Tony Dukes called me a few months ago to ask if I wanted to hunt exotics in Texas.  Of course, I said yes.  He added that we would be hunting with the owners of Double Bull Archery and they would be making a video for their television show, Relentless Pursuits, on the Men’s Channel.  I was nervous; this would be my chance to be a television star or, heaven forbid, a dud.  Now I know how the people must feel when they audition for one of those television reality shows.  Actually I was looking forward to it since I like to hunt with new friends and in new places.

Tony and I agreed to write a joint story about our experience for Bowhunting.Net.  Since I haven’t seen his story, you’ll have to bear with me if there are some duplications and hopefully no inconsistencies.  At least you’ll get to experience the hunt from two different sets of eyes.  And as Paul Harvey would say; “now for the rest of the story.”

The Millar Ranch was the site of our hunt.  It encompasses 1,100 acres of typical west Texas terrain, a lot of scrub brush and cactus located near the town of Eden.  The family farm house served as our living quarters.  Frank Millar’s wife has done a great job of redecorating the home into the style of the early 1900’s.  It was immaculate and very comfortable.  Frank is building a lodge which hunters will be using next year.  

Millar has Axis deer, whitetail, sika, blackbuck, turkey and other exotics.  He also has fallow deer, make that lots of fallow deer.  If fallow deer is what you seek, Frank’s ranch is the place for you.  My main targets would be axis and blackbuck.  

Our plan was for Tony and me to hunt with Brooks Johnson and Keith Beam, the owners of Double Bull, and help them with their video production.  Of course, we would be hunting from Double Bull ground blinds.  After using them on several hunts, I really like hunting from their blinds.  The new Matrix model makes blind hunting a pleasure.  

On the first evening I hunted with Keith.  The feeder we sat near was overrun with sika deer but since they weren’t on our list of “must have” animals, they were safe.  The next morning we tried a different spot.  This time we saw a variety of animals including whitetail, fallow and sika deer but nothing we wanted to harvest.  

Frank and Cam Kleibrink, his head guide, wanted us to try for a couple of trophy size blackbucks they had seen regularly.  For the afternoon, our plan was to use an Eastern style drive and see if we could get some action.  Frank and Cam would be the drivers and Brooks and I would be the shooters with Keith and Tony manning the cameras.  You know about the best laid plans of mice and men.  Our plan worked, well almost.  

Frank and Cam spent a considerable amount of time slowly driving the blackbuck in our direction.  Finally they came through our ambush sites.  They passed too far from Brooks to have a shot but came closer to me.  As the blackbuck slowly walked by at twenty yards, I drew my Mathews LX, put the pin on the front of the buck’s shoulder and hit the release trigger.  A perfect pass through shot.  I expected the buck to quickly expire but he traveled on for over 200 yards.  When I approached for a coup de grace shot, he stood up and lowered his head.  I must admit, I was surprised at the stamina of such a small animal.  I also was concerned.  Was he going to charge?  Quickly I drew my bow and anchored an arrow in his front shoulder and ended the drama.  It was a beautiful blackbuck with horns over 20 inches long.  Truly a trophy, but we didn’t get any of the action on video.  

That evening, Keith and I returned to the spot we had sat in the morning.   Again numerous fallow deer and sika does came in, but no shooters.  As the evening sun set and the light quickly faded, a blackbuck came into view.  He meandered around until the time for an ethical shot expired and we called it a day.

The next morning we hunted the same spot and with more of the same results.  Lots of animals but no shots.  Keith decided he wanted to try a different place in the evening and maybe change our luck.  This time Keith would be the hunter and I would video.  I was more nervous than when I had to sit in the front row at church.  If I messed up now my television career would be over.  

After a couple of hours, a full curl mouflon came down the trail slowly moving into our shooting lanes.  Now the tension was getting thick.  The camera was running, I was sitting on pins and needles trying to keep the ram in focus and repeatedly making sure the camera viewer said “Rec” (record).  

The ram stopped in the trail 27 yards away and Keith drew his bow.

 “No, no, no”, I said to Keith.  That’s video jargon for “don’t shoot I can’t see it in the camera.”  

Keith held at full draw and the ram moved into my view.  “OK” I whispered and Keith released.  The arrow arched on its way; the ram ducked down and turned to leave.  The Lumenok arrow shined brightly as it entered behind the ram’s front shoulder and stopped after penetrating up to the cresting.  Quickly the ram ran away into the brush.  It all happened in a heartbeat and it was over.  

Hurriedly we played back the tape and I saw that I had somehow succeeded in capturing it on video.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  My job as team videographer was saved and I could continue on with my new life as a television hunting show staff member.  The ram was a beautiful animal and Keith was elated.          

Figuring that I had probably spent all of my video talent in taping Keith’s ram, Brooks offered to hunt with me the next morning and video my efforts to take a turkey or an axis.  We returned to the spot which had now become a second home to me.  Since I had only killed one turkey in my life with a bow, I asked Brooks a lot of questions about shot placement, the timing of a shot and everything else I could think of about hunting turkeys.  He was a wealth of knowledge and gave me a lot of tips.  

After some time in the blind, a set of large white horns came into view over 100 yards from the feeder.  The axis buck continued moving toward us and soon was twenty yards from our blind.  I checked with Brooks to make sure he was ready and prepared for the shot.  As the buck moved from my right to my left I went for it.  The arrow penetrated the blind’s netting and moved forward in a straight line.  So far, so good.  Ten yards from the blind the arrow took a sharp left and missed the buck by five feet.  A small pencil size sapling had ruined my chance to take a trophy size axis and the miss was caught on video!

Brooks swung the camera to get my reaction.  I was devastated and speechless for a change.  I thought now I would have to spend my life behind the camera instead of in front of it.  My audition to be a television star was ruined.  

I sat sulking and pouting as Brooks tried to tell me comforting things like, “that’s bowhunting” and all of those other caveats you’ve heard before.  I thought “Yeah, right.  You can say that but how often do I get to be a television star.  Now I will forever be a dud, now I know the agony of defeat.”

Soon things would change.  Five minutes later, a flock of turkeys came to the feeder.  All of them long bearded toms.  Brooks started the camera and I took aim at one of the toms.  At my shot, the tom flew wildly into the air and flopped around for a few seconds before laying still.  I had made a great shot and Brooks had it on video.  

For my interview after the shot, I told Brooks, “In five minutes I went from zero to hero.”  Man, was I relieved.   Despite my subsequent efforts to bribe Brooks with promises of stacks of money, I think he will still show my miss on their television show.  Such is life.

The next day the Double Bull guys left for home.  Tony and I would leave to hunt another ranch.  But what a hunt we had at the Millar Ranch.  The time we spent with Keith and Brooks was fun filled and passed too quickly.  

Frank Millar’s Ranch is a wonderful experience.  Good food, great accommodations and typical west Texas hospitality.  The hunt with Tony and the Double Bull boys was one of the most enjoyable hunting experiences of my life.  

What more can you ask for?  Well I could receive a letter from Brooks and Keith requesting me to do video work for them.  No, that would be asking too much.