3 long years in the making, 100's of practice arrows shot, and I was finally able to make it happen Saturday morning.
Made it out to the lease to hunt solo Friday evening in Hays county. The weather change has been getting me pumped to sit and it not be so hot. Climbed into my pop-up around 4:45, an hour before my feeder went off, and it was so nice to have that cool northern wind blowing. My pop up is set up to take advantage of that wind, so I just knew it would be a good hunt. It definitely was a beautiful evening, but after having a quiet and somewhat uneventful sit, I headed back to the truck in the dark a bit dejected and bummed that the "cold front" hadn't produced the imagined result that I thought about nonstop this week at work. I decided on my walk back, before I even made it to my pickup, that I was going to be hunting on Saturday morning too. So instead of driving the 1.5 hours back home, I'd just sleep in my truck (no camp/house/utilities on lease). I called my wife and told her that I'd be home in the AM, but I hadnt planned on staying longer than one sit, so I needed to grab some supplies from the closest gas station to me. I made a small fire, cooked gas station hotdogs on a stick, drank a few shiner bocks, and camped out in the cab of my pickup. I woke up pretty cold at 2:30am and put on some extra layers and passed back out. By 5 am I was enroute to the blind and it was windy and chilly, but once I got settled in the wind calmed down enough to hear some rocks shuffling and the grunting sounds of pigs. I couldn't see them, so I don't know how many, but they left almost as quick as they came in. After that all was quiet, until the feeder went off around 7:30. A couple does and a spike all came in to feed, they milled around and snacked for around 20 mins or so, then they all stopped and looked the same direction and watched as a bigger bodied eight pointer shuffled into the mix, bumping the other deer out a bit further as he took over the feed spot. My heart was almost beating out of my chest as he walked right into my shooting window at 24yrds, I was sure the deer could even hear my heart it was thumping so loud. I did some breath work and calmed myself, but he he wouldn't stay still or angle himself to present a shot that I felt confident in taking and he sauntered off as quick as he came in. My adrenaline rush left just as fast and I realized how chilly it really was again. Here's where I unkowingly set myself up for redemption, I've been taking my 3yr old son with me out to the lease to check cams and fill feeders, he loves to hand throw corn while I work and he loves to see animals. Since we never get out there at early hunt times, I set my feeder to go off at dawn, but then also again about an hour and a half later. This way when my son and I get out there in the late mornings, there may be some does or pigs hanging out for him to watch. He lives for seeing animals when we go out there. Anyway, I'm just about to call it a day, since I hunted Friday night and now sat morning, when I'm startled by the feeder going off again for the second time. Oops forgot about the extra feeding. Guess I'll stay a bit longer and see what happens... glad I did. That 8 point came back in to munch on corn and I took my shot at 26 yards. Knew I hit him as he ran off with my arrow in him. I was shaking and wanted to trail after him, but I sat and waited for the longest hour ever. A few does came back in and ate for a bit, but when they were gone and my timer hit 60 mins, I struck out to look for blood. Walking concentric circles around my feeder, I found a few tiny drops of bright blood and tracked them until I'd lose them and have to back track and start over. By now it's close to 10 and my wife calls me to ask when I'll be home, and while I'm on the phone with her I see a tree with a big smear of blood and my buck beneath it! He had wheeled around some cover about 80 yrds behind the feeder and died right there. Double lung shot. My 1st bow kill ever. Hunting Hays county, low fence, shooting a hand me down Martin cheetah.
Made it out to the lease to hunt solo Friday evening in Hays county. The weather change has been getting me pumped to sit and it not be so hot. Climbed into my pop-up around 4:45, an hour before my feeder went off, and it was so nice to have that cool northern wind blowing. My pop up is set up to take advantage of that wind, so I just knew it would be a good hunt. It definitely was a beautiful evening, but after having a quiet and somewhat uneventful sit, I headed back to the truck in the dark a bit dejected and bummed that the "cold front" hadn't produced the imagined result that I thought about nonstop this week at work. I decided on my walk back, before I even made it to my pickup, that I was going to be hunting on Saturday morning too. So instead of driving the 1.5 hours back home, I'd just sleep in my truck (no camp/house/utilities on lease). I called my wife and told her that I'd be home in the AM, but I hadnt planned on staying longer than one sit, so I needed to grab some supplies from the closest gas station to me. I made a small fire, cooked gas station hotdogs on a stick, drank a few shiner bocks, and camped out in the cab of my pickup. I woke up pretty cold at 2:30am and put on some extra layers and passed back out. By 5 am I was enroute to the blind and it was windy and chilly, but once I got settled in the wind calmed down enough to hear some rocks shuffling and the grunting sounds of pigs. I couldn't see them, so I don't know how many, but they left almost as quick as they came in. After that all was quiet, until the feeder went off around 7:30. A couple does and a spike all came in to feed, they milled around and snacked for around 20 mins or so, then they all stopped and looked the same direction and watched as a bigger bodied eight pointer shuffled into the mix, bumping the other deer out a bit further as he took over the feed spot. My heart was almost beating out of my chest as he walked right into my shooting window at 24yrds, I was sure the deer could even hear my heart it was thumping so loud. I did some breath work and calmed myself, but he he wouldn't stay still or angle himself to present a shot that I felt confident in taking and he sauntered off as quick as he came in. My adrenaline rush left just as fast and I realized how chilly it really was again. Here's where I unkowingly set myself up for redemption, I've been taking my 3yr old son with me out to the lease to check cams and fill feeders, he loves to hand throw corn while I work and he loves to see animals. Since we never get out there at early hunt times, I set my feeder to go off at dawn, but then also again about an hour and a half later. This way when my son and I get out there in the late mornings, there may be some does or pigs hanging out for him to watch. He lives for seeing animals when we go out there. Anyway, I'm just about to call it a day, since I hunted Friday night and now sat morning, when I'm startled by the feeder going off again for the second time. Oops forgot about the extra feeding. Guess I'll stay a bit longer and see what happens... glad I did. That 8 point came back in to munch on corn and I took my shot at 26 yards. Knew I hit him as he ran off with my arrow in him. I was shaking and wanted to trail after him, but I sat and waited for the longest hour ever. A few does came back in and ate for a bit, but when they were gone and my timer hit 60 mins, I struck out to look for blood. Walking concentric circles around my feeder, I found a few tiny drops of bright blood and tracked them until I'd lose them and have to back track and start over. By now it's close to 10 and my wife calls me to ask when I'll be home, and while I'm on the phone with her I see a tree with a big smear of blood and my buck beneath it! He had wheeled around some cover about 80 yrds behind the feeder and died right there. Double lung shot. My 1st bow kill ever. Hunting Hays county, low fence, shooting a hand me down Martin cheetah.
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