Texas Hunting Forum: Jay's Hunt Results

Let me start out by saying we had a great time getting together again with our friends Jay and his brother-in-law Donnie. It was TOUGH to get the bucks to co-operate.

Saturday morning started out with a dense fog and no deer moving for Jay and I. Donnie went to a gun tower stand to try and take a doe. Naturally, the 10 pointer that I've been watching for 5 weeks and hoping Jay would get a chance at visited Donnie's stand. He had to wait for the 10 pointer to get out of the way so he could take a doe. Jay and I only saw one nubbin' buck all morning.

Jay and our friend Ted went to the condo for the noon feeding. A large group of jakes and hens visited the feeder. Jay didn't take a shot, hoping a deer would soon come out. No such luck.

I have been watching a beautiful 135 class 8 pointer, with an 18" spread and heavy horns down in a canyon for a month now. With the help of my wife, Barbie, and Ted's wife Teresa, we cleaned a path by digging up huge rocks and cutting through the thick brush in order to get jay to the edge of a cliff overlooking the deep draw and a feeder. I knew it would be a long shot (220 yards), but figured if we didn't at least try it, we would never know if he could hit him or not.

We were able to get Jay set up overlooking that deep draw and sure enough, here comes BIG BOY!!! Now believe me, this big boy always gets my heart beating fast when I watch him and Jay was about to have a heart attack waiting on him to come into the clearing where he could get a shot. After what seemed like an eternity, the big buck settled in eating some corn a few yards from the feeder. I said, "wait until he turns broadside". Jay said, "I've got it on his shoulder" and the next thing I hear is that .270 sounding off. The buck jumped like a horse trying to throw his rider. I thought he had actually hit the buck in the front shoulder when his front legs shot straight up in the air. Barbie was up in a tower blind above us and watched the buck as he casually walked through some thick cover to go home to his hideout. I went down to the bottom and found this perfect little chisled out line where his bullet hit the dirt and dug in. He had shot right between his legs, just below the forearm.

That brought us all down some, especially Jay. I told him, "Look at it this way. You saved us all over $500 because he would have gone on the wall for sure".

We all got a good laugh about it and said, "That's hunting". That was Jay's first attempt at shooting over 100 yards and the 7 power scope limited him somewhat also.

It was 85 degrees Saturday and Sunday morning found us waking up to 35 degrees, a strong North wind and a light drizzle. Miserable weather for sure. But, we have this insulated condo that was specially built for Jay to hunt out of and we knew we would be dry and warm with the heaters on.

It seems that all the bucks knew ol' dead eye Jay was in the stand because Ted got some awesome video of several bucks that came to the bow blind he was at. Jay and I waited and waited for the deer to come out at our feeder. For some reason, they seemed to have moved out of our part of the ranch. We did get lucky enough for a nubbin' buck to come out and settle in the feed pen. One shot and DRT put him down. Backstrap in the freezer!

I told Jay that if we all got one everytime we went, it would be called "killing" and not "hunting". Jay agreed and said, "We'll get 'em next year!"

It's not about the harvest, but the time we spend with our dear friends that we have made. It seemed like the time just flew by way too quickly this year and it was time to say goodbye and head back home way too soon.

It was a pleasure to share a blind with my best bud, Jay. We'll get 'em next year bud!!!

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