AXIS HUNT 1 OF 2

Ok! Everyone calm down! It was my first axis hunt. I was in the Hill Country of Texas, it was low fence and I was beyond excited! The wind was in my favor, fiercely I might add, but able to be tolerated. Hours went by...nothing! My guide, Rusty sat in the blind with me. He was knowledgeable about the axis in the particular area. He was patient and quiet in the blind.. when he was awake :-) Lol aren’t naps in the deer blind the best. Let’s just say, he’s a loud napper. After hours of waiting, finally a big axis buck is spotted off in the distance. Rusty and I are pumped, here he (the axis) comes, get ready. I said to myself, “his tines were magnificent” as he stayed out of shooting range. I was bummed. To make my anxiety worse he then drifted into impossible shot places. The only positive was he kept moving closer to our blind. I was keeping my gun steady and I’m ready! Nope He came in and flopped his butt on the ground. Well now we’ve turned this hunt into a 30 min stare off. Let’s just say he was so big 20 minutes into it I had already lost my mind. Thank goodness my guide was keeping his cool even though he was just as excited. Just when I thought my nerves had it, a second axis buck makes an appearance. He’s IN FULL VELVET!! Buck fever is real guys, don’t think it ain’t. And I have it BAD. I can’t get over it and it happens all the time. My heart is pounding, I can no longer hear the roaring winds. Seriously, I’m shaking enough to turn over the blind. It’s the perfect recipe for a disaster if ya ask me! My guide is axis deer crazy, loves ‘em. Out of excitement and ready to get the deer in full velvet (he was huge guys) my guide takes a deep breath, throws his hands up and whispers in a yell ‘ Ok, everyone just calm down)! I was dying laughing, because the realty he and I are the only ones in this blind. Like No one else needs to calm down besides me and him, especially me! At this moment we have 2 shooter massive axis bucks in perfect shooting range. One has held us hostage for a stare down and we couldn’t move for awhile. His velvet was hanging off all of his antlers which didn’t help my buck fever any. The largest of the 2 axis bucks was still in full velvet. I’m told by my guide to pick one and shoot. Ok, sounds easy! They are so close, only 50 yards. I’ve made some pretty tough shots before but, with this bad case of buck fever...you guessed it. YES, I missed! Oh the devastation. I was kicking my own ass and it hurt all the way back to the truck lol! I watched the video over and over. I think that I did not take into consideration that my gun was sighted in for 100 yards. I guess on a 50 yard target, my shooting skills and luck amount to trash. I shot right over his back and into the dirt. Thankfully, a clean miss Right now it’s day 2. As I sit here on my second day of the axis hunt looking for the same axis deer. I’m in the blind,playing all these mistakes in my head over and over. Hopefully today will be better, luck will be on my side and the wind. It’s about time for them to be strolling by. Read Axis blog part 2 and read if the cards are in my favor!