1997

In 1996, after we tested for our Black Belts, we decided to take a much needed break and go squirrel hunting in East Texas. My Dad had found us a new place to hunt squirrels (our traditional squirrel hunting grounds on Temple Inland Paper Co land had been extensively clear cut over the years, and squirrel numbers had dropped to the point where hunting was hard) at Bannister WMA in the Angelina National Forest. So we headed off to Bannister after Thanksgiving to hunt squirrels. Since my Dad was hunting the open desert way out at Bakersfield in Pecos County, I asked to borrow his Ruger Blackhawk 44 magnum, just in case I saw a deer. It was fortunate that I did.

Sunday morning, I was sitting under an acorn-producing water oak where I had seen quite a few squirrels feeding, when I heard the unmistakable sound of a deer walking towards me. I was surprised that it was not only a buck, but a really nice 8 point buck. I raised my borrowed 44 magnum, pulled back the hammer, and fired off a shot at a mere 25 yards - and missed! The sun was at my back, and the wind at my face, so the buck had no idea where the shot had come from. He jumped back into a small thicket, and stood there looking around. Then he slowly and stiff-leggedly began walking up the slight rise to my right. I turned, braced myself well, and took another shot at about 45 yards, hitting the deer cleanly in the spine.

Marla was sitting about 100 yards away, and heard me whooping and hollering. The buck had an inside spread of 17 4/8" and scored 118 5/8 gross points (net 114 2/8). I aged him at 4 1/2 years old.

We didn't take our camera with us this trip, and these photos were taken with a disposable we bought at a convenience store.

After Xmas, we went back with my Dad and my uncles for our annual Xmas camping/hunting trip, and my Dad shot a big-bodied 8 point with short tines in the same general area, but about a mile into the woods. It seems we had found a good area for deer hunting - on public land.

The area we hunt here is a small Wilderness area where Southern Pine Bark Beetles have killed off most of the pines, leaving an extensive and almost impenetrable area of deadfall timber. We hunt the edges of the deadfall area, as well as creeks that penetrate back into the deadfall - there were less pines along the creeks, and its easier walking there.

In 1997, we again hunted at Bannister WMA. We decided to pass on opening weekend, figuring that it would be crowded, and instead hunted the 2nd weekend of the season. My Dad and uncle Dan came along and hunted with us. Marla wanted to hunt where I had shot the buck last year, and I sat in the same general area where Dad had shot his buck after Xmas the year before.

I got back into the deadfall area along the stream just it was beginning to get light. I started seeing some big rubs, so I sat down. Within 30 minutes or so, I saw a doe and a fawn, followed by what I think was a spike buck. They moved along the trail from my left to right. About 30 minutes later, I heard deer running through the woods from my right to left. I raised my Rem 700 BDL 25-06, picked an opening in the brush, and waited. First deer through the scope was the doe, then the fawn, then . . . Big Buck! Boom!

After waiting a few minutes, I went to look for the blood trail, and found lots of frothy blood indicating a lung shot. He went no more than 50 yards before piling up. While I was looking for him, here comes a young forkhorn buck, which circled around me until he got downwind, then he spooked and ran off, taking the doe and fawn with him.

Now the fun starts, as I'm back in the woods about a mile, through several stretches of deadfall timber. I ended up ferrying my gun and clothes forward, then going back and dragging the deer past my stuff, then going back for my gear, moving it forward, etc. It was about 11:30 a.m before I made to where I left Marla. I hollered and woke her up, then walked over to where she was sitting. I think she was really surprised to see me standing there in 40 degree weather in just a T-shirt and with blood on my jeans. When we got the deer back to camp, Dad and Danny were really surprised when I got out of the truck - Dad immediately saw the blood on my jeans, and said "Hey, you got something" and I said, "yeah, lets get this big 8 point out of the truck." Like last year, we hadn't brought a camera, so Marla & I went into the small town of San Augustine and bought a little pocket camera. The buck has a 16 4/8" inside spread, 8 points, and scores 117 1/8 gross/ 113 0/8 net typical points.

The 3rd weekend of deer season, we got drawn for a doe hunt at Richland Creek WMA. Dad, Toby, and I all got does, and Marla had one come up on her immediate right where she couldn't get a shot. I also saw a great big 10 point buck.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving found us back at Bannister in an effort to find Marla a big buck. We didn't see any deer there, but while scouting around, we came upon a herd of feral hogs, and Marla shot a medium sized one of about 200 pounds. I'm just glad she didn't shoot one of the huge ones in the herd. That afternoon, we moved across the lake to Angelina County (which is a 2 buck county) to try a new area. I knew that there were Bark Beetle spots similar to what I'd been hunting at the Upland Island Wilderness area. We arrived a bit late in the afternoon, and I sat Marla near the road along what looked to be a good trail. I went about 200 yards further into the woods and sat down. I soon saw a nice young 8 point come walking out about 50 yards out, along with 2 unid deer off about 200 yards away.

After Thanksgiving, we returned. It rained on Friday, and we didn't hunt. Saturday morning, I put Marla where I had seen the deer on Wednesday, and moved on into the deadfall. In the dark, I spooked a deer, and when it got light, I saw that I was in a crappy spot, so I got up and eased on further into the woods. I had been sitting at a new crappy spot for about 30 minutes, when I decided to get up and move further in - as I stood up, I saw a doe & fawn off down the trail to my left, moving away. After they moved out of sight, I got up and eased back into the woods behind them - with the leaves soaking wet and the wind in my face, it made for great stalking conditions.

As I eased along behind the does, I crossed a small creek and kneeled against a large beech tree and looked around. There, just to my left, I spotted a nice 8 point. I raised my 25-06, picked a hole in the brush, and fired - aiming straight at his shoulder, hoping to break him down on the spot. BOOM! down he went. He kicked, and then lay still. I jumped down to cross the creek. He jumped up and ran off, and the creek bank and the brush prevented a follow up shot. I looked and looked for blood or hair or any sign of a hit, and found nothing! I went back and got Marla to help, still we found nothing! After searching, we finally found a 4" hickory tree with a 25 caliber bullet hole through it. Apparently, the bullet passed through the tree, mushroomed, and then (moving relatively slowly) punched the buck in the shoulder, not penetrating much at all. We hunted that area the next day, and I saw a spike and 2 does & a fawn. Marla saw a couple of does, a 6 point, and (presumably) the 8 point that I had shot . . . but was never able to get a shot at him herself.