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March 17, 2009
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Hello again, guys. I haven't forgot about the DW forum, just been super busy with life and work... Did some great flyfishing in Colorado earlier this month with the lovely and talented Tammie, my wife of 31 years. But the real big deal is that I now have a grandson named Brock. He was born last Thursday here in Abilene. I can't wait for that little buckaroo to get old enough to accompany me in the deer blinds and eventually on stalks. There's animals out there that belong in the freezer! 
I have made some time to do a little shooting with the 15. I still really enjoy it and come October when we start big game hunting on the ranch, you can bet that I'll have it with me and the Guide Gun and if I get half a chance, we're gonna see if I can put one of those 200 gr Corbons behind the ear of a great big ol' boar.
Speaking of big boars, here's a picture of a #1 in the WWT world record book that I took off the ranch last November. Pretty proud of this one. At 340 lbs. he wasn't a giant but his cutters were insanely big and that's how he scored #1. I took him with a .300 WSM. This fall I'll be hunting meat with the Guide Gun and the 15.
Oh, and yep, it was about 20 degrees that morning.. Brrrr.. Kinda sounds good in August!
Dove season starts Tuesday and we'll have hunters in the first week but after that it'll just be Bit_Surfer and the birds. 
Hope everyone is doing well and I certainly hope the guys down in the Texas Hill Country get some SERIOUSLY needed rain very soon.
Adios to all!
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January 24, 2009
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Bit_Surfer said:
At 340 lbs. he wasn't a giant but...
Holy crapolee, he sure looks like a giant from here!
The only time I've seen a pig that large was at the state fair. I'd sure hate to have him catch me & start gnawing on my leg or something.
Congrats on your new grandson, that's great! 
Range Officer
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Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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Nice Hawg!. My sons each have a South Carolina hog around 260lbs. but nothing like that monster. I am aimimg to take one with a Dan someday
Just need the time and place now. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your 
SMF
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
March 17, 2009
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Thanks Supermag and Charger Fan. That boar scored a #1 in the High Fenced Tusk class in the WWT record book. At 340 lbs. he wasn't a true monster as that classification typically starts at anything over 375 lbs. but our hogs are pure Russian and they don't get as big as the ferals that have domestic blood. What made that boar special was the diameter and length of his tusks (which is how you score them for the tusk class) There are 5 European bloodlines in North America and we have all five on the ranch. It took us 7 years to get all five.
I'm particularly stoked about taking a big boar with my 15V because that is actually a pistol caliber that I don't allow on the ranch due to its size. I've had many pistol hunters on the ranch but the smallest calliber I allow commecially is .44 mag. You'd be surprised at how hearty these animals are and if shot placement is not near perfect, we end up with a wounded animal. If you're guiding and the one having to finish him off, it's a very dangerous proposition if the animal can ambulate, and they most certainly can ambulate when wounded 90% of the time. When I take one with my 15V it will be only at the right time which doesn't present itself very often. For a clean kill I will wait for a near in shot of less than 40 yards. I do have confidence that the hardcast Corbon round will work fine but having the patience for that opportunity will be the trick.
I also have whitetail deer, axis deer and blackbuck antelope. Boy, it would be a hoot to take one of those animals with my 15 but opportunites for that are by stalk only and getting that close on a stalk in West Texas ain't easy.
Thanks for the replies and I am seriously hoping to post a picture this fall with a big ol' boar and me and the 15. DW forever!
--Paul
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May 17, 2009
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Paul,
Do those "large" animals roam around your ranch loose? Or are they in a fenced area? I'd hate to encounter one while on a strole around the property, especially unarmed.
Nice shoot'n.
Ed
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Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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bit surfer,
I can assume these animals are not fenced in as I have hunted, one day only, in Texas last December. My wife and I were in Waco for some business training for a week and had the opportunity to end the week with a one day hunt about an hour southwest of Waco on a private ranch area where there were no fences, but hogs and deer abounded. My wife took a deer and I heard the hogs but it was too dark too identify them
. It was exciting for a PA guy to have the opportunity to hunt in Texas though. We tried for a coyote after dark, but I well sort of missed with the AR-15. It was a blast though calling him in. He'll be harder to call the next time
. Thanks again for sharing your hunting stories.
SMF
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
March 17, 2009
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Jaggman, they do roam the ranch and we NEVER go out unarmed. I've not ever had a problem when I was minding my own business but I have had some 'siituations' when I was hunting.
March 17, 2009
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Supermagfan,
Our ranch is only 500 acres but is high fenced. 500 acres is enough land where they can hide out. If anyone ever tells you that they have pedigreed Russian Boar and they aren't high fenced, you should question them. We cultivate 200 acres on the ranch with wheat, milo, guar, and other protein rich crops. I assure you that my problem isn't in keeping my animals from escaping but rather keeping other animals out. We are VERY diligent with 'running the fences' and maintaining water gaps (where creeks come in and out of the property). You might think that 500 acres under a high fence is captive hunting but I assure you that the mature animals; hogs, deer and antelope are quite adept at keeping 'out of sight' as long as there are pastures and woods for them to hide out in.
The Russians are very smart and extremely social. I've been charged by boars several times which is never fun but I learned from that. I know what not to do. Having said that, I do like having an animal on my ranch that will keep me alert and looking. Most Geme Ranchers don't feel that way, I think I'm the exception.
Even high fenced we have an abundance of coyotes (yotes in Texas speak) and bobcats which are predators of deer, small game and game birds. They have to be controlled or they will desimate a fawn crop and bird populations. I can't tell you the times I've had to grit my teeth and not shoot when I saw a yote or a cat walk by so I wouldn't mess up a paid deer or hog hunt. They're everywhere! I have a Kawasaki Mule that I take out on the ranch when doing menial labor and I NEVER go out without a rifle in case I see a predator.
There are many postage stamp ranches in Texas that promote captive hunting, the 4B Ranch ain't one of them though. When we hunt, we better danged well have our senses about us. I like that and my hunters like it.
Range Officer
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Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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bit surfer,
Next time I plan a trip to Texas, I must look you up. If you would be so kind send me a PM on your specifics. The group I am associated with will surely land me in Texas again.
SMF
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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bit surfer-
I am regularly amazed at what I learn here, and your posts just reinforce that. I hope you don't mind that I Googled and got some info on your ranch, looks really great!
I have a Connecticut born son, but a Texan in his heart, he'd love to hunt there sometime, I'm sure.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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Range Officers
May 2, 2009
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Nice hog... we used to get some nice ones when I lived in GA, and a lot of small ones in FL panhandle, but I still want to get a monster one. I'm in CO now--not sure of the hog population around here.
SHOOT
March 17, 2009
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I know this ain't exactly on topic but we have the game cams fired up at the ranch and I thought some of you might enjoy seeing a few pictures. I'll try and keep it to a minimum. This time of year is when the whitetail deer are growing antlers and putting the stealth cams at the feeders is a great way of getting to know what the herd is looking like and particularly what the bucks look like. I'll look at close to a thousand photos by the end of September. This is also crucial in determing which animals we take and which ones we leave.
This buck is one we will definitely leave and hope that he is spreading his love all around the herd. The dominant bucks of the herd do almost all of the breeding. Hopefully he is one of them. He's 5 1/2 years old and has at least 1 or maybe 2 years of good antler growth left in him. I've been watching this guy for the last three years and I have to say that I am really proud of him. Both of his brow tines are split which makes him easy to identify and is a very desirable characteristic You'd clissify him a mainframe 10pt with split brow tines making him a 12 pt. I'd estimate that he'd score 160 – 165 inches Boone & Crockett.
This buck is also very nice. Since he has a very similar antler configuration to the buck pictured above, it is probably a good bet that both animals were sired by the same buck. Using the pictures from the feeders is a great way to get to know what animals you can expect to see in the field. It is also immensely helpful in identifying them in the field. Not all animals come into the feeders at the time we have the game cams fired up, so we always see animals in the field that we don't see on film and that's always fun too.
This is a Blackbuck Antelope coming into one of the protein feeders. Native to India but now endangered and almost extinct there, Texas has the largest herds in the world and has the distinction of helping this species survive extinction through effective game management. Thiis area in West Central Texas is about as far north as this animal can survive because cold weather is hard on them. These animals are the most graceful animals on the ranch. When they run, they sometimes hop and when they run together they'll hop in unison and it's just awesome to watch. Much smaller than the Texas whitetail at about 105 lbs. for a mature buck but they have some serious jets. When they are pressured and they turn the jets on, LOL!, you can't believe how fast they are. This animal is a mature buck and would be considered 'Gold Medal' trophy quality due to the length of his horns and the number of twists they have. I saw this animal fighting last weekend while dove hunting and just cringed. Those are horns, not antlers and when the break at that size, they're done.
OK, I guess that's enough for today. I don't post a lot but when I do, I make up for it with verbosity. LOL! Don't think I'll be taking any of these animals with my 15V but I'm still going to ware it out on the hogs in November.
Later!
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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Bitsurfer, You just put my hunting tendencies into overdrive with those shots. Those game cams are a real treat when you have the place and time to put them up. It is really cool to have the ability to know your wildlife and make smart harvesting decisions. Thanks a bunch for sharing, don't hold back on the critter shots.
Come to think of it Jody, we need a special topic block for hunting activities. Like hunting with DW's and the other non-DW stuff also.
SMF
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
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January 24, 2009
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That Antelope looks really cool. We have some little ones (don't know which variety they are) that graze in the fields near my place. Here's a shot I took one day last year, as they ran alongside the roadway.
[Image Can Not Be Found]
March 17, 2009
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Charger Fan,
Those are Pronghorn Antelope and they are native. Everytime I go to Colorado I see them in NM and CO. It makes sense that y'all have them two. They are pretty much indiginous to the American Southwest. We don't have them in this part of Texas but further west between here and the Big Bend we do. Super neat animals. I wish we had them here. By the way, they are game animals.
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