Deer season is as over for me as are the Christmas holidays. But the bummer that is a hunting season that doesn’t last long enough isn’t without its highlights and great memories. This year I was able to fill the freezer with fresh venison from one of the biggest bucks I’ve ever shot, as well as from a mature doe.
I was lucky to be invited out for a weekend of hunting at my wife’s cousin’s ranch, La Paloma Sola, in early December. This ranch is located about halfway between Freer in Encinal, right in the heart of big time South Texas deer hunting country.
The brush in that country is short and thick. Heavy with huisache, cactus, and all sorts of thorn covered plants. A perfect environment for providing sanctuary and nutrition for the whitetail that roam this area.
South Texas was hit with a heavy rain the day before the hunting actually took place, so the roads were slick and muddy. Boots were constantly gunked up with mud, making our feet heavy and causing jeans to be rolled up a little.
There were a few really cool aspects of the afternoon hunt, when I killed the buck, that I wanted to touch on and attempt to describe.
The deer blinds were tall – I’m talking 20-30 feet off the ground, tall. So you’re sitting well above the brush line and are able to see for miles. This provides a unique perspective for being able to spot animals before they come out into the open, as well as being able to see them from further away.
Deer love cottonseed – I’d heard about it before, but was pretty skeptical. The deer were all over the cotton seed bail that afternoon and it was interesting to learn how to get started on it.
It was like watching a hunting show – Since we were off the ground quite a ways, we were able to see the buck I ended up shooting come out of the brush 700 or so yards away (I’m guessing the distance based on memory). The sun was starting to sink into that golden hour gleam of the late afternoon when we noticed this big bodied beast slowly making his was across the field. Working his way toward the feeder, then the cotton seed bail, before eventually walking the direction of some does. He took his time and we watched the whole thing like it was on the Outdoor Channel in the living room.
I was eventually able to take a shot on this buck and knocked him down on the spot. When we drug him out of the soft dirt of the oats patch and got a good look at him I shared a laugh with my guide (and host) that this “cull” deer was the biggest one I’d ever killed, and I’ve been hunting most of my life.
It was an incredible opportunity and a fun weekend at La Paloma Sola. I’m super thankful to have been invited out and for the hospitality my hosts provided, while allowing me to hunt and kill a deer for my personal record book and make some great memories in the process.
