Hunting with wild cows

Went hunting for the first time in two years on Saturday. I know many folks in Texas call sitting in a blind and waiting for a deer to show up at a feeder hunting, but my buddy Pete and I do it the old fashioned way; we walk and stalk. Frankly, sitting in a blind waiting for deer to walk up and shooting them with a scoped rifle falls more into the realm of butchering an animal as there really isn't any challenge involved, but hey, if that is how you want to hunt, more power to you but I think I'll stick to the walking method.

Walking into the wind, stepping lightly, constantly searching for any movement that might be a deer. We saw plenty in the cold morning twilight but they were too far away (I hunt with a .44 magnum pistol which means you have to get extremely close to take a shot). The walk through the brush takes about two hours and right when we thought the day was going to be a bust, I spotted three does on the other side of a draw, standing between two cedar clumps. Caught in mid-step, I had to try to balance while I took aim.

I fired.

I missed.

The does flee and immediately there is an explosion in a clump of cedars to the left of me. A red brangus cow and her calf come flying out and charge at me, then turn to enter the draw and disappear into the brush. I can feel my heart pounding and shake my head in wonder at what had just happened. About the time I start to think about the three does I am shocked to see them reappear in the same clearing and looking straight at me. I snap off another shot and in my excitement overshot the biggest one. They take off down the draw and about the time I start after them I hear more crashing through the brush and find the cow and calf have returned with a determined look (if cows can truly look determined) and run past me in the opposite direction.

Pete walks up shortly, laughing. He tells me his dad had just bought that cow and her calf and she is pretty wild. Won't run with the other cows in the herd but seems happy to roam around the place with just her calf. He can't figure out her behavior either since most cows just meander away from us and typically ignore our intrusion.

No venison for the freezer but I did take the time to go and practice my shooting. It goes to show you what happens when you fail to keep in practice. Two missed shots at 50 yards. Inexcusable. Oh well, Pete at least had a good laugh at my expense.

I do have to think hunting with wild cows does give the deer an added advantage as you have to make sure you aren't run over by a focused brangus who has who knows what on her brain. Maybe this should be a requirement for all hunts...