We Should Do a Book

[TexasAggie'16]

this is awesome!

[M.E.B.]

Little Pop Up On The Prairie

So last summer I went to Montana to mule deer hunt a place I had hunted the year before. The mule deer hunting was not as good as it was before due to a lack of rain affect on the alfalfa fields.

So midday on day 5 of a 6 day hunt I put a pop up near (15 yds) a water tank to try my hand at antelope hunting. I had tags for mule deer and antelope bucks or does. At this point I was willing to shoot a doe mule deer or antelope doe. A buck of either would just be icing on the cake. I am used to hunting popups in the brush. I can sit there for hours without seeing anything in anticipation. Its a head game I guess. I can envision an animal stepping out from behind the closest bush at any second.

Well this set up was to really test my patience. I could see forever in all directions. There was nothing to see and not a bush for something to appear from behind. I was about to go nuts. It had to be about 120 degrees in there. After about 2 hrs (an enternity) a couple of antelope does showed up on the hill and bedded down skylighted about 300 yds out. They just laid there looking toward my blind. After about 3 hours of this I was about to go NUTS.

Finally the antelope does stood up and began walking towards the water tank. It seemed to take forever but after a bit they were standing there 20 yds out staring at my blind. All I had was a frontal shot at the two antelope so I just sat there and waited.

Next thing I notice is a perfect walking shadow silhouette of a doe against the pop up. This deer came from directly downwind and is now standing 5 yds from my blind watching the antelope giving me a perfect angling away shot. Now the only mule deer I had seen out in those open pastures were in large groups and always had 2-3 nice bucks in them. So instead of taking the shot I ease up and peek out a crack in the rear of the blind. Nope just two does and two fawns.

I sit back down just in time to see the doe antelope walking away. The two doe and fawn antelope go to the tank. I am now offered a shot at doe drinking 13 yds away. She is facing so that I have a good broadside shot but her head is facing towards the blind. But I'm in a popup so I figure all is well. I raise my arm and the deer and I both notice at the same time that my bow arm is out of the shadow of the back of the blind and is now lit up by the sun shining through the window. Close but no cigar .2 seconds later I am again alone in my Little Pop Up On The Prairie.

[Phillip Fields]

Good story Mike.

[M.E.B.]

I probably should have added this last sentence. "And I whimpered a little. Like a puppy." :-(

[chackworth3]

Great stories y'all! Nice pronghorn Phillip

[M.E.B.]

Ok I'm on vacation in Silverton Co with a lot of time on my hands. This is a bowhunting story only because I was bowhunting when it happened........

First Turkey Short Story

Several years back about 20ish, yeah I'm getting old, I took my buddy to my Llano lease to bowhunt for hogs. It was during spring turkey season but we did not have many turkerys on this lease and I had not even given it a thought.

Well we were walking around and had actually blown a stalk or two when my buddy said "Hey Mike theres a turkey." I said "Where?" "Right over there." he said. I saw the turkey and said something along the lines of "Yeah cool." He said "Shoot it."

Well Ted had always been a gun hunter and I laughed. "Ted there is no way I can shoot that bird from this far off with this recurve." He said "No with that pistol on your hip." Well I had killed a few deer and hogs with the open sighted Smith and Wesson 586 357 but they were all within 30 yds.

I said "Yeah right." He said "The worse thing that could happen is that you will miss." So I sat down and put the pistol against my leg. I aimed and reaimed and aimed again. I pulled the trigger. Feathers flew. The turkey jumped about 3' in the air hit the ground. Jumped back up. Flew 30 yds and then crashed and burned. Ted yelled "You hit it!" He actually sounded surprised. I said as calmly as I could "Of course I hit it. I shot at it didn'nt I?"

We paced it off at 97 yds. I have had to call upon him a few times over the years to vouch for me. I would be hard pressed to pull it off again but the moon and stars lined up that day.

[4dog]

good stories..all of them!

[M.E.B.]

The next two stories are from the same hunt on the Dos XX ranch in Sabinal.

Boar Charge

My buddy Lance and I went down to the Dos XX ranch in Sabinal several years back. We were hog hunting. We stalked through the brush and had spooked several of the hogs but had no shots. We were back at camp cooling off as it was summer time and we asked the ranch manager for suggestions. He told us that after the hogs got harrashed by hunters they would go bed down out in the open pastures. We were a bit skeptical but decided to give it a shot.

We started walking across one of the open fields. The fields had about calf high grass in them. After a bit I looked up and saw two hogs about 250 lbs laying side by side asleep. They were in the wide open. Since I had spied them first I got first crack at one of them. I told Lance to hang back about twenty yards and if one of them came running past after I shot to give it a whirl.

I was worried as there was nothing to hide behind after the shot. I would be standing in the wide open after the hog was arrowed. I had killed a lot of hogs before but never one this big. I was shooting a Massie Longhorn longbow. I stalked up to within 10 yds of the sleeping hogs. I postitioned myself to take a sharp angling shot as I did not want the hogs to see me after the shot.

I threw back and hit the nearest hog right behind the last rib. I achieved excellent penetration. The hog on the far side ran straight away when it heard its buddy scream. The hog that I shot jumped up and ran hooking away from me and straight towards Lance. Lance was about 20 yds away and was raising up to shoot the charging hog. I was getting a front row seat of a real hog charge. Just before Lance shot, the hog saw Lance and turned away from him. The hog was now headed my way.

It got real really fast then. When the hog saw me instead of turning he kicked it up a gear and ran faster. He wanted to get him some. He went from 20 yds to 10 very quickly. I raised and drew my bow and in a micro-second decided that when the hog got within 5 yds I would shoot because I knew I would only have one shot and I did not want to miss. The hog made it to 10 yds and dropped like a sack of bricks. Upon inspection we found that he was shot through both lungs and the heart. It was the most excitement I had ever had during a hunt. He weighed in at 250 lbs.

[M.E.B.]

I Shot A Small Hog

So this story picks up later that night. Lance and I are trying to get him a hog before we leave for home. Lance stalks up on about a 150 lb hog and hits it somewhere in the shoulder/leg area. The arrow hits with a crack and then we hear snap and the arrow just falls out of the pig. The hog runs and I trail behind it as far as I can. It runs out into the pasture that I had killed my hog in. I cannot keep up and it gets away.

I go over to Lance and he is not happy. After penetrating about 3/4" the Magnus broadhead had snapped in two. Magnus later replaced 2 dozen heads for us. The temper was not right. When we are standing there we see two different groups of hogs. It is getting dark quickly and we split up to give it one last try. I saw two good sized hogs trotting down the road towards me. It is almost dark. I step about 10 yds into the brush to hide. I have about a 10' shooting window.

I wait. I see them coming and I draw back. The black hog stepped through the shooting window too quickly for me to get on him. I am still at full draw so I swing back to the left to be ready for the second hog which is trailing behind. The second hog enters my gap in the brush and I swing with the walking hog and make a very good shot close behind the front leg. The hog tears through the brush about 10' to my right and I hear the brush breaking and popping as it bulls its way through. I think cool a 50 lber is gonna be easy to drag, quick to clean and we're headed home.

I hook back up with Lance who did not have a much luck as I. He asked how I did and I told him that I had shot a 50 lb hog and lets go get it and head home. We pick up a spotty blood trail. Lance is one of the best trackers I have ever hunted with and he got us going good. After a bit the trail got much better. Pretty soon he shines his flash light on a tree that is about as big around as my wrist. There is blood wiped on it. Cool. He then runs the light up the tree which is about 10-12 tall and there is blood the entire lenght of the tree.

I said "Holy crap how did that hog spray blood that high." Lance says "He did not spray blood that high. Look at the tracks. The hog ran straight into the tree, laid it over, and ran down the length of it. How big was that hog?" I said "Pretty small about 50 lbs." Lance took the lead and about 10 yds further up he says "I found your tiny hog." The hog was another 250 lb boar. I swear in the heat of battle I thought it was a tiny hog.

I have one more hog story better than these two I'll write tomorrow if you are willing to read it. As I said I am in Silverton Co and have nothing but time...........

[M.E.B.]

Well I'm holed up in the camper in Gunnison Co. Its been raining. So I guess I'll bore ya with one more story. I have a bit of bourbon in me so please forgive any grammer or mispelings.

250 lb Boar Assist

My two sons, Chris (TradAg02), Dusty, Lance and I went back down to the Dos XX to hog hunt. We kinda spread out and were all stalking in the brush. I heard some commotion in the brush up ahead and one of them said the hogs were heading my way. I got behind a bush. I was on the edge of a road so I could see good in both directions.

Well nothing came from in front of me but I heard something coming from behind. I glanced that way and saw a 75 lb hog running from behind for reasons unknown. He was coming at a pretty good clip. I raised my longbow up and led him quite a bit. He was about 18 yards away when the arrow hit him.

The arrow hit him high in the shoulder and did not get as much penetration as I would have liked. He ran towards the other guys. They never saw him and I never saw the hogs that were supposed to be headed my way.

Later in the day we went to one of the open fields that were mentioned in a previous story to look for hogs. Chris, Dusty and I got to the edge of the field and my hog was running around out there with my all white arrow stuck in him like a whip antenna. We made a quick plan. I was to push the hog towards a cross fence. Chris who was and still is the best shot was to set up on the opposite side of the fence at about 15 yards. Dusty was to set up beside the fence. The plan was for me to push the hog to the fence. The hog to hit the fence and follow it towards Dusty. Once he saw Dusty we figured he would slow and Chris would put an arrow into him.

Well it was a good PLAN. I pushed the hog towards the fence and he was just walking fast. He hit the fence and turned towards Dusty. So far so good. But when he saw Dusty he kicked it in gear and charged from about 25 yards out full steam ahead growling the whole way. Chris missed the running shot. Dust who was about 17 at the time came to full draw on the hog but when the hog was at about 10 yds he let down the bow and jumped on the second to the top strand of the fence while holding onto the fence post. The hog ran and jumped up at Dusty. The hog then attempted to run under the bottom strand of the fence and ran into the barbed wire. The wire went into his mouth and broke his jaw. The second try was better and he was gone.

I ran over to Dusty to laugh at him for loosing his nerve. That was short lived as his hand was bleeding badly. He was the only one of us shooting a compound. When the bow broke over when he let it down/dropped the bow, the arrow jumped off of the rest and cut his palm and finger badly. I did asked why he did not shoot the hog as we walked back to the truck. He said "You would have ran too with a 250 lb hog running at you!" I said Dusty that hog is MAYBE 75 lbs." Dusty said "B/S he is 250!"

I got Dusty to camp and washed his hand and he was cut really deep and long. I loaned him my truck as it was an automatic and his was a standard, he had driven down alone after work. He drove himself to the emergency clinic for stiches. Man his mom chewed me out for not taking her baby there myself instead of continued hunting.

A few hours later Lance and I where hunting fairly close and I hear him calling for me. I work my way over there and he is standing over a dead hog. He said he was stalking through the bushes and found a sleeping hog. He snuck up on it and shot it still sleeping from about 10 yds. The hog never moved. He crawled into the bushes and dragged him out. Upon inspection he found my arrow broken off in the shoulder. Evidently running around all day the broadhead had finally done enough damage to kill it. The hog was still fresh so we brought it to camp and laid it down in from of the cabin.

Before we got ready to skin it Dusty comes driving up. He asked "Who killed the hog?" I said "I did. I figure he would go about 250 lbs." Dusty said "What?" I said "Thats a 250 lb hog." Dusty said "That hog is closer to 50 lbs than 250." I said "Thats not what you said a couple of hours ago." He did not believe that it was HIS attack hog until he saw my broadhead still stuck in the shoulder. It was a wild day.

I sure miss the Dos XX.

[M.E.B.]

Well I'm holed up in the camper in Gunnison Co. Its been raining. So I guess I'll bore ya with one more story. I have a bit of bourbon in me so please forgive any grammer or mispelings.

200 lb Boar Assist

My two sons, Chris (TradAg02), Dusty, Lance and I went back down to the Dos XX to hog hunt. We kinda spread out and were all stalking in the brush. I heard some commotion in the brush up ahead and one of them said the hogs were heading my way. I got behind a bush. I was on the edge of a road so I could see good in both directions.

Well nothing came from in front of me but I heard something coming from behind. I glanced that way and saw a 75 lb hog running from behind for reasons unknown. He was coming at a pretty good clip. I raised my longbow up and led him quite a bit. He was about 18 yards away when the arrow hit him.

The arrow hit him high in the shoulder and did not get as much penetration as I would have liked. He ran towards the other guys. They never saw him and I never saw the hogs that were supposed to be headed my way.

Later in the day we went to one of the open fields that were mentioned in a previous story to look for hogs. Chris, Dusty and I got to the edge of the field and my hog was running around out there with my all white arrow stuck in him like a whip antenna. We made a quick plan. I was to push the hog towards a cross fence. Chris who was and still is the best shot was to set up on the opposite side of the fence at about 15 yards. Dusty was to set up beside the fence. The plan was for me to push the hog to the fence. The hog to hit the fence and follow it towards Dusty. Once he saw Dusty we figured he would slow and Chris would put an arrow into him.

Well it was a good PLAN. I pushed the hog towards the fence and he was just walking fast. He hit the fence and turned towards Dusty. So far so good. But when he saw Dusty he kicked it in gear and charged from about 25 yards out full steam ahead growling the whole way. Chris missed the running shot. Dust who was about 17 at the time came to full draw on the hog but when the hog was at about 10 yds he let down the bow and jumped on the second to the top strand of the fence while holding onto the fence post. The hog ran and jumped up at Dusty. The hog then attempted to run under the bottom strand of the fence and ran into the barbed wire. The wire went into his mouth and broke his jaw. The second try was better and he was gone.

I ran over to Dusty to laugh at him for loosing his nerve. That was short lived as his hand was bleeding badly. He was the only one of us shooting a compound. When the bow broke over when he let it down/dropped the bow, the arrow jumped off of the rest and cut his palm and finger badly. I did asked why he did not shoot the hog as we walked back to the truck. He said "You would have ran too with a 250 lb hog running at you!" I said Dusty that hog is MAYBE 75 lbs." Dusty said "B/S he is 250!"

I got Dusty to camp and washed his hand and he was cut really deep and long. I loaned him my truck as it was an automatic and his was a standard, he had driven down alone after work. He drove himself to the emergency clinic for stiches. Man his mom chewed me out for not taking her baby there myself instead of continued hunting.

A few hours later Lance and I where hunting fairly close and I hear him calling for me. I work my way over there and he is standing over a dead hog. He said he was stalking through the bushes and found a sleeping hog. He snuck up on it and shot it still sleeping from about 10 yds. The hog never moved. He crawled into the bushes and dragged him out. Upon inspection he found my arrow broken off in the shoulder. Evidently running around all day the broadhead had finally done enough damage to kill it. The hog was still fresh so we brought it to camp and laid it down in from of the cabin.

Before we got ready to skin it Dusty comes driving up. He asked "Who killed the hog?" I said "I did. I figure he would go about 250 lbs." Dusty said "What?" I said "Thats a 250 lb hog." Dusty said "That hog is closer to 50 lbs than 250." I said "Thats not what you said a couple of hours ago." He did not believe that it was HIS attack hog until he saw my broadhead still stuck in the shoulder. It was a wild day.

I sure miss the Dos XX.

[Stykbow]

Thanks M.E.B. thats was a great story !

[M.E.B.]

Take That!

So several years ago Lance and I had a deer lease in Fredericksburg. It was 250 acres owned by a retired VP for Oxidental Oil Company. He had great pride in his little ranch and it was manicured like a golf course. He was the best rancher we ever had the pleasure to do business with and we leased from him for about 7 yrs until he sold the property.

The property was divided in half by a fence and we refered to it as the front and back. Very creative of us. We had alot of deer but we did not have very many good bucks. A good buck on that place was about a 100"er. I went entire seasons weeding out the doe population.

This year we had a good buck. I hunted for him through Oct with no luck. For some reason one trip I thought he was hanging up in the front half of the lease. I had a lock on set up in a small pecan grove. I was sitting there with the intent of not shooting anything but him.

Well I look up and I see HER. I had named HER the Bit--. A group of calm does would come in and began eating. Then SHE would come in a few minutes later and throw a hissy fit. She never seemed to know WHERE I WAS but KNEW I WAS THERE SOMEPLACE. She would throw a commiption fit until everything left. During a normal year I would had killed at least two doe by then. I was sitting on a big ZERO.

She walked in for the first time alone. She acted like she did not have a care in the world. Put her head down and starting eating at 15 yards. About 30 secs later she was running off with my arrow centered in her lungs. As I said this place was manicured like a golf course. No under brush. She laid down about 60 yards away with her head up for about 5 mins and then it was over. I was surprised she lasted that long.

Right before I started to climb down HE showed up in all of his 18" spread 115" glory. He started to my stand but was close enough to her that he saw her and walked over there. He looked down at her and snorted. When she did not respond he reared back, raised his front hooves off of the ground a bit and then drove his antlers into her rib cage. When he still did not get a response he backed up a few steps and repeated the ramming. He then walked a stiffed legged half circle around her and trotted off jumping the fence to the back half. I got down and took her to camp but now slightly disappointed that I did not wait on the buck. But I still had a warm feeling about shooting HER.

About two weeks later the big boy came walking into my stand in the back half during an evening hunt and cut a doe out never to return. The next evening he came in again to cut another doe out. I thought oh no who don't. I raised and tried to put an arrow behind his last rib and into his heart. He was walking and I did not lead quite enough but the arrow dead centered his liver and he was the largest buck that I had killed for several years.

[bm22]

Great stuff Mike, that story in Tilden about the buck Lance shot was always a good one if you get time.

[M.E.B.]

Oh YEAH. Thats a GREAT STORY!

I'll even act like you were really there since you're son #3. :-)