AZ Elk anyone want to come along?
- Thread starter SC Living Outdoors
- Start date
targetpanic
Well-known member
What a beautiful bull and whitetail! Can't wait for the ending!!
SC Living Outdoors
Well-known member
Once I got the bull all loaded I began my drive to Texas. It was 800 miles or so to the public I’d be hunting with my friend. I spent the night at a rest area somewhere in Texas and arrived around 1:30pm the next day. I got all my gear situated and we headed out for a couple hour sit the first afternoon. There was a lot of deer and hog sign on the walk-in. I had my saddle, platform, and steps. But I’m not really a fan of that set up so I ended up sitting on the ground because I could see pretty well. Right after getting set up I had a small 6 point walk by at about 35 yards. He had no idea I was there. That was the only action for the night.
My buddy had some stuff to take care of the next day so he gave me a pin for a general area that usually held some deer movement. The area of Texas we were hunting always has some good rut activity the first few weeks of December so I was hopeful that there would still be some action with the bucks. The next morning I got to the parking area to find one truck already there, but there was a ton of country to hunt so I hiked in about a mile crossing a couple creeks to get to the area my buddy had told me about. I made a ground blind out of some dead branches and sat without much action until around 9 o’clock when I had a couple does walk by. About 30 minutes later I had a good buck come through trotting at about 50 yards. The buck was acting kind of funny. He turned away from me and stopped about 100 yards away. Still acting funny. I did some light rattling and grunting to try to turn him back to me when he bolted along with a doe. About a minute later three house dogs came trotting through so that explained why he was acting funny. I decided I was going to sit all day because I came to hunt so what else was I going to do? Between 11 and 12 I saw a few groups of does work through but no bucks.
Around 12 o’clock the wind shifted so I moved over about 35 yards and built another blind that would allow me to sit with the wind in my face and get a little closer to the area I’d seen the does working during the morning. I began to wish I’d brought something to eat and drink but I didn’t want to leave and come back messing up the area. , I did not have any action until right at 5 o’clock when I was looking to my right and heard a commotion to my left. I turned to see two bucks chasing a doe hard. One of the bucks was small and one of them was a really good shooter. They must’ve caught a little of my movement as I tried to get into position to shoot, and they all slammed on their brakes. The big buck stopped behind a tree and I waited 20 seconds or so for him to come out. When he stepped out to the left of the tree, I shot him at 27 yards and he bolted straight away from me. I knew it was a good buck, but I didn’t know how good
I gave him about 20 minutes and then began slowly blood trailing. I’m partially colorblind so blood trailing is a lot more difficult for me than it is for a lot of people but taking my time I was able to follow his blood to the creek then across the creek up the bank on the other side and eventually I found the buck about 200 yards from where I shot him. He was a really good buck but a funky rack. One side was a really pretty five and the other side was weaker with a broken tine that almost looked like it might’ve had a double main beam earlier this year. either way, I was super happy.
I texted my buddy and he informed me that he also had been able to get a buck that night on some other public about 15 minutes away. A double to end the trip was pretty sweet. It was a bit of a late night because it took a little while to get both bucks out.
I left out about 4 AM the next morning for the thousand mile drive home. I got home about 10:30pm that night and I was able to head to work the next morning saving a day of PTO
All in all a good trip.
My buddy had some stuff to take care of the next day so he gave me a pin for a general area that usually held some deer movement. The area of Texas we were hunting always has some good rut activity the first few weeks of December so I was hopeful that there would still be some action with the bucks. The next morning I got to the parking area to find one truck already there, but there was a ton of country to hunt so I hiked in about a mile crossing a couple creeks to get to the area my buddy had told me about. I made a ground blind out of some dead branches and sat without much action until around 9 o’clock when I had a couple does walk by. About 30 minutes later I had a good buck come through trotting at about 50 yards. The buck was acting kind of funny. He turned away from me and stopped about 100 yards away. Still acting funny. I did some light rattling and grunting to try to turn him back to me when he bolted along with a doe. About a minute later three house dogs came trotting through so that explained why he was acting funny. I decided I was going to sit all day because I came to hunt so what else was I going to do? Between 11 and 12 I saw a few groups of does work through but no bucks.
Around 12 o’clock the wind shifted so I moved over about 35 yards and built another blind that would allow me to sit with the wind in my face and get a little closer to the area I’d seen the does working during the morning. I began to wish I’d brought something to eat and drink but I didn’t want to leave and come back messing up the area. , I did not have any action until right at 5 o’clock when I was looking to my right and heard a commotion to my left. I turned to see two bucks chasing a doe hard. One of the bucks was small and one of them was a really good shooter. They must’ve caught a little of my movement as I tried to get into position to shoot, and they all slammed on their brakes. The big buck stopped behind a tree and I waited 20 seconds or so for him to come out. When he stepped out to the left of the tree, I shot him at 27 yards and he bolted straight away from me. I knew it was a good buck, but I didn’t know how good
I gave him about 20 minutes and then began slowly blood trailing. I’m partially colorblind so blood trailing is a lot more difficult for me than it is for a lot of people but taking my time I was able to follow his blood to the creek then across the creek up the bank on the other side and eventually I found the buck about 200 yards from where I shot him. He was a really good buck but a funky rack. One side was a really pretty five and the other side was weaker with a broken tine that almost looked like it might’ve had a double main beam earlier this year. either way, I was super happy.
I texted my buddy and he informed me that he also had been able to get a buck that night on some other public about 15 minutes away. A double to end the trip was pretty sweet. It was a bit of a late night because it took a little while to get both bucks out.
I left out about 4 AM the next morning for the thousand mile drive home. I got home about 10:30pm that night and I was able to head to work the next morning saving a day of PTO
All in all a good trip.
WNC2500
Well-known member
Great job @SC Living Outdoors
That was a productive trip for sure
That was a productive trip for sure
Sask hunter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2016
- Messages
- 3,743
Congrats!
npaden
Well-known member
Congrats. Some really great animals going and returning and a really nice bull!
SC Living Outdoors
Well-known member
$600
CPAjeff
Well-known member
Congrats on a success trip - thanks for sharing!
Sounds like money well spent
You’ve had a great fall man, Congrats!!
D_Walt
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- Joined
- Apr 15, 2020
- Messages
- 810
Wow! Great trip and write up, thanks for sharing. Well done!!
Frequently Banned Troll
Well-known member
Great bull and I will read the details! Looong main beams - great photos finally!! 
SC Living Outdoors
Well-known member
I went hunting. Killed some animals.
