AOUDADACIOUS!!! Part 2
Hogs
I didn’t want to hijack T-roy’s previous thread, but this one is closely related, and I certainly can’t compete with his greatness.
I booked with the same outfitter and spent all last week with him chasing critters in the TX panhandle. Arrived Sunday afternoon and hunted/scouted some that evening. Caught a pig headed to a waterhole right at dark. I stalked in on him really quick, but Unfortunately the wind was absolutely howling and I just flat shot him in the ass, bot even close really. 40yd shot in 40mph cross winds just don’t work very well. That was carefully noted for the upcoming week.
-Jim
What is that picture? You stop to pick up chicks at the stateline?
First full day was daily cold and windy, we saw sheep and got some kinda close but no shots taken, kinda slow day as those sheep really don’t like the cold/overcast/crappy weather type days. They really prefer the fairer weather.
—jim
Monday night Tuesday morning the weather was crap, there were blizzard warnings and everything! Rain and mud on our way out Monday evening, only one bar ditch was injured when we slid into it! No snow but the wind was insane. I proposed a slow start Tuesday morning so we didn’t get out to the ranch till about 10. Seemed the animals were just starting to move when we got there and didn’t feel we missed much. Made a couple stalks in groups of ewes and small rams while looking for big boys. Ended up shooting this ewe after passing 3-4 other BIG ewe with little lambs.
-jim
Quick day with the late start. We were cruising to our nest spot for a quick hike around/look abs I spotted a couple pigs cross the hill under a cedar tree 100-150 yards above/in front of us, Mike didn’t see then so I kinda took the lead through the cedars. We quickly circled back around up to get in front of them. And just like that they started coming out right in front of us. I draw on the one I can see and he spooks. Run up around the next tree abs find a group of 4-5 o shoot the closest one guessed 25 and hit a hit high.
The rest kinda busted wild but Mike had a bead on them. We got on another boar and played some cat and mouse, I was working 20 but couldn’t get a good shot, so he got away. We went back and took some pics and went looking for the rest, we couldn’t find them but spotted a coyote just hanging out. Mike called in on a string, but when I tried to move a muscle that didn’t last long. Pretty big ask for an open ground coyote with a bow coming to a call. Still pretty cool.
—jim
So for a short day it was pretty successful. Back to the regular full day schedule for Wednesday.
—jim
Great start and waiting for the big smiling finale'!!
First thing we are hiking down a fence toward the canyon rim and Mike spots a group not far (200 yards?) in front of us. We cut the distance fast through the cedars, but then are pinned down about 65 from the group. Probably 12-15 sheep, 2 shooter rams and one just a bit smaller than I wanted.
I do some crawling, and running, and laying, and watching, and sneaking, and waiting, and cussing. Closing ground then losing it as they move and feed. I finally get up to where they are feeding away and I run between trees and come around the last one maybe a bit quick, as I draw and try to figure out which one I want to shoot they are all just looking at me 30-35 yards away. They busted before I could decide. They run, but not clear out of the country.
We work up a few hundred yards looking for them and spot some on the next hillside, but decide that isn’t the group we were looking for. Mike turns to look uphill, abs spots one just like 100 yards away looking the other way. We close about 40 yards and can’t go any further, we were watching the ewe for a few minutes, and he says “the Grouo is walking around our tree get ready” they start to come out in a line at about 35 crossing left to right. The first one is the medium sized ram from earlier that I figured just a little small, he was fairly recognizable and I had seen him a bunch earlier. I let him walk, abs was pretty sure the next one was the one I wanted. Mike confirmed my suspicion by saying “shoot the second one”. Of course by now they had moved through my opening and were behind another tree and getting kinda nervous. By the time he stepped out he was the 4-5th in line and I think Mike might have thought I was gonna shoot the wrong one.
When the bow went off it was one you just knew was money. 30 yards, and it hit right where I was aiming. We waited about 30 min and found him about 80 yards away. Good thing I shot him good cause about 40 yards he would have been down in the steep stuff.
He is a good ram, but not a huge ram. Very respectable for an archery Aoudad IMO.
—jim
So I’ve got my ram, a ewe, and a pig, but k don’t want to go home yet!
We went to town for a celebratory lunch , then spent the afternoon looking for some ewes, no luck in that department. The evening we looked for some pigs, but they didn’t want to cooperate either.
—jim
Couple more scenery pics.
—jim
All that black in that little cliff cave is sheep poop!
—jim
I still haven’t gotten my “Thank You” card for laying off the bigger ones, yet….
The next morning we decided to chase some more ewes. We tried some out on the top flat. After not really getting close to them we start down a little hillside and mike spots a group just over the brush pile only like 70-80 yards away we drop down and crawl for some cover. We are pretty much pined down there for a while. After my impatience ass gets impatient they take off and kinda split into 2 groups. We can see the one group wirh a specific ewe I would like to arrow about 200 yards down to the left, I crawl and sneak down to get to the little cut. Once I get there the it becomes a fast walk till I get up to then. I’m able to crawl up the hill and can see their horns just over, I’m guessing 30 yards. But I can’t get drawn ans shoot over the brush. Some to my left spot me and kinda start to get nervous so I make my move to my knees, draw and try to find that old bitch that been staring me down for the last 2 hours. She is in the back and I guess 30, let the arrow fly and it flys 30’ to the right. Hit a dang twig. Basically the only one I could have even been close to, the ran and gone. No biggie, but was a great stalk to just shoot a twig at the end!
—jim
We relocate and find some in a field. Kinda spook then out and then start the walk and stalk down the little canyon they went down. We catch up to them down on a little point and get in the middle of them. Lots of ewes and yearlings feeding all around us. There was a couple bigger ewes with little lambs I didn’t want to shoot, but whatever else was a target for me. We hear one feeding through the brush just ahead of us and I assume 18-20 yards. It steps out and mike says shoot it, so I did! Knew it was a good shot, so continue to move on the bigger group, I chase them out to the edge of the cliffs and have a shot a a couple rams, but most of rhe ewes weren’t in good places to shoot and with one already down I wasn’t trying super hard. Just t fun to watch them in the rocks. Mike said he had a couple step out at 15 while He was behind me too.
They finally work off down into the canyon and we take up the blood trail. We the sheep expired right on the edge, basically 2” to the right in this pic would have been 100’ straight down! 3 sheep down at this point!
—jim
Looks like a fun trip! Great thread except the two selfies ;)
We get that taken care of and head off to look for pigs. Getting toward the afternoon and hope maybe we can catch one out early since it’s a little cool still. We had seen a group of 5-6 out on a dry flood plain a couple days before but decided not to chase them as we were looking for rams still. But as luck would have it we caught them out in the same area heading basically our direction. We run down the road to cut them off as they are angling our way. They stop in a low little pond to drink and splash around and I’m able to slip up behind the dam. I get up and see them at 20-25 years, but can’t find a hole to shoot through the brush. They start to get nervous, so i hunker back down and decide to try to catch them at the end the burn when the head towards the brush out about 50 yards from the pond. The first couple beat me to the spot, but the 3-4 comes out just as I draw. Big hole and she don’t go too far.
We watch her fall, and take off after the other. We catch up with them across the road and get in again. They are pretty nervous by now, but I get out in front of them and draw as they come around the tree, I shoot at the 2nd or 3rd and stick him right in the guts. I’m sure he jumped the string a bit and I certainly won’t claim my shooting to be infallible by any means! We found the arrow, which had decent blood, but couldn’t find a drop on the ground or any other sigh. We looked for 45min or so to no avail.
—jim
I had a few days left to hunt, but kinda felt like Mike ahead given me all that I had paid for (and probably more) so I we decided we would hunt a 1/2 day on Friday to wrap it up and both of us could be home for the weekend. We chased some ewes, had some close calls, got in on one one group pretty tight then they walked straight at up! Heads poking up over the rim of a little creek at 15 yards. Not much I could do, no way to draw. They looked at me and I looked at them for a couple minute then they decided to head the other way faster than they had come.
I jumped up and ran to the next bush and they were all standing looking back at 40-45 yards, but I didn’t feel the need to fling an arrow at that point. We hiked around a bit and looked a little more, but pretty much wrapped it up at that point.
Super fun hunt in an incredible landscape. Hope to be able to do it again next year.
—Jim
Very cool....always nice when your hair matches your prey...congrats
“ Hit a dang twig.”
Now who on earth would do that??
Congrats again bud! You deserve it all!
I wanted to go after T-roy's adventure. Now I really want to go!! You did a lot of killing in a short time span!
Is it true that Troy taught the guide a clever new trick? Dragging his ass to wipe out his tracks so the sheep wouldn't know he'd been there. Next level stuff, for sure.
Nice! I have to check out Texas again, it’s been a while!
It’s not new, Rod. I picked it up when I was over in Nam…..I WILL say I’ve gotten it down to a science in the past few years, though.
Man that looks like a blast..
Good for you Jim
Congrats,
Robb
Congrats Jim! Thanks for sharing your hunt.
Texas pony tail massacre! Loved it...congrats buddy!
Great hunt. Thanks for bringing us along.
Great write up !! Congrats Jim! Glad you found some!!
RK
Nice hunt!!! That's a great way to kick off 2022! Congrats
Sounds like a blast! Congrats!!!
Aoudads are a great archery trophy. Congrats
Parts 3 and 4 are on tap for March 2023. Stay tuned…
—Jim
I’m not laying off the big ones, this year….
Awesome story and pics! Congratulations and thanks for sharing! Surprised there are pigs in that country!
