PDM 2024-2025 SEASON

[45MAN]

THE FALL SEASON (FIRST SATURDAY OF NOVEMBER TO THE LAST DAY OF FEBRUARY) AT PDM JUST STARTED. CAME UP THIS MORNING WITH MY BUDDY DENVER, WILL LEAVE AFTER TOMORROW MORNING's HUNT. LOTS OF RAIN = LOTS OF LUSH BRUSH AND THICK & TALL GRASS = HARD TO SEE MUCH, BUT THIS AFTERNOON I BLOODED MY SAVAGE 99-F IN 300 SAVAGE ON A SHE COYOTE. I WOULD GLADLY SHOOT COYOTES FOR FREE BUT WE GET A $150 BOUNTY FOR 'em.

I BOUGHT THE 99-F MANY YEARS AGO AND HAVE NEVER HUNTED WITH IT BUT ON ITS FIRST TRIP OUT IN THE BUSH (BY ME) AND IT GOT BLOODED. PICTURE TO FOLLOW.

[bigmuddy]

Congratulations Rey. Like you told me on the HHI site, “first blood” with any weapon is special.

Dan

[45MAN]

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[seminolewind]

Blooded indeed. That’s a good coyote and a handsome rifle.

[bigbrowndog]

Good shooting buddy, tell Denver hi for me
What happened with trying out the 405win.
Trapr

[45MAN]

Nov 6, 2024 21:14:37 GMT -5 bigbrowndog said:

Good shooting buddy, tell Denver hi for me
What happened with trying out the 405win.
Trapr

HAD AN INSPIRE IMPLANT IN MY RIGHT PECTORAL A COUPLE OF WEEKS BACK AND I DO NOT WANT TO USE A BIG KICKER FOR A WHILE AND THAT No. 1 405 KICKS LIKE A MULE.

[45MAN]

MORE BLOOD ON THE 99-F 300 SAVAGE


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GOT THIS GOOD SIZED BOAR, IN PRIME CONDITION, THIS MORNING (11/7/2024) WITH THE SAVAGE MODEL 99-F 300 SAVAGE. BECAUSE OF THE GRASS AND THE TERRAIN, I HAD TO STALK UP ON IT TO BE ABLE TO ID IT AS A HOG AND NOT A CALF, FORTUNEATELY THE WIND WAS IN OUR FACE. 70-75 YARD SHOT OFF HAND. HE FLOPPED SOME IN THE WATER (HE WAS IN SHALLOW WATER/MUD EATING SUCCULENT GREENERY) AND THEN LAID STILL. WE DROVE UP AS CLOSE AS WE COULD AND AS DENVER AND I APPROACED HIM ON FOOT HE GOT UP, BUT HE WAS NOT GOING ANYWHERE FAST NOR FAR, SO OUT COMES MY BOWEN 45 COLT ANACONDA BARRELED REDHAWK, LOADED WITH MY "S&W LOAD", AND THE ACCOUNT GOT SETTLED.

2 KILLS WITH THIS VINTAGE SAVAGE IN 2 DAYS, NOT A BAD WAY TO START THE SEASON. I HAD ESTEBAN, THE SKINNER, PULL THE BACKSTRAPS AND THE RIBS FOR ME AND TOLD HIM TO LET HANG IN THE WALKIN COOLER UNTIL I RETURN NEXT WEEK, THE REST OF THE MEAT I GAVE TO ESTEBAN. NEXT TUESDAY EVENING DENVER AND I MAY BE FEASTING ON GRILLED PORK RIBS.

[45MAN]

AFTER RECOVERING THE HOG AND GETTING BACK TO CAMP IT WAS TIME FOR A LATE MORNING BREAKFAST:


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I HAD 3 EGGS OVER EASY, PLENTY OF BACON, REFRIED BEANS, HOME MADE CORN TORTILLAS AND, OF COURSE, SOME HOME MADE SALSA ON THE EGGS AND BEANS. THEN IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME.

[brant]

Love me some home made tortillas! The rest looked good too!

[bigbrowndog]

Looks like that Savage is fitting you perfectly for a non-traditional lever action

Trapr

[45MAN]

BEFORE I SPOTED THE HOG WE SIGTED THIS NICE SIZED HERD OF ORYX:


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[sixshot]

Rey, maybe next week you'll be eating Oryx backstraps for breakfast, good luck buddy & keep the stories coming.

Dick

[45MAN]

DICK: WE DON'T GET AN ORYX IN OUR "TAGS", THIS YEAR WE GET: 1 TROPHY BUCK, 2 SPIKES, 1 DOE, 1 JAVELINA, 2 COW NILGAI, UNLIMITED HOGS AND COYOTES, AND LEGAL DAILY BAG LIMITS ON WATERFOWL AND MOURNING DOVES. THIS YEAR THERE IS LOTS OF WATER (PONDS) AND PLENTY OF DUCKS, AND USUALLY THERE ARE TONS OF DOVES IN THE WINTER SEASON. THIS YEAR THEY TOOK OUR TURKEY TAG AWAY AND 1 DOE TAG AWAY AND LIKE LAST YEAR NO QUAIL HUNTING.

THE OWNERS OWN ANOTHER RANCH ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY OVER IN HIDALGO COUNTY WHERE THEY HAVE LOTS OF GEMSBOK. SINCE I AM FLUSH WITH GUN CASH I AM THINKING OF BUYING A GEMSBOK HUNT BUT ONLY IF I CAN HANDGUN IT.

[45MAN]

DENVER AND I WENT TO PDM ON WEDNESDAY MORNING AND LEFT JUST BEFORE NOON ON THURSDAY, WE WERE LOOKING FOR SPIKES, HOGS AND COYOTES. WE DIDN'T FIND ANY BUT, AS WE DISCUSSED AS WE DROVE AROUND, ITS THE HUNTING, THE LOOKING, THE EXPECTATION, THE OUTDOORS, THE CAMP, etc. THAT KEEPS US "Hunting". 

WEDNESDAY, AT CAMP FOR LUNCH, WE MET A GUIDE I HAD NOT MET BEFORE AND HIS 2 SUCCESSFUL NILGAI BULL HUNTERS, WHO WERE ALL LEAVING AFTER LUNCH. ONE OF THE HUNTERS BUILDS RIFLES AS A SIDELINE AND WE GOT TO SEE HIS CUSTOM 35 WHELAN BUILT ON A PRE-64 WINCHESTER ACTION, WITH FANTASTIC WOOD AND AN OCTAGON BARREL THAT HE HAD MACHINED, INTEGRAL OCTAGON BARREL, INTEGRAL RIB, INTEGRAL FRONT AND REAR SIGHT BASES/SLOTS, AND INTEGRAL SLING SWIVEL STUD, AN EXQUISITE RIFLE.

A FELLOW LESSEE THAT I KNEW OF BUT HAD NEVER MET, AND A LIFE LONG FRIEND OF THE ONE OF THE OWNERS, ALSO GOT TO CAMP ON WEDNESDAY WITH 2 BUDDIES. THEY ARE FROM UPSTATE SO THE LESSEE ONLY COMES EVERY NOW AND THEN. THEY LIKE COOKING SO BETWEEN WHAT THEY BROUGHT AND MADE OR HAD MADE AND THE REGULAR CAMP FOOD, PLUS SOME RIBS OFF OF MY HOG FROM LAST WEEK, WE HAD QUITE A APREAD FOR SUPPER. HERE IS A PICTURE:

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IN THE DINING HALL AT CAMP ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, IN THE PICTURE ARE ONE OF THE OWNERS, THE LESSEE AND HIS 2 BUDDIES AND DENVER. IF YOU CAN ZOOM IN ON THE BUCK IN THE BACKGROUND (A STUD!). WAS A VERY GOOD EVENING WITH A BUNCH OF REALLY GREAT GUYS.

THURSDAY MORNING WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL, 61 degrees, LOW HUMIDITY, LIGHT NORTH WIND, JUST A FANTASTIC MORNING TO BE ALIVE AND OUT AND ABOUT. STARTED SEEING MORE DEER ACTIVITY TOO.

PLANNING TO GO BACK TO PDM TODAY WITH MY Compadre OSCAR JUST TO LOOK FOR HOGS AND COYOTES, WILL JUST BE THERE A FEW HOURS AND THEN COME HOME. I DO NOT WANT TO HUNT COW NILGAI UNTIL I HAVE MY NEW (TO ME) SAVAGE 99-F 358 WINCHESTER IN HAND, SCOPED AND SIGHTED IN.

[45MAN]

YESTERDAY (11/17/24) MID-DAY, WARM AND VERY, VERY WINDY, AT PDM (Punta), ME, 2 SONS AND A 4th GENT, TRIED SOME POND JUMPING DUCK HUNTING. DID 1 POND JUST BEFORE NOON AND 1 MORE AFTER OUR NOON BREAKFAST. HAD 2 MORE PONDS I WANTED TO TRY BUT BY THEN 1 SON AND HIS BUDDY NEEDED TO GET BACK TO MY SON's NEARBY HUNNTING LEASE (WHERE THEY HAD BAGGED 6 TEAL ON SATURDAY). MY SON NICHOLAS AND I THEN LOOKED FOR HOGS AND COYOTES (NO LUCK) AND WERE OFF PDM BY AROUND 4:00 P.M.

WE GOT 3 DUCKS, 2 SPOONies AND A BEAUTIFUL PINTAIL DRAKE. HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE PINTAIL:



TROUBLE WITH THE DUCK HUNTING IS THAT A DONE DUCK IS MORE THAN LIKELY TO FALL IN THE WATER THAN ON DRY LAND AND A GOOD RETRIEVER IS ALMOST A NECESSITY AND I DO NOT HAVE ONE. MY SON ON THE CLOSE BY HUNTING LEASE HAS AN ANCIENT LAB (CHARLIE) AND THIS SEASON's DUCK HUNTS ARE PROBABLY HIS LAST.