Best Time of Year

Cold, wet, duck weather.  I love it!  Clark and I went on the first hunt of the season at the new and improved duck pond.  We saw about 30 ducks and of those 12 came in and 6 left.  I'll don't mind batting .500 for the first hunt even though we really should have had 3 or 4 more woodies that came in early.  No big ducks but Clark got a Hooded Merganser for the wall!

I managed to slip getting out of the blind on a retrieval and went up to my armpits - thankful my jacket was over my waders and kept me dry...Should have took a picture of me draining the water out of the pockets.

I also nearly got the suburban stuck and was inches from bashing a tree with one side as I was getting unstuck on a side hill.  I guess the family ride needs something other than street tires...

It's hard to beat red beer and bacon in the duck blind.

Signs are good as more ducks were coming in as we left and there were birds sitting down in the WD hole too.

Big Buck Down!

I've hunted a few days here and there with no luck with the weather and moon working with any "free" time in my schedule but if your not out there it's not gonna happen.

I did manage to terminate a cottonmouth (machete to the face - he had a frog in his mouth) and beaver (300 SAUM to the chest) one day while checking the duck pond!

Oats

Peas

The big reason I'm not seeing anything.

Finally this week the floodgates opened and the deer/hogs started moving.  Barry smacked this doe (120 lbs) and this pig (135 lbs).

Then Mack followed up with this true ETEX trophy!

140 6/8 Gross BC, 137 1/8 Net

I think this is the same deer back in 2011.  He looks 4 1/2 then so I'm guessing he is 6 1/2.  I'll know for sure when I get the jaw back from the taxidermist.  I didn't get another pic of him till Mack put him on the ground this week.

It really makes the case for letting them get some age more than just 4 1/2 even here in ETEX...  I would also like to think that with the help of our biologist and our management the past couple years was a factor as well.  It sure makes all the work worth it!

Kansas/Nebraska Pheasant 11/7/13

Annual Cozad Pheasant Hunt!

Incredible weather, transportation, food, and company!  The hunting was tough.  That part of Kansas/Nebraska has been on a three year drought and had a hard freeze this May that killed lots of the hatched birds and the insects they feed on.

Amazing sunrises/sunsets out there. 

Beer Break!

Really moving on the way home!

Until next year...

Hill Country Bow Hunts

I spent a couple weekends in the Hill Country bow hunting with zero success.  There are way too many acorns on the ground and the big bucks are on lock down.

Loaded up and headed out.

 Always fixing feeders.

Could have stuck a calf at close range...

Hill country sunrises/sunsets at their best.

 Refreshments

Beef ribs and brisket for lunch and dinner.

I spent some time in a ground blind but the heat and wind still foiled me.

At least I had a beverage...

No deer coming to feeders as you can see corn stalks growing.

Our biggest problem with seeing deer right now.  Acorns everywhere!