KCA, Bobby and John!!!!
I have wanted to hunt So Texas for some time now. The lure of nice bucks for sure, different terrain than any I have hunted, absolutely, and most of all, for Bobby and John.
A huge thank you goes out first to Karl Dickenson for wanting to donate this hunt for the KCA for Bobby and John fundraising auctions that fellow TBH'ers started in a rather impromptu fashion.
The next thank you goes to Rene (RedArrow) for talking with Karl and telling him about the KCA auctions. Rene did everything he said he would do and then some. He is a master at picking spots in this terrain and setting up blinds and knowing the strategies that work best for the deer in this part of the world. I watched. I learned. And I came home with a buck!!! He is also every bit as good at cooking some fabulous meals as well. Another thank you goes to Chris, the manager, for picking the places on the ranch that would help me be successful.
Once again, I missed taking the pics of the food. It was fried gator, fish and home sliced french fries the first night. Crawfish Etouffe the 2nd and ribeyes the third. My belly was very happy!!!!!
I arrived at the ranch around noonish and with that Rene, his lovely wife Carrie and I went out to set up a blind for my evening hunt. This was an area on the "Longhorn sendero" that some good deer have been seen, as early as earlier in the am. Got the blind made and 2 "cribs" set up and then back to camp for a little rest then shower and hunt.
Within minutes of getting set in the blind, I had quail in front and beside me. A huge, huge type of Dove, a couple of them, also some absolutely., positively gorgeous green jays. They are primarily a couple shades of green. One shade like the color of grass in the spring and another with more yellow in the green, slightly more yellow than lime green. Some blue and black around the head and when they fly and the tail is spread, green, limish and blue is what you see. Good size to the as well. I would say a bit bigger than the blue jay.
In short order I had a 4 different bucks show up. One was a cull 6 pointer, 4 ½ year old on the hit list. 4 up on the left side, with 1 large cow horn on the right with a 1 inch point on it. A nice 2 1/2 maybe 3 1/2 yr old 9 pointer probably around 120 class. He came and went as was spooky the whole time there. He moved away but came back a short time later. I thought he would move into an area that I could get the camera on, but he spied movement every time I tried to hit record. He then moved in front of me and began to posture with each step. The next thing, before I knew it, WHAM!!!!! The sound of antlers clashing. Then I saw a blob of black pushing the 9 into the cactus and mesquites. Strangely, my 1st thought was he was fighting with a big hog, but, then I thought, heck no, I heard the antlers clash (15 yards away) and as the next couple sits came to pass, I believe it was the cull 6. What a sound it was!!!!! Pure awesomeness and made me jump!!!! The brush blocked my view and they were faster than I was able to get positioned to see it.
As the next 2 sits came, the 6 came out, but, only on the last sit in this spot did I have a chance at a shot. Prior, all he would give me was full frontal or Texas heart shot angles. When I did get him broadside (16 yds), relaxed and head down, as soon as I drew he bolted. Have no idea other than his 6th sense what set him in a tailspin. No sound picked up on the video that we could hear. The next am, he wouldn’t come out to play and that was the only sit that I didn’t see deer in front of me.
So, we come to the second to last sit, in a different spot that was made into a brush blind. It is at an intersection of a powerline area and a sendero. Oddly, I thought it was a bit too open for deer to want to frequent, but, I was happily wrong. I am visited within minutes of the usual winged suspects--doves, quail and green jays as well as woodpeckers that also like corn. I even had what looked like a prairie dog but most likely a ground squirrel. Within less than an hour a young doe and a spike (yearling- first set of antlers--a whole 2 inches!!!) came to visit. The doe moved on, but the spike sayed for 30 minutes or so and I thought he would eat all the corn set out in strategic lines per Rene.
He finally moves on and then a beautiful 10 pointer that I felt was maybe 3 ½ comes out. Too young and not quite enough measurement to be able to pass the qualifications to be a shooter this year. He moves around and gives multiple shot op positions, which made for some nice video from where I was sitting, but, as it turned out, what the camera saw and what I saw was 2 different things. I had the camera to the right of me (I’m left handed) and the camera was blocked with brush where I was able to see a whole lot more. Needless to say, I moved the camera in the am for better filming (At least that was the plan).
A short time later out comes an 8 pointer with no brow tines and short tines. Is this the cull 8 Chris was talking about in this area? I studied and studied him in relation to the 10 that was there and he pushed the 10 around quite a bit. His tarsals were darker and he was a bit stockier than the 10. So, I began to realize the 10 is 2 ½ years old and the 8 is 3 ½. I even draw on this 8 but the 10 gets between us so I let down and start to 2nd guess again. I get several pics of him and decide to do what I usually do with bucks, err on the side of caution and will check back at camp to be sure this is one that meets the criteria to be shot as a cull.
When I started bow hunting, I made the decision I would only shoot mature bucks and let the young ones grow. Otherwise, I would shoot does and if given the chance, the most mature doe, the ones that teach the young the ways of the world. They move off and the spike comes back and what I think is a 4 or 6 pointer, hard to tell because it was last light and beyond.
I get back to camp, pull up the pics and get the ok to shoot this buck if given the chance. That evening I am treated to more of Rene’s fabulous cooking of Ribeye steak with a crawfish sauce, potatoes and apple dumplings. I sleep very well that night!!!!!
The next morning is the last hunt. Halloween morning. Always a magical day throughout the nation for deer hunting, especially bow hunting. Getting closer to the rut, bucks no longer in bachelor groups with some beginning to search for does. Here in South Texas, they are moving solo but not quite into the searching phase yet. I am set up in the brush blind by 6:30 am. The sky is clear and full of more stars that one can imagine if they never leave the city or even small town America. Orion is above me and slighty to my right. I see a satellite move across the sky. I say a prayer for Bobby, John and Kevin (a friend I had just learned that morning before heading out that is also battling colon cancer. 41 years old). I also ask that if a monster buck is not in the area to come out by 10:00am, God, would you send that cull 8 back to me?
As daylight is dawning, the song dogs start singing. Some are pretty close, I figure 40-50 yards away. It sounds like I am surrounded by them. Then they quiet down. In just around an hour here comes a young 6 pointer, but he doesn’t stay. He moves off without even tasting the corn and proceeds to blow lightly at something. And lo and behold the spike comes out, what a pretty buck he is. If he was somewhere else, it is quite possible he wouldn’t have made it past the night before by someone just wanting “a deer”. He spends most of his time broadside or slight quartering away in the perfect shooting positions. Then, as if on cue, out from my left steps the no browtine 8 from last night. Now, I have the camera directly in front of me and as low as I can get it to film the central area and pick up more of what I didn’t get last night. This 8 came from the right last night, today, he comes from the left. I hit the record button and try to watch the screen and him at the same time. I already have my bow in a vertical fashion with my release clipped to the string ready to draw. He takes a couple steps forward broadside and puts his head down and proceeds to take a couple bites of corn. He looks up and forward, takes one more step with the right leg, putting it in the forward position and down with the head again. I draw, put the 20 yard pin on the sweet spot (he is 19 yards away) Without even realizing it, there goes the arrow with nocturnal all lit up red as bright as could be even in the daylight. I see it impact and immediately the buck bolts forward and to his left. As he does, I see him paint the prickly pear red as he barely misses running into. As he makes his sharp turn to the left, I see my arrow sticking out his left side only still embedded by the 3 inch fletching. Dead deer and I know it. Perfect double lung, blood pouring out as he is gone in a split second. I am ecstatic. See the red prickly pear and get my phone out to call Rene and let him know as I told him I did have service at that spot (Didn’t at the prior blind area). I drop my phone, pick it up and call and Rene tells me to hang tight he’ll be there in 30 minutes. Of course, the spike took off as well with the shot. Within 5 minutes the coyotes start howling excitedly and I think, maybe 30 minutes is too long!!!!!
In about 10 minutes the spike prances around with a high step wondering what just happened. Then proceeds as if nothing happened and continues eating. He finally moves off when he hears Rene pull up. Somehow, I don’t think he went all that far away though. Rene helps me out of the blind, as I am pretty well brushed in, Chris was looking for the impact site based on my directing from the blind which was not difficult at all. He sees the prickly pear I was pointing to very easily, takes the left turn and as I am stepping around the blind he is back with my arrow painted red. I shoot pink Victory “For the Cause” arrows and they show blood very, very well. Rene takes the video camera and I take up the blood trail that Stevie Wonder would find. Almost a solid line of blood in the sand going into a large grouping of prickly pears 5 yards later that the buck ran right thru spraying out both sides and painting the green prickly pears red. I go around them, the blood continues to be seen from entrance and exit wounds. I look up and can see him down. Not even 30 yards from the shot sight. He is laying on his exit side with his head straight up and antlers dug into the ground. A pool of blood to his right where he must of stood for a split second before collapsing right in front of another large group of prickly pears. All in all, I think he was dead in 2 seconds and probably only 5-6 strides. When I turn him over for photos and lift his head, I see a little grouping of cactus thorns, the little one on the pears, just above his nose.
I am extremely proud of this buck as it was as perfect of a hunt, as perfect of a shot, as perfect of a blood trail anyone could want. I am proud to say this is my first buck with a set of antlers that I have taken (previously shot a spike 2 years ago), that was mature and fit the criteria of either a cull or a trophy per ranch guidelines. I am extremely proud to say it is Bobby and John’s KCA buck!!!!!
I am getting him mounted and I even kept his tail!!!!!! He will be mounted with cactus thorns on his face, a couple kernels of corn on the right edge of his mouth like we found him, with some prickly pear around his shoulder to depict the terrain and location of the hunt.
Thanks for your patience in waiting on me to write this story. Work got in the way………….again!!!!!
Once again, Thank you Karl for providing this hunt, Rene for putting it together and all the help and tips you gave, and, to Chris for choosing the right places for me to be located on the ranch for this hunt. Also, only God knows why Bobby and John have to go thru what they are going thru, but a big thank you goes to them as well. Not for having to deal with cancer for the third time, but, for not being too proud to allow all of us here at TBH and beyond to help you, to pray for you and to encourage you. TBH ROCKS!!!!!
KCA, BABY!!!!!!!
Only food pic I took, gator, fish and fries:
I have wanted to hunt So Texas for some time now. The lure of nice bucks for sure, different terrain than any I have hunted, absolutely, and most of all, for Bobby and John.
A huge thank you goes out first to Karl Dickenson for wanting to donate this hunt for the KCA for Bobby and John fundraising auctions that fellow TBH'ers started in a rather impromptu fashion.
The next thank you goes to Rene (RedArrow) for talking with Karl and telling him about the KCA auctions. Rene did everything he said he would do and then some. He is a master at picking spots in this terrain and setting up blinds and knowing the strategies that work best for the deer in this part of the world. I watched. I learned. And I came home with a buck!!! He is also every bit as good at cooking some fabulous meals as well. Another thank you goes to Chris, the manager, for picking the places on the ranch that would help me be successful.
Once again, I missed taking the pics of the food. It was fried gator, fish and home sliced french fries the first night. Crawfish Etouffe the 2nd and ribeyes the third. My belly was very happy!!!!!
I arrived at the ranch around noonish and with that Rene, his lovely wife Carrie and I went out to set up a blind for my evening hunt. This was an area on the "Longhorn sendero" that some good deer have been seen, as early as earlier in the am. Got the blind made and 2 "cribs" set up and then back to camp for a little rest then shower and hunt.
Within minutes of getting set in the blind, I had quail in front and beside me. A huge, huge type of Dove, a couple of them, also some absolutely., positively gorgeous green jays. They are primarily a couple shades of green. One shade like the color of grass in the spring and another with more yellow in the green, slightly more yellow than lime green. Some blue and black around the head and when they fly and the tail is spread, green, limish and blue is what you see. Good size to the as well. I would say a bit bigger than the blue jay.
In short order I had a 4 different bucks show up. One was a cull 6 pointer, 4 ½ year old on the hit list. 4 up on the left side, with 1 large cow horn on the right with a 1 inch point on it. A nice 2 1/2 maybe 3 1/2 yr old 9 pointer probably around 120 class. He came and went as was spooky the whole time there. He moved away but came back a short time later. I thought he would move into an area that I could get the camera on, but he spied movement every time I tried to hit record. He then moved in front of me and began to posture with each step. The next thing, before I knew it, WHAM!!!!! The sound of antlers clashing. Then I saw a blob of black pushing the 9 into the cactus and mesquites. Strangely, my 1st thought was he was fighting with a big hog, but, then I thought, heck no, I heard the antlers clash (15 yards away) and as the next couple sits came to pass, I believe it was the cull 6. What a sound it was!!!!! Pure awesomeness and made me jump!!!! The brush blocked my view and they were faster than I was able to get positioned to see it.
As the next 2 sits came, the 6 came out, but, only on the last sit in this spot did I have a chance at a shot. Prior, all he would give me was full frontal or Texas heart shot angles. When I did get him broadside (16 yds), relaxed and head down, as soon as I drew he bolted. Have no idea other than his 6th sense what set him in a tailspin. No sound picked up on the video that we could hear. The next am, he wouldn’t come out to play and that was the only sit that I didn’t see deer in front of me.
So, we come to the second to last sit, in a different spot that was made into a brush blind. It is at an intersection of a powerline area and a sendero. Oddly, I thought it was a bit too open for deer to want to frequent, but, I was happily wrong. I am visited within minutes of the usual winged suspects--doves, quail and green jays as well as woodpeckers that also like corn. I even had what looked like a prairie dog but most likely a ground squirrel. Within less than an hour a young doe and a spike (yearling- first set of antlers--a whole 2 inches!!!) came to visit. The doe moved on, but the spike sayed for 30 minutes or so and I thought he would eat all the corn set out in strategic lines per Rene.
He finally moves on and then a beautiful 10 pointer that I felt was maybe 3 ½ comes out. Too young and not quite enough measurement to be able to pass the qualifications to be a shooter this year. He moves around and gives multiple shot op positions, which made for some nice video from where I was sitting, but, as it turned out, what the camera saw and what I saw was 2 different things. I had the camera to the right of me (I’m left handed) and the camera was blocked with brush where I was able to see a whole lot more. Needless to say, I moved the camera in the am for better filming (At least that was the plan).
A short time later out comes an 8 pointer with no brow tines and short tines. Is this the cull 8 Chris was talking about in this area? I studied and studied him in relation to the 10 that was there and he pushed the 10 around quite a bit. His tarsals were darker and he was a bit stockier than the 10. So, I began to realize the 10 is 2 ½ years old and the 8 is 3 ½. I even draw on this 8 but the 10 gets between us so I let down and start to 2nd guess again. I get several pics of him and decide to do what I usually do with bucks, err on the side of caution and will check back at camp to be sure this is one that meets the criteria to be shot as a cull.
When I started bow hunting, I made the decision I would only shoot mature bucks and let the young ones grow. Otherwise, I would shoot does and if given the chance, the most mature doe, the ones that teach the young the ways of the world. They move off and the spike comes back and what I think is a 4 or 6 pointer, hard to tell because it was last light and beyond.
I get back to camp, pull up the pics and get the ok to shoot this buck if given the chance. That evening I am treated to more of Rene’s fabulous cooking of Ribeye steak with a crawfish sauce, potatoes and apple dumplings. I sleep very well that night!!!!!
The next morning is the last hunt. Halloween morning. Always a magical day throughout the nation for deer hunting, especially bow hunting. Getting closer to the rut, bucks no longer in bachelor groups with some beginning to search for does. Here in South Texas, they are moving solo but not quite into the searching phase yet. I am set up in the brush blind by 6:30 am. The sky is clear and full of more stars that one can imagine if they never leave the city or even small town America. Orion is above me and slighty to my right. I see a satellite move across the sky. I say a prayer for Bobby, John and Kevin (a friend I had just learned that morning before heading out that is also battling colon cancer. 41 years old). I also ask that if a monster buck is not in the area to come out by 10:00am, God, would you send that cull 8 back to me?
As daylight is dawning, the song dogs start singing. Some are pretty close, I figure 40-50 yards away. It sounds like I am surrounded by them. Then they quiet down. In just around an hour here comes a young 6 pointer, but he doesn’t stay. He moves off without even tasting the corn and proceeds to blow lightly at something. And lo and behold the spike comes out, what a pretty buck he is. If he was somewhere else, it is quite possible he wouldn’t have made it past the night before by someone just wanting “a deer”. He spends most of his time broadside or slight quartering away in the perfect shooting positions. Then, as if on cue, out from my left steps the no browtine 8 from last night. Now, I have the camera directly in front of me and as low as I can get it to film the central area and pick up more of what I didn’t get last night. This 8 came from the right last night, today, he comes from the left. I hit the record button and try to watch the screen and him at the same time. I already have my bow in a vertical fashion with my release clipped to the string ready to draw. He takes a couple steps forward broadside and puts his head down and proceeds to take a couple bites of corn. He looks up and forward, takes one more step with the right leg, putting it in the forward position and down with the head again. I draw, put the 20 yard pin on the sweet spot (he is 19 yards away) Without even realizing it, there goes the arrow with nocturnal all lit up red as bright as could be even in the daylight. I see it impact and immediately the buck bolts forward and to his left. As he does, I see him paint the prickly pear red as he barely misses running into. As he makes his sharp turn to the left, I see my arrow sticking out his left side only still embedded by the 3 inch fletching. Dead deer and I know it. Perfect double lung, blood pouring out as he is gone in a split second. I am ecstatic. See the red prickly pear and get my phone out to call Rene and let him know as I told him I did have service at that spot (Didn’t at the prior blind area). I drop my phone, pick it up and call and Rene tells me to hang tight he’ll be there in 30 minutes. Of course, the spike took off as well with the shot. Within 5 minutes the coyotes start howling excitedly and I think, maybe 30 minutes is too long!!!!!
In about 10 minutes the spike prances around with a high step wondering what just happened. Then proceeds as if nothing happened and continues eating. He finally moves off when he hears Rene pull up. Somehow, I don’t think he went all that far away though. Rene helps me out of the blind, as I am pretty well brushed in, Chris was looking for the impact site based on my directing from the blind which was not difficult at all. He sees the prickly pear I was pointing to very easily, takes the left turn and as I am stepping around the blind he is back with my arrow painted red. I shoot pink Victory “For the Cause” arrows and they show blood very, very well. Rene takes the video camera and I take up the blood trail that Stevie Wonder would find. Almost a solid line of blood in the sand going into a large grouping of prickly pears 5 yards later that the buck ran right thru spraying out both sides and painting the green prickly pears red. I go around them, the blood continues to be seen from entrance and exit wounds. I look up and can see him down. Not even 30 yards from the shot sight. He is laying on his exit side with his head straight up and antlers dug into the ground. A pool of blood to his right where he must of stood for a split second before collapsing right in front of another large group of prickly pears. All in all, I think he was dead in 2 seconds and probably only 5-6 strides. When I turn him over for photos and lift his head, I see a little grouping of cactus thorns, the little one on the pears, just above his nose.
I am extremely proud of this buck as it was as perfect of a hunt, as perfect of a shot, as perfect of a blood trail anyone could want. I am proud to say this is my first buck with a set of antlers that I have taken (previously shot a spike 2 years ago), that was mature and fit the criteria of either a cull or a trophy per ranch guidelines. I am extremely proud to say it is Bobby and John’s KCA buck!!!!!
I am getting him mounted and I even kept his tail!!!!!! He will be mounted with cactus thorns on his face, a couple kernels of corn on the right edge of his mouth like we found him, with some prickly pear around his shoulder to depict the terrain and location of the hunt.
Thanks for your patience in waiting on me to write this story. Work got in the way………….again!!!!!
Once again, Thank you Karl for providing this hunt, Rene for putting it together and all the help and tips you gave, and, to Chris for choosing the right places for me to be located on the ranch for this hunt. Also, only God knows why Bobby and John have to go thru what they are going thru, but a big thank you goes to them as well. Not for having to deal with cancer for the third time, but, for not being too proud to allow all of us here at TBH and beyond to help you, to pray for you and to encourage you. TBH ROCKS!!!!!
KCA, BABY!!!!!!!
Only food pic I took, gator, fish and fries:
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