Gun Hunters post their trip reports please

[TexasCowPoke]

Hi all, It's a HUGE day for Cowboy football as we freeze out Baylor, but also the opener for gun season too. For those of us who live vicariously all to often, please post your trip reports for us. Photos are a plus, but just a good story is great!

(btw, I am ashamed to say I MISSED at that 12 pointer that I showed you a pic of with my traditional archery gear. I'm sick!)

tcp.

 

[osumark]

Saw 6 does, a friend shot 120 inch 8pt at my place at Putnam ok.
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[Jeff J.]

Finally made it out to my new lease near Oilton. Didn't see jack. Starting to wonder if we have a coyote problem. Haven't seen any, but see tracks and scat all the time. We're seeing deer tracks, but very little scat...and no deer yet. Did get one doe on a trail cam at 10:30 in the morning about a week ago (haven't checked it since). Not sure what's going on. It's two miles from the river and hasn't been hunted or had cattle on it in around 10 years. Put rice bran and a couple of corn feeders out when we signed the lease 3 weeks ago, and it's barely been touched. At this point, we're just hoping pressure sends more deer our direction.

 

[pokem]

Been out to lease opening weekend and last two weekends. Took a doe this last weekend. 120 all in, 90 lbs gutted. Took her early Saturday morning, about 8am. Wanted to wait it out to see if buck would show. She hung around feeder for about 45 minutes, no buck, so I took her down.

I have seen little to no pushing. on our lease as a whole, we have a few trail cam pics of 3 very nice 10 points. one is about 2.5 years, another at 3.5 and the final at 4.5 (shooter) about 6 inches past ear with lengthy G2's. have seen a few other young 6 & 8 pointers.

we just got on lease last year, really improved the lease (4 double barrel protein feeders and 11 corn). keep corn going year round and protein from Jan 1 - Oct 31.

Hogs are every!!!!! where!!!!! (like most of Texas).... sucks but back straps are very tasty

also, have a few feeders (really just two) with a massive amount crow activity. I cannot stand crows. they make hunting miserable!!! any ideas on eliminating would be greatly appreciated.....

 

[chasepollard]

Originally posted by pokem:

Been out to lease opening weekend and last two weekends. Took a doe this last weekend. 120 all in, 90 lbs gutted. Took her early Saturday morning, about 8am. Wanted to wait it out to see if buck would show. She hung around feeder for about 45 minutes, no buck, so I took her down.

I have seen little to no pushing. on our lease as a whole, we have a few trail cam pics of 3 very nice 10 points. one is about 2.5 years, another at 3.5 and the final at 4.5 (shooter) about 6 inches past ear with lengthy G2's. have seen a few other young 6 & 8 pointers.

we just got on lease last year, really improved the lease (4 double barrel protein feeders and 11 corn). keep corn going year round and protein from Jan 1 - Oct 31.

Hogs are every!!!!! where!!!!! (like most of Texas).... sucks but back straps are very tasty

also, have a few feeders (really just two) with a massive amount crow activity. I cannot stand crows. they make hunting miserable!!! any ideas on eliminating would be greatly appreciated.....

I can help take care of the pig and crow problem...depending on location.

The crow problem, which I also hate...is a pretty easy fix. I had one two years ago and enrolled in a crow hunt contest. We hunted my place and I think it moved the roost? I now see a similar type of crow population the next pecan bottom to my west.

Depending on your network of outdoorsman, you could put one together for philanthropy. Have a $100 fee per four man team, figure out your prizes and send the money to a good cause. You could crow hunt your place with a four-man team and really put a dent in the crows...or move them totally?

On the deer, I hunted a place that was more of a deer camp/mans trip than a bone expedition. Saw quite a bit of rut activity and one of the guys that hunts the place often mentioned that he thought some of his better bucks were "brushed up" with a doe. This was close to Atoka...and I witnessed chasing and TONS of cruising bucks. One of my buddies say a buck whoop another buck too.

 

[cowpoke74]

Seeing lots of bucks just no great big deer. really holding out for good buck.

 

[pokem]

Chase, like it. We do a varmint contest each weekend (largest and most) of season and also contest for entire season (largest and most for entire season).

I think we need to do this during offseason, especially like your idea on crow.

we are on a "no guest" lease. We are hoping this changes in the near future. the estate rep (son of land owners) just took control of lease last year. He kicked the previous group off lease (they were on lease for 17 years). They did not take care of property, pretty bad really....

 

[chasepollard]

Yeah, the crow hunt is always before Turkey season...spring.

Put together a team from your lease if feasible?

Last year, we split up...two guys at two different spots and then met up later in the day to hunt the same property as a last ditch effort to shoot more birds.

So you could do that if you cannot put together a team of lease holders and still put a dent in the birds.

 

[DocShip]

Use an Alpha Dogg or similar digital call with a crow call sequence and you will be covered with crows in minutes,

 

[pokem]

Like it Chase and thanks for good advice

 

[chasepollard]

No problem, and like somebody mentioned...get you one of the Alpha Dogs! THey are awesome for yotes and crows.

 

[pokem]

Chase, I must have missed the Alpha Dog... what is this Alpha Dog ?

 

[cowpoke74]

Not chase but alpha dog is a caller made by primos. very good caller for the money. I like FoxPro better but hard to beat the alpha dog based on price.

 

[cowpoke74]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dTZjT9LZUs

 

[pokem]

10-4 cow

Thanks
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[chasepollard]

Yeah, I hunted with the foxpro last year and I liked it. Can't go wrong with either really...they both get the job done!

 

[dtspoke]

I'll try to make this brief.

As many of you know, our rifles seasons in Colorado are one week long and in my unit there are only 3. You can only draw for one of the weeks.

The weather wasn't very good for us this year and I went 4 straight days without seeing anything bigger than fork horns and spikes with one smaller branch horn 4x4 that was pretty dang young.

I was guiding the last half of the season, so I only had a small window to get anything in the freezer.

After busting my tail for several days, I rode horseback into some really steep and nasty country to glass a few deep draws. Found 19 deer with 6 bucks in the bunch. One was an outstanding buck probably grossing over 180 with all kinds of stickers and junk poking everywhere. He was about 600 yards and I couldn't close the distance to him since he was heading moving to bed by sunrise. There were a couple of respectable bucks in the mix and since it was my last day, I decided I was going to take one home.

I was shooting my .257 Weatherby Mag and can shoot pretty close to MOA out to 500 with it.

I crawled out on a point and finally got inside of 350 but the one buck that kept presenting himself best was a little outside that. He finally stopped broadside in some sage but felt confident in the shot. I fired and he jumped, then took two steps forward not sure what happened. I wasn't sure either.

He started walking very slowly down a draw and I had one more quartering shot pushing 400 yards. Second shot knocked him down. I jumped on my horse and high tailed it to the next ridge to get above him. When I slipped over the top he was down, but tried to get up. I went ahead and stuck another one in him at 250 just to anchor him one more time.

I couldn't understand the first shot because I was sure I had made a good one. When I got to him and rolled him over I could see where the bullet I was shooting had come apart and hit him with shrapnel. The second shot went in at the back of the ribs and lodged in the offside shoulder. He was done for with that shot, but my third was just insurance.

I was shooting 110 grain Accubonds at over 3400 FPS, but I've never had one come apart at high velocity so I went back up to where he was standing on the first shot. Sure enough, I clipped a sage brush branch I couldn't see at that distance. Stark reminder about shooting at that range the number of things that can go wrong.

The second held together nicely and did it's job. I'll post some pics next.

 

[dtspoke]

This post was edited on 11/28 11:20 AM by dtspoke

 

[cowpoke74]

Great post DTS thanks for sharing.

 

[cowpoke74]

My view from the stand Sun morn

saw a few small bucks bot no big ones yesterday.

Did a little calling after the hubt call in 3 and managed to get my 4th double ever. Both female and had beautifel coats.

This post was edited on 11/29 11:59 AM by cowpoke74

 

[cowpoke74]

passed on this deer wed morning, but my little cousin took him thurs morn.

This was him wed morn i was in the stand 30 yards away.

This post was edited on 11/29 11:55 AM by cowpoke74

 

[pokem]

Good story dts and damn nice shoot'en on a fine looking buck!!!

what size would you say that sage branch was. just curious.

also, what you doing with that fire dawg?

 

[dtspoke]

Originally posted by pokem:

Good story dts and damn nice shoot'en on a fine looking buck!!!

what size would you say that sage branch was. just curious.

also, what you doing with that fire dawg?

Thanks

The branch was about 2 inches in diameter. Big, but couldn't see it in my scope or in the light conditions at that distance. Honestly, I could see his whole body and didn't even realize that there were some branches covering him up. I'm still not 100% sure what happened there, but the end of the branch had exploded and it was pretty obvious in my mind that I had hit it.

If I didn't, it's a coincidence and that is the first Accubond I've ever had explode.

Keeping my feet and fingers warm in some pretty cold temps. It's kind of my thing when I'm back country and in cold weather. I find some cover and build a little fire like that. It keeps my hands warm, but it has kind of a psychological effect on me. I enjoy building and stoking those little fires when I'm by myself in the mountains.

I've found that even older deer and elk aren't much fazed by two things in the area I hunt, horses and little fires. The interesting thing is, I took that picture and was messing around when I looked up and there were about half a dozen muley does and weanlings staring at me from about 10 yards. They were blowing and stomping and couldn't quite nail down what I was but they weren't bothered enough to blow out.

I'm just glad a good buck wasn't with them because I'd never got a shot off while I was messing around playing with my little fire.

 

[pokem]

Dts, branch sounds legit to me especially at 2 inches. To me that says sumen bout accu and it be good. Please don't think I questioning u at all, was not and I don't think you think so just eaten. Fine shoot'n.

Interesting info fire, noted for future reference on dat.

Them mule deer are funny, good they didn't move out on ya!! I might try dat...
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[pokem]

So I crawl into stand this morning and check for wasps.... Damn near 50 of em.... Forgot spray... Tried to kill as many as possible....

Also, why is 71 degrees outside!?

May not kill buck, but at least I got to drop some wasps..... I cannot stand wasps!! I know I didn't get them all, just feels like I'm waiting to get stung! I hate dat feeling.....
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[chasepollard]

Does anybody need any deer meat? I am out of freezer space and I need to take a few does for management purposes.

 

[pokem]

Originally posted by chasepollard:
Does anybody need any deer meat? I am out of freezer space and I need to take a few does for management purposes.

Dang, I would take meat but I am out of freezer space myself...

 

[HighStickHarry]

Originally posted by chasepollard:
Does anybody need any deer meat? I am out of freezer space and I need to take a few does for management purposes.

I'll take some if feasible. I'm in Perkins.

 

[chasepollard]

Originally posted by HighStickHarry:

Originally posted by chasepollard:
Does anybody need any deer meat? I am out of freezer space and I need to take a few does for management purposes.

I'll take some if feasible. I'm in Perkins.

You gonna be around Ardmore anytime soon?

 

[HighStickHarry]

Meet me in the middle. How about north carney?

No I won't be down that way anytime soon. Oh well.

 

[Dally1up]

Slayin ducks and pheasant at will!

 

[dtspoke]

Originally posted by Dally1up:
Slayin ducks and pheasant at will!

Western OK?

Pheasants and ducks were a bust for me this year. Everything was froze in Nebraska when I made it up there other than the resting holes.

I was supposed to be in Stuttgart and Reydell the last two days, but chose a deer hunting trip to Alabama with my 6 year old daughter and 5 year old son. Their first trips and it was great.

 

[Dally1up]

Mostly Garfield and Grant county.

 

[TexasCowPoke]

Dally, Seeing any quail in that area this year?

 

[Dally1up]

Have had quail here for years. Just don't see the ups and down like many areas.
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