Attempted "House Clearing" of Cornfield

[Greybeard]

Buddy from out in West Texas called Sunday night, with more info. on some big elk we've observed in the area (on others' lands) while hunting other critters over the past several years. It seems that 5 bulls migrated over and were making a "bed and breakfast" out of one of his high-dollar irrigated corn fields.

Brother (EagleEye here) and I got our businesses in order to be able to get up there for a quickie hunt Tuesday p.m. We took a big electric ice box (big enough to hold 2 quartered elk) and a generator to run it in the back of my pickup. Upon arrival, fresh signs were there that the animals were in the area, likely bedded down somewhere out in the 160 acres of 7' tall corn. Glassing mid day yeilded nothing but sweat.

However, about 5 p.m. (from atop the ice box in back of pickup) I spotted two pair of antlers - one pair a monster, moving around - 12 to 18" above the tops of the corn about 300 yards out. By the time I got my brother in a position to see 'em, the smaller of the two had bedded back down.

To make a long story shorter, there were just two of us on site at the time and buddy could not get there for at least another hour, so my brother decided to go in with radio and 12 gauge (loaded with slugs) to try to push 'em out the east side where I set up with binocs and '06. We learned rather quickly that the corn was so tall and thick, that an observer with binocs and radio was not going to be able to direct any "pusher" less than 8' tall.

When buddy arrived around 7:00, I (stupidly!) voluntered to make a "flag" out of a 6' rod he had in back of truck and a pair of my whitey-tighties. "The Plan" was for them to set up on the east with rifles and use radios to direct me toward the big bull to push him out to wheat stubble on the east. Brother planned to perch on top of horizontal irrigation system about 20' up and buddy to continue to glass from top of ice box in back of truck - while I walked around to the far west edge of corn field before heading into it eastbound. Those who have ever spent any time in a 7' tall irrigated corn field are probably beginning to grin about now ...

Again to try and make a reeeeal long stalk shorter, they "go north" and "go east"ed me to the point I could SMELL the big guy, but absolutely could NOT SEE or even hear him! At which point we discovered that particular bull must have believed in the old "stand your ground doctrine". Buddy came on the radio and said "I sure hope you've got that pistol out." (Duuuuuuh!)

Upon first whiff of the beast, I'd lowered the whitie tightie flag, hunkered down on one knee and had the .454 SBH cocked at high ready, waitin' on him to make the next move. During this little stand-off, I could not help but think about buddy's story about neighbor telling him last fall that he'd watched younger bull kill the Grand Daddy bull of the bunch in turf war. And of recent read of Capstick's "Death in the Long Grass" ...

I was determined to make the bull move first. But, in moving reeeeeel slowly to try and get a view of any part of him thru the corn, he busted up and ran off to the east about 50 yards for more "cat and mouse".

So, once again, their radio calling of the "square dance" was on - with darkness approaching quickly. At one point, I'd stopped again after buddy said "You're on him, you've got to be right on top of him." Again, I froze, looking and listening - with hammer back over a 300-grain cast handload. Nothing. At least except rustling from a little south wind. The animal slipped off thru the corn again like a ghost, then reappeared (to them anyway) about 15 yards away (although I think their perceptions of distance, being some 100 to 400+ yards off, was somewhat distorted.)

Buddy again said "Go east, go straight east." Then brother promptly came over radio and said "He's moving west. The bull is moving right at you." (' Guess elk must have also heard about "The Castle Doctrine") Once again - for at least the 5'th time after decocking before walking more - I froze with hammer back at high-ready. And again could SEE nothing but CORN STALKS. And hear nothing.

With the sun below the horizon and light fading fast, I got out "tactical" flashlight in hopes of it helping me see the beast. Then quickly decided that the flashlight might actually be more of an advantage for the bull than to me. And I wanted BOTH hands available for the DA hand cannon.

Somewhere near the end of this 1-hour+ massive adreneline dump, buddy came over radio with "There are TWO of them. No wait, there are FOUR of them, 3 more just north of you!". As I tried to "turret" the revolver at eye level slowly across the stalks (every 6" apart) to my new unseen targets, the rest of the bachelor party had apparently winded me and thrashed back to the west - toward the middle of the corn field.

At which point, I cautiously, but much more promptly headed EAST, ready to be the last 50 yards OUT OF THERE before complete darkness set in. And quite relieved to have exactly the same number of holes in the old body as I went in with!

[The Marshal]

Who said that hunting is boring...

~Bill

[Greybeard]

Adreneline addiction maybe. ' Already trying to make time soon to get back up there.

[sparx]

Great story Greybeard! I could visualize almost every step you took amongst the endless hallways and doorways in that field of so few rooms. Fortunately I didn't feel your sweat, but it did get a little warm in here!

[CaptDave]

Capstick's "DEATH IN THE LONG GRASS"

One of my all time favorites...Met him up in NYC many moons ago at Abercrombie and Fitch-- - back when Abercrombie and Fitch still had London"Best Guns" and books on hunting and guns and "the good life" instead of $95.00 Polo shirts and $150.00 pairs of jeans, etc.....


oops sorry Didn't mean to go into a rant...

[Greybeard]

Capstick's "DEATH IN THE LONG GRASS"

Yep, once started, a hard book to put down.

About the closest I'd previously experienced to any that in Tejas was seeing "need" to get down on belly and crawl through thicket with hand cannon in search for Mr. Big Pig. Generally though, as I've got older, the cajones seem to have got much smaller and the brain got much bigger. Altho some would disagree.

Oh, I failed to mention, the rows of corn stalks were CIRCULAR.

[WNallG30]

That was great!! I've probably hunted in the same region a time or two being from West Texas myself. We've had a few rough trips through corn fields also. It's not much easier hunting pheasant through a recently harvested corn field, but it's a great time if you ever get the chance. What town were you near? I wish you all the luck when you try again!

Will

[Greybeard]

Pampa (parents still live there), in beginning of breaks along Canadian River.

Best peasant crop up there last year since 1983. And yep, even walking them cut stalks for peasants is enough to make ya need some Aleve before noon.

[KBCraig]

Best peasant crop up there last year since 1983. And yep, even walking them cut stalks for peasants is enough to make ya need some Aleve before noon.

You're hunting peasants? What if they show up with pitchforks?

Kevin

[Greybeard]

The Royalty in Austin traditionally puts a pretty short season on peasants, typically with a limit of just 2 males per day. Thus far, the most serious armament encountered is spurs.