Y'all know I have hunted with me Father all my life. As a child he gave me outdoor opportunity of the highest quality. I mean he didn't have any money nor a high end lease. He just took me too the woods somewhere almost every day and shared an important heritage with me. Squirrels, ducks,doves, and sometimes even deer.
Now deer were not common in East Tx as I grew up. Any buck was a good one and celebrated yet I remember a dat when I was 7years old... Dad had put me on a stand sitting by a big post oak. He had slipped away but returned in a few minutes. He had located two bucks fighting in a blue haw flat. Instead of shooting he had returned to get me. We sneaked up on them still fighting. I missed at about 40yds.
We shared hundreds of hunts. All successful and sometimes we even killed something! As I became a man and he grew older, our hunting gradually changed. Now the quantity of deer is drastically improved. We have the ability to pass many nice bucks and let them mature. Along with the change in hunting came a gradual change of roles. Now its much more my turn to take the old man.
This brings us to last winter. I had a known 12 year old buck. He was a deer I called hi -5. For the last two years he had been a 5 pt. He just slipped through the cracks and never got shot. HUGE body deer. Last year he went back to a heavy 6pt frame about 19 wide. We were looking at pics of him and Dad said he would shoot that sucker. That's all I needed to hear.
The next evening the wind was right and I got dad situated in a tent blind with a hand corn pen at 60yds. We started seeing deer at 230. Several does in and out before a young 8pt took the pen. Perfect weather evening and Dad was having fun.
As dusk approached we had not seen Hi5 when a huge boar hog rolled in. He couldn't get in the corn pen but went around and around it making the deer jump out. Dad had decided to shoot him when I caught a glimpse of horns coming. It was him. Hi5 rolled in all swelled up. Horns down and challenging that big boar! I quickly told Dad it was him. It was getting late but still legal shooting hours and plenty light. Dad was having a little trouble getting on him though.
The back and forth with the hog continued with them going in circles. Hi5 constantly keeping his horns toward the hog. Finally they came around the front side of the pen and went behind a big tree. I told Dad to shoot him when he came out. The deer stopped broad side and the 280 roared. The deer just dashed into the cane break with no sign of being hit. I replayed it in my mind and just knew the shot had to be good. Dad said the criss hairs were right behind the shoulder.
I told him to sit tight and I walked out to get the truck. It was dark by the time I got back. A quick search for blood revealed nothing. No blood. No hair. I followed his tracks 20yds. Nothing. Now dads confidence was starting to waver. I searched for an hour the way he went. Nothing. I said a prayer and decided to try again."Lord give me a sign".
I went slowly down the splayed tracks until I got to the spot that I lost them. Suddenly the scent of tarsal glad was almost nose burning. A Sign??? The wind was from 90 degrees to the way the deer went. I reluctantly turned into the wind. 20 yds and another strong whiff. 50 more yds and A big broken down tree lay there. I worked around it and suddenly I was standing over a very dead Hi5!
Not one drop of blood as the bullet had stopped under the skin on his far side shoulder. Did I really smell him that far? I don't know. I just know I prayed for a sign and got one. Happy Fathers day Dad.
Now deer were not common in East Tx as I grew up. Any buck was a good one and celebrated yet I remember a dat when I was 7years old... Dad had put me on a stand sitting by a big post oak. He had slipped away but returned in a few minutes. He had located two bucks fighting in a blue haw flat. Instead of shooting he had returned to get me. We sneaked up on them still fighting. I missed at about 40yds.
We shared hundreds of hunts. All successful and sometimes we even killed something! As I became a man and he grew older, our hunting gradually changed. Now the quantity of deer is drastically improved. We have the ability to pass many nice bucks and let them mature. Along with the change in hunting came a gradual change of roles. Now its much more my turn to take the old man.
This brings us to last winter. I had a known 12 year old buck. He was a deer I called hi -5. For the last two years he had been a 5 pt. He just slipped through the cracks and never got shot. HUGE body deer. Last year he went back to a heavy 6pt frame about 19 wide. We were looking at pics of him and Dad said he would shoot that sucker. That's all I needed to hear.
The next evening the wind was right and I got dad situated in a tent blind with a hand corn pen at 60yds. We started seeing deer at 230. Several does in and out before a young 8pt took the pen. Perfect weather evening and Dad was having fun.
As dusk approached we had not seen Hi5 when a huge boar hog rolled in. He couldn't get in the corn pen but went around and around it making the deer jump out. Dad had decided to shoot him when I caught a glimpse of horns coming. It was him. Hi5 rolled in all swelled up. Horns down and challenging that big boar! I quickly told Dad it was him. It was getting late but still legal shooting hours and plenty light. Dad was having a little trouble getting on him though.
The back and forth with the hog continued with them going in circles. Hi5 constantly keeping his horns toward the hog. Finally they came around the front side of the pen and went behind a big tree. I told Dad to shoot him when he came out. The deer stopped broad side and the 280 roared. The deer just dashed into the cane break with no sign of being hit. I replayed it in my mind and just knew the shot had to be good. Dad said the criss hairs were right behind the shoulder.
I told him to sit tight and I walked out to get the truck. It was dark by the time I got back. A quick search for blood revealed nothing. No blood. No hair. I followed his tracks 20yds. Nothing. Now dads confidence was starting to waver. I searched for an hour the way he went. Nothing. I said a prayer and decided to try again."Lord give me a sign".
I went slowly down the splayed tracks until I got to the spot that I lost them. Suddenly the scent of tarsal glad was almost nose burning. A Sign??? The wind was from 90 degrees to the way the deer went. I reluctantly turned into the wind. 20 yds and another strong whiff. 50 more yds and A big broken down tree lay there. I worked around it and suddenly I was standing over a very dead Hi5!
Not one drop of blood as the bullet had stopped under the skin on his far side shoulder. Did I really smell him that far? I don't know. I just know I prayed for a sign and got one. Happy Fathers day Dad.
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