Blastin' and Castin' in the Texas Outdoors: 01/01/2006

How things look in Normangee

Jeff and I cruised out to Normangee after supper last night to scope things out and explode the lungs of a pig or two. On the way into the place we passed the landowner and chatted a second. Near the second gate Jeff saw a rabbit, he rolled down the window and manned the spotlight while I broke in the little ruger 10/22. We arrived at near dark parked just to the north of the wooded creek bed and snuck into the area of pig-festation. There has been extensive rooting activity since the two inch rain at the beginning of the week, localized to a relatively narrow east to west swathe along the caney creek.

Deer season kept us out of normangee for a couple months and the pigs seemed to get pretty flagrant in their destruction of grassy pastures in our absence, there were some rootings Jeff was afraid to drive through for fear of losing his truck in there.

The night was as dark as one could imagine, no moon out yet while we were hunting. What was striking however was the utter silence in the creek bottom, not even any crickets. We sat patiently waiting and trying to see things in the shadows. Finally Jeff heard something, I sat down the can I was holding and illuminated a skunk.

We baited up the trap and headed for the truck.

We drove out back, shined up a bunch of deer in the pasture and headed for home, on the way out we kept eyes peeled for more bunnies and found some just as we neared the gate on the way out of the property. Gave one of them the business but let the other walk because it was so tiny.

Took home two delicious bunnies but didn't even hear a single squeal.

The one that got away

I set up a game cam inside the big trap just to see what my catch ratio was. I missed this one. I also seem to be being robbed by a variety of bunnies and some coons that seem to be in the 25# range. You can see the trip wire just beyond the piggy. But iffin he is to saunter in for a free meal once, I'd imagine he'll be back. Then it'll be "This little piggy went to market" instead of "this little piggy stayed home".

Natural Light...official beer of trapping

Here is the rig and the results. I only got $187.00 on the pork, but I got the trailer for $150, and the steel for the trailer set me back about $80 so I need to trap a $43 hog and I'll be even. However, the prices are scheduled to be on the rise. The buyer said prices were 1.5X higher before Thanksgiving with a higher head bonus. Prices usually go back up for Feb. So I'm set.

Heres a pic of my new truck

I guess it pays to look out the passenger window from time to time. I was looking out to the north watchin the deers and the antelope play. I never saw this lone boar. Quite surprised I didnt see one sneak by, though the picture may be decieving, the camera is less than 50yds from the truck.

Houston...we have a hog problem

Once I get these pictures to the land
owner, I may be putting out an invite. Birds in the morning, P-dogs midday, birds in the afternoon and slaughter house lights at night. This is but a small sample, I have about 100+ pics from the game camera, lotsa pork round these parts.

If you had $200?

What scope would you order for your birthday to ride on top of a .270?

I can't find Nikon Buckmaster a 4-12x40mm for less than $265 (Lifetime Warranty)

Leupold VXII nothing new under $300

Swift Premier 4-12x40mm is $144 but no warranty

I guess I will just keep checking the used glass department if ya'll can't find any better deals than me.

Two the Hard Way

Well, I was waiting on Wayne to tell us about how all those birds died, I guess we are to assume bird flew?

My trip to Bronte went well as the photo evidence will attest. We got down there Friday night and I proceeded to get my pre-hunt-the-next-mornin buzz on. The next day, up at 5 we headed out to go do some stand huntin over some “wheat” fields. I say “wheat” because with the lack of rain, it was more like wind blown dirt fields. So, I get dropped off in the dark at a stand and once I get in, the first thing I do is knock my rifle (.25-06) over, it falls with a crash and I knocked over an aluminum chair onto it…SLAM…CRASH…CRAP!! So, now I’m not sure if the scope will still run the way I want. Fortunately, the deer decide to play along. Two doe walk through, and I’m waiting and hoping they will cross, no luck. They start heading out and I settle in on the little spot right below the ear hole. Then I remember about the SLAM…CRASH…CRAP!! incident and opt for a high shoulder shot. BANG! Deer jumps about 3 ft and lands on her side. DRT

I wait and sit for about another 45 mins till I hear the truck fire up in the distance and know I’m about to be picked up. I walk down the 90yds to my doe and find the breast bone cratered. About a 2 ½ in crater at the point of the breast, just infront of the diaphragm. Translation…I came damn close to missing. If she was 5 or 10 yds out further, I’m pretty certain she would still be nipping at wheat today. Later I noticed the big ding in my scope just infront of the elevation turret. We went out to shoot rocks during the midday, and I was 4 ft (yes, 4 FEET) off at 250 yds. I adjusted back to zero but decided I’d opt for the .22-250 for the remainder of the hunt. The ’06 had done its job, just barely, but it had drawn blood and now was no longer a virgin rifle.

That evening, we hunted some high country, I sat in a blind on a bluff about 150 ft up. The wind had picked up, but I figured this may be a good spot as it was on the north (wind blocked) side. I believed the deer to be laying up in the shade out of the wind. This would give me some easy 150-200yd shots…WRONG. They holed up in a woodline some 650yds from where I was. I watched them come out about ½ hr before dark, I could not put on a sneak as the wind would carry every sound I made out to them. So I waited, 15 mins before dark, they had come to 460yds and turned and began to loiter around nipping at this and that on their way back to the trees. BANG…they scamper, did I freekin hit that deer? NO, one pause, I range…510yds…BANG another miss. Better be sure, I hike down before it gets too dark to get my bearings on the shot. No blood, not sure where the first one hit, but the 510 hit a small mesquite shrub growing in the trail right infront of where she was standing…so close to a 500yd deer with a .22-250.

The next morning, I was tired of stand huntin and wanted to stalk some edges. As the sun cut the horizon, I picked up 2 doe in my scope, I could not tell if they were 100 or 500yds away, I could only see them on lowest power setting (6X). I waited, they pushed back into the trees, so I moved to put the sun at my back, unfortunately, to do this gives me a direct cross wind for my shots, but the wind was not constant so I figure I can shoot between gusts. As the horizon is going pink and orange, I spotted a nice big doe, movin quick. She keeps an eye over her shoulder so I’m expecting more to walk out soon. Nothing else, and she is getting skittish. She looks in my direction and stomps WHAT?, HOW? Oh well, a longer shot than I was expecting, but I already did the math…BANG!! She did a Hi-Ho Silver up on her hind legs and rolled over backwards. As she was facing me, my best shot was 2/3 down the white of the neck, brisket shot. Upon examination, one small hole, perfectly centered infront of the heart, which was pulped, as were the lungs. The distance was 378yds, with a wind of about 10-15 mph. 3 in high and 4 in into the wind= dinner.

So all in all, it was a good hunt, I did not tag out, but I did manage to put some dinner on the table and knocked the new off of two of my new rifles. By the way, one dressed about 110#, the other around 90#. Looking forward to the next outting.