Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - The Hunt Wrap Up

Hunting Logs - Nilgai Bowhunt 2000
Bowhunting with 4 Arrows Outfitters At The King Ranch. 

DAY #4

Dave Samuel returned to the water hole area where he saw 7 bulls yesterday and built a new blind. He laid down his bow and walked around, sawing limbs for cover. Suddenly he heard a noise right behind him. Two Nilgai bulls were coming full bore -- the one in the rear was hooking the other in the ribs and fanny. They turned towards Dave. The rear bull gored the other in the butt and they stopped 10 yards from Dave! It was a slam dunk shot opportunity, if Dave would have had his bow, which he did not. The bigger bull rammed the other and the chase was on again.

Later in the afternoon Dave saw 7 bulls feeding 200 yards from him. One was a huge bull. As the bull ate leaves form a tree Dave snuck within 50 yards. This situation was looking good, until the wind switched and the bull charged off. 

When Dennis dropped off Dave he went to another water hole and walked toward his blind. Nilgai were already at the water hole, in the big open Laguna area. Dennis checked them out with his binoculars and stalked to the edge of the cover and waited in the brush, 60 yards from the Nilgai.

Right Away, a big bull appeared across the Laguna and stomped out in the water, splashing loudly, and charged a young bull. The young bull took off running -- with the bigger bull hooking him in the butt with his horns. (You guessed it, in Dave's direction.)

Eventually the Nilgai left. 

Dennis waited all day. As time passed, numerous deer, a coyote and wild geese drank at the water hole. As the light faded he returned to his truck and drove to pick Dave up.

Both Steve and I went on the deer feeding run. He took video footage and I snapped digital pictures of deer. When we returned there were two more big Nilgai being processed by two lucky bowhunters in camp.

Today, Steve and I planned to try to make a javelina video for the web site. We drove to our pasture and checked out the area where I had bagged one yesterday. We waited a while and saw a group in the brush. I ran the camera and followed along behind Steve as he slipped up on a group of 4 javelina.

No luck there. We had burned a couple of hours checking out the place so my original area would be settled down by now, we headed back there. On the way we topped a rise and saw one lone javelina boar a couple hundred yards up the road ahead. We were driving slowly so it was easy to stop and back up out of view.

We sat down and waited and in a few minutes we saw the boar  returning to the road. He had been rooting and eating something at the edge of the road and now he was back for more. We were 50 yards, uphill, from him.

There was very little cover close to the road, but there was some. I just needed to be patient and slow moving. Steve stayed at our uphill vantage point and videoed. I slipped downhill, getting closer, and then crawled my hands and knees to bow range.

Hmmmm. a problem! The road was higher where he was than where I now was and I could not shoot unless I stood up, which was not an option because it would spook the javelina. I looked around for an answer, there was a little rise 20 yards from me with a clump of brush on it. I felt I could shoot if I could get to it, there was darn little cover from here to there, and "there" was only 10 yards from the javelina.

Going slow was the name of the game and before long I had crawled to the clump, it was a much better position, I would be able to shoot from the rise. I was sprawled out on my belly and needed to get on my knees to shoot.

The javelina heard me as I shifted my body to my side. It looked my way.

I learned a long time ago that if they (the deer, bear, javelina, antelope or whatever else you are bowhunting) are not running away, they don't know what you are. They will spend a little time investigating what they heard or thought they saw. All a bowhunter has to do is spend a bit more time than they do, being quiet and still.

I rested my chin in my hand and waited.

A few minutes after the boar settled down I eased my knees under me and put an arrow on the string. Again I aimed tight to, and slightly above, the front leg and held, making sure I was in the stops and had my pin right on target.

Crack! My arrow passed through both its lungs and the javelina ran towards Steve, jaws popping and teeth clacking. For 10 yards.

Steve got it all on video and he and I will be working on making it video for the web. Look for it later on the site.

Steve was the hunter the remainder of the afternoon. We got into javelina and moved along with them in an area with heavy brush. But we couldn't make it happen. When the light began fading we were still following along with a group of javelina, but we left for the truck.

Zan's Hunt: 
"I hunted the Strip until 10:30. Although I saw several Nilgai, non worked their way in and through the brushy strip where I was located. The Nilgai stayed out in the middle of the laguna or right along the waters edge about 60 yards in front of my ground blind. I would have liked to stayed out all day, but I had to meet Wayne Peeples back at camp at noon to go to town to get a few supplies and a gasket for my suburban. The thermostat had seized and caused the engine to over heat and I needed to repair the thermostat housing gasket leak before our return trip. The trip and repairs took until 5:00pm to accomplish, thus no afternoon hunt."

Today's Dinner Menu: Grilled Fajita's (fa-hee-tas: beef skirt steaks marinated in taquilla, lime juice, soy sauce & worchester sauce), spanish rice, guacamole (wa-kaw-moe-lay:  mashed avocado's with finely chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic and jalapeno peppers), served in warm fresh home made flour tortilla's. Compliments of Chef Zano.

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - The Hunt Wrap Up