Hunting 24/25: big bucks and a lot of ducks!

[Herbie Hancock 7,452]

I know just who you need to call

[686 3,460]

Good luck, man!  So happy for (jealous of) you.  If you can, chronicle as you go.  Can’t wait for pics!

The four of us got to my buddy’s cabin this evening. Got our gear sorted and ready to go on horseback tomorrow AM. About 55 lbs per guy going on horseback (110 for each pack horse) and about 25 lbs on our backs. No cell service in the wilderness area, so I’ll be out of touch for awhile but will take pics and report back when we get back to town. Saw elk out grazing this afternoon in Chama when we were driving through, which gives me some hope that we’ll see animals out during hunting hours.

[Kennythetiger 9,584]

17 hours ago, Herbie Hancock said:

I know just who you need to call

Be back to shufflin’ them cards in no time. 

[BabaYaga 15,532]

On 10/9/2024 at 8:36 AM, cknight said:

Man of all the strange things that can happen. I was waking to my stand Sunday evening and had a mesquite thorn go all the way through my boots and puncture my foot. It's been 3 days and that sucker is still swollen up like a football. I want to hunt this cold front next week and hope it heals by then.

TLDR; I hate mesquites

 

Few years back.  Thankfully I have really high arches.  Felt "something" in the arch, thought it was a rock.  Cheap ass Academy hikers with a soft sole.  Even when it's hot, I'm wearing cowboy boots or Solomon hikers with a tougher sole.  ZERO tennis shoes.  Even for the kids.  Hard stop.

Mesquites are a beech.  Wish I could napalm them all.  

[BabaYaga 15,532]

9 hours ago, 686 said:

No cell service in the wilderness area,

Right.....

[hookemATL 12,228]

11 hours ago, 686 said:

The four of us got to my buddy’s cabin this evening. Got our gear sorted and ready to go on horseback tomorrow AM. About 55 lbs per guy going on horseback (110 for each pack horse) and about 25 lbs on our backs. No cell service in the wilderness area, so I’ll be out of touch for awhile but will take pics and report back when we get back to town. Saw elk out grazing this afternoon in Chama when we were driving through, which gives me some hope that we’ll see animals out during hunting hours.

Good luck and thanks again for sharing🤘
 

Be safe and watch for bears. 

[Frank Drebin 5,823]

On 10/10/2024 at 1:45 AM, 686 said:

The four of us got to my buddy’s cabin this evening. Got our gear sorted and ready to go on horseback tomorrow AM. About 55 lbs per guy going on horseback (110 for each pack horse) and about 25 lbs on our backs. No cell service in the wilderness area, so I’ll be out of touch for awhile but will take pics and report back when we get back to town. Saw elk out grazing this afternoon in Chama when we were driving through, which gives me some hope that we’ll see animals out during hunting hours.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,998]

I just now saw where TPWD has expanded doe days this season to pretty much the whole first month of the season for most East Texas counties. This is a great move, albeit slow in coming. Slowly but surely the general public is becoming more and more educated about basic deer management. When I took Wildlife 101 in 2004, the average age of a buck killed in East Texas was something like 1.9 years old. Since then we have seen antler restrictions and expanded doe days over much of the area. Harvesting a mature buck is no longer a rare occurrence for the average hunter. 

 

We still have a long way to go, with the ever shrinking plot size where people are hunting and the "I'd better shoot him now before the neighbors do" attitude, bu I believe the general public is seeing enough results to overcome resistance to regulations that should have been made years ago from a strictly management perspective. 

[Storm the Field 5,359]

Heading up to my lease on Friday for a final pre-season work weekend. Got a few remaining repair/upgrade projects left to knock out before the season starts and of course top off the feeders.  And what do you know, it just so happened to line up with the weekend that my MIL and wife's Aunt are coming to visit. Darn the luck!

Man, with the way the weather's been going lately, I'm starting to get worried that it's still going to be daytime highs in the mid-80's by the time opening weekend rolls around. Unseasonably warm weather seems to have altered the feeding schedules out at our place. Game cameras have been picking up animals coming out way later than usual in the past 10 days or so. Feeders go off around 7 in the morning and 5:30 in the evenings and the majority of the camera action has been well after dark since the calendar flipped to October. Saw what appears to be a solid 8 or 10 a few nights ago at 10 pm. Big pack of hogs at 2:30 am...etc.

Just curious, what time do the rest of y'all feed?

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,998]

I had a big pack of cows on mine from this past week. But I just have a cheap stand and feed covered in cattle panels and chicken wire and anchored with T-posts. Not all of us are bourgeoisie. 

[DalTxHornFan 3,130]

21 hours ago, Storm the Field said:

Just curious, what time do the rest of y'all feed?

All the feeders are set for 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. at my place.

[Ragde 258]

On 10/13/2024 at 4:54 PM, Storm the Field said:

Just curious, what time do the rest of y'all feed?

I'm at 8am and 4pm in prep for a 7/3 feed after time change. Too lazy to actually just go change it.

[Spaulding Smails 1,610]

19 hours ago, Ragde said:

I'm at 8am and 4pm in prep for a 7/3 feed after time change. Too lazy to actually just go change it.

3:00?  That seems crazy early.  Is this just a feeder you watch for enjoyment or one near a stand?  I'm 7:00 / 5:00 (post DST adjustment).  Keep it simple.  I hate when a feeder goes off too early in the morning.  You can hear them crunching corn and can't see shit.  And, in the evenings, I try to avoid climbing in the stand after the feeder's gone off.  I hunt after work on occasion, so it's tough to get there too early. 

I too subscribe to the "set it once" mentality.  I used to hunt with some old timers that seemingly needed a meteorological calendar, owners manual and abacus to figure out what time to set feeders.  Many an argument ensued, and it got pretty comical.  We had one guy that thought he had it all figured out.  He went and changed every feeder the week before DST.  I hunted the following weekend and couldn't figure out why the feeders didn't go off.  He had somehow moved the morning earlier and the evening later.  So, the feeders were going off at 5:30 AM and 7:30 PM.  

[Ragde 258]

21 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

3:00?  That seems crazy early.  Is this just a feeder you watch for enjoyment or one near a stand?  I'm 7:00 / 5:00 (post DST adjustment).  Keep it simple.  I hate when a feeder goes off too early in the morning.  You can hear them crunching corn and can't see shit.  And, in the evenings, I try to avoid climbing in the stand after the feeder's gone off.  I hunt after work on occasion, so it's tough to get there too early. 

I too subscribe to the "set it once" mentality.  I used to hunt with some old timers that seemingly needed a meteorological calendar, owners manual and abacus to figure out what time to set feeders.  Many an argument ensued, and it got pretty comical.  We had one guy that thought he had it all figured out.  He went and changed every feeder the week before DST.  I hunted the following weekend and couldn't figure out why the feeders didn't go off.  He had somehow moved the morning earlier and the evening later.  So, the feeders were going off at 5:30 AM and 7:30 PM.  

I hunt a weird valley in a dense creek bottom that gets dark early. Ive heard gun shots well before and well after possible for me. I have a gravity feeder at spot that i bow hunt.

[Spaulding Smails 1,610]

35 minutes ago, Ragde said:

I hunt a weird valley in a dense creek bottom that gets dark early. Ive heard gun shots well before and well after possible for me. I have a gravity feeder at spot that i bow hunt.

Makes total sense.  Second largest buck I ever shot was 1 PM while out on a walk.  Whatever works!

[Storm the Field 5,359]

I think I'm gonna adjust when I head out this weekend. Currently at 7:00 and 5:30. Probably move morning feed back and evening feed forward by 20 minutes each. This time of year you start losing close to 100 seconds of sunlight every day. By opening weekend, it won't officially be sunrise until close to 7:40. 

[Storm the Field 5,359]

10 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

He went and changed every feeder the week before DST.  I hunted the following weekend and couldn't figure out why the feeders didn't go off.  He had somehow moved the morning earlier and the evening later.  So, the feeders were going off at 5:30 AM and 7:30 PM.  

I actually did the opposite last year on one feeder. After hunting Saturday evening of Opening Day, I went and adjusted the clock for DST at the stand I was planning to hunt the next morning, except I went one hour in the wrong direction. Feeder went off at the exact moment as I was climbing out of the stand to go see why I hadn't heard it go off. D'oh.

Edited October 16 by Storm the Field

[fattyflattie 4,640]

It’s a point on contention between all the aggy engineers on our place (all but 2 of us). I often being it up in my quest for derision and entertainment.   

[Reagan1k 3,040]

Old, well fed buck had been MIA on any cameras since July.

Made an appearance when the weather cooled off.  Guessing he felt like posturing through as he never stopped to eat.

Appears to have gotten the attention he wanted.

 

[Izhmash 577]

18 hours ago, Reagan1k said:

Old, well fed buck had been MIA on any cameras since July.

Made an appearance when the weather cooled off.  Guessing he felt like posturing through as he never stopped to eat.

Appears to have gotten the attention he wanted.

Looks like a really cool non-typical growth just above his right eye (and perhaps a similar growth on the left side?). He definitely has those young bucks stirred up...lol.

[Jerry Callo 8,951]

Haven't been out to the dove lease in 4 or 5 weeks.   Woke up at 6 this morning and decided to go out and see. 

Birds or not, it's just a great way to start the morning. 

There were birds in the air and I ended up putting five on the ground.   I was alone and this place hunts better with two or three hunters down the fence line. 

Might go back out tomorrow morning. 

[Reagan1k 3,040]

6 hours ago, Izhmash said:

Looks like a really cool non-typical growth just above his right eye (and perhaps a similar growth on the left side?). He definitely has those young bucks stirred up...lol.

Yeah- he’s got a wonky  blade looking thing coming out of his base.  Wide and flat iirc.   He’s a load body-wise. 
That mature, sway-back characteristic doesn’t show as much in our hill country bucks as it does further south. 

[DixonHur 11,938]

Anyone have any WiFi trail camera recommendations?

[Handcruser 2,814]

I use SPYPOINT.

[686 3,460]

Back from my elk hunt. Tough hunting this year with the warm days, and cool, clear nights with a big bright moon.

We saw a really nice 6x6 two days before the season started, right by my buddy’s cabin. This split up our group, as two guys stayed to hunt this bull and two of us went with Plan A, which was hiking 5 miles into the wilderness to a big meadow at 10,800’. Here’s a photo of the bull through my phone scope at 800 yards.



We had a pack service haul about 70lbs each of our gear and we hiked in with about 20lb packs. Gear photo and camp photo.






We had a big herd of elk walk around our camp headed south out of the meadow the first night around midnight/1am. I woke up to loud hooves on the ground and a little bugle and cow calls. They were so close I thought they might trip in our tent lines.

More hunters came into the meadow the next day. None of us saw any elk once the season opened. We did multiple hikes around/outside of the meadow. The beetle kill deadfall was thick and really hard to traverse when you got off the trail or outside the meadow.




I did make some pretty great bacon and egg breakfast tacos on the hot tent stove.




Since we had the horses, brought a 12pack and sunk it in the creek. Work Crocs functioned well as camp shoes.



We bailed after 5 days in the meadow to head back to lower elevation spots we’ve hunted before to see if we could turn anything up, but the weather and moon were against us. It started snowing the last day of the season at high elevation and raining below about 10,000’.

In addition to the herd coming around our camp, which I’ll never forget, we also saw an albino or piebald muley doe. It was beautiful, snow white. I wish I had my spotting scope setup to get a good photo of it, but I left it at camp that morning. Here’s a lowsy photo from 500 yards. Also some typical nice 1st rifle season scenery photos.

[ABZ 71]

Very nice pictures from the elk hunt above. I got an elk on the first rifle hunt in Utah. My 3rd elk and biggest yet. Friend of a friend's ranch at 8500'. It's like an "elk lease". Friend hunting cows helped me call him in after over 2 hours. He eventually got curious and came out of the timber. Made him leave his cows. Elk here seem to have genetics primarily for 5x5. This one has 41" spread inside. Saw about 25 other elk, including two decent bulls and two spikes. Friend I was with on his first elk hunt shot 5x6 shortly after first light on the first morning. 

[Ragde 258]

My 1st Arkansas buck. Came in working a scrape line at 7:45. Lever action 357 worked really well. Nice entry with no pass through. All energy delivered and he laid straight down. 

[686 3,460]

[mention=8793]ABZ[/mention] what is your rifle setup?

Nice Bull!

[ABZ 71]

Thank you!

It's a Bergara B-14 Crest in 7mm PRC. I also used Sandman L suppressor. First year hunting elk with my own rifle. I've borrowed buddies' lightweight 7mm mags and .300 win mags previous years as I didn't want to carry around my Texas whitetail hunting, bull barrel .308.

What was your rifle set-up? 

[686 3,460]

@ABZ I’m shooting a Ruger American in 7PRC this year; up to now I’ve shot 300 Weatherby’s. I also shoot suppressed with an AB Raptor.

What range was the bull, what ammo were you shooting, and how was the bullet performance?

[ABZ 71]

29 minutes ago, 686 said:

@ABZ I’m shooting a Ruger American in 7PRC this year; up to now I’ve shot 300 Weatherby’s. I also shoot suppressed with an AB Raptor.

What range was the bull, what ammo were you shooting, and how was the bullet performance?

Nice on the 7PRC. I really like the round. The shot was 315 yards. We were calling from the opposite of the relatively narrow canyon with the sun to our backs. I shot 175 grain ELD-X. I didn't find the bullet, but I got pass through with a good exit wound, got lungs and somehow hit bottom of spine too. Bull didn't move a muscle. Friend who shot the 5x6 that I mentioned above, shot the same 7PRC ammo at 375 yards and I was told the bull didn't really go anywhere either. 

[hornmpa96 2,651]

Target buck has been identified. I’m already 4 sits into hunting this deer. We will see if he can break last year’s record of over 20 sits. The brush is fairly lush at the ranch so I’m not seeing a ton of deer movement yet.

[686 3,460]

Great buck @hornmpa96

I would propose “Tumbleweed” if someone hasn’t already named him.

[BabaYaga 15,532]

Big.  Boy.

I don't usually get the yips on big deer, but that big toad might be the exception

[Storm the Field 5,359]

On 10/13/2024 at 4:54 PM, Storm the Field said:

Man, with the way the weather's been going lately, I'm starting to get worried that it's still going to be daytime highs in the mid-80's by the time opening weekend rolls around. 

 Current forecast for Opening Day is low 80's and 50% chance of rain.

It'd be comical if it wasn't so predictable. 

[Storm the Field 5,359]

2 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Big.  Boy.

I don't usually get the yips on big deer, but that big toad might be the exception

I'd almost certainly be shaking and would need to spend a minute or two taking deep breaths after sticking my rifle on the window of the stand.

Edited October 23 by Storm the Field

[RMac5 1,551]

12 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Big.  Boy.

I don't usually get the yips on big deer, but that big toad might be the exception

I get em with all deer, I’m using a bow and typically about 20 yards. Hate the yips!

[686 3,460]

Three years ago, my elk hunting partner was shaking so bad when a shooter bull walked out (at 600 yards) that he couldn’t hold his phone still enough to read his dope chart. He could barely hold his phone. He hands the phone to me and asks what the holdover is, and I’m trying to calmly explain to him, “if you can’t hold still enough to read your phone there’s no way in hell you’re making a 600 yard shot..”; and he says “just give me the holdover”; ok.. and I watch through the binos as he airballs 4 shots at this bull. There was high grass between us and the bull, and all around the bull, so I can’t see any splash of his shots. He’s getting pissed at me because I’m not giving him the splash. He starts reloading and Im asking him “how far have you shot that rifle at paper?”, which he bristles at; Finally the bull wanders off, never having picked up his head from feeding during these shenanigans. The only thing additional we needed was some Benny Hill /Yakety Sax.

[686 3,460]

@Ragde what range did you shoot the buck with the 357? I always thought a 357 lever gun would be really handy.

[Dignan 381]

What do you think of this guy? East Texas buck that started showing up recently. Best buck I've seen on the land I go to for quite some time. 

[Storm the Field 5,359]

10 minutes ago, Dignan said:

What do you think of this guy? East Texas buck that started showing up recently. Best buck I've seen on the land I go to for quite some time. 

That's a damn good buck for East Texas.

Belly looks taut and trim, so I can't imagine he's much more than about 3 years old. Ideally, he'd get another year or two to age and breed, but out where we hunt, he'd likely get shot on sight. No high fences, so if you don't shoot him, someone on a neighboring property certainly will.

Edited October 24 by Storm the Field

[Ragde 258]

11 hours ago, 686 said:

@Ragde what range did you shoot the buck with the 357? I always thought a 357 lever gun would be really handy.

30 yards. Arkansas changed black powder season to alternative firearms so we can use straight wall cartridges. This is the perfect gun for the creek bottoms i hunt. Can't wait to get it back out and get a bit longer shot.

[Dignan 381]

That's a damn good buck for East Texas.
Belly looks taut and trim, so I can't imagine he's much more than about 3 years old. Ideally, he'd get another year or two to age and breed, but out where we hunt, he'd likely get shot on sight. No high fences, so if you don't shoot him, someone on a neighboring property certainly will.

Was thinking the same thing. Seems young, but he won’t make it until next year I fear.

[BabaYaga 15,532]

14 hours ago, 686 said:

@Ragde what range did you shoot the buck with the 357? I always thought a 357 lever gun would be really handy.

.357 out of a longer barrel completely changes the caliber.  With handloads, you can get close to lower-end 30-30 ballistics.  Great, great truck gun option.  

[Ragde 258]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

.357 out of a longer barrel completely changes the caliber.  With handloads, you can get close to lower-end 30-30 ballistics.  Great, great truck gun option.  

Great entry with no pass through. All energy was delivered on impact and he took literally 0 steps. Cleanest I’ve had one lay down but I typically shoot a 6.5 cm. 

[BabaYaga 15,532]

1 hour ago, Ragde said:

Great entry with no pass through. All energy was delivered on impact and he took literally 0 steps. Cleanest I’ve had one lay down but I typically shoot a 6.5 cm. 

6.5CM is a great round, but it was made to have a very high ballistic coefficient, not dump all it's energy in hunting applications.  It's a long, thin round.  .357 hits like a brick.  Not great at longer ranges, but as stated, it's a MF'er under 100yds.  

[Ragde 258]

38 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

6.5CM is a great round, but it was made to have a very high ballistic coefficient, not dump all it's energy in hunting applications.  It's a long, thin round.  .357 hits like a brick.  Not great at longer ranges, but as stated, it's a MF'er under 100yds.  

I’m a relatively new hunter and only own the 1 rifle. When I was getting ready to purchase the gun I asked multiple people what I should get. Most answered “if I was buying a gun now I’d buy a 6.5”. What didn’t get said was they all owned multiple other calibers and it would add to the collection…not start it. I should have asked better questions. 

[BabaYaga 15,532]

6 minutes ago, Ragde said:

I’m a relatively new hunter and only own the 1 rifle. When I was getting ready to purchase the gun I asked multiple people what I should get. Most answered “if I was buying a gun now I’d buy a 6.5”. What didn’t get said was they all owned multiple other calibers and it would add to the collection…not start it. I should have asked better questions. 

lol, yeah.  So you have to take the firearms industry and zoom out.  VERY little has changed in the way of gun manufacturing designs over the last hundred years minus optics and stock designs (carbon fiber, synthetics, etc).  The first gas-operated rifle (think AR) was patented back in the 1800's.  Bolt-action rifles commonly used for hunting go back even further. 

So what changes?  Calibers.  You have this flurry every few years of "new and improved" caliber choices.  Creedmoor is all the rage right now.  Before that you had the WSM's.  Then the Lapua and Weatherby options.  The venerable .270 used to called a "wildcat" round when they necked down the 30-06 to make a flatter, faster round.  Then they said what the hell, knocked down more and you have the 25-06.  

6.5CM is a fine choice, but the round needs to be based upon it's application.  Deer/hog hunting.  It's great.  I'd just make sure you are using the proper hunting ammunition so that flat, fast round expands properly

[sith_horn 2,486]

3 hours ago, Ragde said:

I’m a relatively new hunter and only own the 1 rifle. When I was getting ready to purchase the gun I asked multiple people what I should get. Most answered “if I was buying a gun now I’d buy a 6.5”. What didn’t get said was they all owned multiple other calibers and it would add to the collection…not start it. I should have asked better questions. 

I'd probably have recommended a .308 Win.

[DalTxHornFan 3,130]

6 minutes ago, sith_horn said:

I'd probably have recommended a .308 Win.

That's my gun.  An inherited Savage 99 with a lever action.  Great gun. 

I started my son out with a .243.  Less kick and fine for close in shots that you want kids to take when they are learning.