South Central

southcensticky2

Joe_Cermele — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:11:19 -0400

The ranches and farmland of the Lone Star state and its neighbors have some tremendous deer, and Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the regin. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y nontypical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM

Ray: A Buck for Next Year

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:01:53 -0500

Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the region. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y non-typical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM.

In North Texas, the general season for whitetails ended on January 1. One of my friends, who wants to remain anonymous and keep his honey hole anonymous as well, was in hot pursuit of a giant right to the end.

He first saw the big buck in 2010. A couple of trail camera pictures before the season and then two sightings in daylight during the late season in December. Both times, the 140-class 8-point buck was well outside of bow range. The season ended without a shot.

Before the 2011 season, he got more nighttime images of the same buck near a corn feeder in late September. There was no mistaking the extra long brow tines. In 2011, the buck was now a main-framed 9-point, but considerably bigger with longer tines and more mass. Estimated to be 160-plus. Work commitments kept the hunter from hunting there in bow season. October and November passed with no sightings and the two trail cameras near corn feeders were not working.

In early December, the buck showed up on a trail camera three different days, always in the late morning. In all the photos, it appears the buck has a wound just below his brisket in his upper front leg and he‘s maybe walking with a limp. Possibly a bullet wound or arrow wound. Or maybe a puncture wound from another buck’s antlers.

So with the fresh trail cam pics, my friend started hunting hard at every chance in mid-December. For two weeks, hunting whenever time allowed, he hunted that property. He passed several decent bucks in hopes of seeing the monster. He never saw him.

This is a story common to many hard-core hunters. Bagging a big buck is often times a multi season quest. So now, armed with the information from the past two seasons, he knows better when to hunt this buck.

Given the trail cam pics from the past two years, the first week of bow season in October would be a good time to hunt. Then, it seems like the buck disappears, probably on to a different property to chase does. But both years, he’s returned at some point in December. So late season hunting makes sense, too.

If it were me, I’d pile the corn and alfalfa hay so high that buck could not help but stop on this place occasionally for some free food. And I’d keep my trail cameras running non-stop from early September to the end of season. Make sure they are working properly and check them every week. When the big buck shows up on a camera, stop everything, take time off work and hunt him hard right away.

Maybe the buck will succumb to his injury? Or maybe he’ll be back and be even bigger next season? Sometimes, an injury like that makes a buck’s rack grow some weird non-typical points. There’s a lot of “what ifs”.

I know my friend is already impatiently waiting for next season...

Ray: A Winter Desert Hunt in New Mexico

Sarah Smith — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:18:13 -0500

Any coverage of late season deer hunting in the Southwest is not complete without mention of January bow-only hunts in the desert. In states like New Mexico and Arizona, archers can hunt Coues whitetails or desert mule deer. Early to mid January can mean peak rut hunting for both species.

A couple of years ago, I bought an over-the-counter tag in Arizona. Hunting with a friend who knew the country well, we glassed and stalked public land south of Tucson. Prickly botanicals like prickly pear, saguaro cactus, mesquite and cholla were everywhere. Using large tripod-mounted 15x binoculars, we found the mouse-colored whitetails high in the desert hills. Eventually I stalked and arrowed a nice little 8-point. Coues deer are tiny compared to northern whitetails, mature bucks weigh about 100 pounds, and his little rack “only” scored about 85-inches. That’s a solid buck considering 100-inchers are whoppers.

Another year, I hunted mule deer in southern New Mexico. This time on a private ranch. The rut was popping and I saw several quality bucks hazing does. The best buck I saw, a symmetrical 160-inch 4x4, stayed just across the fence on land I could not hunt. I tried rattling and grunting to him, sometimes whitetail tricks work on rutting mule deer, but he had too many does to come to my side of the fence.

It was cold, below freezing every morning, but considering the rut and the lack of water in the dusty desert, I decided to sit near a half-frozen water tank. Deer and elk rubs were everywhere on the cedars surrounding that plastic water tub.

Late in the evening, I spotted movement. A 4x4 buck was coming through the oaks and cedars, headed right for the frozen tank. Sipping on the edge of the tub where the ice was melted, he quenched his thirst. When he turned broadside, I launched a Gold Tip carbon arrow tipped with a G5 Montec broadhead. The 3-blade broadhead smashed through the buck’s chest. He went down in sight. The 200 pound desert buck’s symmetrical rack was the color of chocolate. It was a great way to start the new year.

Spot and stalk works on desert bucks. So does sitting water, even when it’s cold. If you want to try something different this winter, consider a trip to the desert. It’s one of my favorite ways to end the deer season, or is it to start the next one?

Ray: Going Late, Scoring Big

Sarah Smith — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:53:43 -0500

Ty Day is no whiner. While most of my deer hunting buddies have been retired to the couch, watching football and enjoying the fireplace, Ty has been bundled up, in the field, hunting as much as possible. Even when wind chill values have been in the single digits. He’s tough!

Despite record snow fall where he hunts in western Oklahoma, Ty has been there, hunting hard. Deep snow drifts and muddy roads last week kept him from hunting his number one stand, a spot where he’d seen a 170-class 10-point several times, but he adjusted. He moved to a stand closer to a maintained road with easier access. The ranch has lots of deer and there’s more than one good place to hunt.

On one evening sit, he watched a fine 140-class 8-point dog a doe like it was peak of the rut in November. Maybe a doe that was not bred the first time around? Whatever the reason, the mature buck was hot on her tail. But he passed out of range. Then Ty saw another big 140-class 8-pointer. He was also too far. But the bucks were definitely on the move in daylight.

A short time later, a wide 10-point, 150-plus, followed a different doe within bow range down the creek bottom. Just as the buck was about to hit one of Ty’s shooting lanes inside bow range, the doe got straight downwind. She snorted and that was it. Ty never saw the buck again.

The next afternoon, hunting the same ladder stand in a tall cottonwood, Ty watched one of the same big 8-points from the previous day from a distance. Still too far for an arrow.

Then, movement behind a tree row caught his eye. It was a big-bodied buck headed down a beat-down trail in the snow right past his ladder stand! At first Ty thought it was the wide 10-point from the day before, but then realized it was a different, big 10-point. A buck he’d never seen before. A shooter anywhere you hunt whitetails in America. Ty clipped the release to the bowstring.

When the buck was broadside at 24 yards, Ty dropped the string on his 64 pound Mathews Z7. The Rage 2-blade broadhead blasted completely through the deer’s chest. The buck made it 50 yards, leaving a trail like spilled red paint in the snow, before he dropped. There was still one hour of daylight left when Ty walked up on the old monarch.

Ty reports it took everything he had to get the big-bodied bruiser loaded into his Yamaha Rhino by himself. He even had to use a shovel and dig two holes, to back the back two tires of the Yamaha into to lower the bed, so he could get the big buck dragged on board. Ty estimates the Oklahoma buck weighed 275-300 pounds. The 7 ½-year-old or older buck’s rack scored about 155-inches. The back teeth were worn to the gum line.

Late season hunting can be some of the best of the season. Ty Day’s Oklahoma bruiser, taken on December 30, is proof of that. Don’t be a whiner. If you’ve still got a buck tag, hunt till the bitter end.

Ray: Cold Temps Bring All the Deer Out

Sarah Smith — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:12:55 -0500

Snow continues to fall in the Texas Panhandle. On Christmas Day, I got another four inches at my house. What that means for deer hunters in the region is simple: Deer are really keyed in on food sources now. At two of my bait sites, trails through the snow are like spokes on a wheel going back into canyons and thick brush. The deer need the extra calories to fend off the cold weather. If you hunt such a spot, there’s a good chance you’ll see lots of deer. Corn is the best attractant I’ve tried in the late season, but they also eat alfalfa hay.

Another positive aspect of late season hunting is bucks that were sneaky, nocturnal ghosts earlier in the season are more likely to be seen now that it’s cold and groceries are hard to find. A perfect example of this is an ancient old 6-point whitetail I’ve tracked for three seasons. That’s his picture from earlier in the season.

His rack has been nearly identical the last three years. Decent brow tines, short G-2’s and short beams with good mass throughout. I’m guessing he’s at least 6 ½-years-old, maybe lots older. The best part? I’ve never seen him! Ever! If not for a well-placed trail camera, I’d never know he existed. He’s as nocturnal as an owl.

But just in the past two days, he’s been on my camera in daylight during the cold and snow. The last 20 minutes of the day both times. His rack won’t score much, but I think he’d be a cool trophy based solely on his age and his sneakiness. Obviously, he does not have the genetics to ever be a “trophy,” so he’s a classic management buck candidate. As soon as I get a south wind, I‘m hunting that spot. If I see him, I’m taking the shot.

I’ve also got a couple of doe tags. We love venison at our house and with the season winding down, it’s time to get serious about filling the freezer. Just be sure this time of year it’s not a buck who’s already dropped his antlers. I’ve heard one report from the Oklahoma Panhandle from a rancher that picked up a fresh shed a week before Christmas. If doubled, it was a 145-class buck. So look closely with binoculars before you shoot a “doe” these days!

Ray: Hunting Through the Weather Extremes

Online Editors — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:38:07 -0500

Here is more proof that the weather and the rut can be at opposite ends of the spectrum in Texas. Last week, on Dec. 20, it was 25 degrees in the Panhandle town of Amarillo. The wind was out of the north at 25 mph and the wind chill was nine. A blizzard came through northeastern New Mexico, the top of Texas and western Oklahoma the night before, dropping up to 10 inches of snow in some parts. If you were hunting bucks at the top of the region then, you should have been hunting the food.

The weather was a bit different in the town of Pearsall in South Texas, where the high was 65 degrees with sunshine. Pearsall is the headquarters for Los Cazadores, one of the biggest deer scoring contests in the state. I talked to one of the clerks at the store in Pearsall. Most of the crew was out hunting, and the clerk said, “The bucks are chasing and the rut is on down here! Big bucks are coming in at a steady pace to be scored for the contest.” If you want to see pictures of some of the biggest bucks taken in South Texas this season, including some 200-inchers, go to www.loscazadores.com. It’s prime time for bagging an old buck in the thorns.

If you need some inspiration to get yourself off the couch and in the woods this month, consider John Bain’s story.

John broke his neck playing in an alumni football game on July 18, 2010. He was 20 years out of high school football. The injury was totally unexpected and his left side was paralyzed. Thankfully, it was just temporary. He said, “After four days in the hospital, two artificial discs, two other repaired discs, a carbon fiber plate, three screws, great doctors and a true blessing from God; I walked out of that hospital.”

John is no whiner. He is as fit as most guys half his age, and he got to work getting back in shape immediately. The main motivation for his recovery: shooting a bow come opening day of deer season that was just two and a half months away.   He first started with short walks, and worked his way up to four miles per day. Then he did some light weight lifting, and was eventually able to shoot his light draw turkey bow, a 60-pound Mathews.

On opening morning of the 2010 bow season, John punched a well-placed broadhead through a fancy 156-inch buck, a main-framed 9-pointer with 13 total points. It was the biggest buck ever taken off the eastern Texas Panhandle lease. And it was the biggest buck of John’s hunting career!

And then, despite a tough early and mid season in 2011, John did it again. This time, he arrowed a fine 120-inch management buck in early December, the buck in the photo above. This 8-point buck was taken from an elevated stand near a corn feeder. John had been playing cat and mouse with the buck for most of the season. John seemed just as excited about the smaller buck this year as his giant from last season. When you’ve had an accident that could have ended your bow hunting days completely, success of any kind is suddenly that much sweeter.

After his accident last year, John appreciates the sport of bow hunting now more than ever. When he recounts the story of his accident and his long recovery, it’s understandable why he gets a tear in his eye. Fate could have certainly gone a whole other direction. The simple task of drawing a bow or shooting a rifle should never be taken for granted. Neither should deer hunting. John has had two good back-to-back seasons. May the road to recovery continue my friend!

Ray: Food North, Rut South

Sarah Smith — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:58:59 -0500

Bucks at the top of Texas are more concerned with food and survival than does right now. I’ve seen and heard others report about bucks hanging in small bachelor groups near food sources like wheat or corn feeders. I’ve also heard a couple of guys report that they tried rattling and grunting to a distant buck with zero response. Like any other place you hunt post-rut bucks, look for the best food sources and setup nearby.

Two of my friends are in hot pursuit of big, 160-plus type bucks in the northern half of the region. Both are hunting near food--one near a wheat field on the edge of a creek, the other near a corn feeder. One has seen the buck a couple of times, just out of bow range. The other has not laid eyes on the buck, but thanks to trail cam pictures, he knows the buck has been there several times in the last ten days.

As testament to how different the hunting in Texas can be from top to bottom, down south the time is right for calling and rattling. A guide hunting in the brush country told me, “Rattling horns go with me everywhere in December. I like to set up where two or more senderos cross. If there’s an elevated blind, I rattle from the ground and put the shooter up high.”

You might remember my friend, Barry Heiskell, whom I mentioned in last year’s Rut Report. He had shot a couple of BIG typical whitetails in the open spaces of the Texas Panhandle. What I remember most, and apparently readers too, was that his beard was as long as the G-2 on his buck! The post on Barry’s first big buck last year got more comments on his beard than his 160-class deer!

Barry’s back with another whopper beard and buck, from the same open country. He shot this one last month, when the rut was just starting to pop.

Barry spotted the buck and a bedded doe from one mile away. He made a careful stalk then set-up on shooting sticks for a close shot with his 7mm Weatherby. At a range of 70 yards, the old buck dropped from a 140 grain bullet in the right spot. The heavy-horned brute, a main-frame 8-point with an extra fork, measured 156 inches. Barry labeled the photo accompanying his report as “156 cull.” All I can say is if anything that scores 156 inches is considered a cull, I can’t wait to see what a trophy is from that place!

By the way, Barry and fellow farmer, Ty Day, another regular on this blog, are farmers by trade. Considering the extended drought of 2011, Ty told me he won’t shave his ZZ Top beard until they get at least five inches of moisture. Considering the long-term forecast for more dry weather, these guys will be picking cockle burrs from their long whiskers for a long time before it floods!

Ray: Don’t Overlook Water During The Rut

Sarah Smith — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:32:53 -0500

If ever there was a place in the whitetail world where the mantra “let em grow” is practiced, it’s in the brush country of South Texas. Given enough age, bucks can grow super-sized antlers. In addition to age and genetics they also need nutrition. (duh!)

Like most of Texas, 2011 was dry in South Texas. From a nutritional stand point, native browse was lacking due to the absence of rainfall. The summer heat, lack of rain, and lack of quality feed added stress to the deer herd. Overall, fawn production was low to non-existent and antler growth was down as well.

The properties most likely to produce big bucks this year, the year of the 100-year drought, are those with limited or no cattle grazing, diverse habitat, limited harvest of mature bucks in previous years, deer numbers in balance with the range (not overpopulated), supplemental feed programs, and good water distribution.

With the rut gaining momentum in South Texas now, water should not be forgotten. As sure as food plots and corn lines in senderos attract does and bucks, so does water.

In December of 2005, I was hunting down south on the spacious Duval County Ranch (DCR) near Freer. It was unseasonably hot that year. Temperatures were 90 degrees plus in the afternoons. My friend (and wildlife biologist) Ty Bartoskewitz and I scouted a dirt pond late in the morning.

The tracks were there in the mud, and Ty had seen bucks visit that tank earlier in the season, but we figured hunting the last two hours before dark was the right plan. As we paced around the pond talking strategy, looking for the right spot to erect our Double Bull blind, several deer kept popping out of the brush, then spooking, as they tried to come in for a drink. The real eye opener was a decent buck we saw hazing a doe about 200 yards away down the sendero. They wanted to come in, but spooked when they saw our truck.

So instead of waiting to hunt it that afternoon, we decided the time was now. We popped the blind up, got a few water bottles from the truck’s cooler, hid the big Chevy behind a screen of cactai and got comfortable for an all-day sit.

The first few deer were does. They came in and drank about 30 yards away. Following them was a small buck. He watered, then chased the does back into the thick brush. No doubt the rut was on! It was nearing midday and the thermometer was already at 90 degrees.

Ty surprised me when he suddenly blurted out, “Big buck on the right! He’s coming at a trot, tongue hanging out.”

The dark-horned buck galloped down to the water’s edge, then went in up to his knees in the water. His chest was heaving, tongue lolling. I waited impatiently for Ty to give me the nod. Ty stared for what seemed like an eternity through his binoculars, evaluating the buck to determine his age. Finally, he said yes. My bow came back immediately.

The arrow whistled through the drinking buck’s chest at 30 yards. He trotted just over the tank dam, then sagged to the ground. What an unbelievable hunt at midday!

The main-framed eight point had a few extras and that classic, dark-stained horn color you often see on bucks from the brush country and Old Mexico. His rack carried about 145-150-inches of bone.

We guessed that mature buck had been chasing does and sought the water due to his over exertion in the rut. The temperature that day peaked at 95 degrees. But even when the thermometer is not as hot as it was that day, hunting water makes sense during the rut.

If you plan to hunt South Texas this month, remember corn lines and food plots are great, but guarding water works too!

Ray Bonus Report: The Texas Aoudad Experience

Sarah Smith — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:22:03 -0500

Texas has a lot more to offer than just four million deer and world-class buck hunting. Exotic species are common across the state. The most common of these exotics are axis deer, blackbuck antelope and aoudad sheep. Middle Texas has the highest concentration of these common exotic species, and many more super exotics on some properties. Some are found on high-fenced ranches, but almost as many are found on low-fenced properties.

There is no closed season or bag limit on these introduced, exotic species. Management is basically left in the hands of the landowner. Depending on where you hunt, ranchers might want their exotics shot on sight, since some compete directly with native whitetails. Others foster those populations and charge trophy fees for harvested animals.

It’s always smart to ask about exotic opportunities when you hunt deer in Texas. Before a 34-inch axis buck or 24-inch blackbuck walks under your corn feeder, know whether or not the rancher says it’s okay to shoot one! And if so, how much?

Beyond the oaks and rolling hills of middle Texas, one of my favorite exotics to hunt is the aoudad sheep. Native to North Africa, they were introduced across the Panhandle and West Texas in the 1950’s. They now roam rugged landscapes as if they’ve been there since the beginning of time. They are free-ranging and wild-as-hell.

Aoudad sheep are always challenging to hunt. Big rams with their crescent-shaped horns, sand-colored hide and long chaps and leggings make fine trophies. Whereas it takes five to seven years to grow a trophy deer, the biggest aoudad rams are usually 10 years old or older. It takes even longer to grow a big ram.

I shot my best-ever aoudad ram in October 2010, with outfitter/guide Hunter Ross of Desert Safaris (desertsafaris.com). Hunter and I scaled a lung-burning spire of rock called the Chinati Mountains. We found a large herd of sheep and slowly dissected the herd. We found a monster.

Laid up in the shade, the massive-horned ram had long horns like mutant bananas. When he stood broadside, my tack-driving rifle, a Nosler Model 48 chambered for .270 WSM, hit him through both lungs. He stumbled 20 steps and tipped over.

His horns were 35 and 35 ½-inches long with huge 14-inch bases. The biggest ram of my life. I’ll never kill one bigger.

To hunt aoudad in wild country you need some essential gear. Tote an accurate, lightweight rifle. Whatever you use for deer is probably fine. I prefer synthetic stocks since a fine piece of walnut would only get scarred up in the rocks. Top the rifle with a 3-9x40 or 4-14x40 power scope. Expect shots from 50-300 yards. The last three aoudad rams I shot with a rifle were taken at 285 yards, 75 and 65 yards. I’ve never felt the need to shoot past 300 yards in almost 20 years of hunting wild aoudads in open landscapes.

Best calibers for sheep hunting would be anything from a 25 caliber up to 30 caliber. In recent years I’ve killed sheep with the .270 Winchester and .270 WSM using 130 and 140 grain bullets respectively. Both of those rounds are close to perfect for sheep hunting. Flat-shooting, manageable recoil and plenty of energy to put even a tenacious aoudad ram down quickly.

Wear top-notch boots. I like Danners with all-leather tops and Vibram or air bob soles for gripping the rocks. Make sure they lace up above your ankles for good support.

Wear 10x40 binoculars around your neck and tuck a variable power, 60mm objective spotting scope in a daypack. An angle compensating rangefinder, like the Nikon Riflehunter, is an essential part of my gear list. Since shots at rams are often at steep angles, the angle compensating rangefinder will tell you where to hold the crosshairs.

When I shot that monster 35-inch ram in West Texas, the true distance was 285 yards, but due to the steep downward angle, the rangefinder said hold for 249 yards.

During the fall of 2011, I saw numerous big aoudad rams while scouting and hunting deer in rugged canyon-country of the Panhandle. I was being picky, but when you see the right one, sometimes you just know it’s time to forget deer and hunt sheep!

I spotted the mud-covered ram rolling in the sand and grit on the edge of a steep cliff. Rutting rams often roll in the dirt, sort of like elk rolling in muddy wallows. He had long, heavy horns and thick, flowing chaps and leggings. A shooter anywhere on planet earth.

I snugged into my pack, dropping off the rim of the canyon, down through thick cedars and prickly pear, then up the opposite side to cut the distance. I hoped to loop way around to the south, in front of the traveling ram.

Despite the skiff of snow still dotting the canyon walls and frosting the fall air, I was overheated and shedding clothes after the ½ mile jog. I eased a 130 grain Hornady bullet into the barrel of my HS Precision .270 rifle. Then I cranked the power down to 4X on my Leupold scope. If the ram was still traveling along the rim of the canyon, the shot would be close.

Just as I stopped to glass, movement caught my eye. A skinny ewe stepped out at 80 yards, walking a trail on the edge of the canyon. Three more ewes followed her. Bringing up the rear, covered in mud from his horns to his hooves, was the big ram. At 65 yards I shot him through the left front shoulder. He stumbled, then tipped over the edge of the canyon, snagging in the tops of a juniper tree like a fly caught in a spider web.

Each horn was heavy and just shy of 30 inches long. I estimated his live weight at 300 pounds.

Exotic game is yet another reason why the hunting never stops in Texas!

Ray: Pinpointing the Texas Rut

Sarah Smith — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:58:21 -0500

In a state as big as Texas, it’s understandable that the rut could be at so many different stages from top to bottom.

I’ve been hunting in the Panhandle. On Friday, December 9th, observing from a high vantage point, I watched five different bucks converge at a deer feeder to eat. They tolerated each other’s company, and I never saw a doe in the area. The biggest of the group was a 135-class, 4 ½-year-old 8-point.

One mile up the river, through my Nikon spotting scope, I spotted a big, symmetrical 10-point. He was feeding by himself. I guessed his dark-colored rack at 145-150 inches. His right G-4 was broken off a couple of inches. The best part? I think he was 3-½-years-old. A real up-and-comer to look for next season.

Two days later, I glassed the same river bed. I saw the same six bucks. Two were at the feeder and four were up river one mile. All were feeding contentedly. There were no does anywhere near them. From my observations and what others have told me, in the northern reaches of the state, it’s now post rut. Bucks are more concerned with eating than breeding.

My friend, Ronnie Parsons, shot his 34th P&Y whitetail back in November in west-central Texas--a fine 140-class 12-point. Since then, he reports the couple of other big bucks he saw on cameras early in the season are missing-in-action. He also said the bucks were very interested in does now. He figured the big ones were likely holed up with willing does and not going to corn feeders.

Farther south, Mark Nelson returned from a deer hunt and reported this on December 7th. “Deer are chasing/rutting like crazy. It really kicked in down there. I was in the Brackettville/Uvalde/Del Rio area west of San Antonio.”

The rut is slowing down in the north, still clicking in the middle, and heating up way down south.