West Texas Holiday

Didn't make it out last weekend, so snuck away from work a little early for the cold front. Got down in time to check some cards and make the afternoon hunt. It is a breezy 96 degrees, but there is a north wind, which is what I need to hunt the stand that has a buck coming in that I really want to put my eyes on.

He is a nice ten with good mass, but looks older in some pics and younger in others. I have yet to get a good clear picture of him. There are 3 other very nice eights, but not sure if they are shooters yet.

I have two doe and two yearling feeding in front of me and waiting for one of the big boys to show up.

Good luck.

Good luck, buck sure looks to have some great mass in that Mattel photo LOL

Tired of looking at a sideways pic

Thanx STX, hard to see the world the way Trex does LOL

Like I tell the ladies...we are the same height laying down

Thanks STX. Phone doesn't give me the option

Good luck.

Set up for a perfect shot

Well?

BTW, while you're waiting, I forwarded the part "Like I tell the ladies...we are the same height laying down" to your wife, so expect a party when ya get home!

Nah. Waiting to see if the ten shows up

She has been with me around 11 years or so...she has heard it.

Bachelor group of young uns just came in

Good luck!
Be careful.
Watch out for snakes.
About stepped on a small rattler last Saturday night after walking out from the evening hunt.
Then we killed about a three footer Sunday morning.

Maybe the 10 is bringing up the rear

I sent her the photos

No ten...the morning should be prime!!!

Should be nice a cool too!

Good luck Hunter

Good luck!

wow, nice looking animals.

I can't wait to get out Saturday

Good luck!!! So far all I've seen the last few days is does with fawns, a baby buck with 3" spikes and a mature heavy 8 point which I couldn't get a clean shot on!!!

Good luck. Hope the weather change gets em moving for you

I'm just glad that I found a lease within my budget with some nice bucks on it!!!

I bet this weather will get them on the move.

Good luck!

Very nice 10! I hope you get to pull the string on him.

Good luck.

Back at it again...been an eventful morning

I would like to meet a weatherman one day for the sole purpose of kicking him in the nuts...weather calling for a north wind through Friday evening. Got up this morning and absolutely no wind. Get to the stand and it is S/SW

This set is for a north wind but we have a tree stand set up (2x12 in a mesquite tree) set up for a SW wind for rare occasions. With the location, it is not a stand you want to hunt much and is close to where the deer come in. Well, I grab my bow with no other choice and climb the tree.

Feeder doesn't go off. Haven't checked it yet, but will before I leave. Worked fine last night, so I am assuming when the battery was changed by my BIL last week, it didn't get reset. Oh well, still corn on the ground.

About 7:15, had a 7 pointer and a 4 pointer literally walk directly under me. Didn't smell me, walked in, ate about 5 minutes and wandered off. About 7:30, I can hear something running from the east. A fawn comes barreling through at Mach 7, think she hit every tree on the trail and a doe was about 30 yards south doing the same thing...4 yotes hot on their trail and spaced about 10 yards apart. The deer circled and two yotes split north to cut them off. They hit my scent and all 4 peeled off. Have no clue where mamma and baby went.

I can feel the wind starting to change directions and is probably going to swing to the north...so this hunt might be about over

Beautiful morning and was 51 when I got out of the truck. Very light winds and clear skies.

Hope things start going your way. I can't wait til tomorrow morning.

Needed a .22 and a suppressor, go to work on those yotes...

Sounds like a nice morning, at least the things under your control.

Too bad you didn't get a shot at one of yotes. Good luck this evening

"Cold front" didn't last long...I am sweating my rear off

Wind is very light and pretty inconsistent. Still mostly out of the north, so hear I sit waiting one more time for the 10.

I tried to fix the feeder and when I did, found out what the problem is...hot wire is burning up where it attaches to the motor Dang near caught on fire with my "fix"'. Looks like I will be out here again tomorrow and might need a new motor.

I have decided if a doe comes in early or is here at last shooting light, I am taking her.

That sucks about the feeder motor!!! Good luck!!!

Wasn't much to update until the very end. The ten I was after and a nice 8 came in at last light. If they had changed places, I could have shot. As it was, I barely could see the ten and never got a good look at his body...but his horns over cactus are impressive.

8 wasn't no slouch. Pic sucks (and is sideways ) because it was late but you might get s little idea. I have some game pics of him I will post later

Well Trex, you play'ed it right though, picked the right stand, so you get a point for that. Even in the poor photo, you can tell that buck has some nice headgear.

Good looking buck!!!

Get him!

Another beautiful morning. Upper 40's, very light breeze out of the south and clear skies. Had to move stands and doesn't look like I will get a chance to hunt the ten again this weekend and probably won't be back for a few weekends, so unless he is the dominant buck, going to be tough hunting him.

Moved to another stand this morning. Few nice eights on camera but no shooters. There is a big frame crab claw that was coming in fairly regular here until mid-September and this stand is one of those that you never know what will come in. It had a few regulars but most the deer are only seen a few times and many different deer pass through.

Couple of small bucks and a porcupine so far.

Good luck txs

A great morning to be hunting. It's not over till it's over. Keep us posted.

I would be pulling the string on that blackbuck.

Kill something already!

You gonna kill that blackbuck, or what?

He is going to or what.

Hah! Apparently.

I think he is waiting for the his stars to align

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh he is taking a nap again

We can't kill blackbuck on our ranch. We have a pretty good herd now, but the rancher wants them left alone. We can kill any other exotics that wonder on our place, just not those. Fun to see.

I haven't, but some of the other hunters have killed Sitka, elk, axis, and had a fallow on camera. A few years ago, we had a major flood and think it washed out some HF waterways around us. Axis and blackbuck have been in the area since well before that though.

Not yet...

That would be cool to get to the stand in the dark and as sun rises you see a dang elk under the feeder LOL

Oh yeah...we have had audoud and oryx too. Probably a few more I am forgetting.

None of the elk were big, still be cool to see them but I have heard they are hell on feeders

That variety sure would help pass the time. I have never killed an "exotic" anything, so it would be nice to see some, just for the exposure.

Couldn't update while in the stand, had my bow in my hand from 6:45 until almost dark.

Had a doe come in about 6:45 and I grabbed the bow to take her. She made the circle three or four times but wouldn't settle, so I waited. Off to my right, I heard the familiar sound of a deer jumping a fence, then another. A few small bucks wondered in so I waited again. I hear a rock roll the same direction that the smaller bucks came from and all I can see is chocolate antlers through the trees. Already had my bow in my hand, so all I could do was wait. He circles around and come straight at me. He was a big bodies crab claw 8 that I had seen on camera. About 17" wide and 11" G2's, but short g3's. I was pumped. He fed for a good 15 minutes and during that time, there was a steady flow of bucks coming in. I never really got a count, but would guess around 15 or so. One was a nice 8, big frame with good tines, but still a little young...attention back on crab claw.

He started making his turn as he was feeding and I applied tension to the bow string as I got ready to come to full draw. Just as he is about broadside, a buck I would guess a year younger and 15lbs lighter, with about 105" of bone challenges him and he backs away Never seen a buck back down from another with that kind of body weight difference.

By now, it is getting late and the crab claw stands off to the side in the trees. He finally works his way back in and feeds directly at me again. About 10 minutes before shooting light ended, something up the hill spooked them and they didn't run, but all eased back in the woods.

Heck of a hunt but no blood

Sounds like a blast.

Well at least you had some great action. I only had one buck and it was slow this evening for some reason.

I drove to Houston, so you had much more fun than I did!

Maybe that smaller buck has been hearing about and taking notes from this UIBA on some forum in Texas

You a guide and a camera man?

Looks relaxing for sho

I have been enjoying the play by play! Thanks.

I have to post pics for sneaky...he bitches

Cold beer and little fire...can't beat it unless I had a buck hanging

Gotta keep the fans happy...

No blood again this morning, but did pick up my bow for a doe. The bucks wouldn't let her stand still long enough.

Got busted at around 7:00. Heard a deer stomp, blow and at least a few run off behind me. About 5 minutes later a group came in from the south. 7 bucks and a doe. Two eight pointers around 110-115, but the rest were little. Gave it about 20 minutes to see if anything else would wonder in and decided to take the doe. Of course, had opportunities all morning until I decided to shoot. Chum piles dwindled down too much, so the bucks were congregated together and wouldn't let her eat.

Overall, a good weekend with some good bucks. As far as cameras go and the hunts have gone, looks like the ten is by far the best so far and there is a pretty big margin between him and all the others. Be a couple of weeks before I come back and everything will be different by then. Bachelor groups will break up and the bucks will start to travel. Going to sit another 45 minutes or so and then head in.

As a side note, three of the other hunters up here aren't seeing much and if they do it is either at last light or first light. I was glad to have the activity I have had, especially compared to them.

Good luck everyone

You're a good man.

Sounds like a fun time!!! Yesterday I saw a small spike and 2 young 8 pointers sparring about 10yds from me and several does!!!

not a bad start. Still early in the season

Great story, txshntr. There's still plenty of time.

That was an enjoyable read...sounds like you had a good weekend

Well...another WTX holiday so figured I would continue the saga here...

Just barely made it down in time to change, grab my bow and figure out my new 4 wheeler isn't running well Jumped in the truck, had a buddy call with a personal issue so figured it out on the way to the stand, sat down, hung my bow and the feeder went off. Last time I was up, changed the spinner and it works great!!! Corn hits the tree I sit in 8' off the ground and 33 yards away Within minutes the black buck are down in front of me, which for those that didn't read the first part, I can't shoot To top it all off, forgot my face mask and I semi-face the SW

And I just realized I forgot bug spray and my Thermacell...

But I am here, thanks to a friend handling some late "on the job" issues for me, and keeping me from driving 2 1/2 hours back the way I came from (only made it 1 hr back before I made another U-turn). Been one of those days and just nice to be sitting in a tree watching 3 yummy antelope feed that I can't shoot!!!

Wind is going to be wrong most the weekend to hunt the 10 pointer and big bodied 8, so I will be after the crab claw. Getting later in Oct, so there is a good chance that the bucks will be separating and starting to travel some. Hoping some new deer have moved in.

The stand I am in is notorious for having new deer come and go. Not many regulars but pretty much always deer around it. Haven't had a chance to check the cards, but my dad made it here before me and they are at camp. Anxious to see what had been going on since I last hunted here.

Good luck!

First deer of the evening showed up. Pretty young 8

Someone flip it please

What a hunt!!! Had down very nice bucks come in and one we named sombrero. Been watching him 3 years and it is time for him to go. First we have laid eyes on him this year and he is a good deer. I let him walk for a couple of other hunters but it was great to get to watch him. Ended up with 7 bucks. They left about 6:50, so I was just sitting here waiting for dark or another group. 10 minutes and a doe walked in. Had a few minutes of shooting light, she set up and I let her fly. Hope to have meat in the freezer

Been a bit, but I am going to sit up here a bit longer. When it is completely dark, I will slip out, grab a bite to eat and come back to see what the arrow looks like. This part of the hunt is almost as much fun as the releas

Congrats on getting to the lease and the doe. Think that was stress relief.

Without a doubt STX

10 minute tracking and she is on her way to the walk in

Way to go.

Good job T-Rex Just curious, what's your draw length?

He said it was less than 30"...how much I am not sure...

Something's are better left to the imagination

Thanks guys. Was great to finally get one on the ground. Now need to find a buck. Have been seeing some nice ones and cameras are showing a lot of movement. Dad is hunting the big bodied 8 in the morning, so maybe he can get him on the ground. My crab claw has been a no show...

Congrats on the doe!!! Good luck on the buck!!!

, but how come only your deer pictures are sideways? The quail was good to go.

I have to remember to turn the phone sideways to take the picture...and I did for the quail

Very calm this morning with some light fog. Haven't seen anything this morning, but could hear a buck rubbing on a tree.

I wish I could be out there right now but offshore working right now!!! I blew my chances on 2 big 8's while I was home though!!! I hope they're still alive when I get off!!!

Good luck man get a biggun!

Sic em'

He must have fallen asleep in the stand...or it is steak and golfing day at the lease

Thanks for keeping Goldy and I up till almost Midnight waiting on a Pic



Nice Kill...

Great pics. Congrats on the doe.

Well done.

Figured you had a drug induced coma going on so was waiting



You might be right

Rancher hit a hole in one on a 144 yard par 3!!! Think I am golden for the next 10 years

This thread is losing control.

Your on one of those "Lookin" leases like me..Ramsey go down there and shoot something w a Antler

No more looking...time to stick something else. Getting antsy

Outstanding

Hope that one Mule Head trots back up, good luck man

Thanks bud. About as calm as I can remember an afternoon hunt being and hot....have three bucks and a doe milling about in the woods but doesn't look like they are very interested in coming in right now

Had some young bucks move in, 4-5 eating and watched 6 move along the fence line. Wind shifted right at prime time. They didn't bust but the 6 just turned and left. Few minutes later the 4-5 slowly became one as they all wondered back off. They were just getting a hint and would throw their nose up, eventually it was more than their nerves could handle.

No kidding they removed all the mounts at camp.

Worthless thread... Nothing about trains, planes or getting drunk

Well you are right since it does not having anything about burned up Ford's either.

Oh the new government motors convert speaks

That's it...Loading up and gonna come start ear holing Slick Heads and Popping those "protected" Black Bucks

Hes 5.5 and 130 he may get a few stickers but for the love of GOD run a Arrow in someting

I approve of this thought process!!!

Gotta love your fan club Trex

You know why he does this...he wont FEED, Tight Butt!!! He will watch that and it will pop that fence and get slaughtered

Get into a 7 1/2 Road Trip debate on feed w him

Even goldy will spend money on feed!

LMAO

The whole time he got this look while sounding like Charlie Browns Teacher

It's a 10k acre ranch. According to most on here, a deer wouldn't ever leave a 600 acre place...

There might be a 132

Come on down here big boy...

You see what I have to deal with

I remember that look...I thought it just meant you had to pull over to pee again

Little slow this morning. Has some movement early and when it got light could see 3 eights but couldn't see what was to my left, just could hear them munching on the corn. About 5 minutes ago, one of the youths on our place shot. Being a very still morning, it spooked the bucks just enough that they made each other nervous and moved back into the brush. Hope the kid connected and made a good shot, can't wait to see what he bagged!!!

Outstanding

Any chasen...mines not to the first week in Dec but it's a odd year, and Navs been watching those Squirrels again

Hope the youngster got a Toad..You sitting till 10 right

Goodluck to you and congrats on the doe.

Uhhhh...no

Just got a text that a lady hunter has an arrow in sombrero. (That's the 8 pointer I posted a pic of from Thursday night). Can't wait to see it!!

As far as the chasen goes, not yet. Another week or two and it will be going full bore. Little ones are starting to pester them and the bucks are starting to dislike their running buddies, but they aren't there yet.

Good for her felt nice this Mng lucky dog!

Yep...but this afternoon is going to be brutal

Well...looks like recovery is going to be one for two. Young boy shot a beautiful cull crabclaw. After 600+ yards of tracking, we finally recovered the deer. He is all smiles!!!

The lady that shot the buck with her bow isn't as happy. Unfortunately, we can't find a drop of blood to give direction and she is in some thick brush. We have been at it for 3 hours and there are 7 of us searching, still no sign. She is positive she hit it. We are going to give it just a little longer then call it done.

I will have pics up later.

Buzzards still in y'all's neck of the woods amigo

Congrats to the young man and hope she finds him...you and your pops know all the ends and outs and tricks, if he can be found y'all will find him..Good Luck!!

Yep. Still have a few around. Will make a couple of rounds tomorrow and see if we can flush them. True trophy for this wonderful lady and I know she is sick about the results so far. We did all we could and have lost the meat. If we could salvage the head, it would at least be something. She has let this deer walk in the past to let it grow, along with the rest of us, so it was important to her and she had personal history with the deer. Not sure about to some, but that means something to me. Damn shame though.

Call in a dog, it still is not to late.

How can the dog pinpoint the trail without blood? How long is too long in this heat for the dog?

A dog does not follow the trail exactly like you or I would by sight. The trail snakes in and out of brush and along. The dog goes more straightline so to speak and keeps crossing the trail and track. Soon he starts to associate that track with the blood. (as told to me by Little Roy Hindes). I have hit a deer before dark on a dark of the moon night, called him. He said lets wait till daylight and go. He got their dumped out Jethro and a young trainer dog. Took them a few minutes to sort out the cold trail with only a few spots of blood. Once they got on it they started the direction the deer ran. 3/4 of mile later they jumped the wounded buck but could not hold him or bay. Little Roy said immediately the buck is not hit bad enough to be crippled or die from the wound. I saw the buck a month or so later. He has lost some weight but lived since the wound hit no bones or nothing vital, just flesh.

That's way Olney in Sonora works ..
May be worth the cash ...

Sucks Man...so sorry for her

Matt McWilliams 325-456-0773 Fuel +tip Brady +all surrounding areas 3

Make the call!!! What do you have to lose

He already has, I gave him the number a couple of hours ago now. Matt said with this heat and no blood or arrow it was to iffy in this heatt on the dogs.

Damnt... Matts damn good, his word is gospel.

As always late to the party!!!!

Anyone that hunts in the three county area needs to write his number on the door of your camper!!

Yep he has a great dog and knows deer.

Sounded like a great fella. Funny, one of you two have me his number before as a "just in case". I searched it when STX told me and when I dialed, it is saved on my phone. We are going to post it at camp somewhere for the others.

Just with absolutely no blood and the amount of time, not sure it was a truly viable option. The help is greatly appreciated though

Would it help at all if I made a Cocktail and absorbed this

Is it to soon to ask you and I's biggest debate...

Please never wear a "Sleeve" when Bow Hunting

Honestly so sorry for the Ladies loss man...maybe if someone's staying till sun or alert the rancher and watch them buzzards..maybe it's just a donated Cape away from a Trophy Amigo..

I am gonna slap you

Just saying

As your Life Coach and Bow Hunting Sensei
Sleeves are overrated like more than 3 pins

Don't be surprised if that Deer don't walk back in to that feeder tonight or in the Mng Sir if the stars are aligned ...
How close is the nearest water Amigo...not that you haven't thought about that but may not be bad idea to have someone check out the closest air motor ...just a thought

That was the last place we checked before giving up. Split up and one group went to one water and the other group went the other direction.

There really is no doubt he could walk back into a feeder this evening. That side has plenty to choose from

Well, as my sensei and life coach, you should know I would never wear one when it is this hot out. Now, Kansas and winter months, you bet your rear I will wear it with pride my friend. I would have won the biggest javi contest if I had been wearing it!!!!

No moved to the other side of the ranch for this hunt. Seems my dad has taken over my other stand in the name of shooting a big bodied 8 pointer he let walk a couple of weeks ago (and I am sure it has nothing to do with the big ten that was seen there ), so I am moving to his.

Over the years, this stand is notorious for having a few mature regulars that stick around until pre-rut. This year it is two old ten pointers with short tines. I won't shoot either one, but wouldn't mind seeing them. It hasn't been hunted but maybe 3 times this year and this week showed some new bucks moving in and the tens haven't been on camera much, so it is a crap shoot what will walk in.

Favorite part about this stand is it right on the border of our leased property and across the fence is a 4k acre part of the ranch that hasn't been truly hunted in 10 years. The actual woods across the fence are part of a 400 acre pasture that has never been hunted. You really never know what could wonder up.

Getting down to the nitty gritty now. I won't be back here until Thanksgiving and when I come back, I will probably be spending more time with my niece, daughter and sister in the stands than bow hunting, so I would really like to go ahead and kill a big one

As a side note...it is freaking hot!!!

All that talk about how great this stand is and still haven't seen a deer

I hate this stand and am never hunting here again

Man you are struggling brother ...anyone else connected

Not that I have heard tonight. Seems slow with the few that have texted. Really hope pops connected and my BIL has a good chance where he is. Hadn't hunted up here this year and camera has been showing activity. I know there has been morning activity because dad drove by it about 9:00 this morning and there were 5 bucks still here.

Guess that is why they call it hunting

Let my BIL go hunt my stand and he is covered in deer. Said there were no shooters but he isn't used to having that many deer around. He has had a rough year at his blind

Pop says he shot a doe so we are heading out to look...

Another doe in the cooler

Yall are doing pretty well, I'd say.

A lot better than those of us at work or home.

More meat for the freezer!!! Congrats to your Pop!!!

Not a bad weekend

Here is the pic of the buck the youth shot.

Last chance for awhile...

Well at least you got a doe and saw some bucks!!! I won't be able to go hunt until November 20th!!!

Get 'em.

Get after em!

Seeing anything?

Nope. Had a small 8 in very early. He ate a few bites, wondered over and rubbed a tree and then walked off. Pretty slow morning

Give it some time!!! Strangely enough the bigger bucks at my lease have come in about 8:30 or 11:30-12:30!!!

Couple of small bucks just showed up.



I have seen very few late at this place for some reason. I have had a few on camera and when I rifle hunt the open country, I see some mid day movement, but for the most part, it is over by 9:30 or so

Outstanding

When I was hunting my stand earlier, I had movement from 7-9:30 and then it died down until 11:30!!!

Gotta love west Texas...never know what can walk in

Sweet!!! Congrats!!!

That is a pretty dang good fallow buck.

Heck of a spotted fallow to just walk in unexpectedly!

Now that's pretty great.

I'd say that's a fair trade, nice TRex

That's not me....buddy I hunt with

Sorry bud, only met you once and figured you put on some facial hair since then......AND the guy looked "short" enough

I can see where you might would think it...but he is taller than I am

Got it, I can see in those 2 photos he is kneeling down