tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13331894366162906312024-02-07T07:15:07.434-08:00Hunting Tips, Questions, Stories & DiscussionFocusing on managing Texas wildlife habitat and natural resources for native and exotic wild game species, for this and future generation of hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-34794481460553942152014-07-15T15:22:00.000-07:002014-07-15T15:28:19.709-07:00WIN AN AXIS TROPHY HUNT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjul7fADMpvrTZCH7IPUmq9s8p7oVv8rU-DXZbhBviIr0hJP6fby-MCpSTLZiqa6_-0fHB9rVs_PcRKFzblXUZ8xV8H9CXOTS_cQvq_zE9a5MJyryDynQaBmtJMFGCiqjAl2abQqtXbZ4py/s1600/axis+contest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjul7fADMpvrTZCH7IPUmq9s8p7oVv8rU-DXZbhBviIr0hJP6fby-MCpSTLZiqa6_-0fHB9rVs_PcRKFzblXUZ8xV8H9CXOTS_cQvq_zE9a5MJyryDynQaBmtJMFGCiqjAl2abQqtXbZ4py/s1600/axis+contest.JPG" height="602" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-1083557470093035452012-09-17T20:37:00.001-07:002012-09-17T20:40:36.189-07:00Let's Get Ready!<br />
Hope everyone had a productive summer and is looking forward to hunting season. I know that we at Escondido Ranch couldn't be more pleased with the weather throughout the summer because it brought us more rain than expected and the animals are looking fabulous. The bucks are carrying more mass than ever before and the does are sporting sleek, shiny coats.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Io4EO6G7wXHkg-hVINKVUXh3Gu1ue5bEsIzf_It9I_c9PviaZ_zB3__8pGQ51iy3JnivOn42N5ombjn8ssqb8j33IgPl92L_y8Yuidut0jQkxSQbvlLrVoQlUaMWWpxxMQnf74_xXowY/s1600/whitetailbucksweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Io4EO6G7wXHkg-hVINKVUXh3Gu1ue5bEsIzf_It9I_c9PviaZ_zB3__8pGQ51iy3JnivOn42N5ombjn8ssqb8j33IgPl92L_y8Yuidut0jQkxSQbvlLrVoQlUaMWWpxxMQnf74_xXowY/s200/whitetailbucksweb.jpg" width="200" /></a>We've been very busy this summer and we hope you will enjoy the new blinds that were built over the past few months. You can enjoy more space and a better view from our newly constructed blinds. If you've been a guest at our ranch before you know that there is always an abundance of wildlife and this year is even better. <br />
<br />
The ranch has over 20 bow and rifle blinds that overlook river crossings and food plot/feeding areas. So it doesn't matter what you prefer we will have you covered. We also enjoy a good 'spot and stalk' if the situation calls for it. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVb2jvx7jBbsyOey_HS28YOGCN5mBV1VelRS_VaUq-9n4CxVbbT72Px9eeuKqT3Nn8SJenC3yjJmHMZT4Bx-iU18CBv-oAVFp7giIH7kBeOWHUOk3lGGqY0GWFY71g17ODOywk5FAwW5oL/s1600/droptinebuckweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVb2jvx7jBbsyOey_HS28YOGCN5mBV1VelRS_VaUq-9n4CxVbbT72Px9eeuKqT3Nn8SJenC3yjJmHMZT4Bx-iU18CBv-oAVFp7giIH7kBeOWHUOk3lGGqY0GWFY71g17ODOywk5FAwW5oL/s200/droptinebuckweb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Some of our whitetail bucks are boasting antlers that will score in the 180's. We have numerous whitetail bucks that will score as 'Management Bucks' (under 140") also. You will have the opportunity to hunt any whitetail buck that will fit your budget.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTirRg8DIiyKWjs4V4uUFor6ocCJv4I_pifOGI4aJZ1Xgb0_JP3Lagol6axExVBsMhkvouYJS8zNdA6rZQXDY9Y2ui83FRsiYkQcIGDVKO-THHddTbyDOCKINn59J8eWgm1h5n1zARi2t/s1600/fallowweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTirRg8DIiyKWjs4V4uUFor6ocCJv4I_pifOGI4aJZ1Xgb0_JP3Lagol6axExVBsMhkvouYJS8zNdA6rZQXDY9Y2ui83FRsiYkQcIGDVKO-THHddTbyDOCKINn59J8eWgm1h5n1zARi2t/s200/fallowweb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The same goes for our 'Exotic' species. Fallow deer are becoming more and more popular and if you are looking to harvest a nice mature fallow buck you will certainly have the opportunity. Fallow deer have a European descent but they have become very prominent here in the hill country of Texas. <br />
<br />
Its not called 'The Most Beautiful Deer in the World' for nothing. Escondido Ranch is home to several herds of Axis deer. They say that there is more Axis deer living in Texas than in their original country of India and I believe it. These deer not only are the prettiest to look at but also eat like a 'filet Mignon.' Their beautiful red coat with white spots really stand out among other exotics. The Axis bucks have been 'braying' throughout the summer during their peak breeding season and I can tell you that some of these bucks are 'MONSTERS.' These 'big boys' can have main beam lengths in excess of 35 inches. Not only do they make a great trophy but they taste as good as a beef fillet. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAl8PhYK5jdk3-ZHxYV5rAO9j3rGtOWMDXA-yg54guxHm79_DMsY4ilixrHcT4WjL4h_mAwQs78p5gF4Yes-gofyxBPYDTMcEh-HYBuCeZVIAGN6_0eeLobabQF1OFgauaozj0rF48GY8/s1600/aoudadramweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAl8PhYK5jdk3-ZHxYV5rAO9j3rGtOWMDXA-yg54guxHm79_DMsY4ilixrHcT4WjL4h_mAwQs78p5gF4Yes-gofyxBPYDTMcEh-HYBuCeZVIAGN6_0eeLobabQF1OFgauaozj0rF48GY8/s200/aoudadramweb.jpg" width="143" /></a></div>
Aoudad Sheep have always been one of my favorite species. They are so unique and elusive. With their long 'chaps' (hair on bottom side of neck and chest) blowing in the wind and handlebar-curled horns they truly speak the word 'Exotic.' They have a mysterious way about them that can never be tamed. They originated in North Africa but many herds now make their home in the hill country part of Texas. We have some really nice rams that will stretch a tape measure to 30 inches and carry 'chaps' that literally drag the ground when they walk. <br />
<br />
An exotic ranch wouldn't be complete without the gorgeous Black Buck antelope. The bucks have been busy this year breeding our does and establishing their 'jet black' coats. Some of our bucks are working on their 4th curl and are getting close to 20 inches of horn. These little guys make a trophy hunters collection complete. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSu_u8JUOQQpDY6-IX4-jPqUtsgZretNruxTiyszDwFC9RuN2ja-QZUXX7MoLIPm0dOnHyar_kBn3BgKO1UBWZh4xQd1EZrpQEOPu5plRqPWaIdEj6DryyLO8mL_fYiMbTp589rWNyQbbH/s1600/bullelkweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSu_u8JUOQQpDY6-IX4-jPqUtsgZretNruxTiyszDwFC9RuN2ja-QZUXX7MoLIPm0dOnHyar_kBn3BgKO1UBWZh4xQd1EZrpQEOPu5plRqPWaIdEj6DryyLO8mL_fYiMbTp589rWNyQbbH/s200/bullelkweb.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
If your into 'Big Game' animals and like Rocky Mountain Elk you will enjoy seeing some superior bulls that have big 7X7 frames. They are bugling as we speak. Its quite a serene sound to wake up in the morning to several bugling elk at Escondido Ranch. <br />
<br />
Come visit us this year and be treated like family as you eye witness these amazing animals.<br />
<br />
Check out our new videos on our website that showcase all the wildlife we have been seeing recently: <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/escondido-hunting-videos-62.htm">http://www.escondidoranch.com/escondido-hunting-videos-62.htm</a><br />
<br />
<br />escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-48111257644065672602012-02-27T16:41:00.004-08:002012-02-27T16:54:52.196-08:00Wounded Warrior Eric Edmundson Returns To Escondido RanchDescribing a trip to <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch </a>is best done by using your senses:<br /><br />First of all, the sights are phenomenal! It is Texas hill country at it's finest. The <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-guided-hunting-ranch-31.htm">challenge</a> to find the animals will test the finest hunter.<br /><br />The sounds of the ranch go from complete silence to thes ound of the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-34.htm">Axis deer </a>or an <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/exotic-elk-hunting-in-texas-48.htm">Elk</a>. You cannot beat it!The smell of fresh air and the outdoors stay with you as you hunt in a variety of settings throughout the ran<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RrWml42ZuZ1uFlB1_bZ-3e1wFEcSI9LYoRq4FWqw-kbyrLxA3IzRbNbuG2w3wJGZsdzCPG_-yqa-l6D-lQSkNdE5Jx6JGE2kOdpeO_nGbZWWgrSsBQPwvydzQZCur1Z41naR0lyEXT4U/s1600/ericwewb.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713982846344540050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RrWml42ZuZ1uFlB1_bZ-3e1wFEcSI9LYoRq4FWqw-kbyrLxA3IzRbNbuG2w3wJGZsdzCPG_-yqa-l6D-lQSkNdE5Jx6JGE2kOdpeO_nGbZWWgrSsBQPwvydzQZCur1Z41naR0lyEXT4U/s320/ericwewb.JPG" /></a>ch.<br /><br />You can feel the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/escondido-ranch-history-21.htm">ruggedness of the land </a>as you go about the ranch by foot or ATV.<br /><br />Finally, the taste. Food is exceptionally made and served in family style to give you every opportunity to share the stories of the hunt of the day with others.<br /><br />I am grateful to be able to come back to Escondido Ranch. Thank you Kurt and Betty for the opportunity! We hunted hard, saw some great animals and got a chance to once again experience Texas! The animals lived another day but we have great memories.<br /><br />Thanks again,<br />Ericescondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-86724177380547603542012-02-27T14:11:00.002-08:002012-02-27T14:31:17.196-08:00Texas Youth Hunting! What it's all about!To all the wonderful people at <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch</a>,<br /><br />Having just spent part of the weekend at your facility with my twelve year old grandson, during the Texas Youth Hunting Association hunt, I wanted to write and tell you what a wonderful time Clay and I had. You folks run a very top-notch operation. Everyone connected with your facility is gracious, kind and thoroughly professional beyond words. The way you treated the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/youth-ranch-hunts-40.htm">young hunters </a>was simply marvelous. I know that Clay was excited for weeks about this opportunity and came away from it with nothing but wonderful memories. I certainly did!<br /><br />Our first hunt of the day was not successful from a shooting perspective, but when you are literally surrounded for over an hour by huge <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/elk-trophies-and-hunts-33.htm">bull elk</a>, it is pretty difficult to consider it a wasted morning. What a fantastic experience to watch bull elk banging antlers and playing with a Sika buck for literally an hour. Wow! When a twelve year old boy is just in awe it is a pretty special thing and doubly so for his grandfather who gets to witness all this with him.<br /><br />During our late afternoon hunt we didn’t see anything right away and it looked for a little while like we may not get any chances to shoot. Then all of a sudden a huge <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-34.htm">Axis buck </a>gradually walked across our field of view. We were not hunting <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-hunt-20.htm">Axis</a>, so once again we simply sat back and quietly were in awe of this beautiful animal. This old grandfather was so proud to watch his young grandson simply enjoy the opportunity to see something so special. Once again I cannot that you enough. It is a memory we both shall have forever.<br /><br />Dusk was quickly approaching and yet no <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">Whitetail</a> or Sika had made an appearance. Then like magic there they were! Two doe and a small Sika spike. Because of your wonderful generosity in allowing our youth to take a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/sika-does-hunting-season-69.htm">Sika doe</a>, Clay was ready. After a little discussion with the guide on which deer to shoot, I handed the 243 shell to Clay which he quietly loaded and then raised his gun. With grandpa far more nervous that he was, he gently squeezed off the round. One hundred twenty five yards away a Sika doe fell over sideways. He had put the bullet right through the heart. After being picked up by your crew we proceeded back to camp. Once again your organization was extremely professional as Clay’s Sika was dressed out, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/taxidermy-100.htm">skinned</a> and hung up in the cooler.<br /><br />This was just truly a spectacular experience for this grandfather and grandson. Thank you so very much.<br /><br />You certainly have my permission to use this as a testimonial and I am more than happy to recommend Escondido Ranch to all hunters!<br /><br />Gary H.<br />Enid, OKescondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-19559368915503159262012-01-25T07:07:00.000-08:002012-01-25T07:15:39.077-08:00Buck of My LifeFrom opening day until Nov. 28, 2004, I let several <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">young bucks </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm">small hogs </a>walk into and out of my sights. I had my <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">single buck </a>tag ready, hoping that one of the big ones would make that fatal mistake. On Nov. 28, in Goliad County, Texas, a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">wide-racked buck </a>did just that. I have been on <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">this deer </a>lease for four seasons now, and I have seen my share of bucks and hogs. I'm not much of an antler hunter, but I've never seen such a beautiful buck. So I could not pass up this opportunity.<br /><br />On Saturday, Nov. 27, Tino Ramirez's guest, Robert Ramirez from San Antonio, and I had seen this <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">massive buck </a>chasing<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm"> does </a>and smaller bucks in the middle pasture. Robert and I walked down to the fence line, trying to get a better view. The bucks' antlers were wide and dark brown with a small kicker on the left side. We watched that buck for 1 1/2 hours. We could even hear it snort. I said to Robert, Man, that would be <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">the buck </a>of a lifetime to shoot. As the evening came to an end, so did the hunt. While leaving the pasture, we saw <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">the buck </a>run off and jump over the fence.<br /><br />The next morning, as sunlight reflected off the shadows of the game feeder, I saw three does. Suddenly they all ran off, and out from my left came a big, wide buck. He was walking slowly toward the feeder. I got out my binoculars. I could not believe my eyes! It was the <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">same buck </a>I had seen in the pasture Saturday. I tried to stay calm and take several deep breaths, but I couldn't. I could hear my heart pound in my chest and thought it was going to come out. After viewing this monster, there was no doubt I was going to take him. He was walking slowly toward the feeder. I let him get through the barbed wire fence and used my range-finder to get an accurate yardage to the feeder. He was 60 yards away. I lined up my crosshairs and aimed for the shoulder. BOOM! After the shot, I looked out of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">the deer </a>blind window and said to myself, I know you didn't miss. I secured my rifle and climbed down the blind. I approached the feeder slowly with adrenaline pumping like crazy.<br /><br />When I saw the massive rack, I howled, YES! YES! Back at camp, my dad, Gene Garcia, and father-in-law, Duane Mac Payne, had heard the shot. They were waiting for me. We headed back to where my <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">monster buck</a> lay. It was so heavy that it took all three of us to load it on the basket. Since I was going to have a shoulder mount made, I was very careful while skinning. I called my hunting buddy, James Doodle Jarnigan, and told him about <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">my buck</a>. He was in Michigan at the time and said he was very happy for me and proud of me. The way I see it, it's just being there at the right time and the right place. It was an awesome and memorable day in my life and I got to share it with my dad and father-in-law. I will never forget it. My daughter, Emily, told me that she wants to go hunting with me. I've taken her before and she really enjoyed seeing <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">the deer</a>, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">hogs</a>, and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/rio-grande-texas-turkey-hunts-17.htm">birds</a> coming to the feeder. I plan on taking Emily this season.<br /><br />Hopefully she will be able to harvest a <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">nice buck </a>and get it mounted. I want her to remember the times we spent together and how to appreciate the outdoors. I took<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> my buck </a>to be processed at A&A Processing, and had<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> my buck </a>mounted by Tom Eyler, at South Texas Taxidermy. They do a super job with the processing and mounting. My 13-point buck scored 159 5/8 Boone and Crockett, and had an amazing 21 1/2-inch spread. David Garcia Corpus Christi, Texasescondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-82544638994071603902012-01-20T07:04:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:15:37.629-08:00A Great West Texas HuntIt was Thanksgiving weekend in 2001 I had been invited to hunt West Texas on a privately owned ranch. I had never hunted and was a little apprehensive about what to expect. We arrived Wednesday afternoon we had a surprised greeting by the ranch owner who informed us he had just purchased land next to the ranch making his ranch over two thousand acres. He invited us to take a ride after we got settled in to look at his new property to see if we wanted to hunt on it or on his older property. He said the new land had not been hunted on for a few years because of illness to the past owner and there may be some big surprises on it.<br /><br />We were then taken to the bunkhouse that would be our home for a few days, after we unloaded our things I was taken out back given a safety talk about safe hunting and handed a 308 rifle, after a safety lesson on safe usage and care I was told to shoot at the target which was a paper plate with a x marked on it. I received step by step guidance as I amid and took three shots, two on the right of center and one to the left all within a 1 1/2in circle. I must say I was disappointed on missing the center a little pride thing with several experienced hunters watching; however, I was declared ready to hunt and we were told to meet at the truck and bring our rifles because you never know what you might see. I was told to set up front so could receive more safety information they wanted to help me to make sure I had a good time, learned the safe way to hunt and take home some meat.<br /><br />We drove around the older property seeing beautiful <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">White Tails </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-hunt-20.htm">Axis bucks</a>, we also saw a lot of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hunting-fallow-does-at-texas-game-ranches-70.htm">Fallow</a>, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-34.htm">Axis</a> and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">Whitetail does</a>. We then started to look at the newly acquired land; we had driven around about fifteen minutes as we started making a right turn we all froze. Just off to the right about seventy five yards in a clearing were <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">five large bucks </a>circling with <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">a doe</a> in the middle. At first they did not see us; <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">the doe </a>was trying to find an opening to run however every time she moved the bucks countered by making the circle smaller. They were acting like a pack of wolfs slowly circling the pray. The <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">doe </a>notice us first turning her head; <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">two buck </a>directly in front of her turned their heads to see what she was looking at. That was all the opening she needed. She darted between them before they could react. Four of <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">the bucks </a>flinched looking at her then back to us, the fifth one never moved.<br /><br />Finally one of <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">the bucks </a>turned to chase the doe with the other three following. The fifth buck a big 8 point was still standing frozen. I was told to slowly rack in a bullet and to slowly get ready to take a shot. Everyone was frozen watching with anticipation on my first attempt to shoot <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">a deer</a>. I was talked through each movement and finally took the shot. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">The buck </a>lurched forward and took about twenty steps then dropped. My heart was pounding as we approached <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">the deer</a>, everyone had remain quite until we stood there looking down at this magnificent animal. Finally the silence was broken when someone said you're hooked now and I think you lying about not ever hunted, that was a good shot. We all laughed but could not believe what we had just witnessed and to have that buck just stand there as if he was saying here I am waiting on you take your shot. They were right I was hooked by the time the weekend was over.<br /><br />We had a great weekend with each of us killing <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">several deer</a>. I killed a<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm"> fallow </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">white tail doe </a>and missed a shot at <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-rio-grande-texas-turkey-37.htm">a turkey</a>. I took a lot of kidding that weekend about not being truthful about not ever hunting. Although it is hard to beat your first hunting experience I always looking forward to my next hunt and what surprise it may bring.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-19742791805876978822012-01-18T05:56:00.000-08:002012-01-18T06:34:04.101-08:00Cold MorningIt was cold that morning. I want to say the red line of the rusty outdoor thermometer was nestled in close to twenty-two degrees, but it was too frosted over to tell for sure. The specifics didn't matter. My companion told me all I needed to know, her head cocked, quizzically staring into the thickly frozen surface of her water bowl. Friends like these, huh girl? I muttered as I scratched her head and turned to walk back into the cabin, thinking murderous thoughts about a certain Houston weatherman and his consistent inconsistency.<br /><br />This cold front had arrived a day early. The dog padded behind me into <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/main-house-accomodations-51.htm">the cabin</a>, equally disgusted with the whole thing. We stood side-by-side under the dim light of a naked bulb and stared at the meager contents of my bag. White cotton socks. Thin pants. I suddenly understood what Robert Shaw meant in Jaws when he growled, We're gonna need a bigger boat. With no boats, figurative or otherwise, at my immediate disposal, I settled for layering and put into action a time honored move called, Put On Everything You Got. Snugged, cinched, and buckled, I poured the last of the coffee into a styrofoam cup and gingerly stepped out into the blackness. Twenty steps after the cabin door clicked shut behind me and I was already losing my nerve. The wind was up, whipping out of the northeast with the fresh urgency of a new front. I fumbled with gloved hands for the Jeep key as the last of the cabin's warmth was blasted out of me. At that moment, on any other day, I'd have tucked tail and been back in the sleeping bag faster than you can say hypothermia.<br /><br />Nature's a tough mama, and going toe to toe with her over 22 degrees and a stiff north wind usually puts you on some end of the losing stick. That dark, icy morning and I were engaged in a hand-to-hand battle of wills, but it was only the undercard in a much larger fight. Today was different. Today was the day I would confront HIM. I'd spent most of the season staring at little more than signs of his ghostly passing. The blind was on the north end of the East Texas lease, perched on the edge of a small pipeline overlooking a creek bottom. It was a quiet side of the property, densely wooded with very little traffic. The perfect hideout for any <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">buck</a> wise enough to know so. The scrapes were already there in October, dotting the eastern tree line. It didn't take much scouting to spot the two rubs on another trail, both trees over six inches in diameter. His rutting sign was everywhere and was revisited and freshened with such manic frequency that you could sense his hysteria.<br /><br />The monster is here, lurking somewhere in this area. And he's lovesick. We've played our chess match all season, the waiting game that ensues between hunter and hunted. In my favor is his desire <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/texas-whitetail-deer-for-sale-6.htm">to breed</a>, a primal force constantly gnawing at him to ignore the safety of his thicket and venture out into the open. In his favor is patience, experience, and the light of a full moon. As the season progresses, the stakes raise. Time is a factor and it's all on his side. I've logged hours upon hours in this blind, with little more to show for it than chapped lips and stiff legs. He's elusive, this one, but he's still here. Tracks appear in the sandy road over night, and does in the area are still skittish, very much in heat. Come hell, high water, 22 degrees or a stiff breeze, we're having this out today. I find the Jeep key, jam it into the ignition with renewed purpose and head north. I ease into the area with plenty of darkness left and am positioned before daybreak. The wind eases slightly but persists nonetheless, carrying my scent away from the creek bottom. Advantage hunter.<br /><br />I reach down to my right and check the gun. Everything is primed as first light washes over the pipeline. It starts with something as small as a nagging feeling in the back of your mind. Something is not as it should be. The tree lines are empty, branches slowly swaying in the morning wind. The pipeline is empty. I chalk it up to early morning jitters, or maybe too much coffee. But it won't go away. Something is here. I cut my eyes from left tree line to right, desperate for an indicator, rifle now in my lap. And just like that, in one single hair-raising instant, he's standing on the edge of the pipeline. Time slows down, and I struggle to confine the franticness of my movements within a hunter's calm. That old familiar feeling of blood hammering through veins hits me like a freight train. Months of planning, scouting and sitting do little to ease magnitude of the moment, and I struggle to contain my breathing as I find the monster in the scope. I whisper my father's advice like a mantra in my head, squeeze the trigger, squeeze the trigger, squeeze the trigger. Everything culminates in the roar of the .7mm-08, and just as quickly as the moment is upon me, it's over. He scored 144 B.C., and to this day remains <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">the deer </a>I am most proud of. I never listened to that weather man again.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-88451306740091816212012-01-13T07:24:00.000-08:002012-01-13T07:38:51.085-08:00A Deer Hunting Trip RememberedI imagine the hunting trips of my youth compare to numerous others hunting trips. By the time I was old enough to hunt, my father and grandfather did not have <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">deer</a> hunting property nor were they on a yearly deer lease. So, I would often go hunting with my father when he was invited by business acquaintances and his friends; or, the three of us would go and my grandfather would pay for day hunts or a day lease. The later of our options (day/day lease hunting) would result in several possible outcomes: a fun trip (successful or not), an interesting trip or a disastrous adventure. Of all the hunting adventures I remember from my youth, two disastrous adventures stand out and one of those is <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">deer</a> hunting related.<br /><br />Whether or not my grandfather heard of this place from a friend or found the advertisement in the newspaper, I do not know. But, considering the final outcome, I would imagine no friend would refer us there. Sure, he called about it before he paid the initial payment. He was a money conscious man; he wouldn't have just paid that amount of money without at least speaking to the owners/leasers about it first. Unfortunately, a phone call to a place in deep Southwest Texas will only net you what the leaser wants to disclose; and, it's pretty hard to verify that without seeing it firsthand. So, in the days before Google Earth, Yahoo topography maps and Yelp or other online review sites, my grandfather had nothing to go on besides what he heard on the phone. And, apparently, that was enough to convince him. Since we do not have that initial advertisement, I imagine it was something like this: ATTENTION Hunters: 100,000 Acres. Managed Property. Limited hunting for past 10 years. LOTS of deer. Luxury Accommodations. Gourmet Food. For Information Call: ***-***-****.<br /><br />This adventure started like countless others we had with the exception that one of my cousins was going hunting with us. We left the day before a holiday; my parents were not of the opinion to check me out of classes for days at a time for frivolous trips. [You should know my dad always went prepared for a trip. We took almost anything you could imagine.] This trip, as there were four of us, we hauled all of our gear in a basic covered trailer behind my grandfather's mid 90's model Suburban. We started for Kerrville on old I-10 and made our way towards one of my favorite places to eat, and ultimately towards our reminiscently disastrous and funny adventure. Almost every deer hunting trip, my father/grandfather would stop at one of two restaurants; they became some of my favorite places to eat because I began to associate them with our time together, in addition to the restaurant's good food and atmosphere.<br /><br />Those two restaurants were The Little Red Barn in San Antonio and Anna Marie's Alpine Lodge and Hotel in Kerrville. Since I have family in San Antonio, I still eat at The Little Red Barn, though not often. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the name of the one in Kerrville; so, I called the Kerrville Visitor's Center to see if they could help and they provided me with the name used in this story. When we stopped in Kerrville, we found an ominous sight. The restaurant, one of my favorites, was inaccessible. We discovered that someone had set the Lodge and Hotel portion on fire (bystander's remarks) interesting and the restaurant was blocked by what appeared to be all the fire trucks and police cars in Kerrville. Since we couldn't get our truck and trailer in the parking lot, we ate elsewhere. I forgot where we ate instead; apparently it was not memorable. After eating, we proceeded on our way. I remember it seemed like we were driving through the same scene for hours; it was just one constant stream of flat ground and limited hills of desert-like landscape.<br /><br />One of my favorite games from these trips was <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">deer </a>spotting; and, it's still one of my favorite things to do when on a trip through Texas, or anywhere. I'd simply see how many <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">deer</a> I could count, especially when we were near the place where we were going to hunt. This time, I thought I saw deer everywhere. Looking back, it was probably just the landscape playing tricks on my eyes, or all <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">the deer </a>that were scared away from our destination (but, I am getting ahead of myself). After what seemed like an eternity (I was young), we arrived at dusk. We drove through the long entry way to a ranch-style house where a ton of vehicles were parked. We went in and my grandfather paid. First major clue (if you don't count the vehicles): we were invited to the remainder of the gourmet evening meal: spaghetti pasta stained with red sauce lumped together in a basic sauce pan on top of a stove with a spiral burner in a very mundane and small kitchen, which was nowhere near gourmet. Needless to say, we declined.<br /><br />After that, we were shown to the stellar accommodations. Second major clue: bunk beds stacked 3 high in a 10am ceiling room. Once we got our things stowed for the evening, we talked a little and then got into bed. My cousin was on the bottom bunk, I was in the middle bunk and my dad decided to have the top bunk because it was the hardest to get in (and because I think he worried that I would roll out). To say there was limited space doesn't even come close to the truth. There was little space on the bottom two beds, but the person on top got to sleep with the ceiling less than 2ft from his face. And, at the time, my dad was a pretty large man and him getting on the top bunk to begin with was treacherous. He thought, though he didn't tell me at the time, that he was going to fall through the bunk springs, crush me and have to explain my injuries to my mom. With the three of us squeezed together in one place, my grandfather slept in a different bunking system close by.<br /><br />In the morning, we discovered my grandfather was missing. We looked for him everywhere. My dad was in borderline panic mode at this point: after a night of fitful sleeping, worrying that he might break the bed and crush his son, he woke up to realize his father-in-law has gone missing in the middle of nowhere. Then, my dad decided to check the truck and found him. My grandfather had taken to the truck because the snoring was so loud and decided to spend the evening sleeping in a vehicle without the heater running and the outside ambient temperature falling to about freezing. Third major clue: After locating my grandfather, getting suited up for the morning hunt and getting our gear organized, we met at least 2 dozen people outside the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/main-house-accomodations-51.htm">ranch house. </a><br /><br />We were instructed to divide up between 2 pickup trucks and squeeze at least a dozen of us in the bed of each truck. Our truck drove us through the property (following the first) and eventually split up at a fork. Our truck drove maybe 100 yards from the fork and stopped. They let a person out and drove about another 100 yards, stopped to let another get out, and drove on. This went on until it was our turn. When it was our turn, we got out and received limited directions to the stand. And, before we made it 5 yards off the road, the truck commenced its routine and left us in the dark. Thankfully we made it to the blind without a mishap. That morning, we neither saw any <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">deer</a> nor did we hear anyone in the endless countryside fire a weapon. So, we chit-chatted and we both read a book.<br /><br />Regardless of our trip's outcome, our purpose in going was to get away, spend time together and enjoy God's Country; if we were lucky and skilled enough to kill an animal, it was a plus, but it wasn't a need. Sure, my dad and I always hoped of shooting a mature, hug-racked <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">buck</a>, but our trips were worth more than that. I admit, initially I just wanted to go hunting with my dad; but, as I aged, so did my perspective. There's just something indescribable about being away from a city and being in the woods, or desert in this case. It's relaxing, but you really do appreciate how wonderfully amazing God made our planet. And, in my case and my father's, we haven't been on a hunting trip together since I was completing my undergraduate degree in 2000. For me, I haven't been <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">deer hunting </a>since 2002, almost 10 years ago. I miss my time in the woods, the alone time and bonding time; I miss the time I was able to spend with my dad most of all. Even with all the other types of hunting, my dad and I never seem to have the same off days. Getting back on track and back to our adventure, we continued to hunt that evening and the next morning without either set of hunters (me and my dad, my cousin and grandfather) seeing anything.<br /><br />I don't think I saw a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">single deer </a>killed in the entire camp the first day and a half we were there. The second evening, my dad and I finally heard a shot ring out over the flatness. And, as we were going through the evening pickups, we discovered my cousin had shot <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">a deer</a>, but he had gut-shot the deer. I love my cousin, but in the two trips he took with us, he gut-shot<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> two deer </a>(one on each trip). In this case, we searched for a half an hour and couldn't find any sign of a trail. So, we were left to our only option, return to the cabin empty handed. The next morning marked our last morning and last hunt. Like the last couple days, with the exception of the prior night, no one saw a single deer. My cousin and grandfather were in the same location as the previous night, so they eventually gave up on sitting and started looking for the deer again; we found them at it when we came to pick them up.<br /><br />When we got back to the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/main-house-accomodations-50.htm">luxury accommodations</a>, we packed up and were about to leave when we saw 4 guys on an elevated platform return from hunting. Even with their platform and their guide, none of them saw a deer. (As for my cousin's <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">deer</a>, they found it a couple days later. It was about the size of a Great Dane before it was dressed.) Leaving, we took the same route home as we took to this luxurious ranch. We stopped in Kerrville again to try that restaurant to find that someone had set fire to the Lodge again. We decided to eat somewhere else, and it was as memorable as the previous place. When we finally made it home, initially our morale was low. But, with the passing of time and the more we tell this story adventure that has transformed from a disaster to something that will forever be remembered in the annals of our family's hunting history, especially among those hunting trips shared by my grandfather, my father and me.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-48631734665354871282012-01-10T06:45:00.000-08:002012-01-10T06:51:35.500-08:00Life's Lessons in the Deer BlindI don't think that I had ever felt that cold in my entire life, at least in those first nine years. I don't believe I had ever been outside on so cold a day so early in the morning as I was on December 31, 1988. Being nine years old, I didn't really have much basis for comparison, but I will never forget how absolutely cold I felt that morning. I honestly think what made the experience so much worse for me was that I was really down on myself because I had already missed one deer the previous morning. Disappointment and cold make a fine recipe for discomfort, at least in the 9 year old mind. I'd never really been deer hunting before either. I'd never had to sit stone silent in a blind, never had to travel in a car for 7 hours anywhere, and never experienced the elements as I had that weekend.<br /><br />As I look back on it, however, I feel like I learned a lot of valuable lessons on that trip to the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch</a>. The first lesson was one that has stuck with me for the longest time: disappointment. The single most humbling thing my nine year old mind had experienced prior to that weekend was striking out four times in a row in a little league game. While the pre-adolescent male ego can certainly be shattered by such a traumatic series of plate appearances, little does more to deflate that same ego than going on a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">deer hunt</a>, firing your rifle in the bitter cold, and having nothing to show for it save a bruise to the left shoulder and a boot full of cactus spines.<br /><br />The latter came from my own personal attempt at refining the art of sulking while pretending to track the non-existent blood trail I swore was there. For me, defeat was not an option. There was <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">a deer </a>on the ground somewhere and I intended to find it. Second, I learned the value of spending time with your family. My father and I were spending that weekend hunting together and Dad assured me that we were going to be successful. I, however, had succeeded so far in shooting a tree stump (I think), stepping in a prickly pear cactus, and nearly falling into the river in sub-freezing temperatures. I was great company to be around. I finally realized how foolishly I was acting when someone asked me how many <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">deer </a>I thought that they had shot at and missed in their lifetime. I was about to reply with something rather smart-alecky when I realized it was my dad asking the question.<br /><br />I also realized that I was spending a very special trip focusing on things that I couldn't control when I should really have been making the most of an opportunity to be with my father. Looking back, I realize now just how special that trip would be. The final lesson I learned on that trip was the value of perseverance. After missing the <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">first deer</a>, I decided I couldn't shoot straight, I didn't know how to use a scope, and that I would most likely never actually <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">kill a deer.</a> There was a part of me that was ready to pack my stuff up, ask to go home, and I was close to deciding that I'd never go hunting again. It's very easy to view yourself as a failure, especially when you haven't been a success to date. I just needed a little inspiration, and that came from my dad. He told me how his <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">first deer hunt </a>was not the resounded success I had imagined it to be. He shared that he too had missed his share of deer, and that the real test is how everyone deals with their setbacks.<br /><br />It was then that I realized failure wasn't missing <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">the deer</a>; failure was not going out and trying to get the next one. I did end up shooting my first deer on that cold morning of December 31, and it's a memory I will cherish forever. I am grateful to my father for taking me on that first hunt, and it's one of those things I can't wait to share with my own children someday. That hunt was a unique time for my father and me to share, and that <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">first deer </a>is a memory that will last a lifetime.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-69174103983901749872012-01-10T06:38:00.000-08:002012-01-10T06:44:38.580-08:00First year of using a bow to deer huntThis is not my first year to <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">deer hunt </a>with a bow but it has been my first to be succesful with a bow. A few years back I was on a lease in montgomery county were I first tried to bow hunt, didnt realy know what I was doing but tried it out set up in a chair in some bushes near a trail were deer had been coming through. There was a trail in front of me that also came accroos the trail that i had set up on and as you would know it this is were <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">the deer </a>came from, so all i could do was sit there as the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">first deer</a> came it was a doe she snorted and stommped and would run back then walk back up to me and do it all over again. This went on for a least 10 to 15 minutes and all i could do was watch for she was right in front of me looking directly at me.<br /><br />Finally she left and all I could do was think why did I set up were I did and catch my breath from trying to sit so still and not move all the while,while she did her dance in front of me trying to get me to move. Then after all that I got to watch a decent 8 pointer come down the same trail and walk right past me and again all I could do was sit and watch couldnt move because they all had came down the trail that I didnt expect them to come from but as we all know that as is hunting or fishing you never know were they will be from day to day but you know they are always there. Well that lease was sold out from under us and hadnt hunted much for a few years but starting to get back into it now with my 13 year old son went in july and he shot a<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-aoudad-barbary-sheep-45.htm"> Aoudad </a>and I shot and<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-34.htm"> axis </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-doe-hunting-43.htm">doe axis</a>.<br /><br />So after that got my old bow out and started shooting again in the last month I have shot<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> 2 deer</a> and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm">1 hog</a> with my bow and all I want to do now is bow hunt it was such a high the <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">first deer </a>a doe as before i set up on a trail were <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">the deer </a>were coming through and set up in some bushes but after my first experince bow hunting i learned my lesson of were to set up on the trail. I have a 4 PVC feeder that hold 40 pounds of corn so filled it up and went and sit dowm and waited had been there about an hour and the seat was getting uncomfortable so stood up to strech my legs when I noticed behind me were 2 deer standing less than 15 yards away from me watched as they came around the bush and grunted and my first bow shot on<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> a deer </a>and hour later I had my first deer with a bow. After that I shot a 40 pund hog about a week later while spot and stalking hogs made about a 10 yard shot on it while it was walking by.<br /><br />A week later i went back to were i had shot <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">the doe </a>and set up for a morning hunt and had what was a 8 pointer at one time but he had broken off nearly all his horns come in and go to the feeder and then he ran out in front of me and gave me a quartering shot and i made my second bow shot on<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> a deer </a>and all he had left of arack was 1 on one side and 2 points on the other all the rest was broke off but as before it was so exciting to bow hunt, I'm hooked now as befor all I want to do is bow hunt now. This will defently not be my last year to bow hunt ,will be getting my son set up with his bow soon and as I am hope he will catch the bow hunting bug as I have.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-85598135847031452232012-01-05T22:46:00.000-08:002012-01-05T22:56:44.499-08:00Carpe DiemLooking back several years ago to 2008, I can't help but think of an emotional encounter while bow hunting a small private property in the early hours of December. That morning started out just like many other exuberant hunts as I was beginning another journey into the wilderness of unknown certainty. I can think of no other adventure or aspiration than that of the outdoors with the opportunity to broaden my experience with an overwhelming anticipation to hunt. I woke up to a bit of an unusual morning that day at 4am and discovered that the cold front that had passed the previous day had left its arctic grasp in central Texas. Low clouds, high humidity and very cold conditions foreshadowed an exciting quest to hunt. Temperatures were hovering around 19 degrees Fahrenheit with an impenetrable layer of mist that froze to anything on contact. Layered thoroughly as feasibly possible, my body was prepared and my mind was set.<br /><br />The sacrifices made in weather like this proved that my yearning to hunt was second to none. With bow in hand and early morning darkness on my side, I marched to my tripod stand nestled in a concentrated group of oak and cedar which was later nicknamed The Cave. My father and I had come to name this location as The Cave because of the way the trees and substantial cover were situated on a shallow down sloped bank of land. There was only one way in and one way out providing a funnel for an abundance of wildlife to flood through. The tall thick oak trees presented a shadowed canopy that was accompanied by dense cedar filling in the open space below. Situated under a large dominant oak tree was my 12 foot tripod completely oblivious to any wildlife or person around.<br /><br />Established on top and prepared for another opportunity to seize the day, I prepared my mind and body for a long wintery hunt. As the mist settled and froze wherever it landed, my bow soon began to gather a thin film of clear ice. Hunkered down shivering and teeth chattering, I gathered my thoughts and prepped my mind on the potential excitement of what might come. As the sun started to slowly climb out of the eastern sky behind a thick misty morning, I could slowly start to see the shapes and contours of the wilderness around. All senses were on full alert as I knew the prime opportunity was slowly beginning to rise. The faintest of noises were heard as leaves and twigs began to crack below. I knew the moment had arrived. My mind had gathered enough information from my surroundings to know deer were nearby and making their way through this funneled array of dense cover.<br /><br />Excitement within began to rise as my heart beat increased. Anticipation drew near with the possibility of the unknown drawing close. Just as the deer moved from behind a growth of cedar, I couldn't help but think of my first hunt with my father as a child and the awe-inspiring excitement I had. In a matter of seconds, 4 bucks had stepped on scene and provided an opportunity of a lifetime. As light slowly began to gather, I examined each and every buck to determine which one if any was mature enough to harvest. Of the <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">4 bucks </a>that strolled in, 2 were of maturity. I had previously ranged certain distances and knew exactly how far each and every buck was. The wind was low and by my calculations, the buck I had intended to shoot was standing 20 yards away. With every beat of my thumping heart, I slowly gathered my bow in hand and began the incredibly precise approach of locking into my target and pulling back. As I summoned my strength and controlled my breathing as best I could, I began the draw.<br /><br />Frost that had assembled on my bow began to break and as I reached the break on the pull of the icy string, a faint shallow rip of noise alerted <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">the deer</a>. The sound made from the pull can be best described as that of climbing into the saddle sitting on top of my horse. The muffled sound projected through the air just enough to signal the deer and place them on full alert. The break of my draw made just enough noise to scamper the bucks about 10 yards further than what I had mentally ranged them at. I quickly reexamined the distance and determined the bucks were now somewhere between 28-30 yards away. I set my 2nd pin on the mature 8 point and controlled every breath I had. What seemed like minutes, I had registered the distance, took meticulous aim and slowly squeezed my bow release. The arrow flew straight and precise in what seemed like slow motion striking the buck 2 inches behind the shoulder as it stood perfectly broadside. The arrow exited the far side of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">the buck </a>with a new color of crimson red laying several yards beyond the buck. The buck leaped high, kicked with great terror and made a 90 degree turn to run for cover.<br /><br />Exhilarated and beyond belief, I found myself rapidly breathing and rejoiced that I had made a perfect kill shot on the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">mature buck </a>I had always wanted. The unbelievable emotions and uncontrollable trembling that developed was the result of pure resiliency and passionate desire called hunting. I waited for what seemed like hours replaying the previous moments over and over before I ventured out of my stand and began the most anticipated trek to locate this deer I had been so blessed to harvest. With the help of my father's friend, we located the buck approximately 75 yards away from the shot. A swarm of emotions engulfed my thoughts as I marveled at my accomplishment.<br /><br />As with each successful hunt, I gave thanks to God for providing me this gift of an opportunity to hunt and harvest a beautiful animal with which I loved so admirably. My frigid body was overwhelmed with joy as I blessed this hunt to those who had helped me grow into the man I am and teach me what I knew. I feel blessed and gracious for all that I have encountered and want to continue these lessons in life for as long as I can. Hopefully I can soon experience another opportunity like this and share it to my son in the near future. I live to feel this moment and hope for more to come. Carpe diemescondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-41169683544721042122012-01-05T22:34:00.000-08:002012-01-05T22:46:05.167-08:00Whitetail FeverFor decades the pursuit of the North American Whitetail deer has mesmerized hunters all across this wonderful continent. Its amazing to think that one species has demanded this much attention across the hunting world but its true. The <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">whitetail deer </a>continues to lead men, women, and youth into the wilderness year after year in search of their next trophy. Even though a majority of<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm"> whitetail hunting </a>takes place on an individual level there is no denying that families over the years have enjoyed the fellowship and camaraderie that comes with <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">whitetail hunting. </a><br /><br />The stories of a father and son going on a <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">whitetail hunt </a>together will live on for many years to come. If you are involved in the hunting industry in Texas it is no surprise that it has grown immensely in the past few years. Just take a stroll through your local Wal-Mart and browse through the hunting section. When Wal-Mart stores are stocking their shelves in early August with camoflauge clothing, ammunition, and archery supplies for the upcoming hunting season that should tell you a thing or two about the economic impact hunting has on the state of Texas. I believe a good portion of these products are dedicated to<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> whitetail deer </a>hunting. As the industry grows so do opportunities for hunters.<br /><br />For example, some of my friends enjoy hunting public land that is available in their geographic region. This can be rewarding from the standpoint that you may not have a significant amount of money invested when you get the opportunity to harvest your trophy. The downside is that you are at the mercy of other hunters and their ethical and safe hunting habits. This can be a challenge. The shared hunting lease is a popular choice for many because it offers multiple hunters to share the cost of the lease. For instance, a private land owner may have a 2000 acre parcel that they charge $10,000/year for the hunting rights. If you divide that up between 10 people it only costs $1,000/person. Its a popular option for many Texas hunters today. The upside is that its relatively inexpensive to participate in hunting activities that year.<br /><br />Coordinating hunting priority among numerous hunters can be a problem and there are usually several rules that accompany shared leases like these. The chance of harvesting that true giant may be decreased because of the competition of other hunters that share the lease with you. Keep in mind that in addition to the initial lease fee there are hunting leases that do not provide deer feeders, corn, living accommodations, etc....so you end up spending several thousand dollars on the chance to harvest a less than trophy class whitetail buck and you may be disappointed. What seems to be the most popular choice among today's <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">whitetail</a> hunters is the privately owned game ranch. This option provides hunters the opportunity to pursue numerous trophy class whitetail bucks. These ranches usually have professional guides available at no additional charge to assist hunters during the hunt. It takes time to plant the food plots, hang and fill feeders, and maintain the hunting blinds. Time is one thing that the average hunter does not have to perform these necessary steps.<br /><br />Many game ranches around the state are now <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">breeding whitetail deer</a>. Deer breeders are helping the cause by providing superior genetics in the whitetail industry. No matter which avenue you choose to pursue your next whitetail trophy you can be assured that there are few feelings that compare to Buck Fever. Its almost indescribable to someone who has never spent time in the wild outdoors. The only experience that compares is spearing a big fish with my speargun. For me, Buck Fever sets in on the morning I wake up and get ready to climb in the treestand. Whether you're a rifleman or archer the adrenaline is ever present. I've had the pleasure of harvesting <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">whitetail bucks</a> with my rifle and bow and I can honestly say there is no feeling like it in the world. It starts in the spring with the planting of high quality food plots.<br /><br /><a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">Whitetail deer</a> love highly palatable nutritious food plots. Not only are you providing great nutrition to the deer but also a great area to hunt in the fall. Game cameras help hunters keep track of deer they may have seen last year or deer they are interested in hunting this year. You can actually watch deer grow their antlers on these game cameras and it only adds to the anticipation most hunters already have. When summer comes most<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> whitetail bucks</a> are in full velvet and are showing all of their antler characteristics. Its an exciting time of year and it means that hunting season is just a few short months away. For myself opening day is the first weekend in October. Lots of hard work and preparation have been put into the last 9 months and the next 3 months is fun time. Some people might think that sitting in a tree for 3 hours every morning and 3 hours every evening is a waste of time but I couldn't disagree more.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">whitetail buck</a> hunter yearns for nature time. Time that is spent just observing God's wonderful creation. We wait and wait and wait for the antlers to part the brushline. Each breath is counted as our every move from this point on is calculated. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">Whitetail deer </a>are so alert that the slightest mistake can end the hunt quickly. Hunting the wind is imperative during whitetail season. As deer approach I make sure that I know my distances. Once I'm in my treestand I make several reference points with my range finder so I can be ready when the deer get close. Its moments like these that can't be re-created.<br /><br />As a bowhunter we live for moments like this. Its time to clip the release on the D-loop. Once you pull the bow back and get situated on the target time seems to stand still. I literally have forgotten everything up to that point. The mind is so focused at this point you could hear a pin drop. Its like the movie Matrix and everything is in slow motion. All of the work you have done to this point comes down to this shot. As the trigger releases the majestic flight of the arrow takes its path right into the vitals of your target. A few moments go by as you run the shot over and over in your head confirming that an accurate shot was made. The great reward is recovering your deer and knowing you met the challenge of harvesting a great trophy <a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/">whitetail buck</a>. If this does not get your fire started then your wood is wet!!!!!escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-85448205199928741242012-01-04T20:39:00.000-08:002012-01-04T21:02:16.348-08:00Father and SonOur lease is just north of Jasper, TX on the Old Zavalla Hunting Club bordering the Neches River. The lanes are narrow and the cover thick. You quickly learn that opportunities are few and far between and that each deer must be assessed sometimes with only seconds to make a decision or you may never see it again. The day started out as any other, with one exception the same young boy who had to be poked and prodded to get up for school practically jumped out of bed at the first subtle sound of the alarm clock. He was the first to the sink and actually brushed his teeth without being told. As the other men rubbed their eyes and sat on the edge of the bed adjusting to the light Brandon threw on his camouflage and boots and rushed downstairs to be the first to eat breakfast. You could see the excitement in his eyes and hear it in his voice; I on the other hand couldn't stop wondering who this boy was and what he had done with my son.<br /><br />November 5th, 2004 the day before his 12th birthday; this was the weekend he had been waiting for. We didn't make it to the lease for youth weekend and he knew that after 3 years of multiple trips to the gun range learning the ins and outs of his 30/30, hours in the blind with me watching and learning, the decision would be all his he was finally going to hunt alone. We made our way to small blind apply named the Junction. The area was one of few that offered a clearing and the ability to see 50 yards around a 180 degree area. I figured this offered him the best opportunity to not become bored.<br /><br />The morning came and went without so much as glimpse of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">a deer</a>. We met as planned and headed for lunch, a quick trip to the Angelina Country Store a couple of Dr. Peppers, slim Jims and some trail mix and back to camp for a sandwich. After lunch Brandon was ready to get back to the stand. We picked a different location which we called The Dream stand. Again the hours came and went with little more than a few squirrels and an obnoxious crow.<br /><br />November 6th, 2004 Brandon's 12th birthday and the first time he, his mother and his Sister hadn't celebrated it together. I was on a time line to Be home by 4:00 Sunday was the last thing I heard as I left the house on Friday afternoon. This time Brandon and I had agreed to hunt until the last possible minute. No quick trips to camp or the store, we packed all we needed and made the trip to a small rise on the lease named Stump. This stand offered a few advantages first of all it had two blinds; a well-placed ground blind that offered 4 separate shooting lanes and a 12 foot tower blind that offered a clear site across the young pine trees and small patches and rows between them. Because we planned to stay all day I decided to take the tower blind and had Brandon hunt from the lower box blind. The wind was moderate but the chilly damp air and light drizzle would have made it tough for him to stay comfortable and focused.<br /><br />November 6th, 2004 2:00pm, the day had come and gone and now we had a decision to make. The drive home routinely took about 2 hours, I knew I had already pushed the limit a bit but with a little luck traffic would be kind and we'd make it home at a reasonable hour. I climbed down from the stand and walked over to the blind Brandon had occupied for the last 8 hours. Besides the occasional bump against its wooden frame or the minor scuffle of the chairs wheels as he adjusted he had done everything right. As I approached he smiled and said' Sometimes Dad they just don't cooperate, a rush of pride filled my soul. Here before me stood a young man, not the same boy that rushed through the morning but a young man who grew up before my very eyes that weekend. I had used that same phrase on our earlier unsuccessful hunts Sometimes son they just don't cooperate.<br /><br />Through the years Brandon had only made one weekend a year. He is my stepson and between visitation and my schedule our chances were limited. I had had a chance each year on opening weekend to bring home a<a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/"> deer</a>, however each time we were together it had been a different story. I had made special plans to bring him to the lease on the opening weekend of his 12th birthday it was years worth of planning and negotiating. Another more important event had just happened, for the first time Brandon had called me Dad. His mother and I had been married for just over 7 years and until that moment I had always been Tom. My heart sank at the idea of driving home knowing that our next opportunity would a year from then. I quickly ran my through our schedule of visitation and mine with work. Our next chance would be over the Christmas holidays of January youth weekend. Our county was a doe by permit only after thanksgiving so this would greatly limit his chances on lease that saw most of the bucks go nocturnal after the rut. My only other option was to stay.<br /><br />November 6th 2:15pm, without a second thought I was back in my blind and Brandon in his. Before I could even adjust my position my phone vibrated in my pocket. I knew exactly who it was and the reason for the call. I hit the ignore button and sent a quick text haven't left yet, I'll call when we do. Every thirty minutes a similar text was sent and similar reply what happened to 4:00pm. Finally the phone was silent it was 4:30 and the sun was setting quickly. Brandon had been exceptionally quiet no more bumps or scuffles. Before I knew it was 5:00 and the darkness of the piney woods had started to take over. We had at most twenty more minutes before the long drive home.<br /><br />November 6th 5:10pm, without a notice a quick flash caught my eye down below. It was the barrel of a 30/30 slowly being placed on the edge of the window pointing down a narrow lane to the east. From my position I couldn't see anything though the soft pine needles which partial obscured the full length of the lane. I watched carefully trying to gage were Brandon had placed his sights. As I looked up it had come into a view <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">a deer </a>slowing walking the lane straight towards the ground blind at 150 yards. Not a clean shot and I was confident that Brandon knew this as well. By now minutes seemed like hours. I was helpless as I sat there trying to focus on the deer and watch Brandon's movements out of the corner of my eye.<br /><br />November 6th 5:13pm, as the deer walked the lane it came within 100 yards of the ground blind, stopping in a small winter pea feed plot we had planted earlier in the fall. As it browsed on the winter peas it maintained a head long stance to the blind. By now I could see the 30/30 barrel begin to shake. Three minutes is an eternity for a 12yr old to hold position. As <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">the deer</a> made a slight turn to work on another patch of peas I felt my heart race. There it stood at 100 yards broad side head down unaware of our presence. The anticipation was numbing. I could feel myself saying, take the shot, now's your chance take the shot. It was dark now and the flash form the 30/30 below was blinding, my eyes quickly adjusted and there on a barren sandy patch of the feed plot it laid Brandon's <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">first deer</a>. There are 14 rungs on the ladder stand to a 12 foot tower blind; my feet touched 4 of them. Before I knew it I was next to the ground blind and all I could see was the brightest smile I had ever seen on a young man's face. I was sure the deer was down but we waited 30 minutes until we approached. All the time high fiving and talking about what he had seen, what I had seen and how he had waited for just the right moment.<br /><br />As we approached the deer with my arm on his shoulder I was sure it was a doe. When we got there it was not it was my son's first buck. The bullet had struck slightly high but otherwise perfectly placed and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">the buck </a>had not even taken a step. We loaded up and made the trip to the camp where we celebrated Brandon's success amongst friends as we prepped the deer for the long ride home. We made it to the house in record time one hour and 45 minutes not stopping once. When we got there as you can imagine we were greeted at the door to a very unhappy wife and daughter. Brandon took the lead, a Sorry mom but Dad and I just had to stay. That was all it took, My wife immediately caught his new reference to me and all was good again. We quickly lit the cake and sang happy birthday before Brandon and I headed to the processer before taking him to his father's house. You may notice I never mentioned the rack or score of the first deer my son harvested. He scored twelve, yes 12 and that a stretch. It was the ugliest spike you can imagine, broken and misshaped. The right side only a 4-5 inches and the left broken to less than an inch a spread estimated at about 5 inches. Before his next visit I had purchased a small antler kit and mounted the horns, so small that I had to pack the areas around the base so the skull was not as visible. To this day these are the only antlers my wife will allow in the living room, out of place and humorous at times to look at, but they have meaning. Not just the first deer that my son ever took, but the first time that we truly became father and son.<br /><br />Novemeber 7th, 2011, Brandon is 18 as of yesterday and has started to follow his own path in life. He stopped hunting a few years back to spend time with his friends. We no longer spend those long weekends together. The Old Zavalla hunting cub is still my opening weekend trip and as a walked up on the stump this Saturday 6 years to the day that we started that weekend, it rushed through me again that this is the place I witnessed my now grown son become a man.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-34340827077519102002012-01-04T20:15:00.000-08:002012-01-04T20:39:30.482-08:00My First Whitetail Buck Hunt<div>On january 14, 2011 the youth hunt finally came again I've waited three years to hunt a buck and I knew tommorow, and the day after tommorow I will bag a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">trophy whitetail deer</a>. I left the campsite and went to the deer blind, it was three-thirty in the afternoon I just waited to see if there was anything coming out of the wooded area but, nothing came out, all I saw were birds, rabbits, an armidillo, and a porcupine eating at the feeder.<br /><br />At five-fifthy nine I was almost about to leave when I saw a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">whitetail doe </a>not to big and not to small I wanted to shoot it but, I didnt want to scare off the buck so i waited till morning. When I got back to the campsite I put my gun away and went outside with my uncle, my cousin, and my grandma. We where talking about our hunting past what was our first deer and how we felt and experiance it and talking about the hunting report and I kept on dreaming of a nice<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> whitetail buck </a>with at least some points on each horn. I feel asleep at eleven pm and I think I had buck fever.<br /><br />January 15, 2011 it was four-thirty a.m I got dress and I knew I will bag a buck today. Five-thirty nine a.m I went to my favorite deer blind I was hoping for a twenty point buck my uncle saw. I walked towards the deer blind and i loaded my gun and just sat back and waited for something to come out. Nine hours past I was ready to leave because nothing was coming out then suddenly there was a heavy fog so i waited for the fog to lift so I can see if anything would come out. ten minutes later the fog had lifted up a little and i saw something standing in front of the feeder til it picked up his head and I saw four points on his head. I aws shaking the deer blind and the<a href="http://escondidowhitetails.com/"> buck </a>heared me. I lifted up the gun very quiet and took aim and made the shot. The smoke cleared the buck was gone and I know i shot it. My uncle called me and he said to come back to the campsite, I left the deer blind and walked back to the campsite. I hoped in the back of the truck and we drove back to the deer feeder . When we got there we started looking for any blood but there was none. My cousin sneezed and saw him on the ground. I was so happy I wanted to scream but, i didnt want to scare of the rest of<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm"> the deer.</a><br /><br />January 16, 2011 today was the last day of my hunting trip my uncle said I can shoot any thing either a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">buck</a>, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">doe</a>, or a<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm"> hog</a>. I left the camp site and went to the deer blind, seven-thirty a.m it was time to shoot when <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">three doe's</a> came out and they were eating at the deer feeder one doe was alot bigger than the other ones so I lifted my rifle and took aim on the big one . the two little ones were blocking my shot I had to wait two minutes to take the shot. The smoke cleared the doe droped in its tracks I was hoping for <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">a hog </a>but, the doe is ok I tooked the doe to the campsite skinned it packed it up and then packed up the campsite and then left my uncle's ranch in Uvalde and headed back to San Antonio and told everybody about my buck and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">doe hunt</a>. School is a constant struggle for me due to my learning disability but when I am hunting or fishing I feel that I can accomplish anything it has been a great experience for me and I plan to go to college for ranch management. Thank You</div>escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-65880483829286341402012-01-03T06:46:00.000-08:002012-01-03T07:16:48.184-08:00A Dream HuntThrough out most of my life as far back as I can remember, I have always been very drawn to <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">hunting</a>. I'm the only hunter in my family and am not sure where the obsession comes from. I started attempting to hunt when I was 15 years old. I was taken on a couple of hunts but was never really taught how to hunt only to be still and be quiet. In 1996, I enlisted in the Army when I was 24 years old in San Antonio, TX. My first duty station was Fort Bragg, NC 1/505 PIR 82nd ABN DIV.<br /><br />While I was assigned there, a young couple moved in next door to us and come to find out that the gentlemen was in my company. A couple of BBQ's later and getting more acquainted, the subject of hunting came up. He was a big time <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">bow hunter </a>from Southern New York. As we spoke more about it, he was able to help me convince my wife that it was time I really got into hunting and buy a bow. We took a couple of trips to his fathers ranch and I was educated more about hunting by him and his dad. Choosing the right tree, looking for trails, scrapes, rubs, and so on. I was finally headed in the right direction and was even more drawn to hunting than before. After a short assignment on Fort Bragg, I was assigned to Fort Hood,TX.<br /><br />Fort Hood was a hunting and fishing paradise as far as I could tell. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">Deer </a>and<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-rio-grande-texas-turkey-37.htm"> turkeys </a>every where you looked it seemed. After about a year in on Fort Hood, we were assigned a new 1SG to our detachment. Fortunately for me, he was a big outdoorsman. Really into hunting and stuff. He took me out to a couple of spots and gave a few pointers on what to look for and what would be the best route of travel to and from certain key stand locations and finding some key <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">deer hot spots</a>. That November, it all finally came about. I had hunted this one location a few times and would almost always see deer moving about. I had missed <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">three does </a>already that season. Two from other sites and one from this particular stand. When I asked what could possibly be the problem, we looked the bow over, checked my pin settings and my rest. Apparently, the Nok loop I had bought that season had started slipping upwards and therefor causing my shots to be completely off resulting in arrows with hair in the fletch instead of blood on the arrow. Easy enough to fix with some nok clamps.<br /><br />That friday, at the last minute, I was able to draw a rifle area and with a borrowed 30/30 took my first doe. It was something else to finally harvest my <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">first deer</a>. Earlier that day, I was able to draw an archery area for saturday. After taking <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">that doe</a>, I told my wife the next day I wasn't really sure I wanted to go being I had already taken a deer and living in an apartment with a small freezer over the fridge, I knew we wouldn't have room for more meat. I was also a bit skeptical because of the misses with my bow previously. Ironically, that saturday on Realtree Outdoors, Mr. Jordan's tip of the week was proper posture when hunting from a tree stand. After seeing that, my wife said, Well there you go. There's the second part of your problem, you don't have the right posture. There's only a couple of hours left in the day, why don't you just go out there, you've already got an area drawn and just see what happens. So I did.<br /><br />After I got to the stand and had a seat, about five minutes later, I saw <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">two does </a>coming about 100 yards out. Low and behold right behind them was <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">a big buck</a>. I started shaking and I didn't know what to do. They were heading away from my stand. I pulled out a grunt tube I had recently bought and blew on it a couple of times to no avail. Really getting freaked out at this point, I remembered I had this small call in my pocket that was given to me when I first took interest in hunting at 15. I adjusted the band on the reeds to a bleat and began to rip with my hand cupped around my mouth to project the call. That got his attention. He immediately began to trot towards me. I called about three times before I put it away, stood up, put my release on the loop and waited for him to close the distance. It seemed like an eternity before he finally got to within 30 yards from me.<br /><br />I saw his rack once at a distance and knew he was a big one, but didn't look at him to avoid becoming even more nervous and blowing my chance at my first buck, <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">first deer </a>with a bow, and possibly my <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">first trophy deer</a>. He came up head on and then immediately dropped his head to sniff around. He slowly turned broadside and I drew back, put a pin on him, and let one go. He jumped the string and I saw the arrow hit right in front on his hind quarter. As he ran off, I could see blood coming out of both sides but only the broad head was sticking out of his right side. He blew three times and then nothing. The sun was slowly starting to go down and I was sure I wouldn't be able to find him if he had run off, or that if I didn't find him, being a highly pressured area, what were the odds that someone else would find him first the next day? Over the course of 20 minutes or waiting, the sun had set and I finally climbed down, pulled out the flashlight, and began to follow the blood trail.<br /><br />Of course, being that I didn't check my equipment that day the batteries lasted long enough for me to get about 50 yards from where I hit him at before I was in the dark. I immediately back tracked and headed to the jeep to head home. I was so spazmatic, I didn't know what to do. My wife said, What happened? I told her about the buck and she was completely surprised and excited for me. She did her best to help me keep the shaking to a minimum and I called the 1SG and told him what happened. He said calm down it will be there in the morning and that we would meet at that spot at first light. We arrived at that area after calling in to the game warden to let him know we were looking for a down <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">deer</a> at first light.<br /><br />The weather was easily in the 50's so we knew if <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">the deer </a>was down, it would still be good. We went to the tree and were able to pick up on the blood trail. As we walked along, the blood was heavier and easy to find, and then nothing. I was really stressed at this point and he said, I'm going to walk ahead, you look around and see if you can find anything at all. About a minute later, I heard Holy crap! He's over here. Sure enough, there he was laid down about 100 yards from where I had shot him. A symmetrical main frame 6 with 7 1/2 brow tines, and a small kicker. I had apparently hit him in an artery and some of the intestines, causing him to expire. I had taken my<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm"> first buck</a>; not sure what he scores but definitely a trophy for me making that my first true dream hunt. Thank GOD for Texas and the people he puts in our path to help us along the way.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-48212638169606639622012-01-03T06:26:00.000-08:002012-01-03T06:41:05.048-08:00Grandpa HuntThere was nothing like <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">hunting</a> and fishing with my grandfather. I guess I just liked being in his company no matter what we were doing. We were having our annual Thanksgiving gathering in Wharton TX. My favorite part about this trip was sitting in the deer stand with my grandfather early Thanksgiving morning. My uncle would always get me revved up for the hunt the night before by telling me to watch out for cats and coyotes. He said there was a panther out there but I think he was making this up to get me a little more excited.<br /><br />This particular Thanksgiving morning was in 1980 and I was 13 years old. My adrenyline was particularly high for this hunt because it was going to be the first time my grandfather was going to allow me to sit in a <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">deer stand </a>by myself. We got up at 4:30 AM to be in the stand by 6 AM. I remember it being a long drive. It was a vey frosty morning, I remember being able to see my breath and there was an inch of frost on the pasture in front of my ground blind. My grandfather was worried to death when he put me in that stand by myself.<br /><br />I was not allowed to load the gun until I was sitting in my stand and had to lean the gun in the corner on safety. I was not allowed to touch the gun unless I saw a white tail to shoot. He must have told me these rules 50 times on the way over to the deer lease. With a nine year old now, I understand what he was so worried about. I remember it was pitch dark and I kept thinking about that panther my uncle told me about the night before. My grandfather told me he was full of bull so I started to think about seeing a <a href="http://www.escondidowhitetails.com/">white tail deer.<br /><br /></a>The sun began to rise and I could see the beautiful frost on the ground. The wind was perfectly still. Within minutes 3 white tail spiked bucks came out of the woods to graze. This was it ! The blood started flowing. I think I could feel my own pulse rate. I picked up my grandfathers World War II era model 77 lever action Winchester 308 and laid it in the window seal. I took the safety off and aimed at one of<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm"> the bucks</a>. Boom, the buck fell exactly were it was shot, I took aim at a second spike while it scampered to the woods and also hit <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">that deer </a>in the shoulder. I unloaded the last round in my 308 and watched the last spike run to the woods. My grandfather made it to my stand about 10 minutes later.<br /><br />It is now only about 7:20 in the morning. My grandfather asked me what the shooting was all about. I told him that I have to deer laying in the field. He was perplexed, we loaded up in his truck to find them and load the deer. My grandfather was very old school and he could not believe I had two shoulder shots on those spikes. I was grinning ear to ear.. My grandfather being perplexed began to laugh and asked me why did I shoot<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm"> 2 deer</a>.<br /><br />At 13 years old, I did not know what to say other than I could have shot 3 but I did not want to be hoggish. My grandfather had to stop the truck so that he could finish laughing. He must have told this story and what I said a 1000 times. I will never forget that hunt. No matter what kind of big game hunt I have the priveledge to go on will ever top this memory. My grandfather passed away at the age of 92. He bequethed that 308 to me and it is the only<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm"> deer rifle </a>that I hunt with. I wish that everyone could have a grandfather like mine. Thanks for giving a forum to share such a vivid memory in my life.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-1351979139117845862011-12-05T14:01:00.000-08:002011-12-07T07:12:31.474-08:00Heart Racing Fallow Buck Hunt<div>It was a brisk morning the wind was out of the north blowing with a steady 25 to 30 miles an hour. My guide Tony was there talking to the other guides where they were going hunting. As we climbed into the 4 wheel drive to head out for our hunt, the anticapation of harvesting or even seeing a trophy<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm"> fallow deer</a> one was playing on my mind.<br /><br />Tony dropped off my brother along with his guide Chad at their stand and we proceeded to ours. We set for a while in a ground stand and glassed over the beautifull country side. Not seeing too much activity near our feeder, Tony asked me if i was ready to go ride and see if we can find us a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm">trophy fallow buck.<br /></a><br />Once in the vehicle, I felt like I was reliving a safari hunt and it was exciting. Along the way. we picked up Chad and my brother. As the four of us were riding and glassing, we spotted a white object several clicks in front of us. It stood out so cleanly against the green background. Tony said it was a large <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm">white fallow buck</a>. Without hesitation, we decided to go for him and the fun began! With several hundered yards separating us from our target, Tony said we are going to start our stalk him from here.<br /><br />As we walked into the wind, it became very apparent that I needed to get into better shape. We walked up and down and around those hills to keep the wind in our favor. We got to within 100 yards from this beautifull white fallow buck. Tony asked me to stay directly behind him as we quietly slipped in behind another ground blind. The <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm">fallow buck </a>was looking right at us . I just knew we were goign to get busted and he would just blast out of there at any moment.<br /><br />My heart was about to come out of my chest from the excitement and from the walk, as well, LOL. But, Tony was so cool and collected . I never knew at any time that he was actually filming the hunt as well. That goes to show you how great these guides are. The fallow buck was staring right at us as Tony whispered to me to use the corner of the stand as a rest to take a shot. I was shaking from the excitement of seeing such a huge and beautifull<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm"> fallow buck</a>. Oh, and my knees were shakeing as well. I dont know if it was buck fever or me just being out of shape.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofSh7OH7A19CNjk3Pw0eCbsf5EZw_OdCr5jq9EVhQunjXdr3igOXQhAF-07pP9vt3s5w28j2YWtK-2-XbsyFfkFpGYck2hE7h3hwTuu6GWiIZ4ZG28EW4cChr-aifbR6cb8POvoAU4LdS/s1600/12-7-11fallow.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683404457144341746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofSh7OH7A19CNjk3Pw0eCbsf5EZw_OdCr5jq9EVhQunjXdr3igOXQhAF-07pP9vt3s5w28j2YWtK-2-XbsyFfkFpGYck2hE7h3hwTuu6GWiIZ4ZG28EW4cChr-aifbR6cb8POvoAU4LdS/s320/12-7-11fallow.jpg" /></a>Then another shooter<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm"> fallow buck </a>appeared to our right. I actually never saw it, unitl Tony pointed him out. But looking at the majestic snow coat and the antlers of this <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm">white fallow buck</a>, I had no doubts that this was the trophy for me. But, I didn't have a good angle. I was praying that the fallow would turn so I could get a clean shot on him. The<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm"> fallow deer </a>staired at us for what seemed like forever. Tony and I were frozen in the same spot, not moving an inch. At last, the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm">fallow buck </a>turned to the left, but still not giving me the broadside shot I wanted.<br /><br />The other<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm"> fallow deer</a> was beginning to move away from us as well. I knew we didn't have much time before the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm">white fallow buck </a>was going to side step into the brush. The fallow looked back at us one more time and he looked nervous. So I aimed at the back of his sholder and sqeezed the trigger of my Remington 270. The rifle went off and I knew I placed the 130 grain nosler pertition exactly where it had to be. That's when the real shaking had started. The <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm">white fallow deer </a>ran about 30 to 40 yards and crashed. I was besides myself. I was trying to be cool on the outside, but on the inside I was acting like a teenager. I was too excited!!! When I finally put my hands on this beautifull <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-fallow-deer-hunting-in-texas-67.htm">white fallow buck</a>, my mind was blown. I counted 18 points on it and the rack was wide.<br /><br />I would like to thank the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch </a>for having such great guides. They will make your hunt a memory of a life time. And the ranch owners will make you feel like family.<br /><br />I am so glad that I met and hunted with Tony, Lawerence, and Chad. The finest guides I ever had the opportunity to hunt with. Again thanks <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch.</a> This crazy cajun will be back.<br /><br />Respectfully Yours, Glenn Vicknair </div>escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-37652424212933502132011-09-30T12:30:00.000-07:002011-10-01T13:30:10.860-07:00Wounded Warrior Project Hunt: Axis Buck Hunt<div>The dog days of summer in Texas usually begin around mid July and continue through the latter part of August. For those of you who live in Texas know that the dog days have been here since early May and have not left yet. Even though the temperatures have consistently been in the 100’s the hunting has stayed on par with the weather, HOT.<br /></div><br /><div>In August, Escondido Ranch had the extreme honor of hosting its first Wounded Warrior Project hunt. Sgt. Eric Edmundson joined us for an Exotic Axis Buck hunt which was his 2nd stop on his 2011 tour. Eric started in Florida with an alligator hunt and concludes his trip in the western U.S. with a mule deer hunt. We feel very blessed to be part of Eric’s journey.<br /></div><br /><div>Once Eric and his parents, Beth and Ed, arrived we greeted them in our hunting lodge and quickly unloaded all of their gear to get ready for our first evening hunt. Eric has a Polaris Razor that he travels with and hunts out of. The machine is set up in a way that Eric has<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEjZCfe8O51IEEMIkD51X3_-VbBOSUh0G7V2Pn0LVb5H44umtqh0fDJdHVmgDMTy2tkvLFGuSDdTXZemUeAg1mYhGoUHxE4Bb5RcsdPWnpcdcGo9v9q_PbCtf0SYJRXVoa9kBbqX-fN8D/s1600/ericweb.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658237822072399266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEjZCfe8O51IEEMIkD51X3_-VbBOSUh0G7V2Pn0LVb5H44umtqh0fDJdHVmgDMTy2tkvLFGuSDdTXZemUeAg1mYhGoUHxE4Bb5RcsdPWnpcdcGo9v9q_PbCtf0SYJRXVoa9kBbqX-fN8D/s320/ericweb.jpg" /></a> a camera and rifle mounted in the front of the vehicle and can maneuver it with the assistance of his father. These two make a great team. After we made acquaintances with the family and camera man August we prepared for our first hunt. I had the privilege of guiding Eric on his hunt. I was humbled to have this opportunity to guide a true patriot of our country.<br /></div><br /><div>I would be working directly with Eric’s father in communicating our strategy and potential shot. “Everything must be perfect” was running through my head as I was mentally strategizing this hunt. Under normal circumstances you do not always have perfect conditions but this was not going to be the case tonight. We had limited cover and needed to be within 150 yards to ensure the best chance to harvest an Axis buck. Axis bucks are very regal in appearance and highly sought after trophies by hunters and I wanted Eric to harvest the biggest buck possible. It was the least we could do for all he has done for so many of us.<br /></div><br /><div>We headed out to hunt about 5:30 that evening and when we approached the field where we would be positioned I noticed the wind had changed direction. Well, add one more challenge to the evening. Trust me when I say that Sgt. Eric Edmundson was up for this minor inconvenience, after all, this man has served our country as one of the finest soldiers in the United States Armed Forces and a little wind redirection was not going to stall our hunt.<br /></div><br /><div>After getting into position it wasn’t 20 minutes and the Axis started to lumber through the field where we were set up. As the animals approached you could see the excitement in Eric and his eyes lit up with joy. Several good Axis bucks were amongst the large herd of females. Our only decision now was which buck to harvest. That part was left up to me and I really wanted Eric to have the best trophy of his life. After several minutes of back and forth and in between, the bucks and does kept crossing into the line of fire with one particular buck we spotted. It was now just a matter of time. As<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilz47Opv4Mti9F4qpo4lRZ8WD-pYYTjahHTUJRy2hHUWX-CWtmo8IIIzHt-nNz3UR-pA6bXQBOanvVU-LEzhfR5x5tg5JXuRVCeRJ8vBt7H5yb5lVrs0kqh-plOhzNlTjUbZJRXp2tGVqC/s1600/ericdadtonyweb.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658238064957484578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilz47Opv4Mti9F4qpo4lRZ8WD-pYYTjahHTUJRy2hHUWX-CWtmo8IIIzHt-nNz3UR-pA6bXQBOanvVU-LEzhfR5x5tg5JXuRVCeRJ8vBt7H5yb5lVrs0kqh-plOhzNlTjUbZJRXp2tGVqC/s320/ericdadtonyweb.jpg" /></a> the anticipation grew we all were getting a little anxious. August on the camera had been rolling film for at least 20 minutes now and I was a little skeptical the deer would move on. And that’s when it happened! Bang! As the shot rang out against the mountain backdrop it sounded like a bazooka. The Axis buck jumped at least 6 feet in the air and kicked like a bucking bull you see at the rodeo. He ran about 20 yards into the thick brush right at the edge of the mountain and expired. Sgt. Eric Edmundson made one of the best shots I have ever seen. He hit that buck directly in the heart and you should have seen the tears of pure joy when he watched that animal make his way to the ground. We all were doing the ‘dance’ when Eric made that shot. One of the most inspiring hunts I have ever been a part of. The greatest part of all was that Eric’s mom and dad were there to witness their son’s victory. We all celebrated and congratulated Eric on his trophy.<br /></div><br /><div>The Wounded Warrior Project is an amazing program that I want to be a part of in the future. In this particular case it brought the dream of a U.S. soldier to fruition. Eric Edmundson will get to continue his lifelong dream of hunting these trophy animals all over the United States. A special thanks to Escondido Ranch and Wounded Warrior Project for making this possible. </div>escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-24098015746974192462011-08-29T09:10:00.000-07:002011-08-29T09:28:26.004-07:00A Very Satisfied CustomerI have just returned from my second hunt at Escondido Ranch and wanted others to know what a great experience it was. Compared to others I have hunted they rate the best. The staff I rate as excellent. Animals are excellent with many varieties and plenty to choose from.
<br />
<br />After the animal is down, Lawrence will take care of everything capeing, meat handling as per your instructions. He is also fun to hunt with. The ranch manager Chad and his wife Angie just could not be nicer. The ranch is beautiful, well managed; animals are taken care of and are in very good shape.
<br />
<br />All in all if you want a great hunt experience book at Escondido Ranch. Good job Kurt! I’ll be back when the meat runs low. My wife went on this trip and really enjoyed herself and said the accommodations were very nice almost new and recommend wives to go hunting or not.
<br />
<br />Don Barber - Age 72
<br />escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-78406706827142511262011-07-26T07:52:00.000-07:002011-07-26T08:45:22.508-07:00Broadhead Madness: Bow Hunting at Escondido Ranch Part IWith the 4th of July weekend quickly approaching; my son and I were looking forward to our annual trip to <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch</a>. It seems that the “Pig Bomb” has exploded over much of Texas, leaving lots of shrapnel at <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido </a>as well. According to witness accounts and trail game pics,<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/main-house-accomodations-51.htm"> the ranch </a>was now home to a thriving <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm">feral hog </a>population. So, our mission was to thin out the number of these critters. To make it more challenging we were going to do it all with <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">a bow</a>.<br /><br />We arrived at<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/"> Escondido </a>on early Friday afternoon. The entire area lacked any significant rain for months and the ranch was parched. The early spring greenery has given way to leafless trees, burned out brush and dust devils. However, with nearly two mile stretch of spring fed river flowing through the property, the ranch was anything but devoid of wildlife.<br /><br />Bristling with anticipation, Tony (aka Godfather) and I made preparations to hunt on a plateau near a shallow canyon which has been a hotbed of<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm"> hog activity</a>. For that evening, my son elected to stay and play Transformers with the ranch manager’s son of comparable age, while Tony and I made our way to our objective, also known as Party.<br /><br />Rumbling down the road in a ranch truck, we stopped several hundred yards short of our destination. With a camera and bow in tow, we started making our way to the tree blind located within 35 yard radius of the feeder. Peering through the trees, we realized that we were lucky to have stopped the truck where we did, because we almost crashed a “party” ourselves. In spite of a cloud of dust, it was not very difficult to make out a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">group of hogs </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-aoudad-barbary-sheep-hunt-19.htm">Aoudad</a> which were jostling for a position under the feeder.<br /><br />With our query in site and a favorable wind, we reformulated our plan of attack and made a large loop along the edge of the brush line towards the feeder. Carefully planting our feet on protruding rocks and stepping over the dried out leaves and branches, we serpentined our way to within 50 yards of the feeder only to face another dilemma.<br /><br />By the time we got to our position, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">the hogs </a>began their retreat into the canyon, granting free range to <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-aoudad-barbary-sheep-hunt-19.htm">the Aoudad</a>. With only<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-aoudad-barbary-sheep-hunt-19.htm"> the Aoudad </a>remaining, we anxiously awaited for the go- ahead from the ranch’s owner.<br /><br />Side note: <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-aoudad-barbary-sheep-hunt-19.htm">Aoudad </a>are generally not heavily hunted on Escondido and their numbers have flourished in recent years. Although, the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">trophy size animals </a>are reserved for customers, young Aoudad are occasionally taken by friends and family of the ranch owners.<br /><br />By the time the approval flashed across Tony’s cell phone screen, I was already locked into a stare down with a lead ewe. Known for their keen hearing and cautious nature, the battle with the<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-aoudad-barbary-sheep-hunt-19.htm"> mature Aoudad </a>was lost before it even began. Crouched 50 yards away and in full camo, I was no match for the piercing glare of the alert ewe. She jumped to the side and back and the entire herd of a dozen or so animals followed her into cover leaving behind a wall of dust.<br /><br />With plenty of daylight left, Tony and I decided to proceed with Plan A and get into the tree blind. As I made my way to the truck to get a bag of corn, I heard muffled noises coming from behind. I turned to see Tony galloping towards me while gesturing to his right, and that’s when I heard him say “they are coming back, they are coming back”.<br /><br />We barely had enough time to step behind the dual trunk of a nearby tree, before a<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm"> group of piglets </a>raced straight towards the feeder. With a jolt of adrenaline...it was show time! I was hoping that the “big mama” would show up at any moment. So while the piglets were noisily rooting underneath the feeder, I inched my way forward for a better shot. A few minutes later, the piglets were still flying solo, as their adult entourage was nowhere in sight.<br /><br />Since there seemed to be little to no feed left on the ground, it was just a matter of time before the feral sausages ran off in a search of a next free meal. So now, at 33 yards, I decided to take the shot. I lined up the peep-hole, and placed the third pin right at the vitals of the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm">larger piglet </a>and squeezed the release….STOP! REWIND!…Third pin is 40 yards…@#$%! I knew I made a mental error as soon as the arrow traced a path right OVER the back of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm">the hog</a>, hitting dirt and noisily skidding to a stop. Naturally, the piglets, still unaware of our presence, startled by the sudden noise and scrambled for cover.<br /><br />I was kicking dirt and Tony was shaking his head in disbelief. I started to walk over to try to retrieve my arrow, when I jumped back to my original spot. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm">The piglets</a>, driven by their appetites, were coming back. I quickly reloaded the bow. And this time, I would make no mistake. The arrow tipped with a 100 grain, fixed, tri-cut broadhead found the target and nearly dropped the hog in its tracks.<br /><br />Relief was quickly followed by chest pounding and manly grunts. With <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm">one hog </a>down and plenty of daylight, Tony and I decided to make a couple of more stops. We loaded the pork chops into the back of the truck and moved onto our next destination. Rounding the corner, Tony brought the truck to a quiet stop. He grabbed his binoculars and eased out in front, glassing to the right.<br /><br />A moment later he gestured to me to grab my bow and the stalk was on again!<br /><br />We quickly followed a well etched game trail to a tree line, hugging it all the way to within about 60 yards away from the tree feeder. In the lead and squatting behind the brush, I could see a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/sika-does-hunting-season-69.htm">Sika buck </a>with several<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/sika-does-hunting-season-69.htm"> Sika does </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hunting-fallow-does-at-texas-game-ranches-70.htm">Fallow does </a>near the feeder. A number of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm">feral hogs </a>of various sizes were just beyond the deer.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the favorable wind and brush cover were not enough to hide us from the acute sense of smell and sight of the mature <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-sika-deer-hunt-16.htm">Sika buck</a>. The buck walked forward and looked directly at us. We towered down until finally <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-sika-deer-hunt-16.htm">the Sika </a>buck tired of our foolery, let out a district bark. All the animals fled into different directions.<br /><br />Well, almost all…. Two small piglets separate from the larger group of<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm"> feral hogs</a>, hid behind a large bush. I could barely make out their snouts and tails. But they were there, just 50 yards away. To get into a shooting position I had to walk right into an open area. With nothing to loose, I slowly slid my way in for a closer shot. At 20 yards, I stopped and looked for an opening in the brush. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm">The hogs </a>shuffled nervously beneath their precarious shelter, ready to run at any moment. I had to make a shot quickly! With only the backend of one of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">the hogs </a>visible through a grapefruit size opening, I decided to go for it. I pulled back on the string and squeezed off the release. And then, I heard a cracking sound as the arrow hit some “invisible” twig and the “freaked-out” piglets fled for the distant cover. I recovered the end piece of my arrow and we made our way back to the truck discussing the pros and cons of the stalk. In conclusion, it was a difficult shot and if it was any other animal, but<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm"> a hog</a>, I would have passed.<br /><br />But wait …it was not quite over yet…<br /><br />On our way to the cleaning station, Tony decides to make one more stop at an area known as Gravity. And as the advertised, there were <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">five large boars </a>stacking out the area. We eased out of the truck and onto the round-about trail which zigzagged through the under growth and brought us to within 70 yards of the feeding, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">fighting hogs</a>…and then we came to a screeching halt. We had nowhere else to go to get to within a reasonable shooting distance.<br /><br />A line of trees in a form of a small cove with a wide opening on one side, separated us from our query. Sneaking closer through thick brush proved to be counterproductive and we were left with but a single option…full frontal stalk… With the sun quickly setting over my shoulder, and Tony perched at a see-through opening in the brush, I slowly, but deliberately made my way along the tree line trying to stay in the shadows.<br /><br />Two of the<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm"> larger boars </a>were rearing up and pushing at each other with their front hoofs. The other three were facing away and noisily munching on the fallen corn around the feeder. I continued to inch my way to a point along the tree line. I was ready to make the next couple of steps to close up the distance, when the dueling hogs separated and the winner-apparent promptly planted himself under a protein feeder, while the looser trotted along my right flank at a distance of mere 40 yards. I froze and nearly held my breath. Had <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm">the hog </a>tuned towards me it would have seen that a tree like object suddenly appeared in the middle of a field. Fortunately, the disgruntled hog kept its snout to the ground.<br /><br />I took three more steps and was within 33 yards when the hog under the feeder suddenly turned towards and stared directly at me. With the bow already raised, I held my position as steady as I could. Luckily, it seems that <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm">the boar </a>could not make me out in the failing light. So when it lowered its head for another mouthful, the arrow cut the air and solidly planted itself right above the front shoulder. The boar jumped up and let out a shrilling squeal. Then heavily leaning to one side, it trotted across the field accompanied by the other <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm">three hogs </a>and leaving behind a solid trail of blood.<br /><br />It was Tony’s intimate knowledge of the terrain and animals at <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch </a>that made these stalks possible, exciting and memorable. So, with the daylight growing dim, exhausted, but thoroughly satisfied with our evening’s hunt, Tony and I packed up our gear and headed down to the cleaning station to drop off the hog and head to the main house for a late supper.escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-17854127880504264552011-01-05T06:30:00.000-08:002011-01-08T09:49:09.870-08:00The Hunt and Pursuit of the Giant Bull Elk<div><br /><br /><div>Big John McDonald has been hunting at <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch </a>for a number of years now and I had the pleasure of guiding him on a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/exotic-elk-hunting-in-texas-48.htm">bull Elk </a>this time. I'll never forget his daily saying to me as we started our day. He would take a drink of coffee and look at me and say "what are you thinking Tony?" Of course my response was a quick "let’s go get us a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/exotic-elk-hunting-in-texas-48.htm">big bull</a>" but as Saturday rolled around and the previous two hunts were unsuccessful I was beginning to wonder. It was Saturday morning and like the day before we were unable to locate any <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/exotic-elk-hunting-in-texas-48.htm">bull elk</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0mMIesevEomfsyZi8QcAsewJPLlnSYXuxhQjAx74IV6RfDB6mjCWpPzOanRvICx1SV7_pPX7bjnGE2OP_st56ze6o0PDR7SbkZpqB3Kz3LQW2JwOkqX6XY9M-FP81ABnesmkUs-3JkxM/s1600/6x6-bullelk-john2010-web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559872655192447442" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 273px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0mMIesevEomfsyZi8QcAsewJPLlnSYXuxhQjAx74IV6RfDB6mjCWpPzOanRvICx1SV7_pPX7bjnGE2OP_st56ze6o0PDR7SbkZpqB3Kz3LQW2JwOkqX6XY9M-FP81ABnesmkUs-3JkxM/s320/6x6-bullelk-john2010-web.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/exotic-elk-hunting-in-texas-48.htm"> </a>so we went back to the lodge and agreed to back out later that morning to see if any elk had come up out of the canyons to graze on the flats which they typically do. It was a worthy effort but to no avail.<br /><br />It was about 3 P.M. Saturday afternoon and we met in the kitchen to make a game plan for our evening hunt. John and I were given full range of back part of the ranch which encompasses +/- 1000 acres to search for a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/elk-trophies-and-hunts-33.htm">bull elk</a>. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/escondido-ranch-history-21.htm">The ranch </a>was hosting other hunters that weekend so we had to set some range parameters to prevent any potential incidents. As John and I were patrolling in our Hum-Bug a.k.a. 'Stealth Machine' my wife was sitting in a tower blind up by the windmill scouting for us. With about 10 minutes of hunting light left I received a call from my wife and she said "hurry I see a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/elk-trophies-and-hunts-33.htm">6X6 bull </a>grazing up around the windmill." We wasted no time and as we approached I was prepping John on what to expect when we get there. When we pulled into the field it was pretty dark and with the ranch not receiving any rain since July everything was a cloud of dust. When the dust settled and John was able to find the bull in his scope we had to make certain it was the right bull.<br /><br />Ironically, there were <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/elk-trophies-and-hunts-33.htm">two bulls </a>within 10 feet of each other. Typically this would not be an issue but these <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/elk-trophies-and-hunts-33.htm">two bulls </a>were similar in size and it was really close to being too dark to see. We literally had seconds left to shoot. I had to communicate with my wife up until the shot just to be certain of which bull to shoot. This was the epitome of team work. When we were certain of our target big John squeezed a shot off from his .300 Winchester directly in the chest cavity of the 6X6 <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/elk-trophies-and-hunts-33.htm">bull elk</a>. The bull was facing us when he shot and was approximately 100 yards from our location. We saw <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-elk-hunt-12.htm">the bull </a>buckle and he gently made his way into the brush with the other bull which made it impossible to put another round in the already wounded bull. Since it was dark and we didn't want to push the bull we decided to come back in the morning and search for him.<br />I could hardly sleep that night because of my anticipation to find our <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-elk-hunt-12.htm">bull Elk</a>. Sunday morning came and we set out to sweep the area we suspected the expired bull.<br /><br />We searched for hours that morning before we decided to call a neighbor who had some tracking dogs. The only problem was that we had no blood trail because of where the animal was hit the bullet probably did not exit. When Buzzy and his dogs showed up we started again looking for any sign. We search for several more hours and finally a blood trail was spotted and we made our approach to some cedar bushes and we were greeted with a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-elk-hunt-12.htm">giant 6X6 Bull </a>that was very much still alive and mobile and the chase was on. The tracking dogs did a phenomenal job as one stayed on the nose and one stayed on the heels barking to let us know where this animal was heading. The big bull had little use of his front right leg from last night’s bullet. However, this bull was not going quietly. The bull, dogs, and 4 people were in pursuit as <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-elk-hunt-12.htm">the elk </a>was making his way toward a deep <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC84G_T0hmIfHuAtXaqDLatc2eicivYPadZGDVYrACuJ8ufu9yFhTL2Alh62lXlzU3zigptALUpFhwwutocBvD69vUBFWNTXEvMSp1HQSV5u1e-ijnr9Hlh0Bcl6pCdzOL0JN6kq93PO3/s1600/6x6-bull-elk-john-tony.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559873043952293890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC84G_T0hmIfHuAtXaqDLatc2eicivYPadZGDVYrACuJ8ufu9yFhTL2Alh62lXlzU3zigptALUpFhwwutocBvD69vUBFWNTXEvMSp1HQSV5u1e-ijnr9Hlh0Bcl6pCdzOL0JN6kq93PO3/s320/6x6-bull-elk-john-tony.jpg" border="0" /></a>canyon.<br /><br />As <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-elk-hunt-12.htm">the bull </a>was showing no sign of quiting I was taking cedar branches across the face in full pursuit because I was not about to let him get out of my sight. I was breathing heavily but adrenaline was finally kicking in and I was staying hooked. We finally made our way through the thick cedar brush with steep rock walls on both sides to get a final shot on this belligerent animal. When he finally went down he laid on a giant flat rock plate about 400 square feet in size and inches from a cliff that drops 30 feet down into another pit of rocks. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-elk-hunt-12.htm">The bull </a>was so close to going off this cliff that when he bled out it was running over the ledge of this sheer drop. This was such an amazing hunt and pursuit it warrants a little downtime on the couch.</div></div>escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-54987666531685524152010-12-01T21:52:00.000-08:002010-12-04T14:02:40.184-08:00What To Expect On Texas Exotic Hunts<div><strong>What type of landscape is on Escondido Ranch?<br /><br /></strong>The hunting terrain of<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/"> Escondido Ranch </a>is one of the reasons it is so perfect for so many different species of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">exotic</a> and<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm"> native animals</a>. There are brushy hillsides, deep valleys and canyons, a river bed, pools and ponds and even mud wallows along with flat grazing pastures and rugged natural hillsides.. The animals can all move around throughout the ranch freely, allowing them to drift to various locations around the ranch based on grazing conditions, weather and even the location of feeders.<br /><br />The landscape itself is perfect for hunting either from blinds or by the traditional stalking and tracking method. Guides can provide information on both types of hunts and the species you are after will determine what geographic features you look for in the landscape when determining where you will hunt. E<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAgba21yACN4QmUVd6es5MzTwFiBSYCuoqle6WbJJaO_0wtejB509i_HPu5LLiiw5ohcw7sjlmO9He5TfzBk_azV6TGlD9rnENcJ9MO865MNZzxMPv9kL9whpJ_VZ48K7oBMmWyJjZ9vi/s1600/uppper-house-from-river.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546950713044562306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAgba21yACN4QmUVd6es5MzTwFiBSYCuoqle6WbJJaO_0wtejB509i_HPu5LLiiw5ohcw7sjlmO9He5TfzBk_azV6TGlD9rnENcJ9MO865MNZzxMPv9kL9whpJ_VZ48K7oBMmWyJjZ9vi/s320/uppper-house-from-river.jpg" border="0" /></a>vening and morning hunts may also vary in their location on the ranch as <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">the herds </a>and different species may move more in the open in the dusk and dawn hours while they stay more to the brush and deeper wooded areas in the bottom of the river area during the daylight hours. Weather temperatures will also impact the geographic location of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">the herds </a>with most species tending to stay to the cooler lower wooded areas in the heat of the day and coming more into the open areas as the temperature cools off in the evening.<br /><br /><strong>How many animals can I realistically expect to see on a hunt?<br /></strong><br />As with any type of hunting it depends a great deal on several factors as to how many animals you will see on any given day. Since<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/"> Escondido Ranch </a>does manage the herds very carefully as well as feeds regularly from feeders along game trails you definitely won't go without seeing animals. It isn't unusual to see the entire herds of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-sika-deer-guided-hunts-tips-68.htm">Sika</a>, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hunting-fallow-does-at-texas-game-ranches-70.htm">Fallow</a>, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-hunt-20.htm">Axis </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/blackbuck-antelope-texas-hunt-13.htm">Bla</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w-pkoLmc655-rZDdnziIgZ1nE4sJKbv0L8PfXliz8Dzxku35vUQdwIH1wccHNHnL9zg6LOXpXv6Fc7K-_jEZ6axW1c9cDgO7m4jueQkEzGql1VXFRh_iqwZs6N_6F9ufY2Xx1StKVT_e/s1600/PICT0046.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546609961088983714" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 277px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w-pkoLmc655-rZDdnziIgZ1nE4sJKbv0L8PfXliz8Dzxku35vUQdwIH1wccHNHnL9zg6LOXpXv6Fc7K-_jEZ6axW1c9cDgO7m4jueQkEzGql1VXFRh_iqwZs6N_6F9ufY2Xx1StKVT_e/s320/PICT0046.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/blackbuck-antelope-texas-hunt-13.htm">ckbuck </a>all coming up to feeders at the same time or spread out along the edge of an open field first thing in the morning or later on at dusk. Typically the majority of animals you will see will include does, fawns or juveniles, depending on the time of year which you are hunting.<br /><br />Depending on the species the males may stay separate from <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-elk-cow-hunts-44.htm">the cows </a>and does unless in the mating season. However with many of the exotics a few larger bucks will be right there on the edge of the doe herd, making it a truly remarkable sight. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm">Feral hogs </a>are often found in the early morning near the river and in the low areas and they also come up to feeders and move along the game trails.<br /><br /><strong>Can I bow hunt on the ranch?<br /></strong><br />Bow hunting is available on <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch </a>and offers a unique opportunity to get into this very rewarding and extremely exciting style of hunting. Even hunters that traditional have only hunted with firearms will soon love the thrill of stalking that elusive <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">whitetail buck</a> or<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm"> exotic trophy animal </a>and taking them down with a bow. However, for a real test of bow hunting ability going after the incredibly tough and smart<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm"> feral hog </a>may prove one of the greatest challenge the ranch has to offer for sheer bow hunting talent.</div>escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-50666260716320309642010-11-29T08:07:00.000-08:002010-12-04T13:59:16.193-08:00Making The Most Out of Exotic Hunting In Texas<div><strong>What happens if I hit an animal but don't get a kill shot?</strong><br /><br />One of the benefits of hunting from blinds is that you, as the hunter, have time to set up and make sure you have an accurate shot. This is much different than having to stalk or track the game and working around the bushes, deadfall and geographic issues that you have to on the ground. Most hunters hunting from blinds have a good success rate for getting a shot off, perhaps even a second shot, in the even that the first isn't fully successful. If you are hunting in a group other members of the group can also provide that second shot when necessary.<br />In the event that an animal is wounded or doesn't go down, the professional guide can then work to track the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2-u8T9S8my9EOWXC2PGDdmWFxJSiquHBtbKMsjHXTwLoGutORmvdoZu4jxtbk66jzd8lKwzrg11w3Q6OtT0B2s89rupbRe7nPF4IFjngTrv86yEdJi58lLgoBVeLIKNwwBfImIWASRHk/s1600/aoudad-2010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546949856111395778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2-u8T9S8my9EOWXC2PGDdmWFxJSiquHBtbKMsjHXTwLoGutORmvdoZu4jxtbk66jzd8lKwzrg11w3Q6OtT0B2s89rupbRe7nPF4IFjngTrv86yEdJi58lLgoBVeLIKNwwBfImIWASRHk/s320/aoudad-2010.jpg" border="0" /></a>animal and bring it in. In most cases since the game is confined to the space within the ranch, tracking is much more successful than if the animal literally has the entire county to run. However, there are situations where an animal cannot be found, but this is again very rare. The professional guides have years of hunting and tracking experience plus they know every detail of the hunting area of <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">the ranch</a>. They make every effort to track down the animal, especially if there is even a slight trail. Guides want to find the animal and put it down as much as the hunter wants it to be found.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>How do game ranches manage their herds?</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch</a>, like other managed game ranches, has to keep a healthy breeding herd in order to continue to operate. The ranch manager or game managers job is therefore twofold, first and foremost to care for the health of the herd and secondly to determine the number of animals that can be harvested per year. Since with both <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">exotics</a> and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">native species </a>it is important to have more females than males for breeding purposes, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-doe-hunts-39.htm">the doe </a>or female herd is carefully maintained each year. Not only are existing breeding female numbers maintained but replacement juvenile females must also be kept in the appropriate numbers for future years. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">Bucks </a>and bulls are typically culled after their first year, ensuring that the grazing area is not overused over the winter months. In addition culling of the smaller bucks and males and the older females helps to keep the herd in top physical condition. Genetic improvements to the herd are also made by infusing new males and females into the herd as necessary.<br /><br /><strong>Are all animals on the ranch hunted from blinds?</strong><br /><br />Most<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm"> exotics </a>are hunted from blinds as are the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-whitetail-buck-hunts-14.htm">whitetail deer</a>. However, several animals and birds on the ranch are also hunted from the ground using traditional tracking and hunting methods. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/exotic-elk-hunting-in-texas-48.htm">Elk</a> are typically hunted this way, as are the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/rio-grande-texas-turkey-hunts-17.htm">Rio Grande Turkey</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rdxOSnkc73mozmoSv7F58T5KXjzYeZi30UktCs1ulIhQ3J3ibC8W_11fbT-aUUuBm0MEGAIYZPvpERrBTdGhGCcA-1GyB5G-c7-Bpja-9utUQONdiR2mLqqaZXPlI2U9PzobfohKI3Q-/s1600/axis-sika-fallow.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546609254288642850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 98px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rdxOSnkc73mozmoSv7F58T5KXjzYeZi30UktCs1ulIhQ3J3ibC8W_11fbT-aUUuBm0MEGAIYZPvpERrBTdGhGCcA-1GyB5G-c7-Bpja-9utUQONdiR2mLqqaZXPlI2U9PzobfohKI3Q-/s320/axis-sika-fallow.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/rio-grande-texas-turkey-hunts-17.htm">s </a>and even the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">feral hogs </a>in many hunting situations. However, hunting from blinds is a good option and one that ensures that the hunter is in place when the game arrives, while still providing the challenge of getting off a shot and bagging that <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">trophy animal.</a></div>escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-47465356856988623502010-11-24T08:50:00.000-08:002010-12-04T13:55:43.934-08:00Texas Exotics Hunting Offers A Number Of Unique Hunting Opportunities<div><br /><br /><div><strong>What species can I hunt at Escondido Ranch?</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch </a>offers both <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">native </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">non-native species</a>. A high fence surrounds the over two square miles of property to keep the animals in the ranch in place and the wild herds excluded from the ranch property. Not only does this prevent <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">the exotics </a>from getting out and disappearing into the surrounding property but it also restricts the number of animals on the ranch from <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-34.htm">wild deer </a>and<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm"> feral hog </a>populations, ensuring that there is always sufficient food for the ranch's herd.<br /><br />T<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2HjyYs3aEqRJf6Tqy_2Na8nNoXlPZOglR6u1otm_UxF4iyYfQrwtzzhLlM5iJg1BBf8Xk4J7wft0uRbnAqt0OtFDrD1dcLMqHsHM6lCp7A57zwhKRt0Dn1B4b4GPcuccwBH0_lL6Z_S1/s1600/bull-elk-web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546949056482739426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 146px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2HjyYs3aEqRJf6Tqy_2Na8nNoXlPZOglR6u1otm_UxF4iyYfQrwtzzhLlM5iJg1BBf8Xk4J7wft0uRbnAqt0OtFDrD1dcLMqHsHM6lCp7A57zwhKRt0Dn1B4b4GPcuccwBH0_lL6Z_S1/s320/bull-elk-web.jpg" border="0" /></a>he native species found on the ranch include <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-whitetail-buck-hunts-14.htm">whitetail deer</a>, and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-rio-grande-texas-turkey-37.htm">Rio Grande Turkey</a>. While the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">hogs</a> were originally an exotic, they now are found throughout Texas. Unlike the native species there is no season on <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/feral-hog-hunting-tips-58.htm">feral hogs </a>so they can be hunted year round. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-elk-hunt-12.htm">Elk</a>, both bulls and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-elk-cow-hunts-44.htm">cows</a>, are also available and highly challenging to hunt. Exotics found on the ranch include <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-class-black-buck-antelope-36.htm">Black Buck Antelope</a>,<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hunting-fallow-does-at-texas-game-ranches-70.htm"> Fallow</a>, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-hunt-20.htm">Axis</a> and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/sika-does-hunting-season-69.htm">Sika Deer </a>as well as <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-aoudad-barbary-sheep-45.htm">Aoudad Sheep</a>. Hunters can elect to hunt one or more different species based on herd numbers, season of the year with regards to herd <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOsvbteLxmtHauXgVEh0wrnimSRfY7TLIMRB_mBGt83ODEkwmCkfwwl1UXg-G832BKltSKGsaEFrtb0dcqAJOVgmDPZ0eyThETZAW6ENyl1ItMRUMtb-uS_RYYX7gyBTYpO-oN_oU0utA/s1600/axis-aoudad-web.jpg"></a>management and seasonal regulations with the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-whitetail-deer-cull-bucks-hunts-76.htm">native species</a>.<br /><br /><strong>I want to take my child hunting with me, can I do that?</strong><br /><br />Hunters are welcome to bring children hunting with them provided the children have the proper Texas state hunting license and are kept with the parent at all times on the hunt. Many hunters enjoy teaching their sons and daughters the skills needed to be a good hunter, including the correct and safe use of guns, bows and hunting equipment. Family members, including children, can also stay at the ranch lodge or cabins and spend time fishing, hiking and exploring the area around <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch.</a><br /><br />The Ranch also hosts youth hunts and charity hunts to remove <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/herd-management-and-cull-bucks-53.htm">cull bucks </a>and does to manage the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-whitetail-buck-hunts-14.htm">whitetail </a>numbers and promote the health of the entire herd and animals on the ranch. These hunts are held pending numbers and checking in with ranch staff is the best way to learn about these specific hunts.<br /><br /><strong>I have never hunted exotics before, what is the one thing I need to know?</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">Hunting exotics </a>on <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-deer-exotics-7.htm">Escondido Ranch </a>doesn't require any specific skills or advanced knowledge. Being an accurate shot with either a bow or a gun is critical, but the professional g<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmRTNqJywV2BXhjubdhPg8d2jthgWIlnfgka1tO_OjzxqijBVdQfWAggA2vue2PJtU5yfS7bBF-bhcrG-nluZlpa4VGN2eKbwxpk9Mcr7COhVvAGugzIdvZEHEsKD02w4A-4Pt5OdaXLH/s1600/fallow-axis-sika-2010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546947968337047938" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmRTNqJywV2BXhjubdhPg8d2jthgWIlnfgka1tO_OjzxqijBVdQfWAggA2vue2PJtU5yfS7bBF-bhcrG-nluZlpa4VGN2eKbwxpk9Mcr7COhVvAGugzIdvZEHEsKD02w4A-4Pt5OdaXLH/s320/fallow-axis-sika-2010.jpg" border="0" /></a>uides are there to help you before, during and after the hunt and answer any questions you may have. Generally most hunters find the hardest part about guided hunts is trying to determine if they should take the first animal they see or hold off and wait for something bigger to come along. Most guides recommend taking a good look at the herd before deciding if you want that one particular animal, especially if you are there for several days. Of course if it is a trophy buck you don't want to wait and hope to see him again, you will definitely want to take the shot when you have him in your sights.</div></div>escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1333189436616290631.post-20696033541789626322010-11-15T07:28:00.000-08:002010-12-04T14:15:36.492-08:00Arrow Addiction: A Friendly Brotherly Bow Hunt - Not!<div><div><div>Well, it started off with a phone call from my good friend Tony (aka Godfather) who asked me if I was interested in participating in a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">whitetail deer </a>bow season opener challenge. Tony told me that he was organizing an archery contest at the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch</a>. The contest consisted of hunting <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">whitetail does </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-feral-hog-boar-hunting-18.htm">hogs</a> along with a 3-D target shooting competition. My curiosity was peaked when Tony uttered the words “challenge and hunting whitetail deer” in the same sentence. Tony also asked me if my brother Mike (aka BeerHug) would be interested in joining us at the ranch. It was an intriguing proposal to have a friendly competition between two brothers and that’s when the invitation really appealed to me. Since my brother is shooting a Hoyt bow and I own a Mathews (A REAL BOW), it would also be a competition between the two most recognized archery names on the market. Also, since Brent (aka Sparky), Gary (aka The Russian) and Brad (aka Bullseye) were also in the mix, both my brother and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs9zAYCSX43G0o0mDTaB_ZUR49HxUBSXTB4Iuupo_vmQrjG-3I9zlDUblijr2OWOvkQjUMIZXki8twfLIEjF_53s9tI3S2wmv9sz3-7akSI_qQ5SMPrnh6DxxS9e7lwtuFfxj7bV7W7Re/s1600/brotherly-competition-2-aa2010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546953192933190610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs9zAYCSX43G0o0mDTaB_ZUR49HxUBSXTB4Iuupo_vmQrjG-3I9zlDUblijr2OWOvkQjUMIZXki8twfLIEjF_53s9tI3S2wmv9sz3-7akSI_qQ5SMPrnh6DxxS9e7lwtuFfxj7bV7W7Re/s320/brotherly-competition-2-aa2010.jpg" border="0" /></a>I jumped at the chance.<br /><br />Driving to <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch</a>, a couple weeks later, we could not have asked for a better day. Great weather and little traffic made the four hour drive from Houston go by quickly. I enjoy driving to <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/">Escondido Ranch </a>as much as I enjoy being there. Driving through the rugged hill country of South Central Texas and seeing so many Deer X-ing signs is very motivating for a hunter. Traveling on I-10, we never pass an opportunity to stop at The Beaver (commonly known as the Buc-ee's truck stop). There, you can find just about anything to satisfy your taste buds. Buc-ee's is my preferred stop for jerky and beaver nuggets. A little further, we made another stop in the town of Kerrville and purchased some freshly baked bread from a great, local bakery.<br /><br />We arrived at the ranch in the early afternoon and unpacked at<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/guest-house-accomodations-50.htm"> the Guest House</a>; we lovingly refer to as the Barn, because of all the “animals” that frequent there. This weekend would be no exception. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/guest-house-accomodations-50.htm">The guest house </a>consists of four very tastefully decorated bedrooms, a TV room, an office, a stand-alone kitchen and facilities in every room. In addition there is a large covered area which can be accessed by a car, or a bus for that matter.<br /><br />While Bullseye, Godfather and SteadyLady were already present, it did not take long for the remaining competitors to arrive. Sparky and The Russian pulled in a luxury sedan! A far cry from a hunting vehicle one would expect to see at the ranch. But when they exited the vehicle with their faces painted camo, we knew the game was ON!<br /><br />During the first evening hunt, I set in a tree blind and watched everything from, <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-axis-deer-hunt-20.htm">axis deer </a>to <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/exotic-elk-hunting-in-texas-48.htm">elk </a>to<a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hunting-fallow-does-at-texas-game-ranches-70.htm"> fallow deer </a>and <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/sika-does-hunting-season-69.htm">sika</a>, but no <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">feral hogs</a>. Then I got a text from my brother. <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">Hogs</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBX8epLG7Ev_9htRtPjF28o9VOHPc_pZspyRJqy0XKJ2MWQXYYX0j434Kd9JaSBxEGOFV63KvBLuVGFKOwsigiLWVSLDDfL9i2mgnPgujGhtYMUjUyAcOPrDlFkdb1kur9tKmaU142Vfn/s1600/looking-over-the-competition-aa2010.jpg"></a> were at his feeder. I wished the best to my brother, but he was using a Hoyt bow and the odds were stacked against him. A few moments later another message from bro read “pig stuck”. At that point, I was worried I may have to eat my words. So, after a few more minutes of watching exotic animals, I decided to go help my brother look for his <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/hog-bow-hunting-texas-ranch-for-guided-wild-boar-pig-bow-hunts-84.htm">feral hog</a>. But when I arrived at BeerHug’s stand and watched the video, I could quickly tell that the arrow sailed right over the hog. Although, the same thing happened to me not too long ago, I did not waste an opportunity to point out that this is what happens when you use a Hoyt. We recovered his arrow and went back to the barn.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzcsDDUH4FZ7DoBm5R8nXHzJpUFIg2fepXguHaDSQNwZCtLE9e68HXTTY-0ssgxW1U_XoBgajIJXsbRERr1nCOR_YKt_xNLGPInt4wKBHeMMHjrDvsOjgKKvZXa6CEx74_nRgRpVFP2tH/s1600/brotherly-competition-aa2010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546952293201910018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 302px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzcsDDUH4FZ7DoBm5R8nXHzJpUFIg2fepXguHaDSQNwZCtLE9e68HXTTY-0ssgxW1U_XoBgajIJXsbRERr1nCOR_YKt_xNLGPInt4wKBHeMMHjrDvsOjgKKvZXa6CEx74_nRgRpVFP2tH/s320/brotherly-competition-aa2010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The following morning, I decided to hunt the Windmill blind which always has lots of animal movement. As the daylight broke, I saw great looking <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/texas-trophy-whitetail-buck-hunts-35.htm">whitetail bucks </a>moving around. Later a trophy size <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/blackbuck-antelope-texas-hunt-13.htm">black buck antelope </a>with its harem of blackbuck does came by. However, I was not lucky enough to have any <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-whitetail-buck-hunts-14.htm">whitetail does </a>come in close enough for a shot, so I decided to call it in around 9:00am.<br /><br />On Saturday morning we gathered for a start of the 3-D archery competition. I knew I could not let my brother beat me since I would never hear the end of it. We started off shooting at 20 yards, 30 yards and then moved to 40 and 50 yards. It was a tight competition through the end and it was going down to the 50 yard shoot-out to tell who was going to be the winner. As I came up to shoot, the cross wind started to howl! In-spite of my adjustments, the arrows were just a little off the bulls-eye. But my brother was more fortunate. When BeerHug’s turn finally arrived, the wind slacked off, and amazingly, he was able to hit the target with remarkable accuracy. It was a sour-sweet competition for me. As the results were tabulated, my brother placed at the top. I asked the judge for a recount, but the results stood. I am proud of my bro, but it was apparent to everyone that the wind played a significant role in my brother’s win. How else could a Hoyt beat a Mathews?!<br /><br />Sunday morning rolled around and I made my way to my favorite hunting spot called Valentes. As soon as I got into a tree blind, I was spotted by a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-sika-deer-guided-hunts-tips-68.htm">sika deer </a>which proceeded to bark at me and would not shut up. I could not shoot it, but the thought did occur to me. I even thought about throwing my water bottle at it. Finally, the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-sika-deer-guided-hunts-tips-68.htm">sika deer </a>left and a <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-whitetail-buck-hunts-14.htm">whitetail doe </a>came up from my left and proceeded towards the feeder about 35 yards away. As whitetail doe began to munch on the corn, so I began to pull back on the bow string. Once at full-draw, I stood up and let the arrow fly directly into the back quarter of the whitetail doe. Appa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4mbR8zDaMH1yIs3owgMZS4GKoe2YWnduSGZoMT0u485RK1ub5Qm5FfLOaeTU0s9WeIIqD_OI8hRuHPa3XH_viyGNW-xBRRdwK1oJZjI9jmPY9HGESugWJ1QhWFx7CS_7IU2RPwa39URV/s1600/looking-over-the-competition-aa2010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546953871994502722" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4mbR8zDaMH1yIs3owgMZS4GKoe2YWnduSGZoMT0u485RK1ub5Qm5FfLOaeTU0s9WeIIqD_OI8hRuHPa3XH_viyGNW-xBRRdwK1oJZjI9jmPY9HGESugWJ1QhWFx7CS_7IU2RPwa39URV/s320/looking-over-the-competition-aa2010.jpg" border="0" /></a>rently, the deer heard the string snap and jolted forward. Thankfully, the rage broadhead did its job! The <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-whitetail-buck-hunts-14.htm">whitetail doe </a>dropped to the ground about 40 yards from where I let the arrow fly. It was my first animal killed with my Mathews bow and I was very pleased. I recovered the <a href="http://www.escondidoranch.com/trophy-texas-whitetail-buck-hunts-14.htm">whitetail doe </a>and made my way back. Upon my arrival to the Barn, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that due to a deduction for a lost arrow, I tied with Sparky for the second place.<br /><br />The entire Arrow Addiction contest was awesome and I have not had that much fun in a long time. I want to thank Kurt, Betty, Tony, Heather, and all who helped out with that weekend of fun.</div></div></div>escondido ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09604117323353012847noreply@blogger.com0