Yesterday was a ending to a hunt that started last year ESE of Sonora. I had traded a couple of blinds for an Axis hunt last year and when I went, the wind totally shifted and basically killed all the blind set ups. We decided to end the hunt and do a repeat this summer.
I left at 6:15 Friday morning from Lubbock hoping to be at Landon's gate at 11 to meet him. Traffic was fairly light and I was at the gate at 10:45. These gates are on a remote and when someone opened the neighbors gate it also opened the gate going towards Landon's pasture. Oil filed activity is picking up and these roads were also oil field roads. I meet Landon on the road and we continued to his place.
We decided that I would stretch and shoot my bow and then go and sit from around noon until around 2 or 2:30. Landon took me to the pop up situated over a watering hole and I got situated in the blind around 12:30. Nothing happened until :25 when the whitetail started coming in for a drink. Between 1:25 and 2:30 when Landon picked me up I had 6 whitetails doe, 4 whitetail bucks, 14 turkeys and a stinky, big buzzard come to water.
I fixed a sandwich back at camp and visited with Landon and his wife and young kids. Around 4 we decided it would be a good time to head back to the blind. Landon does not put a camera at the water hole but according to his other water holes with cameras, the Axis usually started watering after 4. I got to the blind and situated and ready at 4:15. Landon and I talked about where to shoot an Axis and how they would come into this water hole. He said the whitetail would come to water from any direction, but the Axis would come in the little draw just to the east of the water, walk to the south side of the water and come in through the brush from the water. The opposite side of the water from the blind would give me a 28 yard shot if they were drinking. Sure enough about 4:35 about 4 or 5 whitetail started in and I looked to the east and saw 2 or 3 Axis does when a rather what I thought was a very good Axis buck come in behind them. Sure enough, they walked to the south and the buck was the first to emerge through the brush and trees coming to water. When he saw the whitetails around the water, he quickened his pace and the whitetail scattered like flies. This was the closest I had ever been to an Axis buck. I thought he was a shooter as he looked HUGE to me, but he was drinking and quartering to me hard. I was surprised at his body size, never knew they were that big. He dwarfed the whitetail and Axis does. I was ready with my bow, but really did not want to take a quartering to shot. About that time, another stinky, ugly buzzard landed to the west end of the water and spooked the Axis. He bolted a short ways, but stopped and came back to the water but now was facing me dead on at 28 yards. I moved my one pin sight to the 30 yard mark and waited, hoping he would turn and just turn and leave.
Sure enough, he turned and started to walk to the west. I drew hoping he would stop before he got out of my shooting lane. He did just that and I figured he was at 32 yards and I settled on his shoulder and let her rip!. I heard the arrow hit, saw him react and haul butt, but I had no idea where I hit him. He and all his does went into the tree line to the west and disappeared. I waited about 10 minutes and got out of the blind and walked to the opposite side of the water to see what I could find. I found my arrow and it was covered in blood and there was blood sprayed over the chalk rocks right at the spot where he stood when I shot. I went back to the blind and retrieved the radio to call Landon, but no answer. I walked the road back to camp. Landon looked a little surprised to see me back, but knew I either had hit something or missed. I told him I shot what I thought was a decent Axis. We waited a little bit just to be on the safe side and Landon, 3 of his friends, myself and Cowboy, Landon's dog, climbed into a large SXS and headed to the water. When we reached the water I took them to where the Axis was standing and Landon said it was dead and probably close.
Cowboy, being a young pup decided he wanted to trail the 2 whitetail bucks that had left the water when we drove up, but we stayed on the blood trail as it turned more dead to the west. The blood was good and red and really splattering in all directions. We reached a thick area of brush and trees and the blood led straight through the thickest part. One of Landon's friend and I walked around the thicket to the other side to see if we could pick up the trail and when we got there the trail was prominent when the friend looked up and saw horns sticking out of the tall grass. Landon came over with Cowboy and I ask him if this was a good Axis. I knew it was a good one, I just did not know how good. Landon said I di good and this was going to make some of his friends and hunting buddied mad due to the size f this Axis.
After quick measurements, the main beams are over 32", the caudles are 11' and 12" and we were so excited about those measurements we forgot to measure the dog catchers. Landon said was a very, very good Axis, especially for my first. Landon estimated his live weight around 215#'s.
I shot him with an Obsession Def Con 6 set at a 29" draw and 70#'s with a Black Eagle Carnivore tipped with a 126 grain Ramcat and weighing in at 595 grains. It had little trouble passing in right behind the Axis's right shoulder and coming out in from of his left shoulder.
It was probably the longest drive and shortest hunt I have ever been on. I left Lubbock at 6:15 in the morning on Friday and I was back at the house with my Axis at 12:15 this morning. Sorry for the long read, but I am still pumped! Thanks for reading and following along in my long winded account and hope you enjoy the pics. The last is the entrance hole.
I left at 6:15 Friday morning from Lubbock hoping to be at Landon's gate at 11 to meet him. Traffic was fairly light and I was at the gate at 10:45. These gates are on a remote and when someone opened the neighbors gate it also opened the gate going towards Landon's pasture. Oil filed activity is picking up and these roads were also oil field roads. I meet Landon on the road and we continued to his place.
We decided that I would stretch and shoot my bow and then go and sit from around noon until around 2 or 2:30. Landon took me to the pop up situated over a watering hole and I got situated in the blind around 12:30. Nothing happened until :25 when the whitetail started coming in for a drink. Between 1:25 and 2:30 when Landon picked me up I had 6 whitetails doe, 4 whitetail bucks, 14 turkeys and a stinky, big buzzard come to water.
I fixed a sandwich back at camp and visited with Landon and his wife and young kids. Around 4 we decided it would be a good time to head back to the blind. Landon does not put a camera at the water hole but according to his other water holes with cameras, the Axis usually started watering after 4. I got to the blind and situated and ready at 4:15. Landon and I talked about where to shoot an Axis and how they would come into this water hole. He said the whitetail would come to water from any direction, but the Axis would come in the little draw just to the east of the water, walk to the south side of the water and come in through the brush from the water. The opposite side of the water from the blind would give me a 28 yard shot if they were drinking. Sure enough about 4:35 about 4 or 5 whitetail started in and I looked to the east and saw 2 or 3 Axis does when a rather what I thought was a very good Axis buck come in behind them. Sure enough, they walked to the south and the buck was the first to emerge through the brush and trees coming to water. When he saw the whitetails around the water, he quickened his pace and the whitetail scattered like flies. This was the closest I had ever been to an Axis buck. I thought he was a shooter as he looked HUGE to me, but he was drinking and quartering to me hard. I was surprised at his body size, never knew they were that big. He dwarfed the whitetail and Axis does. I was ready with my bow, but really did not want to take a quartering to shot. About that time, another stinky, ugly buzzard landed to the west end of the water and spooked the Axis. He bolted a short ways, but stopped and came back to the water but now was facing me dead on at 28 yards. I moved my one pin sight to the 30 yard mark and waited, hoping he would turn and just turn and leave.
Sure enough, he turned and started to walk to the west. I drew hoping he would stop before he got out of my shooting lane. He did just that and I figured he was at 32 yards and I settled on his shoulder and let her rip!. I heard the arrow hit, saw him react and haul butt, but I had no idea where I hit him. He and all his does went into the tree line to the west and disappeared. I waited about 10 minutes and got out of the blind and walked to the opposite side of the water to see what I could find. I found my arrow and it was covered in blood and there was blood sprayed over the chalk rocks right at the spot where he stood when I shot. I went back to the blind and retrieved the radio to call Landon, but no answer. I walked the road back to camp. Landon looked a little surprised to see me back, but knew I either had hit something or missed. I told him I shot what I thought was a decent Axis. We waited a little bit just to be on the safe side and Landon, 3 of his friends, myself and Cowboy, Landon's dog, climbed into a large SXS and headed to the water. When we reached the water I took them to where the Axis was standing and Landon said it was dead and probably close.
Cowboy, being a young pup decided he wanted to trail the 2 whitetail bucks that had left the water when we drove up, but we stayed on the blood trail as it turned more dead to the west. The blood was good and red and really splattering in all directions. We reached a thick area of brush and trees and the blood led straight through the thickest part. One of Landon's friend and I walked around the thicket to the other side to see if we could pick up the trail and when we got there the trail was prominent when the friend looked up and saw horns sticking out of the tall grass. Landon came over with Cowboy and I ask him if this was a good Axis. I knew it was a good one, I just did not know how good. Landon said I di good and this was going to make some of his friends and hunting buddied mad due to the size f this Axis.
After quick measurements, the main beams are over 32", the caudles are 11' and 12" and we were so excited about those measurements we forgot to measure the dog catchers. Landon said was a very, very good Axis, especially for my first. Landon estimated his live weight around 215#'s.
I shot him with an Obsession Def Con 6 set at a 29" draw and 70#'s with a Black Eagle Carnivore tipped with a 126 grain Ramcat and weighing in at 595 grains. It had little trouble passing in right behind the Axis's right shoulder and coming out in from of his left shoulder.
It was probably the longest drive and shortest hunt I have ever been on. I left Lubbock at 6:15 in the morning on Friday and I was back at the house with my Axis at 12:15 this morning. Sorry for the long read, but I am still pumped! Thanks for reading and following along in my long winded account and hope you enjoy the pics. The last is the entrance hole.
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