The old saying goes "some people have it good" and then there are the lucky few that, "have it great!"  I like to believe that the small ranch I hunt in Mathis, Texas is incredible because of the fact that 13 bucks have been harvested in the past two hunting seasons since the property was purchased with several bucks scoring near 150 B & C.  I am proud to say that I married into a family that is not only large but also deeply rooted in the tradition of hunting and fishing.  My wife has several uncles on both sides of her family that enjoy the great outdoors.  But, her uncle Juan Marin, the US postmaster for the grand city of Edroy, Texas is the greatest uncle alive.  He purchased a small piece of heaven near Lake Coprus Christi two years ago specifically for outdoor recreation.  He formed a family operated hunt club called "Rancho Sueno Mio" or my dream ranch.  This hunt club is responsible for maintaing the property and keping those feeders full so that the wildlife can be attracted to the property year round.  Last year was my turn to hunt after the elusive buck that has roamed the sandy soil of the "Ponderosa" the nickname we have given the 11 acre property we hunt on.

     I found it hard to turn down an offer to spend time sitting in the deer blind built by my Godfather "Jacinto" in hope of shooting the "big one" an 11 point monster that roams the ponderosa pastures.  As if Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years don't already put a dent in my outdoor time, I have to balance spending quality time with my large family with hunting and fishing mixed together.  Me and my 10 year old son Jared were fortunate enough to have some great fishing success the day after Thanksgiving catching a cooler full of butterfly black drum.  We try to supplement our hunting season with some winter drum fishing to keep the deep freezer fresh with good holiday fish fillets.  Our goal is to hit the water at least once a month throughout the year to cure the outdoor thirst that hungers our body.  Because the Ponderosa is a small hunt club, the hunters must reserve time in the two blinds we have designated for hunting.  I was lucky enough to get time in the blind during my Thanksgiving Holiday break from school and some bonus blind time during the cold month of December.  The planning was on to shoot my first buck ever and I was excited to finally be able to hunt as a member of the club.

     Then came the countless hours of sitting in the deer blind only to encounter does with yearly bucks.  Although, my brother in-law Domingo was fortunate enough to shoot a freak spike deer nicknamed "el chivo" or goat buck for it's long curved times.  Then a big score by the ranch owner Juan who shot two good bucks, an 8 point and a wide 9 point buck.  I knew that my time would come with the rut and I would get my chance to shoot a good deer.  That day came on the 3rd day of my hunt that brought mild temperatures and a raging herd of Javelina.  Domingo would score once again with a nice boar Javelina that would make a tasty holiday tamales treat. 

    Finally, the day came December 27th, it was a great morning for deer hunting, a little fog, but not too much.  The temperature was nice around 70 degrees.  I sat quietly in the blind for what seemed like an eternity before the sunrise.  The feeder went off at 6:45am and shortly after I get a call on my two way radio from juan that a "High Rack" buck was heading my way.  My heart began to pound as I stuck my gun out the window in anticipation of his arrival at the feeder.  It seemed like another eternity until he trotted out under the feeder and turned sideways for a good shot.  A boom came out from my classic Remignton .243 riffle and droped him dead in his tracks.     When the smoke cleared I had downed my first buck, a nice 7 pointer with "High Times" and character.  He would have been an 8 pointer but he had been fighting and had broken off a G1 time.  Everyone was excited for me as I had waited 30 years to shoot my first buck in Texas.  Juan Marin the ranch owner was there to celebrate with me this very special day.  I had hunted deer for many years and had several opportunites at shooting good bucks, but had never been successful until this day.  It was a proud moment and a memory I will never forget, the day I bagged my first Texas Whitetail Buck!!!

About the Author:  I am devoted family man that was born and raised in a small town of Odem Texas on the Gulf Coast. A graduate of Texas A & M University Corpus Christi where I earned a Bachelors degree in Sociology and inducted into the National Sociological honor Society. I have years of hunting and fishing experience that all began with my father who first took me hunting with Marty Berry former president of the Texas Deer Association on the famous "Berry Ranch" in the early 1980's.  My father was an employee of Berry Constuction and had the opportunity to visit and hunt all of the ranches owned by the Berry Family.  This generosity by the Berry family inspired me to appreciate the outdoors and continue to carry on this great tradition of being a sportsman.  Currently, I reside in San Antonio with my family and work with Low Income / 1st generation college students in the Southwest ISD to help them prepare for secondary education.  I am thankful everyday for the life I live and the opportunities that have been bestowed upon me!!!

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