Back from Texas Bow Hunt!


Bow Hunter Derek

Recommended Posts

Well all, I made it back today around noon from a gruelling 28 hour drive from south Texas. The trip was everything I expected and more. You owe it to yourself to get down to the thick cactus brush country of south Texas. Just watching the bucks running around is worth the price of admission alone. We saw some true MONSTERS! Everything from smaller 130's to a ton in the 150 range. We also saw a bunch pushing the 170+ range. Absolutely amazing!

There is so much game down there, you could never get bored around camp so long as you have the ol' bow ready. We hunted a 23,000 acre ranch (all low fence for cattle only). We saw everything. Deer, Rio turkeys, hogs, javelina, bob cats, one mountain lion, a badger, countless coyotes, cotton tails, jack rabbits, pin tails, ducks I could not I.D., vultures, armadillos, and even a couple rattle snakes.

Our hunt was bow only and man did we get our shooting in. Everyone shot hogs and javelina (not everyone recovered them unfortunately). We spent the middle of the days seeing who could round up the most cotton tails and jack rabbits with our bows. I must have shot 50+ cotton tails.

As for me, I was first to draw blood. I shot a 50 pound sow hog the first evening. Here's her picture.

7466Texas_Hog.jpg

Not huge, but she feed us all well one night. Put her down with about a 20 yard tracking job.

The next morning I had a 250# sow hog come in, but it just was not meant to be. She slipped away in the brush.

That night, my buddy and I pulled a double out of a group of javelina. Unfortunately after 2 hours of searching for mine, we never found my large boar. My arrow looked good, but these are tough animals with a very small vital zone. And they DO NOT bleed. At least my buddy got his. I was bummed though, that was the first animal I've ever lost gun or bow (ducks not included).

The next night we put stalks on 4 groups of javelina and one hog, but none would work out. We did watch another friend get charged by a javelina about 400 yards from us. He had to change his drawers that night! grin.gif

The next night, I flat missed a javelina at 30 yards. He moved just as I let the arrow fly.

Finally, on the last night, I let an arrow rip through a javelina at 25 yards. I mature sow. Put a good hit on her and she piled up within 30 yards. Here's a couple pictures of her.

7466Javelina_-_1.jpg

7466Javelina_-_2.jpg

All in all, there was tons of game to chase and I felt fortunate to take two animals (three if you count the one I lost). I lost track of the cotton tails and jack rabbits I shot. What a cool time.

Here is the group before we packed up to leave.

7466Texas_Group.jpg

A bunch of Indiana red necks in south Texas. It just don't get much better than that! grin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.