Velvet Fallow at Cactus Creek

[StevenW]

Me and Shawn (Nature Boy) went to cactus creek last weekend and both connected on some nice fallow bucks. No LDPs because when we found mine he already had ants on him and we had to hurry to get him cleaned and in the freezer.

[DorothyNotKeegan]

What the hell did you shoot that with man?

Nice by the way...

[StevenW]

An axe!


No, I shot it with a 2 blade bloodrunner out of my Alphamax. It opens them up real good.

[DorothyNotKeegan]

Dang.....sure is a nice hole. I'd send that to NAP and tell them you want some promotional money!

[KIDD]

that is an insane hole, wow. congrats on the fallow bucks.

[deercrazy]

You hunting with a chain saw? thats what i call a hole.

[StevenW]

We got there Friday afternoon and rode around to check out all the stands. We had been told a few weeks ago the fallow wouldn't be even close to ready to shoot, but were told if we seen one we like then go for it. I went down there not expecting to shoot anything other than a cfew hogs and a doe or two. Well, while riding around we spotted a group of 7 spotted fallow. Two of them looked good and then the big one stood up and I decided immediately that if he came within range while on stand I was gonna let him have it.
Fast forward to friday evening around 6:30, we were hanging out in camp getting our stuff ready to go out to the stand. There is an old cattle trailer set up as a blind over a protein feeder about 60 yards from camp. Me and Shawn had decided to sit there together that evening since I was looking for the fallow and he was looking for a big Axis that we had seen earlier. Well, when we stepped out of the cabin onto the porch, All 7 Fallow were already at the protein feeder. So I decided to try to stalk up to them. I made it all the way to behind the cattle trailer and was about 30 yards from them. I dreww back and stepped out from behind the trailer and waited for a shot on the big one but never got it before they busted me.
We decided to go ahead and get in the blind in hopes that they would come back. Once we got all settled in, we sat there for just a few minutes before we saw a few of them back in the creek bottom. The big one was one of them. He headed back in towards the feeder but decided to take a nap first and laid down in the bottom about 100 yards out. There were some rams and 2 axis does hanging around while we waited and one really nice blackbuck, about 20" or so. Eventually, the big fallow got up and headed towards the feeder so I got my bow ready. Apparently the other bucks were right there with him but just out of view because once he started to come in, they all were right there.
They made it into the protein feeder accompanied by a couple rams. The big one was on the back side and was not offering a shot. Eventually the fallow that was between me and the big one moved and I had a clear shot on his vitals under one of the spouts that the feed comes out of but didn't feel comfortable with the shot, knowing I had plenty of time.
Finally he stepped around to the spout on the far side that was closest to me and gave me a quartering towards shot. As soon as I drew back a ran stepped in the way with his head right in front of the big fallows vitals. So I let down and waited. After a few minutes the big fallow turned around like he was going to walk away to my left and offered me a slightly quartering away shot at about 26-27 yards. So I split my pins, the 30 pin at the bottom of the heart, and the 20 pin about halfway up the lungs. I waited for just a second and let one fly. It was a perfect shot, looked like it should have hit the heart and stopped in the offside shoulder. He took off through the woods to the left.
We waited a while in hopes the axis would come in for Shawn but nothing else showed up so we decided to get out of the stand at about 8:30. We followed decent blood for about 40 yards and then it just stopped. We decided to just keep going in the direction he was headed, with me going a little to the left and Shawn going more to the right about 60 yards apart. Eventually I looked over and seen him laying under a tree and told Shawn there he was at the same time he looked over and saw him.
When We got to him he was COVERED in ants. They were everywhere so we decided to just get him cleaned up and in the freezer ASAP. I can't believe that this deer ran 300-400 yards from where he was shot. Every artery off the top of the heart was severed and he had holes through both lungs.

[bear]

wow, now thats a hole beautiful and good tastin' critters yall got there

[bu2herndog]

Congrats, good looking fallow, that hole is massive.

[Cooper]

Congrats!

[The Taxidermist]

Great trophies especialy when their in velvet.

[The Manager]

My story is not so glamerous. I got in the trailer Saturday morning about 6:50, my fallow came in about 7:00am and i was done by 7:05. Short and sweet. Shot a little high and he dropped where he stood so there was no tracking involved. It was a great huntand a great time as always with StevenW. To close it out I was able to seal the deal on a good eating sized hog Saturday evening.

[The Manager]

Have not forgot about you Wayne. I just was not sure how to transport the antlers in this heat with them still being in velvet. So I left them with a taxidermist down by the ranch.

[cajunguy88]

Congrats on the nice fallows!

[DUCKORBLEED]

that hole is massive!!! I bet he didnt go far if anywhere at all