Aggie football bye weeks are usually a good time to get out and hunt a little. This weekend was no exception. In typical fashion, the cool front blew in this evening, just in time for a Monday back at work. It was hot all weekend but that late summer pattern is a pretty good time to get on a deer if you can stand sweating it out. I made it out and it wasn't too bad once it was all said and done.
I had big plans of hunting a deer Friday evening but it's just tough to go sit by yourself and be hot while all your buddies are going dove hunting ... so dove hunting it was. We loaded up the Mojo's and found some shade near the water. The birds did the rest.
From the field to the plate.... in a hurry.
Saturday morning it cooled off a lot and got down in the mid 70's so I wore shorts to the stand. I haven't shot many deer in shorts. I'm not proud of it because it just doesn't feel right but you do what you have to do. The morning went just like planned and a good deer we'd been after last year unsuccessfully showed up just like I had planned it. He's a big bodied deer, heavy, short tines and pretty distinctive brow tines. I've seen plenty of pictures of him but was still shocked when he walked out. It was the first time I'd seen him in person and he was bigger than he looked on camera and that's not always the case. (Side note .. Wildgame cameras have a bad reputation and are sometimes junk ... but this one was bought as part of a test a few years ago and hasn't missed a beat in going on 3 years of heavy use. Maybe I got lucky?)
Things escalated pretty quickly and ended with this old guy taking a ride in the side by side.
Early morning deer make for pretty pictures. He aged out at 5.5 and was a bit over 18 inches wide. He may not look it in those pictures but I swear that's not stretching the tape any. He was a good deer, he lived a long life and I'm proud of him.
I wasn't the only one hunting that morning and a buddy had another deer down pretty close. His deer was a little different. A big ol' 3 point, the stuff dreams are made of. We don't usually shoot spikes but ones that are 3 years old move to a different category. He was a monster.
It was busy at the skinning shed because you've got to move pretty quick when it's hot.
I had my fill of shooting deer for the weekend so I spent the rest of the time dove hunting and taking pictures. It was time well spent.
The season is young but it's off to a good start. This is the best time of year and I'm ready for that first cold front to get the big guys up and moving. Until then though ... I'll still be sitting in the stand and sweating it out, loving every second of it.
I had big plans of hunting a deer Friday evening but it's just tough to go sit by yourself and be hot while all your buddies are going dove hunting ... so dove hunting it was. We loaded up the Mojo's and found some shade near the water. The birds did the rest.
From the field to the plate.... in a hurry.
Saturday morning it cooled off a lot and got down in the mid 70's so I wore shorts to the stand. I haven't shot many deer in shorts. I'm not proud of it because it just doesn't feel right but you do what you have to do. The morning went just like planned and a good deer we'd been after last year unsuccessfully showed up just like I had planned it. He's a big bodied deer, heavy, short tines and pretty distinctive brow tines. I've seen plenty of pictures of him but was still shocked when he walked out. It was the first time I'd seen him in person and he was bigger than he looked on camera and that's not always the case. (Side note .. Wildgame cameras have a bad reputation and are sometimes junk ... but this one was bought as part of a test a few years ago and hasn't missed a beat in going on 3 years of heavy use. Maybe I got lucky?)
Things escalated pretty quickly and ended with this old guy taking a ride in the side by side.
Early morning deer make for pretty pictures. He aged out at 5.5 and was a bit over 18 inches wide. He may not look it in those pictures but I swear that's not stretching the tape any. He was a good deer, he lived a long life and I'm proud of him.
I wasn't the only one hunting that morning and a buddy had another deer down pretty close. His deer was a little different. A big ol' 3 point, the stuff dreams are made of. We don't usually shoot spikes but ones that are 3 years old move to a different category. He was a monster.
It was busy at the skinning shed because you've got to move pretty quick when it's hot.
I had my fill of shooting deer for the weekend so I spent the rest of the time dove hunting and taking pictures. It was time well spent.
The season is young but it's off to a good start. This is the best time of year and I'm ready for that first cold front to get the big guys up and moving. Until then though ... I'll still be sitting in the stand and sweating it out, loving every second of it.
