Tippit must be busy working....I need his pics to finish up the last part of my story....Post em if you got em Jeff!
Last hunting day, Jeff and I decided to mosy up to the angora side of the ranch and see what happened. We picked our way up the draw then sidehilled up to the top of the mesa. We still hunted all around the area I that had been covered with goats just a few days before, only to see a grand total of 3. The old "don't pass up on the first day what you would take the last day" started ringing in my head. I had tempted the Lord too many times over the gifts he gave me earlier that week with all those critters in bow range.
Shaking off the negative thoughts, Jeff and I enjoyed each other's company and fell into a pretty good huntin mode. Moving off in the direction of the windmill that provided water to the areas water troughs, we stopped periodically to glass. Things began to pick up...we say quite a few goats moving in that direction so off we went.
Halfway there, I spotted some movement and Jeff and I went into "the crouch"...you know, the one you instinctively hit when you see an animal before it sees you?
Jeff told me to go get them, even though he had yet to take an animal too...that's the kinda guy Tippit is. Anyway, I did my best of a low crawl across the spikey landmines and sharp rocks to get into an ambush position along a line of juniper. The goats were quickly feeding my way. I looked back at Jeff and with a big smile, nocked an arrow, hopeful we would both see action very quickly.
The goats got closer....and closer....until I had a group of 3-4 at my 9 o'clock eventually got within 10 feet...still unaware of my presence. But...I was being picky again. I had selected the biggest horns out of the herd...not a billy but if I was gonna shoot one, I wanted not only one without a lamb but representative headgear too. I could see she was old...the horns worn in the middle, no lamb in tow, chewed up ears. As she fed closer, I prayed...."OK Lord, I'd like that one right there...but you've put me on so many, I'm not gonna shoot unless it's a great shot op...if I get busted, so be it."
No sooner had the prayer left my hushed lips when the old girl stood up on her hind legs, front feet in the tree to get a nibble...revealing a pink patch of skin where the hair was thin in the middle of her chest. "Ok Lord, I gotcha!"
I slowly raised the new shrew as the animals within spitting distance froze....I knew if they bolted the old girl would still have to come down and might pause while deciding what to do....but everything just went into still mode.
I remeber starting the draw and seeing the pink patch I wanted to hit....then the next thing I know is a "THWUMP" as the arrow disappeared in her chest.....
Goats took off in all directions...save one....the old girl dropped down out of the tree, all but the fletching protruding from her back. She looked around confused...dazed even. In keeping with my theory, I immediately got another arrow on the string. She saw the movement but didn't move....I picked a spot near the shoulder....my mind racing that in all that I somehow managed to make a poor hit and I'd have to track her all over that rough country. The second arrow zipped completely through the front of the chest broadside...and she crumpled where she stood.
Tippit grinned like a cheshire cat, reaching out to me for a hearty handshake while I stood a bit dazed myself that it all happened so perfectly and fluidly.
She fell literally in her tracks, in the shade of the tree she was feeding on. Post mortem revealed the Woodsman (sharpened a-la Charlie Lamb style) entered between the front legs slightly on the left, exiting to the right side of the spine breaking ribs coming and going, shredding the lungs. The second arrow pushed the Simmons Interceptor and bleeder through both upper leg bones...breaking both, hence the drop, we found it 10 yards away stuck in an ear of prickly pear.
I meated her out where she lay, removed the head and a bit of the neck hide to make something out of. I packed the meat in a big plastic bag I carry, with my frozen water bottle and was able to cool it down enough to stay hunting with Tippit. He had gone off in search of a group but returned just when I finished the work so we sat in the shade and had some lunch.
As we talked I resharpened both heads, washed the feathers sparingly with some water and got ready to play backup....
Now....Tippit's turn....
Oh, equipment specs: My new 56" Super Shrew Deluxe Zebrawood/Ziricote, 58#@27". Both arrows were 28 1/2" Beman ICS Hunter 340 with 50gr brass insert, 4 fletch low profile banana feathers. First head was a 200gr Wensel woodsman, second was a 200gr Simmons interceptor with bleeder superglued in place. Total arrow weight about 540gr.
Topic: Tales of TX Sweat 2007 - 1st Group (Read 22358 times)
