Thought I'd share a week full of fun with family and friends with all of you here. My dad, Tom Phillips, Big Ed, and myself were slated to hunt in Mexico last week, but after the news coming out of Mexico for the last month and warnings from those in the know, we cancelled that idea. Because our flights were already booked we started fishing around for opportunities in Texas. It didn't take long, and we were contacted by Roland Guerra and his good friend Captain Jack Thatcher of extremebowfishing.com. They put together a five-day bowfishing and hog hunting adventure that was second to none. Unfortunately in the end, Big Ed could not make it on the trip due to medical reasons. I'm going to share a few pictures here to help with the story.
After traveling from Massachusetts (Tom Phillips started at 3AM) and Connecticut, the plane leaving at 7:30AM, we met up with Captain Jack Thatcher in George West, Texas at 6PM. We collected some provisions, hunting and fishing licenses, and hit the water. Dad anchored this gator gar on his very first shot on his first bowfishing trip ever.
Tom Phillips also took a gator gar in the 5'8" range. Tom, if you're out there, post a pic. I don't have any. I ran the camera most of the time but was able to take a gar and several carp as well. If you are ever headed to Texas, and want to hunt gar, look up Captain Jack Thatcher at extremebowfishing.com. Jack is not a weekend warrior. This is what he does for a living. Captain Jack is perhaps one of the most friendly and knowledgable professonals I have had the pleasure of hunting with.
After a long day of travel and all-night bowfishing, we crawled into bed at 4AM the next day. Up at 10AM we had breakfast at an authentic Mexican restaurant, grabbed provisions for the rest of the week, and dropped Jack's boat off at his friend Glenn Smith's (Smitty) ranch. Glenn owns Brush Country Bowhunting. We did not hunt with Smitty, but got a tour of his accomodations and bowhunting memorabilia. In our short 2-hour visit with Smitty it was readily apparent that this man is the salt of the earth, loving his family, bowhunting, and our great country.
By the end of the day Jack had us at Roland's ranch and we were headed out to hunt hogs, just outside of Laredo, Texas. We hunted in typical South Texas style, over feeders and corned sonderos. The first night, Dad and Tom sat together seeing over 20 hogs, but having no shot opportunities. Jack and I sat together in a blind and enjoyed viewing Mexican ducks, doves, road runners, rabbits, and whitetails, but no hogs. On the way back to the ranch house I was able to secure a small hog. Each night ended with a Texas bbq, cold drinks, and lots of laughs. On day two Dad and Tom adjusted their blind set up and again sat together seeing 12 hogs. Tom had 2 shot opportunities but the odds were in the hogs' favor. I sat alone on the second night while Jack barbequed the "eater" from the night before. I again saw plenty of wildlife but no hogs.
On the afternoon of the third day on the ranch our host Roland Guerra showed up. We spent a few hours growing a relationship that to this point had only been done over the phone.
"Viewing footage of Roland's South Texas deer and hog hunts with his longbow. Dad and Roland at the table and Captain Jack relaxing on the couch"
Roland had picked up a couple inexpensive infrared lights to hang under the feeders for night-hunting hogs, legal in Texas. That afternoon Tom and my dad hunted again together with the infrared lights, but saw nothing. Roland hunted a blind near a small pond and saw a sow and piglets. Jack held down the cooking in camp and I headed back to my blind and feeder, for the third time. With a half hour of light left I had a large, lone sow come to the feeder. With the camera rolling she worked in and fed broadside at 10 yards. After glancing at the video monitor, to make sure she was in frame, I raised my Black Widow PCH, tightened my grip on the string, to draw the traditional only carbon shaft, tipped with a 250 grain Woodsman. With that slight movement she spooked, ran 10 yards, looked back, ran another 10 yards, looked back the other way, and left. I couldn't believe it. The shooting window was small. How could she have seen me start to draw? With natural light fading, the infrared began to glow as I sat in bewilderment at what had just happened.
More to come...time for bed now.
Topic: South Texas Adventure With Roland And Captain Jack * more pics* (Read 548 times)
