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2021/22 Hunt Reports and Photos of All Bucks
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Also please note: Hunt reports are posted in reverse order with the most recent hunt at the top of the page. To follow our season in chronological order, scroll to the bottom and work your way to the top of this page.
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Hunt 14 (2021 Season)
Well we made to the end of our season! This hunt was the largest with 13 hunters. It was a beautiful west Texas day when the hunt started our hunters from the north east soaked up the sun rays as the temp was 78 degrees, but it didn't last by seven o'clock that evening the wind started blowing out of the North. By morning the wind was whipping a polar blast in. However, two bucks were tagged on this morning.
Clyde Kreider of Washington Boro, PA was the first to break the ice with a great eight point. The buck was 17.5" wide. This is Clyde's second trip to camp with his family. It was on short notice that we were able to squeeze him in on this hunt. One of the grand kids got to sleep in the upper bunk. Clyde had a busy hunt, he also scored a big ol' javelina that weighed 66lbs, and a heavy hog that was around 150lbs. In addition he also tagged three doe.
Doug Hinton from Pleasant Lake, MI is joining his Uncle Ron and cousins Matt and Joe. This is Doug's first trip to camp and his first ever buck. The buck he tagged was a cool nine point with interesting brow tines and was 16.5" Wide. I loved the enthusiasm he had for his hunt. Doug also tagged two doe.
John Rohrer of Millersville, PA got in on the fun and bagged a nice ten point that was 14.75" wide. John has been joining camp for a long time, so long I don't even know. He has had his picture on the best buck wall of fame years back, he is an exceptional hunter and a great shot. He tagged out early with his three does and buck and commenced hanging out in camp keeping us company and maybe a nap or two.
Another PA native Ken Hess of Lancaster was the next to tag a nice buck. He scored a nice eight point with brow tines that slick back like racing strips. Ken has also been here so many times I'd have to get the photo albums out to count. Ken Also Tagged three hefty does. It's fun to see all these hunters razz each other, they've been hunting together for many, many years. Another in the PA group is Jeff Rankin from Lancaster. He, as well, has been a guest in camp several times. This time around he scored a great eight point that was 16.75" wide. A real pretty and symmetrical buck. Jeff got a huge hog as well weighing probably around 250lbs and tagged a doe. Also from Lancaster, PA was Chris Long. Chris tagged a nice mature eight point and rounded his hunt with three doe as well. Chad Beitler of Gettysburg, PA didn't find a buck that melted his butter, sometimes that's just the way hunting can go. He did though tag three heavy does and a furry hog. He brought back the back straps from the hog and our cook, Tony cooked them up just right. They were really good. This group of hunters can really shoot.
It was the Phoenix, Arizona Boys that were next to score some nice bucks and lots of other critters as well. Ron Simmons, the dad and uncle of the group, that Went for the gusto and tagged two bucks. The first was a tall eight point that was symmetrical and had a width of 15". After taking down the buck Ron went down to the blind to check the buck out. It was also the only spot around that he could get cell reception. As he was standing there talking to his wife, he hears a rustle of noise behind him. He turns around and a flock of turkeys is running at him. Just as they reach him they fly up and give him such a fright. Over the duration of the hunt Ron and his boys did some varmit trapping, they scored so many raccoons I lost count after six. One of the pesky boogers was a whopping 25lbs. They also got a big ol' porcupine. Now with all that I mentioned Ron did take a second buck. He was so thrilled to have the opportunity to tag a great nine point that was 15.5" wide . It was a beautiful buck. Ron also filled up the freezer with four does.
Now the Simmons brothers Joe and Matt both shot there bucks on the same night. Both tagged eight points and ironically the bucks both weighed the exact same, but the racks were what was different. Matt's buck was the widest of the hunt at 18" and was very heavy horned. Joe's buck was 16.75" wide and had nice length in the tines. Joe's buck was the buck of this hunt scoring b/c 120.75".
Randy Kreider of Lancaster, PA is a crack shot. He also filled up the hunt board with four hefty does. Two of the does he shot with one bullet. He waited and waited and the does lined up for the optimum shot, a two for one. Randy also harvested one of the does with his 357 magnum pistol. It was on a beautiful morning hunt that Randy tagged an excellent eight point buck. Take a look at the mass that extends all the way to the end of the main beam. On one side the main beam swoops up like a hook. This buck scored 118" b/c.
Randy was joined for the hunt with two of his kids. Cohen Kreider, which you may recognize that name, the buck of the year in 2020 season was tagged by him. Cohen hunted and hunted looking for the perfect buck. On the final night he tagged a nice ten point with one double brow tine. The buck was 17.5" wide. Kylie Kreider joined camp for the first time this season, she was unable to score a buck, but the heaviest doe on this hunt goes to her. It was a fat 101lb mature doe. Kylie and I were able to squeeze in a quick horse back ride between hunts, she was a natural horsewomen.
And just like that the 2021 hunting season comes to an end. Congratulations to all the hunters and thank you for making it great!
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Hunt 13 (2021 Season)
Hey Y'all, welcome to hunt 13. It seems like we are having some normal January weather, it's been chilly in the early morning and cool during the day. We started the hunt off with a first ever buck hunter tagging a great buck.
Dave Sack a thirteen year old from Dothan, AL was the first one to tag a buck on this hunt, and it was his first ever buck! The buck had double brow tines on both sides. What a beautiful buck. Just like his brother last year he earned his blood strips, swiped on by his brother Nate. What great memories for the Sack family. Nate Sack, joining us for the second time held out till the last possible hunt out to score a very wide eight point 21 1/2", just what he was looking for. The bucks rack was the widest at the very ends of the main beams. Will Sack rounded off the family hunt with a fantastic ten point that was 17" wide. The sack family defiantly had a great hunt.
Chuck Williams of Johnstown, NY joined camp for the first time. Chuck tagged an excellent ten point that was 16 1/2" wide and weighed a whopping 146#s. Just like his rack, it was a heavy bodied deer for West Texas.
Josh Horton also joining us for the first time from Schenectady, NY. Josh had a fantastic hunt, not only did he score a great ten point that had a lot of mule deer characteristic he bagged two hogs both weighing over 225#s . The buck had amazing length on his G2s that forked at the top.
It was HB Lantz from troy, VA for his 24th hunt at the Lodge that had the buck of the hunt. HB has so many Adobe Lodge bucks on his walls at home, he's going to be adding another great one. The buck was a nine point that was 20 1/2" wide. The mass extended all the way out to the end of the rack.
Jerry Taylor from Covington, LA was joining us for the first time. He tagged a nice 7 point that was 16 1/2" wide. Jerry Also bagged a huge sow feral hog weighing 200#s.
Hank Stienhaur of Rentz, GA was the last hunter to score a buck on this hunt. He waited and waited for the right one. But as he waited he did fill his doe tags. It was the very last morning hunt that Hank tagged a nice eight point that was 15 1/4" Wide. A real perfect buck.
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Hunt 12 2022 (2021 Season)
Unlike almost all of the previous hunts this season, we started off with frozen pipes in the guides shack and the bardominium. It was 17 degrees this first morning. The cold weather got the bucks moving around and some fantastic deer were tagged. The Boehler/Adams family of six hunters are joining us from Amsterdam, New York once again. It was the first afternoon hunt that Tim Adams of scored a fantastic eight point that was 19 3/4" wide. The brow tines on this bucks antlers were so bumpy and jagged. Zoom in if you can and take a look. This is Tim's third time to the Lodge, he is joined by wife Jessica, and daughters Angelina and Alaina. The second in the family to tag a buck was Angelina. This is the third buck she has tagged at camp and she is really getting an eye for the good ones. The buck she harvested was the widest of this hunt at 20 1/4" and had eight points. And the family continued to tag the bucks. Amanda Boehler bagged a beautiful eight point that was 18" wide early on in the hunt. Amanda was joined in camp by her husband Justin Boehler, he has come as a non-hunter for the last few years and goes out to the blinds with Amanda for another watchful eye. It was on the last afternoon hunt that Amanda just couldn't pass up a very non-typical buck and took a second one. Take a look at that interesting fellow, a mass of horn and points at the base. Another year and it would have grown into his eye on the bottom side. What a trophy. Jessica Adams also bagged an interesting buck. Who else has seen the acorn antlers before? Not only one but two, and it looks like there would have been four but they got popped off early on. I don't know who gets the most unique buck award this hunt. I do know who gets the buck of this hunt award, it's Marie Boehler "Grammy". Marie waited to the very last night to get this beautiful 11 point brute, that was 15 1/4" wide. What a great buck, with fantastic height, length and mass. The overall score on the buck was b/c 128". The youngest of the family Alaina wasn't able to tag a buck this year, but she is an incredible little hunter and got to spend quality time with her "PopPop" Craig Boehler. Craig heads up the family and guides the girls, they are learning from the best.
The remaining hunters on this hunt were additionally very successful. Scott and Ryan Patterson of Houston, TX both bagged outstanding bucks. These two have been coming to the Lodge since Ryan was 13, he is now 21. Both of these fellows tagged ten points, and there was only a 1/2" difference in the width. Scott 17" and Ryan 17 1/2". However, the bucks were totally different. Scott's swooped around to the front with long main beams and uniform points and Ryan's went up with long tines and an interesting s shaped brow tine. Both the guys harvested two doe and Ryan bagged a 50#hog.
The last hunter in the group was Charlie Eiffert. Charlie has been a guest for many many seasons not only with deer but he also joins us for spring turkey hunting. This year Charlie had a very successful hunt. The buck he tagged was a 18 1/2" nine point, it was like two sets of antlers mixed up to one buck. Five on one side like a Texas 10 point, but the other side was a four that the g2 was way up on the main beam. This buck was a fighter, Charlie watched his buck and another wrestle around for a good amount of time and at one point he thought they were locked together. Charlie's buck prevailed in the fight but lost the battle. Charlie also was able to put the sneak on a beautiful bobcat, i have to give Jim the credit for this picture, he did good. And take a look at that hog Charlie got, what a beast. He weighed in at over 200+ pounds, HUGE! All in all Charlie had a very successful hunt.
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Hunt 11 2021
Another hunt begins and it is so hot!
Well it was a slow hunt, the mature bucks were still hiding under the shade trees without a care in the world. Shorts and tanks were the dress code for some. It was two days into the hunt that a buck was finally tagged.
It was Chris Dexter that put a tag on the first buck. Chris has been joining the Lodge for several years, making the trip out from Melbourne, FL with his wife Shannon and son Josh. The buck that Chris "AKA Dex" bagged was a 14 1/2" wide 13 point. On both sides of the rack the G2's fanned out like blades and at the base there was a small sticker point on both sides. Very cool buck. Dex also bagged a 52# javelina. Although Dex's son Josh didn't see a buck that melted his butter he did catch a lot of grief around camp. Being the youngest in camp he was razed a lot. Especially about his luxurious head of hair. Josh was pretty into his locks, but they were nice, I'll give him that. One of our guides on this hunt, Albert Zapata, also has some nice locks of hair and we do razz him some about it. Josh and Albert were coined the "Fro Bro's" on this hunt.
The next buck tagged was harvested by first time Lodge guest Rick Iddings of Petersburg, PA. The buck Rick bagged was a pretty ten point that was 13 3/8" wide. Also Rick shot the first fox taken by a hunter this season. He was joined by his wife Kara Schilling which we made fast friends. Kara joined me for a horseback ride on the ranch.
Kara's dad Curt Schilling also from Petersburg, PA tagged the buck of this hunt with a 17 1/2" 10 point. The buck scored 124 2/8" b/c. What a buck, he had been fighting in the rut for sure. He would have been a 12 point but he had some broken points, despite that it as an awesome buck.
On the last night hunt Brendan Mousseau from MaComb, MI scored an excellent eight point that was 17 1/2" wide. Brendan was joined in camp with his dad Pete Mousseau. Pete has been a hunter at camp for several years. On this hunt Pete came as a non-hunter, but being in camp and the atmosphere he decided why not hunt. Pete didn't find the butter melter buck, but he did help with the doe management.
Nick Glosser of Newfane, NY and his wife Ashley are joining camp for the third year in a row. Nick didn't get the buck he was looking for but he has high expectations since his photo is on our wall of best bucks.
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HUNT 10 2021
Hey Y'all
The weather cooled down for this hunt. We received a bit of moisture to settle the dust and had a couple of mornings in the low 20's. But can you believe we are forecasted to be 87 on Christmas day. That's just down right wrong for this time of year. That makes this Northwestern girl sad.
Seven out of the eight hunters joined camp from New York. However, they weren't all together. That wasn't even on purpose. But when you come to the Lodge you meet and make new friends that may even live just down the street.
The hunt was kicked off by Pat Keough of Rye, NY. Originally Pat was to be joined by his son Don but work got in the way. Pat then invited his close friend Hal, but the day before the hunt Hal was trying to travel here and flights got cancelled and Hal just couldn't make it work. So, Pat came alone to camp. He wasn't alone though because he has been joining camp for nine seasons and has made lasting friendships with us and the guides. On this hunt Pat quickly made some new friends with the other hunters and showed some new comers on the first night what kind of bucks are at camp. Pat tagged a fantastic nine point that was 19 1/2" wide. A real beauty! Pat had mentioned in the past he had passed up good bucks on the first night simply because it was the first night and missed some great opportunities. He wasn't going to let this one slip through his scope. The buck scored 122 3/8" b/c
On the first morning hunt new comer Vinny Abate from Greenville, NY bagged a nice eight point that was 17" wide. It was a very healthy 140 pounds. Vinny was also quick to fill his doe quota and one of those does weighed in at 116#, the biggest so far this season. The hunt was on then for something, but what? He hunted for feral hogs, nothing came in, how about a javelina? You bet, Vinny scored a great 53# javelina with nice long tusks.
That evening another newcomer Will Cook from Latham, NY shot his first ever buck. Fantastic! It's great to be a part of big moments like this. The buck was 18 1/2" wide with ten points and weighed 146#, the heaviest of this hunt. Will also scored a raccoon, you know I like to take pictures of all the critters, and a heavy doe.
It was Bill Pickett of Ballston Spa, NY that tagged the buck of the hunt on the second night. This buck was 19 1/2" wide with eight points. The main beam was a whopping 24" long! That's pretty darn long and it gave the buck great height. Also on this same evening Eric Hicks of Averill park, NY scored a fantastic seven point buck. This buck had excellent length on the G2's.
Vince Pierleoni of Newfane, NY tagged an interesting eight point. The buck was 11 3/4" wide but had good height. The rack on this buck was white, like it was glowing in the dark. It was like someone had painted his horns. Vince said he could see him coming in from several hundred yards away. The rack was like a beacon for him to be tagged.
The last evening hunt had arrived and two hunters had yet to tag a buck.
Jipp Ortiz of Ransomville, NY after debating back and forth with himself over the last few days decided to bag a buck. Take a look at the fan on one side of the rack with a sticker in the middle. We aged this buck at a very mature 7 1/2 years, maybe older, who knows - but he has been around the block.
The final hunter and the only one not from NY was Cole Norman from Dallas, TX. Cole and his grandfather Ronnie joined the hunt two days late. This was a special hunt for Cole, it was his first ever buck. Not only that - Cole's dad, David Norman, was the very first skinner at the lodge, and Ronnie Cole's grandfather was Skippers best friend. Ronnie had a lot of memories in camp and made some new ones with his grandson, Cole. The buck that Cole tagged was pretty cool. Between the G2 and G3 on both sides there was a one inch nub and the main beam had some wave at the ends s well. All in all it was a successful hunt.
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Hunt 9 2021
Well, it's still very warm and we could really use some moisture. It's been awhile since our last precipitation and it's getting pretty dry with this December heat. Cooler temps are predicted for the next hunt with a little moisture. Let's hope.
This hunt was filled with great fun and stories. On the first morning hunt Ronnie Rivers from Fayetteville, GA was the first to tag a great buck. Ronnie is a veteran to the Lodge and knows how to judge a good one. Take a look at this 12 point, to start at the base the antlers have on each side a 1" point poking out front. The G2 on the left side forks and the right side has a 3" G4. This buck scored 124 7/8" b/c
Ronnie was joined by his nephew Dylon Rivers also from Fayetteville, GA. This was Dylon's first trip to camp and I believe he had a great time. This first morning was the day for the Rivers, Dylon also tagged his buck that same morning hunt and a doe. The buck was a nice eight point that was 16 1/2" wide.
The six remaining hunters were all in the same hunting party from Pennsylvania AKA 'The O'Hare Group'. This group is headed up by Gerry O'Hare, Gerry is in the pharmaceutical business and also the gun business, all in one building you can get your drugs and guns. This is also a slogan for Gerry's business, 'Guns and Drugs'. It's been seen all over, even sponsoring a softball team. How fantastic is that! Within this group there were a few wagers made, the best buck and the heaviest doe. Seems like there may have been some shenanigans going on with one of the does. Maria's doe had a little extra weight when they arrived back in camp. Hmmm, wonder how that happened, maybe her guide Tony had the bright idea.
On the second morning hunt, newcomer Brandon Francis from Houston, PA bagged a real interesting buck. The buck was counted as a nine point and was 18" wide. On first glimpse at the antlers you would think that the main beam was broken, however on further investigation it appears to possibly have grown that way. In my expert analysis, HAHAHA, if you zoom in on the picture you can see a hole just below what would have been the G3. That hole was from a fly (in early summer when the bucks are in velvet) laying an egg and the larva imbedded in the soft horn. I think that it may have gotten infected and caused the horn growth to become jeopardized there. That's my guess, What d y'all think?
Also on the second morning hunt Dan Papak of Cononsburg, PA tagged his buck. This was the third trip out for Dan. And the winner of the best buck in this group and the hunt goes to Dan. This buck was super heavy horned with ten points and both G2's fork. At 14 1/2" wide with great tine length the buck scored 130 1/8" b/c. After Dan shot this buck his guide Dick arrived and they went to the feeder to get him and he wasn't there, the search began. Now we know Dan is a great shot, so guide Dick and Dan were a bit perplexed. They found a small speck of blood and searched and searched zig zagging all over for hours and nothing was to be found. After finally giving up Dick was just about back to the blind when for some reason he looked up at an old root wod and there was the buck not 30 yards from the feeder all wrapped up in the wod. It was hard to see the buck in that mess, he really blended in. Dan was also the winner of the biggest doe weighing in at 99.1#
Nick Bellicini of McMurray, PA on the second morning hunt tagged an excellent ten point. Take A look at those brow tines!! Fantastic length. This late in the season it's a wonder he hasn't been broke off fighting during the rut. Nick also tagged out early on his does so he went on a feral hog hunt and scored a 50# hog. Nick has joined the Lodge for two seasons now.
On the third morning Max O'Hare from Bugettstown, PA scored a nice eight point. What got this buck tagged was his excellent width of 19 1/4". What made this buck so wide was one side of the rack went way out straight with not much curve, it was like two different bucks in one. This was Max's third trip to camp.
Gerry O'Hare, the ring leader of the group, joins us from Venetia, PA. This was Gerry's third trip out to the Lodge. Boy Gerry was really trying to beat Dan's buck and he came dang close. What a beautiful buck he bagged. This buck was a brute, he weighed in at 146# and the antlers had the mass to match. The tine tips were rubbed off bright white show casing 10 points and 16 1/4" width, check out those kickers on both sides of the G2's. Gerry also bagged a 75# feral hog.
The final hunter in the group to tag her buck was Maria Giles from Follansbee, WV. Maria was joining camp for the first time. She bagged two feral hogs early on in the hunt, and then her hunt got cold. It was like the big bucks up and flew away taking the doe with them. She hunted and hunted and on the last night hunt tagged a big doe. There was a little mischief with the weight of the doe but dang it just wasn't quite enough. The final morning hunt is when she tagged A very nice TX eight point. The buck was 15 1/4" wide.
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Hunt 8 2021
Well What can I say, once again it was hot for three days of this hunt and cold on the last day. Seems to be a pattern.
Just like last year Bill Wurfel of Robbinsville, NJ bagged a great buck on the first evening hunt. If you happen to read the McManus camp hunts you will see Bill hunts there as well, he's been hunting back to back hunts for about 5 years, but has hunted the longest at the McManus Camp, eleven years! Bill primarily hunts with a black powder muzzle loader and is a one shot one kill type of fella. His rifles name is Betsy. Betsy was true again and brought down an excellent 10 point buck with fantastic length. The buck scored 123 b/c. Being that bill tagged a buck so early he wanted to go javelina hunting, in all these years hunting out here in TX he has never had the chance. Well he did this time. Bill also had a good story one afternoon after he had been out doe hunting. He shot a good mature doe and in comes an eight point buck on her trail. As the doe lay there he is sniffing her, trying to get her up. To no avail he paws at her and is really roughing her up. Bill was getting frustrated that his doe is getting mangled. The buck hooks her and flings her across the ground a good 10 feet. That's it, bill had enough and gets out of the blind and heads down there. Bill is making noise and trying to shoo the buck away but the buck is oblivious. Finally about 20 yards away the buck comes to his senses and runs off. I'm glad he didn't run Bill Down.
The second buck slayer was Russ Ogburn of Madison, MS. Russ has been joining the lodge for three years now and has a good eye for a good buck. The buck he tagged was very heavy, the main beams were wide like blades, and the rack was very tall. At 15 1/2" wide with 9 points the buck scored 119 2/8" b/c. Russ was also quick to tag out on his does as well. Russ continued to go out to the blinds every day in hopes of a critter of some sort pass by but nothing did. However, he did report back about the fantastic bucks that he saw over and over.
Devin Byrd from Charleston, SC joined us in camp for the first time. He had a very successful hunt. At first as some of you know, it can be overwhelming on your first trip to the Lodge. If you have never hunted in Texas you may not know what you are looking for. One reason is there are so many deer that come to your blind. Devins guide, Kent, was very helpful in schooling him what he should be looking for. After a good sit together in the blind, Devin was well educated and tagged an excellent 9 point that was 15" wide and had a double brow tine. A great first Texas buck. Devin was also on critter patrol with great success. He bagged 3 hogs, 2 porcupines, and a raccoon.
Also, new comer Dustin Blackwell of Dawsonville, GA tagged his buck on this day. Dustin is no stranger around the rifle and is an excellent shot. He bagged his buck at 375 yards. I'm not sure but that may be the longest shot made on a buck here in camp. The buck he took was a 15" 9 point. Take A look at that bucks hide, it has to be the palest deer I have ever seen. Since Dustin decided to do a euro mount he let me have the hide, it will be pretty on my wall.
The next hunter to tag out on a buck is no stranger to camp. Lee Wilson from Gulf shores, AL was back for another round. This time he was joined by his very lovely wife Diane. Lee is a lucky man! They had great fun hunting together, it has been many years since they had gone out hunting together. Diane goes as his spotter and together chose to tag a fantastic classic eight point that was 16 3/4" wide.
Another new comer was Blair Chandler from Madison, MS. Blair is the friend of Russ as I mentioned above. Like Devin Blair was a bit overwhelmed, but he broke the ice with a few does before he committed to a great 10 point. The buck had good mass throughout his rack. I have to commend Blair for his dedication to living a healthy life style. He was loyal about maintaining his workout regiment everyday. Kudos to you Blair!
The final hunter, Larche Watters from Benton, LA may have missed the first evening hunt but he made up for the lost time with the buck of the hunt tagged on the last evening. This buck was a brute! He was 21" wide with some extra "junk" on the rack, like some nubbies on the base and a kicker off one side. A fantastic buck that had 10 points and scored 134" b/c. Not only did Larche have the buck of the hunt he had the heaviest doe weighing in at 112#. Larche has been joining us for several years and I learned that he has studied and taken some classes on how to score a buck on the hoof. It has paid off, congrats Larche!
In one of final pictures you will see a shot of what I'm going to coin as the Adobe Lodge Basketball team. Four of our hunters on this hunt were all over six feet, three of them being 6'5". Bill Wurfel will be their manager. We had some great laughs on this hunt, three new comers joined this group of Adobe Veterans and rounded it off just right.
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Hunt 7 2021
It was hot again!
The hunt began rather slowly for buck hunting, but the doe hunting was fantastic. Almost everyone tagged out on does rather quickly. The heat is keeping the big bucks hemmed up in the shade with exhaustion from the rut winding down.
It was Guy Pavleck from Frisco, TX that broke the ice and tagged a great buck on the 3rd morning hunt. The buck was a fantastic 10 point that was 16 1/8" wide and scored 136 2/8" B/C. Guy has been a guest at the lodge for many years and is joined by his daughter Niam; making this her third visit, and Father in Law James Brogan; who has been coming for many years and resides in Athens West Virginia. On this hunt Niam also tagged a whopper of a buck. Her buck was 18 3/4" wide with 8 points and scored 125 3/8" B/C. Last year Niam discovered that here at the lodge we have a few camp cats, so this year she had here Dad Guy stock up on kitty treats. Needless to say the cats put on a few pounds.
This group of hunters are one big happy group of family and long time friends. Father and son Ron and Kris Musick joined us again from West Virginia. This is Rons third time in camp and Kris's second trip. The both of them tagged bucks on the same morning hunt within several minutes. The bucks that they bagged could have been brothers, each one had 9 points and scores only an 1/8" different. Ron and Kris were tagged out now and decided to go for a javelina hunt. When Kris arrived at his blind there were already javelinas down by the feeder. They scattered at the intrusion but quickly returned when their favorite snack of corn was dispersed. Kris spotted the one he wanted and took the shot. Meanwhile his dad, Ron was having no luck at his location. Kris called his guide Bill and they decided to pick up Ron and sneak him to kris's location. Shortly after Kris hears a quiet knock on the blind door, Ron had made a quiet sneak up to the blind. Kris exited the blind and Ron squeezed in and set up for a shot at a Javelina. They were both successful in bagging a Javelina.
HB Lantz of Troy, West Virginia was joining the Lodge for his 23rd hunt in our camp. Over the years he has tagged so many beautiful bucks. On this hunt he was successful once again and harvested a real nice 8 point that was 18" wide This bucks rack went straight out before curving up, a real beauty. HB is a great hunter and also tagged two heavy mature does. We will be seeing him again later in the season.
The weather turned off real chilly this morning with high winds out of the North.
The last buck of the hunt was tagged by Mike Dorsey from Pascoag, RI. That's a long way from home. On the final morning hunt Mike "got the itch" and tagged a magnificent 8 point that was 17 1/8" wide. This buck was also a heffty fella weighing 142lbs. Mike was joined by Jordan Robitaille of Johnston, RI. This was the first trip to the lodge for Jordan and his first ever hunting experience. He was successful in tagging some nice mature does.
James Bennet from Talcott, WV made the trip out to the Lodge once again with James Brogan. These two have been long time friends. James Bennet has been James Brogans gun smith for many years. J. Bennet did find the buck he wanted to tag was zeroing in on him when a distant shot form another hunter scattered the deer, he didn't come across another that melted his butter quite so much. J. Bennet being in the smithing business brought a gift of a 52 piece gun tool set for one of the guides to be drawn from a hat. The winner of the set was Bill Scott. Thanks James
One of our very own guides, Kent Terril, provided the hunt with a fish fry of catfish caught by himself. Kent has his own business of a fishing outfitter. The dinner he cooked was outstanding and a real treat to the Lodge.
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Hunt 6 2021
Okay, the heat has got to go away. It's been so warm, t-shirt weather.
This hunt was a group of long time friends and family from all over that have been guests of the lodge for many years.
Pete Mousseau from Macomb, MI and cousin Jim Mousseau from Kamas, UT filled up the hunting board with lots of does. Both hunters were on the trophy option and didn't find the one buck that would melt their butter. Jim mostly hunts with his camera and takes lots of photos. Pete will be back latter in the season with his son for another hunt.
Stephan and Cheryl Moon from Freeland, MI filled the bored up with five doe between them. They were also on the trophy option and have it a good go. On the last morning Cheryl picked a buck she wanted and was following him in the scope when another buck came in and the fight was on, there was no way she could get a shot in and the deer quickly left the feeder and the opportunity was gone. Cheryl is the sister of Jim Mousseau and cousin to Pete. Stephen had some bad luck with rifle issues, and was unable to fill his buck tag, but they'll both be back next year for another go.
Kevin and Ben Yeater, both from Monroe, GA had a great hunt and both tagged really nice bucks. Kevin was the first of the two to connect with a fantastic, mature 10 point that was 17.5" wide. Ben tagged an amazing 7 point, you may think a 7point? But take a look at this brute of a buck, Ben takes the lead this season with the widest buck taken so far, 22.5" wide wowweeee. Ben also bagged a 51 pound javelina.
Husband and wife Raymond and Stephanie from North Carrolton, MS had a good hunt as well. Ray has been joining camp for several years and finally brought his wife out for her first hunt at the Lodge. Between the two they harvested 6 does and two Javelinas. Ray was the first on this hunt to tag a buck. The buck was 16" wide and had 10 points, a real nice addition for his wall. The javelina that Ray bagged set a new weight record at the lodge. On the last hunt the record was beat 67.2lbs, but Ray topped that with a 67.5lb female.
Our final hunter was Peter Ruseski of Dandrige, TN. Peter has been joining camp as a "doe only' hunter for many years, this year he was successful in tagging his limit and will be eating good venison till next season.
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Hunt 5 2021
Hey Ya'll
It has been unseasonably warm this fall with hunt five beginning in the 80's, but cooler temps are on the way.
Hunt five took off like a wildfire and on the first evening hunt two really nice bucks were tagged.
The first was tagged by a new guest to the Lodge, Keith Swartz of Texarkana, TX. As many of you that have joined camp when Skipper was still here, he had an iconic saying; "If it melts your butter!" We have also adopted the saying, and on Keiths first hunt out he remembered what we had said. His butter was fully melted when this beautiful eight point walked out. The buck was 19 1/2" and scored 118 1/8" making it the buck of this hunt. Keith also tagged out with three doe.
Zach Scott of Westfield, IN is joining us for the second time. He also bagged a really cool buck the first night. This buck had nine points and was 15 1/2" wide, the main beam making a sweep, or maybe more like an arch made it A real unique rack. On the final morning of this hunt Zach took down a massive javelina, the largest we have on record weighing 67.2 pounds. The previous record was 63 pounds but Zach surpassed it by 4 pounds.
The following morning Jim West from Wimberly, TX tagged a hefty 154 lb buck. The buck was 16 3/8" wide and had nine points. One side of the rack had a slight palm where the tines extended up. Jim has been joining the lodge for some years now, last year he brought his son Greg with him and it is now a family tradition. As well, Jim tagged out with three doe.
That evening brother-in-laws Chris and Russ both tagged great bucks. Chris had joined camp around five years back and decided to get in touch again and bring Russ.
Chris Childress of Spring Hill, TN scored a fantastic ten point that was 16 1/4" wide. A real pretty buck. Russ Willis of Lawrenceburg, TN bagged a great eight point that was 14 1/2' wide and weighed 141 pounds. Also while out hunting Russ was able to bring down a big feral hog. Both gentleman also tagged two doe each.
And that left one hunter to tag a buck. On the very last evening Greg West from Wimberly, TX tagged a nice eight point. The buck was 13" wide and weighed 121 pounds. Greg is joining his Dad Jim for his second season at the lodge. Greg also tagged two mature doe.
The count for this hunt was 6 buck, 15 doe, 1 javelina, 1 hog.
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Hunt 4, 2021
This hunt began very warm, making the hunting a bit challenging. We knew that a cold snap was going to be blowing in halfway through and that usually gets the deer moving. It wasn't until the second full evening hunt that finally a buck was tagged, makes a person a little nervous about what will happen. It always seems to workout in the end.
It was Ken Carter of Orange Beach, AL that broke the ice with a fantastic buck. It was the buck of this hunt. Ken has been a guest for several years and knows how to judge a good one. The buck was a beautiful 10 point that was 17" wide and weighed 118 pounds. Score 120 5/8" B/C Ken also tagged out with three doe.
Finally the cold spell arrived and the deer began to gather in the skinning shed.
John McIntosh from Sparks, NV was the second to bagged a buck and it was definitely a unique rack the buck was packing. It had several small points here and there and the count was 12. Some may have not been measurable but if you can zoom in and see. This buck had an abscess under his chin, usually it is a prickly pear thorn that festers up, but the buck was healthy. This is John's third trip out to the Lodge. 14" wide, 12pnt, 118# and also two doe.
The third buck taken was tagged by newcomer to the Lodge Joseph "Lucas" McGee. He was joining his dad and sister for the families first visit to the Lodge. It wasn't until two days into the hunt that it was discovered Joe actually goes by Lucas. His guide Bill keep saying Joe without a response and finally Joe figured out he was talking to or about him, made it way easier to get his attention. But anyway, Lucas tagged a great 9 point that was 18 1/2" wide and weighed 128 pounds. It's so wonderful when families come here and make memories. Lucas also bagged a nice heavy doe.
Lee Wilson was the next to step up and make a kill on a cool buck. Yes that is two browtines on that one side. That's what got that bucked tagged, not to mention that it was 19" wide. Nice buck! Lee has been joining us hear at the lodge for many years and has been trying to get his good friend Mike McCrea to join him but it hasn't worked out until this year. It was Mike that tagged the next buck.
Mike McCrea has been living in Kenya, Africa for the last six years but is originally from Alabama. Drilling water wells abroad has been his endeavor, his wife and self have been doing wonderful work in Kenya, making lives better for so many families. Mike had a goal of tagged a ten point buck and he did. A nice 14 1/2" wide ten point that weighed 103 pounds, also he tagged three doe.
On the last evening hunt Jimmy Epperson from Troup, TX hauled in a good one. This was Jimmy's second visit to the Lodge. Jimmy was really wanting a ten point and decided that he wasn't going to settle for something else. Then on the last evening this big, thick buck steps out and his mind was changed then and there. The rack on this big boy was heavy, the base was 4 1/2 " from there it went up and the points were all strait in line. Very interesting buck, 16", 8pnt, 134 pounds. Jimmy was a dead eye and also tagged out on does as well.
On the very last morning John McGee of Dubach, LA and his daughter Jessica were the last two to tag bucks. John has for many years, I believe 16 years, been taking his kids, Jessica and Lucas, on hunts all over the states and has never hunted himself. This was the very first buck he has ever tagged. The McGee's have been trying to get a hunt at the Lodge since 2013. It was meant to be that they finally got a slot. John tagged a real nice nine point that was 15" wide, and weighed 133 pounds. He also harvested one doe and A 43# javelina.
Jessica McGee was so patient. Every hunt she would write down and keep track of everything she saw while sitting in the blind. She took video of some real nice bucks but didn't see the one. On the last morning she was seeing some small young bucks, nothing she wanted to tag. I think, she was thinking, she wasn't going to tag out. And then a buck comes out near the blind. She said to herself "Yep!" This buck had some real long main beams, the browtines were way up the beam. Very good tall buck.
The last hunter I'll mention is Tom Peterson from Odessa, FL. Tom has hunted here as a guest so many times. Last year his buck was in the top ten so he was looking to top that. Sometimes it just doesn't work out, but he'll be back next year to give it another go. Tom was joined by his lovely wife Diane, she has been trekking on hunts with Tom for many many years. Tom brought some great albums that his kids have had put together from his many hunting excursions. It was amazing, Tom has hunted to the most remote regions of every continent and has lived the most amazing hunting stories. What a great set of books, true treasures!
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Hunt #3 2021
Alrighty, this hunt started with gorgeous weather. I'll jump right into some fantastic bucks, because that's how this hunt started, Full throttle on the first night.
Phil Peppers of Canton, GA tagged a whopper of a buck probably within the first hour of his hunt. This beautiful eleven point buck came wandering in looking for an early snack at the feeder. It was that eleventh point that gave him a one way ticket to the forever grasslands. The buck was 17 1/4" wide, had 11 points, Weighed 148#, and scored 136 6/8" B/C. Fantastic way to start a hunt. Phil also tagged three doe.
On the same night, Trey Peppers, also from Canton, GA and son of Phil tagged his first Adobe Lodge buck. Things were looking good for the Peppers. Treys buck was 15 1/2" wide, had nine points and weighed 134#. Trey also tagged two doe.
Ryan Demuth from Lancaster, KY also bagged a beauty on the first night. I don't know if so many bucks in Lodge history have been tagged on the first night. Ryan's buck had excellent brow tines was 15" wide, and weighed 148#. This was Ryan's first trip out to the Lodge an we hope to see him in the future.
Ok, and then we had a little break in the buck hunting but the doe were filling the board. This group of hunters are predominantly from Georgia, but they are all in the same party. Great friends making great memories.
It was last minute that Tim Hodges of Cleveland, MS jumped in on this hunt. Tim has been to the Lodge several times, this time harvesting a brute of a buck weighing in at 170#. Now that is a healthy Texas white tail. This mature buck was 15 1/2" wide, had 8 points, and of course was 170#.
The next hunter to tag a buck was Tessa Cotton from Monroe, GA. Tessa is here with her Dad Steve and they had an excellent hunt together. One a morning hunt after watching an eight point buck Tessa decided she would take this on. Steve was in the blind with her videoing the whole thing. She gets in line for a great shot and squeezes the trigger....click. Well shoot, no bullet in the rifle and the buck runs off. But this left the field open for the fantastic buck she did tag the next day. Take a look at this wide beauty. He was 19 5/8" wide with ten points, and weighed a hefty 156#.
The following morning Steve Welch From Monroe, GA had an exciting hunt. The bucks are in rut, so Steve, his guide Dan, and Tessa headed out in pursuit of a buck that was spotted the day before. Dan has had lots of experience rattling up bucks and Steve was looking for just that. They get set up and it's off to the races, a small eight point keeps lingering and coming in and out. Its not the buck their looking for, but persistence pays off and they keep at it. They see a good buck off in the distance making his way in and he goes into the brush line and disappears. Waiting and waiting they think he is gone, but Dan tells them to just wait, he gives another rattle and the buck steps out in to a clearing near them. Holly Molly it's a beast, Steve has his rifle up on the sticks that Tessa is holding up for him. Dan whispers to Steve shoot. Steve replies "I can't", he's shaking so bad. He takes some breaths and calms down, gets the sight on and BAMM. The buck is shot, he runs up a small hill and disappears behind some brush. Where did he go. They're watching and giving the buck some time. Well here comes the pesky eight point that has been, shadowing them all morning, he's coming towards them and gets a whiff of the blood trail where the beast ran. He's tracking the trail right up to where the buck is down, peers around the brush and sees what is lying there, he swivels around and wants no part of that. Take a look at the beast of a buck this guy is. This buck was 20 5/8" wide, had ten points, and weighed 149#. But wait, look closely and you will see that half of the main beam is broken off on one side. Incredibly this buck still scored 147 6/8" B/C missing half a horn. Just imagine...Yes this buck was the buck of the hunt. Steve also tagged one doe.
Savannah Huffstetler of Dawsonville, GA joined the hunting party with lots of hunting experience and knew what she was looking for. She was razzed by her fellow hunters about not pulling the trigger, or maybe her gun was broke, but she was patient and knew what she wanted. The buck she tagged was great! I don't think I have seen a more symmetrical buck ever. Such a beauty. He was 16" wide, had ten points, and weighed 129#. Savannah also tagged two doe, and a 48# Javelina.
The next hunter to bag a buck was Don DiPietro, of Flowery Branch, GA. Don has joined us as a guest many times. There is a saying that some guys have all the luck, well, in this case poor Don was having none of the luck, he hunted and hunted, day after day. Fellow hunters would see great bucks at certain blinds and arrangements would be made for the following day for Don to get into that blind. And then nothing would come in. I wonder if his companions where setting him up. But in the end Don did, on the last full day, tag a really cool buck. The buck was 17" wide had eight points, and weighed 120#. Look at the interesting shape of those horns, they go right straight up, he had good height.
The final hunter Brandon Snyder of Monroe, GA gets the award for the most patient hunter ever. He was another hunter that was looking for something specific. He knew what he was looking for. He said he passed up several bucks that where bigger, nut new what he wanted. Brandon tagged, in the last hour, a fantastic 16 1/2" beauty, that had ten points, and weighed 124#. He also bagged a 47# Javelina and two doe.
The final count is 9 bucks, 13 doe, and 2 Javelina
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Hunt #2 2021
The weather was absolutely beautiful on this hunt. The hunt started off a bit slow, the bucks are just starting to move and chase the does making it a bit of a challenge. However it didn't continue to be difficult and the hunters started to pick away at the bucks. This group consists of six hunters that are a tight group of friends from Pennsylvania, they've been making this trip down to Texas for a few years. The seventh hunter Craig was flying solo on this hunt, but he fits right in as always.
Bob Palmer of Montrose, PA tagged a beautiful, pretty darn symmetrical eight point. Bruce has been a guest at the Lodge for many seasons and knows how to pick a beauty. This buck was 17 1/2" wide, had 8 points and weighed 147#. Bob also filled his three doe limit.
Brian Baker also from Montrose, PA bagged a super cool 11 point buck with a drop tine. Brian had a heck of story to go with this hunt. He was dropped of at his blind and gets set up. This blind is set on the edge of a wheat field with the feeder down a small slope set back in the trees. Watching out this blind can be very productive, action out both sides. On the wheat side Brian has deer in the field, a pretty good eight point is out there off in the distance. Nothing going on at the feeder yet. He's watching the felid and here comes a flock of turkey meandering across the field. The turkey just keep coming, making their way directly along side his blind, there's about 25 of them heading right for the feeder, they know what's up. The feeder hasn't gone off yet and the birds are down there scratching around, Brian was worried the deer would be bothered by them. It's getting close to time for the feeder to thro some corn. Crap the darn turkeys know that as well. Brian jumps out of his blind and runs down to the feeder scattering turkeys everywhere. He runs back up to the blind jumps in and the feeder goes off. He can see deer in the brush making their way in cautiously. He can see horns coming, the drop tine comes in and Brian chooses that buck. You never know what's going to happen out there. Brian's buck was 16 1/2" wide, 11 points, and weighed 123#. He also tagged out with does.
Bruce Legg, another guest from Montrose, PA hunted and hunted to the very last few hours of the hunt. Over the couple of days he hunted Bruce seemed to have the javelina plague. No matter what ranch or blind he hunted they were there. Bruce tagged a hefty bodied buck with great mass, even on this very morning the little buggers where there haunting him. It worked out though and Bruce's buck was a beauty. The brow tines on this guy were spiraled. In the picture gallery you'll see a fancy pair of snake skin boots, matter of fact python skin boots. Bruce was all dressed up for his trip home, making a lay over in Nashville. The buck was 16 1/2" wide, 8 points, and weighed 151#. Bruce also tagged one doe.
Craig Nowell of Saint Martinville, LA harvested the buck of the hunt. What a fantastic buck it was, it had ten points, but not a typical Texas ten. The buck had nice length on the tines, and a split tine on one side and a crab claw on the other. On this hunt Craig was hunting with a broken shoulder. Every year Craig leaves his home in LA with his side kick Elle, a beautiful sheltie dog and starts a long journey out west. Craig leaves home with a trailer in tow that has sleeping quarters, mini kitchenette, and a place to haul his motorcycle. He hunted mule deer in Oregon and was successful, traveled to many national parks for sight seeing. It was on one of his outings on his motorcycle that a car pulled out in front of him, that's how he broke his shoulder. Also on his journey out west little Elle lost a toe. She stuck it right in the spokes of the motorcycle wheel. Thank goodness the Lodge was the last stop before he headed home. I'm sure it was more than a little uncomfortable firing his rifle with that broken shoulder. The buck was 16 3/4" wide, 10 points, weighed 120# and scored 120 5/8" B/C. Also Craig tagged three doe.
Greg Maxey of Kingsley, PA tagged a nice seven point buck on a morning hunt. Greg has hunted at the Lodge for many years, but had to stay home last season. Next year he plans to bring out his grand sons for an Adobe adventure. We look forward to meet them, it's great that the tradition is being carried on. Greg's buck was 14 1/2" wide, had 7 points, and weighed 119#. Also he tagged three hefty doe.
Jamie Smith from New Millford, PA is joining us once again. After visiting with Jamie about his buck I asked him if he was a brow tine kinda fella. This buck had stellar brow tines, Jamie replied yes, that's what was the deciding factor when he choose this buck as his. The buck looked directly at the blind and there was no denying he was a beauty. The buck was 17 1/2" wide, had 9 points, weighed 124#. Also Jamie tagged three good mature doe.
The final hunter, Mark Caterson of Montrose, PA joined the hunt on the trophy option. Mark decided he didn't see a buck that he wanted to put his tag on. It's the way of hunting, ya never know. However, he did take meat home from the three doe he tagged.
I almost forgot, I don't know how I could have though. On the duration of the hunt Bruce and Brian had a little adventure with their guide Snake. It was early morning, as they were heading to their blinds Snake took a little detour. I have mentioned many times about all the moisture we have received over the last few months, and we even received more on the last hunt. Well the little detour Snake took put them right in the middle of a dirt tank. For those of you not from TX, a dirt tank is really just a pond. There wasn't any standing water, but the mud was rather deep. Bruce told Snake I think you better stop. The truck was up to the doors in mud, and there was no budging it out. Jim had to come with the skid steer to drag it out. It took several hours for Snake to pressure wash the mud off. Another day at the ranch. HaHaHa
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Hunt # 1, 2021
We opened up this hunt the first evening with 7 doe. Let's just say that it was a busy night in the skinning shed. David, our wonderful skinner was hustling. The next morning he was back at it with another 7 deer coming in, but this time there was a great buck in the mix.
Michael Sarver from College Station, TX broke the ice with a beautiful 8 point. Michael is joining the Lodge for the first time and accompanying his Uncle Jim Gillard who is a veteran Adobe guest. Michael proved to be an excellent hunter and tagged four doe as well.
I really like to mention the weather throughout the season, it's a great way for me to keep a record. So, with that, the weather has been beautiful! A nice breeze, it has been in the high 50s in the am and low 80s during the day. Just lovely!
Okay enough of my wishy washy talk, lets talk Bucks. The second evening out and two fantastic bucks were tagged. These two bucks were tagged by father/son duo Joe and Russel Ivey. Joe's buck was an 8 point, and had a fantastic brow tine on one side, a real unique set of horns. That long brow tine was shaped like a knife, I believe there was some talk about fashioning something of the sorts with it. Now lets talk Russel's buck. Russel said it took him all of maybe 30 seconds to decide this was his buck. What a stellar buck. A great 9 point with both brow tines swooping back and excellent length on those tines. This buck was a beauty, scoring B/C 135 1/8"
There's a saying that can relate to many things, but this time, 'What happens in the family, stays in the family.' And that's what the Ivey's have done on this hunt. Son of Joe and brother to Russel, Tony Ivey kept the family in high spirits with another phenomenal buck tagged the following morning. Tony's buck was an 8 point also with great mass and a unique brow tine swooping back. Tony's buck scored 133 5/8" B/C. I forgot to mention, this trio of hunters hail from Houston, TX and has for many years been joining the Lodge with great success and making memories. The Ivey's tagged 3 bucks and 8 doe.
On the same Morning hunt John Seps joined in the great buck run and tagged a great, dark horned, wide brut. So far this season, this buck is the widest at 21.5" John and his son Sam made the drive out from San Jacinto, CA once again, and are having another successful trip. Driving out a day early, their guide Jerry Watts, had made arrangements to take them catfish fishing. They hauled in a bounty of fish, their coolers will be full to the brim with great TX fish and game. John also tagged four doe.
And just when I thought it was safe to put my camera up for the morning, Jim Gillard of Romona, CA pulled up to the Lodge with a hulk of a buck. This buck was another great example of the exceptional moisture we have received this year, making the forage for the deer outstanding. The mass we are seeing on the bucks being harvested and the fat layer on the does is wonderful. Jim's buck was 20", 11points, 149# and scored 134 7/8" B/C. I also shared a picture of Jim and his wife Suezanne. Suezanne joined us last year and again this year. This picture is very significant to me because last year when Suezanne joined us she was very anti-hunting. Throughout the hunt last year and this year she has had an eye opener to the world of hunting and harvesting wild game. In this picture she has for the first time touched and animal taken by her husband, making leaps and bounds of her view of hunting. It's the small things like this that keep the hunting tradition alive for our future. I feel blessed to have had Suezanne join us again. Jim also tagged four doe.
The weather turned cold and damp, with another thunder storm blowing in on the last full day of hunting, bringing another inch+ moisture to the west Texas area. The hunting didn't slow up though. On this day Charlie McCall of Pineville, LA held out for the buck he thought worthy of his trophy option hunt. I just can't share enough how wonderful the bucks have been. Charlie tagged a gorgeous 18.5", 10 point, 145#, 134 3/8" B/C buck. This was Charlie's first trip out to the Lodge, he joined his father Freddy McCall form Pollock, LA who has been joining us as a hunting guest for several years. Freddy's beautiful wife Kathleen also joined us again this hunt. She is such a breath of fresh air in camp. This season Freddy didn't harvest a buck, sometimes it happens, he just didn't see one that melted his butter. However, Freddy did tag 5 doe and celebrate his birthday with us and Charlie 4 doe.
The last buck tagged on this hunt was Sam Seps from San Jacinto, CA. As mentioned above he joined his father, John,once again at the lodge and had a catfish adventure. In this case, Sam saved the best for last. The buck Sam harvested was a beautiful, mature, heavy 10 point, that was 19" wide and weighing in at 155# and scoring 137 3/8" B/C. Making it the buck of this hunt. It's always a neat addition when a good hunting story can go along with a great buck. So here is Sams story "My guide Jerry dropped me off at a spot he had seen a really nice buck the morning before. He parked a little farther from the blind so we wouldn't spook it out, just in case he was already there in the dark. At about 8:10am the buck showed up. I was getting set up to take the shot when another buck and two does showed up. One of the does started walking straight towards the blind dead center in the way of a shot. She was looking right into my blind and there was no way to get a shot off. I was so concerned she would cry out and scare my buck away. Finally, she moved over about a foot and I was able to take the shot and the buck dropped. I called my guide right away to let him know the good news. I realized the same darn doe was only 5 feet from where she was originally standing. I told Jerry, I'll call you back. I shot that same doe from earlier, and that tagged me out." David, our skinner joked and said that I probably took out the doe with the muzzle blast. Congratulations Sam
The final hunter joining this hunting party was Dude Phelan of Ocala, FL. Yes, you did see Dude on the previous hunt. Dude likes to join us every year for back to back hunts. Although Dude decided not the tag a buck on this hunt he did tag another three doe. He has a large quantity of meat to take home. We had the honor of hosting Dude's wife Stephanie on both hunts as well. I've always heard wonderful things about her, and yes I can verify that they are all true. Stephanie does so many great deeds for charity, it warms my heart knowing there are still people like her.
The final game count was 8 bucks, 36 Doe.
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Welcome to 2021 Hunt A
It finally made here. This hunt started off on a HOT 95° day. I heard a record was set for the hottest day ever on this day in TX. The hunters waited until the last possible hour to get out to the blinds. It was so hot many of them hunted in shorts, it can be sooo very hot in those blinds. However, that didn't hinder a buck being taken on the first night.
Those bragging rights go to a new guest of the Lodge, Robert Perry of Buckhannon, WV. As many of you know we always have a meeting at the beginning of each hunt, and when it came around to Robert introducing himself, he let everyone know he has a Bachelors degree in "BS". HaHa, if I was quick witted I should of asked him if it wasn't a masters degree. Any way, Robert bagged the buck of the hunt and it was a beauty. The buck had nice mass throughout. These buck that were taken this hunt were chunky, and many of them had a little something extra on their racks. Robert also tagged 3 does. The does on this hunt were also very healthy and chunky, several were over 100lbs.
And then the wind picked up and blew 30-40mph the next day, no bucks were taken on the first morning hunt.
That evening another new guest of the Lodge Mike Lewis from Scott Depot, WV shot the biggest buck he has ever tagged. It's great to share things like that with our hunters, this buck was real cool, a nice compact, taller 9pnt. If you take a look you can see that the buck had a small little kicker starting to form. Mike was a hoot in camp, I probably laughed more on this hunt than I have all year. Fun times indeed. Mike also tagged 3 doe.
On that same evening, Bradley Perry of Tallmansville, WV bagged a great mature 9pnt buck that had nice width and mass. Brad was also new to the Lodge. While chatting with his nephew, Robert, I discovered what a West Virgina pepperoni roll is. It seems they are in every store you go into in WV, Hmmm, come to find out Brad had a stash he'd brought out for the trip. I was told I may be able to bribe Brad into giving me one, he was gracious to share with us and they are so good. His wife had hand made fresh dough, and filled it with chopped pepperoni and pepper cheese. Delicious! But don't be confused and call them pizza rolls, that is a no no. Brad also tagged 2 doe and a 50# javelina.
And the wind howled! A massive thunder storm blew through the night and we had half an inch of rain.
The next great buck taken goes to Theron Chapman of Ona, WV. Theron has been coming to the Lodge for several years now. This is the first year he has hunted with us that he was considered an adult, he is now 17 years old. Over and over Theron has proved to be a fantastic hunter, not only in his choice of bucks, but in the amount of deer he has harvested. This season Theron tagged a beautiful 9 point that was 15 6/8" wide and weighed 148#s The G3s had excellent length, and a nice fork on one side. Theron also tagged 4 doe.
The next morning David Perry (Pap) from Tallmansville, WV tagged a nice 7 point, 17 2/8" 139# buck. Pap had come to the Lodge as a new guest and had a plan. He wanted to tag a 10 point buck, however, he went with this buck, well because, take a look at those G3s, pretty long. While at the Lodge Pap did something he has never done in his 80 years of life. He tagged 2 does. He had me fooled one evening, he came over to chat with me and said," I did something today I have never done!" with a little sob. I was really concerned, he continued " I shot the first doe of my life." as he pulled out a tissue. I felt so bad for him, then he put the tissue away and told me he was pulling my leg, only about the tears though. It truly was the first doe he ever harvested and decided this time to help out with the TX deer management. Thanks Pap!
As the wind persisted through the evening Patrick Florence of Twin Falls, ID gets the award for most points on this hunt. This was a super cool buck, a real compact, heavy, mature buck with 13 points, and a double eye guard. This is the second year Pat has joined us with his wife Wendy. Pat is a butcher, Wendy is a barber; we have a bet who would win in a knife fight. Pat was so gracious and brought us some great bacon and sausage from his pork processing plant. Thank you!
The following morning Mark Chapman from Ona, WV bagged A fantastic, symmetrical, 8 point buck that was 15 4/8" and weighed 140#s. Mark has been to the Lodge many times with his son Theron, it's such a pleasure to see families making memories and spending time together. While in camp Mark and Therons guide, Mike Thompson, brought out a 460 Smith & Wesson Magnum pistol. We headed over to the shooting range to give it a go. Now this is a very heavy pistol, I believe it weighs about 8lbs. Theron was the first up to shoot, and I was so sure that thing was going to kick like a mule, but it really didn't and then Mark took a try and it seemed relatively easy to shoot. So I gave it a whirl and it wasn't that bad.
The same morning hunt Sheldon Perry of Frenchcreek, WV tagged the widest and heaviest weight buck. At 19.5" wide with 11 points and weighing in at 165# this was an absolutely gorgeous buck. Sheldon hunted with us for the first time last season, he must have enjoyed himself, he returned this year with his Dad David "Pap", brother Bradley, and son Robert. As I said above, it really is something special when families join us. Three generations with this group. Sheldon also tagged 3 doe.
The last evening hunt had arrived, Dude Phelan from Ocala, FL harvested his buck. Sometimes you never know what's going to happen in the blind. On this particular evening Dude and his guide arrived at the blind did the normal thing; drove down to the blind, through a little extra corn, got back in the truck dove up to the blind, unloaded his gear and climbed in. Dude sits down in the chair and cracks the window, there at the blind is a real nice buck. Literally he hadn't even been there for 3 minutes, hadn't loaded his rifle, and got situated at all. What to do, he closed the window and commenced to load his rifle very quietly. Dude was thinking there's no way the buck will even still be out there. Sure enough once he got the window stealthy opened back up the buck was STILL there. Dude made it back to camp before the feeder ever went off. The buck was 19", 8pnt, and 130#s. Dude also tagged 2 doe.
The final morning hunt was upon us and one hunter had yet to fill their tag. But alas Wendy Florence of Twin Falls, ID put a tag on a super buck. This felt like daja'vu. Last year Wendy was the final shooter as well. Sometimes you just have to wait for the butter to melt to be satisfied. In Wendy's picture you'll notice she has a twig stuck in her hat, i asked if she wanted to me to take it out. She told me she had put it there for a reason, so of course I was curious and asked. This is what she told me: It's a German ritual called Waidmannsheil. After ethically hunting and killing an animal you take two twigs and touch them to the killing wound and then put one twig into the animals mouth to signify their last bite to wherever they go. The guide would then take off their hat and lay the twig on it as he approaches the hunter and says "Waidmannsheil" ( meaning Hail to the Hunter) The hunter also removes their hat and receives the twig and replies "Waidmannsdank" (meaning thank you) Then you shake hands or hug and place the twig in your hat. So know we all know the meaning, thanks Wendy. Wendy's buck was 17", 8pnt, and 129#
Total Game Harvested: 10 bucks, 20 doe, 1 Javelina
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