2002

The 2002 fall hunting season was a very busy one for us. After a great deal of frustration with the guy running the Coleman lease, we decided to leave Coleman and look for a new place. It wasn't an easy decision, as we really loved the property at the Coleman place, but we figured that we had to put up with enough jerks at work that we shouldn't have to put up with the same sort of people in our leisure time. So I looked around and found a promising place SW of Barnhart, in Crockett County. While the place didn't live up to our expectations, it was nice to be able to hunt it without conflict.

In September, we did get an opportunity to dove hunt for whitewing dove with a friend near Floresville. We missed the prime hunting by a few days, but did have a good time, as usual. I also made several trips out to Barnhart during this time to prepare stands and feeders at the lease.

In October, Marla & I went to Bannister WMA east of Lufkin, for our annual squirrel hunt. Dad wasn't able to join us, because he was busy helping to plan my brother's wedding. I was really excited to finally get a chance to try out my Bullberry Custom TC Contender in .22 WMR on gray squirrels, and what a sweet shooter it proved to be. I shot 5 squirrels the first morning, 1 that evening (they weren't moving), and 5 the next morning. To put this in perspective, the best I've ever done is 6 squirrels in one morning - and that day took far more shots than either of these did. With the 22 mag, I was also hitting considerably farther shots than I was accustomed to with my old Marlin 22LR.
	The week prior to deer season, it rained about 12" out at Barnhart and we were glad to have a 4WD. The first weekend was also very wet, and we saw very little - Marla saw a couple of small bucks, and I got a glimpse of the same deer. The second weekend, I saw two young 8 points (one is the one at left), as did Marla. The third weekend, I finally saw a "shooter" buck. Saturday afternoon, I spotted a mature buck chasing a doe about 1000 yards across the open pasture on the place, so the next morning I set out some doe-in-heat scent wicks right near where I had seen him the evening before. He jumped the fence about 75 yards from me, stopped broadside - he didn't stand there long enough for me to evaluate his rack, and I decided to pass him up. I also saw a spike, 2 forkhorns, and the 8 point marla ended up shooting. Marla also saw this buck, but couldn't get a shot. I think it was a big 9 point.
The 4th weekend of the season ended pretty frustratingly for me - I finally saw the buck that I wanted - standing broadside at about 150 yards . . . but he was across the fence. He was a big 10 point, with heavy horns and good tine length that I figured would make the Texas Big Game Awards program minimum of 130. But he was on a hot doe, and no amount of horn rattling would get him to cross the fence. The Friday after Thanksgiving, I again saw this buck, this time on our pasture. I spotted him with a hot doe from about 800 yards away, got down out of my stand and stalked to within 300 yards. Again, the 8 point that Marla ended up shooting was with him. I decided that I couldn't get any closer and took a shot . . . and missed! And missed again at about 400 yards before he ran off. When I was checking for blood, etc, I jumped the three deer again . . . Marla had a shot, but didn't take it - I think she was being nice and trying to let me get another shot at him. The last morning of Thanksgiving weekend, I passed on the 8 point at right that Marla ended up shooting. The first full weekend of December rolled around, and Marla finally gave in to temptation - she pulled the hammer down on the buck at right that we had been seeing all season. He grosses 90", and is really a great first "quality" buck for her - only she was wanting something a bit older. That weekend, I saw only a spike. I only went back to the lease one more weekend, and with the rut over, deer just weren't moving.
	After Xmas, we went out to our friend's Val Verde County property (Goldmine Canyon Ranch) and hunted 3 days. All I saw in range were does and Corsican sheep. I passed on a couple of decent sheep, not wanting to spoil my deer hunting. I also took a few shots at rock squirrels with my new Custom TC Contender 17 HMR, but missed - I still haven't had enough practice for precise work with a pistol. Marla and Dad saw a couple of good bucks, but couldn't get shots because they were running, too far, or legal shooting light hadn't arrived yet. After Goldmine Canyon, we went to Mason Mt. WMA, where we had been drawn for a doe hunt. I missed a shot at a running doe, saw a NICE ten point buck, and we saw lots of exotics - like this kudu.
	Gemsbock were by far the most common exotics on this pasture. We also saw Sable on our pasture, but were never able to get photos of them. We saw Scimitar-horned Oryx, Waterbuck, Impala, and Thompson's gazelle on other pastures between the HQ and where we were hunting. Neither Dad nor Marla saw does, but Dad did see a really nice buck.
	Another gemsbok. I'm betting these are much more tame here than in Africa . . . but I can't wait to get one in my scope once I get there - they are soooo cool!
	This scimitar has only one horn - the other has been broken off. These are really pretty common on Texas exotic ranches these days.
	The first weekend of March, we finally got around to going out to our friend's property in Val Verde County to hunt Corsican Rams and to do some repairs on the cabin there. I shot this mature ram with my custom Bullberry 6.5x284 Encore. I saw several herds of these on the place - I could probably shoot several each season and not put an appreciable dent in the population.
	Here are Cheyenne and I with the ram.