HOOKEM4

[Judge Roybeanbag 11809]

My buddy took this nice 7 (8 without busted brow tine) at my place in Hays County with his bow.  Lung shot.  

[deadshank 24651]

A buck from this morning and another buck on protein pen game cam. 

[hookemATL 11609]

Any thoughts on age?  Shit pictures I know but was just curious. Pretty sure I saw him last year. 

[cknight 184]

Those pictures are tough to judge but without knowing your area or specifics I would guess 4.5. He still looks long legged especially in the second pic. Pretty deer

[deadshank 24651]

6 hours ago, hookemATL said:

Any thoughts on age?  Shit pictures I know but was just curious. Pretty sure I saw him last year. 

4.5 years

[BabaYaga 15210]

4.49 years....bunch of amateurs

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

Well, still no resolution on the scope fiasco after the elk hunt.  I got super busy this weekend and didn't have a chance to re-bore sight or shoot the rifle.  But, I had a conference call cancel this afternoon, so I did have a chance to upload photos.  As alluded earlier, it was an amazing trip.  Absolute bucket list.  Weather was perfect, and the hunting was a 9 out of 10.  Huge change from my Hill Country and South Texas experiences.  

We drove to Santa Fe Thursday in time to enjoy a great dinner and a few beers.  Had to be in Chama by 11 AM the next morning, so we had plenty of time to get situated and enjoy a big breakfast at the Elk Horn Cafe.  We met the outfitter and the other two groups (six hunters total, 2:1 hunter:guide ratio).  So, three guides, all unique and all great plus the camp cook.  BTW, the cook was amazing.  She was a blast and cooked some phenomenal meals. 

The drive from Chama was 90 minutes up and over the mountains through the Jicarilla Reservation.  Stunning country across what the guides called the "yellow brick road".

We unloaded our gear at the cabin.  Super comfortable.  Three bedrooms with pot-belly stoves in each room plus the living room and a cool wood-burning oven.  Propane for hot water and stove burners and a generator that they ran for an hour or two a day for lights and to charge electronics.  The cabin was right at 10,200' elevation with an incredible view across the Rio Brazos valley.  We had access to 6,500 acres straddling the river and elevations ranging from 9,000' to 11,500'.

We had a five day hunt.  The morning hunts were mostly spot and stalk.  We were week 5 of 5 (2 archery + 3 rifle).  So, the elk were timid but present.  According to the guides, the hunting pressure on adjacent public land had tapered off some.  Bugling was happening, but not as much as we'd hoped.  We targeted pastures interspersed in the timber.  If the elk were in the valleys it was pre-dawn or right before dusk. 

DAY 1:  We hunted the far end of the ranch where they had seen a few good bulls in recent weeks.  We saw several cow herds but no bulls.  It was the warmest day of the trip and we hiked our asses off. 

That evening, we split up.  The guide went with my buddy to a spot closer to the cabin where they had seen a nice herd bull earlier in the week.  I hunted solo in an adjacent pasture tucked back in a little spruce grove.  I saw a large group of cows at about 1000 yds, but nothing more.  Right before dusk, I heard what I thought was a buffalo stampede.  Four cows and a calf came hauling ass down the mountain and out of the timber DIRECTLY at me.  I legit thought they were going to run over me.  The cow with the calf finally spotted me at about 20 yds and slammed on the brakes.  The other three cows spooked and ran across the pasture, but I had a nice 30 second stare down with the single cow and her calf.  

Shortly before that encounter, I heard a shot nearby.  Sure enough, my buddy shot a nice 5x4 bull.  315 yd shot right through the heart.  We skinned and quartered it there.  I'm guessing it was about 700 lbs on the hoof.  Lots of bourbon that night to celebrate.

DAY 2:  We hunted a spot where they had success bow hunting in the morning.  It was some VERY thick timber with quite a few fallen timber areas.  A few more cows that morning, but not much more.  Lots of up and down hiking, and I think we did 6+ miles that morning.  That evening, we went to the far east side of the property to hunt a little draw that fed down to the river.  Sidebar... This property is surrounded by the reservation, the national forest and one other 10,000+ acre ranch... and a 350 acre parcel right in between which was about a 1/2 mile from where we were hunting.  At about 5 PM, the property owner on that little tract decided to start target practice.  Rifles, pistols, ARs.  More power to them, but boy did it fuck up our hunt.  My buddy was scouting near the river valley, and when the shooting started, he saw 3 bulls and about 40 cows come down out of the timber we were hunting.  We hunted the spot anyways and saw two cows plus that big group at over 1000 yds away.  Bummer.

DAY 3:  More of the same.  Thick timber, but this time it was right after the first hard freeze.  The aspen leaves were falling so fast that it sounded like rain.  Stalking was difficult, and we saw a few cows, but nothing more.  That evening, I went with the guide to a spot they called "The Horseshoe".  It was a cool draw with timber on three sides that fed down to the river.  We had a lone cow come out early and work her way down to the river.  About 20 min before shooting light was over, three cows came out followed by a nice bull.  They were at 370 yds and working away from us towards another draw that tied in with our draw and fed down to the river.  The guide decided we should work closer and try to hoof it down the draw to see if we could get a clear shot inside of 200 yds.  We got within about 240 yds when a cow spotted us.  She didn't bolt, but made an about-face and headed back into the timber.  The bull followed.  I hurriedly set up the shooting sticks, and when he stopped, I squeezed off a round.  I felt good about the shot, but wasn't as comfortable as I would've liked.  I still had my scope set at 300 yds, and I know I shot right over his back.  He didn't flinch, but headed into the timber before I could fire another round.  I was devastated.  We looked around, but didn't see any blood and called it a clean miss (which it was).  I chalked it up to rushing the shot and not dialing the scope down to 200 yds.  

DAY 4:  This morning was the most amazing hunt.  We were hunting the highest point of the ranch.  Just after daybreak, we had a big bugle very close by.  I set up the sticks, and the guide got about 60 yds behind me and started a cow call.  The bull was just on the other side of the ridge, but never showed through the timber.  In hindsight, I should've moved another 40 yds to the right, and I think I could've seen him at about 150 yds.  I set up too quick and obstructed some of my view lanes.  Two cows finally showed, and we never heard another bugle.  The rest of the morning was hard hiking.  We stumbled on some big rubs and bedding areas and caught a flashing glimpse of a bull running up the mountain.  Holy crap, they can move!  Fun hunt with lots of action.  We hunted the same spot in the evening and didn't see squat.

DAY 5:  The final day.  We hunted our asses off that morning and didn't shut it down until well after noon.  Had six bull encounters.  Two decent ones on the move and four smaller ones.  I had a nice look at 140 yds at a small bull, but didn't take it.  He wasn't big enough to justify hiking out.  We were in some nasty terrain and it would've been a beast to haul it out.  That evening, I went back to "The Horseshoe"... the same spot where I missed.  Walking in to the pasture, we came across a good group of cows and calves and just watched them for almost an hour, waiting to see if a bull joined.  They retreated into the timber but came back out about and hour before dusk.  I waited until last light (literally 5 min before shooting light was over) and decided to take a cow that was presumably dry and didn't have a calf nearby.  I shot her at 120 yds.  Right through the spine.  I fired twice more.  Same spot all three times, then finally walked up and dispatched her at 20 yds.  I was 18" high at 120 yds.  Unreal.  Then, I was really bummed about the previous miss.  I blew out big holes in both backstraps and obliterated on tenderloin completely.  But, I still came home with a ton of meat and a great memory.  And, Murphy was a happy dog once I had a chance to debone everything.  I'm going back in 2024 for sure.  

 

[Reagan1k 3016]

Gorgeous.  Thanks for sharing.

I need to do something like that!

[Reagan1k 3016]

Old straight eight.  Nothing spectacular, but this has low fence hill country hunting all over it.

30-40 years ago, he would have won the 50lbs of sirloin prize at Pinky's Grocery Store big buck contest.

First time he's made an appearance this year.

I do love wide, old, symmetrical eight.

 

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

Holy shit them are some long brow tines.

[686 3405]

Great write up @Spaulding Smails , thanks for sharing and great pics! That was a nice bull your partner got! Sucks about your scope - what cartridge and scope are you shooting if you don’t mind?

Do you think your elevation turret could have been turned a full revolution and you didn’t notice? That, or leaving the scope dialed up for some potential shot and forgetting to turn it back to zero is a fear of mine.

[williemackgarza 1826]

If you, or anyone wants to help, i can give my venmo info. Say a prayer and think happy thoughts is my only hope here tho.

I PMed you or you can post here. Sorry was outta town for a bit.

Also cool elk stories, all.

I go on my yearly panhandle hunt chasing whitetsils next week. I cant wait

[Reagan1k 3016]

8 hours ago, 686 said:

Do you think your elevation turret could have been turned a full revolution and you didn’t notice? That, or leaving the scope dialed up for some potential shot and forgetting to turn it back to zero is a fear of mine.

Great observation - good place to start.

One of my sons took a tuft of hair and hide off the back of a great buck at about 250 yards a few years back.  With his setup and a .300 Win he was on a dead center hold and had a rock solid rest. 

Buck actually dropped in his tracks, then stood up, shook himself off, and trotted away.  No blood - tracking dog spent hours on him and all he found was that tiny piece of hide and a little backstrap.  Bullet passed right above the spine and just skinned a little meat.

I don't recall the specific but his hunting partner finally pointed out that his turret was not set in place.  I think it was left in the adjustment position instead of locked down and had been spinning freely with any bumps in the truck.  Something to check anyway.