Y.O. Blackbuck Hunt by Eddy Chance

My good buddy, Mr. Charles Batts, invited me to the legendary Y.O. Ranch for an exotic hunt thispast weekend (6/2/06 – 6/3/06).  Derrich Pollock and his two boys came along looking for a trophy as well and/or, any wild hogs that may shown up.

Derrich dispatched one hog early Saturday morning but they never saw any trophies.  I was fortunate enough to have a professional guide – Mr. Charles Batts.  He has been a property owner on the Y.O. for over 20 years. We stopped along the way to the ranch and picked up his secrete weapon – very green alfalfa hay.  We set out the hay Friday evening but it was very hot and the animals were just not moving very much.  Friday night I grilled steaks and corn on the cob still in the husk on an open fire.  It was the first time Derrich and his Boys had had corn cooked in this way.  They were amazed at how good the flavor of the corn was after I shucked the husk and coated it with salt, butter, and a little pepper.  By cooking it this way all of the flavor is locked into the corn and it is delicious.

We got up bright and early Saturday morning and headed out to the stand for another hunt. The morning started off slow but just around daylight a small axis buck came into the area.  Later on two grey foxes came right in front of the stand.  At around 7:30 AM several whitetail deer and a fallow buck in velvet came into the feeder area.  At approximately 8:30 AM Charles decided to head back to camp.  He set the feeder off on his way out of the area.  He decided to let me sit in the stand until he came back from picking Derrich and his boys up from their stands on another part of the property.  He told me to keep my eyes pealed for a large Black Buck that he has seen in the area.  He wasn’t gone five minutes when the Black Buck popped out about 85 yards away.  Charles warned me that they usually don’t hang around long so I glassed him to make sure he was one of the Black Bucks he had described as a trophy.  It didn’t take long to decide that this was a trophy.  I leveled off with my customized Browning A-Bolt .30-06 and squeezed the trigger.  He dropped in his tracks.  It was a great hunt and a great time spent with great friends.