Welcome to Team Wild's Air Power.
This week our very own Ian Harford is back in Texas helping out with another animal management
job.
Ian's arrived early in the morning and there's a thick mist on the ground.
The sparse trees and shrubbery take on an eerie feel as some of the exotic animals glare
back at the guys.
This is a rare Bongo.
In the wilds of Africa this beautiful animal is scarcely seen as it lives deep in the thick
stuff.
But, here in Texas they are a more regular occurrence.
These skittish antelope aren't fond of humans and so it moves on.
Here in Texas there's such a variety of wild game from across the globe.
Rich Texan's began importing game from the wilds of Africa and Europe in the 1930's and
have been breeding new herds ever since.
As the mist burns off in the warm morning sun, it's time to get to work.
So we are back in Texas, and we are back after sheep and goats, now I have got with me a
Benjamin .357 Rogue, and we have already taken some pretty impressive sheep and goats here
over the past few outings, but now we are after Catalina Goats.
Now there are some pretty nice examples here, and the cover is pretty good as well, so,
we have got a good chance if we take it nice and steady, of getting in pretty close.
Now we are using the Benjamin Rogue, with 145 grain Nosler built Benjamin extreme bullets.
We are fully charged at 3000 PSI.
Giving us 3 full power shots, all we need to do now, is find ourselves a goat.
Ok, so there is a bunch of goats stood there, Catalina's.
On the left hand side of them, you will see, two Ayeback Goats, and yeah they don't like
the fact that we are here so they are getting up.
I'm going to try and get over to these trees.
Ian moves slowly towards the herd using the sparse trees as cover.
They don't appear to be spooked, but do begin to move in the opposite direction.
They aren't in a hurry and so Ian gets set up against a tree and looks for a shot.
However, the herd get out of range before Ian can pick his spot.
Ian edges in closer again, using the shade from the trees.
He's hidden behind this tree, but there isn't a shot on offer.
Ian moves in closer, but the herd keep on edging away in the opposite direction.
This could be a long day!
He continues moving through the trees, shrubbery and any other cover to get as close to the
quarry as he can.
Ian's been asked to take an old ram out of the herd today.
This ensures that the younger members of the herd have the chance to come through and repopulate.
This is vital to building strong herds.
As the herd begins to move across the grounds of the Texas Hunt Lodge Ian spies an opportunity
to cut them off.
He heads down into a dry river bed, hopes to move quickly without being spotted and
beat the herd to the other side.
However, there's a waterbuck also using the river bed as a pathway.
And he doesn't look too happy.
He is inquisitive at the moment, and he is backing up which is a good sign, last thing
we need right now, really, is him coming out at us, he looks to have, horns in there mid
20's, so, beautiful dark face on him.
So i'm just going to move forward, and see if we can just get him to walk off.
Now you don't want him to run to much, now he really needs to go.
Ian heads out of the other side of the river bed and hopes to see his quarry on the other
side.
He moves into a position in which he hopes to find a shot.
Tucking in behind this small bit of brush Ian has just enough of a viewpoint to see
the herd as they head across his path.
He waits for the Catalina Goat as the herd move one by one.
Ian gives it a call and it stops for a second.
But, its not enough.
He calls again and it stops.
Ian's made a good shot, but the goat still manages to make a run for it.
However, it doesn't get far.
He has stopped and he is going down.
Before it goes down with a thump.
We are here to take out an old ram, the other ones you saw were obviously bigger in the
horns, and they were bigger in the body, that is kind of irrelevant to me really.
The herds needs thinning out.
This one here is a perfect, older, kind of gnarly ram, thinner horns, you can kind of
see by the length of his beard and the hair on his head, that he is passed breeding age.
See, it has not scared them, the report for the Benjamin Rogue is really quiet, and had
this been a rifle shot, the explosion would of had them scattering for miles around.
I think we are all good, yeah we are good.
So, another phenomenal hunt with the Benjamin Rogue .357, and another beautiful goat.
Now as you can see, this is an old, old ram.
This guy has got a beautiful long beard, nice fashionable hair cut I suppose, you have got
a little bit of a quiff there.
Surprising the amount of hair they have got considering conditions out here in the desert
in Texas.
But once again, a beautiful animal, as you can see from the blood coming out of the mouth,
it looks like a pretty good lung shot, and the speed that he went down.
Absolutely perfect shot placement.
It has gone clear through, and created, a pretty substantial wound channel, I am stunned
that that's happened through the Benjamin Rogue, not that I am surprised by its capability.
That is the biggest wound channel, at 48 yards as well, so it is a pretty long shot.
So all in all, a great hunt.
A beautiful, old ram, prefect bullet placement once again by the Benjamin 357 Rogue, a mutton,
is back on the menu!
Another fantastic hunt with the Benjamin Rogue .357 big bore behemoth.
And...
Team Wild have helped to keep the Catalina Goat herds strong at the Texas Hunt Lodge
for the next generation.
Good animal management is key to the future of every species and it's been a pleasure
to help.