Tom
New member
Its a big Texas ranch that is doing a depradation hunt of 200 blackbuck does total, with 160 to go. Take lots of ammo.
Here's the story. I went with Roger and his brother Bob for some antelope on a hunt SJ set up for us. Here's Roger and Bob at the truck when we arrived. The lodge is very nice, a large stone house, with everything, down to the spices, pots, and silverwear in the kitchen cabinets. They didn't charge us for that.
Here's me with some blackbucks that we got the first evening. We went 16 for 3 this weekend. Its a story, like a dove hunt, sort of. That's what Frank called it, he runs the hunting operations at this big ranch between Junction and Rocksprings, TX.
Here's Orlando, our de-meater. He really was worth a lot, helping do 16 of these animals. Also, Bob and Roger with some more that we got the first afternoon. I'll show you how Frank does the hunt there with these antelope. He's got about 160 to go, if others want to try it and can go.
We set one of us at a pond that Frank knew the antelope frequented and the others went with him, safari style hunting mostly. They were pretty nice roads for a ranch and the terrain was grassy pastures with oaks and some hills.
Here's a picture of Bob, Roger's brother, with the "hotrod" Frank uses to get these antelope. Frank drove this thing like a hotrod, it seemed like, two hunters road up in that seat. When game was spotted, Frank, the driver, pointed the vehicle in the right direction and everyone got their binoculars and scopes on the game.
The hard part was making sure it was not a young buck, we were doe meat hunting (a depredation hunt to total 200 does before its over) and trying not to shoot it in the rear. Since they were usually running away from the vehicle, it was no easy shot. Anyone who goes, should take lots of ammunition. As Frank said, its like a dove hunt and its bloody. One we hit pretty well, it ran into some trees for cover. Three of us did a stalk on it around the clump of trees. We pushed it up again but found it standing on the back side, and shot it again. It ran up hill about 50 yards and went down with lungs out. Frank drug it about 75 yards, then I picked up the other end and we carried it about 150 yards to meet the "hotrod" vehicle. Frank and I threw it in and the thing still kicked around after all of that. They are pretty incredible little animals.
Frank wants them shot, he drives fast, he points the vehicle. Then you look for a doe that you can hit, before they get to far away. It was fast action. We got 7 the first afternoon out.
The lodge is nice. Here's the barbeque and wood pile we used to make deer sausage for dinner after cleaning that afternoons' animals and getting the meat in the freezer they provided at no charge.
Bob made breakfast he brought in the lodge kitchen. It was awesome, potatoes, eggs, bacon, toast, and drinks. A really good country breakfast to face the day, as Roger said. Here's Frank, our guide and host, and Roger at the breakfast table.
We went out for more antelope after breakfast. Here's Roger
with, I guess, 8 more. He got one during the night too. When we took the carcasses to the dump that evening, we took a spotlight. I got a raccoon and skunk for varmint control and Roger got another doe. With landowner permission, even exotic hunting is legal here at night and Frank wanted them shot, eventually 200, if enough hunters go after them. Here's Roger with the 8 from the next morning's hunt.
(continued below because of 8 image limit)
Here's the story. I went with Roger and his brother Bob for some antelope on a hunt SJ set up for us. Here's Roger and Bob at the truck when we arrived. The lodge is very nice, a large stone house, with everything, down to the spices, pots, and silverwear in the kitchen cabinets. They didn't charge us for that.
Here's me with some blackbucks that we got the first evening. We went 16 for 3 this weekend. Its a story, like a dove hunt, sort of. That's what Frank called it, he runs the hunting operations at this big ranch between Junction and Rocksprings, TX.
Here's Orlando, our de-meater. He really was worth a lot, helping do 16 of these animals. Also, Bob and Roger with some more that we got the first afternoon. I'll show you how Frank does the hunt there with these antelope. He's got about 160 to go, if others want to try it and can go.
We set one of us at a pond that Frank knew the antelope frequented and the others went with him, safari style hunting mostly. They were pretty nice roads for a ranch and the terrain was grassy pastures with oaks and some hills.
Here's a picture of Bob, Roger's brother, with the "hotrod" Frank uses to get these antelope. Frank drove this thing like a hotrod, it seemed like, two hunters road up in that seat. When game was spotted, Frank, the driver, pointed the vehicle in the right direction and everyone got their binoculars and scopes on the game.
The hard part was making sure it was not a young buck, we were doe meat hunting (a depredation hunt to total 200 does before its over) and trying not to shoot it in the rear. Since they were usually running away from the vehicle, it was no easy shot. Anyone who goes, should take lots of ammunition. As Frank said, its like a dove hunt and its bloody. One we hit pretty well, it ran into some trees for cover. Three of us did a stalk on it around the clump of trees. We pushed it up again but found it standing on the back side, and shot it again. It ran up hill about 50 yards and went down with lungs out. Frank drug it about 75 yards, then I picked up the other end and we carried it about 150 yards to meet the "hotrod" vehicle. Frank and I threw it in and the thing still kicked around after all of that. They are pretty incredible little animals.
Frank wants them shot, he drives fast, he points the vehicle. Then you look for a doe that you can hit, before they get to far away. It was fast action. We got 7 the first afternoon out.
The lodge is nice. Here's the barbeque and wood pile we used to make deer sausage for dinner after cleaning that afternoons' animals and getting the meat in the freezer they provided at no charge.
Bob made breakfast he brought in the lodge kitchen. It was awesome, potatoes, eggs, bacon, toast, and drinks. A really good country breakfast to face the day, as Roger said. Here's Frank, our guide and host, and Roger at the breakfast table.
We went out for more antelope after breakfast. Here's Roger
with, I guess, 8 more. He got one during the night too. When we took the carcasses to the dump that evening, we took a spotlight. I got a raccoon and skunk for varmint control and Roger got another doe. With landowner permission, even exotic hunting is legal here at night and Frank wanted them shot, eventually 200, if enough hunters go after them. Here's Roger with the 8 from the next morning's hunt.
(continued below because of 8 image limit)