11 POINTER
GOT TO MY Lenaderos DEER LEASE AROUND 2:30 P.M. TODAY, WENT STRAIGHT TO THE "17" ( THE FEEDER/BLIND I SHOT A 17 POINTER AT A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK). PUT OUT SOME RANGE PELLETS, A CATTLE FEED THAT DEER LOVE, WITH A LOT OF AROMA TO IT. ALSO PUT OUT 2 OLD STINK BAITS (HOT DOE STUFF) BUT I THOUGHT I HAD SONE BOTTLES OF THE STUFF BUT HAD NONE. STILL A COUPLE OF CANISTERS STILL HAD SOME FELT STICKS IN'em WITH SOME SMELL, SO I PUT THEM OUT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FEEDER. WENT BACK ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, SPREAD SOME CORN, GOT IN THE BLIND, GOT SET UP (CAMO ON SOME OF THE BLIND WINDOWS TO MAKE ME LESS VISIBLE, SANDBAGS, etc.).
FOR THE AFTERNOON HUNTS I DECIDED TO USE MY 14" CONTENDER IN 6.5 JDJ LOADED WITH SPEER 120gr FLAT BASE BULLETS, A KILLING MACHINE. MY LAST 5 SHOTS WITH THAT COMBO EQUALED 5 DEAD HOGS. THE DEER HAD BEEN COMING OUT LATE AND FOR THE P.M. HUNT I WANTED MORE OOMPH THAN MY FA 353 357 MAG. IN SOUTH TEXAS, IF YOU DON'T FIND 'em THE COYOTES WILL BEAT YOU TO 'em.
I GOT SETTLED IN AROUND 4:00 P.M. IT WAS OVERCAST SO THERE WAS A CHANCE THE DEER WOULD MOVE BEFORE LAST LIGHT. A FEW MINUTES LATER I LOOK UP AND COMING STRAIGHT TOWARDS THE BLIND FROM THE NORTH WAS MY TARGET BUCK. WE HAVE A PICTURE BOOK WITH SHOOT/DON'T SHOOT BUCKS AND THIS GUY WAS IN THE BOOK AS A SHOOTER. IT WAS AN EASY ID AND I DECIDED TO TRY FOR HIM.
I DO NOT KNOW WHAT BROUGHT HIM THERE, FATE, THE AROMATIC CATTLE FEED AND/OR 1 OF THE STINK BAITS, BUT HE WAS HEADED TO 1 OF THE STINK BAITS. HE STOPPED AT 112 YARDS, FACING ME AT A SLIGHT ANGLE, IN AN OPENING IN THE BRUSH, I RESTED THE 6.5 JDJ CONTENDER ON A SANDBAG ON THE BLIND WINDOW, TOOK A DEEP BREATH, SQUEEZED THE TRIGGER AND HE DISAPPEARRED BUT I SAW A LITTLE MOVEMENT IN THE BRUSH.
NOT LONG AFTER THE SHOT I GOT MYSELF TOGETHER AND CALMED DOWN, GOT OFF THE BLIND, AND WITH MY 45 COLT BOWEN PERFECTED BISLEY IN HAND, WALKED THE 100 PLUS YARDS TO WHERE I THOUGHT HE WAS, BUT NO DEER, HE WAS ANOTHER 10 OR SO YARDS FROM WHERE I FIRST WAS LOOKING, DEADER THAN DEAD.
A NARROW MAINFRAME 10 WITH A FORKED BROW TINE, GOOD TINE LENGTH AND GOOD MASS. LIVE WEIGHT 135lbs, FIELD DRESSED 110lbs. HE WAS STILL IN RUT AND DID NOT HAVE 1 OUNCE OF FAT ON HIM ANYWHERE's.
AN OLDER DEER AND WILL AGE AND SCORE HIM TOMORROW (AS PER RANCH RULES). NOW I CAN RELAX THE REST OF THIS WEEKEND.
Outstanding