Just now getting a chance to post this and I apologize in advance for the long read ahead. We have been playing cat and mouse with this guy for the last couple years on our lease in Nolan county. About 4 years ago we had a few aoudad start showing up on camera. Each year we would get pictures of a few more and 2 years ago this one "The Beast" showed up on camera and everyone on the lease had their sights on him.
All the aoudad though had no consistency they would hit a feeder a day or two then disappear again for weeks. Actually up to me taking this one not one person on the lease had ever laid eyes on any of them in person. Fast foward to this year "The Beast" started showing up on camera with a bit more consistency and I really figured this might actually be the year someone on the lease would finally get a shot at him.
Well the weekend before Thanksgiving my son and I drove down to the lease, we arrived late Friday night and climbed into one of the rifle blinds early Saturday morning. This was the spot we last had "The Beast" on camera but going into that morning I never believed he would show up. I decided to take the rifle that morning as my son who just turned 6 is still practicing on being stealthy
and I figured our best chance at seeing anything would be from a distance. We got in the blind and settled, my son began watching a movie on his portable dvd player and it was just about time where you can start to see so I opened the front window of the blind. I had not had it opened up for very long when I looked down at the feeder which sits 170 yds from the blind and could see a large body something down there. As more and more light became available I realized it was him and man did the nerves really start in! I looked down at my son and thought I need to get his ear muffs on before I shoot but also knew when I mentioned the word he would get really excited and that really had me nervous. I will be honest the thought briefly crossed my mind on taking the shot without telling him but that was very short lived as I did not want to do that to him and I also wanted him to be able to take in the entire experience.
So I reached down removed one of his ear buds and whispered hey bud lets get your ear muffs on at which he immediately followed "is there a big deer or hog out there" in a not so quite voice
, I quickly whispered we have to be really quite and told him no it was the big aoudad, which really got him excited and he jumped up so he could see. I got his ear muffs on him quickly and turned back and glanced toward the feeder and "The Beast" was still there 
. I raised the rifle and looked through the scope telling myself take your time and just do not mess this up, again my nerves are completely out of control at this time . He turns slightly quartering away and I get the cross-hairs lined up on him and squeeze off the shot, I hear what I think is the bullet hit him and see him running off at a not so fast pace and appearing hunched up. He got out of sight pretty quick though and I begin second guessing and asking myself did I get him? It had only been about 3 minutes since I had taken the shot when I hear on the property next to us a loud bang and from the direction he had just headed when I lost sight of him.
At that point I'm thinking oh my did I not hit him good, did I miss him and did he make it across the fence and did they just shoot my aoudad? At that point I could not take it anymore we got down and went to where he was standing when I shot him, no blood anywhere so we start down the trail he left out on and still no blood which has me really second guessing now. We are about 30 yards from the feeder at this point and come across a big cedar that has fallen into the trail and as we move up closer to it I see him just on the other side of it and he is down!
I'm so pumped at that point I begin calling all the buddies/Dad on the lease letting them know what just went down and to share the excitement with, all of them are very jealous but super excited as "The Beast" had been like a ghost and we all just wanted someone on the lease to get a opportunity at him.
I would of really loved to have been able to take him with my bow, but still so excited and grateful I was given the opportunity at all! Most importantly so glad my son was there and dad was at the lease to share the experience and excitement with me! Not to mention the help on getting him loaded and back to camp as he was all there for sure!
I have not had him officially scored but quick measurements:
35" - right side
34.5" - left side
12.5" - bases
All the aoudad though had no consistency they would hit a feeder a day or two then disappear again for weeks. Actually up to me taking this one not one person on the lease had ever laid eyes on any of them in person. Fast foward to this year "The Beast" started showing up on camera with a bit more consistency and I really figured this might actually be the year someone on the lease would finally get a shot at him.
Well the weekend before Thanksgiving my son and I drove down to the lease, we arrived late Friday night and climbed into one of the rifle blinds early Saturday morning. This was the spot we last had "The Beast" on camera but going into that morning I never believed he would show up. I decided to take the rifle that morning as my son who just turned 6 is still practicing on being stealthy
and I figured our best chance at seeing anything would be from a distance. We got in the blind and settled, my son began watching a movie on his portable dvd player and it was just about time where you can start to see so I opened the front window of the blind. I had not had it opened up for very long when I looked down at the feeder which sits 170 yds from the blind and could see a large body something down there. As more and more light became available I realized it was him and man did the nerves really start in! I looked down at my son and thought I need to get his ear muffs on before I shoot but also knew when I mentioned the word he would get really excited and that really had me nervous. I will be honest the thought briefly crossed my mind on taking the shot without telling him but that was very short lived as I did not want to do that to him and I also wanted him to be able to take in the entire experience. So I reached down removed one of his ear buds and whispered hey bud lets get your ear muffs on at which he immediately followed "is there a big deer or hog out there" in a not so quite voice
, I quickly whispered we have to be really quite and told him no it was the big aoudad, which really got him excited and he jumped up so he could see. I got his ear muffs on him quickly and turned back and glanced toward the feeder and "The Beast" was still there . I raised the rifle and looked through the scope telling myself take your time and just do not mess this up, again my nerves are completely out of control at this time . He turns slightly quartering away and I get the cross-hairs lined up on him and squeeze off the shot, I hear what I think is the bullet hit him and see him running off at a not so fast pace and appearing hunched up. He got out of sight pretty quick though and I begin second guessing and asking myself did I get him? It had only been about 3 minutes since I had taken the shot when I hear on the property next to us a loud bang and from the direction he had just headed when I lost sight of him. At that point I'm thinking oh my did I not hit him good, did I miss him and did he make it across the fence and did they just shoot my aoudad? At that point I could not take it anymore we got down and went to where he was standing when I shot him, no blood anywhere so we start down the trail he left out on and still no blood which has me really second guessing now. We are about 30 yards from the feeder at this point and come across a big cedar that has fallen into the trail and as we move up closer to it I see him just on the other side of it and he is down!
I'm so pumped at that point I begin calling all the buddies/Dad on the lease letting them know what just went down and to share the excitement with, all of them are very jealous but super excited as "The Beast" had been like a ghost and we all just wanted someone on the lease to get a opportunity at him.
I would of really loved to have been able to take him with my bow, but still so excited and grateful I was given the opportunity at all! Most importantly so glad my son was there and dad was at the lease to share the experience and excitement with me! Not to mention the help on getting him loaded and back to camp as he was all there for sure!
I have not had him officially scored but quick measurements:
35" - right side
34.5" - left side
12.5" - bases
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