This hunt started last year when Dean Titsworth, owner of T4Exotics, told me that he wanted to donate an exotic doe/hog hunt for the Lone Star Bowhunters Association Banquet. He told me that he has had his ranch for 2 years then and it had never been hunted yet and had some really nice animals on it. He was in the process of building his cabin to host his hunters, and then would be ready to start hunting.
I had known Dean for a while and knew that if he had something, it had to be good. I put this hunt on my bucket list to do. During the banquet, I was lucky enough to be the high bidder of this hunt and was excited to say the least. I contacted Dean to let him know that I was the lucky winner of his hunt. He told me that if I wanted to upgrade to a trophy animal, that would not be a problem because he had some really nice axis, fallow, aoudad, and blackbuck antelope running around out there. I told him to let me get out there first and we will see what happens.
Dean contacted me and let me know that he had completed his hunters’ cabin, and it was time to come hunt. With everything going on, I could not free myself up until February. I would look at his website http://t4exotics.com/ at least once a week and see different animals being posted on his site. Some that hunters had killed and others taken with the game cameras.
Well, the time came and I headed to Brownwood. Dena and Hunter were not able to make this trip, so I knew there was not going to be a lot of LDP’s to be had without them there. I do a lot more watching than I do killing now days.
I finally arrived and unloaded my stuff in what he called the hunters cabin. I could not believe the cabin. This place was more than nice. Dean asked me what I wanted to hunt, and how big of a hog I wanted to kill. Of course I replied, the biggest tusked hog he had running around on the place. Dean said lets go for a ride and to look at the place. We saw all kinds of animals and turkeys, but what caught my attention were the blackbuck antelopes. There were some really nice ones that were in full black color, and I had never killed one with a bow.
The first sit that evening, some young antelope came out first, then a large big black tusked boar come out and stayed out to the side with no shot opportunity. Then a bigger red boar and bigger tusked came out with some smaller hogs and they all finally got to the feeder and right before I was able to shoot, the black buck antelope spooked and the hogs took off. I was hoping they would come back, but they never did. I was pumped to say the least, first sit and already saw some nice boars.
The next morning Dean put me in another blind and told me that there was a little of everything coming there. The first animals to show were some fallow does and young bucks.
Then a bunch of turkey showed, up, and finally the hogs came in.
As much as Dean wanted me to help him get rid of some hogs, I was waiting in hopes of another big boar to come out. Finally everything left and I had made up my mind that I was going to sit until at least 10:30 that morning. This feeder had a remote on it, so I was able to feed some more corn in hopes that other animals may come by. Not sure why, but something told me to have my bow ready in my lap and not just hanging in the stand. The turkey came back and then more fallow deer showed up. A little while later, I saw something coming thru the brush and when it stepped out, it was a nice black buck. It walked by the rest of the animals and then stopped out to the side. I drew my bow and settled in. The arrow hit perfect and the black buck made it maybe 25 yards and piled up. I could not believe what had just happened and that I would not have to spend any time tracking the animal. I thanked our Good Lord for giving me the opportunity to take such an animal and my family that has passed before me for watching over me and helping me make a perfect shot.
The rest of the time, I hunted other stands and saw all types of game, and lots of turkeys. I even had Hunters target animal (aoudad ewe) come in that she wanted to shoot if she had got to come.
I had a group of pigs come out, and I thought that I was going to be able to help Dean out on my last sit and take a pig, but they skirted around the never came in. It really didn’t matter if I killed anything else. I was happy that I killed a great antelope.
I have to hand it to Dean. He did not cut any corners on his place. He has top notch blinds that are setup for bowhunting, and can hunt 2 people in them, and large enough to shoot recurves and longbows out of them, and if someone doesn’t bow hunt, he also has rifle blinds to accommodate them. What I didn’t do was bring my fishing pole so I could have gone down to his conservation lake and catch and release catfish and bass.
I know this was a long read, but I really haven’t killed anything in a while worthy of a story, and have to apologize about the bloody pic, but that 125 gr. Thunderhead on those old aluminum arrows made a big mess of things.
I had known Dean for a while and knew that if he had something, it had to be good. I put this hunt on my bucket list to do. During the banquet, I was lucky enough to be the high bidder of this hunt and was excited to say the least. I contacted Dean to let him know that I was the lucky winner of his hunt. He told me that if I wanted to upgrade to a trophy animal, that would not be a problem because he had some really nice axis, fallow, aoudad, and blackbuck antelope running around out there. I told him to let me get out there first and we will see what happens.
Dean contacted me and let me know that he had completed his hunters’ cabin, and it was time to come hunt. With everything going on, I could not free myself up until February. I would look at his website http://t4exotics.com/ at least once a week and see different animals being posted on his site. Some that hunters had killed and others taken with the game cameras.
Well, the time came and I headed to Brownwood. Dena and Hunter were not able to make this trip, so I knew there was not going to be a lot of LDP’s to be had without them there. I do a lot more watching than I do killing now days.
I finally arrived and unloaded my stuff in what he called the hunters cabin. I could not believe the cabin. This place was more than nice. Dean asked me what I wanted to hunt, and how big of a hog I wanted to kill. Of course I replied, the biggest tusked hog he had running around on the place. Dean said lets go for a ride and to look at the place. We saw all kinds of animals and turkeys, but what caught my attention were the blackbuck antelopes. There were some really nice ones that were in full black color, and I had never killed one with a bow.
The first sit that evening, some young antelope came out first, then a large big black tusked boar come out and stayed out to the side with no shot opportunity. Then a bigger red boar and bigger tusked came out with some smaller hogs and they all finally got to the feeder and right before I was able to shoot, the black buck antelope spooked and the hogs took off. I was hoping they would come back, but they never did. I was pumped to say the least, first sit and already saw some nice boars.
The next morning Dean put me in another blind and told me that there was a little of everything coming there. The first animals to show were some fallow does and young bucks.
Then a bunch of turkey showed, up, and finally the hogs came in.
As much as Dean wanted me to help him get rid of some hogs, I was waiting in hopes of another big boar to come out. Finally everything left and I had made up my mind that I was going to sit until at least 10:30 that morning. This feeder had a remote on it, so I was able to feed some more corn in hopes that other animals may come by. Not sure why, but something told me to have my bow ready in my lap and not just hanging in the stand. The turkey came back and then more fallow deer showed up. A little while later, I saw something coming thru the brush and when it stepped out, it was a nice black buck. It walked by the rest of the animals and then stopped out to the side. I drew my bow and settled in. The arrow hit perfect and the black buck made it maybe 25 yards and piled up. I could not believe what had just happened and that I would not have to spend any time tracking the animal. I thanked our Good Lord for giving me the opportunity to take such an animal and my family that has passed before me for watching over me and helping me make a perfect shot.
The rest of the time, I hunted other stands and saw all types of game, and lots of turkeys. I even had Hunters target animal (aoudad ewe) come in that she wanted to shoot if she had got to come.
I had a group of pigs come out, and I thought that I was going to be able to help Dean out on my last sit and take a pig, but they skirted around the never came in. It really didn’t matter if I killed anything else. I was happy that I killed a great antelope.
I have to hand it to Dean. He did not cut any corners on his place. He has top notch blinds that are setup for bowhunting, and can hunt 2 people in them, and large enough to shoot recurves and longbows out of them, and if someone doesn’t bow hunt, he also has rifle blinds to accommodate them. What I didn’t do was bring my fishing pole so I could have gone down to his conservation lake and catch and release catfish and bass.
I know this was a long read, but I really haven’t killed anything in a while worthy of a story, and have to apologize about the bloody pic, but that 125 gr. Thunderhead on those old aluminum arrows made a big mess of things.
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