Connecting in Dallas and already miss it... :campfire:
[attachment=1,msg2849411]
:coffee: :campfire:
We stopped by twice to say hey but you guys were out. With hunting so late every night it was hard to hook up the schedules
Is that picture cropped hmmm could be a clue to things to come🤔
:campfire: :coffee: :wavey:
I had a great time as well. I'm already planning another trip too.
Those west Texas sunsets are gorgeous!
I met up with Smoking Joe in Dallas for the connecting flight to Midland. I had hunted with Joe many times before. I found out at the airport in Dallas that he had never hunted TX.
Being that I've hunted in Texas many many times I've told Joe that he was in for a treat. I told him I'd hunted 5 different locations in Texas and all 5 were different.
This one Would prove no exception.
I want to go on record early on that I had phone issues and that was the only camera I would of used. So, I don't have very many pictures of all the fun we had. I really wish I would have been able to capture some of the sites that I witnessed. However Joe was with me most the time and he will share his pictures I'm sure.
Upon arriving in Midland at baggage claim Rick Alexander walks up. Rick had offered to pick Joe and I up and drive us to the ranch. Nothing out of the ordinary, just typical Tradgangers doing what they do best....helping other hunters of like minds.
None the less... Many thanks to Rick in his hospitality.
I had a great time with you,and Joe,and it was nice to meet you guys. I'm already planning next years trip!
Oh by the way Terry,on my way out I saw that guy in with the black and white jeep in Crane. He asked about you :biglaugh:
:campfire: :coffee:
Quote from: Alexander Traditional on February 09, 2019, 12:43:25 PM
I had a great time with you,and Joe,and it was nice to meet you guys. I'm already planning next years trip!
Oh by the way Terry,on my way out I saw that guy in with the black and white jeep in Crane. He asked about you :biglaugh:
:scared: :scared:
I'm sure he did Rick, since I was obviously the sexiest guy in the group. :biglaugh:
So, Rick , Joe and I embark on the ranch and lo and behold we found it.
Once we arrived, not long after walking around and looking a bit, here comes Jacob our host extraordinare'. He looks to me like a spitting image of his father. Less a little Gray in the beard of course. And hes all smiles.
Now we knew we were in the right place.
Quote from: Terry Green on February 09, 2019, 07:08:44 PM
So, Rick , Joe and I embark on the ranch and lo and behold we found it.
Once we arrived, not long after walking around and looking a bit, here comes Jacob our host extraordinare'. He looks to me like a spitting image of his father. Less a little Gray in the beard of course. And hes all smiles.
Now we knew we were in the right place.
I agree Terry,Jacob was a great guide and host. He knew the property inside and out. I think James was very cool also for a young guy.
Jacob told us to go ahead and unpack and get settled and he would take us for a ride and show us around in a bit. So that's what we did .
The camp was set up with a comfortable bunks and nice bathroom with shower and both gas and charcoal grills and and indoor griddle, stove, oven and microwave in the kitchen inside.
I was ready For 5 days of Hunting , with this more than adequate base camp.
I couldn't wait to get the truck and go for a ride.
As Jacob rode us around I noticed, as I said earlier, this area of Texas was definitely different. Probably the least gamey looking area of Texas I've ever hunted, but as we know, looks can be deceiving and they Would definitely prove so.
The main ranch is 100 square miles of arid mesquite scrub. There are lots of cattle and lots of oil wells. The mesquite trees are generally about 6 to 8 feet high, more like big bushes than trees. At this time of year all of the plant life is dormant, so the grass was all tan. It all looked like countryside from an old cowboy movie.
[attachment=1]
Looks like King Ranch kinda country.....keep the story coming
Tim B
[attachment=1,msg2849807] fresh bobcat picture from Jacob this morning.
Great photo. We saw a bobcat out prowling around at dawn on the first morning.
Ah yes...one of two cats I saw on this trip. The 2nd one was a little bigger. :goldtooth:
I need to stop prior and make mention that I really want to thank Rick Alexander for picking us up from the airport and allowing us access to her his car if we need it.
Many thanks Rick. :notworthy:
Hey guys.... Just because I start the thread don't mean yall can't pile in...tell your stories....
Steve,....did your wife find you??? :biglaugh:
After Jacob rode us around giving us a feel for the land we returned back to camp to prepare our gear and cook supper. Oh wait, we didn't have to cook supper, Steve made elk chilli!!! Yep, for all of us. I have to say although it was borderline too hot for me....it was the best chilli I've ever eaten. The flavor was out of this world. I would have 5 bowls over the next 2 days.
Next we'd get a game plan for the morning attack.
I'd looked over the map as to where we'd been and I saw an interesting area on the topo were I wanted to start. Joe agreed, and our AM battle plans were laid....
Oh my, yes. Steve's elk chili. Wow. Steve is from a part of New Mexico where he can hunt elk pretty often, he told me. If the chili is any indication, elk is darn good meat. Steve also said that pretty much every meal in his part of New Mexico gets spiced up. Terry found the chili to be a bit on the spicy side and his face started sweating and got very red pretty soon after he started eating it. Steve also made a terrific salad to go with the chili. That was a great evening supper that I will never forget. I hope I get to share camp with Steve again, especially if he makes more chili.
Voice command screwed up my last post. I have corrected it so if you would read it again so you can actually comprehend what I was saying :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
Our pick of the first morning strategy started out well. We were near a blind location called the "Cattle Pens" because there are huge cattle round-up pens near by. Our plan was to spend the morning hunting on foot working into the wind following a power line through an area that is roughly 3/4 of a mile long and across. We encountered quite a few mule deer that were close enough to stalk, but deer season is already over.
One of the great things about this 100 square mile ranch is that it is bowhunting only. A great place for an annual Trad Gang get together.
Yes Joe is correct those mule deer got curious and were actually stalking us After we pass by them.
This area we were in would prove to be one the most Active areas we saw the whole week. There were crisscrossing trails all under those power lines. And I about stepped on a big boar hog and it blew out. If only it would blew out to the right it would have ran right in front of Joe.
All in all, it was a great slip through the Bush with sign all around and Hope's of a critter behind every mesquite.
The plan now was to ease around into the wind slowly back toward where we started. The wind and the weather where perfect....
Enjoying this I'll keep checking back for more! :campfire: :coffee: :archer:
Can't wait for the rest of the story.
As Joe and I were rounding the last turn on our slow stalk toward our pick up location at 11 AM, now 10:30, I saw a lone Javi cross the road about 150 yards ahead. I alerted Joe and we ducked into the cover of the right side of the road and proceeded to watch 6 more of different sizes make their way across.
It was on....
Terry, did you get to go see the Marfa lights?
I had a wonderful time with great companions. Missed my lone shot, which I blame on not practicing night shooting with a green flashlight. Am now at Big Bend NP. Spent a night by Marfa mystery lights- did not see any. Big Bend is roughed and beautiful. Hope to see the gang again.
I slowed down so that Terry could get about 40 yards ahead of me. Then I cut deeper into the bush, away from the road, so that if Terry moved something deeper into the mesquite scrub I could intercept it.
I only caught a glimpse of the javelina, and I wasn't sure whether it was a javelina or a hog. I started working my way through the bush.
We're leaving Friday,can't wait,hopefully you guys left a few,(lol) maybe next year we'll get on with the Tradgang hunt..
Once I figured the all of the group had crossed I took off in pretty quick pursuit to bite off a big clip of the distance between us.
I look back many times for Joe but he was nowhere to be found. I later found out Joe had went in deeper off the road before turning in pursuit, Therefore the reason for me not seeing him. I was kind of concerned because I was hoping, since I had killed javis a few times before, to get him on one.
At this point I didn't know if we would even get on them being that it had been a few minutes and I really didn't know if they went deep into the brush or paralleling toward us or away, but I stayed the course just in case.....slowing down now as I thought the gap was closing in....
Spot and stalk is great. However spot, then relocate, and stalk can be frantic....
After moving along at a pretty quick clip I began to slow my place to a pretty good degree. Trying to search in a very quick manner and then movie forward briskly kind of leaves you on edge.....
However, the further I moved forward the slower I progressed.....hoping I would spot the gang before I stepped on one of the members.
Looks like a good hunt. I am going to try to get there when I am working in west Texas over the next few weeks.
And that's exactly what I did. ....barely.
I caught movement in the clumps of tan grass to my left and the javi was in range....then movement straight ahead just out of range....then movement to my right again in range.
Now the grass was alive as javies were appearing and disappearing in front of me. Yes, there where plenty of shot opportunities during this time.... but too many eyes......
Hey....where was Joe???
I knew Terry was up ahead and diagonally to my left. He was closer to the road than I was by about 30 or 40 yards. I expected that one or two of the critters would walk into the bush and stop often to check its back trail, and i figured that if I was slow and quiet enough I might get a good shot on an animal that had no idea I was there. So, I was stalking through the bush slowly, carefully -- scanning ahead for movement. The wind was in my favor....
I'd been concerned about Joe since we took off for the javalina... And again I was hoping to get him on them so he could score His 1st.... I had no luck whatsoever in finding Joe during my pursuit to get on these javalina....
At this Point I became the hunter. The javalina started milling toward me, And I had no choice but to take possession of being the hunter.
A little bit of movement in the brush ahead and to my left caught my eye. It took me a minute to figure out that I was seeing terry slowly working his way through the cover with an unmistakable hunter-looking posture. I figured he didn't know I had seen him.
It was really cool, I was in the midst of a sea of javalina.... And I'd just seen the biggest javi had ever seen that was jet black....this dude was HUGE!!!....broadside and in range...but still too many eyes! This guy looked like he just walked out of a GQ magazine.... He was the biggest a most beautiful javi I have Ever seen.
I glanced to my right and there was Joe!!!
I'm going to have to step of here for a bit. I need to comment on the outfitter and his partner.
Jacob and James were above and beyond. These 2 were much more then just Outfitters, they were gracious hosts willing to chip in and help in any way they could. They both were very knowledgeable and willing to do whatever it took to put us on game in an enthusiastic manner.
These 2 guys added and enhanced the hunting experience while we were there.They made the hunt complete.
Many thanks you two!!!
Yes. Jacob and James are first-rate. They really know their stuff, and they are great people too.
I saw Terry look at me and he pointed at the thick mesquite scrub in front of him. Game on!
Yes, when I 1st saw Joe he was looking forward still searching for javalinas.... Once he fixed his eyes on me, I made a very deliberate point in front of us to let him know that there was a javi in between us Right there...I mean RIGHT THERE!!!
:coffee: :campfire:
I'm going to let Joe Tell the rest of his tale before I move forward....
I am not getting any younger, I need you boys to start coughing up the good stuff ... :biglaugh:
I saw Terry point into the mesquite scrub, but it was so thick I couldn't see anything. Then I heard hooves on the ground and I saw the javelina run and then stop behind a mesquite. It turned back and was looking in Terry's direction. It was about 15 yards from me, and it had no idea it was there. It was pretty large.
I took two quiet steps to my right and that cleared the rear half of the critter for a shot. I figured that one and a half or two more steps to my right and I would be able to expose the chest while keeping the head behind the thick stuff -- pretty much an ideal shot. Arrow on the string, draw a couple of inches to be ready, start the first step, the animal was alert and looking at Terry's direction -- completely distracted and unaware of me.
Then, suddenly, off it goes to my left. And this time it didn't stop to look back. Then I felt the wind and it had changed. The breeze was now blowing directly from where Terry was standing to where the javelina was standing. I followed the javelina for a while, staying downwind of where I thought it went, but it was long gone.
The experience had been very exciting, and the javelina had used its incredible nose to make a getaway. I will give the javi's this -- they don't think twice once they wind a human.
What a thrilling experience.
Yes, being on these Javis for a while before I saw Joe, I had a pretty good idea on where they all were to some degree.
I was pretty sure that 1 Of the 7 had already slipped between Joe and i going back the opposit way.
Once the gig was up at this point on this javi, I proceeded to move forward to find the rest of the group, and the elusive Doctor Tuxedo...
...and I trailed the one that ran off — just in case. Maybe he would stop again, since he was aware of Terry but not me.
This is where Spot and Stalk is truly hunting.
When the one Joe was trying to shoot left I looked back at the 1 I was spotting to the left and it was gone. A kind of hot footed it in the direction he and the others were headed.
After about 30 yds I spotted them moving ant a little faster clip and not milling around like before......
They were heading for corner of a barren patch of ground which had an oil rig.
There were 4 of them skirting the barren ground just inside Bush making their way along and staling for about 3 minutes when they were level with the oil rig.
They then proceeded to march right out to the oil rig.
Bear with me...I'm Valentine-in :bigsmyl:
I was in the edge of the brush still at the corner of this barren ground watching to see what they were gonna do.
Then I heard rumbling and realised Joe and I had been at this game for 30 minutes....Jacob was right on time.
Jacob came into the barren pad in his truck to pick us up....and he slowed when he saw the Javis. Then he saw me in the corner waiving at him with a big smile. He threw his hands up, shook his head and put it in reverse....And Mr GQ barked and they all scaulded out of there.
Jacob wa perflexed about his timing...I told him no worries that the gig was pretty much up.....That we had gotten the goodie out of them.....
Now back to camp to get fortified for the evening hunt....
Now that I have more time on my hands, I'll have to join you fellas next time. [attachment=1] [attachment=2]
This is great! Keep it up!
As soon as I got back to camp I took off my boots and drug Steve's wash tub of chilli out of the fridge.
It was actually better the 2nd day!...had 2 more bowls....thx Steve!!!
We all told of our morning adventures and pondered evening plans...then we Testest the Tuff heads a bit. And shot a while.
Rick was going back behind camp again, and Steve was going God knows where on the back 40.....
Joe and I decided to set up on a couple of areas near our stalking grounds. Everyone had confidence in where they were going.....
Since we were going to hunt till 9 were ate a sandwich ti keep the growls away....
I went to a stand called "the cattle pens" -- there were some cattle pens nearby. It was a pretty great stand. It consisted of a pit blind on a rise, facing west, above a pond. The pit blond was all brushed in with mesquite branches. There was a folding chair in the blind. There were clear hog trails coming down to the pond on the west and south sides of the rise that completely surrounded the pond. There was a pretty good hog toy down by the pond. The hog toy was a plastic barrel full of holes that was chained to a steel post. It was clear that the hogs would push the barrel around the post and it would roll around letting a few kernels of corn out of the holes as it would roll. There was a lot of sign around the pond. I sat down in the pit blind at about 4 PM.
[attachment=1,msg2851805]
You can see the rise on the other side of the pond that is level with the surrounding land.
Just after sundown, with the western sky still glowing, I saw a movement reflected in the water of the pond. Something was walking along the edge of the rise. I looked up on the rise and I couldn't see anything. It was that time between sundown and full darkness and I could not see anything moving against the dark brush behind the rise -- but I could see an animal moving in the reflection of the sky in the pond. Things were getting interesting.
Then the reflection disappeared...
One thing I knew for sure, the animal was no taller than the difference between the top of the ridge and the dark horizon line beyond. I estimated that to be 3 or 4 feet high at the edge of the rise. Well, that did not narrow things down one bit. Lots of animals would fit in a dark area 3 to 4 feet high.
There were reports of mountain lion sightings near by. The hackles on the back of my neck were standing up...
That's it...I getting a new keyboard on this phone and initiating spell check....Geezzz!!! :knothead: :knothead: :knothead:
I continued scanning the pond to see if I could pick up the reflection again....and there it was, a reflection in the water of something at the edge of the water. Small mountain lion? Big bobcat? Just a moving dark blob reflected in the water...then it turned its head, and it was unmistakably a big coyote.
I strained my eyes to see it. I slowly raised my hand to block the remnants of the glow of the sky above the horizon. The coyote froze and stared into the water and then scampered back up onto the rise. He stood there for a couple of minutes looking down at the pond, and then he slowly walked away.
I wondered how he saw me. I had moved very slowly and the pit blind was brushed in pretty well with cover in front and behind. I turned and looked at the sky behind me and found my answer. There was a glow of artificial light on the horizon behind me. He must have seen the reflection of me in the pond, and to his eye I was a solid, moving mass against a bunch of tangled brush.
If I was to hunt this stand again, I would have to bring something to cover the sticks that brushed in the blind behind my back to eliminate my silhouette.
Looks and sounds like a lots of fun
I am about ready to hop on a plane and tie your butts to a chair in front of a computer until you finish this story, lol.
Sorry Patrick....Work, tradgang, valentines, dog with broken leg...yada yada yada..
Dude, sorry to hear about the dog. I was just messing around. Hope the pooch heals up quick.
I know your kidding Patrick....no worries.
I went to an area near Joe. We were both near our morning stalking grounds.
I was south of a pond, that didnt have much water at all. It also had one if those hog toys Joe mentioned, but this toy was 15 yards north of the pond. I was set up 30 yards south of the pond along a fence line. I chose this local due to the wind.
There was a well used trail running under the fence 12 yards north of me...it all looked really for the evening...
:coffee: :campfire:
Joe was dropped off 1st so I got settled in about 4:30. There was a nice breeze coming in from the North West, ....everything was perfect and beautiful.
Then at about 5:15 Jacob turn the doves loose. Wave after wave after wave for about 15 minutes they were all migrating in the same direction for the evening feed. If I only would have had a 100 flu flus we would been picking daisies at lunch the next day.
About 6 o'clock I put on the jacket Joe had loaned me to layer up for the 15 degree drop in temperature that often happens after sundown in Texas during the winter months.
The Texas countryside came to life about then, with still more doves straggling in, other birds about, rabbits and rats....yes, pack rats. 1st time I'd ever experienced one....more on those devils later. All the sound were great...except for the ones coming from the windmill. What a mess!!! In the background of all these serene pleasantries was a bizarre combination unrelated noises,...from squeaks from a tin roof, the slamming of a screen door, a dryer rotating with two jackets with both zippers AND snaps, and metallic tree frogs. Yep, that the only way I can describe it......
All was quiet, sans the windmill, untill about 7:30 when something pinged the wire on the fence I was set up on. It goy my attention allright, but I heard nothing after that. Must have been a bird or someting.
Then about ten till 9 it it really started. There wss no doubt what I was hearing, even though I'd never heard it before. The toy was being thrashed and then the snorting began....
I had already surveyed this route 3 times prior to setting up, so I proceeded to go to an opening on the pond with my green lens hog light on and see if I could see the hog at the toy. The hog light wasn't bright enough to see a hog at 35 yds, So I backed off the pond slowly with the light still pointed in their direction.
Once I backed out of the opening and on to the path along the side of the pond I heard hooves coming out of the South toward the south side of the pond. This wasnt good. I feared this hog would soon wind me as it came around the pond in my direction and blow the whole deal.
The pig got within about 10' of me and it stopped and started blowing at me and stomping. But after a few seconds he trotted off and the thrashing was still going on. They knew nothing of it. So I continued on along side the pond with the green light still pointing in their direction as I eased forward. I had about 20 yd to cover before I got to the opening on the North side of the pond and I would be somewhere around 20 yd from them.
Even though this non fenix light was starkly bright on the brush between me and the hogs from my perspective as I continued they paid no attention, or were unaware completely. I never slowed down. I rounded the the corner of the opening never taking the light off if their direction. It was like I was a ghost as I entered the opening as stepped closer. How was I getting away this?!?!?
There were 2 good sized hogs just standing there in plain sight and me also.
One was quartering to me that was about a buck 50 , and the other one was broadside at a buck 75. Both round as a barrel. These two were healthy!
I tried to move closed but my foot hit a water pipe to the pond. At this point I didn't want to push it, I was at 20 yards already.
As the arrow left the bow it looked good but I lost sight of it about half way there. But it sure SOUNDED good!!!
Like a pass through of a giant soggy pumpkin.....
The buck 50 was carrying the mail, the Great Pumpkin wasn't. No sqeal or grunt, just a slow 180 and a hunched couple of steps....and then seemed confused.
I didnt know whether to stay completely queit and still, or reload and try and get another arrow in him...I chose to freeze.
He went the way of his buddy toward 11 oclock a few steps and was laboring in breathing and huffing a bit....then a few steps more and another pause. Then his buddy in the distance snorted and he just walked off....huffing every breath it seemed....till he was out of ear shot.
At this point I eased up to point of impact and surveyed the area. It took me a minute to look around at the toy, then I moved around the opposite side of his exit path as not to disturb any blood if any. There was my arrow right where it was suppose to be....10 yards beyond the toy and lying on top of the ground.
Not a lot of blood on the arrow, but a definate pass through with fat grease on the shaft and sticky, slick, and smelly fletching.
Then I returned to the point where I thought he stopped a few feet from impact...and there was blood....
Following the trail for about 20 yards to where they went under a gap in the fence. He was bleeding out both sides, which was a good sign along with blood that close to where I shot him.
I decided to wait for the calvary as time was up for pick up....But the coyotes were already singing...not a good sign....
Coyotes in TX are no joke. Shot this nice boar in TX last year. Thought I heard it go down and moan a.s fre around 75 yards by a cedar tree, but since it was cool and I didn't have good blood, I decided to come back at first light rather than risking pushing it. I went right to the cedar tree as and this is what I found.
[attachment=1,msg2852192][attachment=2,msg2852192]
If I had know a cow died on that section of the ranch earlier in the week, and that the coyotes had been feeding on it, I probably wouldn't have waited. I hope your story has a happy ending.
Quote from: medic77 on February 08, 2019, 07:15:40 PM
We stopped by twice to say hey but you guys were out. With hunting so late every night it was hard to hook up the schedules
I stopped by yalls cabin twice and yall werent there...bout 2ish both times...you missed out on the chilli!!!
Quote from: mj seratt on February 10, 2019, 11:25:30 PM
Terry, did you get to go see the Marfa lights?
Have no idea what those are....no one informed me :dunno:
what did i miss?
Quote from: wvtradbow on February 11, 2019, 11:52:15 AM
We're leaving Friday,can't wait,hopefully you guys left a few,(lol) maybe next year we'll get on with the Tradgang hunt..
Sure would like to hear about it.
Quote from: Wudstix on February 15, 2019, 12:49:57 PM
Now that I have more time on my hands, I'll have to join you fellas next time. [attachment=1,msg2851609] [attachment=2,msg2851609]
I hope so Sir.
Im going to get this wrapped up tonight guys....getting caught up from being gone is ruff.
Jacob and Joe showed up not too long after that, and they saw what I saw. So Jacob went to the truck to get out a young pup so He could get some training in. .... And away he went.
The blood trail got better as we went along a little better and a little better. Soon we came to an area with a lot of blood were he had evidently laid down. Now we never heard anything but something must have got him up I don't know if it was coyotes or not, But it took us a while to find the trail again, though once we found it everyone was sparse and then it picked up the further we went along. Then he laid down again and it looked like he thrashed his way out due to ground disturbance and broken misquite branches.....then we found the trail again ...
I'm sorry to say that we had to put an end to the tracking due to the fact the hog crossed over to someone else's ranch and they don't allow any trespassing whatsoever.
I do hope that you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed reliving. Not all hunts are fairy tales..... regardless, I won't ever forget that night....
Now back to camp for half pound Garlic cheese burgers...
Enjoying the story. It is a blast to stalk up on hogs at night, whether using moonlight, a bow light, or feeder light. I find it to be a little more challenging shooting hogs after dark compared to during the daylight, and it can be very difficult to tell exactly where you hit. I use all sorts of cheating regarding reference points on my site window for aiming. I sure wish the hogs around here would tolerate a bow mounted light better. Looking forward to hearing the rest if the story.
It really was a great day.....just a few 'what ifs' and we could have had two javies and a hog. I was an adventurous day that I needed bad....
The next morning Joe and I we t through the same block of woods on we clipped of a area 100 yards to the west of yesterday's path. As we noticed from our view of yesterday's path that this section was thicker and a little more undulating.
All was quiet this morning, and I could not believe we didn't see anything, nada, zilch...... But being that visibility was about 1/3 of the day before, our stalk through this area was much slower and deliberate. But even though it looked gamey from the top ....the ground didn't show it. There was only sparse sign on the ground..... But it was a beautiful morning perfect weather full of anticipation....
Now to re fuel and gather our thoughts for the evening..... With a twist I sure wasn't expecting....
My evening hurt would be at the ugliest place I'd ever hunted in my life. The most non gamey abandoned scorched Earth place I'd ever could imagine... We were set to hunt till 11 tonight.
Again, Looks can be deceiving....
I got set up in this pit blind with a bunch of sticks piled up behind me around a misquite tree.
What's I got everything ready to go I took the kill light that Joe loaned me and posted it up on a fence post facing the direction the hogs were to come from... The light would come on with a sensor at dark.
Nothing happened until after dark, And at dark he was mostly just sounds not a lot of Sightings... Until about 9:20.....
and???
While Terry was set up in his blind, I was hunting a spot called "the tanks" -- so called because there are two big, rusted-out, abandoned water storage tanks there.
There were a lot of hog tracks at the tanks, so I was excited about that.
There was also a recent cougar sighting at the tanks about three yards from where I was set up -- and I was nervous about that.
I spent a lot of time in that blind at the tanks looking over my shoulder.
I saw nothing that night at the tanks.
The next night I went back to the cattle pen blind. I took a couple of camo t-shirts to mask my silhouette on the brush behind me.
At about 9:30 I heard a huffing noise to my left maybe 10 yards behind a mesquite bush that was maybe 6 or 7 feet away. I was sure it was a lone boar based on the sound. Then I heard a popping noise and figured he was popping his teeth. He huffed again and again, and kept popping his teeth. It sounded like he was spoiling for a fight. The wind was in my favor, and I thought that perhaps he had another boar over there that he was challenging.
He popped his teeth and huffed louder and louder for 45 minutes without moving toward me, trying to get downwind of me, or exposing himself in any way to the possibility of getting shot. I finally figured out that he knew I was there but was unsure of what I was, so he just stood in the same place and made noise. at about 10:15 he stopped.
By the sound of his deep, bass-tone huffing he must have been a beast of a hog. And he was smart enough to not expose himself to me. It was a pretty exciting night that I will never forget. I would love to get another crack at that hog.
AND.... I heard grunting coming from the wrong side of the fence.... Yes the side of fence that was least likely for them to come from and not expected by Jacob. Animals, You never can predict them. Anyway this hog approaches from the wrong direction on the other side of this big water tank, And it stops and snorts and grunts and blows and stops and I'm not sure why because the wind was deathly in my favor. And it was a healthy wind.
All I could figure was when I put the kulot on the fence post it cast a shadow on the other side of the tank. Now the hogs are mot supposed to see the green light, But maybe that can see the shadows they create And it didn't look normal to him and his partners.
This went on for about 20 minutes and I just stayed in my pit blind with this pile of sticks surrounding the mesquite tree I was against.
Back-and-forth back-and-forth this hog carried on...... And then I see a glimpse of something that catches my eye and I look...
Mid thigh high...straight horizontal top line..... buckskin colored ghost ....moving from right to left like on a rail.....
Yep....Mountain Lion.
Un-freakin believable!!!!
He moved out of the range of the kill light and disappeared. What an Experience!!!
:scared:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great experience! Never saw a Mountain Lion in the wild!
About 10 minutes after the mountain lion the hog starts up again snortin and stomping and walking around just on the other side of the gate.
I had enough of this so, I eased out the pit toward the gate with my Hog light on.... Still grutten still snorting....
I caught movement with my hog light as he eased back down on the other side of the tank never to return.... But Snorting all the way.....
Joe wouldd hunt this site a couple of nights later.....
The Mountain lion made the trip for me!!!!!
Terry, just Google Marfa lights. That will explain it better than I could. I have never seen them, but was in Marfa back in the 1970s.
The next more in Joe and I went to a new block of woods. This Block was a stretched version of where we were hunting.... The misquite Trees were much further apart and the tan grass seemed less clumpy. You could literally see for 200 yards in some directions.
The highlight of this Morning was seeing a picture as pretty as a postcard. The biggest Coyote I'd ever seen in my life was staring at me as the Sun was to my back and he was lit up just perfect for a photograph..... This guy was absolutely beautiful. He was facing me at 60 yd And I could not believe how clearly I could see him. I didn't move I wasjust enjoying the view ...
We finally decided he didn't like me and he turned tail and Trotted off.
The rest of this morning we spent jumping Quail and doves.... Bunches and bunches.
Like I said it was like a safari this trip was...
Our bearing was set on an oil well And the name on it was big bear.
Maybe we can get Joe to post a picture of big bear.
Here is the "Big Bear" that we saw -- it is the Big Bear oil well.
[attachment=1]
Sorry guys...I had 9000 things going on and this phone posting on this new phone is giving me fits...I need to slow down.
Breath !!!! [attachment=1] [attachment=2]
Joe an I both have one more stalk a piece to share...back in a bit.
Before I tell you about the stalk. I have another story about a night in a blind.
I got to the blind called G-spot at about 4 PM. This is the blind where Terry has seen the mountain lion a couple of nights before.
Earlier in the day, Jacob and I had a shovel out there and dug the pit blind a bit deeper and put a couple of planks in the bottom of it to keep the legs of the chair from sinking into the soft dirt. This blind was the perfect depth now, and about as comfortable as a blind with a metal folding chair could be.
The first thing I did at 4:00 was find a good way to rig the Kill Light so it would shine on the area without lighting me up. That involved the limbs of a mesquite tree and a couple of short lengths of para-cord. Things looked just right.
The wind was in my favor and as the sun started to set the mourning doves started to sail in. There were tons of them. As wild doves do, they would land on the ground and then all spook at once for no reason I could see or hear. Or, they would land one at a time in a mesquite tree and then all spook and make a racket flying away.
There was also the racket from a nearby gas-powered pump. It would make a racket like an old Ford farm tractor, and then almost stall out and then make a chugging noise and come back to life.
Just as the sun was halfway below the horizon I saw a big coyote with a prime pelt confidently come in. he stopped under a mesquite tree. I guessed he was looking for mice or rabbits. Just then the doves spooked out of his mesquite tree and he nearly turned himself inside out he was spooked so bad. Now the coyote was on full alert -- and the steady rhythm of the pump changed as it went into a stall and chugged back to life. Well, that was all it took to convince the coyote that this spot was too noisy. He ran like the dickens out of there.
I had another 20 or so minutes of quiet when a black hog came silently walking in from the south. It paused every few steps to look and listen. It seemed pretty skittish as it was walking in. Then a brown hog about the same size came in. Then two juvenile hogs. They were shoving each other around and I had to wait until one of them was broadside, and not covering each other.
Then it happened. The black hog turned broadside facing south and stood still. The shot felt clean and looked good. The angle of the black hog and his pals running south made it look like the hit might be a bit high. The arrow was sticking out both sides with the near side being in almost to the fletching.
There was no squealing, and that surprised me. But, about 15 seconds later I heard four or five moans that must have been death moans. Then silence. My assessment of the shot was that it was either high double lung or in the artery above the lungs. It might bleed out quickly but trap all of the blood inside the chest cavity.
I sent Jacob a text and told him that I would wait for him before doing any blood trailing. He pulled up at about 11:00 PM with James and Terry and we started looking for blood. We looked, and looked, and looked, and looked...nothing.
I was pretty sure he was dead because of the moans, but we didn't find him.
I wondered if coming back the next morning, and looking for him in daylight, would be the best thing to do. But the consensus was that there wouldn't be anything left of him in the morning due to the high concentration of coyotes in the area.
It was not a good outcome...
I did have to agree about the futility of waiting until dawn to retrieve an animal -- I have never seen so many coyotes in so few days in my life. There are a lot of coyotes in that part of Texas.
I suspect the coyotes had a good night, ate well, stripped him to the bone, and carried off parts of him before dawn.
I'm sure Joe has a little more.......
Wed I went in early to a new area....and the hogs were already there went I eased around the corner to where my pit was for the evening. A 150# red with black spots and some little 12 pounders along, and another about 125#s with some smaller ones, but big enough to make it on their own.
I decided not to shoot the red one as her little ones still needed her for sure....but the other one was on the table. Cutting to 30 yards was easy...then snuck to 25....wanted to make it to 20 but had to calculate movement to the last mesquite.....
Done,.... now red was in range but was running interference for the 125...and then running her off a time or two....
This allowed me to scoot even closer to almost 15 yards but only behind a small yucca plant. I was waiting it out on my knees...all sorts of shots at read, but not at the other.. This went on for about 5 minutes and the gij was finally up......they were done. Red said it was time to go, and so off they went. No chance of stalking them with them going into the wind, and no cover to flank....
I enjoyed the evening in the pit....but I had it all to myself....had one more day left...that feeling comes over you....its almost over.....
Terry and I had spent most of the morning still hunting through an area of mesquite scrub and sand dunes. It had been uneventful, though we were seeing sign.
We came out of the scrub and crossed a barbed wire fence that was about a dozen feet from the road. As we came out onto the edge of the road, we saw a good-sized javelina on the road about 60 yards away. He was wandering around eating corn that Jacob had sprinkled along that stretch of road.
Game on.
Since I was closer to the javi to start with, I took the lead. I ducked back into the brush at the side of the road and started working my way toward the critter -- trying to close the distance while he was still on the road in view.
I was doing fine keeping cover between the javelina and me, and had him at about 25 or so yards when I came upon a pile of dead mesquite that stretched from the fence to the road. I had a decision to make -- Do I stay put and hope the animal closes the remaining distance, or do I patiently wait until the javelina turns away and try to work my way past the dead brush by going out in the road around it and then getting back into the roadside cover? Crossing over the fence wasn't an option. Unlike the farm fences I am familiar with in the east, a Texas cattleman's ranch fence is not something I could wriggle through silently.
The javelina kept turning in circles to get the odds and ends of the scattered corn. I figured he might be likely to give me a chance to close the distance, and since he now seemed to be wandering aimlessly eating along the way, I wasn't sure he would work his way closer to me.
Decision time. I had by now spent at least 15 minutes closing the distance and I needed to get closer if I was going to get a shot. The javi was relaxed and wandering. I decided to take one small step to get around the brush each time he turned away from me. It worked for a while.
I was almost done circumnavigating the brush when I made a noise. To me it sounded like the feathers on my the arrows in my bow quiver brushed up against something -- maybe my leg, maybe the brush -- doesn't matter. The sound was out of place. Now, in an instant, the animal was on full alert.
He looked in my direction and I was as still as an ancient statue. We had a standoff that lasted several tense minutes. Neither of us moved. Then I saw the hackles on the javelina's back stand straight up and he turned around and walked straight away from me up the road and then turned to his right and went off the road, under the fence, and into the mesquite brush.
I knew I couldn't cross the fence quietly enough to get after him, so the jig was up with that javelina.
As they say down here in the Carolinas, "Dang it."
But, that stalk was a ton of fun. And but for a tiny sound he might have been dead, and in the freezer.
Mr. Green;
Let me know when and what requirements are, plus details.
Well I thought I posted my last evening's hunt on this thread.... but maybe I posted it elsewhere. Will make an announcement for the next year's hunt.....thx
Terry, I read it along with a few of your other posts on different threads, then poof they're gone. Wonder if somehow the system restored to a recent backup?
Either way, they were indeed on here at one point... :dunno:
Yep....several posts got deleted....its been rectified.....sorry guys.
Anyhow the wind butchered up my last evening, That would be the short story.
But over all I would recommend this hot and I hope to be able to go back again next year...... It had been a while since I had been on a group hunt like this and I really needed it...
So, many thanks to Mule Creek and company.....y'all made it what it was.
:campfire:
Terry, Thanks for coming to hunt with us. Speaking for myself, Jacob and James, we enjoyed hosting you in our Texas camp this year. We are still running a few more hunters before we wrap up our season for this year. I will be making a schedule out for 2020 as soon as we know who is planning to come back for next year. When we know which weeks are available we can figure out which dates will work for a Tradgang group hunt for next year.
Regards
John Berger
www.mulecreek.co
John,
Keep me in the loop on this too. I want to sign up early so I don't miss the opportunity to return.
Joe
Good times...
,,Sam,,
Cool hunt guys, thanks for sharing!