Well this weekend was one for the books. I took Friday off and arrived at my lease just in time for the evening hunt on Thursday. One of my lease mates had been there a few days and killed his very first buck with a handgun the day before. Through text messages he told me the bucks were starting to chase the does and that the hunting was really good. I could not wait to get there.
Thursday evening I saw a lot of activity but mostly does and a few juvenile bucks. Friday morning was the same with the exception of a few older bucks showing up and they were definitely chasing the does. I came back to camp at about 10 am for a quick bite and then headed back to my stand at around 11 am with plans to sit all day. At 2:30 pm on the nose, I saw movement behind me deep in the brush which turned out to be a doe with a nice 8 hot on her tail. This doe acted as if she was on my payroll and ran right in front of me. The buck, on her tail, did the same but made the mistake of stopping briefly at 20 yards right in front me. I didn't hesitate and had instant confirmation of a solid hit with blood spraying profusely. He made it about 25 yards and piled up. Slightly quartering away and managed a heart shot that exited the opposite shoulder. This is a really good buck for our ranch in the Texas hill country.
So I made my way back to camp, got my truck and returned for the deer. By dark I had the buck quartered up and the skull skinned out and ready to boil for a euro mount. The campfire and scotch were extra good that night.
Saturday morning came and I really hadn't planned on hunting since I had a nice buck down, still some work to do, and then I planned to come home that afternoon. But I couldn't stand it so I headed to my blind a good hour before daybreak thinking maybe I'd see a hog. Our lease is in a two buck county so I really had no intentions of shooting another buck since this was the second weekend of the season. Oh how plans can change...
At about 7:30 am the biggest buck I'd ever seen in 13 years on this lease stepped out at 60 yards. He was a mature mainframe perfect 10 and absolutely gorgeous. It may have been the second weekend of the season but there was no way any sane man could pass this deer up. I steadied my pistol and let one fly. My red dot was locked in for a high shoulder shot and elevation-wise it was perfect. I did hit slightly behind where I was looking, but the hit was still a perfect pass-through lung shot. He made it about 30 yards and piled up.
And with that, I had one heckuva great weekend hunting.
The gun is a newly acquired Ruger SBHH in .41 magnum. The load is a 210 grain Speer Deepcurl over 22 grains oh H110.
Thursday evening I saw a lot of activity but mostly does and a few juvenile bucks. Friday morning was the same with the exception of a few older bucks showing up and they were definitely chasing the does. I came back to camp at about 10 am for a quick bite and then headed back to my stand at around 11 am with plans to sit all day. At 2:30 pm on the nose, I saw movement behind me deep in the brush which turned out to be a doe with a nice 8 hot on her tail. This doe acted as if she was on my payroll and ran right in front of me. The buck, on her tail, did the same but made the mistake of stopping briefly at 20 yards right in front me. I didn't hesitate and had instant confirmation of a solid hit with blood spraying profusely. He made it about 25 yards and piled up. Slightly quartering away and managed a heart shot that exited the opposite shoulder. This is a really good buck for our ranch in the Texas hill country.
So I made my way back to camp, got my truck and returned for the deer. By dark I had the buck quartered up and the skull skinned out and ready to boil for a euro mount. The campfire and scotch were extra good that night.
Saturday morning came and I really hadn't planned on hunting since I had a nice buck down, still some work to do, and then I planned to come home that afternoon. But I couldn't stand it so I headed to my blind a good hour before daybreak thinking maybe I'd see a hog. Our lease is in a two buck county so I really had no intentions of shooting another buck since this was the second weekend of the season. Oh how plans can change...
At about 7:30 am the biggest buck I'd ever seen in 13 years on this lease stepped out at 60 yards. He was a mature mainframe perfect 10 and absolutely gorgeous. It may have been the second weekend of the season but there was no way any sane man could pass this deer up. I steadied my pistol and let one fly. My red dot was locked in for a high shoulder shot and elevation-wise it was perfect. I did hit slightly behind where I was looking, but the hit was still a perfect pass-through lung shot. He made it about 30 yards and piled up.
And with that, I had one heckuva great weekend hunting.
The gun is a newly acquired Ruger SBHH in .41 magnum. The load is a 210 grain Speer Deepcurl over 22 grains oh H110.
