10/9/12 AM LO: 60 HI: 75 COND:  OVERCAST WIND: NONE WHICH IS RARE MOON: LAST QTR BEST HUNT TIME:  9:45 AM HUM:  40% BAR: 29.77

We started the morning trying to find the bulls, you would think an animal that 5 ft.tall at the shoulders, 1400 lbs would be easy to find? NOT! Finally after a couple of hours we spotted a huge grey bull, we started our stalk, did not get even close, a shift in the wind “killed us” a complete blown stalk.  We traveled onward to find another bull.  This time we spotted 2 black bulls and we started our stalk.  We were doing real well on this stalk, then all hell broke loose, we jumped a monster 12 point Whitetail buck. He ran right thru those bulls and that stalk was over!  We then decided to drive up a dry creek bottom, we spotted 2 bulls; but it was not to be!  By now it was heating up, we decided to go get some dinner “lunch” and regroup.  I was beginning to think the best plan was to go to a water hole and set up a ground blind, maybe we could get a shot that way?

PM: HI:  88 LO: 75 COND: CLEAR WIND: SSE 5 -10 MOON: LAST QTR BEST HUNT TIME: 3:50 PM HUM: 27 % BAR: 26.01

We returned to the ranch and decided to make one more try to spot a bull.  We were driving thru the timber, spotted 2 bulls moving down a sendero, we stopped the ranger, started to stalk a huge grey bull and a monster red bull, which had given us the slip on 2 other occasions.  We got ahead of these two bulls, set up on the down wind side and waited. The next time we seen these two bulls they had given us the slip and were moving thru the head high white sage brush.  We again moved ahead of the two bulls and finally seen the red bull. He was moving in our direction, as I got into position for the shot, my cameraman moved at the wrong time and the red bull spotting the movement, froze at 25 yards!  The great stare down occurred, my thoughts, was the bull going to charge? Or was he going to continue the feeding to our right? Or was he going to retreat?  I could see only the bulls head, no shot.  All the time my cameraman was saying shoot! I told my cameraman thru my lapel mic that if he moved we was “Dead Meat” as our guide and kill gun was off to our left and had no shot whatsoever!  “of course yesterday afternoons charge was still fresh in our minds” For 20 minutes this great stare down went on, me holding my bow up with arrow on the string, cameraman with camera on his shoulder and camera rolling, filming whatever could and would happen, Dennis Eriskine or guide holding a 12 lb German made Hyme 500 nitro express at port arms, and the bull staring at us?  I have no idea what he was thinking but someone had to move, I’m sure he did not like what he saw!  Because, the red bull turned and took off, tearing up the real estate, “he was a red DC Cat plowing thru the brush”. I looked at my cameraman, I was covered in sweat, and every pore had sweat pouring out of my body! My cameraman had that, “death warmed over look” and Dennis, just shook his head and said “that was too da@%*~ Close” needless to say, no shot was taken!   We gathered up our skirts and traveled onward without speaking a word for several minutes, then I don’t know who; but we started that silly nervous laugh that you get when you have had an encounter of the closest kind!  I was beginning to believe that I was not going to get this done by stalking and I was thinking Ground blind again.  I finally told Dennis,” lets go to a ground blind and try that” at least we would be able to relax a little, “this was getting to be a nerve shattering experience”

We were actually traveling in the ranger and going to put up a ground blind and my cameraman sitting in the back of the ranger spotted a bull feeding, we stopped, started our stalk to see this bull that my cameraman had seen.  The bull was a blue, black and white beautiful Spanish Fighting Bull with lots of cover around him for a stalk, and the wind was in our favor.  As we started the stalk I seen this could be the stalk we was looking for, the bull was at this time 70 yards from us, lots of yucca, retama, cactus, mesquite and brush piles, perfect.  With a cross wind from the southeast and about 10 mph I knew we had cover, for movement. We were within about 50 yards of the bull and I looked to my left, dread! There stood 2 bulls about 70 yards looking at us, I knew this could get real interesting quick based on things of the past.  The 2 bulls I think really could not figure us out and decided to take the quick retreat route and was I happy? Heck yes!  Now I was back to getting close to the blue, black & white bull I was stalking and I noted he was watching the 2 retreating bulls and could have cared less.  We, my camera man and I took advantage of all of the distraction and was within 40 yards before the bull “smelled a rat” Collin, my cameraman said, “I’m on him, take him”  I drew my helim back smoothly and settled my 40 yard pin on the bull and the rest was just reaction to my shooting every day!  I just remember seeing the Victory VAP 350 arrow bury to the fletching and I heard that Grim Reaper / Mathews edition 1 & ½ inch expandable smack the target, the bull spun and was on a death run of 60 yards, the bull started to spin around and I noted he was covered with blood from stem to stern on the entrance side and in seconds it was over quickly and humanely.  I did notice Dennis my guide running toward the falling bull and then come up very short! Those 2 bulls that had circled us had decided to charge us and here they came, full bore charge, with blood in their eyes. Dennis shot in the ground in front of the bulls at 50 yards and they turned off fortunately.

What a thrill to take a bull that is born and bred to hate and kill on sight this bull weighed over 1400 lbs, had 24 inch horns, and was a beautiful blue, black and white.  As far as we know this is the first Spanish Fighting Bull ever taken with a Mathew’s bow or any bow as far as that goes and arrow?

The hunt was over and the work really began, with getting a tractor and overhead bucket in to pick up the bull, then delivering same to the meat locker. By the way the meat is rally good as hamburger meat! Or run the thin steaks thru a meat tenderizer. I will leave you with this statement about hunting Spanish Fighting Bulls, my cameraman said it best, “Boss I will go with you to Mexico and dodge the Drug runners, I will go with you to Africa and man up against all the dangers that it can muster up for us, I’ll even go to Afghanistan and fight the Taliban but I ain’t never going to film those da#@%* Spanish Fighting Bulls ever again!”

EQUIPMENT USED:

Camo Pattern: Lost Camo Arrows:  Victory VAP 350’s Arrow Rest:  Ripcord Bow: Mathew’s Helim Broadheads:  Grim Reaper / Mathews Edition Boots:  Russell Moccasins, snake boots Bow Case:  Lakewood Cases Back Packs:  Timber Hawk Packs Calls:  Illusion Game Calls Clothing:  Gamehide Coolers:  Yeti Food:   Cholula Hot Sauce Natures Coffee Kettle Flashlights:  Elusive Wildlife Tech: Feed:   Heartland Wildlife Inst. Game Scout Cameras:  Spypoints Insect Repellant:  ThermaCell Knives: SOG Optics: Brunton Eterna 10.5X43 Releases:  Scott Releases Travel Bags: Sights & Stabilizers:  Axion Archery Scents:  Timber Valley Targets:  Hips Targets Vanes & Lighted Knocks:  Firenocks Watches:  Luminox