axis quest...week two

[tx10pt]

Great post TD! Good luck on getting your choice monster.

[hoytboy]

man that got my heart beatin !!!

[TrickyOlGus]

Nice post Tuthdoc. You never fail to disappoint. As many have said, I'm not sure I would have been able to restrain myself. I can't wait to see the "big ones" you are holding out for. Great recap!

[Joey~AP]

Use any Chaffhaye, Doc?

[cheez]

Great post! It's almost like we're sittin' in the blind with you peeking over your shoulder

Doc, I hope that don't make you freak out none when the time comes to make holes in one of 'em

[Mike Miller]

Tuthdoc, after James finally made it down after apparently getting lost was he having any luck? He said he had to drive 10 minutes away to get a signal so I wasn't able to get my play by play text's from him during his hunts.

[tuthdoc]

Thanks, guys. glad you enjoy it. It ain't over yet. I have two more 4 day hunts that could grow into 5 or more if need be. I'm afraid of breakage as they all come out of velvet and get serious, so I may be less picky if any of those come back in. I really think my brother will kill the long beamed one. He's hunting where I videoed him the first week and he saw them the first 15 minutes he was in the stand, or cedar blind. We put up his 360 in that cedar thicket and started road feeding. He's covered up with animals. He hunted there three of the 4 mornings we were there and he came in the first and the one where he hunted somewhere else. I have about 50 TC pics of axis bucks from that morning over a 2 hour period. It's a great spot and one will die there very, very soon.

Both of these spots are areas where I saw deer over the first weekend, located the trails and areas where they have transitioned, and set up blinds. The first spot goes from a spring to a sloping hill where they lay up. I've seen them there at all times of the day. The second spot, where I have seen the nontypicals and the really big ones comes off a slopping, grassy, semi-thick area and go through a hole in the fence. I know it's a matter of time before I have chances to kill one of those horses. The 8 point is in that group and I think Plaster of Paris is part of that group. We've set up other spots, but these have been our best bets so far.

I'll answer the free range/high fence question, but it means absolutely nothing to me. There are high fence sides, but almost the whole ranch is low fence. Even if it were high fenced, it would be free range.

Low Tech, while a big 8 pt whitetail gets me going, the chance to kill one of these big axis 8's really gets the heart pumping. That buck, being that close, KNEW if he turned, he died. Maybe he could smell death, even though he was up wind. Maybe he heard my saliva hitting the dirt and leaves and got alerted. Maybe he heard me say "turn you son of a ..gun". I don't know. Maybe he didn't turn because whoever looks over me knows I'll get a chance at one of those other BIG bucks.

Joey, if you would open the gate to the axis pen when I'm at the Lewis, maybe I could get one there. LOL I did try the Chaffhay. They eat the crud out of it and it is a good cover scent. We put out two bales. I have one more that we're saving for Friday, and we'll get more. When I hump it to my spot up the hill, I pour about a half pack of corn and then stuff the pack with the hay. By the time I get up there, I'm thinking I'm too old for that kind of uphill hump and that I should make my brother hunt up there. But, then I ease over to the fence and see the big bucks lounging around and figure "nope", it's my spot. Either the hogs eat it, or I've got quite a few deer and axis eating it at night. I've got a few cameras out that should show me when the bucks are coming through.

I'll resize some TC pics and post pics of axis at my first cedar blind where Bobby is on a mission.

Another thing about this ranch. I can't believe the number of hogs. I put out a half dozen cameras and would get 170 or more pics and 90 percent would be hogs. It's a target rich environment for sure. Oreos and mini oreos are very tempting.

[tuthdoc]

Mike, he spent two hours looking for the gate. He had the combo wrong and couldn't get in, so he figured it was the wrong ranch. Spent two hours from midnight to 2 looking. He said he was just glad to be there. I let him use my ranger and he's going to keep the roads corned. He should see a lot of animals. I think he's leaving tomorrow and we'll be going back Thursday night. If he keeps the cedar blind corned daily, Bobby should be finished Friday morning. He'll shoot that long beamed rascal I thought was under 30.

Hey, cheez, as long as I've beenn kill'n stuff, I still kind of freak out when one I want comes in. It passes quickly into kind of a deadly calm, but as soon as I find the animal, it's like my first one all over. When it stops being that way, I'll start bowling or fishing again. LOL

[stickman]

TD,you exhibit more patience than anyone I have ever seen,heard of, or hunted with. You have done a great job with the pics and video. I think I could have passed on the axis too (BIG MAYBE) but those little oreo piggies would have taken a dirt nap for sure. Nice write-up and keep us posted on your further success.

[Mertz09]

very cool! Tuthdoc, I'm going after one at my lease in a few weeks, any pointers ? In this hot weather how early do start an afternoon hunt?

[Tmag]

Great hunt Doc. Thanks for taking us along. Looks like you guys had a real good time.

[tuthdoc]

I don't know if it's patience or a brain dysfunction. LOL It's just hard for me to end a hunt. I like being out there. However, this is the third week coming up and only have one more weekend for sure after that. Stuff's gonna start falling.

[tuthdoc]

Mertz09, the limiting factor on axis is just how long you can stay out there. They seem to move all day. I'd be more likely to hunt a water source for axis than I would for whitetails. It also seems that they don't like rough stuff and grassy areas are primo. It can't be too open because it seems that most of the bucks that are being seen are in the front, wide open stuff.

[Jaspro]

I don't know if it's patience or a brain dysfunction. LOL It's just hard for me to end a hunt. I like being out there. However, this is the third week coming up and only have one more weekend for sure after that. Stuff's gonna start falling.

I bet your PBC "Pepsi Blood Content" was dangerously low.

[tuthdoc]

OK, get ready for some TC pics at the blind that Bobby is hunting. He wasn't in it that morning or he'd be through.

Check the big bodied rascal in the background of pic 83