Lone Star Bowhunters Association - Southern Hunting Safaris Trip

Well, I guess this hunt started out back in 2012 when my lovely wife felt sorry for me and bought me the hunt from that year’s banquet. She said it was suppose to be my birthday present, but I really know she felt sorry for me because I was getting old. As time passed, I realized that I was not going to be able to make the 2013 hunt like I was wanting to. After contacting Scott Thomson with Southern Hunting Safaris and breaking the bad news, he was gracious enough to offer me the hunt for 2014 in hopes that I could bring along a friend or two. I was able to put together a group hunt for the 2014 year and off we went. Everyone had high hopes for some big stag and a good time out of the country. There were going to be 2 bow hunters and 2 rifle hunters on this trip. When we arrived, Scott said get changed and lets get hunting. He took us out and 2 of our hunters scored on the first evening, 1 bow hunter and 1 rifle hunter. I was able to stalk within 58 yards of a giant bull stag, but really did not want to take that long of a shot on the first day, so I passed. The shot was only 58 yards, but almost looking straight up. David Leining with Santa Fe Archery killed a nice 21 point Stag with a bow, and Tom Saraf killed a large Stag with some big back scratchers with his rifle. The next day found me trying to get the big stag again and laying in a trench of a creek with about 30 hinds within 5 yards out to 30 yards all around me. When I thought the big stag was close by his roar, I tried to get ready and was picked out by one of the hinds that started barking and the big stag took off around the mountain. Bob Cook took a real nice stag that afternoon with a rifle, so I was the only one left that hasn't killed. So the next morning I was to spend the morning hunting the big stag and if it was not working out, I was to move and go into another location were other stags have been seen. So of course, the big stag stayed up on the mountain and I changed locations.
I was placed in a blind along a fence were the stags seemed to walked down and watched at a distance while stags fought and roared. Finally a small stag walked by me and I choose to pass on him after seeing what others have already killed. Paul, my guide for the evening finally came to pick me up, which I was ready for. When he was walking up, he saw some stags down in a ravine where they have been wallowing and noticed 2 real big stags in the group. We made a stalk on them and he told me if I were to get close enough, just to shoot and not worry about ranging them. I said I cannot get the range down in that country with all the valleys and ups and downs, but would try. I got the shot and blew it. Shot for 35 yards and shot over his back. Boy was I disappointed. We continued to hunt and found several more stags but did not figure they were of that caliber of the one I just missed. The fog rolled in real thick and when we rounded a spot ran right on top of a large stag. He busted out of there and we continued after him. I was finally able to spot him about 75 yards ahead of us. We walked around a hill and he was standing there, but turned to run, but stopped soon afterwards. I took a few steps for a clear shot, but barley seeing him in the fog and let the arrow fly. I found blood right away and then started seeing the grass turning red with blood and knew I had a stag at the end of the blood trail. When we walked up on it, it was bigger than I could imagine.
I then took my turn at a tahr, but only was able to find some nannies. I did manage to shoot a mountain boar. The other hunters in the group took a couple of fallow deer and 3 arapawa rams.

Bob Kana