I just got back from a trip to Texas to bowhunt deer and to then rifle hunt for deer. It was an eventful week or so.
I saw many good friends, enjoyed campfires at night, gazed at all the stars over the Lone Star State, sipped a few drinks and told good stories. I had a decent hunt, but it was sure mixed in with a lot of "bad luck". First my passenger side windsheild wiper went out on the trip down. Then on two separate nights, cattle came into camp and severed in half by eating my generator extension cord which is an expensive 30 amp, 240 volt cord, 50 ft. long. Takes 3 of them to get to the generator from my trailer. $112 each--and you think primers cost money! Completely chewed in two. Twice! People more knowledgeable than me tell me its cause they manufacture them with soy bean oil to slide the copper into the rubber sheath. The generator was off so no cattle were killed.
Then I went down a 700 ft. drop over a mile or so near Ft. Lancaster Texas, and on the county road below that all of a sudden I had no brakes, none. I opened the hood and there was nothing but an empty brake fluid reservoir. I had to engine brake into McCamey Texas with flashers at 45 mph. Got 2 quarts brake fluid at a dollar store, and it was not the right kind, but it was either that or soap and water. Used both quarts into Odessa, Texas and got a $1,0000 brake repair, new master cylinder, and power booster. And you guys think primers are expensive!
Then on the way back to deer camp, I got stopped by the Sheriff in a small town for 70 in a 55 construction zone. Luckily I got a warning. I told him I was going deer hunting, but with those Michigan plates, he just couldn't believe I was from Texas. My driver's license was in my bag with my hunting license, so I had to dig that out for him.
Next I get back to deer camp and the next morning, I took this feral hog with my bow. My first feral hog ever. I saw him come in
while it was still dark and start feeding on the corn around the feeder fencing. I could not tell in the dark if it was a black angus calf or a hog, and I did not want to shoot a calf given my problems with the rancher's cattle already, he would think I did it on purpose as revenge.....so I waited about 30 min. until I got good daylight before I shot him. It was a grim reaper mechanical broadhead and boy did it put his lights out. He ran about 30 yards.
Then on opening day of rifle the next day, both my deer feeders did not throw corn, and I saw no deer at them. I spent the next several days working on batteries for the motors, batteries for the clocks, and wiring junctions......bad luck....
I did end up taking 2 does by rifle. Shot both with 1 shot through the boiler room, one went boom flop, and the other even though it was shot the same managed to run 20 yards and off a cliff in thick brush. Blood trail does not show up very well on black cactus, Ie, cactus that looks like its burnt, but its some sort of disease, or fungus that kills it. Big patches of that she ran through, and it took me 20 min. just to find her 20 yards away from POI.
Then on the way home at night, I passed through Tye Texas. Population 1,242. Again, those Michigan plates attracted attention......I got stopped by the local officer for not dimming my brights. I got another warning..... I explained to him I'd never been on 707 before, little 2 lane through the area and couldn't see very well, and needed my brights. State law he quoted me says you gotta dim them, (especially for law enforcement).
I guess I consider myself blessed in some ways. What if my brakes went out on the big hill instead of after it? What if the cattle had gotten electrocuted? What if I shot a black calf instead of a hog? What if I got two tickets instead of warnings?
I usually get two bucks, and two does from bow and rifle together. I guess I am really lucky to have a hog and 2 does though.
I do have some meat for the 2021 meat pole and I had a lot of adventure and good times too along the way!
The two does hanging on the left are mine.
And the 8 pt buck I missed when he spooked and jumped out of the feeder at 35 yards. I heard a big thunk, and I thought I got him. He walked up the hill sorta asking himself what was that? And I found the arrow in a tree behind him. It was a 35 yard shot, and I shot under him because in the moment, I used the wrong pins!
Like one of my friends said to me after my complaining about all the bad luck.......You coulda been that hog!
I saw many good friends, enjoyed campfires at night, gazed at all the stars over the Lone Star State, sipped a few drinks and told good stories. I had a decent hunt, but it was sure mixed in with a lot of "bad luck". First my passenger side windsheild wiper went out on the trip down. Then on two separate nights, cattle came into camp and severed in half by eating my generator extension cord which is an expensive 30 amp, 240 volt cord, 50 ft. long. Takes 3 of them to get to the generator from my trailer. $112 each--and you think primers cost money! Completely chewed in two. Twice! People more knowledgeable than me tell me its cause they manufacture them with soy bean oil to slide the copper into the rubber sheath. The generator was off so no cattle were killed.
Then I went down a 700 ft. drop over a mile or so near Ft. Lancaster Texas, and on the county road below that all of a sudden I had no brakes, none. I opened the hood and there was nothing but an empty brake fluid reservoir. I had to engine brake into McCamey Texas with flashers at 45 mph. Got 2 quarts brake fluid at a dollar store, and it was not the right kind, but it was either that or soap and water. Used both quarts into Odessa, Texas and got a $1,0000 brake repair, new master cylinder, and power booster. And you guys think primers are expensive!
Then on the way back to deer camp, I got stopped by the Sheriff in a small town for 70 in a 55 construction zone. Luckily I got a warning. I told him I was going deer hunting, but with those Michigan plates, he just couldn't believe I was from Texas. My driver's license was in my bag with my hunting license, so I had to dig that out for him.
Next I get back to deer camp and the next morning, I took this feral hog with my bow. My first feral hog ever. I saw him come in
while it was still dark and start feeding on the corn around the feeder fencing. I could not tell in the dark if it was a black angus calf or a hog, and I did not want to shoot a calf given my problems with the rancher's cattle already, he would think I did it on purpose as revenge.....so I waited about 30 min. until I got good daylight before I shot him. It was a grim reaper mechanical broadhead and boy did it put his lights out. He ran about 30 yards.
Then on opening day of rifle the next day, both my deer feeders did not throw corn, and I saw no deer at them. I spent the next several days working on batteries for the motors, batteries for the clocks, and wiring junctions......bad luck....
I did end up taking 2 does by rifle. Shot both with 1 shot through the boiler room, one went boom flop, and the other even though it was shot the same managed to run 20 yards and off a cliff in thick brush. Blood trail does not show up very well on black cactus, Ie, cactus that looks like its burnt, but its some sort of disease, or fungus that kills it. Big patches of that she ran through, and it took me 20 min. just to find her 20 yards away from POI.
Then on the way home at night, I passed through Tye Texas. Population 1,242. Again, those Michigan plates attracted attention......I got stopped by the local officer for not dimming my brights. I got another warning..... I explained to him I'd never been on 707 before, little 2 lane through the area and couldn't see very well, and needed my brights. State law he quoted me says you gotta dim them, (especially for law enforcement).
I guess I consider myself blessed in some ways. What if my brakes went out on the big hill instead of after it? What if the cattle had gotten electrocuted? What if I shot a black calf instead of a hog? What if I got two tickets instead of warnings?
I usually get two bucks, and two does from bow and rifle together. I guess I am really lucky to have a hog and 2 does though.
I do have some meat for the 2021 meat pole and I had a lot of adventure and good times too along the way!
The two does hanging on the left are mine.
And the 8 pt buck I missed when he spooked and jumped out of the feeder at 35 yards. I heard a big thunk, and I thought I got him. He walked up the hill sorta asking himself what was that? And I found the arrow in a tree behind him. It was a 35 yard shot, and I shot under him because in the moment, I used the wrong pins!
Like one of my friends said to me after my complaining about all the bad luck.......You coulda been that hog!
