We didn't get to use the pinata NiceShine bought and we stuffed so we took it with us so the girls could help us bust it. It worked so well! Everyone got to pull a string and we started over again and Drew ended up with the final string and pulled it open.
Aunt Earlene had santa hats on the back of her couch and Presley loved putting them on.
First morning, Skye and I were in the kitchen and I could see Preston walking to the ranch by himself in a hurry. Sure enough, Aydon's dreams came true first morning...he shot an Axis deer!
These are exotic animals that were brought to Texas that are originally from India. They have spots their whole lives sand are much darker than other deer. They also have longer antlers.
Ben skinned it so that we could get a rug made out of it! Ben had Skye fry up the balls and made Ty & Aydon try them. Ty spit it out but Aydon and the two men got it down. Aydon said it did taste like chicken but was super rubbery. He teased and said he should make Grandpa Gary a coin purse from the fur around the balls.
Bailey & Presley checking it out.
When they went out for the evening hunt they were walking to the blind and Ty was on the second step up and said Dad! there they are! He only saw does but Preston could see the buck so he was able to get a shot. He got it but then was afraid it was going to run so he shot it two more times and got guts everywhere!
Preston said it was the nastiest thing he'd ever cleaned it was so bad.
The 2nd morning, Zoey got herself an Axis too! They said there was a big one that Ben was watching and he saw the one next to it go down. He thought it was a doe but it turned out to be a spike. She was happy to finally get one too. Since the 3 big kids had gotten one we decided to go to Sonora Caverns. It was cool and Aydon was happy because we got to see the Blackbuck (another exotic animal brought in) they had also told us about.
There was no internet or cell service so there was lots of games and playing but we did turn on a movie every once in a while. I caught this cute picture of Bailey & Presley Amaya. They played so well and shared and everyone got along.
Aydon's hide
Zoey's hide
Friday morning they went hunting and moved some feeders, filled them and saw what they needed from town. Then they went to drop of the heads for european mounts and the axis hides. Aydon went so he could see the taxidermy place because they said there was a zebra in there and he wanted to see that. Turns out someone new owns the place now and the zebra was gone but he got to see a Rhino Skull instead. Zoey & Harleigh went with them but Ty wanted to stay home to hunt. He asked me or Skye to go with him but I told him he would be fine on his own. It's a 360 acres all fenced in so you can't get lost. We had been outside walking to the treehouse & watching the kids play and just walked in to start dinner. One of the girls ran in and said they heard a gunshot. I decided I better try to go look for him in case he got something to help him. I tried to go the opposite direction so in case he missed he could still hunt and didn't see him but by the time I got back he had already ran back to the house for help. He was so excited! His adrenaline was pumping and he said I think I shot two. We rode back there to where he shot one and Presley Skye found blood so he knew where this one was but was worried he shot another so I told him, the sun is setting quickly and you need to see if you can find a blood trail for the other one. Skye and I tried lifting it and his had smaller antler but it was fatter than Aydon's and with all the cactus we said we better wait and have the guys come get this. Right at that time Presley Amaya ended up in cactus and was crying. Skye pulled some out of her pants and then me and Zack took her & Bailey home to pull out the rest. The guys got back and I told them what happened and they went to help out. Ty ended up getting his butt ripped by his dad and then those two went out to start working on his deer. Poor Ty was so excited and had told Skye about all animals he had seen hunting alone and took pictures of and said this was the best trip ever and then got in trouble for not knowing for sure if he killed two Axis so it kind of ruined the moment for him. I gave them a few minutes and then went out to get pictures.
Checkout that Axis hide on the back of the couch!
Axis mount
Skye had bought all the kids Christmas socks so we had to get a picture of all of them.
Even Zack went out a couple of evenings with Ben & Paizlee to hunt for pigs. Zack spotted this fox so Ben had him shoot it. He had a .223 so it was blown up! He wouldn't touch it though so Ben's holding it for him.
Ben wanted Presley Amaya to come sit with him so bad and finally she did one day.
They had bought us a cornhole board and one for the Ranch. The kids opened it up and played a few rounds.
The kids have so much riding the four wheeler, side by side and Ranger.
Ty & Presley Skye won!
The last afternoon we processed Aydon & Ty's axis deer and Ty's whitetail. Skye & Ben said the axis deer is their favorite game meat and I agree...tastes most like beef than any other meat I've tried. I didn't want the whitetail but they said it's much better than the deer we have at home that I couldn't eat.
We told Aydon & Ty they had to help but Ty wasn't much help. Preston made lots of roasts for us while the rest of us cut up meat to grind into hamburger. Luckily, Skye & Ben had Brisket fat and crumbled beef fat already in their freezer so we were able to do all 2 1/2 deer and freeze it to take home the next day. It was dark by the time we finished so they said they'd just take Zoey's to be processed later.
Preston took another picture of Aydon to show the spots better
And a different angle of Ty's.
It'll take a couple of months for the mounts and like 4 months for the hides so we can't wait! Aydon said we could hang his on our wall until he gets married and gets his own place. Preston is so excited! He really wanted pillows made out of it so I told him he'll have to plan another trip and get his own to do that. He wanted a barbery sheep (Aoudad) really bad but never even saw one. He was following Ben one day but he drives slower to look for animals and missed the biggest one Ben's ever seen. Drew got to go hunting too but didn't shoot at anything. They saw baby axis deer & does and laughed at their walk. They also saw whitetail does. I went out one day while they were fixing the feeders just to see their property and I went to a blind and watched a whitetail eating for a long time. Ben & Zoey both killed some pigs as well but they don't keep those. We had so much fun. It was a 10 drive from their house so it's long but it was so worth it. Everyone enjoyed our time with them at their Ranch.
Barbados sheep with her 2 babies
An Axis spike that he passed on
He said he saw a bigger Axis than the one he got, that's the one he thought he might have killed but they went and looked the next morning and never found blood or an animal.
View from the blind
Whitetail
Preston hopes that we will be invited back another time so he gets his chance.
