Rocksprings Axis Hunt

jake-1024 · 10-07-2007, 01:39 AM

This hunt came about when my Uncle Dennis talked to a guy named Rocky who has access to about 40 acres 17 miles outside of Rocksprings going towards Kerrville. Dennis told Rocky about me and asked if it would be okay if I tried to do some bowhunting on the small piece of property. Rocky agreed to let me go out there and try my luck so Dennis and I set up a feeder and a ground blind in a small draw on the 40 acres.

I made a trip up to Rocksprings to try my luck for a few days. The first evening there, I saw a really nice axis buck right at last light. I had forgotten my stool to sit on so I was down in the blind sitting on the ground. I heard a loud noise behind me and got up to my knees to try to see what made the noise. A few seconds later I could see antlers above the small cedar trees. The axis buck came out down a shooting lane I had to my right. He was a nice 6 point that was probably about 28” long or so. He popped out in the opening and never stopped. I never had time to try to get set for a shot. I really wish I would have remembered a chair to sit on that night. I hunted a few more times that week and never saw anything else.

After that hunt I put up a trail camera and started getting pictures almost immediately. We had some hogs coming in and a small whitetail buck and doe. It took a few weeks before we finally saw what I was really wanting to get an opportunity at which was a nice axis buck. The first picture we got of the axis deer was a very nice buck with a doe at about 7:45 am. Dennis had gone out and checked the camera and emailed to me. I was stoked about having an opportunity at a deer like this and plans were made for me to go back and hunt on October 2nd through the 4th. Those days couldn’t get here fast enough and the pictures kept coming to my email. There were quite a few axis does, some small axis buck, and 3 very nice axis bucks. One of them was in full velvet.

After I got off of work at 7 am on Tuesday October 2nd, I made the 2 and a half hour drive up to Rocksprings. On my way there, I stopped off at the ranch to put some corn out and check the trail camera. I spread out some corn down both of my shooting lanes and grabbed the memory card from the camera. As soon as I pulled up to my aunt’s driveway, I got in the door to check out the pictures. We had 10 pictures in one night and most of them were axis deer. They were starting to hit my little area pretty hard. I was going to go back out and hunt that evening after staying up for about 32 hours straight. I unloaded all of my stuff and shot my bow to make sure it was still on.

I got out to the blind at about 4:45 and settled in for the evening. I had remembered a chair this time and was pretty comfortable in there for the most part. After only 15 minutes I heard a noise very close to the blind. I looked out of my shooting lane to the right and out popped a small spike axis buck that was still in velvet. We had a lot of pictures of him and I recognized him immediately. Usually he had at least one doe with him and I thought another deer would pop out any second. He was by himself tonight and went up to a mineral lick I had put out and started licking it for about 10 minutes. He took a few bites of alfalfa and was on his way. That was the only action I had that night, but it was a great start.

The next morning, I was up and out the door by 6:15. I made it to the blind about 30 minutes before daylight and tried to be as quiet as I could be getting into the blind. It was still very dark outside so I sat there and got ready to watch the sun come up. Right at first light I caught movement about 50 yards away from me down a draw. I could make out a white neck and white ears. I knew it was an axis deer, but it was too early to make out exactly what it was. Then I see another one behind it pop out of the brush. They stay down in the draw for about 10 minutes then walk off to the right towards where the spike axis had come out yesterday. It took them about 15 minutes to get there, but at 7:20 the same spike but from yesterday pops out and started eating corn and alfalfa. He was getting a pass no matter how many times I saw him. Then I see another leg underneath a cedar tree and knew the other deer was still with him. Out steps a nice axis doe at 22 yards. I started to raise my bow to get into position and she looked my way. I thought she had seen me, but she went back to eating after a few seconds. I was able to come to full draw and started aiming at her. In a flash the arrow was off and I can see it hit the deer about mid way back. I thought it was a great hit since she looked like she was slightly quartering away. I sat there in the blind giving thanks to the Man upstairs for the opportunity for a few minutes then got out to go see if I could find any blood. I didn’t see any blood or my arrow so I backed out of the area and went back to my truck.

I drove down the road a little ways where I could get service and called Dennis to let him know what had happened. He was going to come out and help me look for the doe. By the time he got there, it had been an hour since the shot so we drove up and started looking for her. It didn’t take us 10 minutes to find my first deer with a bow. She had only made it about 40 yards and piled up. I was so excited to have her down and couldn’t believe I had finally done it. I have been bowhunting for 9 years now and have taken some hogs and javelina, but never a deer and I had finally made it over that hurdle. We took some pictures then got her loaded up into my truck and then the real work began.

I never did see any of the bucks I was hoping for on this trip, but it was still a lot of fun to get to try at these animals. I still get to see all of the trail camera pictures that excite me every time I get them in my email and maybe next time I will get to see one of the nice bucks. This axis doe means a lot to me and I know she will be some good eating and give me great memories for a lifetime.