Whew, Out of the frying pan and into the fire, back home and back to work! I see the boys have been busy "spinning yarns" on their West Texas hunting experience (while I've been changing diapers and squaring up with the Warden for my extended absence!). What a time had by all! The trip, the camaraderie with my brothers, that pig hunting Wildman Kellar, the hunting, and peace and contemplation in the West Texas desert all summed to an unforgettable time!
As always I find myself disappointed in my photo taking abilities and never take the time to capture all of the action but here are a few……
When Ted worked with Curtis on getting together a winter hunt in Texas I was so excited, the opportunity to chase peccary and pigs with my Oregon buddies just sounded too good to be true, and of course, a brief respite from the endless snow this winter... Here is a photo of my 1971 Landrover in my driveway; yes it's actually under there....
Of course it was snowing like crazy all the way to the airport, But the stars were aligned, Parked at first row in the economy parking, no line at the airline check in (of course the airline carrier next to us had a line that wrapped around itself) and we breezed right through airport security (although the TSA agent looked as though she needed to reach for a motion-discomfort bag as soon as Theodore removed his shoes to send through the scanner).
With this good fortune, (it never works out so smoothly) the only thing that could thwart our efforts was if our bags (and archery tackle) did not make the connecting flight from Dallas to Odessa. As we arrived at the terminal in Dallas, I pointed out a backpack on the tarmac, and noted that some unlikely traveler would be missing his belongings. To say this gave a feeling of foreboding is an understatement.....
Thus the preface for this photo.... Theodore and company in the terminal diligently watching the baggage handlers load our connecting flight to Odessa. Someone is intent on making sure that flame burnished Raptor Talon takedown makes it on the plane!
The trip to the Ranch was relatively uneventful, other than our arranged transportation consisted of a 6 seat minivan. No worries right? Wrong, six guys, six duffle bags and their carry-on baggage, and we hadn't even hit Wal-Mart to beer up and get our groceries. Again the full effect can't be realized without a photo to do it justice but there has to be some kind of a "what do you get when you cram six Pollocks in a minivan" joke....
The ranch is situated in amazing country, and to think they call Montana "Big Sky". The desert is an amazing place and although I didn't encounter my old friend the Arizona Chollo, or jumping cactus, the mesquite and other vegetation has quite capable thorns. Ahhhhh..... The art of moving through the desert, an errant hand, or a mistaken step and you may have introduced yourself to a pleasurable half hour of digging with the tweezers!!! To think of the resilience of critters that inhabit this country is amazing (and I make this observation considering I was there in the cool months).
Here's a photo of Theodore at full draw:
Ted Says: "Hold real still Pilgrim, there's a scorpion on your knee, don't move and I'll take care of him"
Sean Says: "That's fine Theodore, you can shoot ‘em but any chance you can put that broadhead away and use a judo?"
Not to say that I don't have utmost confidence in my friend that never misses! (See previous threads)
It's difficult to see javelina, hog, or rabbit sized animals in this country when you're on the hoof, however finding a good spot for a ground blind and being able to glass long stretches of Sendero (desert road) gives you a chance to see the critters in the open. Definitely bring your binos as the long eye will let you cover longer stretches of the open ground. Here's the kind of setup that worked for me...
Looking Up......
Looking Down....
It was a setup like this where I had my most active day. My good buddy Gutshot (Doug) and I were watching about 3/4 to a mile of road when we caught Javis in the open (in a Sendero). Gutshot was on the far end about a ½ mile away and the critters kept coming in between us. Doug took the first stalk on a group of three over the period of about 45 minutes. Watching the scene unfold before me was absolutely amazing. I’d see Doug out in the brush sneaking and peaking while the Javis slowly moved up the road. I could feel my blood racing as I saw the inevitable intersection of hunter and prey……………
Unfortunately that intersection of an arrow streaming from the brush to meet its mark never materialized. Javelinas are unpredictable little critters, and at the last moment when they appeared to be nearly on top of Doug, they simply veered off into the brush in the most nonchalant manner. Ted and I also experienced this when the duration of a moment changed our luck and at the last instant the animals would just change their minds and move away. Well in this case it resulted with hands and bow in the air in the proverbial posture of “what happened?”
Of course all I could do was smile as I watched my friend through 10x42 vision turn and head back to his stand. Smile you say at a friend’s undeveloped opportunity????? No….. Smile as a manifestation of emotion and joy at seeing a good friend with whom I’ve shot many arrows, transcend mere existence and become the hunter. I can watch all the Bear, Wensel, and Eichler videos in my library, but it’s nothing like watching a spot and stalk hunt unfold before me with a buddy in the lead role.
Gutshot Smith, of Mosier Oregon wearing his best "Natural Born Killer" expression... Faithfull Toelke Whip in hand.
Topic: Ted Fry/Raptor Archery Bowhunt-Texas (Read 2863 times)
