Texas Sweat 1&2 w/45 pics

[Shaun]

There are a couple TX06 threads going, but I got a pile of pics and am starting another. I was fortunate to attend both sessions of the Sweat and as a first time participant was really impressed on so many levels. Many thanks to Curtis and Charlie for their efforts to set up and oversee the project and to all the participants.

From the beggining: Its a heck of a long drive from Iowa City to Leredo, but others drove farther. Have made the trip several times and know the way... first past the miles of osage rows in Kansas
 

Then the Arbuckle mountians of OK

 

Stopped to visit Wingnut near Weatherford,TX. 8 hours south of there to overnight in Leredo and start meeting folks at the La Quinta. 11 AM the gang gathered at the Leredo Welcome Center adjacent to the hunt site.
 

The Laguna Ranch, a big place with high fence on three sides, many thousand acres. See that pasture named "Gus" at the top? That is a square mile!
 

We convoyed into the ranch and got our first glimps of our hunt territory. Classic south Texas brush country.

 

[Shaun]

The hunt "shack" was a surprise; big main room with several bedrooms and two bathrooms with showers, the lap of luxury for those of us used to camping here in the Texas brush.
Like most lease hunt ranches, the first order of business is paper work. Doc "Tippt" copies his Texas hunting license info onto a release from.
 

We received the "speach" from Jerry Gonsolez (hunt leasee) on ranch rules and proceedures, then one from CK on methods and tips. Turns out there was not only a cook who would set up bruch and supper, but a game cleaner who would process our game. Nothing for us to do but HUNT! Terry wasted no time showing us how its done. He took this nice javie the first evening with a perfect shot placement. The ideal spot to hit a javie is about the size of a tennis ball just above the elbow knuckle of the front leg. Just like this...
 

First evening in camp and we exchanged some gifts and got to visit a little. The only fault with this hunt is there just is not enough opportunity to get to spend time with everyone. From dark till midnight (when not tracking) we visited. Much as we wanted to share stories and campfire talk, the common thread for all was obsessive bow hunting. Talk or hunt, no contest.

 

I wanted to start the hunt by harvesting a javie. I soon found that this ranch was game rich, especially with javelina. Started off with my MOAB and looking for blood. My chance came when this group came out one morning.

 

I put the sneak on them with a loop out through the brush and found myself right in the middle of them when I came back to the sendero. Some downwind let out a warning woof and the herd ran into the brush all around me. I waited till the boar gave me his profile with hackles up challenge and sent a cedar with Grizzley into his spine. I followed this with an attempted coup to the heart (the arrow in you can see here).
 

[Shaun]

If you have never been close quarters with a wounded javie, you have not lived. Just ask JC. This one could not run because of the spine hit, but the second arrow through the boiler room did not much dampen his spirit. He stopped popping his teeth long enough to test the Sheffield steel in my bolo machete when I got close.
 

A stunning blow to the head with the back of the blade and a finisher to the heart with my knife and it was over. I went to the truck for my drag rope and bug dust. I like to dust javies with seven both sides before dragging out, this greatly reduces the flea and tick count. Back to camp for pics

 

And the luxury of a dedicated game cleaner. Here is Val at work on my javelina.

 

There was a noon meeting each day with updates on game sightings and stories. After the meeting there was often some practice shooting. Here Jerry Gonsolez works his Morrison with some deadly 3 fingers under form. He is a wheel deer hunter, but has just about talked himself into going trad. Slow Walker looks on

 

Terry Green is a dang good shot and a patient instructor sharing his knowledge. He spent a good deal of time helping others with their form. Terry can shoot from more than jsut the standard upright position. Here he shoots from a crouch as if peaking over a cactus.

 

[JC]

You ain't kiddin Shaun, Terry's shot was sho nuff on. As good as I've seen anyone shoot in quite some time.

Nice to see you came out on top of the close encounter with a javie.  

[Guru]

Shaun,Congrats on a fine Javie! Great post so far bud...Looking forward to more pix and explanations...

[Shaun]

Group 1 poses with TSweat T shirts. Gary Keller and Jerry G took group pics with a pile of our camaras.

 

The noon meeting was a good chance to take a quick break and hear what was happening around the ranch. We gathered in the front porch shade and if it was not too hot, went back to the field soon afterwards.

 

There is nothing "Mickey Mouse" about hunting in the land of thorns and spines. Well almost nothing

 

Charley shot the largest hog of the hunt. Not much blood to trail from a hog, usless you happen to put a Magnus through the neck hitting both the jugular and carotid arteries.

 

[Ray Lyon]

Nice pics and story Shaun. Great looking digs at that ranch. I've only seen a video of Terry shooting, but from what I saw, I'm keeping my money in my pocket when the bows come out.  

[Shaun]

Charlie was deservedly pleased with the harvesting of this fine hog. We talked him into posing for a classic hero pic.

 

And I got him to pose for the redneck classic or "Chuck Adams" version of the hero pic.

 

JC put the knife to Charlie's hog and got it gutted and into the walk-in cooler. Next day Val took over and made pig into pork.

 

Vincent Minor gave a dazzling display of flint knapping for the video camara of a local outdoor TV show. He turned a 4 pound amoeba of raw flint into a fine Clovis point in a few minutes. All the while carrying on a comentary on methods and tools. I was one of the captivated crowd.

 

In an era when small game ment under a ton, pimative man had to stab or spear his game - wolly mamoths and prehistoric rinocherous. Vincent said there were no bows and arrows, "These points had to be inserted manually"
 

[Shaun]

Some more of Vincent's fine work on his arrows. Almost too nice to shoot - almost.

 

The deset is at first bleak. But a few moments of relaxing afield and one's perspective starts to change.

 

Sometimes you have to go around. Someone said, "The big thorns of prickly pear are our friends, they warn us about the little spines we are about to hit".

 

Nightfall did not alway mean the end of the hunting day. The tank (pond in Texican) near the bunkhouse was a popular night spot for those with excess hunting energy.

 

And sometimes the trip back to camp from an evening tracking job would offer opportunities for additional harvest. "Sweet Spot makes a resounding thud!", said our brother of the bow from Norway after seeing CK make meat with a stick.

 

[HARL]

Great Stuff here Shaun!!!

[Whip]

Great stories Shaun!  You're giving me flashbacks!  

[beachbowhunter]

I about had a stroke laughing the night Curtis harvested that one with Sweet Spot....  

[Shaun]

Chased hogs for a couple days. Patterned a nice boar that was using a tank in the Bull Pen pasture and set up this ambush spot. 63# Raptor flatbow with 75-95 GT painted white and tipped with 100 grn adaptor and 190 Griz. Back end finished with a Luminock. Talk about "flashbacks", be careful shooting these after sunset if you were loose in the 60's!!!!

 

Never did get my hog shot and started working on another goal latter in the hunt, more on that soon.

I like to hunt alone, do it a lot, but I also cherish the times I get to hunt with another bow hunter. Spent a nice day hunting with Con (Slow Walker) and another with Leo. Here is Leo working a jackrabbit...

 

He did a fine job of closing in, they are real hard to get within 20 yards of, much less 10 yards...

 

But it ain't over till its over. A near miss and a cloud of dust as Mr Jack makes for cover.

 

Now on to my last project of the hunt, blooding my hatchet bow. Built this bow after deer season this winter for the MOJAM contest. Had the idea that I might get a javie close enough to put a cane arrow and stone point to work.

 

[Shaun]

Now about jack rabbits: Leo did get one later to redeam hisself after the above photos. Said he put a blunt braodside through both sholders and had to hit it twice with broadheads after that to stop it.

Then I think it was Scott from Canada who reported having to chase down a wounded jack on foot after it, "Ran off through the bush with 45 dollars worth of my arrows sticking in 'im!"

So when I saw this one evening while hunting with the hatchet bow, I was wondering if I had enough fire power...

 

I put the cane arrow away and knocked a fine JSOG style nutter - a little fancy with crown dip stain and real 160 blunt. But a true nutter with rough hand tapered Ramin and no shaft finish. Remmembering the stories of hard recoveries of jacks and having just busted a dirt clod at 20 yards with this same arrow a few minutes before, I drew down and called a head shot - wish you'd been there to hear it. Sometimes an arrow goes perfectly and this one did. 18 yards and hit a spot no bigger than a nickle.

 

First blood for the hatchet bow!

Now, I was not the only one in camp making meat. In fact I believe every hunter on both hunts hit game and almost all recovered game. This is one fine ranch to hunt for small game bowhunters.

Here is Bob Walker returned to camp with his rented Hummer and a double of fine hogs.

 

And Whip with a nice piggy. Joe managed to take a javie and a hog on his first trip to Texas brush country! I'm betting he'll come back.

 

Can you see the Green Jay in this Mesquite tree?

 

[Shaun]

A guy has gotta eat! Rafael made that a treat with some fine local style cooking. Meat, rice, frejoles, tortillas and good company. It ain't easy to cook for 16 hungry hunters, but he can do it and do it right! Taking time from his day job as an ag inspector for trucks at the border, he fed us well.

 

This one's for Kyle... Rafeal's wife was cook's helper and even did some tracking with Rafael on a wounded javie for Kyle. We had to throw cold water on him when he got back to camp. And she shoots trad!

 

Lease manager Jerry still shooting his Morison, "I just can't stop!". Might be a wheel bow for sale here soon.

 


The second group hunting was just as fun as the first.

 

Got to spend some time afield with Gary Keller doing video. Showed him how to set up an ambush and try to call in a javie with snoring. Then later got to do a crawl stalk on video after a group and get within range, but never quite right for a stone point shot.

Last day sunrise. I had two shots with the hatchet bow on javies including one this last morning. Did not connect as both times I was made and missed by string jumpers. Did not much mind as it was about all the good hunting a man could ask for and better company than anyone deserves.

 

[Terry Green]

Thanks for the pics Shaun....those were great!!!

Bob Walker's duo sure look familiar....I need to call him and see where he got em.

[Whip]

Terry, I'll let Bob tell the story, but you might want to ask him if it's ethical to have the pig glued into the ground before stalking......  :p

[Shaun]

Terry, he got it at the back of the double tank near the hub you guys were hunting. Stalked it while it was lounging in a wallow and drilled it from less than 5 yards. She never heard him stalking and never made it to her feet after the shot. I found the spot the last full day when I went to scout this area. Wallow, blood, footprint - its was all there in the tracks.

 

Got the little spot on the way back to camp, jumped out of the Hummer and drilled him with a Morison bow.

[Golden Hawk]

Who are all the guys in the second group so we can put faces with names?

[cjones]

Great pics Shaun! Nice shot on that jack rabbit.