The Great Outdoors

This page here is sort of the guys "Trophy Room"

- HUNTING ETHICS -

In addition to abiding by the laws and regulations of our State, I have developed this list of my own personal "hunting ethics":

1. Bullets and booze do not go together. I will not drink alcohol before, during or after hunting. Once I have returned home and my guns are safely stored away, then, and only then, shall I celebrate my success, or toast the success of my quarry.

2. I shall behave in a way that will bring no dishonor to either myself or fellow Hunters, the hunted, or the environment.

3. I will not kill any animal for the "sport" of it. My main purpose in the field is to provide food for my family.

4. I will not kill more than what meets my family's needs - irregardless of what the allotted bag limits are.

5. There is a proper time and a proper place to hunt. Around my home, wildlife shall be welcomed visitors.

6. I shall give my quarry the fairest chance for survival. I shall only hunt where the animal is at home and familiar with their surroundings.

7. I shall make every effort to maintain proficiency with my firearm of choice so as to assure a quick clean kill.

8. I shall not "hunt" any animal which has been trapped and caged for the sole purpose of my "hunting" enjoyment (a.k.a. "canned hunts") nor shall I condone the actions of others engaged in this activity.

9. If I am successful, I shall pay respect to and honor the creature which will now provide me with future sustanance.

10. I shall pass these values onto my children and help my children pass them onto their children.

Home Page

This particular weekend was an especially memorable one for me. This weekend, both boys "officially" began deer hunting with me and both bagged their first deer. Mark on Saturday evening and Michael on Sunday morning.

First Deer
November 1996

All three of us were sitting in our blind when a group of Whitetail does came out into our clearing about 100 yards away. We watched as they leisurely wandered closer to us, closing the gap and improving Mark's chances of bagging his 1st deer. Suddenly a buck deer busted out of the brush about 50 yards behind them, scattering most of the group. This doe hesitated, turned and gave Mark a beautiful broadside target, of which he was able to take full advantage of.

Not much of an opportunity given here!
November 1996
Imagine yourself as an 11 year old, overcome with "Buck Fever" on your first "official" hunt, and all you're presented with is a chest shot, in a shooting lane about 15 feet wide and just over 100 yards away. Michael was faced with just that challenge when he took his first Whitetail deer. Michael shoots a Marlin 30-30 and dropped this nice fat doe with one shot.

Persistence pays off!
November 1999
After almost everyone else gives up trying to hunt in an early morning fog, Mark takes his first Whitetail buck. A 6 pointer, at about 50 yards away, he quickly dispatched the animal with a single broadside heart shot from his 30-.06 Winchester.

Bringing Home the Bacon!
November 2001
Feral Hogs are returning to the East Texas Piney Woods, but this hog isn't going anywhere but to the packing house for processing. Michael took this 350 pound boar right at dusk with a well placed 40 yard shot which dropped this big tusker right in his tracks.

Here's a good site on hunting & trapping wild hogs in Texas

Dad's Latest Trophy
November 2004
After watching Michael drag 3 deer out of the woods, this is the only "deer" I bagged the whole weekend.

Mark's Latest Trophy
September 2005

How's this for a "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" story.
While evacuating out of the path of Hurricane Rita, we spent the weekend at the guest house of
Diane's grandfather in the Texas Hill Country.
During a late afternoon hike, this 200 pound Aoudad Sheep came down off the mountain and stopped about 100 yards in front of Mark & Diane. He slowly turned downrange and started quartering away when Mark dropped him in his tracks with a quick off-handed shot. Mark & Diane had to drag this sheep about 3/4 mile (and through a creek) back to their truck.

The "Old Man" and Lil' Bro Michael posing with Mark and his ram.

Dad's Trophy Buck
November 1993

This 10 point Whitetail buck scoring 145 Boone & Crockett points, (25 points short of being eligible for the records book) turned out to be the largest deer ever taken off this property, located deep in the East Texas Piney Woods.

Not too bad for an area of the state that's not well known for producing large "trophy class" deer, huh.

He turned out to be a beautiful mount too.

Although my current work schedule hasn't allowed much time for "wettin' a hook" lately, I enjoy fishing the back bays of Galveston in the fall when the Red Fish are running. I took this "Texas Minnow" (Bull Red) about 5 miles offshore of Galveston, TX a couple of years ago while out on a friends boat.