axis quest...week two

[Brian H]

I think you made the right choice passing the one with velvet hanging.

[Keith]

Tuthdoc, I wish I had your problem trying to deciding which MONSTER axis to shoot.

[tuthdoc]

I think he's older than dirt and not laying down good calcium and broke off that beam. Needs to be a rug and a freezer full of dirt. I take it you got the email?

More pics.

The axis blew and ran off. I don't know what happened, but the wide one came right back in. blew a couple times and then started eating.









The reason for the blow out was about 16 piglets and 4 sows. Noisey little suckers.



Didn't seem to bother this buck, as he just joined right in. Those pigs are oreo heavy. It was HARD not to stick some oreos this weekend.

[TXPalerider]

Very impressive. Both, the Axis and the fact that he's still alive.

[GARY]

Goodness Gracious! Great (no incredible) pixels! You are showing much restraint to not air one out by now.

[Stins]

Very nice! More already!

[Smart]

TD you are killing me.....I got buck fever looking at the biggen quartered away from you......**** you've got some patience.....

[tuthdoc]

The velvet one finally got tired of eating with a bunch of pigs and walked off and bedded. I could hear a buck tearing a tree apart and the velvet buck must have been watching him. Then, the other buck, out of sight but close, roared. I got the sound on video. If I can figure out how to get that on something that I can carry and play, I may have an axis "call". Those cards that go into my johnny stewart call may be the ticket. I'll have to put some thought into it.











He eventually got up and they all left. All except the hogs. They didn't leave until not a single kernal of corn was left. I still hate'em. I didn't want to spill blood on my axis turf, so they got a pass....but it was hard.

When I got to Bobby's blind, he stated that in the first 15 minutes, he had a big axis come in and give him several chances to end his hunt his first morning. He said if that deer came back in, he was going to kill him. He showed me the video and it was the same big one I videoed last week and earlier that morning. We agreed he was bigger than I originally thought and was probably 33 to 34 inches and good mass.

[Cull]

Great recap John. Good luck!

[Stolle]

Ditto what Cull said. Great Stuff!! Can't wait until you stick one of those big boys!

[Texas Grown]

That is way cool Doc! Moochoe thanks for the recap! It is great to see those axis that close . And I learned something from ya tonight: Hogs and axis get along, kinda

[tuthdoc]

I continued to hunt my cedar blind, but after that first morning, I popped a pro 360 in the thicket. It was prepared with that in mind and it went right to place. I groups of does and small bucks come in, 3 whitetails regularly came in, and of course my pigs. We started heavily feeding the front part of the ranch to try and draw and keep the axis off the perimeter. We saw some good ones. We set up tree stands. We got the fermented hay and put it out in many areas. We kept working on the other part of the ranch, but we both spent most of our time at the two spots above.

On the 8th, I had gotten to the blind a tiny bit late. It was good light. I eased in and, of course, the boar hog is eating. He saw me and ran off. I fed my shooting holes and climbed in my blind. I had just gotten settled when I looked up and the 8 point in the first post was standing back about 50 yards and easing in. He stopped and studied for a bit before coming all the way in. My camera was set up on my right shooting hole. I wasn't about to move the tripod. Video ISN'T everything when it comes time to kill for me. LOL I had the bow up and release on. This wasn't the biggest buck in that group I had been hunting and he wasn't the biggest 8 point, but he was the third biggest and one I had decided that I'd shoot on sight. So, it's on.

I sat and he fed and fed and fed, but wouldn't turn. Facing me and heavy quarter towards me. He's about 14 to 16 yards max. He's not as long in beam as the other buck, but over 30, maybe 32. Short coddle tines, and narrow, but his character is in his brows. forked brows and the right one is LONG. Score wise, he's comparable to the long beam buck and probably 4 or 5 total inches bigger. But, that doesn't matter. I REALLY want this buck. As he fed, I finally put the bow down, got the camera off the tripod and videoed him long enough to have a photo record. After a few minutes and he still hadn't turned, I put the camera back up and got the bow ready again. Seemed like eternity for him to turn.













He continued to eat and finally started looking toward my blind. Now, I'm hidden. I had a whitetail buck almost stick his head in my shooting hole I'm so hidden. He can't know I'm here. He finally backed out, turned and left. Only thing I can figure is he was in the corn while I was easing in and left before I saw him, or he was in the brush and watched me go into the cedar. Either way, he didn't give me a shot. I was kind of sick, but I have lots of time. Who knows, it might mean one of those other two might come in.

The buck came back out a little later and headed toward the area where they spend the day. I can ease over there and see them under the trees almost any time. It rejuvinates me to know they are still there. He stopped and gave me a shot at 30 yards, but I don't do 30 yards anymore. 10 or 20 years ago and he'd have died right there. Now, I want them 20 or less. He teased and left. Great hunt, but disappointment at the same time.

[tuthdoc]

This rascal came in my spot twice and to Bobby a couple times. I believe he's older than dirt. No body likes him and he doesn't like any body. He's completely broken off his horn and I think it was done early in calcification. Probably just too old to lay down enough mineral. I don't know. He needs to die and have his hide tanned and his delicious axis meat eaten by something other than buzzards. Axis have a long lifespan and he looks like he's pushing the envelope.

[Brian H]

good luck next time

[blackjack]

Absolutely amazing recap John...I love to follow along on a hunt in this format. Thanks for taking the rest of us along for the ride!

You've had some very nice axis bucks in front of you this past week! Keep us posted!