Well, I haven't had time to post this yet but earlier this year my dad and I both had the privilege to go on a trophy whitetail hunt with El Sapo Guide Service. I had the privilege of Hunting with El Sapo in July of this year and was fortunate enough to take a trophy axis. After several discussions with Brandon (Owner of El Sapo) and some in depth discussions with my dad. We both decided to book a trophy hunt with my dad planning on a 160"-169" and me planning on a 150"-159" trophy whitetail. Once the booking was completed Brandon began sending us game cam photos and on occasion some video. I saw my dad a seasoned hunter who has hunted all over the world start to get giddy as a child. Little did we know that what we were soon to experience would surpass our wildest of dreams.
Fast forward to the week before thanksgiving we where scheduled to meet Brandon around 1pm on the 18th and my dad said he would be at my house by 7am. Apparently neither of us could sleep much that night as I was up and ready at 6am and my dad was at my house by 6:15. So we left early our destination Uvalde County, with trophy whitetail on our mind we made it to Uvalde in Record time. Upon arriving at the house we would be staying at located adjacent to the Frio River the amenities would rival most 5-star hotels. My dad was amazed at the amenities being provided, something that I had expected previously hunting with El Sapo. We relaxed at the house planning and reviewing game cam photos of deer for my dad. Brandon said he had a special deer picked out for me but had yet to show me a photo, he said he knew I would like him. Finally, it was time to head to the ranch to start our hunt!
We arrive at the Ranch and immediately can tell this is a top notch operation, over 2,000 acres of highly maintained brush country with a general focus on maintaining a healthy and mature Whitetail herd as well as running an active cattle operation. When we arrive at the ranch Brandon takes us to the front pasture blind to have a look around and hopefully show us a nice young deer that has been a hog of late and will get a pass one more year. We needed to kill about 30-miuntes for the other guide to arrive at the ranch. While sitting in the truck a beautiful 150" 9-point comes out that is no more than 18" wide but forever tall! This gets both me and my dad worked up for what is to come.
Around 3:00pm the second guide shows up, he is a fellow Ag and has a PhD in wildlife Biology, he will be hunting with my dad for this trip and I will be hunting with Brandon. We all get dressed and head our separate ways after wishing each group luck. My dad was headed for the back of the ranch to an area that is mostly left alone and I was heading to a separate part of the ranch. The part of the ranch I was headed to was more reminiscent of the hill country than the S.Texas brush land that the rest of the ranch appeared to be. Crossing the Dry Frio and weaving in and out of rock outcroppings we get to the opening that Brandon said the deer has been frequenting. No stand just an impromptu feeder and pop-up blind, as due to how rough this part of the ranch is no one ever hunts it. We get in the blind and almost immediately deer start to appear, it is obvious that these deer have been affected by the drought as the ground is bare and the deer are hitting the protein feeder hard and hanging around waiting on the corn feeder to go off. Though I do notice none of the small bucks are getting anywhere near the brush located behind the feeder and to the left a bit. Shortly after the feeder goes off, all of the smaller buck cower and split to brush I know why, out steps a true South Texas brute. Brandon never even raises his binoculars and says their he is, will that one work. My response ABSOLUTELY!!!! Now the fun begins I have never been in the position to take such a large mature buck , buck fever was in high gear. I pick the rifle up take a few deep breaths in preparation to take the shot. With my heart as steady as it can be and my 7mm steady I begin applying pressure, the trigger breaks cleanly when expected and the S.Texas brute has taken his last breath. I was giddy with excitement and yet still slightly disappointed, as the rifle and bullet had done their job and ended this bucks life swiftly and cleanly but I had not done my job. The shot placement was high, it cleanly broke his back and ended his life immediately.
All feelings of disappointment and self-guilt vanished as we approached the buck, their was no chance for ground shrinkage as this giant continued to grow with each step I took. In total this giant had 17 scorable points and what can only be described as lobster claws for eye guards. After some discussions between the two guide and multiple times scoring him he ended up scoring just a hair over 163". The biologist then examined his teeth and aged him and I quote "he is over 8 years old if he is a year". He had almost no teeth left, later on upon processing of the meat all of which was thrown away another story was told. This was a old deer, not just old but very old and would likely not have made it through the year. His hip joints where full of puss and all of the meat at each joint was green and smelled of rot. The smell of rot was and spread of infection was spread through all of the meat, it is a wonder this old brush giant was even able to stand. Much less bully around all of the younger buck as evident by when he showed up all the young bucks split ASAP.
My story is only half of the story though over the next two days I get to see the elusive giant my dad is chasing. The buck was holding to no kind of pattern whatsoever, the original game plan was thrown away in favor of a new game plan. We ended up with my dad and his guide in one stand, me in another, and the landowner and Brandon is two others. In the end the land owner spotted the giant and my dad and his guide had to get across the ranch in a hurry which included a spirited drive across the pasture in which I was sitting. I swear the F-250 went through that pasture going at least 60MPH, it would have made any rally racer smile. They arrived just in time and the giant gave my dad an opportunity and he took it. His buck ended up scoring just a hair over 175".
Neither of us could have been more pleased with how those hunts turned out, it was a hunt of a lifetime and we will both be hunting with El Sapo again. The memories alone where worth the price of the trip, I was able to be with my dad when he fulfilled his dream of more than 50 years of killing a 160+" buck.
Photos to come as TexAgs/my computer are acting funny
Fast forward to the week before thanksgiving we where scheduled to meet Brandon around 1pm on the 18th and my dad said he would be at my house by 7am. Apparently neither of us could sleep much that night as I was up and ready at 6am and my dad was at my house by 6:15. So we left early our destination Uvalde County, with trophy whitetail on our mind we made it to Uvalde in Record time. Upon arriving at the house we would be staying at located adjacent to the Frio River the amenities would rival most 5-star hotels. My dad was amazed at the amenities being provided, something that I had expected previously hunting with El Sapo. We relaxed at the house planning and reviewing game cam photos of deer for my dad. Brandon said he had a special deer picked out for me but had yet to show me a photo, he said he knew I would like him. Finally, it was time to head to the ranch to start our hunt!
We arrive at the Ranch and immediately can tell this is a top notch operation, over 2,000 acres of highly maintained brush country with a general focus on maintaining a healthy and mature Whitetail herd as well as running an active cattle operation. When we arrive at the ranch Brandon takes us to the front pasture blind to have a look around and hopefully show us a nice young deer that has been a hog of late and will get a pass one more year. We needed to kill about 30-miuntes for the other guide to arrive at the ranch. While sitting in the truck a beautiful 150" 9-point comes out that is no more than 18" wide but forever tall! This gets both me and my dad worked up for what is to come.
Around 3:00pm the second guide shows up, he is a fellow Ag and has a PhD in wildlife Biology, he will be hunting with my dad for this trip and I will be hunting with Brandon. We all get dressed and head our separate ways after wishing each group luck. My dad was headed for the back of the ranch to an area that is mostly left alone and I was heading to a separate part of the ranch. The part of the ranch I was headed to was more reminiscent of the hill country than the S.Texas brush land that the rest of the ranch appeared to be. Crossing the Dry Frio and weaving in and out of rock outcroppings we get to the opening that Brandon said the deer has been frequenting. No stand just an impromptu feeder and pop-up blind, as due to how rough this part of the ranch is no one ever hunts it. We get in the blind and almost immediately deer start to appear, it is obvious that these deer have been affected by the drought as the ground is bare and the deer are hitting the protein feeder hard and hanging around waiting on the corn feeder to go off. Though I do notice none of the small bucks are getting anywhere near the brush located behind the feeder and to the left a bit. Shortly after the feeder goes off, all of the smaller buck cower and split to brush I know why, out steps a true South Texas brute. Brandon never even raises his binoculars and says their he is, will that one work. My response ABSOLUTELY!!!! Now the fun begins I have never been in the position to take such a large mature buck , buck fever was in high gear. I pick the rifle up take a few deep breaths in preparation to take the shot. With my heart as steady as it can be and my 7mm steady I begin applying pressure, the trigger breaks cleanly when expected and the S.Texas brute has taken his last breath. I was giddy with excitement and yet still slightly disappointed, as the rifle and bullet had done their job and ended this bucks life swiftly and cleanly but I had not done my job. The shot placement was high, it cleanly broke his back and ended his life immediately.
All feelings of disappointment and self-guilt vanished as we approached the buck, their was no chance for ground shrinkage as this giant continued to grow with each step I took. In total this giant had 17 scorable points and what can only be described as lobster claws for eye guards. After some discussions between the two guide and multiple times scoring him he ended up scoring just a hair over 163". The biologist then examined his teeth and aged him and I quote "he is over 8 years old if he is a year". He had almost no teeth left, later on upon processing of the meat all of which was thrown away another story was told. This was a old deer, not just old but very old and would likely not have made it through the year. His hip joints where full of puss and all of the meat at each joint was green and smelled of rot. The smell of rot was and spread of infection was spread through all of the meat, it is a wonder this old brush giant was even able to stand. Much less bully around all of the younger buck as evident by when he showed up all the young bucks split ASAP.
My story is only half of the story though over the next two days I get to see the elusive giant my dad is chasing. The buck was holding to no kind of pattern whatsoever, the original game plan was thrown away in favor of a new game plan. We ended up with my dad and his guide in one stand, me in another, and the landowner and Brandon is two others. In the end the land owner spotted the giant and my dad and his guide had to get across the ranch in a hurry which included a spirited drive across the pasture in which I was sitting. I swear the F-250 went through that pasture going at least 60MPH, it would have made any rally racer smile. They arrived just in time and the giant gave my dad an opportunity and he took it. His buck ended up scoring just a hair over 175".
Neither of us could have been more pleased with how those hunts turned out, it was a hunt of a lifetime and we will both be hunting with El Sapo again. The memories alone where worth the price of the trip, I was able to be with my dad when he fulfilled his dream of more than 50 years of killing a 160+" buck.
Photos to come as TexAgs/my computer are acting funny
