EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Mandi and I, along with our girls Taylor and Kailey, loaded up a couple dogs and rifles, and headed out to the hill country Friday morning for a weekend of deer and hog hunting with Jesse Paul aka Lionandboarhunter.  We got to the ranch a little after noon on Friday, and got settled in, then took a ride around the ranch. About 4:00 we headed to the stands, Jesse Paul took our oldest girl Taylor, and Mandi took Kailey. It wasn't long and I heard a couple of shots. Turned out that the girls each connected with a doe, perfect neck shots. We were all pretty excited that the deer cooperated and the girls made good shots. Jesse Paul and Mandi got the deer cleaned up, while I got the fire going for dinner and cooked some chili, camp potatoes, and corn bread over the coals. After dinner we had a real nice camp fire and told some "war stories" before heading to bed. 

  Saturday am, Mandi slept in, so I went with Kailey and Jesse Paul went with Taylor in pursuit of her first buck. Kailey and I didn't see any shooters that morning, but we did hear a shot. We were hoping the Taylor got a buck... as it turned out, there were 8 different bucks that came to their feeder. She was after a nice tall 9pt, and shot right over him. He ran off, and didn't come back the rest of the morning. We headed back to the camp house, woke Mandi up and then rode around the ranch to see if we could run across any shooters. Not far out of camp we came across this guy.

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He wasn't shot by the girls, or anyone else for that matter. Just found him dead, no holes in him, and no sign of fighting something, he wasn't even stiff yet. Not sure what he died of, but he was one heck of a nice deer. I doubt I will ever be that close to a deer of this caliber again.

After finding the big deer, and driving around a bit, we all went back to camp, stoked the fire and made bacon, eggs, and biscuits for breakfast. After breakfast we decided to make a late morning hog hunt. We kicked out Brandy and Ruby and a few of Jesse Paul's young dogs, all the dogs burned out covering some country. They ended up split up, so we went and picked up the young dogs in hopes of getting them all grouped back up. While we were trying to catch up with Brandy and Ruby, we got within about 1/2 mile and heard them open up. About time they started barking, my Mule started shredding it's belt. >:(   We tried to turn around and head back to camp while the dogs lined out the hog, but that wasn't in the cards. The belt broke in two, leaving us stranded. Brandy and Ruby showed bayed at 3/4 mile, so we unclipped the young dogs from the Mule. Jesse Paul, Mandi, and Taylor went to the camp to get a truck, while Kailey and I headed across country to the bay.  We found all the dogs bayed on a young boar in some stacked cedar. Jesse Paul got there and shot the hog, then we loaded up the dogs, as it was starting to warm up a bit. Went back to camp, unloaded the dogs, and found out that both my dogs had already blown their pads in one hunt....

  We hung out around the camp house for the afternoon, then headed back to the stands at about 4:00 again. Taylor and Jesse Paul were going after the 9 that Taylor shot at that morning, and Mandi and Kailey were trying out a different stand at the front of the property. I took a stand at the back of the ranch. I got to see plenty of Axis, Black Buck, and white tail while sitting, but nothing that I was comfortable shooting. Mandi and Kailey had a real nice deer with 10"+ drop tine, but none they were okay with shooting. Meanwhile Taylor and Jesse Paul were shooting at the 9 again, I say shooting because Taylor missed twice while the deer stood their patiently waiting on her to connect. Third time was a charm, and Taylor had bagged her first buck.

Taylor and her her first buck
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After that, it was back to camp for a steak dinner and some conversation with Jesse Paul's dad while sitting around the fire. We called it a night a little earlier, as we were pretty whooped from an action packed day.

Sunday at daylight, Jesse Paul and Kailey headed to the stand hunting for Kailey's first buck. It wasn't long and I heard a shot. Kailey had just bagged her first buck too. ;D  Perfect first buck, it was a young 6 pt, and she was all smiles.
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After the Sunday morning hunt, we headed home with a couple coolers full of meat, and two excited girls, and one super proud dad....  Thanks Jesse Paul, for providing a weekend that my family will never forget.

Heckuva deal right there!

Those smiles say it all... congrats to both of the girls for shooting their first bucks! ;D

Chris, sounds like y'all had a real good time. My wife was lookin over my shoulder and comented on how big your daughters look since she seen them in Flatonia...tell'em good job  ;)

Sounds like a really good time all the way around, the girls did good!

Awesome job, Jesse Paul's good people.

Good job girls, congrats on your bucks!

A few more pics from the weekend.

Cabin, circa 1902. Iif I remember correctly this cabin was a days ride from the main ranch house. The hands would start out in the morning, and make it to this cabin in the late evening.
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Jesse Paul and the girls
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Mandi posing with the big deer we found.
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Sounds like a great weekend Chris and Mandi! Those girls will remember that forever! Hope yall have a good holiday!

Good deal and I like the cabin.

Waylon

Chris , Mandy and Girls i had a great weekend yall come back anytime maby will get to do a little more wild boar huntin next time.

Here are a few more pics
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Marshall,
   Got a little story about Foxy finding and catching her very own barr hog...

   While we were out of town, we had our friend Katherine taking care of our animals. Katherine likes to let all the dogs out into the barn yard to run around. She keeps Tyson the bulldog on a leash, and the others get to stretch their legs. I guess she wasn't thinking about Rosie the mule footed sow, or the 250# and 300# domestic barr hogs in the next pen over. Foxy and Tyson saw the hogs at the same time. Foxy darts to the hogs, but the gate stopped her. Tyson pulled free from Katherine, hit the gate never checking up, while he was against the gate, Foxy was able to squeeze through the gate and the post. Foxy rolled in and latched onto a 250# barr, while Katherine was busy holding Tyson back. Couple other dogs heard the commotion, she ended up with Lizzie baying, Leroy (an aussie) caught on the opposite ear from Foxy, Tater the pit headed their way, but Katherine got him caught. She was on the ground holding both catch dogs, while Foxy and Leroy held the barr.... Our next door neighbor saw the commotion and said she couldn't help, she was afraid of the catch dogs, so she got in her truck and started honking her horn ??? I guess she thought that would call them off....  Meanwhile Pablo, who lives a bit down the road heard the squealing and headed over. He got Foxy and Leroy off the hog and helped Katherine with the catch dogs. Katherine said it took her 15 minutes before her heart stopped racing ;D  I know Foxy was just thrilled with herself, finding and catching her own barr hog ;D 

Bum ba da bummmmmm! Paublo to the rescue! That wouldve made a hilarious video.

Great pics and congrats to the girls on a heck of a hunting weekend!! 

That story about Katherine is PRICELESS!!!  Wished I woulda been there to see that one!!  ****still laughing****

Good deal!The gilrs would have got a deer with big teeth if Jesse would have had his ETHD shirt on!LOL The girls looked like they had a blast!

i just told Crystal about ya'll finding that deer dead! Did not know what caused his death and with out missing a beat she said THAT IS A BAD FUNK CHRIS PUTS OFF JUST TO DROP A DEER AND NEVER FIRE A SHOT! Chris you might not think it is funny but I had to laugh! ;D ;D ;D

Chance,
There have been some pretty good stories made up about what might have killed the deer. Some pg, some r, and some x.Crystals is pretty mild in comparison to some.