Success In The Field

SATURDAY MORNING 12/7/24 I AM SITTING IN La Esquina BLIND IN THE NE CORNER OF THE 1,500 acre RESERVE SECTION OF THE 3,700 acre Lenaderos HUNTING LEASE. I AM HUNTING WITH A 14" (NEW) SSK SCOPED CONTENDER BARREL IN 45 COLT ON A G2 FRAME. THE LOAD IS A 300gr SIERRA JFP (#8830) OVER WIN 296 POWDER, CHRONOING, IIRC, AROUND 1,440fps. I HAD CORNED AROUND THE HOG PANEL CIRCULAR CORRAL IN THE MIDDLE OF WHICH SITS A SPIN FEEDER. IT WAS OVERCAST, MISTY AND DARK, BUT LEGAL SHOOTING LIGHT, WHEN AROUND 7:10 A.M. I SEE A BUCK COMING TO THE FEEDER.

THE BLIND IS NORTH OF THE FEEDER AND THE BUCK IS COMING FROM THE SOUTH. I PUT THE BINO's ON HIM, A MATURE, plain jane, DARK HORNED, so so 8 POINT RACK, NOT A TROPHY HORN WISE BUT A SHOOTER BUCK. HE STOPS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FAR SIDE OF THE FEEDER CORRAL SO PART OF HIS BODY IS OBSCURED BY 2 LAYERS OF HOG PANELS, PLUS THE LIGHT CONDITIONS WERE POOR. AT AROUND 110yds THRU THE BINO's IT LOOKED LIKE HIS HEAD WAS DOWN EATING CORN AND HE WAS QUARTERING AWAY FROM ME BUT BY THE TIME I SHOT HE WAS QUARTERING TOWARDS ME. AT THE SHOT HE RUNS, I NOTICE SOMETHING ODD IN IS HIS GAIT AND VERY SOON HE IS OUT OF SIGHT.

I THOUGHT HE RAN TO MY RIGHT BUT, AS I LATER LEARNED, HE RAN QUARTERING AWAY FROM ME. I GOT DOWN AND WENT TO WHERE HE WAS FEEDING, GOOD SIGN OF DEEP PRINTS BUT NO BLOOD NOR OTHER SIGN THAT I COULD SEE. LOTS OF TALL GRASS BUT I LOOKED AND LOOKED AND NOTHING. I WENT BACK TO CAMP DEJECTED, FEELING LIKE S..., PISSED AND ALMOST CONVINCED I HAD MISSED. WE WERE LEAVING FOR HOME AFTER BREAKFAST AND WHEN WE WERE LEAVING I CIRCLED BACK TO La Esquina AND HAD A RANCH HAND MEET ME THERE.

TWO RANCH HANDS SHOW UP AND BETTER/YOUNGER EYES FIND HAIR RIGHT AWAY AND CONFIRM A HIT. THE 2 RANCH HANDS AND MY COUSIN BOB GO LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION I THOUGHT THE BUCK RAN AND FOUND NOTHING. I LOOKED WHERE THEY WERE NOT LOOKING AND FOUND WHERE HE HAD LAID UP AND MADE A FUSS. THE RANCH HANDS CAME OVER, PICKED UP THE TRACKS AND FOUND A BIG SPLOTCH OF BLOOD AND THEN THE DEAD BUCK. HE HAD MADE IT LESS THAN 100 YARDS.

THE WEATHER WAS COOL AND OVER CAST AND THE BUCK WAS RECOVERED WITHIN 3.5 HOURS AND WE BEAT THE BIRDS TO HIM. HE WAS A 210lb BRUISER 5 YEAR OLD BUCK, HERE ARE SOME PICTURES: