The 'SOLANA GAMES' have begun!!!

[Bowhunter4life]

Hammerin' the Dilla!  Did you get to watch the "Dilla Boogie/High Jump" afterwards?

Congrats on the Dillo, Curt!

Where you at Izzy? I"m getting impatient!

Bisch

[Izzy]

Lunch break, here goes. So,,, the bodies crossing the creek turn into two y bucks and a real pretty 8. His body seemed to be considerably smaller than his 2 smaller racked companions. They came in on the cautious side but gave me plenty of good broadside shots. Over and over they would pose.

         Before arriving at Solana I told myself "If He Dont Make My Jaw Drop As Soon As I See Him I Wont Try To Kill Him."  This turned out not to be a draw dropper. He got a pass and hung around til he got down wind. On that he lit out quickly. That ended a pleasant sit for the morning with no further sightings.

[Izzy]

Later that day, the afternoon sit found me in this stand (I Sure Have A Name For It Now!), where Id seen a big boar and 1 deer on the first night.

[Izzy]

It was pretty warm and I was just kind of chilling out enjoying the birds and scenery of beautiful Texas. Nothing was moving for the 1st hour and then, just like that............. gotta run, Ill wrap it up this evening.  

[RM81]

Originally posted by Izzy:
............. gotta run, Ill wrap it up this evening.      

[snakebit40]

Not cool Izzy...not cool    

[huntingarcher]

What.....  

[dragon rider]

I watched John shoot.  He's not string walking in any legitimate sense - that's how he holds the string - period.  It's  unique but it's deadly.  He told me he does it to get the arrow up to where he can use it as a sight and damn does it work for him. I tried it briefly and it's extremely consistent.  Now for me I extremely consistently hit the bottom edge of the target, but he was burying his arrows in the center of the vitals on the deer target.

Glad Izzy told his Maypole dance with the hog story - it's a shame that many of you guys weren't there to here it in person - when Izzy tells it it also has live action and is one of the funniest things to come out of this trip.

[Guru]

Back at camp we ate a breakfast fit for a king.  For those who havn't been, all meals at Solana are incredibly good. If you don't leave heavier than arrived, there's something really wrong with ya!

After breakfast Terry, Don, Michael, and myself joined David to help move a couple tri-pods and set a ground blind "trap"...

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Don and David watching Terry trip up a tri-pod to allow shooting...
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Terry...
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Michael, David, and Don...
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David Shepperd, 'Ol Shep has become so much more than just a "guide" to us that have shared time with him...
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[FerretWYO]

Originally posted by Guru:


David Shepperd, 'Ol Shep has become so much more than just a "guide" to us that have shared time with him...
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Absolutly and a big part of what makes Solana so special.

[Izzy]

Curt, you ain't lying! Any conversation with shep is dominated by smiles and hearty laughter. He also knows a thing or two about critters. He even put me on to the existance of them " red loo-eechies". Pretty damn sure I saw one from a stand, could have been when the sun got me and I was resting my eyes.

[gregg dudley]

Fine, fine folks on the Solana Ranch hunt staff.

Izzy,you best not delay on your story tonight!  I've got two pictures that I have been squirming to post!        

[Izzy]

I'll get it out quick buddy. I'm at work now and can't get to Photobucket from my phone.

[FerretWYO]

Those wraps are awesome Curt.

Part of Izzy's story reminded me of the conversation with our Guide Robert.

After the morning sit Skyler asked Robert what he he saw, as Izzy stated part of it all ready

Well at daylight I was having a little quiet time to myself where I am not quite sure what went on.

Then I saw a couple of does and a chilli buck.

After that I slipped into a small coma. When I woke up there was nothing there.        


These guys are a lot of fun.

[Izzy]

Where was I? Oh yeah. And then..... 2 pigs zig zagging through the pears about 150 yards out and coming right at me, and then 2 more and 3 more until maybe 20-25 were all barreling uphill toward my stand.

      There were all sorts of colors of pigs in this passel of pigs and I picked a black one with a white saddle for my mark. So many pigs came in under the feeder that the white saddled one was covered up. I then set my sights on the 1st hog to give me his/her shoulder.

      The 1st one to do so turned out to be about a 180# boar, a classic grizzled Russian looking sucka.

      I drew and this time there was no spooking, he stayed put and I released. Whumppppppp! Right where the arrow needed to be.

      All of the pigs scattered but came back into the feeder within seconds( Griffins are quiet) and I was looking for Ol Saddle again.


     I watched the boar hog run off with my fluorescent orange CX 150 Heritage sticking out of his side. He stopped several times but never looked sick. I lost sight of him about 100 yards out or so.


    Just as I was about to put it on Old Saddle, I heard a half grunt half roar coming out of the creek bottom and here came an even bigger boar, charging right toward the other hogs at the feeder. He wasted no time and was there right quick. He went right to the center of the sounder and started pushing and feeding.

    Again, I forgot about the pig of my initial desire and had my eyes set on this new monster. It took a while for him to clear the other pigs but when he did,,,,, I hit full draw and again that sweet whumppppppp!!!!! echoed through the prickly pear flat.

[snakebit40]

Wow...what an awesome hunt so far Izzy!        

Pigs sure are fun, huh Izzy????

Bisch

[Bill Turner]

Izzy hunts hard and shoots straight. It was a pleasure to meet him and other TG members on this hunt. The pictures of Izzy's hogs will make you smile. Way to go my man. Job well done.

[Izzy]

Again the pigs broke up on the big hog squealing. They all stared back at the feeder from about 20 yards and returned to eat again.
Cool I thought and put another arrow on the string as stealthily as a quivering dude possibly can.

        Now Old Saddles is still around but I cant see him well, hes feeding on the corn that the truck spread. Well guess what? Here he comes finally! Broad side and still at 15 yards. The biggest was 22 yards and the other biggun was 20 so I figure easyyyyyyy! Full draw, anchor and swappppppp! Right through the nape of his neck. Old Saddles lives on with a non lethal wound. I felt sick but as most of us can attest, itll happen from time to time.