RE: Off to West Texas
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December 16, 2005 09:34 PM
[#4]
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gman
Points:
Y (0)
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M (0)
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The hunt in Eldorado, Tx. was great. The weather was not what you would expect for December but all turned out well. We headed out of Austin at 11:30am Friday morning so we could make it to the ranch just in time for the evening hunt. We arrived at 3:00pm and were greeted with a video of a 12 pt buck servicing a doe right behind the house that had been filmed that morning. We quickly changed clothes and headed out for the evening hunt. I decided to hunt just up the ridge, about 200 yards from the house. The evening started out with a rush of action. I got into position just after I lite a couple of scent smoke sticks. I waited about 20 min and BANG comes from the back of the property and it sounded like a solid hit. I started rattling the antlers. It took maybe 2 min and a spike came running in, I got a couple of pics and let him walk away. I put the camera down and hit the horns together again. It didn't take long and a small 6pt came running over the ridge. He was on top of me before I could get the camera out and then he hightailed it out of there quick. Needless to say, I was pretty pumped up by now and got the horns ready again. I banged the antlers and started getting after it and in came a nice but not big 8pt so i let him walk. I had a good feeling that the big buck might come in soon. BANG! comes from the back of the property where my brother and good friend Donny were hunting and I knew someone had a deer down. It was about 5:15 now and the light was starting to dim so I tried the horns again and it took maybe 20 seconds and I saw a deer running my way. I put the horns down got my scope ont he deer and there he was the 12pt from the video but I didn't have a shot because he was behind some brush. He stood there for about a min and took off running. I waited until he got to the fence and he stopped for a second look...BANG and over the fence he jumped. I quickly got my stuff and went to the spot where he was and I couldn't find any blood. I was really down, I couldn't believe I missed that great buck. I went back to the house and a we took the buggy to the back of the property so see who got lucky. Well my brother had a great 8pt with an 18 in spread and Donny had a nice doe.
The next morning I sat near the house and saw a small 10pt and a nice 7pt and a couple of doe but decided not to shoot. My brother and Donny say a nice 12pt but he was young and decided to pass and see what he becomes next year along with plenty of doe.
On Saturday evening I decided to change locations towards the back of the property and boy was it hot...about 86 degrees. I setup on the side of a ridge. At 4:15 I started to rattle and in maybe 30 seconds there was a button buck and a 6pt on me almost immediately. I waited a few minutes and rattled again. I saw a deer coming off the side of the hill and put the binos on it. It was a nice heavy, tall 7pt and I decided he was good enough. He wasn't the nice 12pt but he was a cull that needed to go. I got my monopod ready, found an opening thru the trees and leveled the Browning A-bolt on the deer. The 280 roared and I knew the deer was hit. He ran about 30 yards and dropped. I got him cleaned and then it was time to get my doe. I walked across the bottom I was hunting and setup on a big open field and I just knew a doe would show. Just before dark 3 doe came in behind me. I picked out the biggest and dropped her in her tracks.
Sunday morning I decided to sleep in while Donny and my brother went out for the morning hunt. My brother rattled in several bucks but decided to pass and Donny saw a nice 8pt but couldnt get a shot. We packed up and headed back to Austin with a truck load of venison and some great memories.Here are a couple of pics of the spike I saw the first night and the deer we were able to take and some of the ranch.
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