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Season greetings and a Happy New Year to all! This year started with a trip to northern California and a hunt with Arrow 5 Outfitters. During that hunt, my friend Peter Feain took a very nice boar, while his wife, Saskia, missed a nice pig. It was her first hunt. The only shot I took was on the range. In June, I went back to Africa and hunted in the Limpopo River and Eastern Cape area. For a full report please go to my outdoor site at www.campfiresandfriends.org and read the story “Africa Revisited.” If any of you want a hard copy, please let me know and I will get one to you. In November, I returned to Montana for my fourteenth time. Matt, one of the owners of Dog Creek Outfitters, and I went out for a drive the afternoon I arrived in camp. Sitting on a hillside above Blade Coulee, Matt pointed out the largest mule deer I have ever seen. From over six hundred yards away, I could see it was a six by six. I decided to take him or go home empty-handed. Between another hunter from California, Ryan Herrera, and myself, several stalks were made on that buck, and neither of us took the safety off. Ryan did have a part of the buck in his cross hairs, but it was only the hindquarters. Rightfully, he did not take the shot. Before you feel sorry for him he did take a nice four by four, on the next to last day of our hunt. I plan on going back next year, and if the big buck is still around, I may go home empty-handed once again, or I might bag the largest deer that I have ever shot. In October, Jim and TinaMarie of Arrow 5 Outfitters invited me to take a doe on a management hunt on the Stewart Ranch in northern California. I did just that on the afternoon of the day I arrived in camp. The remainder of the trip was spent driving around and taking photos while enjoying the outdoors. In December, I went back to the Stewart Ranch in search of a nice meat pig. A good meat pig is normally a sow, as the boars have a strong wild taste. This trip, all we turned up were boars. One of the pigs was the largest that my guide had ever seen on the ranch. Maybe I should have changed my requirements and gone for a trophy pig, as the chance of seeing one that large only comes once in a great while. Well, the year has wound down. I feel that I have had a very good 2006 and am looking towards the New Year. Wishing all of you the best for 2007. May all of your shots be straight and all your strikes be big ones. |
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© Copyright: Ronald Machado - 2002
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