I’m old school, lots of words, a few pics...
After John passed in 2009, we hunted Veribest for another year, and then the owner decided that he was going to run more cows. (I Hate Cows, Unless they are Medium Rare on my Plate!!!) He started clearing brush, and left us with half the cover we started with. We decided it was best to move on.
I lost the passion and drive to go hunting without John. I spent 4 or 5 years without a deer lease. I went on a couple day hunts, killed a couple exotics, but it wasn’t the same. As the boys got older, they wanted to start chasing critters too. A guy I coached baseball with got me on a place in Corrigan. It was tough hunting, thick timber, and MUCH different than what I had cut my teeth on SW of Dallas. There were deer, but just tough to see, and even tougher to kill. I had actually killed a Doe in December of 2017, and told my buddies it was the deer I was most proud of. I had set the place up myself, ran the feeder, scouted, and ran my own TC’s. It was the first deer I had killed on a lease without John.
My oldest, Logan, had been practicing shooting his .243 and he was a natural. It turns out, he is pretty good shot, just like his Paw-Paw. We started hunting and hunting hard, as was par for this tract of land. Our TC was showing a few different does, some young bucks, and an ugly spike. I told Logan they were all on the hit-list, whoever showed first was getting a bullet. We had two weekends left, and I felt sure we’d get an opportunity.
The first weekend was a total bust, weather was bad, the moon was bad, and movement was almost nonexistent. I told Logan if his Paw-Paw was with them, he’d have told him, “That’s why it’s called hunting, not killing...”
We got up early on the last Saturday of the season and headed north one more time. We arrived about 30 minutes before shooting and got settled in. Within minutes of sitting down, we had multiple deer in our lane. I knew the feeder was about to spin, and I told Logan we’d let the feeder throw. The deer scattered and I told Logan to hang tight and get ready, they’d be back.
Sure enough, they started filtering in one by one. The heavy breathing commenced, and the shakes started. I don’t know how Logan was feeling, I can only speak for myself at this point!!! LOL
Logan picked out the biggest doe, and I told him when she turned broadside to smoke her. He was a cool as cucumber, she turned, he clicked the safety off, and told me he was ready... 1, 2, CLICK!!! What? Where was the boom? Did I forget to load his gun? What a rookie mistake... Well the gun was loaded. It was a misfire. It hit right in the middle, but no fire. I have never seen it before, never seen it since. I put another shell in, he lined up on her, and I told him to go when he was ready.
I’m literally shaking like a leaf, I couldn’t hardly breathe. 1, 2, BOOM... Flop!!! He dropped her like a sack of potatoes. He folded her up like a cheap suit, and the celebration began. Logan was jacked, Jackson (Our #1 Guide) was jacked, and I was losing my mind.
I called Jen, and let Logan give her the play by play. I wished I could have called John and given him the good news, but I’m sure he had a pretty good seat!!! It was a memory I’ll cherish forever.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
After John passed in 2009, we hunted Veribest for another year, and then the owner decided that he was going to run more cows. (I Hate Cows, Unless they are Medium Rare on my Plate!!!) He started clearing brush, and left us with half the cover we started with. We decided it was best to move on.
I lost the passion and drive to go hunting without John. I spent 4 or 5 years without a deer lease. I went on a couple day hunts, killed a couple exotics, but it wasn’t the same. As the boys got older, they wanted to start chasing critters too. A guy I coached baseball with got me on a place in Corrigan. It was tough hunting, thick timber, and MUCH different than what I had cut my teeth on SW of Dallas. There were deer, but just tough to see, and even tougher to kill. I had actually killed a Doe in December of 2017, and told my buddies it was the deer I was most proud of. I had set the place up myself, ran the feeder, scouted, and ran my own TC’s. It was the first deer I had killed on a lease without John.
My oldest, Logan, had been practicing shooting his .243 and he was a natural. It turns out, he is pretty good shot, just like his Paw-Paw. We started hunting and hunting hard, as was par for this tract of land. Our TC was showing a few different does, some young bucks, and an ugly spike. I told Logan they were all on the hit-list, whoever showed first was getting a bullet. We had two weekends left, and I felt sure we’d get an opportunity.
The first weekend was a total bust, weather was bad, the moon was bad, and movement was almost nonexistent. I told Logan if his Paw-Paw was with them, he’d have told him, “That’s why it’s called hunting, not killing...”
We got up early on the last Saturday of the season and headed north one more time. We arrived about 30 minutes before shooting and got settled in. Within minutes of sitting down, we had multiple deer in our lane. I knew the feeder was about to spin, and I told Logan we’d let the feeder throw. The deer scattered and I told Logan to hang tight and get ready, they’d be back.
Sure enough, they started filtering in one by one. The heavy breathing commenced, and the shakes started. I don’t know how Logan was feeling, I can only speak for myself at this point!!! LOL
Logan picked out the biggest doe, and I told him when she turned broadside to smoke her. He was a cool as cucumber, she turned, he clicked the safety off, and told me he was ready... 1, 2, CLICK!!! What? Where was the boom? Did I forget to load his gun? What a rookie mistake... Well the gun was loaded. It was a misfire. It hit right in the middle, but no fire. I have never seen it before, never seen it since. I put another shell in, he lined up on her, and I told him to go when he was ready.
I’m literally shaking like a leaf, I couldn’t hardly breathe. 1, 2, BOOM... Flop!!! He dropped her like a sack of potatoes. He folded her up like a cheap suit, and the celebration began. Logan was jacked, Jackson (Our #1 Guide) was jacked, and I was losing my mind.
I called Jen, and let Logan give her the play by play. I wished I could have called John and given him the good news, but I’m sure he had a pretty good seat!!! It was a memory I’ll cherish forever.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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