I went to Texas with a cold and it just about killed me by the time we got back. Mr. Ron knows how to keep a schedule... but anywho, I am better now and am posting about the trip. Like I told my parrents, it was an amazing time of meeting new people, deepening relationships, and learning ALOT of things.
The weather was mostly rainy and cold. I think Bubby (the ranch manager) joked that I could have come here 100 times and never seen a drop of rain. Must have been my Yankee presence pulling that nasty winter weather down there.
The scenery is amazing. Fields of mesquite and cedars, prairie grass, and animals everywhere! Deer, turkeys, javelinas (mini-hogs), and cattle for sure. Even got to see some exotic African like stuff. Amazing...
I took some pics and have posted some video. I have blocked the album for these pictures due to some gory views.
Me and Eva
Some Crazy Cute Boys
Did a little horse trading and ended up with this...
First Night- Got quite a few
Deer were not the only things being hunted. Bubby and Brady took us gringo's out for some arrowhead hunting.
Brady has quite the eye for flint
This is the best piece I found...just a piece of unworked flint
This is what Brady's dad found...definitely took the prize for best find that day.
Bubby taught Woody and I how the Indians used to make red dye. Inside this white, sticky, almost like creamed marshmallow husk is a bug who's guts are blood red.
The next day...we had some more hanging.
Get's a little messy.
Going through a push gate...I guess scratches on the bumper just give the truck character :)
Video through the range finder. Lots of turkeys. Shows the feeder and how far away it is. Also shows my first doe I killed.
Feeders outside the bunkhouse. Crazy.
Bubby looking through pics of his cattle at the bunkhouse.
This is turned to the left from the picture above looking back into where the bathrooms and bunkbeds are. Very nice place.
Few pics from old time past...looks like good memories for those people.
This was at "the store" (thats what they called this stand)
I could barely get him to stand still long enough. The rack on this sucker was super wide.
I know it's blurry but is the only picture that shows the length of tines! Look at those things!
I was able to take a spike while I was there. Bubby told us if we saw a spike with tines longer than 8" to take them. Well I got one. It's my first buck. It may not be a wall hanger, but it's mine.
This is about oh, i dont know...2% of the antlers lying around the camp...crazy.
Even though this one is not hooked up, Ron educated Woody and I about windmills being used to run pumps for water.
Bunkhouse
Watchout for these...they are everywhere. And I learned the hard way. When I went to field dress one of the does I shot, I accidentally sat down on one and got 4-5 of these needles in my rear. Lets just say I am glad I had privacy, because I had to moon all creation to get these things out!!
Cattle...they make a hunt rather short if they come around. The deer dont like them so much.
Ok...this is as gory as it gets...just don't look if your squeamish.
Again, really nice facilities. Walk in cooler.
This is where we sighted in.
My group is a four shot group at the left lowest square. All four shots touching...what? Did you think my aim was that bad?
This was the highlight of the trip for me. Brady (ranch managers son), Woody, and I all went out and perched up on this hill. We had access to shoot deer well past the range of our rifles. Brady shot at a doe at 430yrds and missed a little over. I shot at a doe at 530 and missed a little under but later nailed one at the same range. I'll save the rest of the story for those who really want to know...
Setting up for the shot.
Lets just say it was a stretch...it is the longest shot on an animal I have ever taken.
Back at camp skinning and quartering.
Here is an aerial photo. I tried to piece together all the roads we were on. You can see up at the top between right and center a white line. That distance is 530yrds. I believe this is where I was when I took the shot. (BTW The camp is a white dot right above the black square left bottom corner of the screen. Jack Riggs' house is the mansion you see bottom left middle. Easy to spot.)
This is while we were leaving... a massive monument to none other than to the king of the wild frontier,Davey Crockett.
Loaded
Cooling things off a bit.
Back at Mr. Ron's getting a schooling by the master of all things meat.
It was a blast and am thankful to my parents for sponsoring me on the trip and for Woody and Mr. Ron for taking me, taking care of me, and for putting up with my incessant hacking and sniffling the whole way. I had the time of my life.
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