Blackbuck Down

Neilson  Friday, December 31, 2010

Adventure Review

I was scheduled to go blackbuck hunting with my bow last spring break but due to a freak cold spell and rain, most of the outfitters herd was wiped out.  He called me up and we changed the time to hunt over my Christmas break (I’m a high school teacher).  When the time finally arrived, I drove down most of the way and overnighted just east of Arkansas.  The fall migration of snow and blue geese was just ramping up and I saw a flock or two of at least a thousand geese in the rice fields.  Very cool and marked down as another adventure for another day.  I finished the trip in Avery Texas with my outfitter Rickey Hunt.  Appropriate last name don’t you think?  Rickey took me on a tour of his facilities and educated me on what to look for in a ram and where he thought they would possibly come by.  I lucked out and had blackbuck around me almost from the time that Rickey dropped me off.  I took the second best opportunity I had to shoot a blackbuck and connected.  These critters are wired.  Instead of dropping at the shot, they jump up!  My arrow was in the right spot but lower than where I was aiming.  Very skittish and jumpy animals.  My ram ran 60 yards and piled up dead.  Very exciting and from what I hear, they are very difficult to get with a bow.  I’d go back and hunt blackbuck with Rickey again.