Hot Rod Jr. by Eddy Chance
By Clayshooter55Well I finally got to go deer hunting this past weekend in Southwest Texas on a 14,000 acre ranch near Brackettville. I shot a cull buck that was 6 1/2 years old. My buddy, Mitch Krivokucha, took a 9 point buck after another buddy, Bruce Letbetter, and I had seen the buck at a stand we were hunting in.
We radioed Mitch and he drove over three miles from where he was hunting since it was his last chance at a buck this season. As he got within about a 1000 yards we heard his truck and the sound of rocks clinking against each other. At that time the deer jumped out of the feeder pen and ran off. We told Mitch to come on and hopefully the deer would return. As it happened he did. We were in a high rack rig and we were 200 yards from the feeder pen. Due to the distance Mitch asked it he could my 30-06 since he shoots a 270 and he had just changed to a different load. He took the shot and the buck ran 25 yards and piled up. It was an exciting hunt to say the least.
Bruce and I bow hunted several days trying to take a spike that was hanging around a feeder. We saw lots of nice bucks the first morning and finally the spike came in. He was only inches from the shooting lane when he turned and left the area. The other deer were still eating in the feeder pen. This was repeated the very next day as well. We finally decided to try rifle hunting for several other culls that had been spotted on the ranch. We were unable to find a cull until another member of the lease missed the deer they called Hot Rod Junior (due to his horns looking just like a deer Bruce killed during bow season called Hot Rod because his horns looked like flames on an old hot rod).
Bruce and I took Mitch’s new high rack rig to a blind that Bruce hadn’t been to in the dark so we had to drive up to the feeder then back up. We backed up until I could see under the feeder. It was dark so it was hard to tell how far we were from the feeder pen. When it got a little lighter we checked the distance and we were only 90 yards from the feeder which was way too close. But it was too late to move. Within a few minutes Bruce spotted a buck in the feeding pin. It wasn’t Hot Rod Jr.
I told Bruce I heard something walking close to us on the right of the high rack. Bruce spotted Hot Rod Jr. crossing the road about 40 yard in front of the high rack. He jumped into the feeder pen and Bruce told me to get ready. The new rack was too high for the chairs that we were using so instead of sitting I had to crouch over the front shooting platform. Bruce told me that the other deer had spotted my movement and that Hot Rod Jr. had jumped out of the pen. However, I saw him jump back in and he was standing under the feeder.
The other buck had spotted me and it looked like Hot Rod Jr. was getting ready to bolt. He took a step to the right and I fired. After recovering from the recoil I realized that the scope that hit my forehead due to the position I was in. I now have blood running down my face from the large cut from the rifle scope. The cut was not too bad but I will have a small scar to remember the hunt with.
It’s nice to have a friend that knows how much you love to hunt and takes you hunting and shares their lease with you.
