My wife never ceases to amaze me. She has not been hunting since we posted here last 10 point buck on the website years ago. Incidentally, that deer made the Texas Big Game Awards, www.texasbiggameawards.com a program we support.

This year (2011) over Thanksgiving Dori said she was ready to hunt again. She was such a trooper. We hunted several afternoons and I would not let her shoot a variety of bucks for a variety of reasons. Some were not mature and some were on my "do not shoot" list.

The afternoon of this hunt we sat where the old outhouse was on our property. Now, we have a nice blind up in a tree. As the sun waned and we continued to watch many 3-4 year old bucks this bruise came in from the creek.

We watched the buck for a while. He was all head and neck as you can see from the photo. After deciding Dori had been such a good sport, never complaining for all those many afternoon, she asked me if she could harvest this buck.

I said go for it. She then took her 25.06 and had a steady aim at 125 yards. I asked her what she was aiming at. "That white spot under the neck", she said. Oh my, she had never tried a neck shot before.

I told her to do what ever she wanted. No longer had I said that and the barrel blast went off. The buck fell in it's tracks. She asked me about waiting for it to come back around. She thought she missed.

I said no, you did not miss. It fell straight down. She was stunned but no more than I. You had taken the 11 point, 6.5 year old gnarly buck with a perfect neck shot.

Way to go Dori!

Love you- "Bull"

Having not felt my best in a while, friends like Randy are good to have. Randy guided me on this oryx hunt here in Texas. While I still contend I could find the oryx as quick as Randy, and keep up with him shooting, I could never field dress this beast without him.

We harvested the animal on a steep ridge. Randy, a Colorado high country guide and preacher too after this job with dispatch.

He quickly has the animal field dressed and then showed his secret weapon. With his battery powered Makita Saw in hand, he quickly cut this beast in pieces and we hauled it to the Polaris. I guess I would still be on the ridge if it were not for my friend Randy.

Thanks Randy.

Note from "The Bull" if you are ever in the Florence/Canyon City area, check out Randy's and Brenda's church. Here is the link www.cowboychurchatcrossroads.webs.com

Brenda and her Oryx

Jennifer Blesh Black-daughter

My good friend Gary from Dallas. Gary helped us reduce our herd with the continued drought conditions in 2011

Rob Black-son-in law