Adjam5 Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) Well a few here know the basic story...but I will fill in some blanks about the great time I had in the Lone Star state...AGAIN. I got off the plane in Houston to make the ride out to the ranch with Herbie in Harper,Tx. He had a few things to do locally so we spent the night near Houston...I think in Katy,Tx. Then it was off to pick up the Rio Grande Jakes for the ranch, then pick up my luggage which went ahead to San Antone. We went to a place where the necks are red... the roads are dirt, and the trucks ain't clean... The dogs run loose they smoke... chew, and fry everything.( a line from a Josh Tompson song ). When I say the dogs run loose...I mean about 25 of them! All different breeds. Not to mention the Peacocks all over, the goats, sheep, guinea hens and the turkeys. They were rounded up easily with some corn and placed in a dog carrier for transport. We both were a bit pooped so we elected not to hunt on Friday. Saturday morning it was a sweltering 49* at wake up . We got to the Axis spot and were fearing the arrival of the trash truck coming to empty the dumpster. But when we got there it was already done! Yea...no disturbance. Herbie goes to the stand closer to the entrance of the property and I go to the one in the back. Its starting to get light out and I get a text from Herbie..."I have deer all around this feeder, can't tell what, but I think there are a few racked bucks in the group". OK so I wait. I told Herbie from early on the morning that I did not want to shoot something right off the bat. I wanted to enjoy these hunts a bit. Little did I know what I was in store for. 3 axis does come out and start standing around the feeder before it went off. I could not help to think about a cheese line in the ghetto. These deer must be democrats. A decent 4pt steps out to the edge and I zoom in on him with my vid cam for a better look. Nope...I shot one like that last year...I'm waiting on another. A minute later the feeder goes off and out of nowhere some 25 more deer appear and with them I could see a mature Axis buck in hard horn. A 3x3 which is a typical rack with big brows. Now a situation most of us have never been in...how do you shoot one without hitting the 30 or so deer that are around this feeder? I let nature take care of itself...the buck being a buck, chased all of the smaller inferior deer away from the center of the feeder. Giving me the shot I needed. My video cam fit perfect on the sill of the shooting window. I adjusted it on the feeder, hit record and went into killer mode Picked up Herbies 25-06 Encore, dialed in the Ziess scope and cocked the hammer...Layed on the crosshairs and pow! He went down right on the spot. DRT...Dead right there. Quite satisfying watching a deer go down like that with no tracking involved on a small parcel of land like we were hunting. I was very happy. I know I said I didn't want to shoot the first one that popped out, but in my axis teachings from others I knew this was a shooter. There was no ground shrinkage when I walked up on this buck. It was a big as I thought it was. I got the WHOLE thing on video. Now if I can only find a way to transfer the video to the computer . It records in a mode that the pc does not recognize...I have to get to the bottom of it. If I have to record it on my dig cam off the TV that is what I will do. I am having a European mount done on a Texas plaque by www.rhodestaxidermy.com Now the pics! This was the setting. See the box blind in the distance? All free range animals. No fences here in this area of Kerrville,TX The view from my stand. The buck I was told this was a old axis on the down side of antler growth. He had good mass to him. A 3x3 is typical of Axis deer, but those brow tines I was told are abnormally big. 19" main beams with 11 1/2" brows. The southern kart of death in action. A serene setting by the Guadalupe river close to the feeder. The Rio Jakes we picked up. On the second day at the ranch they already called in a lone hen. These Jakes had to weight at least 25+lbs each. Fire ants on Herbies ranch just looking for a meal. Herbies son Aaron's Vizla...Dallas. One of the bucks Herbie has on the ranch...His name is Shooter. We measured his rack after it was cut fro transport to be in the mid 140's. He will be for breeding. Shooter bedded with a few other bucks. While I was there Herbie guided a person on a Sika deer hunt. This man also took a nice Corsican ram the same day. All in all. I cannot say anything went wrong while being with Herbie. There more we hang out the better friends we are becoming . This was my 4th trip in as many years down there. Thank you Herbie for hosting me this past week and being a most gracious host to boot! I had a great time thanks to you . Herbies exotic species on the ranch And Herbie with his money maker...shooter. I will definitely be back to the Hill country in the near future. Texas is a great place and I wished I lived there. Part of my trip was to look at some properties while I was down there. The one in particular I wanted to look at in Rock Springs at was too far from my friend in Harper. But I did find one that was quite close. It is a 20 acre ranch with some very old rotting buildings on it and a big list of improvements that need to be made. They are looking for 135K, but I think they will take less considering the amount of time it has been on the market. Had a very busy time while down there and loved every minute of it. Edited February 5, 2011 by Adjam5 spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 A video of the kill. A bit grainy..I used my digital cam to record off of the TV.Considering the transfer process, it didn't come out too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastrophies Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Congrats!!!! Good story and pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 "they were all denocrats". i love it. lol can i shoot a few? great story & pics. good thing you missed all the snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Great story and pics Anthony. We use a wagon just like that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92xj Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Awesome story and pics. Congrats Anthony!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 "they were all denocrats" Hahahahahaha!! Nice Anthony, looks like a ton of fun. They sure like the sound of the dinner bell huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Hahahahahaha!! Nice Anthony, looks like a ton of fun. They sure like the sound of the dinner bell huh? Yes they do. It was fun John and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Most likely be back there again next Jan or Feb . Texas is a sportsman's paradise. Being from NYS where we can't bait. It is a strange way to hunt. But in a way I can live with, because these are all free range animals. Some 30"+ racked axis have been taken at that same spot. Axis are a invasive species that compete and I have seen chase the whitetail away from the feeder, and I am glad to help thin the herd a bit . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Man that's awesome Anthony, congrats on your trophy! Great story, pics and video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Andrus Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 nice pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 very cool! Congrats and thanks for sharing the pic and video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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