It was coming together almost as if it were scripted.  A golden brown figure stands stoic in the early morning sunlight, high atop a massive, white boulder protruding from the hillside, some 250 yards away from my position across the canyon.  Moments later I would have my chance at realizing one of the longest-standing hunting dreams of my life…a shot at a magnificent aoudad ram. What I was witnessing in that instant was, in hindsight, an almost “to a T” scenario that had been scripted in my mind for many years.

It began on a ranch in the Hill Country some 12 years ago, as I guided for the first time on a game ranch near Brady, Texas.  Trying to do my best to lead “my” hunter (the CEO of a fiber optics company in Virginia) to a trophy whitetail, we spent long hours on stand & trekked many miles to attempt to rattle a big buck into range.  On the 3rd evening of the hunt, as we sat overlooking a food plot, we both spotted an animal I had never before seen on the hoof.  After a few puzzling moments, I verified to my hunter that what he was looking at was one of the few wild aoudad rams this ranch had.

He came in all alone and was walking straight at us, large banana-shaped horns & flowing “chaps” glimmering in the fading sunlight.  I’ll admit, at the time, I had no idea how to field judge a trophy ram from the next guy, but from hearing the stories at camp of how elusive & rare they were (and from holding a euro mount from a previously taken ram), I knew this was a rare opportunity on this ranch.  My hunter did not exactly share my excitement and almost had to relinquish his rifle to me, upon deciding to finally take a shot.  What we soon found on the ground was a mature, 27″ aoudad (the largest ever taken on that ranch up to that time)!  From the moment I put my hands on him I knew  that this was an animal that I wanted to one day take.

Around that same time, a long-lost friendship with my childhood friend was rekindled.  David Mayer and I were great friends growing up, but when his family moved to some place called “Sonora” (I thought for years that Sonora was in New Mexico…), we lost contact.  Once in college, I met some mutual friends of his that helped us get reconnected.  Ever since, I have had the good fortune and privilege to be a hunting guest a few times a year on their family ranch just outside of the Southwest Texas town of Sonora.

The T Half Circle is a large, low fence, intensely-managed ranch that grows some tremendous whitetail deer year in and year out.  As a added “bonus”, the ranch also plays home to some free ranging herds of exotic like axis, fallow and aoudad that have made their way over from neighboring ranches.  Theses exotics are not large in numbers on the ranch and not seen frequently, but still afford you the hope to see something “out of the ordinary” every once in awhile.  Having said that, and hearing countless stories of sightings and harvest, I had never seen a single exotic while hunting there.

The past 2 years, sightings of aoudad had seemingly increased from others at the ranch.  Every time I would visit and we would drive below some of the rocky hills and cliffs, I would think or say, “man, that just looks like the perfect place to see an aoudad!”  Earlier this season, a friend that helps guide on the ranch told me that he had spotted 4 big rams in the very same area.  That news left little doubt in my mind what my new mission would be on my next trip down…

Fast forward to December 27, 2011 at approximately 8:00 am:

I had climbed to the top of the area known as “Chimney Hill” at first light and was walking, with the (perhaps naive at the time) idea of glassing from a high vantage point in hopes of atleast seeing sign of an aoudad.  An hour had passed and I had already scanned 3 or 4 different chocked canyons, seeing nothing but a lone whitetail doe on top of the hill that I had zig-zagged across a few times.  As I cut across another “finger” of the hill to investigate down into yet another canyon, I spotted a nice whitetail buck on the heels of a doe some 200 yards ahead of me. As they darted in and out of the cedar brush, I moved forward a few steps to try and gain a better look.  Glancing only briefly to my left across the canyon, I saw a picturesque image that I will never forget.

On a large outcropping of rocks, basking in the warm sunlight, stood an aoudad ram…staring seemingly right at me.  Turning my attention and mindset away from the whitetails in an instant, my focus locked like a laserbeam on a new target.  Shocked at what I just saw, I think I did a double take as my mind raced into “get-a-shot” mode.  I remember thinking, as I stepped forward slowly and my heart skipped a few beats, “can this really be happening?!”

I moved quickly, but strategically, around a large cedar to find something to rest my rifle on.  The closest option was a semi-steady limb of the same bush I had to circumvent to get into shooting position.  Chambering a .30-06 shell, I settled my crosshairs on the target, trying hurriedly to get a better look.  I had no idea what kind of time I had (I assumed very little), and absolutely did not want to waste this amazing opportunity.  In my frantic scramble to get a shot off, I did manage to take a brief moment to remind my nerves to calm down and my lungs to breathe. All of the thinking and daydreaming of this exact scenario, playing out in  my mind countless times, had finally come down to this moment.

Having recently misplaced my rangefinder, I did not know the yardage of the shot I was looking at, but felt pretty confident in the accuracy of my rifle…as long as I could hold it steady (no easy task in “THE moment”).  As my crosshairs swayed slightly in an almost ‘figure 8′ shape, I again took a deep breath and told myself “it’s now or never, you may not get this chance again”. I sent a small prayer upward as my shooting finger started to apply pressure to the trigger.

As I squeezed off the round, the supersonic sound of a sailing bullet was all I heard, signaling in my mind a clean miss.  To counter that, looking up from the stock, I noticed the ram lurch as if possibly hit well.  Confused and adrenaline piping, I got back on the scope only to see what I thought was my ram, looking around nervously, some 15 yards to the right of his original position. I have always heard how tough aoudads can be to take down, soaking up a lot of lead, so I fired a second shot (with more rush and less confidence than the first).

Then silence. Nothing moved.

I sat trying to catch my breath as the replay of the last 10 seconds of my life starting scrolling over and over in my head.  “Did I miss? Did I just blow my chance?! What do I do now?”

Seeing that to even get the spot where the ram was standing would entail dropping down the rocky hill below me and then scaling up the hill on the other side, I decided to venture that direction.  It took almost 20 minutes to reach the base of the rocky perch where the ram originally stood, basking in the sun.  Staring at a 6 ft tall boulder directly infront of me, I wondered how I was ever going to get on top of it to even start the search for the sign of a hit.  Almost simultaneously, I looked left along the rim rock base and saw another memorable sight…a dead aoudad ram laying face down in a small cactus!  The ram hadn’t managed to go 15 yards before doing an apparent “swan dive” from the rock ledge above.

I was elated (to say the least) and could not believe what I was seeing.  The dream was now a reality.

Knowing that the task of getting him out was a tricky one, I hiked back to my truck and headed back to camp to enlist some help.  As my cousin and I drove up to the rest of our hunting group, now cleaning deer from the morning’s hunt, I was quizzed as to what I had shot (or was atleast shooting at).  I had to repeat “I shot an aoudad” a few times before anyone would believe me.  I had to navigate through several “no, really, what did you shoot?(s)”

It took a hand from everyone (and a 4×4 mule) to get my ram off the mountainside (an eventful story in of itself).  I’d like to thank all of them for their help.  A special thanks goes out to my friends, the Mayer family, for allowing me to hunt alongside them on their beautiful, “target-rich” ranch throughout the years. My aoudad ram isn’t one of the 30+” monsters that you see advertised on exotic hunting sites or in the pages of magazines, but the important part to me…he’s MINE!  And just another in a long line of memorable moments that I’ve been fortunate enough to experience at the T Half Circle Ranch!

The author w/ his blackbuck doe taken last week

by Craig Ellwanger, AAE Prostaff

Success!! After a failed attempt on mission #1 and after a torturous wait for a clear shot on mission #2, I was finally able to get an arrow in a beautiful blackbuck doe at 22 yards last week at Porter’s Exotic Ranch near Flynn, Texas.

These little critters are beyond “finicky” when it comes to standing still. Once she finally gave me a clear broadside shot I seized the opportunity. Placing my 20-pin just her shoulder, I heard the “thwack” and felt good about my shot. She hauled off like her tail was on fire and I watched in amazement as she disappeared behind the treeline approximately 100 yards away…all the while thinking, “surely I didn’t miss?!”

After waiting a few minutes for everything to calm down (including myself), I got down from the tree to retrieve my arrow.  Finding good, red blood on my arrow my nerves were settled, but to my dismay, there was ZERO blood to follow. I searched, scoured and traced the “path” to no avail as light gave way to dark.  I waited for my guide CP to come and assist. Aided by a spotlight, we followed the path I had seen her run…nothing to be found.

We went back to camp to call upon the services of “Jack” the wonder dog. Jack is a stocky, white Jack Russell with an adventurous spirit. This, I was told, was not his first “rodeo”.  I’ll admit I was a tad bit skeptical that without anything to go on but a bloody arrow and a fleeing path,  that Jack would have any luck. Well, despite my pessimism, after only a few minutes listening intently with the Ranger’s engine turned off, Jack indeed let out a ‘yelp’ signalling that he had found my doe!

“You the man, Jack!”, I exclaimed.

The doe, despite carrying a mortal wound, had managed to travel a good 300+ yards and was lying in some REALLY thick brush.  Upon crashing our way to the both of them, we found that my arrow had hit the doe back and exited just behind her right front shoulder. Reviewing the video of the shot, it looks like she “jumped (or kicked) the string”, creating a severely quartering shot angle (she was perfectly broadside at the release)!  Amazing how quick and what tremendous reaction time these little animals have.  I was shooting a bow that screams an arrow out at over 300 fps!

Hats off to wonder dog Jack, my guide CP Wade and Porter’s Exotic Ranch for allowing me to harvest this gorgeous blackbuck doe. Fine table fair in my near future!!

To learn more about Porter’s Exotic Ranch, visit their AAE ‘Find A Hunt’ page.

Hunt Gear: Mathews DXT, spot hogg 7-pin, carbon express arrows, 100gr. muzzy broadhead

The 1st Annual AAE Axis Hunt – “Friends, Fans, Good Food & BIG Axis!!”

Teaming up with the Diamond TF Hunting Ranch in Sonora, Texas, AAE will be hosting the 1st Annual AAE Axis Hunt, taking place July 22-24, 2011!   Join the AAE Crew as we chase BIG Axis Bucks on one of the oldest family-owned ranches in SW Texas!  Booking is limited, so don’t wait to reserve your spot(s)!

Event Details:

• 8 spots available
• 2 full days of 2 x 1 semi-guided hunting by the AAE Crew (4 hunts)
• Transportation on the ranch
• Full Meals & Beverages provided
• Washer Tournament Sat. Night w/ Prizes
• Awards for Biggest Buck, Heaviest Doe & more

Cost – ONLY $1,295.00** for ANY Axis Buck of choice (they have some real monsters!) PLUS 1 Axis Doe!! If a hunter decides not to take a buck, it’s only $600, which is the hunt deposit.  Deposit includes the axis doe (or guide’s choice buck), food & beverages, washer tourney entry, AAE Axis Hunt T-Shirt & gift pack, & other weekend entertainment TBA).

**This is an AAE-Exclusive price for this hunt only!  Axis hunts at the Diamond TF usually start at $1,500 and can go $2,000+!  Don’t miss the opportunity!

Hunts will be conducted from stands & blinds sitting over feeders, irrigated fields & travel routes.  An Award-Winning outdoor cook, will be preparing all of our meals – breakfast, lunch & dinner.  Expect some AMAZING Texas-style BBQ!!  We will be camping on the ranch.  Communal “basecamp” will be set up w/ a large tent, firepit, washer pits, etc for meeting & “hanging out”.  Campers are welcome.  Note: The ranch is located only 5 miles from Sonora, so staying at a hotel in town is an option as well.

The Diamond TF Hunting Ranch

Established in 1883, The Diamond TF Hunting Ranch is one of the oldest family owned ranches in Sutton county and southwest Texas.  This 1,970 acre, low-fenced ranch is located just minutes south of Sonora, Texas (pop. 3037) and has been game managed since 1980.  The habitat consisting of live oaks, cedar, mesquite, thick draws and planted fields make the ranch ideal for large axis populations.  There are over 200 acres of planted fields and food plots throughout the ranch, with 100 acres being irrigated.  With almost no hunting pressure, the ranch now holds an axis population nearing 100 animals!  Though set up for hunting (almost exclusively close friends and family), this will be the first public hunt for axis deer on the ranch and we want YOU to be a part of it!

Find more info about the ranch on their AAE Page or become a fan of The Diamond TF on Facebook for more pictures and check out this article about Craig Ellwanger’s 30″ axis, featured in the Journal of the Texas Trophy Hunters magazine in Oct/Nov 2010!

For more information or to reserve your spot, please contact Craig Ellwanger @ 979.492.6186 or via email – craig@allaboutexotics.com.

We look forward to seeing you there!  This is going to be a hunt to remember!!

**Axis hunting only requires a valid Texas hunting license (no tags) that can be purchased over the counter before the hunt.  Out-of-state licenses for exotics are only $100!!

If you have ever dreamed of  hunting Trophy Axis in Texas, you may never find an offer better than this one!!  This hunt is our chance to say ‘thank you’ for being a part of our exotic hunting community and spreading the word about what we are doing!!  Join the AAE Crew as we head South to hunt the famed Texas Axis!!

The 1st Annual AAE Axis Hunt – “Friends, Fans, Good Food & BIG Axis!!”

Teaming up with the Diamond TF Hunting Ranch in Sonora, Texas, AAE will be hosting the 1st Annual AAE Axis Hunt, taking place July 22-24, 2011!   Join the AAE Crew as we chase BIG Axis Bucks on one of the oldest family-owned ranches in SW Texas!  Booking is limited, so don’t wait to reserve your spot(s)!

Event Details:

• 8 spots available
• 2 full days of 2 x 1 semi-guided hunting by the AAE Crew (4 hunts)
• Transportation on the ranch
• Full Meals & Beverages provided
• Washer Tournament Sat. Night w/ Prizes
• Awards for Biggest Buck, Heaviest Doe & more

Cost – ONLY $1,295.00** for ANY Axis Buck of choice (they have some real monsters!) PLUS 1 Axis Doe!! If a hunter decides not to take a buck, it’s only $600, which is the hunt deposit.  Deposit includes the axis doe (or guide’s choice buck), food & beverages, washer tourney entry, AAE Axis Hunt T-Shirt & gift pack, & other weekend entertainment TBA).

**This is an AAE-Exclusive price for this hunt only!  Axis hunts at the Diamond TF usually start at $1,500 and can go $2,000+!  Don’t miss the opportunity!

Hunts will be conducted from stands & blinds sitting over feeders, irrigated fields & travel routes.  An Award-Winning outdoor cook, will be preparing all of our meals – breakfast, lunch & dinner.  Expect some AMAZING Texas-style BBQ!!  We will be camping on the ranch.  Communal “basecamp” will be set up w/ a large tent, firepit, washer pits, etc for meeting & “hanging out”.  Campers are welcome.  Note: The ranch is located only 5 miles from Sonora, so staying at a hotel in town is an option as well.

The Diamond TF Hunting Ranch

Established in 1883, The Diamond TF Hunting Ranch is one of the oldest family owned ranches in Sutton county and southwest Texas.  This 1,970 acre, low-fenced ranch is located just minutes south of Sonora, Texas (pop. 3037) and has been game managed since 1980.  The habitat consisting of live oaks, cedar, mesquite, thick draws and planted fields make the ranch ideal for large axis populations.  There are over 200 acres of planted fields and food plots throughout the ranch, with 100 acres being irrigated.  With almost no hunting pressure, the ranch now holds an axis population nearing 100 animals!  Though set up for hunting (almost exclusively close friends and family), this will be the first public hunt for axis deer on the ranch and we want YOU to be a part of it!

Find more info about the ranch on their AAE Page or become a fan of The Diamond TF on Facebook for more pictures and check out this article about Craig Ellwanger’s 30″ axis, featured in the Journal of the Texas Trophy Hunters magazine in Oct/Nov 2010!

For more information or to reserve your spot, please contact Craig Ellwanger @ 979.492.6186 or via email – craig@allaboutexotics.com.

We look forward to seeing you there!  This is going to be a hunt to remember!!

**Axis hunting only requires a valid Texas hunting license (no tags) that can be purchased over the counter before the hunt.

Brushy Creek Outdoors will cater to the most experienced hunter or the “rookie” hunter or child who is looking to create new memories, and hopefully a new lifestyle, while hunting for that elusive trophy animal.  They have them and want to get them in your crosshairs.

Visit Brushy Creek Outdoors’ AAE page in our ‘Find A Hunt’ directory or visit their website (www.brushycreekoutdoors.com) to find other details including their great lodge, hunt prices, and other details about photo tours and varmit hunting.   They are looking forward to planning your next hunting adventure!

Be looking for more great exotic contests and giveaways from the AAE crew in the future.

A special thanks goes out to Blake Revels and the Double R Ranch!  For more information on a chance to hunt this great ranch for yourself, check out their website @ www.revelsracks.com.

One Wounded Warrior’s Hunt Of a Lifetime
by SFC Ronnie Gullion

Wounded Warriors Project w/ the vets from the 101st Airborne, Fort Campbell, KY

I met Jimmy “the Mullet” and his business partner Mikey during a Wounded Warrior hunt at Smart Ranch Exotics in Texas.  They asked me to choose one of the well-deserving heroes hunting with me for a bonus Asiatic water buffalo hunt.

You see, Mullet man and Mikey are representatives of Darkwoods Blinds and were at the Smart Ranch to shoot some promotional videos for their exceptional handicapped-accessible ground blinds.  I did not want the pressure of choosing just one soldier to take part in this remarkable opportunity. I simply did not want to be the one to decide who’d get to experience the hunt of their lifetime and who would be disappointed.

I suggested that we leave it to luck or fate. I told all of the more-than-willing hunters to put their military identification cards into a hat and let Jimmy pull out the lucky one.  Although I’m a Wounded Warrior as well, I was somewhat reluctant to place my ID into the hat because my hunting companions were also my heroes, and I wanted one of them to win the hunt.  With some poking, prodding and an order from my former Command Sergeant Major David Allard, I placed my ID into the hat as well.  Out of all of the IDs in the hat, of course, mine was drawn. Although I desperately wanted to participate in the hunt, I really wanted one of my guys to have the experience. I thought about giving the hunt to someone else, but that would have put me back into my original position of having to choose one person.

Jimmy and the others could see the guilt on my face and reassured me that they were glad that my name was chosen.  Jimmy then suggested we go out and do a little bit of scouting to get a glance at the animals I’d be hunting.  We all jumped into some trucks and headed out in search of buffalo.

Excitement and Apprehension

I could not have been more intimidated or excited when I finally laid my eyes on the biggest, most intimidating animal I have ever hunted.  I am just a mere country boy from Indiana who avidly hunts deer, turkey and an occasional enemy to our great country.  The size of that animal intimidated me more than looking into the eyes of our enemy.  I knew at first glance how fortunate I was to be able to hunt this great being, and I no longer felt guilty or willing to give up this opportunity.

Once we arrived back to the camp, I was bombarded with well wishes and of course ribbing from my friends.  When I was offered the choice to hunt with a bow or a muzzleloader, it was a no-brainer for me to choose the bow. I wanted to take it to the highest level of difficulty so that I could experience the most intense rush.

I was offered an Alpine bow, and in my excitement, I forgot to mention that I shot left-handed. I attempted to shoot the right-handed bow, but I did not feel comfortable despite hitting a decent group at 20 yards.  I knew I was about to go after one of the most aggressive animals on this planet, and I wanted to get it right.

I tried to shoot the bow left-handed, and thanks to the Alpine’s anti-torque guard and the Hindsight peep-less sight system, I felt comfortable and fired an arrow downrange.  Bulls-eye!  I shot my second arrow right into my first arrow. I was stoked. I moved out to 35 yards and practiced some more while growing accustomed to my new top-of-the-line shooting instrument.

The next morning we headed to the Darkwoods Blind that was strategically placed next to the watering hole.  But, much to our dismay, a heavy rain the previous night created numerous mud holes throughout the Smart Ranch, which prevented the buffalo from returning to the main watering hole.

We waited and then watched as they arrived in the general area in an intimidating fashion, but they didn’t move close enough to present me with a clean shot before I had to return to camp.  I tried again that evening, but it just wasn’t in the cards.  The buffalo remained out of range even though the blind was well hidden from their sight.

Change of Plans

I had one day left to pull off the hunt, so we went on another scouting adventure with the hopes that the buffalo would head to the watering hole where the blind was located.  While scouting, we devised a simpler plan, or so we thought.

We hoped that we’d be able to ambush the giant animals along their travel route. After locating the buffalo, we discussed moving the light and versatile Darkwoods Blind to another area. but it just didn’t seem possible due to the time constraints and the unpredictability of these creatures of random travel.  We decided to try a spot-and-stalk hunt instead.

I felt nervous, excited, scared and about 30 other emotions rolled into one, and I began to doubt that my abilities and health were up to the task.  I put all of my apprehension aside and started my pursuit.  After hours of low crawling, climbing trees out of fear, spooking the buffalo, and near misses, I finally got within 20 yards of these creatures of mass destruction.  All of my doubts and fears disappeared as I pulled the bowstring back and placed the pin on the ticker of one magnificent animal.

Sweet Success

I released the Tru-Fire release and placed that victory arrow right in the kill zone of the biggest buffalo in the bunch.  I feared that I didn’t get a good hit on the prey, but as it ran away, I could see the blood spewing from its side. The buffalo ran so far I didn’t think it was going to go down, but then it stopped, staggered like a drunk on New Year’s Eve and fell on its side.  All the fear, excitement, pressure and pride finally escaped me in the form of a bellowing YAHOOOOOOO!

Jimmy, and David Leuba, the owner of Smart Ranch Exotics, were right there to witness the most intense moment of my hunting endeavors and were as blown away as me.  I felt so much pride and joy that all I could do was giggle, giggle and giggle some more.  Words could not explain the emotion that I felt that day, but tears of joy and overwhelming pride accompanying my giggles sure got the point across.

After examining the downed trophy we realized that this animal was extraordinarily big and quite possible the World Record Asiatic water buffalo taken by a bow.  At this point in time we are waiting for the official scoring by SCI to confirm our suspicions.  Bottom line, I don’t care if it even scores, but if it does, I am proud that I did it with an Alpine Bow, Victory Arrow, Muzzy Broadhead, Hindsight system at the Smart Ranch in the presence of my heroes David Allard, Marc Roen, Adam Peacock, Todd Shaw, David Jacks and Nathan Halsey.

I would be remised if I did not recognize the gentlemen who made this possible, David Leuba of the Smart Ranch and Mikey and Jimmy from Darkwoods Blinds

If you would like to take a wounded American hero on an expedition, please contact: Friends of American Heroes, Hunting with Heroes, Paralyzed Veterans of America or go to HOWW4OF7 at CAMOSPACE .com.

This is a rewarding experience for all involved and a great way to show your appreciation for the sacrifices of the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have volunteered to protect the freedoms that most take for granted.  Getting outdoors is a valuable part of our healing process, not only for those who have hunted and feel they cannot do so anymore, but for a first-time participant in an outdoor event.  It has been with great honor that I have served my country and it has been an unequalled honor to aid these great men and women in their healing process in the great outdoors.  The army uses a word most don’t understand and that word is “HOOAH”!  It means many different things at many different times, but to the Wounded Warriors of Fort Campbell, KY, it is an acronym that means Healing Outside Of A Hospital.

www.darkwoodsblind.com

The author w/ his first hog by bow

There will be lots of  landowners and lease holders out there cussin’ out loud right now at the slightest peep or thought of a “nasty ol’ hog” story. If that’s you, simply turn away.  For the rest of you, here is a “pig-tale” of  an east Texas archery hog hunt.

Whether it’s the introduced Russian boar or the common “yard pig” turned wild hog, hunting for these barrel-shaped balls of destruction has become as much necessity as sport in Texas.  Their ability to proliferate induces thoughts of a famous ESPN quote that goes something like “…you can’t stop ‘em…you can just hope to contain ‘em!”

A good friend of mine, Chris Farris, hunts a piece of property just outside of Bryan/College Station in Brazos County.  Wanting to improve their resident deer herd and with a wild hog population on the brink of taking over, I was invited to try and assist in harvest efforts.  Being the noble sportsman that I am, I would never scoff at the chance to help a fellow hunter with some population control – especially when the reward for doing so includes bacon and thick pork chops!

The land they hunt is primarily open savannah woven with thick mottes of post oak trees.  Fifteen feet up in one of these oaks, overlooking a few cut lanes, would be my vantage point for all four attempts to get my first “porker” with my Mathews bow.  This was my first experience bow hunting from a tree stand and growing up in west Texas, where any tree over 8 feet tall stands out like skyscraper, I have to admit this was a bit of a thrill for me.

On the inaugural drive to the property I knew I was in trouble when Chris uttered the statement “you should see something…I’ve seen hogs everytime I’ve sat in this stand.”  My fear of the “jinx” was on and quickly realized on my first sit.  Though I heard hogs rustling in the super thick brush that nestled up to the backside of my tree, no hogs materialized.  Having hogs that close did, however, get my blood pumping and left a taste in my mouth that I had to get rid of.

The next two sits, spaced a few days to a week apart, would play out much like the first.  I was getting frustrated.  I had heard pigs within what seemed like 20 yards, but something inevitably kept them from venturing out of the thick cover and into my shooting lanes.  It wasn’t the wind (it blew in a different direction each day).  It shouldn’t be my scent (I was doused from head to toe in scent killer) and it wasn’t noise or movement (I’ve never sat so still…).  These critters were getting the best of me and I needed to flip the odds back in my favor.  Time to bring out the “big guns”!  I had a single bag of deer corn that was left in the bed of our hunting truck since the end of deer season (yikes).  If you’ve ever smelled soured corn, you know it’s about the foulest stench south of…well, maybe south of nothing.  The good news, hogs can’t get enough of the stuff.

With stinkin’ corn scattered around me, I really felt the temptation would prove too much for a hungry hog to resist.  My gut was right and on my fourth hunt from the same stand, about half an hour before dark, I heard the familiar sound of hooves traipsing straight toward me.

Finally, after squinting so many times into the dense vegetation behind, I made out the forms of 2 black piglets leading a pack of hogs to the base of my tree.  As they hesitated just on the edge of the clearing, a larger hog filtered past them from a conjoining trail and walked straight away from me to a small corn pile.  I knew he wasn’t the biggest hog in the oncoming group, but after 3 frustrating sits with no sightings I wasn’t going to squander the opportunity.  At just under 20 yards, I took aim and released the arrow.  My shot hit high, dropping the hog where he stood.  A quick follow-up shot finished the job and I breathed a sigh of relief that my mission was accomplished.

As I climbed down and walked toward the downed hog, he actually seemed to grow at each passing step.  What I originally thought was an “overgrown piglet”, turned out to be a decent-sized boar hog.  Elation set in as I waited for Chris’ son, Jared to pick me up.  I was finally the rightful owner of a cooler full of tasty pork chops.

A special thanks goes out to Chris and Jared Farris for helping me get my first hog with stick and string.

When most of my friends are headed to the beaches of Mexico or Florida for their school graduation celebrations, I was fortunate enough to get to spend my time hunting the West Texas Hill Country for blackbuck antelope with a good friend of mine, Shane Hill.

Lee Puckitt, a close family friend of mine and a Texas Tech Alum, was gracious enough to allow my friend Shane and I the opportunity to spend a weekend hunting the crafty critters on his Puckitt Ranch about twenty miles north of San Angelo, Texas.  This would be a hunt like none other that I had ever been on.  No guide, no feeders, and no vehicles.  Shane and I didn’t get to sleep in a comfortable cabin and certainly didn’t have a cook fixing up our meals.  We were to camp along the Concho River in a tent and cook our own meals over an open campfire.

We spent that first night talking about all the things that young men talk about, anticipating the sunrise the next morning and getting our first hunt underway.  We awoke the next morning before the sun rose.  It was as if our excitement wouldn’t allow us to… recognize how bad our heads were hurting or how aching our bodies were from sleeping on the hard ground.  We rushed to get all of our materials together for the day.  Full camouflage, head to toe.  Shane had brought camo paint with him so we splattered our faces with it as to really get the full effect that we were hoping for.  We drove to the high fence gate and parked our truck.  This would be as far as we go with the help of a vehicle.  We opened that gate, making sure to close it behind us, and our hunt was off and running.

Neither Shane nor I knew anything at all about these creatures that we were hunting.  It would have been nice to have a resource such as AAE back then to do a little research.  Much like Rambo or any Chuck Norris character, Shane and I spent the first hour of our hunt stepping as quietly as possible through the brush and only talking to each other using hand signals.  Not that either of us ever understood what the other was trying to say, but nonetheless, it was a fun adventure.  It really didn’t take long before we were on top of the animals.  I guess luck would have it that the wind was always in our faces, and sure enough we had a group of blackbuck crossing in front of us at about 200 yards.  I motioned to Shane to stop and get down, in hopes of not being seen.  After seeing my hand motions, he stood straight up and came pacing towards me.  Figured… that was exactly how our conversations all morning had been.  Fortunately, he got to my post and the antelope hadn’t detected him moving.  At that time, I had no idea what qualified as a “large” blackbuck antelope, so I simply picked one out.  I got a rest in the fork of a tree and as my target antelope stepped into a predetermined shooting lane, I fired.  He dropped on the spot.

After field dressing the animal, we hauled him out of the pasture back to the truck.  It was summer time so we had to get him in the cold as soon as possible.  We decided our best bet was to drive the 15-20 minutes to a taxidermist and get him in a cooler.  We did so and my trophy is hanging on my wall in my office right now.

After dropping my trophy off, we rushed back to the ranch to work on getting a shot for Shane.  We made a poor assumption that getting Shane an animal would be as painless as getting mine.  Our assumptions were very wrong.  Looking back, I was a bit spoiled tagging out on a good blackbuck so early on the hunt. We spent the next six to seven hours spot and stalking throughout this ranch.  We were always in position to see the blackbuck, but could not get into a position for a shot.  As the evening of our first full day of hunting began to wind down, we headed back towards our makeshift camp. Once there, we were able to relax a bit and relive the actions of the day.  We felt confident that Day 2 would bring good fortune to Shane and he too would be able to harvest one of these animals.

We awoke the next morning amidst the realization that we had committed a critical mistake.  We had accidentally left our footwear outside our tent all night.  As a result, the high humidity had blessed us with a thick layer of dew on two sets of hunting boots.  There was no time for remorse, however, as we quickly gathered the rest of our gear got to our pasture to begin the day’s hunt. Stealth on this day was a bit harder to come by with the constant ‘squish, squish’ at every carefully placed step.  But, just as the previous day, we were able to get on animals almost immediately.

We caught up to a group of ten blackbuck and four or five axis deer browsing together.  At this point, we were every bit of 300 yards away and Shane needed another 75 to 100 yards to make a shot he felt comfortable with.  That shot wasn’t to be, as the animals spooked and the chase ensued once again.  That scenario played out several times throughout the course of the day.

It was a little after lunch on our last day of hunting when Shane said he would have to give up the chase and head out soon.  One of his kids, Hannah, had a soccer game that evening that he had promised to attend.  We talked about it for a bit, standing in the hot summer sun.  I apologized that we hadn’t been able to get him an animals as he offered back the line uttered by so many hunters in their hunting careers, “we’ll get ‘em next time!”  I believed him and knew that we, indeed, would.  Calling it a day, we started the trek back to the truck.

Walking casually and without any sense of stealth at all, our rifles held low by our hips, we neared the truck.  We weren’t 50 yards away when brush, only 20 yards to our right, erupted with action. Out jumped three blackbuck antelope!  For those who don’t know, these animals are blazing fast and can leap what appears to be a football field at a time.  Shane and I sprung into action seemingly as fast as the antelope did.  We sprinted to get around a large oak tree that blocked our view of the retreating animals.  As we cleared the tree, the blackbuck were whizzing by in front of us.  Shane quickly shouldered his rifle and fired.  This whole sequence occurred in what seemed like a blink of an eye.  Shane immediately announced confidently that he had hit him.  To be honest, I started laughing.  There was no way he could have possibly made that shot.  We proceeded to walk around 100 yards to where Shane last saw his animal and, sure enough, there he laid, head up and seemingly without a worry in the world.  We got within 25 yards and the buck sprang to his feet, ran about 75 yards and gave Shane a broadside shot that he connected on.  The animal expired immediately.

Upon inspection, we found that Shane’s initial shot had, in fact, hit the buck.  That first shot had slowed him down just enough to give us a second opportunity.  Thank goodness.  Horn wise, Shane’s blackbuck didn’t measure up to mine, but what it lacked was made up for in the hard work and adventure that came along with hunting him.  His antelope proved to be a trophy in its own right, and the hunt for him…one not to soon be forgotten.

This hunt was my very first exotic hunt.  I have been on several since, but much like the first whitetail I ever shot, this blackbuck hunt will always remain a personal favorite.  Countless “thank you’s” to the Puckitt Family and to my hunting partner for a wonderful celebration.

In exchange for this hunt, we had to promise Lee that we would return the favor by doing ranch work for Lee as he needed it.  That is a promise that has yet to come to fruition, but rest assured, Shane and I will be working the first time Lee asks for our help.  It would be a very small cost for a weekend filled with a good friend, good hunting, and wonderful memories.

Take your wife and children out hunting with you.  Harvest or not, there’s no better experience in the world than being in the outdoors with friends and loved ones!

- Reed Gardner

Day1
I have to admit to sneaking out of town a bit early from work in hopes of making the Friday evening hunt.  The 300 mile journey across the state from College Station to Sonora flew by despite pouring rains and a lack of satellite radio in “The Beast” (our beloved, but grizzled ’99 Dodge 4×4).  Arriving at just after 4:30, I greeted Mr. Fields, who was headed to call some Friday night football for the Sonora Broncos.  If you ever saw Friday Night Lights and said there’s no way high school football is THAT big in Texas, think again.

I, on the otherhand, was headed to check trail cams and scout/hunt the “big field” next to the highway that seems to hold deer virtually all day, rain or shine.  On my route to gather SD cards I passed 6 axis does and fawns and a blackbuck already feeding in another field nearby.  Enthusiasm rose.  With my trusted Mathews DXT in tow, I was headed to the stand and ready for my season to begin.

P.M. – After much deliberation, I decided to sit in a large, homeade box blind along the fenceline of the big field that also overlooks the large draw that runs the length of the ranch.  Deer movement was surprisingly slow.  I did see the “3-legged doe” milling around near the corner of the field (a deer seen regularly last year that walks very awkwardly but has no issues getting around).  Come to find out, the “doe” is now a 1.5 year old buck, sporting 2 long spikes.  Oops, sorry buddy.  Two whitetail does and 4 fawns kept me entertained, hanging around and feeding in the draw most of evening.  I watched as the oldest doe bedded down 40 yards from me and stay there for almost a half hour.  As the night wound down, she finally stood up and headed toward me and the field.  Knocking an arrow, I anticipated the small possibility of a shot through the blind’s smallest window (about 1 foot x 1 foot).  As luck would have it, she came into the shooting lane perfectly. With my eyes widened and in my haste to pull off the improbable shot, I watched as  my lumenok sailed straight over the doe’s back.  She ran 50 yards and went along with her day, feeding within a stone’s throw of the blind.  Hunting for day 1 was over.  I spent the waning light searching for more deer entering the field, catching a glimpse at last light of a group of axis bucks on the opposite side, some 600 yards away.

Tanner arrived later that night.  We went through trail cam pics and began planning for the next two days.  A few quick pop-up setups and sprinkled corn and we were done for the night with a couple hours to sleep before the first morning hunt.

Day 2
Saturday A.M. – As I got settled in to a pop-up that had only been in place for a few hours, I had no idea what to expect.  The blind was nestled into a small oak motte some 20 yds from a main ranch road and an inoperable open gate that many deer had been spotted using to travel from one field to another.  Corn was sprinkled on the road in hopes of buying a few more seconds should anything pass through the opening.  Fifteen minutes before shooting light I spotted a large body making it’s way from my right toward the road.  Through my binoculars I could make out the long main beam of a large axis buck.  He circled directly in front of my position and in the dim light I could see this was a shooter.  He fed briefly, but as quick as he had come he was gone.  The buck made his way straight away from me down toward the main draw.  Bummer.

As the sun lit up the fields activity was at a standstill.  I had a lone two year old blackbuck come down the fenceline behind me.  He stuck around long enough for me to get some good video before he turned and headed back from whence he came.

Tanner had planned to get out of our blinds at 9 o’clock and head to a facing hillside to attempt a light push.  This tactic had been successful numerous times last year in the same location.  A big axis buck with a broken main beam was calling the area home and walked within 15 yards of my waiting position on more than one occasion in the past.  We hoped his tendencies had remained the same, but when Tanner appeared walking my way, the disappointment was hard to keep off my face.  The drive had resulted in a few whitetails, some turkeys, and only 2 axis does.

Late morning and early afternoon were spent moving stands, trimming shooting lanes and replacing trail cam memory cards.  One spot that got me excited was a tripod we placed near a small field close to the house.  Friday night, in my truck’s headlights, I watched as a group of axis, with 3 really good bucks, jumped across the road and into the field closest to the ranch house.  We just needed to figure out how to catch them on their travel route there before sunset.  This newly placed stand location looked to be that place.

P.M. -  I was late getting into my stand that afternoon (good football games will do that to you).  My tardiness became ever apparent upon walking out the front door of the house to gather my gear.  We spotted deer already munching in the field and around my stand.  Not Good.  I slowly, hurried (anyone who spot & stalk hunts understands) to get in my tripod.  Goal — spook as few deer as possible doing so.  While creeping toward my perch for the night, I spotted a large axis bedded down on the hill across and above the field only a couple hundred yards away.  As I watched from a distance, planning my next move, he stood up.

“Great, he’s headed into the field already and I am definitely not there yet.”

Luck was on my side, however, as he quickly laid back down and began to grooming himself.  I finished my slow stalk and scurried into the stand, only spooking one doe with a couple of tag-along fawns.  Because the tree I was in was thick and only had a few carefully selected shooting lanes, the bedded axis buck was out of my sight no matter how hard I torqued my body and squinted my eyes from the tripod.

Action picked up immediately.  Whitetails and axis were streaming by me seemingly continuously from the word “go”.  I counted 14 whitetails and 8 axis pass within bow range in the first hour of my sit.  I had one 2 year old eight point whitetail buck pass only 5 yards from my stand!  As light began to fade, the large axis bucks had yet to show.

“Maybe I’m not far enough off the field”, I thought to myself.

Just as doubt began to set in, out of nowhere, two big axis stepped out, walking inside the fence to my left.  I was already standing, bow in hand, when the lead buck stopped to peek in a feed barrel.  Having bone-headedly left my rangefinder in the truck, I guessed the distance to be close to 50 yards – too far for a shot.  I watched as they made their way off the field through another open gate that we suspected deer may utilize.  Watching them walk away, I was startled by a third axis buck “groaning” abruptly and directly behind me.  He was a much smaller axis, probably 2 years old, and had me pegged.  I turned my attention to him and we did a little dance – him to try and make out what was in that tree and me to attempt to keep a tree limb between us at all times.  Eventually, he was content and moved right past me and along the path the larger bucks had taken toward the house field.  After dark, I climbed down thinking what might have been if my blind was 40 yards to the East.  Hunting on day 2 was over.

Day 3
Sunday A.M.- I couldn’t help but go back to the same stand from the evening before for the morning hunt. Could you blame me?  Would the morning activity come close to the action 12 hours before?  It didn’t take long to realize that it, in fact, would not.  A few whitetail does and fawns came into the field just after sunrise to feed, but no axis crossed my path.  I heard several axis bucks sparring in the clearing a couple hundred yards behind me, but never caught sight of any of the combatance.  My weekend hunt came to an end without an arrow flung at an axis.  However, we were very encouraged by all of the sightings and close calls.  The axis population seemed to be even bigger and healthier than the previous year.

Plans have already been made to make the trip again in a few weeks.  Another chance to prove that we can outsmart those elusive axis deer.  I don’t know why, but the drive home after a much anticipated hunting trips always seems twice as long as the trip there.  Most of the time was passed thinking of what might have been or how things could have been different.  The ‘what ifs’ will have to be answered in another hunt.

I would like to thank the Fields for allowing us to enjoy time at their beautiful ranch.  I can’t wait to try it once again come November.

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