2001-2002 Season

 The 2001-2002 hunting season again saw us back at Coleman.  Opening weekend, I saw a few young deer, and took a Friday off 2nd weekend, hunting Thursday evening and all day Friday.  Friday afternoon I saw a really cool older buck - he had a really wide, really tall rack, with long beams, and a forked G2 on the right.  His left side, however, lacked a G3 entirely, making him just a big 8 point.  
I figured that I would save him for Marla's first buck, particularly since I had promised her that she could shoot the the buck on this lease this year - unless I saw a 140 class deer.  When she arrived with Cheyenne on Saturday, I put her in place to hunt that buck, but she never saw him.  Sunday afternoon, I had gotten bored after 2 days of babysitting, and decided to go rattling. I was easing from one rattling spot to another around midday, when I spotted a young buck standing about 150 yards off - then I spotted this big boy right behind him.  I think they were guarding a hot doe.  I couldn't get a shot right away, and belly crawled about 75 yards to get a clear shot.   I held off on several shots at him until I could get a clear look at his antlers.  Once I determined that he was a ten point, I still had to wait until he stepped out into the open, and when he did, I put a 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip through his spine out of my .260 Remington T/C Encore.  I had actually seen this deer the year before, when he was a 9 point (after I had already taken my buck for the year) and he had grown considerably.  As an 11 point (he has 1 nontypical point), he grosses 146 7/8, and after deduction for assymetry, he nets 133 2/8 typical, qualifying for the Texas Big Game Awards program.

Here's a series of shots of him from all angles.  I was really pleased to get him.  Although he's not all that wide, he has great tine length - my first impression when I spotted him in the brush was "this buck is tall!"
Marla ended up taking a spike and a couple of turkey, and I shot a turkey with my TC Contender 30-30 pistol.  I also stalked and shot a doe, which was a lot of fun.     In February, I went out to the place and shot a hog with my TC Encore 44 Mag, and also shot some squirrels with my new Bullberry Custom TC Contender 22 WMR.

Hunting at Coleman this season was a little dissappointing, however - not because of the game and the actual "in the field" experiences, but because of growing friction between myself and the guy running the lease - he simply wasn't much of a hunter and was also a bit of a control-nut, changing lease rules on a whim, etc.
Dad had a pretty good year at Coleman, taking his best buck to date, an old, heavy beamed 8 point that scored around 121".  Note, the huge hole in the old warrior's right ear (the deer, I mean).  Dad also shot the ultimate "cull buck" in the deer at right.  This buck had undeveloped testicles, and thin "doe" neck, and weighed around 140 pounds dressed.

Below are some of the other bucks shot at Coleman this season.

Marla's spike.

A 3 1/2 or 4 1/2 year old cull, with really funky antlers.

A 3 1/2 year old 6 point cull.

A beautiful but young 8 point - we wished this guy had let him get another year.

One of the problems on this lease was too many young deer were taken.

The same guy that shot the buck at left wounded this deer opening weekend and never found it.  Another hunter on our place shot him around Thanksgiving - the bullet had passed high through the shoulders and the deer was in poor health. Another young (3 1/2 year old) deer.
In February, East Texas' squirrel season being over, I went out to the deer lease to hunt squirrels (no closed season on fox squirrels) to try out my new Bullberry Custom TC Contender 22 WMR.  Boy was this gun accurate.  I also shot this big hog with my TC Encore 44 Mag at about 50 yards.  It was down in a creekbed and a real chore to get out.
In early February, I also went out to my friend's Goldmine Canyon Ranch in Val Verde County - I was hoping to see an Aoudad, but only saw a herd of these Corsican's (hybrid mouflon x domestic sheep).  I was hunting with Marla's Ruger M77 7x57 mauser (I'd dropped my .260 Encore in late December, and knocked the scope off).  I shot him at about 175 yards (first shot) and about 250 yards (second shot).  It was very cold that day, and I went ahead and came home instead of staying and continuing after Aoudad.