“No.” I said lightly yet firmly as a panting buck stood in front of me and my hunter at no more than 15 yards. My mind was racing and my eyes were straining trying to age and judge this buck knowing he was only going to give us a few seconds. “Okay, shoot.” I quickly sized up the deer and was determined to let my hunter take him. At that time the deer whirled around and disappeared into the brush like a phantom and we never got the shot off. The wind was filtering through the brush from the north that morning and a low blanket of clouds kept the sun from baking the landscape. My hunter and I were walking and rattling and the bucks were really coming in. I have been near 100% on luring in a buck with rattling horns this past two weeks. There is nothing more thrilling than having a big mature deer come in to the sound of a mock battle. When you are successful with rattling, most of the encounters with bucks will be about 50 yards or less. It is rare to be that close to a huge whitetail in the wild. Big mature bucks are like good women. There are a lot of different kinds of them out there, and it is tough to find the right one. However, when you do get up close and personal with the one of your dreams, you forget about everything and you act really goofy. Yesterday evening we finished up a great management hunt. My hunter and I made a great stalk on a buck. He rested his gun on an rickety ol’ mesquite limb and pulled off of good shot. This last management buck of the season was a 21 ½ inch wide 10 point with short G4s and long, heavy beams. That shot on that buck ended our season of buck hunting and we were 100% successful on all of our management and trophy hunts in ’07-‘08. The hunters left this morning back to Michigan with great hunting memories. Now it is time for quail hunting and more good times with happy hunters. As outfitters, my dad and I are very proud to know and say that every hunter got a really nice buck this season. That is, everybody except me…I guess I will get out there and see if I can find a muy grande the next couple days. Maybe I can get lucky.
A few more days of deer season is ahead of us this January. It seems as if opening weekend of deer season back in November was just yesterday. Soon the hunting will be over and I will ease out of the front gate, and get back into the boat to start up my fishing season. The smell of salt air, sunrises over the sand dunes, redfish schools and big cheeseburgers with a cold one at Wahoo’s Saloon on the Island are near. I know all good things must come to an end, and time flies when you are having fun. However, if you slow down sometimes and just soak it all in, you realize that you are surrounded by caring people. I am thankful for my pastimes and my career, but mostly for my family and friends that make every thing I work for have meaning. Thank you friends…
The Good Ol’ Days are Now… CAPT. TODD CASEY
SOUTH TEXAS CHARTERS
956.371.3465
www.spifishing.com
www.southtxhunts.com
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