Success In The Field

I was packing for the annual North American Handgunner’s Sportsmen Against Hunger Hunt at the Y.O. Ranch in Mountain Home, Texas, when it struck me that this might be the final NAHH Hunt. At least, so it seems for this particular venue. It is regrettable that this event may cease to exist two years short of its 25th Anniversary. Over the years, I have met a number of interesting and influential leaders of the firearms industry at this event. J.D. Jones, Wayne and Bob Baker, Jim Rock, Gary Wrigley, Gary and Kase Reeder, Ron Coburn, Bob Morrison, the Peter Pi family, Mike Jordan (Winchester), Dick Williams, Jim Skildum (Magnum Research), and Bill Grover to name just a few.

I look forward all year to this hunt. Albeit this year it was with some trepidation. The number of hunt participants had dwindled from a high of 65, to an all-time low of 11 hunters at this year’s event. The decline is due to a number of factors, not the least of which are death, illness, and simply the increasing age of the membership. In addition, the impact of a ten-year drought; wildfires; and increasingly difficult economic conditions have all taken their toll on the ranches and the animals.

I was scheduled to hunt with my long-time guide and good friend, Jimmy Dreiss; our mutual friend Rex Heurmann, a decent New Yorker who loves guns and hunting; and long-time friend and fellow HHI Member, Scott Talbot. It is always a pleasure to hunt with previous hunting companions and guides, who share like-minded hunting goals. I left California Wednesday Morning, on the early flight to San Antonio. Wednesday is a travel day, and the hunt takes place Thursday through Saturday.

Day One: Thursday was a slow day, due to weather and a full moon. Scott shot a beautiful Red Deer/ Rocky Mountain Elk cross at 256 yards with his .270 Winchester T/C Encore. The Barnes 95 gr. TSSX bullet did its job perfectly and took the big animal down with one shot.

Day Two: Things were still pretty slow on Friday. The full moon was still with us, and after being chased on the previous day, the animals have caught on that Suburbans roaming the ranch are not approximations of the “Welcome Wagon”. With the bright full moon nights, and the increased hunting pressure of the last two days, they are doing their utmost best to stay hidden. Late in the afternoon, we found a small cadre of assorted animals laying waste to the contents of a cattle feeder. Rex made an excellent shot on a nice trophy Sika to break in his new .260 Remington MOA.

Day Three: This is usually the hardest day of the hunt. We did not have much luck on the morning hunt, with the exception of a 220+ Whitetail that Jimmy spotted hiding behind a cactus in the “off limits” area. Most of the hunters save their doe tags for the last day, and we were no exception. With some fanfare, Scott announced that he had brought a “special gun just for doe hunting” for all of us to use. I will have to say that this was one of, if not the biggest Encore that I had ever seen. When I saw the huge Fish Gill Brake, I knew that it was one of J.D. Jones’ creations, and it must be chambered for something big. A closer examination of this beast revealed the inscription “470 Nitro Express”.

The “rules” as promulgated by Brother Talbot were that does could only be taken with this behemoth, and its cigar shaped cartridges. Who is up first he queried? Rex, being of small stature (estimated 6’4” and 325 lbs.) politely declined. The instigator handed me the artillery piece, and said “…well, then, it’s your turn…”. I was familiar with the efficiency of the Fish Gill brake, so I was not too much concerned. Between the brake and the heavy barrel, recoil should be tolerable. With those concerns resolved, and cartridges in hand, we set out to find a hapless Sika doe as our test subject. I do believe that it took us over an hour to find one that would remain in place long enough for a shot. Finally, we located a lone doe hiding in a grove of scrub oaks.

I really thought that we should hold out for one that was a little bigger, but the clock was ticking on this final hunt day. I was able to get within fifty yards and put the crosshairs of the Nikon 2x behind her shoulder. The big 470 boomed and sent its chunk of lead toward the victim, who was visibly shaken by the whole experience. She then ran deeper into the oak brush leaving crimson splashes on both sides of the trail. It was beyond belief that she could run at all, much less for fifty yards through thick brush. We finally reached her resting place, and during the field dressing/autopsy we noticed some strange marks on the animal’s lungs. Closer examination disclosed that these were bruise marks left by the ribs! Apparently, the big .470 slug had generated enough commotion on the pass through to cause the internal organs to be slammed against the ribs. Thus, causing the bruise marks.

If you have not had the opportunity to try one of SSK’s African Caliber Encores, you are missing some great fun. The recoil was not nearly as bad as anticipated, but don’t forget to check the box for the Fish Gill Brake on the order form!