Man what a weekend. A little story from this wet and cold weekend. If you like to read I hope you enjoy, if not scroll down for the pictures
I got off of work Thursday evening, got everything loaded in the truck and headed West towards Coke county. Just before I left my oldest daughter Jenna said I was going to get a big pig this weekend and she was right
I listened to the Cowboys game on the way there and finally arrived at camp just before midnight. Got everything unloaded and went to bed.
I woke up Friday morning at 5 and made the 5 mile ride to my area of the lease. I took a bag of corn and corned the ranch road to the North and South of my blind. I kept looking through the binos and could finally make out a deer in the road to my North. As it got lighter it started to mist and I could see more and more deer come into the road. After the feeders had gone off I counted 14 different bucks ranging from spikes to some nice 8 pointers.
About 7:30 all the deer at my South feeder bolted with tails up before stopping and looking back towards the feeder. I knew pigs were coming and I spotted a large black boar come out of the brush to the feeder. I quickly got situated and put the crosshairs on his left shoulder. I slowly squeezed the trigger and sent a 150gr 30-06 round his way. After the shot I could see him make his way towards the brush line about 40 yards away before I lost sight of him. Shortly after the shot it started to mist pretty heavily so I got down before it turned into rain.
I made my way down the road to where I lost sight of him and there he was just at the edge of the brush. As I walked up on him I could tell he was very large. I got up to him and knew he was easily the biggest pig I have ever shot. I then looked at his head and saw some very nice cutters. I have been after a large hog since I got on this lease in 2012 and I finally connected on one!! I got him back to camp and another lease and forum member guessed him at 190-200lbs. I took him over to the hanging rack and put him on the scales and he was just over 190lbs. I looked down and his nose was touching the ground
I took my foot and moved his nose off the ground and the needle moved to 200lbs even.
I make a quick run through my camera cards to see what my game plan would be for the weekend and I don't have any pictures of a 7-8 year old 8 that I would love to take out but I did have a nice mature 9 pt still coming around but was very inconsistent. The only thing I could tell is that he is coming in the evenings and usually comes in pretty early. I actually had an encounter with him 2 weekends ago when I had my daughter Jenna with me but couldn't get positioned before he left the area. I take a power nap (about 30 minutes) before heading back out at 2pm.
As I sit in my blind it begins to mist and occasionally rain fairly heavily. Again I have lots of bucks around me with an occasional doe or two. I look and a nice 8 comes to my South feeder following a doe. The doe makes it's way past my blind to the corn I have in the road to my North. Shortly after the doe passes me the 8 pt makes it's way down the road following her but stops and checks a scrape that I have seen several bucks hit. After working the scrape he proceeds to make his way past my stand to where the doe went.
I look back to the South and can see a buck standing at the edge of the brush about 260 yards away. I put the binos on him and it's a nice 3 year old 8 that I have seen before. He quickly makes his way down the same path as the previous 8 and hits the same scrape. Shortly after making his way past my blind the other 8 comes running out into the road to meet him but quickly changes his course when the 3 year old 8 postures up to him. I grab my phone and set it to video hoping to catch a good fight but they just circle each other pinning their ears back before the older 8 decides he doesn't want any and makes his way into the brush.
Just before last light the rain picks back up so I start to gather up my things and wait for a break in the rain so I can make the 5 mile ride back to camp. It finally lets up so I quickly make my way to the ATV. As I head back to camp it is continuing to mist and the roads are a muddy mess. I finally get back to camp and get out of my wet jacket and bibs. I give the wife a quick call to say goodnight before heading to bed early after a very long day.
During the night it rains off and on with some heavy wind and I awaken around 3 am to the sound of light hail. I finally fall back to sleep and wake to the sound of my alarm at 5 am. I can hear that it is raining pretty good so I decide to stay in and pass on the morning hunt due.
Finally the rain lets up and I decide to go out really early as I figure the deer will move all day with the cold and wet weather. I head out and get to my blind around noon again putting out a whole bag of corn in the road. I see a few deer here and there with nothing coming to the corn. As I sit in the blind I begin to feel it getting cold as my feet and clothes are wet. I have one of my feeders going off at 3pm in hopes that the 9 pt will come in early like I have been seeing on my cams. Shortly after the feeder goes off I see bucks trickle in but none of them are the buck I am after. There are also several gobblers at the feeder so the deer make their way to the road corn.
As I am watching 2 really nice 8 points and a few younger deer on the corn in the road to my North I look to the South and see a buck looking right at me just on the other side of an old feed pen. I quickly grab the binos and all I see are brow tines. I immediately know it's the 9 point I am after. All I can think is he must have seen me turn around to look that direction so I sit as still as I can. He finally makes his way towards the same scrape the other two 8 points had hit the day before. I quickly move my rifle over to that side of the blind and start to move my chair into position. Finally I get the rifle positioned and get him in my crosshairs but there is a small mesquite in the way
I keep the crosshairs on him and wait for him to clear the small limbs. Just as he turns broadside I send a round his way. I look up and he is gone but I knew I had a good hold on him.
I give him about 5 minutes before getting out of the blind but didn't want to wait too long with the heavy mist and occasional rain. I make my way to the scrape where he was last standing and I look into the brush and I see antlers. Woohooo he is down. I make my way to where he was standing and there is bright blood and would have been an easy blood trail but I didn't need it as he went maybe 20 yards. I ended up clipping the top of his heart and both lungs.
Funny thing about this buck is I first got pictures of him in late December of 2014 but I didn't get any pics of him in 2015. I didn't have any pictures of him this year either until I saw him in person the last day of bow season but decided to pass as I was after a much bigger 8 that ended up getting taken by another member opening weekend.
Here he is in 2014. I had him at a minimum of 3 years old but could have been 4 then and at least 5 or 6 years old this season.
He isn't my biggest deer but a nice mature buck that I am happy with and I am a sucker for good brow tines