Hunting in the 'New Year' @ Solana Ranch....

[Larry Surtees]

Wow!  Sounds like everyone had a great time.

[joel smith]

Congratulations to all on bagging the most elusive quarry of all---a good time. I'm happy to see that, even with such a bounty taken, you "smelled the roses".

I've been going out there for ten years or so and those folks at Solana are like my second family (even if David does deny it when I tell folks that) and I'm really proud of the job they do. John, Peanut, Robert, Jim, Gary and my other brother David really pride themselves on making sure their hunters have a good time, are well-fed and have plenty of shooting opportunities.

I usually stay at the guide shack (to spare my fellow hunters my loud snoring) and i can tell you they lose sleep when they feel they aren't "successful" enough.

[ole shep]

I got joel iooking for me a bow, yall know any thing about sarrels bow. These texans seem to like them and the man that makes em.

[amar911]

Congratulations to all the guys who went to Solana this year. I'm glad all of you had a good time and made the trip a huge success in every way, especially the comradery among fellow TradGangers.

Allan

[pseman]

Great to hear these stories each year. Must have been  'awesome'.

[Fritz]

Wow!!! Congrats to everyone who attended.  Looks like you all had an awesome time.          

[Guru]

Jeff and Randy, cool to get the whole story on your bucks...hadn't heard them before,congrats again to both of ya      

I'm wading thru over 220 pix and getting them ready to post. I'll try to go day by day.

Ol' Shep(David), What can I say...but what I told ya at camp..."You're the hardest guy to say goodbye to" . I mean it brother, you're just a pleasure to be around and hope someday to bring my boy to meet and spend a hunt with you. I'm getting "lumpy"(like Terry said to me)just typing this...Luv ya man!

I rode with and was guided by David(Ol'Shep) and was also with Terry, Don(DW) and Skyler Wilson. That's a truck full of the finest folks walking gods green earth. It just doesn't get any better! It's a real privilege to share the company of such fine people.  And that's just who I actually hunted with! The camp was full of the same kind of guys. How's that for something to look forward to after hunting. Coming into camp and sharing stories with each other, and better yet, just spending time with each other.....boys and girls...IT JUST DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER!!!!!!!!!


some pix to start off with.....arriving at camp.....

 

 

 

 


lots more to follow....

[Jack Denbow]

WOW.

[Doug Campbell]

          and it sounds like the fun has just begun!!

[hunt it]

Great stories and pics! Glad to see evryone had a good time.

[pistolero]

Thomas and I have made a lot of memories together but killing two good bucks within ten minutes of each other is a memory I will reflect upon for many years to come.

Now, I must say, Jeff had more words in that post than I heard him say all weekend!  And I hunted with him everyday and was there when we found his buck.  While a man of few words, I'd hate to be down range when you start slinging arrows buddy.  Jeff drilled everything he decided to shoot.  Good hunting.

An interesting observation.  I've hunted with groups of compound hunters a bit and I'll say that their wound ratios were higher and kill ratios less than what I saw with this group of hunters.  Good job.  That's not to bash compound hunters, just a good testimony to the effectiveness of traditional equipment!

Now, my buck is suffering from "ground swellage" and I think I need to go look at him again before he busts right out of that freezer!!!

[paleFace]

while everyone is waiting patiently here are some pics of the gang....

"Some Prickly Pear Practice"
   

   

     

   

[paleFace]

A few more of some of the gang as they get ready to head out into the Texas Bush....

   

   

 

[paleFace]

The first couple of days I sat a few stands by myself to capture mostly video, but I did manage to grab a few still pics with my camera.  

some of the landscape around "Solana Ranch"
   

   

both of these bucks would have been shooters in my book. Guess in a manner of speaking they were, I just shot em with my camera instead of my bow. This time anyway.
   

[zipper bowss]

Man it looks like you guys had a hoot!!Quite an experience.Im looking forward to reading more.Waiting, not patiently but waiting!
Bill

[paleFace]

here's a couple of pics of "ole shep"... let me tell you he's a pretty good shot with that "Bear Bow" Not to mention a dang great guide...

     

   

[Guru]

Joel, You and Matt were surely missed bud. Hopefully next time. Saw a pic of your hog from Dec...congrats!!

Rob, Great pix!

Dave, I don't blame ya...he's a good one!

[FerretWYO]

Don I was glad to finnally get to meet the young skyler. You have a fine man there. It was an honor to hunt with him. I hope that I get the oppertunity again.


I thought that was great that ole shep joined in the fun too. That old bear is a shoting machine even with that twisted limb lol.

[IB]

Why is it that every photo I see of "THE GURU" he's so un-kept and always in need of a HAIR CUT          

[Guru]

My first stand the afternoon we got there just happened to be a place I've thought about getting to hunt again since last year....It was almost a like David knew...but I hadn't said a word to him about that....it was just fate I guess.....

 

 

I had already decided before I got there that I wouldn't pass up any buck on the first day, that I'd be glad to shoot on the last.

It didn't take long and I had several does/fawns and three nice bucks around me.All 8 points, two were what I figured 2 1/2 yr. olds, and the third looked a year older. I thought for a while and decided I'd try for him....

I took a perfect shot, I shot a great arrow, but he just didn't "follow the script" about dropping at the shot.....Let's leave it at that,I ended up very disappointed, nuff said.....

But when we went to pick up Terry, he had a great story to tell...which I'll let him tell when he's ready...I have some nice pix to add when he does......

When we got to camp, it was already buzzin'!! Game was falling already, this group was taking no prisoners, that's for sure!

Vance, Don't you know I have an image to uphold      
Every meal was fit for a king buddy, absolutely the finest camp food I've ever eaten!