Operation Injured Soldiers Hunts at the Wild Catter Ranch

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Wild Catter Ranch

I arrived at the Wildcatter Ranch about 1:30 in the afternoon about 3 hrs before our 2 hunters. Ensuring
that I would be there in plenty of time to greet them at the gate and make sure that they were settled in to
their rooms for the night. We would be staying at the hunting camp the first night and the hunters, along
with our camera man, TJ Redden, from Live Hunt.com. Our first soldier to arrive was Eric Zuniga, a former
Marine with the 2nd Marine Division. Eric, a veteran from the first Gulf War, lives in Pleasanton, Tx. With
his wife and 2 children. Along with Eric was long time friend and writer Mr.C.M. Sackett. Next came our
2nd hunter Jeremiah Cottles, Jeremiah was accompanied on this trip by his wife Lora. Jeremiah and his
wife both live in Moran, Tx. With their 2 children.

Our first night at the ranch was a dinner at a little Mexican restaurant in Mineral Wells. It was a great
chance for everyone to get a chance to meet each other. I had already met our guide Britt Carmichael,
and the ranch manager Don Bates, but neither had yet met with our 2 hunters. After stuffing ourselves
with some good Mexican food, it was back to the ranch for a good nights sleep before heading out in the
morning.   With Sackett heading out with Jeremiah, I went with Eric.

                                                     DAY ONE
Jeremiah’s stand was one that over looked a nice ravine filled with mesquite tree’s. while we had seen
some good bucks while scouting from this stand, along with some smaller ones and a multitude of does,
luck was not with our young airman. It seems the biggest thing that they saw was the jackrabbit that came
through in the late morning.

         While Jeremiah was with Mr. Sackett on this first morning, I was out with our Marine, Eric Zuniga.
Our stand was to be n a little clearing in a mesquite thicket. This stand like the first was heavy in deer
activity with the majority of them being bucks. Arriving at the stand about 5:30 in the morning we settled in
to wait the coming dawn. Just before sunrise in the first morning we were rewarded to hear a lone doe
bleat off to our right. We waited patiently for the possibility that she might come in to our area but no luck.
As the sun came up and light prevailed over our little clearing the thicket began to come to life for the
morning. About 7:30 while Eric scanned the thicket to the right of us, where we heard the doe earlier in
the morning, I heard movement just outside the blind to our left, a quick peek was all I needed to see the
nice eight point that was coming into the clearing to feed. A tap on Eric’s led and he was ready. Motioning
to him that a deer was off to the left of us and that it was a nice buck he reached for his bow. As the buck
came into view Eric picked up his bow, a slight tinkle of the frosty grass and we had the eight pointers
undivided attention. No movement in the blind as both of us held our breath, with a wary whitetail staring
right at you from a distance of 8 yards is enough to give any hunter a tightness in his throat. After a few
minutes of staring into our souls the buck took a few steps backward and to continue to feed in the
clearing. While Eric continued to raise his bow and wait for the buck to give us a broad side shot a little six
point came into the clearing. Right up behind the 8 pointer, the first buck turned slightly and Eric readied
for his shot. As he drew I held my breath, it was like watching my son take his first shot at a deer. As Eric
drew he raised his bow and released when it came level with the 8 points shoulder. A flash of white and
they were gone. As Eric and I sat in the blind waiting to go collect his trophy, Eric assured me it was a
good shot and I thought so to. We left the blind to look for the blood trail, as we searched the ground and
called Britt, our guide to come give us a hand we were further encouraged by the fact that we could not
find the arrow. When Britt arrived we spread out to continue our search for the blood trail, nothing. We
looked for the rest of the morning but were unable to come up with a blood trail of any kind.

For the afternoon a lunch was planned for us at the Wildcatter Steakhouse and Saloon. A great break
for our hunters. Hunting that evening was to be replaced by dinner with the ranch owners and a couple of
folks from town. This was a great experience for all involved as the owners had a chance to talk with the
soldiers and ask questions and just relax with every one. During this our friends from live hunt .com had
shown up and were able to enjoy the festivities with everyone.

                                         DAY 2

The second day started out much the same for Eric and myself as the first day did for Jeremiah. We had
decide to move the hunters to different blinds, Jeremiah because nothing showed the first morning an Eric
to give the first blind a break from yesterdays activity around it.

While daylight came and mid morning approached the only thing that Eric and I saw were the birds that
came and went from in front of us.

Jeremiah and tj on the other hand were having better luck as a nice little spike came into view. Eric
readied the Ten Point Crossbow and took careful aim. The spike was in range and Jeremiah was ready
for the shot. His finger was tightening on the trigger and the bolt was on the was its way. Though we were
unable to tell what had happened it was clear that the shot was a miss.

Both hunters came into the hunting cabin for a lunch of sandwiches a of course no deer camp would not
be complete without sitting around and telling stories of hunts gone past, Sackett and TJ even lent a hand
with some stories of their own.

The afternoon hunt was underway then and Eric and I headed off to our stand, while 2 does and 1 nice
six point passed out of range nothing else could be coaxed in.

While Eric had no luck the same could not be said for Jeremiah, a nice 6 point had come into his stand
and Jeremiah and TJ were right there to make sure that it would be his last trip into that area. While the
buck did look into there direction the double bull matrix blind that they were in hid them and any
movement they made while getting the camera in position. As they watched the buck , waiting for the
moment it would turn and give them a shot, Jeremiah readied the crossbow and centered the sight on
him. As the buck turned ,he was ready, a squeeze of the trigger and the bolt speed toward the buck, a
great shot right behind the shoulder. Jeremiah and TJ both enjoyed some well deserved after shot
celebration before heading out o find the blood trail and hopefully the deer. As dark approached they
found the trail and followed at some points by flash light. as the hunters followed the trial left by the
wounded deer it led down through as rocky ravine and our hunters decided to wait for daylight so nobody
would get hurt. This is a good call as our hunters all are wounded or disabled vets.

Daylight found us all in the woods picking up the trail where the search had been stopped the night
before. About an hour into the search we found where the deer had been the night before. The amount of
blood on the ground and the way it was spread out told us that the buck had been found before we got
there, by the coyote’s. we spread out to see what we could find left of Jeremiah’s trophy. Sackett was the
first spot what was left of the deer, not much as can expect when a pack of coyote’s gets done with it.
Jeremiah would however be able to at least take the rack home as souvenir from his hunt at the
Wildcatter.

The afternoon of our third day would consist of lunch and then some skeet shooting at the ranches skeet
range. These guys were definitely in their environment there as they shot round after round and box after
box of shells at the round discs flying through the air. A great time was had by all on this our final day of
the hunt. What a great way to end a great week.

Injured soldiers would like to say thank you to each of our hunters for being able to attend this hunt with
us and share in the memories, new friendships were formed, and will remain for us all.

Operation Injured Soldier would like to thank the following who made this hunt a success,

Wildcatter Ranch, Livehunt.com, Double Bull blinds, Ten Point Crossbows, Bowtech, Nikon, Magnus
Broadheads

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