Now I know it always blows in this area of Texas - but sustained readings out of the Kestrel at 20+ with gusts to over 30 is a bit ridiculous! That, combined with tornado warnings and watches the last AM of the trip made for an exciting time. Don't get me wrong - even a "bad" trip to TX bests my normal sightings in the Carolinas, but the deer activity was approximately one third of the "norm".
Of course, the last evening, the winds died down, the temperature dropped, and the switch was flipped. On that evening, I saw 7 racked bucks, 6 of which were 8-point or better. Bucks dogging does relentlessly, chasing, fighting...Including a 140-class 8 point that worked a scrape in a mesquite tree that was only 160 yards away! Standing up on his back legs, he was impressive...he dropped back to all fours to glare at the does that had come to the wheat field. And then proceeded to walk away from me, for another year. You see, the boundary line of the property was 130 yards away...
I did have a 16" 8 point to bed down with a doe in the wide-open wheat field - he was tempting fate with my un-field-tested FA 44, but I couldn't shoot him knowing the caliber of the deer that roamed this ranch. In addition, the drought had not been kind to his main beams - they were short and stubby, but his G2's and 3's were solid...
Despite taking entirely too many guns with me (as usual), only one handgun was used in the taking of game - my Encore in 6.5/270 JDJ topped with the Leupold 2.5x8. Late one morning, after watching numerous does and small bucks, one big old cagey doe decided to volunteer herself for a ride back to Carolina. With the wind blowing straight from her to me, she noticed some movement from my Tower stand, over 200 yards away. She proceeded to stand up, blow incessantly, and demand the attention of the other deer bedded around her. They paid her no attention, but I hate educated deer. The Leica's ranged her at 219, the Quad Muffs were slid into position, and the hammer was dropped. After a quick dash uphill, she cartwheeled into a thicket and was still. The 129 SST's are wicked out of this gun!
Out of our group, we took two does, 8 hogs, and numerous predators...including a pair of 'yotes by yours truly late one morning. I must apologize, as they were not handgun harvests - my buddy Robert said I must have hit turbulence on the flight out there and whacked my head hard for even carrying a long gun in the first place! But my Apache Machine custom in 6.5/284 had to get some action. I think a pair of song dogs at 200+ was a good way to break her in!
All in all, a great trip, even though it appears we were a couple days early by weather, moon and the chase...but a memorable trip and a bunch of deer left for us to go after next season!
