Success In The Field

THIS STORY STARTS ON JANUARY 11, 2025, WHEN I MISSED A SHOT AT "THE BANDIT", A DISTICTIVE FACED BUCK WITH CIRCLES AROUND HIS EYES LIKE A MASK AND A DISTICTIVE HIGH 8 POINT RACK. A FEW WEEKS EARLIER I HAD UNSUCESSFULLY TRIED TO SNEAK A ROUND INTO THE BANDIT THRU A SMALL WINDOW IN SOME BRUSH WITH MY 14" CONTENDER IN 45 COLT. THEN A WEEK OR SO LATER I SCORED WITH THE CONTENDER ON MY "ALL TURNED AROUND" BUCK.

MY GOAL THIS SEASON WAS TO TAKE A BUCK WITH THE 45 COLT CONTENDER USING THE SIERRA 300gr JFP (#8830) AND THEN ONE WITH MY 12" MODEL 83 USING THE 45 COLT CYLINDER AND THE SAME 300gr BULLET BUT WITH A HIGHER MV USING MORE 296. SO FOR MY 2nd BUCK I TURNED TO THE 12" FA REVOLVER.

ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 11, 2025, SITTING IN THE SAME BLIND, CALLED La Esquina aka THE LOW BLIND, I AM SET UP WITH THE 12" FA REVOLVER AND THE BANDIT SHOWS UP, EVENTUALLY GIVING ME A GOOD QUATERING AWAY SHOT AT AROUND 110yds. I TOOK THE SHOT AND FELT GOOD ABOUT IT BUT IT WAS A MISS. NO SIGN AND NO "BIRD ACTIVITY" IN THE AREA AND ME AND THEN A RANCH HAND CHECKED THE AREA FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

REVOLVERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN LAUNCHING HEAVY BULLETS AT CLOSE TO 1,600fps, DEMAND LOTS OF REGULAR PRACTICE WHICH I HAD NOT BEEN DOING. TWO DIFFERENT DEER LEASES (1 IS RIFLE ONLY) WITH 4 MONTH SEASONS ON EACH LEASE TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME. I WON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE NEXT SEASON AND I PLAN PLENTY OF RANGE SESSIONS PRIOR TO THE SEASON AND AT LEAST 1 A WEEK DURING THE SEASON. KNOWING I LACKED THE REQUISITE REVOLVER PRACTICE I SWITCHED BACK TO THE 14" 45 COLT CONTENDER.

I GOT TO MY Lenaderos LEASE THE P.M. OF JANUARY 16, 2025, WENT TO La Esquina BLIND, CHECKED THE FEEDER, PUT OUT 2 STINK BAITS (DOE IN HEAT STUFF) AND SET UP THE BLIND (CAMO ON THE WINDOWS, SHOOTING BAGS, BLIND BAG, etc.) AND WENT TO CAMP. NEXT MORNING I REFRESHTHE STINK BAITS, CORN THE AREA AND DO A SIT. ONLY SEE A FEW DOES. I GO BACK IN THE AFTERNOON, REFRESH THE STINK BAITS, RE-CORN AND SIT AGAIN. VERY SLOW AFTERNOON, SORT'a WARM AND SUNNY. THEN:

AROUND 5:30 P.M. I SEE A DOE OFF TO THE WEST (THE FEEDER AND STINK BAITS ARE TO THE SOUTH) THEN FURTHER OUT COMING FROM THE SW I SEE A BIG BUCK BUT THE SETTING SUN IS BECOMING A GLARE ISSUE. FINALLY I SEE THE BIG BUCK OFF TO THE WEST AND HEADING NORTH. TRIED AND TRIED BUT THE SUN's GLARE NEVER GAVE ME A CHANCE. THEN:

I STARTED SEEING MORE DOE ACTIVITY AND I SPOT A BUCK THRU SOME BRUSH SW OF THE BLIND AND HE DISAPPEARS. I STARTED RATTLING WITH HORNS AND USING A HUNT APP ON MY CELL PHONE AND PLAYING BUCKS SPARRING, DOE IN HEAT, HOT DOE, TENDING BUCK, ALL SORTS OF DEER CALLS BUT NO RE-APPEARANCE OF THE BUCK. MEANWHILE I AM LOSING LIGHT FAST. FINALLY AFTER 6 P.M. AND AT LAST LIGHT THE BUCK REAPPEARS, FACING AWAY, AT 100 OR SO YARDS, ALMOST WHERE THE BANDIT WAS STANDING WHEN I MISSED HIM A WEEK EARLIER.

THIS BUCK APPEARED TO BE A DECENT 8 POINTER BUT NOT THE BIG BUCK I HAD SEEN EARLIER. BY THIS TIME, AFTER 30-40 MINUTES OF INTENSE DEER ACTIVITY, AND SEEING AND NOT SEEING THE BUCKS, I WAS "wired up", EXCITED AND ANXIOUS, SO I TOOK CAREFUL AIM AND SHOT. AT THE SHOT THE BUCK DISAPPEARRED AND I SAW SOME DUST KICK UP. MY Compadre OSCAR WAS NEARBY AND I CALLED HIM TO COME OVER. BY THE TIME I LEFT THE BLIND, GOT TO MY TRUCK AND DROVE TO THE AREA WHERE THE BUCK WAS IT WAS DARK. MY FIRST LOOK AT WHERE I THOUGHT HE WAS STANDING AND NOTHING BUT JUST A FEW YARDS AWAY AND THERE HE LAY. A SHOT THRU THE TOP OF THE NECK PUT HIM DOWN AND A FINISHER WITH MY 5 SHOT CUSTOM BOWEN 45 COLT REDHAWK SETTLED THE ACCOUNT.

THE BUCK WEIGHED (LIVE WEIGHT) 159.72lbs AND HAD 9 MAINFRAME POINTS. WE ARE REQUIRED TO SCORE

"em AND AGE "em BUT I HAVE NOT DONE ETHER YET. HERE ARE SOME PICTURES:

NOT A GREAT BUCK BUT NO COMPLAINTS. MAYBE I WILL GET ANOTHER CHANCE AT THE BANDIT NEXT SEASON. I AM TAGGED OUT ON BUCKS AT THIS LEASE FOR THIS SEASON.