Several years ago, my wife decided that she wanted to get back into hunting. We worked out the options and decided to get her a 7mm-08 which she is comfortable with and shoots well. She hasn't had a chance to harvest her own venison as of yet. 2 years ago, I shot an 8 point in Oklahoma and last year a spike Axis buck on our property in Texas, both with the same rifle. This year is all hers.
We have both a couple dozen whitetails as well as Axis on our land. The late season for whitetails ended Jan. 16th, which was ok, as Barb really wanted to harvest an Axis. The meat is extraordinary.
When we are here, we feed the wildlife both Apple Corn as well as Alfalfa. The Axis really love the alfalfa. Additionally, our neighbors have also erected a feeder for the deer, so we are working together. Make no mistake, we feed them all winter, before and after hunting. There is no season or limit on Axis as they are considered 'exotics' not being native to Texas. As my wife is a 50% disabled veteran, resident or non-resident her license is free. When I hunt the non-resident license is $137.
I have been patterning the Axis for weeks since our arrival and they seem to arrive usually in the later afternoons. Also, there are a couple of young, spike bucks, but plenty of does. Barb is very much a 'meat hunter' so a doe works for us. We planned on a few early morning 'get ups', but mostly afternoon hunts as the temps cool. This is important as we certainly would like them to hang, skin, and age the venison before butchering.
Admittedly, our hunting here isn't quite the outdoor adventure most hunts are. We see the deer daily, but often we hide out in the cookshack and watch the food plots through the window. I make a pot of coffee, Barb has her tea, and we both just read or play on our phones while we wait. This year I moved our portable shooting bench closer to the first layer of live oaks out from the camp and no more than 154 yards to the feeding areas, so we just wait. They seem to come in most regularly in the late afternoon about 5. We head out just before and sit quietly at the bench waiting. This year we tried a few scattered times, but Barb couldn't decide on the big fat doe she wanted or didn't get the shot she needed. We concentrated our efforts on the last week of February, when the nights were still cold enough not to spoil a hanging deer. The weather did not disappoint as the temps dove into the upper 20s lower 30s and Axis don't move much during this type of weather; they find thick cover to bed down and ride it out. Ours are pretty well fed in our area and I still put out some alfalfa regardless.
The evening of her success she sat in her blind on the edge of the live oaks and our new RV Pad. I left her to the hunt and went into the cookshack to start a pot of coffee. About 10 minutes into her stay, she squeezed the trigger. 118 yards, one shot, one down Axis. Barb said there was one larger doe, but this one provided too good a shot opportunity. I think the cold had something to do with it as well. We got it back to the cabins and put her on the gambrel hoist so I could gut, and Barb could skin it. We let it hang for 2 days in the cold weather.
Our plan for the butchering this year is round steak, the inner 'fish tender backstraps', the main backstraps, shanks, stew meat, and the rest will be burger, breakfast sausage links, and bratwurst.
Barb worked her tail off from pulling the trigger thru the entire gutting, skinning, butchering, and burger/sausage making process. She loved being 'back in the saddle'. I am pretty proud of her.
Final tally:
4 lbs shanks, 2 lbs stew meat, 7 lbs back strap, 7 lbs round steak, 24 lbs burger, and 2 test packages of (our first attempt) bratwurst and breakfast link sausage.
"Yes, I do hunt like a girl. Why, did you need some help?"
Barb Hilts
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