Once again the Double Rifle Shooters Society (DRSS) found itself at the 4K Ranch, Brady, Texas over the June 15 to 18, 2007 weekend. DRSS members from Africa, Alaska, Louisiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Michigan, Texas and parts in between arrived into camp on Friday afternoon for introductions and socialization. Brad Woodard, Wildlife Manager for the 4K Ranch, met the group on Friday afternoon and introduced the guides and went over the rules for the camp and the schedule for the next few days. Matthew McWilliams returned to guide the group and Bob from West Texas came in to help with the logistics of moving hunters around the 50,000 acre property.

The was the second time in a row that the DRSS hunted at the 4K Ranch and the accommodations and hunting was better than ever. The group decided early on to again hire the camp cook, Charlotte, to provide all of the meals for the group while in camp, and I will personally attest to the fact that she out did herself as usual! Our guide Matthew caught a few hogs earlier in the week and donated the meat to the group for a feast of Mesquite smoked wild hog on Friday evening. Charlotte out did herself with all of the food, but the side dish I loved the best was the yellow squash!

The group slowly trickled into camp throughout the day on Friday, so no shooting or hunting was scheduled. The group got to know the new attendees and catch up with old friends. The weather was warm, but there were cool winds throughout the area which made the time outside pleasant. This part of Texas has had an unusual high rainfall recently and everything was lush and green. However, this also meant that the bugs were bad and the snakes were out.

After socialize on Friday, the group retired to their bunks late in the evening and the plan was to be up by 3:30 AM for a quick bite to eat before heading out to the 50,000 continuous acre ranch for the morning hunt. (The area where the group stayed was on a separate 1500 acre plot of land where the exotics were kept.) Group members were placed in stands throughout the area and a number of guys harvested hogs in the morning. This was due, in large part, to the pre-arrival preparation Brad and the guides did before the group arrived.

After returning to camp late Saturday morning, the hogs were unloaded and thrown into the large walk-in cooler. Lunch was served (Spaghetti with a hearty meat sauce) and the group cooled off, re-hydrated and filled their bellies. After a short period, the group walked to the areas about 100 yards to the side of the main lodge to do some shooting. Eduard “Katte†Katzke, a PH from South Africa, again attended the hunt and brought with him a number of large animal targets. As he did in January 2007, Katte put the group through some active shooting scenarios, having the attendees shooting and reloading while moving towards targets. As what I think has become an unoffical tradition for DRSS shoots, myself, with the largest DR in the group, a .577 NE 3" shot first. This shooting was a lot more enjoyable than just killing plain targets in my opinion!

After shooting for two hours, the group returned to the lodge and relaxed before dinner – some lovely smoked beef brisket with sides! That evening, the plan was for the group to head out to the big ranch around 6:00 for an evening hunt.

I hunted with Brad, J D, Antlers, Doc52 and new_guy. I was the first one to get dropped off that evening. Brad had me in an elevated stand above the Brady River directly looking over a watering hole at my 12 o’clock position approximately 50 to 60 meters away; to my right, at my 3 o’clock position was a protein feeder set approximately 70 to 80 meters away. I had just sold my .500 NE 3†Merkel a few weeks before and did not have a new double at the time. (I’m currently in the market for a used British gun!) During the January 2007 DRSS hunt at the 4K Ranch, I hunted with the .577 NE 3†by B. Searcy & Co. that my father and I purchased together. Since I already harvested a hog with that rifle, it was my old man’s turn – so he hunted with it that evening. I had to make due with a Winchester Model 70 Super Express in .375 H&H Magnum with a Swarovski 3-10X scope.

After getting into my elevated blind (approximately 8 feet off the ground), Brad laid some additional corn around and departed with the rest of the guys to set them up. Once in the blind, the first thing I noticed was the amount of spider webs. I’m not afraid of spiders (and while walking to the blind I did see a nice fat Tarantula walking out of my path), but I did find two juicy Black Widow spiders in the blind with me. One in the top corner of the blind by my head and the other along the floor in the corner. Some fast blade work with my knife ended any chances of them messing with me during the remainder of the evening.

After about 10 minutes of sitting in the blind I saw my first hog. Well, I should say my first three hogs. These were little guys – probably in the 50 to 70 lb range so I nicknamed them the “Three little pigs.†They arrived into my area around 7:30 PM. Shortly thereafter a larger sow came into the area and started feeding. She was noticeably larger than the Three little pigs. Around 8:00 PM I decided to harvest here, telling myself that I flew all the way to Texas from Virginia, I’m at least harvesting one hog during this trip! So I shot her a few minutes after 8:00 PM with a perfectly placed shot from my .375 H&H. I was shooting 260 grain Vital Shock bullets. She dropped where she was, kicked for a few seconds and expired. The other hogs just stood there.

By this time the thunder storms arrived into the area and it rained buckets for about 20 minutes. While this happened, around 8:10, two more hogs came into the protein feeder area. One solid black boar and one black and white boar. They were both roughly the same size, but the black and white one had larger bumps on his snout where his teeth were. Also, he was an Alpha male, pushing the other hogs around. I told myself that if he was still there around 8:40 I would shoot him.

Between 8:10 and 8:40 more and more hogs came into the area I was hunting. The three little pigs moved over to the water hole and were joined by a few other hogs about the same size as the sow I shot earlier. Also, two other hogs were feeding outside of the protein feeder fence, with the two larger hogs still in the feeder fence.

At 8:40 I shot the black and white boar in the protein feeder area. He dropped where he was standing and was squealing and kicking. To make sure he was anchored I hit him with a second shot and he didn’t flinch. The second hog in the feed just stood there and, after a minute, continued to feed.

During this weekend, the ranch gave each attendee three hogs to shoot. Since I already had two on the ground, I decided not to shoot another one so I could save it for Sunday’s hunt. (I could have shot as many hogs as I wanted for $50 per additional hog.)

By 9:00 PM it was starting to get dark. The rain stopped and I was sitting in the blind watching the protein feeder when I saw the biggest hog I had ever seen in the wild. He entered the clearing near the feeder from the right and started to walk towards the blind. His head was down and I could tell he was about twice the size of the larger of the two hogs I had already shot. Also, when he was walking towards me I could see that he had larger bumps on the sides of his mouth. This was a big hog that shouldn’t be passed on!

He jumped over the fence and got into the protein feeder with the one dead hog and the other hog that was still in the fenced area from the time I shot the second hog. Seeing them next to each other confirmed that this last hog was indeed a big SOB. So I lined up my shot and when he presented a good side view, I hit him behind the front shoulder. He dropped in his tracks and was kicking and squealing so I hit him with a second shot which ended his movements immediately.

When Brad arrived back at my location with Antler, J D and new_guy, everyone helped loading the hogs into the truck. When Brad was grabbing the hind leg of the largest hog, he noticed a scorpion on its rear leg. Nice. Within the past three hours, I saw a tarantula, two black window spiders and now a scorpion. The only think left is a rattlesnake.

We picked up Doc52 who also harvested a hog that night and returned to the ranch where we unloaded the hogs.

During the January 2007 DRSS hunt at 4 K, Mississippian harvest the than largest hog - a 289 lbs boar. Tonight we placed my hog on the scales and it bottomed out the scale - we estimated it to weight anywhere between 315 to 320 lbs!

Here are some photos of the hog. The first one is me with it:



The second one is Brad, the head guide, with it. Look at the size of the head and body!



This photo shows some of the other hogs harvested on Saturday evening:



I have more to write, but I am just out of time right now. I will finish the recap tomorrow.

Lets see a photo of that little squirt. I like to know who Im working for.

PAUL, MANY THANKS FOR CO-ORDINATING THE EVENT. IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL.

I SEEM TO BE AT ODDS WITH THE GODDESS OF AIRLINES. I SPENT MONDAY NIGHT SLEEPING IN THE ATLANT AIRPORT . MORE ON THAT DEAL LATER.

PLS KEEP MY NAME ON THE LIST FOR THE JAN DRSS HUNT

THANKS, TOM ONDRUS

Bill:

Here's our boss, at Disney MGM studios last month:

Nice pics and sounds like a very successful event. Looking forward to the rest of the story.

Paul,
that cutie looks like his papa,except he's more handsome!

Here's a better photo Paul.

A fun trip and great bunch of fellows to share a campfire with. The shooting was pretty damn impressive too. Thanks Paul for serving as the master of ceremonies.

That's a good recap. Nice trophies. That little dude looked like you distracted him from jumping into the water.

577,

Congrats on the nice hog! I plan to return in Jan 08 to regain the title!

Kelly,
You hope!

Kelly,
missed you buddy,better be there next time!

Well, gentlemen, this year's DRSS get together/boar hunt, was a resounding success! Mr. Murphy did play with us some, but we simply shot him, and moved on! I drove down to 4K ranch at Brady Texas in a down pour that made seeing the road almost imposible, but knowing the way I just flew on insterments, and found the lodge. I was the first one there, because I only had to drive from Brownwood, which is only 49 miles away.

Everyone got there a little late because of the rain, but all were there for dinner Friday night. Dinner, drinks, and introductions, of new guys, and greatings of the older ones.

Saturday morning at 4:AM we left the lodge for the hunting area, and shortly after day light things started moveing, and I only saw one boar, and some deer, didn't shoot. There were some hogs killed on that first morning, but I'll let them tell you the particulars.

Back in camp for some lunch, and some paper punching on an African course of fire, had fun, even in the heat, and humidity. Had several day shooters, and everyone got to shoot all the double rifle they could stand. FUN!

Back to the hunting by about 6;PM, and shortly after I was dropped off, the bottom fell out of the clouds, and the dirt tank I was sittin by rose 4 feet in less than a hour, saw seven pigs, but could only see them as shadows in the rain, so didn't shoot again, for fear of wounding and looseing them. In that rain, tracking them would have been imposible. One of the guys s in my group MJines got a pig, and had to swim in a pond to keep the pig from sinking. 577Nitro shot 3 hogs, one that was over 300 lbs.

Only two people hunted Sunday Morning, and DUGABOY did a double tapp, two shots, two hogs!
We were invited to Monty Kalogeras' SAFARI SHOOTING SCHOOLabout 30 miles away, for some shooting on his walkabout targets, and chargeing Buffalo targets. That was a fun trip as well, and Katte donated an African hunt, that was drawn by BobC, the lucky bum! Again we were treated to a sudden down pour, about the time we had to leave for the 4K, for early dinner, and to hit the hunting again. Only seven hunters went out, and we popped six hogs, I got two, and JD got two, There were two more with rifles, and one with a knife, by Katte!

Of course I'm the oldest one in these hunts, and my memory ain't whot it us-tah-be , so there may be some time lines I've sataed wrong, but anyway we had a ball, and I'm loading now for another hunt next week! Guess I didn't get anough!

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
A fun trip and great bunch of fellows to share a campfire with. The shooting was pretty damn impressive too.

I have consulted the double gods, and the reason for the unbelievable downpour (an inch every 15 minutes) was due to the sacriledge committed by putting the fore end of a double in the sticks where the forehand should have been.

If that happens again, the perpetrator will be struck by lightning...

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Manion:

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
A fun trip and great bunch of fellows to share a campfire with. The shooting was pretty damn impressive too.

I have consulted the double gods, and the reason for the unbelievable downpour (an inch every 15 minutes) was due to the sacriledge committed by putting the fore end of a double in the sticks where the forehand should have been.

If that happens again, the perpetrator will be struck by lightning...

All,
I had a great time this past weekend, I was able to get together with old friends, and make some new ones! Saturday night was my fist hunt. I was dropped off after my Son, and settled in with the 577NE. The first thing that entered my mind, was how the hell was I gonna shoot this thing out the little windows! Like Mac stated, the rain came down hard for about a half an hour, and I was watching the deer feeding. When I looked to my right, I saw a good sized hog, standing to my right. I watched him for a short time in the down pour, and decided to wait till the rain stopped. When it stopped raining, 5 little pigs came down the path with momma at the rear, joining the boar that I saw first! with the little ones milling about ,I just sat there and waited. I kept watching them, hoping they would get from behind the old boy so that I could get a shot. They finally cleared from behind the old boy, and, like an contorsionist, I was able to get the 577's sights on him! Let me say that the position that I was in was not the best, but I managed to get a nice shot off, and as they say, the rest is history! I ended up with a jambed wrist, but I got my Hog! I had a great time with everyone! I hope to see everyone at the next DRSS shoot!

What a great time, It was so nice to meet you guys. As a newbe to doubles you guys put up with all my question,and made me feel at home, and were real gentlemen about it. Thanks to 577 and new guy for makeing things run so smooth, and to Katte and Monty for the good shooting. The ranch staff was great, what a ranch. It was worth the 12 hour drive 2X over.
Next year I am wearing bush pants. I got into some stinging grass of some sort. It did not hurt that bad while I was out there. Each sting has developed into a small boil and itches like hell. It was a tall leafy plant with sharp leaves but would also sting? Any body know what this was?

JD

quote:

Originally posted by J D:

Next year I am wearing bush pants. I got into some stinging grass of some sort. It did not hurt that bad while I was out there. Each sting has developed into a small boil and itches like hell. It was a tall leafy plant with sharp leaves but would also sting? Any body know what this was?

JD

What you got, JD was CHIGGERS! Those little bastards inject a massive amount of acid to break down the tissue, Then take a microscopic mouth full, and drop off, but the acid continues to eat your flesh!

They will quit itching in a few days! The Chiggers stay on the weeds, and are almost microscopic, and if they were as big as a cricket, they would kill a platoon of soldiers with the poison from one bite! And everyone was worried about rattle snakes!

Welcome to South Central Texas!

I kill bugs for a living, you would think they would stay clear of me. I just don't get any respect any more!I have had chiggers before on my ankles, these were stings behind my knee.
The bites do look just like chiggers.Thanks Mac.

What are you going to hunt?

JD

Could of been worse, as in fire ants.

Keith

quote:

Originally posted by J D:
Next year I am wearing bush pants. I got into some stinging grass of some sort. It did not hurt that bad while I was out there. Each sting has developed into a small boil and itches like hell. It was a tall leafy plant with sharp leaves but would also sting? Any body know what this was?

JD

quote:

What you got, JD was CHIGGERS! Those little bastards inject a massive amount of acid to break down the tissue, Then take a microscopic mouth full, and drop off, but the acid continues to eat your flesh!

They will quit itching in a few days! The Chiggers stay on the weeds, and are almost microscopic, and if they were as big as a cricket, they would kill a platoon of soldiers with the poison from one bite! And everyone was worried about rattle snakes!

Gentlemen, gentlemen...

Being a man educated in the finer things of the Southern outposts, the correct term is not "chiggers". They are the blight of which JD complains, but let us not use such an offensive term to describe them. As an old SF Master SGT told me as a pup in the Army, the correct term is not chigger. They are red, not black. And they get imbedded around your butt.

Thus, instead of "chigger", the proper term is "Congressman"....

quote:

Kelly,
You hope!

Sorry Mr. Hawk but someone has to step forward and try to break the "ball breakers" balls!

Just picking at ya Paul, Nice Hog! and cute kid!!


Im glad everyone had a good time! Hope to see yall Jan 08!

Bal, next meeting I will bring some farm raised catfish for the 3am hot sause cook off!

As for the chiggers, a little rubbing alcohol around the ankles, waist,neck and wrist always worked when we would pick black berries as a kid
in TN. Maybe it will work on the TX chiggers?

Well, I got the same itches on the ankles, as well as a few chiggers. There is some kind of stinging nettle that did the trick on the ankles. Thanks god it doesn't spread like poison ivy.

Well, the cat's out of the bag about the door prize. So when is the DRSS going to get really serious about door prizes and offer a free hunt for guaranteed 80 lb plus ivory?

I was the incredibly lucky winner of a 5 day, 3 animal hunt with Katzke Safaris of South Africa. I need to thank, in addition to Katte and the organizers of this weekends hunt, Monte Kalogeras. He sold me my Hollis 450-400 a year ago and then picked my name out of the hat at his shooting school on Sunday. I need to let him pick my lottery numbers next!

Through Katte's incredibly generous offer, I won a 5 day everything except airfare and upgrade trip for me and observer to Katte's 20,000+ acre operation in the Northern Cape. I'll be working with Katte on the details in the month to come. The only stipulation is that it be a big bore hunt, so the Hollis is going plains game hunting.

I'll keep ya'll posted as I work out the details.

Bob

Great Thread.

JD,
You don't have chiggers, you got into the stinging nettle that was in the field we shot in on saturday. I got a little taste but once I saw it I steered clear. It was a great time even if the bugs and heat were bad. When we get around to the January hunt I should be able to bring all the meat we will need for camp as I am adding a deer and hog processing building next to the gun shop.

This was my first DRSS shoot/hunt and it was a great time. I've been in the market for a double for a while now and folks on the forum kept suggesting that I go to a shoot and handle a bunch of doubles before deciding - so that's what I did.

To be honest, I was a little surprised at how open, friendly, and generous everyone was. Katte and I arrived the same evening at DFW, stayed at that same hotel, and had a pleasant dinner. We met up with several of the guys at DFW the next morning and headed to Brady. I enjoyed picking Katte's brain about safaris the whole way. A true gentleman.

I didn't bring a rifle since I don't own a double, but thanks to New_Guy's generousity, I got to hunt with a Heym 375 rimless. I only hunted one evening and was able to take my first critters with a double (and first hogs with any rifle).

I hunted in a makeshift ground-blind overlooking a waterhole and pear flat. After a little while there were deer all over the place - I saw somewhere around 20 deer (7 racked bucks). I sat thru the 20 minute frog-choking thunderstorm the guys above described. My biggest challenge was trying to keep the rifle dry.

Finally about 8pm, I saw a hog running into the waterhole. It looked pretty big (having never hunted pigs I didn't really have a frame of reference) and it was by itself so I thought it was probably a boar. After 5 minutes or so, it turned broadside at about 50yds. I had a good rest so I let fly. At the shot the hog showed no signs of being hit (hit it high and a little back), but bolted and got a patch of trees on me. But since I was shootig a double, I just stayed on the sights and tracked it thru the cover. When it cleared the cover it turned directly away from me and was running wide open. When I finally got the sights on his backside, I touched off the rear trigger and spined him at about 125yds. These things make alot of noise when you spine 'em. It was a boar that the guides said weighed a little over 200lbs - didn't look that big to me, but what do I know.

On my way back to the blind after finishing him, the deer were making their way back into the pear flat. About 9pm a little smaller hog came into the waterhole and I waited until what I thought was last light to shoot that one - hoping a XL might show up. Again the pig was broadside at about 50yds. At the shot the hog collapsed, but quickly jumped up and went into the pond squeeling. I didn't shoot again hoping it would make it to my side of the pond and I wouldn't have to go in after it. It eventually died next to the edge and I could reach it easily. Three shots all hits and 2 hogs down.

The shooting was F-U-N and everyone offered to let me shoot their toys. I particularly enjoyed shooting 577 & Doc52's Searcy 577NE. Monty's shoot Sunday was a blast and I will probably talk some friends into going to his safari shooting school before too long. Overall, the shoot/hunt was a kick. Good food (thanks to Charlotte; the squash was my favorite too), good folks, and good fun. I will be back!