Bowhunting Report From Tony Dukes

Bowhunting with Billy Don Van Cleave on Wild Horse Prairie Ranch - Hunt #2

First Bowhuunt Here | Wild Horse Prairie Ranch | Bowhunting.net's Online Bowhunt Here |

Jan. 3 A.M.
Tyge Floyd rejoined me last night and Billy Don was expected by noon. Off we went an hour before dark into the windy, warm day.

I saw a nice blackbuck, just out of range, and had 3 small bucks at 10 yards, as well as several does.

Tyge also saw 3 bucks, one 8 pt. and a lot of hogs. We both passed.

P.M. Billy Don and my girl friend Carol Galt had arrived, I was hoping they'd brought me some luck. It was ridiculously windy, and I'd told Mr. Carperter I wanted to hunt a brush blind in a low draw out of the wind. We dropped Tyge on a stand near the pipeline clearing. Once again we were running late and Mr. Carpenter had ranch duties so I decided to hunt the open prairie out of consideration.

Bad idea I thought as I had to take my hat off to keep from loosing it in the constant wind. I started to get upset because of my location and the fact we'd ran late, the I settled down and remembered just a few hunting season's ago I'd been in the hospital not knowing if I would ever hunt again. With that, the day seemed beautiful and I was just thankful to be alive and hunting in the beautiful Texas hill country.

Sure enough no deer. I'd seen a bunch of hogs but the wind kept them to spooked to come in. Shooting light was just about over and I started to look around to inventory my scattered hunting accessories when I saw movement.

From a grove of stunted oak came 2 large Aoudad. My heart raced as the steadily came my way!

You got to know that I had been on Aoudad hunts many times and in several states and never drawn on one of these magnificent sheep. Would the twilight of today provide me with my long desired opportunity?

The Aoudad closed ground quickly and we in front of me in seconds as I came to full draw, relieved to not be detected by the most wary critters. I could barely make out my pin on the shoulder of the largest when the other sheep stepped in front.

I thought this is no time to be choosy. Both sported nice horns and my season and luck were seeming to run out. I green 20 yard pin just under the border of the silhouette. Although the rams were further I couldn't see the red 30 in the overcast light of dusk. As soon as I released the sheep burst into high gear, and I mean high gear and disappeared across the prairie.

Seating the area for several minutes, Billy Don's high watt light picked up a speck of blood. After a quiet, close search we decided we should give the sheep some time and try to track it tomorrow under better light. The poor light had unfortunately made it impossible for me to see my brightly crested and fletched arrows. The shoot distance measured 29 yards, I felt my hold might have been just right.

Tyge had seen several bucks and does, one good buck that never gave him a shot, At dusk Tyge took a nice boar, around 200 pounds, sporting visible tusks.

Next Day's Hunt

Back To Day #1

P.S.  Look for a BOWHUNTING.NET hunt for you to go with us at Wild Horse Prairie Ranch next October! For info email me TDHUNTS@aol.com or Billy Don Van Cleave at bdvanc@aol.com.

Tony Dukes