Live from Boerne

Easter weekend hunting for axis and turkey. Prolly last chànce for turkey this spring. Sitting in popup now and all quiet. But I hoping for movement around 5pm and intercept these two toms heading back to roost. It's hot here today, so also maybe hoping for some axis crossing the fiełd heading towàrd creek for a drink near sundown.

Maybe even one of the big boys.

Two dropped young bucks and a tiny WT doe. They do NOT like the turkey decoy.

Had a gobbler and a nice axis come in on other side of feeder at 80 yards. Decided to try for the turkey via rifle. Missed the head shot. Argghh!!!! Still early, maybe the axis will come back.

Do y'all think a 12ga O/U with turkey+extra full chokes 3" will kill at 60-65yards?

Yes but it's more likely to wound. That magic pellet could kill it if it is a head or spine hit.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Kicking myself for missing and second-guessing myself.

Of course I just had a hen come walking right up to me right outside the popup.

Have both shotgun and rifle with me in the popup.

It would take some extreme luck to kill at that distance. I shoot 3.5 inch shells and won't try over 35. You just end up wounding them.

I patterned turkey choke about 9-10" at 45 yards - so I feel good that far.

Wish these damn birds would just get closer. The hens come right up to me.

Couple more wt came by ... No sign of axis yet.

I have to hunt the axis at night over here in Pipe Creek. They are tough to find in the day, but there are some big ones.

Forget those stinking birds and kill a big axis John! Good luck bud.

You don't have enough tags to fill the freezer with turkey.

Quiet here the past hour. Just one more hen came by. I know, should have shot the axis - but at my old age, still never taken a wild turkey. It's a mission now.

Neighbor just cranked up the dozer or backhoe. Who freaking starts dozer work at 7:45 on Friday. Hope I don't have that to look forward up all weekend.

Don't worry the axis will come back... at about 3:00 AM

It's not the pattern at 45 yards. It's the foot pounds of energy. You may have it choked down great. But at 45 yards your gonna be super lucky to kill a bird with 3" shells.

I hate turkeys so it's not that I'm worried about you wounding them. I'm just telling you what I've experienced.

You may be right rancher, I don't know having never killed a turkey. But killed plenty of big ducks at 45 yards - but turkeys are much bigger.

Had a group of axis come out right 8pm, including the two monsters I'm after. Unfortunately, they were just on the other, wrong side of fence. Watched them until dark, when they headed for the fence break - then it was just too dark to see. I have a feeling they are going to hit the feed about 10pm.

You got a light?

Tomorrow night if I need to...

Latest game cam pics...

Fat axis, I saw him this evening. He's a shooter in my book


Do you like my fan?

Does this make my butt look big?


Tasty tasty tasty


Another good axis

Good luck

Keep at it. You'll get a good one!

Two axis before daylight way off on opposite end if pasture. 3 WT munching at feeder right now.

OK, I guess I just don't understand something. The way that reads to me it says that someone just shot some whitetail bucks and a doe. ????

Maybe I just need more coffee.

I think he means two young bucks that have already shed or dropped their antlers.

Yes. Two bucks that have already dropped/shed antlers.

Nothing since the 3 WT left. Looks like the same deer from yesterday evening.

Don't hear any turkeys this morning, bug I think they are already henned up

Omg I just has a WHITE deer run across the pasture!!

Fallow???

Definitely not fallow.

All white with brown ankle socks.

Got to be a whitetail. Never heard of a white axis doe.

Just texted the land owner. He's never seen one or heard anyone seeing one in the area.

They only have seen 1 fallow in all the years he's lived here - and that was about 15 years ago.

I am in shock.

Now that's a bar story....

Good luck. Love me some axis. Dropped two last Sunday near Brady.

And I have a velvet axis down!!!

Nice!

Success!!! Is he a good one?

Your keeping us waiting a long time!

Sorry , had to clean him right away in this heat, especially if I want to preserve the velvet.

Not the big boy hard horn I was looking for. But he'll do to replenish the axis steaks.

Now to try for turkey.

congrats!!

You should bring him to Fort Worth and let me mount him for you!

Nice!

Were you hunting at Lohn Oak with my friends Ron and Jason?

Heck he is a darn nice one John. Congrats!

Good looking deer.

Congrats

a 20 gauge with #5 shot In a 2 3/4 shell will with a bit of luck at 45 yards. Your 3" shells will be close. Good luck!

Great looking axis... Just 23 days until I head to Sonora looking for my first axis..

Well done sir! Nice looking buck!

Sure was. Second time down there. Love that place. And man the hunting is tough. Should get my meat back from the processor on Wednesday.

I'm heading there next weekend for my does.

Ron is good people.

Success!!!!! So glad you prevailed!!! Congrats on a great trophy.

Finished hunting this afternoon with no joy on turkey. Had several hens walk right up to me but no gobblers.

Had a number of whitetail coming and going, was hoping to see that white deer again so I could get a pic.

Setup some more cams, maybe I'll get lucky.

I had axis doe come by late, but I'm going axis doe hunting next weekend. The big boys will have to wait for my daughter after finals. She always gets the big ones.

Wondering if your "white" deer was more of a ratty winter coat that is faded on a non-healthy deer?

that was a great buck, congrats

Tough hunting. I got mine sitting at number 5 on the very last morning. Tough hunting. I went back in Oct and never saw an axis.

Yeah, LOL - they're always a challenge there. You connected way back at #5? Wow, that's way back there. We've never seen them back there - our high percentage spots have always been #4 and #1

Nice buck John!

Congrats John on the Axis. Did you put a tape to him yet?

Nah, never measured him. Just finished dropping him off at TexasWildlife (Aaron) a little while ago. He could put the tape to him I guess.

He's nice, but not the biggest I've taken by far - and there's two larger than him that are regular visitors. I think this is the same as the game cam pic earlier "another good axis" above. Brows are nice.

Tough animal and was very heavy. I could barely pick up the carcass, maybe close to 185-190lbs.

I had just seen that white deer and was texting/emailing folks. Picked up my book and was preparing to wait out the turkey and I took a quick look before putting my nose down. Lo and behold here comes a group of axis out of nowhere walking the 3-strand south fence line - on the right side this time!!! They were to my left, moving to the right. Two larger bucks, 3 smaller/young bucks and about 4-5 does. At first I thought it was the two big boys, but these were a different group I hadn't seen in person. Waited for one of the bigger bucks to clear (looking left) and put one behind the shoulder.

The whole group took off back toward the left like no one was hit. Then they suddenly did an about face and came back running to right. Crossed in front of me and they all just stopped. I thought I missed (damn turkey had me messed up), so I put another one in behind the shoulder on the opposite side. They all ran off like nothing was hit.

Checking both the first and second spots where I shot him there wasn't a drop of blood. Not a drop! I was pizzed. I was thinking my rifle must have got knocked off. Started walking into the bush in the direction they took off and after 80 yards found a few small drops of blood. But just a few and it stopped after 20 yards.

In that direction, it is pretty open under the tree canopy except for a 10 yard patch of pampas grass - I could see if the animal was down. Walked all the way to the property line and no more blood. Now I was really upset. Land owner came out with his new dog, Sundance. He sniffed at the few drops of blood and walked right over the pampas grass and looked at us like "well, he's right here you human fools" - and so he was.

Two clean lung shots - one on one side, two on the other where there was a passthru.

Let this be a lesson to all the new axis hunters out there - this is not the first time this has happened to me. Good clean kill shots on axis with little or no blood and the animal runs well over a hundred yards before falling over dead. They are TOUGH, strong critters - and not uncommon to have no blood at location of impact and no blood for a good distance.

If you shoot an axis, please -please - track it thoroughly and completely - they can fool ya!!!

Possible I guess, but it sure looked like a white healthy deer.

I wouldn't bet on anything since I only saw it for a very short time and it never stopped moving

Yep. I've hunted 1 and 4 without seeing a single axis. So I took my chances back there. They came to the wheat but stayed at the far end.

Nice!