Hanging up the phone, I could not wait to go hunt the 777 Ranch. I had just booked a hunt with Kevin Christiansen who is one of the ranch managers. Kevin assured me there was plenty of game and they would do everything in their power to make my hunt an enjoyable experience.
Arriving at the ranch I was greeted by Joey Gost who would be my guide and hunting buddy for the next three days. Joey and I hit it off since he also was a bowhunter. He was originally from Montana and moved to Texas. Joey was in Houston working in the car business making a good living. He told me the car money was great but something was missing. That's when he found out about an opening for a guide at the 777 Ranch. He interviewed for the job and when offered the opportunity, he jumped on it. After thirty minutes of chit-chatting, Joey said we had a couple of hours of daylight left and he asked me if I wanted to hunt this afternoon. I told him I would be ready in fifteen minutes.
Getting my gear, I hurried out to meet Joey at the jeep. Before we started to hunt, I asked if we could drive around the property so I could get a birds-eye view of the various critters that live on the Triple 7. We had been driving ten minutes when we saw some beautiful fallow deer. The buck that was in the herd made my mouth water. He was snow white with big palmated antlers that seemed as if they would not quit. Proceeding down the jeep trail looking off to our right, I noticed a monstrous Axis buck with his harem of ladies. Again, this deer, like the Fallow buck, was really something to be desired. We continued our drive into a pasture that is called the Zulu. Upon our arrival there, we saw all kinds of African animals. Then we jumped from pasture to pasture. The abundance of African animals was simply incredible. I saw Springbok, Impala, Kudu, Gemsbok, Oryx, Eland, Sable, and Zebra to name just a few. The list goes on and on.
After driving around for an hour, Joey told me he knew where there were some nice rams and some good Axis deer. He asked if I was interested in trying for one of the critters if we could find them. It only took me a second to reply, "you bet!"
We had been driving for a while when we topped a hill in the zebra striped jeep. There, 250 yards below us were about 26 rams. In the group there were some Corsican, Hawaiian, Mouflon, and some beautiful Texas Dalls. We backed the jeep up and put together a game plan to get me within bow range of the band of rams. Well, I do not know if you have ever hunted sheep but one thing you can count on is their eyesight. It is incredible. Needless to say that having to contend with 26 sets of eyes, my ambush failed. And with ten minutes left before darkness fell we decided to call it a day and head back to the lodge.
Dinner at the 777 was incredible. We had Mexican style food with all the trimmings. I also met three other hunters who were from Michigan and Arkansas. It's amazing how hunters can set down and personalities usually gel. These fellows were hunting with guns and their sentiments were duplicates of mine. The ranch was unbelievable. The gentleman from Michigan had shot an Auodad and a Black Hawaiian Ram whereas the two fellows from Arkansas were planning to hunt African game. We talked for an hour after we ate, then I excused myself as I could hardly hold my eyes open.
The next morning came fast. Joey and I were up before daylight, ate breakfast and decided to attempt another sneak attack on the band of rams that had eluded us the previous night. Driving out this particular morning the temperature was fantastic. It must have been around 70 degrees, which for those that know what Texas weather is like in July, this is a real break. I told Joey it was going to be hot later on in the day. I thought it would sure be nice if we got one of those big guys early.
Joey and I topped the ridge in the Zebra striped jeep when he said "there they are." Looking out through the thick mesquite brush I could see the sun glittering off the backs of some of the rams. Quickly, he parked the jeep and we decided on a game plan. We felt like if I could circle and get ahead of the rams, Joey could make a slow drive, and maybe I could cut the rams off. I felt as we had a lot of eyes to contend with, but as thick as the brush was, this was our best option. I told Joey to give me some time to get into position before he started his drive. Circling around on the top of a ridge and staying out of the keen sight of the rams, I positioned myself on a trail that I thought they might be traveling. Fifteen minutes had elapsed when I heard the clicking of hooves coming down the trail that I was watching.
In a heartbeat, there were rams no more than fifteen yards in front of me. I pulled my High Country Force to full draw. A snow white Texas Dall stepped out and stopped broadside. Just as I was about to release, a smaller ram moved up directly behind the Dall and prevented me from shooting. I did not want to take a chance of shooting two with one arrow. I held my shot and looked around. A couple of the other rams in the herd spotted me then and they all took off, leaving me ramless. Five minutes had gone by when Joey came walking up the trail. I conveyed what happened, we decided it was water over the dam and we were going to try to put another stalk on the wily group of rams. We took off in the direction they had gone, walking slowly and glassing. It was unbelievable how they disappeared.
At 10:00a.m. and the hot Texas sun was burning down. The sweat was pouring off us and we looked as though we had just jumped in a lake. With every step, I was more and more determined to get within bow range of these jittery creatures. All of a sudden, I noticed some movement through the mesquite brush about 100 yards in front of us. Taking a second look, I confirmed it was our band of rams. Joey had a good idea where they were heading. He decided that if I could make it to where three trails met, I could possibly intercept the rams. Joey was going to stay above and keep an eye on the herd while I got into position. I started hooking it to my ambush point, sweating something terrible. The sweat kept dripping all over my glasses. Finally, I took them off because of the perspiration on the lenses. I hate glasses!! Making my way to the ambush point where the three trails meet, I tucked myself among three mesquite bushes. Sitting with great anticipation, I knew something positive was going to happen--I was pumped!!!! It was then that I heard the now familiar clicking sound of hooves on rocks. If it happened the way I had it planned, the critters should pass within fifteen yards of my hideout. Peering through the brush, I made out the rams making their way to my ambush point. Dressed in my Sticks N' Limbs camo, I was invisible.
Then it happened, there must have been twenty of the critters in my shooting lane. My High Country Force was already at full draw. One of the big Texas Dall Rams was leading the pack. Picking my spot, I sent the AFC shaft, tipped with a 100 grain Thunderhead, into the hot Texas air. Immediately, the shaft was sticking in the ground behind the ram. The rams exploded everywhere. My Texas Dall went twenty yards and he was finished. Walking up to the ram, I looked back over my shoulder and could see Joey coming. Once he got to my location, we were nothing but "high-five's." Joey had watched everything from above, I think he was as excited as I was.
The last couple of days Joey and I videotaped and drove around the ranch. 777 is simply unbelievable. The amount of game on the property is beyond your wildest imagination. The 777 Ranch is located outside of Hondo, Texas and consists of 15,000 acres. Over 40 different species of animals cruise the property. There are animals from Africa, Europe and many other parts of the world. You will also see a lot of native species such as deer, hogs, javalena, and buffalo to name a few. African animals thrive at 777 because the climate is somewhat similar to that of South Africa. One big factor that is really astonishing is that all of the animals at the 777 Ranch were born and raised on the property. None of them were or are imported. An added bonus, if you bag your animal early you can trade your bow in for a fishing rod. The fishing is fantastic!!
I have hunted a lot of places and have been treated well, but none of them can compare to the 777 Ranch. This is Texas hospitality at its best. If you want an action packed hunt, this ranch will be tough to beat. I can sincerely say the 777 Ranch is a Bowhunters Paradise. To hunt the 777 Ranch , Contact: 210-426-3476, Kevin Christiansen, 777 Ranch, Rt. 2, Box 777, Richter Lane South, Hondo, TX 78861

Rick Philippi