Due to countless other commitments, on my part as well as Clent and Judy's, we weren't able to make this weekend happen until the last weekend of their general season ... New Year's Weekend.
I loaded my truck Thursday morning to start the trek to Whodathunkit, for 4 days of hunting and relaxation. After burning up I-10, I made it to the gate in record time ... 5 1/2 hours. On the way in, Clent text'd me and told me to crawl in the first blind, "Oakie Slope", on my way in. I was in the ladder stand, a mere 15 minutes before the feeder went off. I saw lots of deer, but no shooter bucks and I didn't want to take a doe, this early.
Friday morning came rather quickly and Clent and I sat together in a big box blind at the "Pig Pen". We saw lots of deer, but again, no shooters. A few axis filtered in, but the big boy that Clent had his eyes on, was still in velvet ... all critters were given a "walk", this hunt too.
Friday evening, Clent suggested I hunt "Fugly", appropriately named for Wild Man's fine welding skills, during the feeder set-up, four years ago. Action was way slow, this evening. Only one doe, with an big fawn, showed up. Judy had teased me, and told me to make sure that if I shot, to wait until the deer was facing up hill ... if the animal took off, down hill, recovery in the dry creek below was a major undertaking. After watching, and waiting for about 30 minutes, the doe was finally broadside, facing up hill!
The fawn was eating, out of my shooting lane so the timing was perfect. I drew, settled my pin, and let it fly. She took off, UPHILL! 
I heard her crash but waited a few minutes to go look for her. I found my arrow, covered in blood, about 10 yards behind where she was standing. Instead of following blood, I just set out in the direction that I thought I heard her crash ... no luck! 
I went back to the blind and waited till I couldn't see my pins to shoot and got out to look again. This time, I looked for blood and found a few BIG spots on a big white rock. I made a visual line from where she was standing, to that rock, and continued looking in that direction. Ten more steps and I saw a white belly under some small oaks ... but there was a little head poing up. Not the deer's head ... a little grey fox! I'd left my bow in the blind so all I could do was watch as it scurried off. This was the very first fox I'd ever seen in the woods. Kinda cool.
The next morning, New Year's Day, found me back at the "Pig Pen", bright and early ... dang it was cold! As the whitetail filtered in again, a new one added to the mix. A 5 1/2 year old 8 point, that Clent recognized when I described him via text. He confirmed his age and said he was on the "list". After a short while, he offered me a shot and I stuck him right where you DON'T want to stick a deer ... high and a little too far back!
Even still, I was confident that he'd be down. I asked Clent if he wanted Cooter to track this deer and he said he'd bring her over as soon as he got back to the house. An hour later, Cooter was on the trail. We didn't have a GPS, to get a real distance, but we estimated that the buck zig-zagged and finally back tracked for a total trail of almost a mile! In the end, Clent was making Cooter rest, not 20 yards from where the buck fell. I'm sure we would have found the buck, but a good dog sure makes these instances a LOT easier!
Saturday evening, I hunted the "Bird Feeder", with only whitetail showing up, while Clent and Judy hunted "Pig Pen" where the ever elusive aoudad showed up and gave Judy not one, but TWO shots! I swear, these things know where I'm hunting and steer clear! This makes the score aoudad 8 - TT 0!
Sunday morning, I sat at "Pig Pen" again, and saw more whitetail before I had to pack up and head home.
Thanks again, Clent and Judy for having me out, and getting my New Year started RIGHT!
I loaded my truck Thursday morning to start the trek to Whodathunkit, for 4 days of hunting and relaxation. After burning up I-10, I made it to the gate in record time ... 5 1/2 hours. On the way in, Clent text'd me and told me to crawl in the first blind, "Oakie Slope", on my way in. I was in the ladder stand, a mere 15 minutes before the feeder went off. I saw lots of deer, but no shooter bucks and I didn't want to take a doe, this early.
Friday morning came rather quickly and Clent and I sat together in a big box blind at the "Pig Pen". We saw lots of deer, but again, no shooters. A few axis filtered in, but the big boy that Clent had his eyes on, was still in velvet ... all critters were given a "walk", this hunt too.
Friday evening, Clent suggested I hunt "Fugly", appropriately named for Wild Man's fine welding skills, during the feeder set-up, four years ago. Action was way slow, this evening. Only one doe, with an big fawn, showed up. Judy had teased me, and told me to make sure that if I shot, to wait until the deer was facing up hill ... if the animal took off, down hill, recovery in the dry creek below was a major undertaking. After watching, and waiting for about 30 minutes, the doe was finally broadside, facing up hill!
The fawn was eating, out of my shooting lane so the timing was perfect. I drew, settled my pin, and let it fly. She took off, UPHILL! I heard her crash but waited a few minutes to go look for her. I found my arrow, covered in blood, about 10 yards behind where she was standing. Instead of following blood, I just set out in the direction that I thought I heard her crash ... no luck! I went back to the blind and waited till I couldn't see my pins to shoot and got out to look again. This time, I looked for blood and found a few BIG spots on a big white rock. I made a visual line from where she was standing, to that rock, and continued looking in that direction. Ten more steps and I saw a white belly under some small oaks ... but there was a little head poing up. Not the deer's head ... a little grey fox! I'd left my bow in the blind so all I could do was watch as it scurried off. This was the very first fox I'd ever seen in the woods. Kinda cool.The next morning, New Year's Day, found me back at the "Pig Pen", bright and early ... dang it was cold! As the whitetail filtered in again, a new one added to the mix. A 5 1/2 year old 8 point, that Clent recognized when I described him via text. He confirmed his age and said he was on the "list". After a short while, he offered me a shot and I stuck him right where you DON'T want to stick a deer ... high and a little too far back!
Even still, I was confident that he'd be down. I asked Clent if he wanted Cooter to track this deer and he said he'd bring her over as soon as he got back to the house. An hour later, Cooter was on the trail. We didn't have a GPS, to get a real distance, but we estimated that the buck zig-zagged and finally back tracked for a total trail of almost a mile! In the end, Clent was making Cooter rest, not 20 yards from where the buck fell. I'm sure we would have found the buck, but a good dog sure makes these instances a LOT easier!Saturday evening, I hunted the "Bird Feeder", with only whitetail showing up, while Clent and Judy hunted "Pig Pen" where the ever elusive aoudad showed up and gave Judy not one, but TWO shots! I swear, these things know where I'm hunting and steer clear! This makes the score aoudad 8 - TT 0!
Sunday morning, I sat at "Pig Pen" again, and saw more whitetail before I had to pack up and head home.
Thanks again, Clent and Judy for having me out, and getting my New Year started RIGHT!
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