Posted By: Ranch Dog
Chap Happens - 01/11/16 09:13 PM
Finished up a five day hunt yesterday afternoon on the Chaparral WMA. On Thursday evening I shot a wide and high, 7 1/2 year old 8 pt in the Baldy pasture.
At sunset the deer came up out of a draw toward the Baldy mesa in response to doe in heat scent. It actually came up to a point that was 60 yards out and then went back down the draw. It finally stepped out of the brush was "butt" to me, I bayed at it and it stepped out in the open at 96 yards. When it did, I shot it with my Rem 600 chambered in 35 Rem.
I was hunting from the Ameristep Tent Chair Folding Blind which is an awesome little blind. I spent 11 hours in the blind that day, just left it at 1 pm long enough to go to the corner of the pasture to check on my mom & dad via my cell phone! The picture below is the view the buck had at the shot. I only had a small bit of the blind open, just enough to get that 18" barrel out.
I continued to hunt my pasture through Sunday morning but saw little. The 8pt was the only mature deer I saw while hunting. I arrived Tuesday morning for the shooting project so that I could scout as well.
It was a super time and despite not seeing much the Baldy was a perfect pasture for me. 680 acres at the end of the road all to myself. I'm lucky to own a nice ranch but the fenceline hunters have worn me down and to be out at the end of the horizon with no one bugging me is exactly what I needed.
The TPWD folks were outstanding as were all the hunters that I met. Made a couple of friends that I suspect I will share some hunts with in the future.
At sunset the deer came up out of a draw toward the Baldy mesa in response to doe in heat scent. It actually came up to a point that was 60 yards out and then went back down the draw. It finally stepped out of the brush was "butt" to me, I bayed at it and it stepped out in the open at 96 yards. When it did, I shot it with my Rem 600 chambered in 35 Rem.
I was hunting from the Ameristep Tent Chair Folding Blind which is an awesome little blind. I spent 11 hours in the blind that day, just left it at 1 pm long enough to go to the corner of the pasture to check on my mom & dad via my cell phone! The picture below is the view the buck had at the shot. I only had a small bit of the blind open, just enough to get that 18" barrel out.
I continued to hunt my pasture through Sunday morning but saw little. The 8pt was the only mature deer I saw while hunting. I arrived Tuesday morning for the shooting project so that I could scout as well.
It was a super time and despite not seeing much the Baldy was a perfect pasture for me. 680 acres at the end of the road all to myself. I'm lucky to own a nice ranch but the fenceline hunters have worn me down and to be out at the end of the horizon with no one bugging me is exactly what I needed.
The TPWD folks were outstanding as were all the hunters that I met. Made a couple of friends that I suspect I will share some hunts with in the future.
Great recap and buck. Congrats. 
