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Old 02-04-2009, 12:09 PM   #1
M.O.F.E.A. Bouncer
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Default Thompson Temple 2009 Long read

Thompson Temple 2009
This year our trip to Thompson Temple started a day earlier than normal at around 2:00 p.m. on January 29th the part group gathered at my house to head south down Hwy. 377 to the Rocky Top Ranch in Vance Texas. We stopped in Stephenville for a quick break and to pick up Kayla and to meet up with Rod and we were on our way again. The trip was full of deer sightings both alive and road kill. We ended up at the ranch around 11:00 p.m. that night and the chore of unpacking all the trucks and the trailer and getting everyone in to there bunk. After a short but decent night sleep Justin and I decide to drive his truck to the top of the hill behind Thompson’s house. The start of this drive was a little nerve racking but a short time later we were at the top and cruising along well. We found sever spots that we put out some alfalfa hay in hopes to help draw a few rams in. Then we got the bright idea to go ahead a drive the truck to the bottom of the hill in the back of the ranch. That my friends I can tell you was some major pucker factor. There were several times that I had to get out of the truck and guide Justin down the rocks to insure that we did not get stuck or damage the truck. I am not sure is any of you have ever seen the hill in the back of the Rocky Top Ranch but I can tell you this it was an adventure and I don’t suggest that anyone try doing what we did. After we made it to the bottom we set up the pop-up blind and put out some alfalfa hay and settled in to our seats to try and score Justin a nice no tag or red tag ram. We sat in the stand for quite some time with out seeing any rams and I guess both of our minds were thinking the same at that time and we decide to pack up and attempt to climb back up the hill in the back of the ranch. After a few prayers and some bouncing around we were at the top and very excited to still be in one piece. The rest of day one was spent with us driving back to camp and picking up my mom and dad and my wife and 2 sons and taking them to the top of the hill and getting them set up on a couple of spots that we had fed that morning that already had been hit by the rams. My mom and dad were set close to stand #2 in a cedar thicket with about a 15 to 20 yard shot to where the hay was at. This was my mom’s first time to ever hunt and she was going to do it with our crossbow. I was not there but the story I got from my dad was first they had a whitetail doe come in and feed for a bit and then he heard the rams coming up the rocks. As they made there way into view my mom told him that see did not care if the ram she shot had large horns she just wanted to be sure that it had a nice beard and coat. After glassing the rams a few times my dad picked out the best looking Corsican ram in the group and instructed my mom on which one it was and were to remember to aim. He said she was steady up until the point that he told her to shoot. Then her could hear her breathing get louder and faster and then THWACK the 20 inch carbon bolt tipped with a Steel force saber-tooth hit it’s mark right behind the rams shoulder. The Corsican bucked and jumped down the road and laid down about 20 yards down the road. My dad was not sure how quick the ram would expire so get got the crossbow ready and had my mom shoot again. This time the bolt struck the ram in the neck and the ram jumped up and headed down the draw towards some pretty rough country. At this time we had driven around and checked a couple areas to see if we could find a ram for my 6 year old son Huntter to shoot but with out any luck. As we came around a corner to where we could see down the road to where we had set my parents I could see my mom walking down the road toward us but she did not have the crossbow and I could not see my dad. So we went down to her and she told us what had happened not even 15 minutes after we had dropped them off. She also told me that my dad had gone off alone to try and find the ram down in the valley so I grabbed up the rifle and headed off in the direction that my mom last saw him heading. After a quick trip down some step slopes I found my dad out of breath and frustrated because he had found the ram and instead of letting it lie and expire he tried to shoot it and did not think about the step angle of the shot and he missed and sent the ram even deeper down the valley. I sat with him for a few minutes to let BJ catch up with us and then I started off following the blood trail. We got lucky and the ram had only gone about 50 yards further and lay up next to a cedar tree. As we got closer I could see where the ram was bleeding from both wounds my mom had given it and I could not believe after loosing that much blood that this thing was still going. About the time I decided to go ahead and use the rifle to finish off the ram he stood up and tried to walk away but I was not going to let that happen. One quick shot and it was done. All except the hour it took us to get it back to the top of the hill. Once we got it up the hill my mom was so excited it almost brought a tear to my das eye to she her that happy. After getting pictures and hearing my mom tell the story about 5 times we all got in the truck to head out to try and use the last bit of time we had before dark to get Huntter his ram. It took us about 30 minutes to find anything moving. But when Huntter saw the 3 Catalina rams heading into the trees towards a spot that Justin and I had put out hay earlier in the day he was ready to run down the road and get one. Myself Huntter and BJ got out of the truck and started stalking down the road to see if we could find the 3 rams in the trees. After walking about 200 yards down the road we came around a corner near stand #8 and there they were standing not even 50 yards from us eating the alfalfa. I had BJ hang back with the camera and Huntter and I slipped across the road and used the box blind there to block our movement so we could get closer to the rams and be sure of Huntters shot. As I looked around the stand I saw a really nice horned and big bodied no tag Catalina standing off to the right away from the other 2 rams. I got Huntter into position and helped him settle the rifle in to get ready to make the shot. As the ram moved his right front leg forward I told Huntter to take the shot BANG the Savage .223 barked out and the ram dropped in his tracks. Huntter had just taken his first animal and he had done it with a perfect shot. As soon as he saw the ram hit the ground he yelled out YEAH I GOT HIM!!! BJ and I were so proud of him. He followed me in every step I made to get in position and followed every instruction I gave him to make the shot and he scored with his first ever ram and it scored well as a Bronze in the R.O.E. . Now that day one was coming to an end we headed back down the hill and to camp to enjoy all the stories from everyone else and to share our own around a nice meal off Buffalo burgers and fries. The next morning Justin and I woke before the sun and met up with Thompson to have him drive us to the top of the hill and help us get all set up. We put the pop-up out got the video equipment all set up and settled in to enjoy the sunrise over the hills. After the sun was up it was not long and we had a couple of smaller rams in to feed on the alfalfa. We sat and watched them push each other around went all of a sudden out of no where a group of rams came running in and bullied the 2 smaller ones out. As we sat looking at this group Justin decided that there was a really nice Texas Dall in the group that if he was given a shot he would take. We watched them for about 20 minutes and the ram Justin was after moved off to the right by him self. But no sooner did Justin get to full draw and 2 other rams stepped in between him and the Dall. After he let down we noticed a really nice and wide Catalina ram standing out to the left by him self. This ram was a blue tag and not what Justin was after but he was exactly what I was after. So we had to quietly as possible move things around and get me and my bow ready for the shot. After what felt like forever of super slow movements and seat swapping I was ready when the ram gave me the shot again. That did not take long as he turned to start eating on a square of alfalfa he was clear of all the others and I was at full draw. I settled my pin tight in the crease behind his shoulder and touched off the release. THWACK my Elite GT500 sent the Carbon Express Maxima Hunter 350 tipped with the ne Griz Trick broad head straight threw the ram like a hot knife threw butter. The rams scattered in all directions but my eyes were focused on the Catalina I had just shot. He made about a 30 yard half circle threw the trees and on the road where he collapsed and expired. I was very excited and could not wait to get my hands on this ram. As Justin and I celebrated my harvest and admired the beauty of the countryside we made guesses as to how well the ram would score. He both decided that he would be a good Silver in the R.O.E. but after Thompson picked us up and got us back to camp he informed me that I had not made the Silver in the book but I had actually made Gold. That news got me even more excited as one of my goal in ram hunting is to one day have a Big Horn slam with all Gold R.O.E. rams. All in all this was a great hunt with 20 of my closest friends and family. It was our third annual trip and we have already gotten the ranch reserved for our fourth annual trip next year.



Judy Ram 2009-2resize.JPG

Judys Ram 2009-1.JPG

Huntter 09-11RESIZE.JPG

Huntter 09-13resize.JPG

Tim Catalina09-1resize.JPG

Tim Catalina09-3resize.JPG
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Old 02-04-2009, 01:13 PM   #2
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Nice recap of your adventure. Congrats to everyone on your nice animals. Bob
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Old 02-05-2009, 01:25 PM   #3
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Great recap! Congrats to all the successful hunters! Sounds like a fun trip!
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Old 02-10-2009, 09:17 AM   #4
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Great recap man and congrats to your son, mom, and you on some great animals. By the way you are one crazy dude driving down that so called road to the back valley big brass ones that is what you have. I have hiked back there several times and there is no way I would drive it.
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Old 04-28-2009, 03:10 AM   #5
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WOW, looks like yall had a great hunt! Congrats!
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