After 6 years of not getting drawn, I got drawn for two hunts this year.
The first, Kickapoo Caverns State Park, was held Oct. 16-18.
I made it to the park on time and got checked in. After the drawing for compartments I ended up with compartment number 6. My buddy had to pull out of the hunt Sunday morning before we left due to a medical problem, so I was in this large compartment on my own. While scouting I saw several deer and a BIG hog.
I found a low area with some good trails through it. Went back to the truck to get the blind and a little chum for the deer. When I got back to the spot I had picked out, I sat my corn down and was about to set my ground blind down when a small 8 point jumped out of his bed about 50 yards to my left. I moved a little to avoid crowding the bedding area and set everything up. Next back to camp for a shower, some clean cothes, and little snack before the afternoon hunt.
45 minutes after getng in the blind I had 4 deer come in and go straight to the corn, just like they knew it was there. Being the first day, I let the 3 does and 1 button buck have walking passes and just watched and videod them for the rest of the afternoon. No other animals came in that afternoon so at dark I made my way back to camp.
The next morning we all woke to a beautiful 50 degrees morning. When I got to my setup to throw a little corn out, I saw some hogs had been in and cleaned it all up during the nite. At first light I had a spike come in for a little corn but he to pushed out after a few minutes when 3 of the 4 from the previous afternoon came in. During the morning hunt I had 10 deer come in with the spike being the only buck. Gave everything walking papers for the time being.
One doe was tagged that morning but was unable to get any photos of it or the lucky hunter. While waiting on the afternoon hunt, I decided that I would wait for 6:30 on a buck and if one did not show, I would try to get a shot of a doe on camera.
Well, 6:30 came and all I had in front of me was 2 does and 1 button buck. Already had one doe leave so I decided to go ahead and take the best shot given. Only one doe was in my shooting lane with the camera set up, so when she turned broadside I placed the pin on her and let teh arrow fly.
She never flinched until the arrow hit her. She ran when the arrow hit her but only about 15 yards. She slowed down and began to walk and look around, she stoped and started to look around when her knees got week and she went down for good.
She only traveled about 25 yards after the Slick Trick did it's job. Blood trail was not what I expected, BUT neither was my shot placement. I hit her a litttle high so the cavity filled before she bled, but the cavity was full.
First bow kill in 3 years and first with the new Trykon.
Over all it was a great hunt. Everyone saw animals with a couple other shots being fired from other hunters. When I left Wednesday morning there were only the two does tagged with 2 hogs lost. There were still a few hunters in the field so there may have been some more tagged that morning.
Now looking forward to the next hunt down at Choke Canyon, but first I have a buck I need to do a little hunting for in Leon County.
Jay
The first, Kickapoo Caverns State Park, was held Oct. 16-18.
I made it to the park on time and got checked in. After the drawing for compartments I ended up with compartment number 6. My buddy had to pull out of the hunt Sunday morning before we left due to a medical problem, so I was in this large compartment on my own. While scouting I saw several deer and a BIG hog.
I found a low area with some good trails through it. Went back to the truck to get the blind and a little chum for the deer. When I got back to the spot I had picked out, I sat my corn down and was about to set my ground blind down when a small 8 point jumped out of his bed about 50 yards to my left. I moved a little to avoid crowding the bedding area and set everything up. Next back to camp for a shower, some clean cothes, and little snack before the afternoon hunt.
45 minutes after getng in the blind I had 4 deer come in and go straight to the corn, just like they knew it was there. Being the first day, I let the 3 does and 1 button buck have walking passes and just watched and videod them for the rest of the afternoon. No other animals came in that afternoon so at dark I made my way back to camp.
The next morning we all woke to a beautiful 50 degrees morning. When I got to my setup to throw a little corn out, I saw some hogs had been in and cleaned it all up during the nite. At first light I had a spike come in for a little corn but he to pushed out after a few minutes when 3 of the 4 from the previous afternoon came in. During the morning hunt I had 10 deer come in with the spike being the only buck. Gave everything walking papers for the time being.
One doe was tagged that morning but was unable to get any photos of it or the lucky hunter. While waiting on the afternoon hunt, I decided that I would wait for 6:30 on a buck and if one did not show, I would try to get a shot of a doe on camera.
Well, 6:30 came and all I had in front of me was 2 does and 1 button buck. Already had one doe leave so I decided to go ahead and take the best shot given. Only one doe was in my shooting lane with the camera set up, so when she turned broadside I placed the pin on her and let teh arrow fly.
She never flinched until the arrow hit her. She ran when the arrow hit her but only about 15 yards. She slowed down and began to walk and look around, she stoped and started to look around when her knees got week and she went down for good.
She only traveled about 25 yards after the Slick Trick did it's job. Blood trail was not what I expected, BUT neither was my shot placement. I hit her a litttle high so the cavity filled before she bled, but the cavity was full.
First bow kill in 3 years and first with the new Trykon.
Over all it was a great hunt. Everyone saw animals with a couple other shots being fired from other hunters. When I left Wednesday morning there were only the two does tagged with 2 hogs lost. There were still a few hunters in the field so there may have been some more tagged that morning.
Now looking forward to the next hunt down at Choke Canyon, but first I have a buck I need to do a little hunting for in Leon County.
Jay
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