New Year's Eve, and what better way to spend it that hunting on the
Wild
Horse Prairie Ranch? I arrived with
high hope after all of the game I'd seen the previous week while
hunting with Robert Hoague and Tyge Floyd.
(see report on Bowhunting.net)
Ranch foreman, Bill Carpenter took me out on this overcast
cool afternoon of the last day of '03. I sat in a location that
Robert had seen some exceptional bucks last week. As shooting light
faded I'd had 3 small bucks right underneath me, seen a doe and a
buck I never saw before. I could hear the hogs squealing in the
brush the whole time.
Jan 1 '04. A.M. It was colder and windy as hell. I sat in a
tree on a pipeline clearing and saw nothing. That afternoon I moved
to a site that had a little more cover and took a stand in some
small cedar brush. Starting about 4:30 deer paraded in! Soon there
were over 15 deer within range! 3 bucks, 2 eight points and a young
six. Gradually some of the does either got chased off by the 6 or
left on their on, leaving the biggest 8, the six and 3 does. The
biggest eight had a high symmetrical rack, he was a nice buck, not
as old a deer as I'd hoped to harvest, but time was running out.
(see photo at right)
As he walked behind a cedar bush, I drew and place my 30 yard
pin just over 1/3 a way up and behind his shoulder. I thought he was
at about 30-32 yards. The arrow silently launched, cutting a fog of
white hair from under his chest. He ran off appearing more confused
than scared.
Later I stepped off the shot it was 38 yards, guess I will
buy the Nikon range finder next year. In the fading light had hogs
and a coyote come by, but it was too dark to see my pins clearly.
After 3 states and over 30 days of hunting at least I'd finally got
a shot! Things were changing, but how?
Jan. 2 A.M. The 8 point was back, unhurt along with another
high 8 with a little less mass, another small buck and a doe. Had
all of the bucks at between 10 and 20 yards, decided the 8 had
earned the right to live and passed him with what seemed a certain
shot. I know there are bigger deer here. I have been saying this all
year and coming home with nothing, still I passed.
On the way back to the lodge saw several huge blackbuck as
well as the usual bunches of Corsican and Mouflon rams. Exceptional
blackbuck were spotted almost every day.
P.M. Got off 2 hours later than had planned, when I arrived
at a new location I'd decided to hunt a band of 7 Aoudad were right
under my tree stand, Two rams were monsters! They quickly
disappeared. Both Aoudad and blackbuck are free ranging on the 7,500
plus acre ranch and are exceptionally wild. They have been here for
over 20 years and are not under high fence or any form of
containment. If you were to get one of these guys you would be worth
of every pothunter's respect.
Just getting settled when the sound of oak leaves became
deafening! Over 30 pigs exploded from the brush and crossed in front
of me! All baby pigs with sows. They hesitated at the clearing and
disappeared.
Minutes later the hill was covered with big hogs, all on an
organized trot, guess they were on a "pig mission" Billy Don had
talked about. I smiled and chuckled to myself, "pig mission!'
The big hogs were barely out of sight when nine more appeared
trotting my way. A plane was coming over head at the same time. The
pigs froze behind brush at about 20 yards away, then turned and ran
as the prop plane noisily passed overhead leaving me with another
near shot opportunity gone astray.
The sun had set and shadows had disappeared. Dark was on the
way, I surveyed the cedar brakes coming out of a rocky draw and saw
legs. The materialized into a deer, then the deer made it's way
into an opening. A buck! Whoa, a very wide, heavy horned buck!
The ol' boy checked the perimeter with patience as precious
shooting light continued to fade, he looked right at me for over a
minute. Finally the Sticks and Limbs camo apparently convinced him I
was nothing. I am CERTAIN this would not have happened in an open
tree with the conventional, commercial patterns of camo which are
too dark for most bowhunting situations.
He broke form all brush and present a broadside shot. The
buck's wide rack was at least 6 inches past his ears. He looked to
be an old 9 pt. by his grizzled, pug face. Remembering, with a
haunting clarity the undershot of the day before, I placed my 20 pin
just over mid way up behind his shoulder and released. Once again
hair flew, but this time from his back! Now I'm for sure gonna buy
the range finder. I couldn't believe it. I thought I must be cursed
by the bowhunting Gods! Back at the lodge I shoot arrows to confirm
my 20 and 30 yard pins, they were dead on.
Jan. 3 A.M. Tyge Floyd had rejoined me late in the night
before and Billy Don was expected by noon. Off we went an hour
before dark into the windy, warm day. 67 degrees in the first week
of January, who would have thought! I saw a nice blackbuck, just out
of range, and had 3 small bucks at 10 yards, as well as several
does. Tyge also saw 3 bucks, one 8 pt. and a lot of hogs. We both
passed.
P.M. Billy Don and my girl friend Carol Galt had arrived, I was
hoping they'd brought me some luck. It was ridiculously windy, and
I'd told Mr. Carpenter I wanted to hunt a brush blind in a low draw
out of the wind. We dropped Tyge on a stand near the pipeline
clearing. Mr. Carpenter had ranch duties so I decided to hunt the
open, closer prairie out of consideration.
Bad idea I thought as I had to take my hat off to keep from
loosing it in the constant wind. I started to get upset because of
my location then I settled down and remembered just a few hunting
season's ago I'd been in the hospital not knowing if I would ever
hunt again. With that, the day seemed beautiful and I was just
thankful to be alive and hunting in the beautiful Texas Hill
Country.
Sure enough no deer. I'd seen a bunch of hogs but the wind
kept them to spooked to come in. Shooting light was just about over
and I started to look around to inventory my scattered hunting
accessories when I saw movement. From a grove of stunted oak came 2
large Aoudad. My heart raced as the steadily came my way!
You got to know that I had been on Aoudad hunts many times
and in several states and never drawn on one of these magnificent
sheep. Would the twilight of today provide me with my long desired
opportunity?
The Aoudad closed ground quickly and we in front of me in
seconds as I came to full draw, relieved to not be detected by these
most wary critters. I could barely make out my pin on the shoulder
of the largest when the other sheep stepped in front.
I thought this is no time to be choosy. Both sported nice
horns and my season and luck were seeming to run out. I green 20
yard pin just under the border of the silhouette. Although the rams
were further I couldn't see the red 30 in the overcast light of
dusk. As soon as I released the sheep burst into high gear, and I
mean high gear and disappeared across the prairie.
Seating the area for several minutes, Billy Don's high watt
light picked up a speck of blood. After a quiet, close search we
decided we should give the sheep some time and try to track it
tomorrow under better light. The poor light had unfortunately made
it impossible for me to see my brightly crested and fletched arrows.
The shoot distance measured 29 yards, I felt my hold might have been
just right.
Tyge had seen several bucks and does, one good buck that
never gave him a shot. The hogs were out in full force around his
stand all evening. At dusk Tyge took a nice boar, around 200 pounds,
sporting visible tusks. (see photo at right)
Jan. 4 AM Back to my stand. Had one little buck and 7 doe
come in. Tyge, Billy Don, son Blake and Carol showed up to search
for the Aoudad.
Things looked bleak after much searching when Blake gave that
wonderful exclamation, "I got blood!" It was a hundred yards from
the shot but on the path where I thought they had departed on.
Another 20 minutes of intense looking and another 100 yards when
Billy Don found more blood, good blood and it seemed to be constant.
The trail got easier and after 50 yards of sign found the total red
arrow. Inspection revealed little bubbles.
Forty yards ahead lay my Aoudad, piled up into a cedar tree. The
bark had been knocked off the tree and was imbedding in the heavy
horns. I did some big time grinning, jumping up and down and cowboy
hugging. I'd taken the elusive, durable Aoudad with a bow. A free
roaming, completely wild, mature sheep and it was my last day to
hunt after 3 months. Wow, it aint over until it's over! Words of
wisdom.
( see photo at right)
We got the sheep caped and had a quick lunch then went back
to finish up the final day of season. My hunt included a whitetail
buck of 8pts. or better or an exotic, a doe and a hog. I was still
wanting to put some pork or venison in my refrigerator for '04.
With Nikon and bow in hand I went to the brush for the last
time this year. Does covered me up. I had to be careful and glass
them all to be sure not to shoot a button buck. Finally a mature doe
was broadside and I the BowTech Terminator did it's job nicely. The
doe was down in 35 yards. I recovered her and got back into my
blind.
Just at dusk this enormous 11 point came in. What can I say?
I mean really! After passing over 60 bucks this yea, here he is and
I can't shoot him. Bowhunting personified! Stuff like this is what
keeps me coming back and will definitely have me coming back to the
warm hospitality and great hunting at the Wild Horse Prairie Ranch.
Did I ever tell ya'll how much I love to bowhunt? It is with
much appreciation and many thanks I have for my sponsors, outfitters
and guides, friends and most of all God for a truly wonderful year
of bowhunting. Let's see, how many days is it till spring turkey?
And so it goes.............Tony Dukes
Editors
Note:
Tony Dukes, Robert Hoague and I had a great hunt with Billy Don and
Wild Horse Prairie Ranches. If you would like to experience a
fantastic Texas Hill Country hunt, give Billy Don a call at
254-749-6119, email him at
bdvanc@aol.com or visit the
ranch web site at
www.wildhorseprairie.com.
He running a special on a late season Doe/Hog hunt, two days, two
hogs and a doe for $500. The late season Doe/Spike hunt in Burnet
County runs from Jan.5-18th. This is a great freezer filling hunt on
a beautiful Hill Country Ranch.
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