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686

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Everything posted by 686

  1. Yep. I’ve been in Central Texas my whole life and I would say buck quality and quantity may better now that it has been in over 100 years in a lot of areas. I grew up shooting exclusively does for about a decade, because bucks were so rare and I wasn’t interested in shooting a really young buck. A neighbor in Lampasas told me the general area around our place was “shot out” between the 60s and 90s, just like you describe. Also there was a ton of just absolute bullshit junk science that people would circulate in the 80s-90s in Central Texas (“you can’t clear the cedar, that’s good deer habitat; you shouldn’t shoot does, that will really reduce the herd numbers, it’s like taking two deer”, etc.); and before the internet, it was hard to go get real information on management. The internet, trail cams, and antler restrictions have been a huge help.
  2. Mother Nature likes to make things challenging. I disked and planted about 5 acres of spring dove mix on April 1, 2017, and we got great rain the next several days (not too heavy, just right). I was stoked and thought I was going to have some bad ass dove hunting fields last year, but then it didn't rain for about two months after that and I lost the plots. (April Fools!) The rain was so minimal this spring I didn't even attempt spring plots; until this weekend, we had only had 12" in 2018. Got about 1.3" this weekend, desperately needed.
  3. Thanks. This place is 180 acres, low fence, and we’ve probably cleared about 30 acres of solid cedar that was non-habitat. We spend about $2k a year on feed and food plot seed and fertilizer. I plant about 5-10 acres of fall plots every October, which makes a huge difference; the deer are in the plots from around December-May, and prefer the Turner Seed Fall Deer mix to protein pellets. Dr. Deer says plots have 10x the value to pellets, and I agree. Here’s what the plots look like in February, there will be ~20 deer in this plot at dawn/dusk: I have pics of this deer going back 3 years, he’s at least 6, maybe 7. He was an 8pt until this year, and he added inches everywhere this year, including the neat little G1 split on his left side. I’m looking forward to seeing him live, maybe a good target candidate. We don’t do formal surveys, but try to manage numbers by shooting about 3 does and a few spikes if we see them in addition to about 2 old bucks every year, seems to be working ok. Neighbors on two sides hunt, so I’m sure they benefit by my effort and investment. Using the timed protein feeder is a huge help for low fence operations, as the bucks can’t pig out on protein all night at my place and then chase does on my neighbor’s place and get shot in the morning. If they want their morning/evening snack, they have to be on my place during shooting hours. Also it helps ration out the protein so I can stay close to my budget.
  4. That feeder has a timer and is only open a few minutes morning and evening, and the mature bucks will generally push does out of the way until they have their fill.
  5. Put a camera out yesterday and pulled some pics today. This ranch is close to Lampasas and had no ten pointers on it in 2015 when my folks bought it and we started improving the range conditions and feeding some. We had one 10pt on camera in 2016, had seven on camera in 2017, and we may have that many just from this morning at this feeder. I recognize a lot of these bucks, so it’s great to see them adding inches.
  6. Here's a little Mozambique cargo run; all the lions are sedated for relocation. Note the lack of anything separating the cargo from the cockpit. This guy brought a big video camera, just in case:
  7. Additional fish pic Additional bolt-on pic
  8. The slight expression of panic on her face to start, followed by the "I got this" eyebrow raise at about :05 just really takes the beer, big fish, and boobs ensemble and elevates it.
  9. Don't know where to put this, wish it was NSAA, but alas.
  10. Just bumping this to note that shit got straightened out and that USAF Tech. Sgt. Chapman will be posthumously awarded his well deserved MoH. Some video showing him fighting on the mountain was also released. story link
  11. This is all completely true, Brew you should charge for all of this info. Two of my friends have early-mid 2000’s Malibu 23 LSVs, which have been great boats, are plenty roomy for 4 adults and 4 kids, and are listed around $30k on BT. Sooner, you might checkout onlyinboards.com as well.
  12. Will your wife ski now? Not to get you further off your fish&ski thing, but you may want to check out wake surfing. I’ve seen numerous guy’s wives who don’t have much interest in skiing or wake boarding anymore get into surfing (its low speed, no 20mph+ face plants, easy on the knees and back). The bad news is boats that will surf cost an additional premium. You may really like surfing as well, and you don’t need smooth water. If you’re driving 3+ hours to central Texas it’s going to be hard to hit the 7-8am glass. This is my ‘01 Super Air Nautique 210. A skiable wake unloaded, a great wakeboard wake when loaded, and an ok surf wake when loaded heavy with a wakeshaper. Tons of great family fun. The early-mid 2000’s V-drive wake boats are depreciated out. I bought mine 3 years ago for $25k, and like Brew said, I probably could, but wouldn’t, sell it for that same amount now. Also, as a side note, you might consider a Zup board for the kids:
  13. No pics, but it was about ~4” higher than the exit wound. I was shooting from a pretty high treestand. Shot went though “the void”. The crazy thing is that when I was butchering this deer after my dad shot it, the meat had no scar tissue from the archery wound. You could see the scar on the skin, but the muscles had healed like nothing had happened. A broadhead is basically a ~1”x 1” scalpel, just no where near the amount of peripheral damage that a bullet creates. Coincidentally, I was listening to Rinella’s podcast today and he mentioned that sometimes people tell him they prefer to see people bowhunt because it in someway “gives the animal more of a chance” or is “more respectful to the animal”, and he kinda went on a deep dive about how if you think about it, a rifle is about the most ethical way to dispatch a wild animal, and bowhunting probably creates some needless suffering, but hey, a bullet or an arrow probably both result in less suffering vs the natural way of the animal starving, freezing, or being eaten alive by predators.
  14. I used to bowhunt when I had more time. It’s great being that close to the animals, and archery is rewarding as a hobby as well. The hardest thing about bowhunting, for me, is that the efficacy of modern broadheads is still a lot less than even moderate centerfire rifles. Here’s a photo of a deer I had shot about two weeks prior showing the exit wound from a premium broadhead. The shot was a couple inches high, but that shot from a 243 or a 30-30 would have put that deer in the dirt. I was sick about wounding/losing the deer until I saw it had survived. My dad ended up getting him with a rifle a couple weeks after the photo. I wasn’t interested in taking my bow to Africa (although that’s pretty popular now) because some really good bowhunters I know have lost a few animals in Africa. Basically, if everything doesn’t go perfectly, you’re going to have to finish it with a rifle, or you may lose it entirely. The higher chance of losing game (vs a rifle) just weighs on my mind too much to enjoy it at this point. I really enjoyed archery hunting for pigs for these reasons (lost animal not a big deal), but my current hunting spots don’t have pigs.
  15. We had a good half-day of bird hunting in Africa as well. Guineas, Franklins, and doves, lots of fun, great way to end a safari. The most serious business I saw during the trip was the trackers divvying the birds between themselves.
  16. I don't know much about the guy, but it seems like UNC and the NCAA were throwing a boatload of hush money at him: "I have a check being written to me from the University of North Carolina for over $10 million due to the exploitation of me as a player and the lack of education that I received. The NCAA has a check for me for over $300 million to help me facilitate these sports education programs across the country. These are things that’s in the works." — Rashad McCants, speaking on Mark Packers' Sirius XM radio show in 2014 Maybe he made it all up, but why don't we know one way or the other? Very little reporting on this story. If this was a different school or a football issue we would know more details, but IMO the NCAA doesn't want anything coming to light that will reduce the TV ratings for the BBall tourney.
  17. IMO, UNC football was the sacrificial lamb. The basketball team was winning titles during that time and had a player blowing the whistle on the academic scandal*, but the sanctions were focused on the football team. Complete conflict of interest for the NCAA - pull back the curtain on one of the premier basketball programs that is a perineal player in the NCAA's billion-dollar tournament, or just put the blame on the basically irrelevant UNC football program that isn't making money for the NCAA? *"When you get to college, you don’t go to class, you don’t do nothing, you just show up and play ... That’s exactly how it was, you know, and I think that was the tradition of college basketball, or college, period, any sport. You’re not there to get an education, though they tell you that."— Rashad McCants
  18. Have you had him out to a skeet range/hand throwing clays or dove hunting before? In my experience, it's a lot easier to teach kids to shoot, let them practice, understand firearm safety, get them accustomed to guns going off, understand the dynamics of being in the field, etc. at skeet ranges or hand throwing clays out in a field vs. during a hunt. Besides, I always like to go "knock the rust off" my shooting before opening day, so if you could take him out to to practice with you between now and then, it would be time well spent IMO. I don't want to add to your to-do list, just want you guys to have a great day hunting. I've seen some bad ones where there was no practice beforehand.
  19. I can't believe they weren't blasted more over the academic-athletic scandal. I mean University faculty/staff creating B.S. classes and doctoring up grades at an institutional scale makes boosters buying kids' shoes seem quaint.
  20. I'm assuming we're talking dove hunting here. 1. Most importantly, don't let him get eaten up by chiggers. Cabela's, etc. have permethrin socks that supposedly work well, or just remember to get some strong bug spray and spray his socks/boots/ankles/waistline/arms real well. 2. Make sure you have a 5 gallon bucket or something for him to sit on, with some cold drinks inside for him. 3. Ear protection 4. Hat, cheap camo t-shirt, whatever pants and boots.
  21. Had an awesome trip. Kudu steaks are killer: Our camp had fun Just got to make some more money and get back over there
  22. Made a pretty satisfying “window” shot on a blesbok a few days back, off the sticks, with my 375 WBY. The tree is about 30 yards away, blesbok was 225 yards out. He circled and dropped where he stood at the shot. View with the naked eye: Zoomed in: Nice big old ram, measured in at SCI Gold. This was some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen, big red rock mountains with gorgeous valley savannas at 5000’ elevation. The rifle report echoing off the sheer mountains in the beauty of that place was just unforgettable. A herd of over 1000 blesbok, along with zebra, impala, warthog, kudu, eland, leopard, etc. Pictures don’t do it justice.
  23. Hakuna matata
  24. My 375 Weatherby setup is generating smiles on the other side of the world. Barnes 270gr LRX @ 2850fps
  25. The one and only; my favorite "hole in the wall" mexican joint in G-town. I don't love their chips, but the Tuesday chicken fajitas lunch special is pretty special.
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