2 days and I leave for 5 to 6 days....bucks have started showing a lot of interest and weather looks good for seeing some big boys.

Gone to the range .....got to double check the old 300.....

Just got back yesterday from Kinney County (Brackettville/Del Rio) area. Bucks are chasing Does! Shot a nice 9pt Tuesday AM and 10pt. that afternoon. Both Bucks had swollen necks and smelled nice stinkin huanches. Have fun and good luck.

I am still down here.....and only young bucks...are chasing does right now....not many mature bucks chasing does yet, see a few....now and then....does will not stand for young bucks...so it is not too far away. I have no way to upload the photos I have taken...but so far, I have shot two coyotes....not sure how many hogs....20 so far for the group..have seen many bobcats...not sure I want to shoot any...saw 6 one morning at one stand. The best would be a cinnamon teal I shot...though be it unfair..jump shooting...beautiful duck and luckily I had some steel shot....Although the highlight is the two 10 pts I have taken...Still have not scored them, but one has an inside of 20 1/2 and is about 7 1/2 years old....a nice deer, not really a trophy, but more of a management buck that will look good on the wall...The second is a good 10...probably should have let him go another year, but at 5 1/2...and based on photos of him the last two years...he got the nod to be shot...so...my taxidermy bill will be huge.

More later......got some hunting to do...Nice to have internet access at the ranch though.

Thanks for the update, Steve. Sounds like you're having a big time and two or three little ones.

I saw two new scrapes this past weekend up here...unusual for this time of year, but I guess there's a real good explanation out there. How's the weather?

Cannot tell you what a great time I had. I hunted with my buddies daughter yesterday morning and evening...she is 8 and is so cute and precious, especially in her camo....What a thrill to hunt with her, she was a real trooper and made it until 9:15 in the morning, hogs eluded us...in and out, in and out...then gone before she could shoot her 22-250 at 50 yards....so that evening off we go and we had 50 plus hogs and of course you know they never hold still when there are that many...we had them at 18 yards and me with a shotgun loaded with buckshot..I did not shoot...I wanted her to get one! Well, there was some stand kicking and some loud whispering and they got spooked and one piglet remained on the sendaro at 30 yards..She felt good about it and before we start with the 22-250 comments...she has already dusted two javalina in the head with it and is quite proficient with this little Thompsons Center. Too steep of an angle from the 20 foot tower I guess as she shot right over its head and right above the ear...some play by play and freeze frame with the video camera convinced us of that. That and there was no 20 pound piglet in the road, but VICTORY that she shot and was not too nervous. She has also killed doe and spike with this gun. Little brother went with me this morning and at 7:10 with my 22-250, he shot one and you could not have walked out there and placed the bullet any more in the center of the eyes...I mean he hit this thing right between the eyes at 40 yards facing us..This little boy can shoot! I asked where you were aiming and he said between the eyes as I did not have a broadside head shot..MR. Steve.....I said, good! WE waited until 9 to go look at it, it was killing him, but we had too many deer around us. After looking at it, yep..right between the eyes and I said to him,"I do not know many people that could place a bullet better then that..." which I was greated with the reply of "aim small miss small."

I was real sad to leave the Golden Triangle with more big bucks showing up and a little girl who had not shot her hog yet. I called to tell them goodnight at the ranch and she had seen several hogs, but could not get a shot due to a large 8 on the sendaro that daddy wanted to shoot, but maybe in the morning.

Got home to my moms house for her birthday dinner, I was early so a buddy came over and we scored one buck at 144..not the 150 or close as we had thought, but still a great deer..I will get them developed tomorrow. Did not score the other one as I had to jump in the shower...and while at dinner, my good friend, hunting buddy up in Graham called and his father who was like a second dad to me and I had grown to love and admire for the last 16 years had passed due to complications with cancer. Needless to say, my Christmas just got real sad and my duck hunt up there is so far on the back burner now....that I do not have the stomach to go hunt there the rest of the season. Sad for the loss, even more sad that my next trip to see my friend will be at the funeral of his father.

I will try to post some photos and a better story of the entire week this weekend, but I have to hit the rack to get my mom to chemo in the morning. Good thing is I did see my wife for 3 hours this evening and it has been a week since I saw her last.

Sounds like yall had a hell of a time! Sorry to hear about your 2nd dad passing and hope your mother is hanging in there. I know it has been a tough year for you. God Bless.

Bradbury, What a great story about hunting with the 8 year old girl. It brought back memories. I'm sorry for the loss of your "second dad." I've had a couple of those myself and have lost one. I pray you are comforted with peace that passes understanding. Also glad to hear that the bucks are begining to show interest in that area. I'm leaving for Uvalde on Monday and hope the rut is kicking in. I shot a nice 9 point in early Dec. with a 20 inch spead. Blessings Rene'

Great Story and Great Time makes me want to get back out in the field!

got the photos developed...hope there is a scanner under the tree...if not, we have to wait until my buddy emails his to me or my other buddy with a scanner gets back.. Then I will give the full story of my hunt, it will be long, but it should be good. It sure was fun.

20 1/2 inch inside, wight of 190 when dressed, should have weighed him the night before.



146 B and C..I had hoped he would make 150, but oh well, we scored him 4 times, the one tine G3 on right side broke the night before, the video from the day before had him perfect.



Both fell to the 300 Win Mag, the first one went about 15 yards behind the shoulder and the bullet never excited. This deer was fat, real fat. It lodged in a hunk of fat right next to the skin. Shot was about 140 yards, the Bigger scoring buck fell at 115 yards in his tracks. Sure wish the G2's on both were longer, but the first photo, that buck has gone done hill the last two years.



just a bonus cinnamon teal, the prettier one will stay at the ranch house when mounted, my gift to my buddy.

All said and done, we had a ball. Hogs killed were around 28 and could have been a lot higher. We have to go back and really put the hammer to them. One javalina was shot, three coyotes and one bobcat. I saw 7 bobcats, 5 were small, real small, I did not want to shoot one that badly. However, I did see one I would have shot, but he did not come back out. All hogs and coyotes were shot with 22-250 and none of them took a step. I did not shoot all 28 of them forgot how many I shot. My buddy did shoot another large bobcat.

Here is a photo of the biggest one I shot, before I shot him. Not the best photo....


We saw gobs of these, both blues and bobs, did not shoot too many, just enough to make a meal out of one night. We will go back and put the hammer to them later.




If I had one more buck tag, I would have culled this one, and there is another one that is bigger, that if my buddy can harvest with his bow....it will get him a jacket in Los Cazadores big 6.

Sorry about the loss.

Good looking deer. Sounds like you had a good time and saw a lot of game. I can't wait to deer hunt the brush country someday. I love it down there. My buddy was down there the same time you were and got a couple culls/mgmt bucks, 4 spikes, and 3 does. He said he saw a couple 170+ but don't know if he was not allowed to shoot or was too young (lol) or too far.

Again, congrats on the hunt. Send some deer up to north Texas for us.

Steve, two great bucks and I know you're proud of both especially the 2 cinnamon teal!! Way to go there bud!

Chris

A great time, long story, I have tried to type it three times....but kept goofing up, phone rang, power went out....taking calls about a dove hunt this afternoon..Think i will go!

But here is the main reason I went to S. Texas, to help my buddy out with his three children. This is the best trophy I will ever bring home from there.


The red headed boy is a hog killing machine. He came down and got two right off the bat, he is the son of another fraternity brother. The three blonde children are my buddies. I hunted with the oldest girl (8) and the son (7) he was able to drill a hog with my 22-250 right between the eyeballs. The smallest girl, loves going to the stand and at almost 4 she can make it about 2 hours and is a trooper. Of course she had a small accident on here face when she ran into the swing on the porch. They all called me Mr. Steve and did not want me to leave, the two oldest really had to fight to see who was hunting with me. I have some great video of them in the stand and they were quiet and really observed what was happening around us. What a treat to spend so much time with them.

Oh and the guns they have in their hands are all pellet or BB guns, none were loaded, the youngest had to have one in the photo or she would not smile, so we got a youth 243, took the bolt out and it was unloaded too, no gun was pointed at me or anybody else, hard to tell from the photo, but trust me. The ones with the BB and pellet guns would shoot all day at targets and were quiet good at it too, I really thought at one point we were going to have to go to town and buy more BB's....

Of course I will go back next year, but it will have to be a real big one for me to pull the trigger. I might just wait a couple of years though my buddy will let me shoot one or two each year. I may just wait. This year he donated a hunt to a boy from W. Virginia who has terminal bone cancer thru Hunt of a Lifetime Texas. I am helping him get the info to write an article on it. He is doing it again next season for another child who has requested a Hunt of Lifetime. I am for sure going when he does it, it is very rewarding and I want to be a part of it and help him on it.

Sounds like you had a lot of fun, and made lasting memories with some very lucky kids.

Both deer are very nice, Congrats!

Had a great time with the kids that is for sure....

I wish the better buck had longer g -2's, but cannot be to picky I guess.....the bigger 150 to 170 plus buck will be on the wall in the next 6 years and from then on......

Saw lots of stuff each day, love S. Texas...wish I was there now.

South Texas is special for me too. Not necessary for the deer, but more for the friendships I have made while wandering it. I was introduced to it in 93 by a college buddy, and have hunted it with him every year since. In fact, outside of two other invites, it is the only tract of land South of San Antonio I have ever toted a rifle on.

If I was you, I'd hunt for that 130" 6. They are as rare as book deer, and IMO more impressive than a 150" 10.

I was looking in the Loz Cazadores magazine of the winners from last year. I said, surely there was not a bigger 6, but I was wrong, they had about 4 in there that were huge. One was from Mexico, the rest in Texas. I mean it would be cool to shoot one that big, though he just had 6 points.

Bad thing about that deer contest is you have to register for it, i think it is abouit $35 to $40 to register. At least I know that now.

Just wish I had another tag. Oh well, if I go back and it is still season, I will be just as happy to video deer and shoot as many hogs as I can.