Texas Hunting Forum
The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull
Posted By: txtrophy85
The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 02:03 PM
some of you may remember a thread I had a few years back about a big sika bull I was hunting. In sept. 2015 I was playing cat and mouse with a giant sika bull and it culminated with me shooting at him at 25 yards but having the arrow go thru the side of the blind and turning before it hit him sideways. After that the landowner shot at him with a rifle and missed, another guy shot at him with a bow and missed and he was not seen but once the following year
Earlier in august I was looking for a aoudad when I saw him again with a few does. I had him well within rifle range but him still being in velvet and a summer coat made me pass on him as he would not make a prime mount.
Talked with the landowner and he gave me the green light to set up again to bowhunt him. Last week when and set up my pop ups and got feeders in order. On Monday my wife suprised me with a new Mathews Halon 32 that I scrambled to get set up and shooting (another ordeal al in itself) and last night finally got it dialed in.
Got up at 4:45 am and made the drive to the ranch, got set up and at 7:00 am three sika doe appeared. About 10 min later here comes the old monarch again in exactly the same place he was 2 years ago
I get composed, wait for him to get in position, draw back and settle the pin on his rib cage and let it fly. Arrow sails low towards his heart, he jumps and runs off.....no crash. I'm thinking he got it in the heart. Wait a few min and I start hearing him roar. Get out and find no blood. Look for the arrow and I see it laying on the ground clean as can be.
Ranged it prior at 27 yards.....I used my 20 yard pin.
As I was leaving I saw him walking off toward the canyon.
I swear this deer is immortal or has some mystical power in him. Hopefully he will come back tonite or in the morning
Posted By: retfuz
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 02:09 PM
Maybe you will find him after he passes on of old age.
Posted By: Creekrunner
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 02:12 PM
You'll get him. Maybe with a rifle, but you'll get him.
Posted By: Nogalus Prairie
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 02:18 PM
Hang in there! You will get him.
I have done that exact same thing. Had a gorgeous 10 point at 35 yards - problem is I shot him for 30 (he had run a little when a doe busted me drawing so didn't have a chance to range him).
Thought I had missed him clean as he chased a doe around with no apparent ill effects for 45 minutes. Took him with my rifle a week later. There was a 1" flesh wound in his brisket just below the heart.
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 04:39 PM
I hope I get another chance at him with a bow.
He is high gold medal for low fence he would be a real trophy but this is a personal vendetta at this point!
Posted By: Simple Searcher
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 05:05 PM
We had a big ole boar that did the same thing to us for a few years, he was a beast that dodged us several times, we named him Kevlar. You would think it would be impossible to miss such a huge animal.
My daughter went to hunt him for the first time and shot him with in a few minutes of sitting in the blind. Crazy how things work.
Good luck.
Posted By: Nogalus Prairie
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 05:34 PM
I hope I get another chance at him with a bow.
He is high gold medal for low fence he would be a real trophy but this is a personal vendetta at this point?
I hear ya. Hope he messes up.
Posted By: ChrisB
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 06:34 PM
Good luck. You can do it.
Posted By: PKnTX
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 07:41 PM
Good luck, can't wait to see the pic when you get him!
Posted By: dogcatcher
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 08:19 PM
He is a ghost, a figment of your imagination. When you awaken, you will find that someone hacked your THF account and wrote the story as you slept. Then it will get better.
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/16/17 08:30 PM
lol I've literally had dreams about him
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/17/17 02:22 AM
Used my 30,yard pin this evening killed two hogs....hopefully that stag will appear in the morning.
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/20/17 10:07 PM
let the property sit a bit....gonna be out there Friday morning or Saturday Morning depending on schedule.
man I wish it would turn off cooler its brutal outside here in the Hill Country
Posted By: colt45-90
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/20/17 10:28 PM
good luck
Posted By: Bee'z
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/21/17 12:47 AM
Good luck. You can do it.
Posted By: TEXASLEFTY
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/21/17 12:00 PM
Good luck, hope you get him!!!
Posted By: Stub
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/21/17 02:00 PM
Good luck, hope you get him!!!
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/21/17 11:26 PM
Gonna go give it a shot in the am
Will do love updates
Posted By: SnakeWrangler
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/21/17 11:30 PM
Good luck.....
Posted By: NMGW
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/22/17 02:01 AM
Good luck hope you get him..........
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/22/17 12:18 PM
It's 77 degrees here, over cast with intermittent drizzle
Bumped a bunch of sika around 6:15 that were next to my pop-up
Feeder went off at 7:05 and no deer seen yet
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/22/17 12:34 PM
One big WT spike came in.
Saw something he didn't like (was not me) and he crept back off
Posted By: Nogalus Prairie
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/22/17 12:44 PM
Lol quit messing with that phone. That big boy is going to slip in on you.
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/22/17 01:06 PM
Lol quit messing with that phone. That big boy is going to slip in on you.
Haha doubtful.
With all the stuff on the ground they are anything but quiet
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/22/17 03:35 PM
Slow morning. Heard several sika bugleing/whistling one very close to my pop up but no action.
Set up a feeder down low to try and catch him/another one in the evenings
I now have 3 bow locations and 1 rifle blind that I won't hunt and honestly not a lot of sika are spotted there
Hate playing musica chairs but it's good to have different set up for wind changes and to give some sets a cooling off period
Tomorrow morning I will hunt a different area
Interesting to note, one other feeder still had all the corn under it
Wonder if the deer have switched to acorns/walnuts that are dropping?
Posted By: DirtNapTET
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/22/17 07:12 PM
Did read on a previous thread that acorns are already starting to drop.. Dont have many oaks at all on my place so dont worry about it too much, but seems quite a few folks are noticing how early they are dropping.
Posted By: SnakeWrangler
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/23/17 09:31 PM
Posted By: Deerhunter61
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/24/17 09:23 PM
good luck
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/24/17 09:31 PM
My boys wanted to hunt Saturday morning so we went to another property I hunt that is more set up for rifle hunting.
My oldest had a huge axis come in only to find out he had broken off his right beam 12" above the base so he passed on him
My youngest got his first hog ever followed by his second
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/26/17 06:52 PM
He came back
Posted By: Always ready 2 hunt
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/26/17 08:21 PM
He came back
Of course he did. He's playing with you. Good luck, that's a real trophy size one.
Posted By: Nogalus Prairie
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/26/17 09:12 PM
This is why I have a love/hate relationship with trail cameras.
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/26/17 09:29 PM
This is why I have a love/hate relationship with trail cameras.
I did not put it up on my own accord the landowner insisted it.
For numbers and management work I like them but for hunting I abhor their use
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/26/17 09:30 PM
Gonna go after him tomorrow
Posted By: kmon11
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/27/17 05:11 AM
Good luck, hope you get him
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/27/17 11:50 AM
torrential downpours have kept me home this morning.
gonna try Friday morning and all weekend
Posted By: Nogalus Prairie
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/27/17 11:56 AM
Good luck he is a beauty for sure!
Posted By: Creekrunner
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/27/17 12:10 PM
Beautiful bull. Why don't you shoot him??
Posted By: topwater13
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/27/17 12:13 PM
Hard work and consistency will eventually pay off.
Posted By: NMGW
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/29/17 12:59 AM
Hope you finally get him.
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 12:45 PM
The saga has ended.
Story and pics to follow
Posted By: Mako My Day
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 12:54 PM
Congrats! Can't wait to see the pictures and get the whole story
Posted By: SnakeWrangler
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 12:56 PM
Congrats! Can't wait to see the pictures and get the whole story
X2...awesome bull!
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 03:59 PM
can someone turn these the right way?
Posted By: txshntr
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 04:11 PM
Posted By: txshntr
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 04:12 PM
Congrats!!
Posted By: Bee'z
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 04:33 PM
Great bull!!! Congrats
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 06:19 PM
So here is how it played out:
Woke up at 4:00 am to get a jump on things. Got everything loaded up and head out to the ranch.
Park truck, make the 15 min walk towards the blind, decide to take a slightly different route to avoid bumping deer like I had been doing. Get into the blind only to discover that my chair is full of water, no big deal I dump my backpack and sit on it.
Take a hour and a half nap then as it starts to get light feeder goes off, and shortly their after 2 sika does appear. I am starting to hear some bulls roar and these two does keep looking behind them, after a few min another doe appears.
They sit and mill around for s bit, they always kept checking their 6 and I knew it would only be a matter of time before he showed up
At around 7:30, as the sun starts to peek over the hills, they all three turn around and I look behind the feeder and I see antlers start to crest the hill. It was like something out of a movie scene.
He comes in and starts sniffing the air...I'm worried that he may wind me because that stand is ok on a north wind but not when it's swirling. He keeps his nose in the air and starts stomping his feet...I'm thinking it's only a matter of time before he busts. Then all of a sudden he drops his head and starts to feed, then snaps back to attention.
At this point he is about 27-28 yards away, I draw back , go thru my mental checklist and settle the pins on him. I almost jerked the shot but I regrouped and as the pins settled behind his shoulder I let it fly and watched as the arrow sailed into his side. At the shot I heard it hit, seemed like a little high, he jumped like he was rifle shot, spun around and high tailed it. I knew it was a good hit but was nervous about how high it was, fearing I may have got him in the pocket, but I hear him crash after a few seconds
I give him a few min, find my blood soaked arrow (which was laying right next to where I shot him) follow the path down the hill and find him laying on a bare spot right at the treeline
The lord truly blessed me, it sounds weird but I had a feeling I would get him today, my aunt passed away in her sleep last nite very unexpectedly. She was always very supportive of my hunting and I would give her 2-3 deer a year
She would have loved to have seen this deer and I hope she was looking down on me this morning.
Posted By: Nogalus Prairie
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 07:00 PM
That is fantastic brother! Congratulations!! Beautiful, beautiful animal.
So sorry about your aunt. Prayers for your family.
Posted By: Bucks and Ducks
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 07:14 PM
Congrats
Posted By: TexFlip
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 07:18 PM
Glad you were able to seal the deal.
My condolences to you sir.
Posted By: ChrisB
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 10:06 PM
I'm sure she was. Congrats on the awesome bull.
Posted By: dogcatcher
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 09/30/17 11:26 PM
Congrats!
Posted By: erathar
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 10/01/17 12:45 AM
Great story with a great ending. She was looking down for sure!
Posted By: kmon11
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 10/01/17 04:28 AM
Great hunt and finally got him Congrats!!!
Sorry to read about the Aunt passing, she knows what you got today
Posted By: bkj
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 10/01/17 11:42 AM
Sorry about your aunt. Congrats on your deer
Posted By: Creekrunner
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 10/01/17 11:53 AM
Beautiful bull, congratulations. Very sorry about your aunt, God's Comfort to you and yours.
Posted By: NMGW
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 10/02/17 08:45 PM
Persistence paid off, congrats on a great bull and condolences for your family.
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 10/02/17 10:08 PM
So he went gold both SCI and Record of Exotic
Officially he scored 119" SCI and 112" unofficially R.O.E
SCI quit having separate categories for the different subspecies in North America so he competed with the much larger dybowski and manchurian sika for scoring.
In the European category where they are considered all Japanese sika he smashed the min. Bow or rifle.
He beat the R.O.E min. By 20"
Truly a remarkable animal
Posted By: D Rogers
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 10/03/17 12:20 PM
So he went gold both SCI and Record of Exotic
Officially he scored 119" SCI and 112" unofficially R.O.E
Right on! So sorry to hear about your aunt, but I know she is proud!
Posted By: txtrophy85
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 10/03/17 02:20 PM
Entered him officially last nite, he is at no. 154 all time and No. 21 taken with a bow. Because they quite separating the 3 species in North America he competes against the much larger dybowski and manchurian ( in whitetail terms it's like a coues deer not having its own category). They also don't have a separate category for free range and estate/high fence
For a Japanese sika he may be the largest free range bull ever taken with a bow...no way of knowing
Posted By: BowsnRods
Re: The ongoing saga of the invincible Sika bull - 10/05/17 01:05 AM
Great Job!