North Texas Outfitters Ram Slam!!!!
I headed out to NTO on 16-19 April, with lots of excitement and nerves. I was picked up at Dallas Love and got to meet up with my new Matthews Reezen 6.5. That got my blood pumping. After one sleepless night, I practiced shooting all the shots I would need to take with my new bow. After I felt comfortable, I headed out to NTO. At first, I thought I would sit it out and try to get a Blackbuck. But after the first trip out looking for about an hour, and all the green grass.....it would be next to impossible to get a Blackbuck down on the turf. So we went and looked at some of the Rams that were on the place. I saw a Mouflon Corsican Cross that really caught my eye as well as a 40+ inch Merino. We also drove by the Outback and noticed some high quality rams.
I decided to spend my first evening chasing after one of the big rams that we had seen in the Outback. Try to get a quick kill under my belt to work out the kinks. I set up on a road that a group of Rams were feeding toward and I noticed the Monster Black Hawaiian and a Nice wide Corsican that we had seen while taking the tour. My guide Don kept telling me that the Black Hawaiian was a monster and I took his advice. Once I had set everything up and found a good spot in the tree line to get too, they had completely shifted and went back towards the middle of the field. They were more than 100yds away. So I worked toward them using the tree line and the wind. I got to about 35yds, and they were slowly feeding there way too me. I had no shot at that point and I just needed the Black Haw. to take two more steps, and then one of the smaller rams busted me. So for the next half hour, I am on foot trying to get in position to make a stalk. I got busted one more time, and the group had enough. They went throught the thick stuff....luckily, I had a good idea of where they would be. I got set up, and slowly the rams started to come in....I noticed the one I was after was about 80yds in the timber, but I had rams within 25yds. So I couldn't move. About that time, I noticed Don was pulling around, so I waved him down, and he was able to put me on a good brushy set up on the ground. (The Rams didn't worry too much about the pickup, so I was able to use it like a decoy and stay beside it) I got to my spot and much to my suprise both the big Black Hawaiian and the wide Corsican came strollin in. I didn't have a shot, but I knew if I waited it would come. After about 10 minutes of these two feeding at about 25yds, the Black Hawaiian finally started to step out into a shooting lane. Once I felt he was going to step out, I drew my Matthews Reezen, waited about 15 seconds for him to take a few more steps and.......whack. Quartering Away shot at 25yds and drilled him. I mean I am talking a straight up Judo Chop to the vitals. Once I shot him, my attention went soley to the wide Corsican. He ran about 5yds and stopped to where I had no shot. So I decided to nock another arrow and draw. I stepped out, and he gave me that 2 second window of opportunity and I shot about 2 inches over his back. I thought he was at 32, but he was at 27. At that point, I didn't even see where the Black Hawaiian had gone. I looked around from side to side, and noticed he didn't go 5 yds and fell in the ole Cabbage Patch! I didn't know how big he was, until I got up on him and pulled his head up. Pictures really don't do him justice, his bases are so much bigger than they looked.
I was about to call Don and tell him we had one on the ground, but then I caught a glimpse of the same herd with the wide Corsican and decided I would try again. There were alot of brush and trees that really went well with the Advantage Max-1 HD pattern. I was able to move from one to another to set up for a good shot. I waited and waited for him to get into a good position and I made a move to get a shot off. This time he was at 30 yds and standing broadside. I knew it was smoke before I released the arrow and that G-5 Striker went to town. Another Ram down on the ground not even 5yds from where he lay! I had just shot two of my biggest rams ever, but two of the better ones for the Outback. I called Don, and let me tell you he was excited. When I see Don get excited about a certain animal, I listen. I was still amazed at the Bases of the Black Hawaiian and Don was telling me he probably had 10 inch bases, well after he was scored he had 11 inch bases and was the Biggest Black Hawaiian ever shot out of the Outback! Here are some pictures of the two Rams from the Outback.
Keep in mind this is just night one of day one. Also, I added some pics of other Rams from the outback.
Day 2 was a very rainy day. Which in this area, it was needed so badly. I wasn't upset at all. I waited for my turn on the main portion of the ranch in search of the Mouflon Cross and the Monster Merino. We drove all over and caught a glimpse of the Merino. Then we drove to another portion of the ranch and we saw the Blackbuck. We tried to put out some corn while they were watching and at the same time, hide me away, but BB are a little too smart for that and took off. So just up the ridge was a group of Rams that had the Mouflon Cross, so we found a good place to set up in a group of trees and set a feed trail all around me on about 25-30 yd radius. The Rams noticed that corn was being put out so they came running in. There were so many monster rams and finally I saw the one I was after. He was behind so many other Rams and it was tough to get a shot. But he came out into my little shooting lane at 25yds, and I paitently waited as other rams moved from out behind him. I drew back and laid the smack down. It was a little far forward, but it was still leathal. He went about 10yds and laid down. Some of the Rams still stuck around and I saw a Monster Merino. I got another one ready and let it fly. This time I hit just a touch back, but it was leathal as well. Just at that time, the other ram popped back up, so I nocked another arrow and took out his heart. At that time, Don comes running up the hill giving me high fives and looking at the ram. The Merino had gone 20yds and kinda set there looking as if he was going down. So I quickly got another arrow and hit him Hard quatering away. The arrow stuck in that off shoulder and then he started trotting off. I was amazed. I had already shot him once in a deadly spot, but then I smoked him and he was headed out of town. Then I realized I had no more arrows, so I went and found the one that had passed through him, ran about 60yds to catch up and I Smashed him again. Two perfect shots and one deadly shot. This third one didn't affect him any either. He just kept going. I was shocked!
We watched him go lay down about a 100yds away so we decided to take the other ram and get him cleaned up. Well we came back 30 minutes later and the Ram still has his head up like nothing is wrong, so we got the rifle and plugged him one. The only problem is, during all my excitement, this wasn't the 40+ inch monster that would have been a World Record. He was still a monster though. So, it took me one full day to get 4 Nice Rams on the ground. I spent the rest of the days taking pictures and enjoying the wildlife! Here are some pics of my hunt as well as other animals on the ranch. I hope all enjoy and try NTO out some time!
Chris
I decided to spend my first evening chasing after one of the big rams that we had seen in the Outback. Try to get a quick kill under my belt to work out the kinks. I set up on a road that a group of Rams were feeding toward and I noticed the Monster Black Hawaiian and a Nice wide Corsican that we had seen while taking the tour. My guide Don kept telling me that the Black Hawaiian was a monster and I took his advice. Once I had set everything up and found a good spot in the tree line to get too, they had completely shifted and went back towards the middle of the field. They were more than 100yds away. So I worked toward them using the tree line and the wind. I got to about 35yds, and they were slowly feeding there way too me. I had no shot at that point and I just needed the Black Haw. to take two more steps, and then one of the smaller rams busted me. So for the next half hour, I am on foot trying to get in position to make a stalk. I got busted one more time, and the group had enough. They went throught the thick stuff....luckily, I had a good idea of where they would be. I got set up, and slowly the rams started to come in....I noticed the one I was after was about 80yds in the timber, but I had rams within 25yds. So I couldn't move. About that time, I noticed Don was pulling around, so I waved him down, and he was able to put me on a good brushy set up on the ground. (The Rams didn't worry too much about the pickup, so I was able to use it like a decoy and stay beside it) I got to my spot and much to my suprise both the big Black Hawaiian and the wide Corsican came strollin in. I didn't have a shot, but I knew if I waited it would come. After about 10 minutes of these two feeding at about 25yds, the Black Hawaiian finally started to step out into a shooting lane. Once I felt he was going to step out, I drew my Matthews Reezen, waited about 15 seconds for him to take a few more steps and.......whack. Quartering Away shot at 25yds and drilled him. I mean I am talking a straight up Judo Chop to the vitals. Once I shot him, my attention went soley to the wide Corsican. He ran about 5yds and stopped to where I had no shot. So I decided to nock another arrow and draw. I stepped out, and he gave me that 2 second window of opportunity and I shot about 2 inches over his back. I thought he was at 32, but he was at 27. At that point, I didn't even see where the Black Hawaiian had gone. I looked around from side to side, and noticed he didn't go 5 yds and fell in the ole Cabbage Patch! I didn't know how big he was, until I got up on him and pulled his head up. Pictures really don't do him justice, his bases are so much bigger than they looked.
I was about to call Don and tell him we had one on the ground, but then I caught a glimpse of the same herd with the wide Corsican and decided I would try again. There were alot of brush and trees that really went well with the Advantage Max-1 HD pattern. I was able to move from one to another to set up for a good shot. I waited and waited for him to get into a good position and I made a move to get a shot off. This time he was at 30 yds and standing broadside. I knew it was smoke before I released the arrow and that G-5 Striker went to town. Another Ram down on the ground not even 5yds from where he lay! I had just shot two of my biggest rams ever, but two of the better ones for the Outback. I called Don, and let me tell you he was excited. When I see Don get excited about a certain animal, I listen. I was still amazed at the Bases of the Black Hawaiian and Don was telling me he probably had 10 inch bases, well after he was scored he had 11 inch bases and was the Biggest Black Hawaiian ever shot out of the Outback! Here are some pictures of the two Rams from the Outback.
Keep in mind this is just night one of day one. Also, I added some pics of other Rams from the outback.
Day 2 was a very rainy day. Which in this area, it was needed so badly. I wasn't upset at all. I waited for my turn on the main portion of the ranch in search of the Mouflon Cross and the Monster Merino. We drove all over and caught a glimpse of the Merino. Then we drove to another portion of the ranch and we saw the Blackbuck. We tried to put out some corn while they were watching and at the same time, hide me away, but BB are a little too smart for that and took off. So just up the ridge was a group of Rams that had the Mouflon Cross, so we found a good place to set up in a group of trees and set a feed trail all around me on about 25-30 yd radius. The Rams noticed that corn was being put out so they came running in. There were so many monster rams and finally I saw the one I was after. He was behind so many other Rams and it was tough to get a shot. But he came out into my little shooting lane at 25yds, and I paitently waited as other rams moved from out behind him. I drew back and laid the smack down. It was a little far forward, but it was still leathal. He went about 10yds and laid down. Some of the Rams still stuck around and I saw a Monster Merino. I got another one ready and let it fly. This time I hit just a touch back, but it was leathal as well. Just at that time, the other ram popped back up, so I nocked another arrow and took out his heart. At that time, Don comes running up the hill giving me high fives and looking at the ram. The Merino had gone 20yds and kinda set there looking as if he was going down. So I quickly got another arrow and hit him Hard quatering away. The arrow stuck in that off shoulder and then he started trotting off. I was amazed. I had already shot him once in a deadly spot, but then I smoked him and he was headed out of town. Then I realized I had no more arrows, so I went and found the one that had passed through him, ran about 60yds to catch up and I Smashed him again. Two perfect shots and one deadly shot. This third one didn't affect him any either. He just kept going. I was shocked!
We watched him go lay down about a 100yds away so we decided to take the other ram and get him cleaned up. Well we came back 30 minutes later and the Ram still has his head up like nothing is wrong, so we got the rifle and plugged him one. The only problem is, during all my excitement, this wasn't the 40+ inch monster that would have been a World Record. He was still a monster though. So, it took me one full day to get 4 Nice Rams on the ground. I spent the rest of the days taking pictures and enjoying the wildlife! Here are some pics of my hunt as well as other animals on the ranch. I hope all enjoy and try NTO out some time!
Chris
Attached Files
Comment