Guess who?

[Heath]

Great stuff all the way around!

Congrats Wiz.

[royal_fox]

Congrats David! Thanks for the story, but most of all thanks for the testimony..
God Blesses those that believe in him.

[mboltm]

Congrats on the monster axis Brother, Just plain AWESOMENESS all the way around. Well played by all involved.

[Bisch]

Great write-up Davd!

Congrats again,

Bisch

[Selfbowman]

At 11:48am Saturday Jul.30 ,Randy Dudley sends me a text message that some lady is looking for me about a hunt on TBH.I'm puzzled who it would be ,so I come home and check the message.It's Deb,and she said God told her & Arvin too take me bowhunting for Axis Deer at the Bugscuffle Ranch. My 1st response was Why Me? Again she said to me-God said So. The hunt is Wed. & Thurs,if you can't make it to our house-Arvin will come pick you up & return you to Bryan.Its all for FREE!
When someone offers to do this for someone they have never met,it had me questioning-Why Me?
Sunday after my Church services was over,I spoke with Arvin and said Yes to this hunt offer.I found a dogsitter for my rottweiler ,and rescheduled some Heavy Metal Reporting for the monthly local paper.Spent all day Monday packing and looking over my "killin" equipment & gear.I got some new Nockturnals & Beman Ics Hunter Elite shafts I was just waiting to bloody up and Axis Bucks is now on my hit list .
I drove to Arvin's and was totally awestruck at the place Him & Deb has built.I then realized, that I had seen both of them before at Austin Archery Club shootin the Trad Class back in 2005/06 but I never knew them.He asked me-You were the Guy wearing the cast and riding the 4 wheeler right? I said Yes ,And Deb then asked me what was wrong back then.I explained everything about my fight against Muscluar Dystrophy to current events in very condensed 5 minute story.We all realized God was at work here and not to question anything even if it is 107* temps outside and I'm a long haired Hardcore Metalhead Rocker type compound shooter while Arvin is the Self made- Hardcore Traditional Self bow shooting CountryFolk.We both have that LIFETIME Passion for Archery/Bowhunting and God has Blessed us both when we really needed it..

Arvin & I arrived at Bugscuffle Ranch at 6 pm and met Bryan(TPost).He took us on a quick tour of the ranch.As soon as we went thru the front gate ,i seen a Big wide axis buck just walking away from the stand that TBH'r Rsatt shot his big axis out of the week before. Folks-I got so Excited and had a real good feeling about the upcoming hunt. As we drove into the Heart of the ranch-I soon realized the Bugscuffle Ranch is 2,000 Acres of mostly untouched and uncleared, Very "Thick" Hill Country Brush & Hills.Seriously "Tough" terrian Folks for someone like me with my condition. Bryan took me to a small flat area on the hill that had a feeder with a chrome & shiney office type waiting room chair set up 15 yards downwind behind a trimmed up cedar brush and said you need to hunt here in the morning.So,I took his word and did.
Wednesday mornin,I sit in that chair and instantly smelled Red Fox Urine that another hunter had put in the brush blind and thought to myself-This chair has to be busted from many hunts.As the sun started coming up the feeder went off,a lone blonde raccoon came out and started eating corn.At 7:30 -2 Young Red Stags/Deer came into the feeder.I have never seen a Red deer while hunting and was stunned at how slow they came in while looking/checking out everything,staring into the brush for minutes ,not moving.1 of the 2 bucks came within 10 yards of me,stopped ,and stood looking in my direction over my head for what seem like 10 minutes while the other ate corn under the feeder.I couldn't move at all while that deer stood there staring over me as the sun also begin to shine very bright as it come over the hilltop.I was sweating big time by 8am.
At 8:36,a Axis doe came running up the road with a Huge Axis Buck just 2 steps off her rear,only to keep runnin by when they seen the Red deer & also spooked the raccoon who then decided to come into the brush ,just 5' from me and take a dump.What happen next is something I never would have guess..That raccoon started picking corn out of it's own crap and eatin it.At 9am ,I heard Bryan coming to pick me up.Morning hunt over.When we were driving out ,we seen a good axis at another boxblind and drove within 10 yards of it and it just stood there watching us go by.
That afternoon I hunted the same chair as the mornin,only to have the same 2 Red Deer come in and dominated the feeder...No other deer,goats,blackbuck came in.
When we drove off past the boxblind on the way back in -that good axis was still there afterdark.Bryan asked -You wanta hunt this in the morning ,you can.!?..I quickly said Yes!I'm used to sitting/hunting out of pops ups now-just not in 3 degit Texas tempertures.

Thursday Morning came and after we dropped off Arvin in his stand ,Bryan took me to the boxblind that I found out RSatt had built -I was ready when the feeder went off and in less then 5 seconds -I heard blackbuck,Red Deer,axis,and whitetail all having a fest with very little shooting light .I sit absolutely motionless in the blind for about 5 minutes as it got lighter out and then moved ever so slightly trying to get comfortable in the chair.Them animals kept looking at the boxblind at every little movement I made.So I just sit still and ignored my discomfort, watching all the animals eat and the Blackbucks bully the Red deer off the corn til 6:57am.Thats when the Axis Buck finally showed up.He was 10 yards broadside to me & I had a clear shot.As I drew my Bowtech Guardian,my old worn out right shoulder let out a good loud pop causing all the critters to jump at once.The Axis Buck then ran to out 28 yards ,stopped,quartering away and looked back at the boxblind.His mistake,I had completed my draw,anchored,sight pin set on the opposite shoulder and released the "Bowwiz Effect" all in 2 seconds.I watched that Green nockturnal tipped arrow turn red as it passed completely thru the Axis Bucks chest perfect and landed about 20 yards behind him! When he bolted towards the Big Thick wooded Hill 30 yards away ,He was pumping blood out & slowing down as he disappeared from my sight.I listened but didn't hear a crash.I knew I made the perfect Death shot but decided to wait before bloodtrailing.I ended up sittin and enjoyin the morning and countryside for 1 1/2 hours.Then I finally went and looked for my axis.When I got to where I last seen him going into the brush,I seen spots and then Antlers-laying down dead-He only went a total of 60 yards from where I shot him,and was starting to bloat.I then walked to Bryan's House which was a 1/4 mile away and told him -I had No Mercy on the Axis Buck,lets go get him-He is dead & bloated.Thats when we recovered him and Bryan posted the pic with this Guess who thread?

When we pulled up to Arvin,I got out and give him a big hug and Thanked him for inviting me on this hunt in pure excitement-He said again- God told me to bring you David-no need to Thank me-Thank God.

We headed back to the dead animal cleaning area,took some pics and Bryan started skinning my deer for me.I offered to help ,but seen I would have just slowed him down.I learned watching Bryan skin the Axis that their spines dipped down alot more than a whitetails,and had no idea that Axis Deer has 2 sets of tenderloins inside its body.

Afterwards,I Thanked Bryan for Everything and all he done for me on the 2 day hunt.I told him that on every commericalized bowhunting ranch I've ever been too in my now 20 years of Bowhunting.No Ranch manager had ever given me such special treatment.He replied-I don't do this for all the hunters that come to Bugscuffle.Talking about making a man feel special,I did then and was very humbled by it.


Lord-I still don't know what I did to deserve this Axis Hunt,but I'm am very Thankful. Each year my body gets weaker from this Muscluar Dystrophy disease and Bowhunting gets even more difficult for me while hunting by myself.I'm not sure just how much Bowhunting is left for me,but this was BY Far-the best Axis Hunt I ever exiperenced.

Thanks again too Everyone involved with this hunt.Without releasing any info of the challenges I've been faced with in the month of July,all I can say is God does provide in ways that is truly AWESOME.This hunt is proof.

Bowwiz you got that euro mt. done?

[Bowwiz]

Yes-the euro mount was done 2 days after killing it...

[WCB]

Awesome story and congrats David.
And a big BZ to Arvin and Deb too!!

[Wildman]

A huge congrats by brother!!!