On the 28th I went around an collected the memory cards from the game cameras and I found some very interesting, almost astounding, “shots”.  It seems that not only did I get some “shots” of hogs, but also some of turkeys!

First the hogs came, on the 24th the black one that I’ve seen before brought 2 of his friends then they came back on the 26th.  Remember in my last post I was sweating as I waited out the hogs, but they never came.
     
Then a Rio Grande turkey showed up leaving the water trough.  That’s not too unusual, but this late in the year it’s strange because most of the time they’ve already moved down towards the Colorado River.  The hens raise their young around here then go on down toward the river, but two mornings, yes mornings because the time is shown wrong on the “shot” and I can tell by the shadows it’s morning, two mornings later the hen brought her whole brood up for a drink.
    
We’ve seen this brood before, several times before when they were about half the size they are now.  It is said that turkey hens will come back to where they were raised to, in turn, raise their chicks.  If so, that means for a couple of years we should have some good turkey hunting!

Sometimes I get some real good “shots” of the wild game that comes into the feeders and the water trough.  This “shot” shows the “Lop Sided Buck”, see my post of [August 17, 2012] that describes just how this buck got lopsided.  Here he’s running off some competitors, younger deer, at a feeder and he’s pretty serious!

There’s a first time for everything and this “shot” shows a young coon ambling off and a skunk getting water, this is a first for a skunk getting water.  The coon better hurry or else it’ll get a good stinking.

The first time the hog, a black one, showed, August 27, 2012, it was just scouting and didn’t come into the feeder enclosure.  Then, a 2 tone, hog showed up on September 18th and “my” black one actually came into the feeder enclosure on the 20th.  Still, I haven’t come across a “shot” at the water trough, but maybe I’ll get a real shot at him soon!
     
Then on September 20th, the doe on the right, obviously the dominant doe, is plum serious about something and it looks like the one on the left is “cowed” by her, since her ears are back.

Two “shots” of a neat occurrence, on one the fox squirrel has taken off from the safety of the feeder post and is “flying” through the air and on the other one it’s head first for some corn.  These squirrels are small and not the flying (better said, “Gliding variety”) variety, but their antics around the feeder are neat!

The feeders attract some different animals, hogs, rabbits, bobcats, chupacabras (seen only in Texas), and various, other ilk.  The water trough draws animals, birds, snakes and of course chupacabras (seen only in Texas).  However, we’re too far north of the border to see any illegals, but I’ve seen game cam “shots” of them standing around a water trough and I’ve seen “shots” of mountain lions and javelinas.

Driving down to San Saba for some dove hunting last year, on the afternoon of September 1st, I did see a mountain lion chasing a herd of deer running across State Highway 16.  This is the Texas Forts Trail and I reported it to our local game warden, he said that he’d seen tracks and deer kills too, but never a mountain lion in Mills County.

Early in the morning of September 14th a young buck, a 5 pointer, was browsing in the feeder pen and a cottontail rabbit sauntered in, the game cam got them both.  This buck only shows 3 points, but he has 2 on the other side and he has no brow tines, he’s only 2-1/2 so he’ll fill out and be a nice one.

Then at almost straight up midnight on the 17th, a bobcat was caught on the game cam, its short tail is apparent.  Around the water trough, 3 weeks ago, one of the “Comedy Crew”, a young coon, fell victim to a furry predator, all that was left were bones, but I identified it by the skull.

Early in the morning of the 18th a hog, the second one I’ve seen on my ranch showed up.  Recently I’ve also seen hog sign, rootings around the water trough.  This one comes by the feeders and I haven’t got a “shot” of it yet by the water trough.

Now for a “shot” of a chupacabra (seen only in Texas)!

This past week the corner feeder was a hotbed of buck activity.  The young 8 pointer has all of the velvet off his horns and he will be a magnificent buck, if he gets through this season and that’s a big if!  I know that I’ll not shoot him.
    
But on September 12th a new buck showed up, a big one, a nice 7 or 8 pointer, I imagine he broke one off, but it’s sure early for them to be fighting.  He’s probably 4-1/2 years old, a little bigger body and good wide horns!  It’s a shame he broke a tine off!  You can see the lump on his right horn in the pictures below.
    
Here’s a picture of both big ones, the lead buck is a little bigger and both of them are pushing a 20 inch spread.

Just think, only 45 more days until the rifle season opens!

Starting things off last month, on August 30th, this “shot” of a fine young, 2-12 year old, buck.  Right now he doesn’t have any brow tines, but he’s got good form to his rack, the brow tines will come.

Now for the big ones!  Just before sun up on the 30th, this young buck, 3-1/2 years old, he’ll be real good next year when he grows some more.  This buck stays around the feeders now, but by next year, we won’t get as many “shots” of him.

Early in the morning, 3:00 AM on the 30th, this nice 8 pointer was leaving after getting water.  He’s well outside his ears, looks to be 5 or 6 and he’ll be quite shootable in the fall!

Then at 3:40 AM the same morning this better 8 pointer showed up, he’s 4 on one side, I imagine he’s 4 on the other, has long brow tines and is very healthy!

Then after 1:00 AM on September 7th, this partial “shot” of a very good 8, I imagine, was taken.  His particulars, size, age and health are unknown, but from the “shot” he’s way outside his ears and has long brow tines!

Dove hunting, better called, dove shooting (at) wasn’t very productive!  The birds were flying high, the conditions were hot and windy and to top it off, I couldn’t get comfortable with my new shotgun, but at least, I was hunting something!  Maybe it’ll get better today?

The real story begins with the young 8 pointer chasing a fawn off from the feeder obviously he wanted to enjoy the corn and protein pellets all to himself.  I wonder if this is the same one that he bit last week?

Then the plot thickens a new big buck shows up at the feeder.  This must be one of the three that my neighbor, Lester, told me about last week.  He said the bucks were the biggest he’d seen since he bought this place 20 years ago and that they were huge!  This one qualifies as huge too!  The younger 8, hasn’t seen the big one yet and keeps on feeding.

In this “shot” the smaller 8, sees the bigger one and definitely he appears to be “cowed” by the bigger bucks presence.

Now, after the big buck has eaten his fill and as he leaves, he’s had the feeder all to himself!  Wow, what a buck!

Starting today’s post off with a young deer that hasn’t show up before.  The young buck doesn’t have any brow tines, but he has good genes, he’s only 2-1/2, so give him 2 more years.

Meep, meep, it’s the roadrunner again getting a drink.  We had rain showers last Monday .4 inches so it has cooled off considerably, the temp was “only” 87, but the humidity was over 80.  Digressing, being from the Houston area and living in Galveston for 6 years, here in Goldthwaite we haven’t had a 90 square day, that’s a day when the temp and humidity are both over 90, since I’ve retired up here.

The young 5 pointer we’ve seen before, a young one, 1-1/2 years old is seen with 2 doe, one’s his sister, but she’ll run him off when she goes into estrus.  Colton took their mom last year.
    
Next, ever seen a deer biting another?  Here’s a “shot” of the very thing.  This buck, a 3-1/2 year old, 8 pointer, is obviously saying to the fawn, “Stay away when I’m eating.”

Here’s the spike that I took a pic of last week, only he’s with 8 other doe and fawns, this qualifies as a herd of deer, also, the batteries ran out on the game cam and I didn’t know I had to reset the date!

The weather, although hot, is not as hot as the past few weeks; we’ve had showers as the small front came through, now we’re in the mid 90’s rather than the mid 100’s of late July and early August.  The cool weather really brought out the deer and over the past few days I’ve been able to take some photos of a lot of doe and their fawns.

This first picture is of 2 young deer, doe and buck, he’s only a spike now, but they are brother and sister and have run together the past year, this year she’ll only let him run with her for a few more months, then he’ll be dumped!  The fawn shown is not hers, she hasn’t dropped one yet, it’ll be around September 1st.

More deer photos:

This is a very “blah” time of the year, 10 more days and dove season opens, 25 more and early teal season opens, but nothing much is happening right now.  It rained last Thursday, we got a half-inch, then it rained Friday night and Goldthwaite’s football scrimmage against Sonora was a wet one, at the ranch we got .2 inch, so overall, we got .7 inches, not a drought breaker, but the rain was the “big deal” this past week!  Keep it coming Lord!

The batteries went out on the game cam at the water trough so not many “shots” there, but a “new” 6 pointer showed up, one of the doe was even looking him over.

The comedy crew made an appearance, 5 originally counting the mother, now only 3.

At the feeder Layla and turned on last Sunday, look closely and a fox is visible in the grass.

Then, at the feeder at MaMaw’s blind, these 2 doe appear to be sparring, but, I bet they’re trying to get at the corn.

This past Sunday afternoon, August 12th, Layla and I “turned on” another corn/protein feeder this one’s in a corner of the ranch and is the same one that Randy shot his big buck last December.  See my post on November 27th, [Deer Season (Perseverance)] and my post on November 29th, [Deer Season].  Both posts have some good pictures taken on the spot and tell the story of an overnight deer find.

The first deer to show up at this “new” feeder was this nice doe and this feeder will get a lot of deer traffic, because it’s about a half mile from the feeder at MaMaw’s blind.

Then, before light on Tuesday morning, this buck, with a damaged rack, showed up and, I bet, I know where he injured it.  Three weeks ago, coming home from San Saba, the night was cool(er) than the day, it was 105 that afternoon, and when I turned off on to the dirt road, two bucks ran in front of me.  Slamming on my brakes, one buck jumped the fence and the other slammed, bam, into the fence then backing up, jumped over it.  Thinking at the time, I bet the second buck hurt his antlers, this may be that buck?
     
Compared to a really good buck, this “shot” was taken on the 9th, it’s apparent that age, probably a 3 year old, versus a 4-1/2 and filled out size are the differences.