Hunting Amongst a Hero and Legend
A dedication hunt to Darrell Bailey and Bill Carter
By: Keith Bailey

About three years ago I wrote a dedication article to my Dad, Darrell Bailey, and best friend, Stacy Broadrick and called it Forever Thankful. Since then, I lost my Dad, my hero and hunting partner, to cancer on February 24, 2011, barely 11 months ago. I still remember driving south on I-35 and passing the Sombrerito Ranch and my Dad saying, “Yep, one day. One day we’re gonna hunt there!”

That day never came for Dad. That’s when I knew I would fulfill my Dad’s dream and hunt the Sombrerito Ranch. So during the spring I contacted Bill Carter in the hopes of booking a 2011/2012 season hunt. To my surprise, he wasn’t totally booked. The dates were set for the most anticipated hunt of my life.  

During the off season I was pacing myself between two fulltime jobs; one at the fire department and one at the hospital emergency room. I see so much tragedy in these jobs that it makes my escape to the outdoors that much more special.
By the time hunting season arrived I had several hunts booked in Canada, the mid-west, south Texas and Mexico. But, the hunt I anticipated the most was definitely with Mr. Carter. It would be my fourth hunt of the season, and as I arrive back on U.S. soil, I repack and reload my gear and head out on the drive south to the Sombrerito Ranch.

When I arrive at camp I am greeted by my guide, Jerry and none other than Mr. Carter himself. He offers a short shoot with my rifle, but most importantly, offers his words of encouragement and inspiration. A game plan was made for the following morning’s hunt over dinner.

There’s always something special about a good, home cooked meal and mindless chatter of sports, politics and hunting. The first day closed with expectation growing and anticipation building. It’s often difficult to sleep the first night before a hunt, as you lay restless thinking of what the next day will bring.

After a cup of coffee and a brief meeting with Jerry, I load up and we make the drive through the ranch to where a big deer had been spotted. After a morning of seeing only young, up and coming bucks, we make a new game plan for the afternoon during a quick bite at lunch.

At the new setup, we saw a great deal of better buck, but they were all just shy of the class of deer we knew lived in South Texas. I held off, Jerry saying, “It’s early and we still have lots of time!” Only in South Texas could you pass such great bucks. WOW!!

The next morning brought a change in weather. The cooler and wetter conditions totally changed the deer movement. They seem to just appear from the brush once the temperatures dropped. The setting was perfect for one of those South Texas giants to step out anytime. Then, a really mature nine point with a 21 inch inside spread postures and makes his presence known to the other bucks. Jerry again warns, “Not yet, be patient.”

The sun set on the first day of my hunt. And what a great day afield it was!! Welcoming me back at camp was another home cooked meal, warm campfire and good company. I was no match for sleep that second night.

As morning came so did a new game plan. Light rain and cold temperatures had the bucks on their feet chasing doe. I wasn’t in the blind long when all of a sudden, out of the brush steps a beautiful 10 point tailgating a doe. Again, Jerry cautions, “Let’s hold off. I know there are even bigger bucks than him.” Passing this made the biggest, most mature buck I had ever passed in my hunting career. Only in South Texas and only on the Sombrerito Ranch could I imagine seeing a bigger buck than him. The day came to an end as one of the best days afield I’ve had in a long time.

Day three arrived with a feeling inside: yep, today’s the day. That certain feeling you get when you just know the collective efforts of you and your guide will come together and you are closing in on Mr. Big. Today’s plan was to move to a blind where there’s a great view and lots of does. Once in the blind, I knew this was the spot: It just felt right. Not long after settling into the blind, a really mature six point and wide seven point squared off in the middle of the sendero, making lots of antler crashing. This drew several bucks in. Just then, Jerry says, “Keith, you probably need to get ready, ‘cause here comes a big one.” One look through my binoculars sealed the deal. A huge bodied and racked buck is headed my way. With confidence, Jerry says, “I don’t think you’ll find a deer with more mass than him.” I move into position and steadied my rifle. Adrenaline pumping and heart racing, I am more nervous than I’ve ever been. I could hear my Dad’s voice whisper in my ear, “Take a deep breath and gently squeeze the trigger.” The sound of his voice calms me. I am one shot from harvesting my biggest South Texas buck to date. I wait for him to clear the brush. As instructed, I take a deep breath and ever so gently squeeze the trigger and BOOM, the bullet of my 300 Win Mag is on its way to destiny. He’s down and I can barely catch my breath!

After giving the deer some time, we approached the buck. Being up close to the buck reveals truly heavy mass. I am fit to be tied. I truly can’t remember when I have been more excited about a hunt or a buck in my 37 years of hunting. I am almost brought to tears of joy. It wasn’t long after when Mr. Carter arrived and congratulated me. He, too commented, “Look at the mass on that deer!” He was right, as was Jerry. My buck scored right at 162 B&C and had almost 40 inches of mass. UNBELIEVABLE!!

After some field photos and lunch, I requested some time with Mr. Carter to look for arrowheads. We found numerous tools and points proving there is a rich and long history of ancient hunters and warriors who once inhabited this fertile land. It is my custom to give thanks to the Native Americans who once lived here for pointing me in the right direction to find these treasures. This time, I also gave thanks to those who made this hunt possible: my hero, Dad, the legend, Mr. Carter and my guide, Jerry!

We are given today, only. Tomorrow is a blessing.  Spend time with the ones you love and never say, “One day…”, because one day, is today. I love you Dad and miss you so much!! You ARE my hero.

I admire Mr. Carter for his vision. He has done so much for the management of deer and the hunting industry. He is a legend.
Before departing the ranch the next day, I spoke with Jerry and Mr. Carter and told them how grateful I was for making this hunt more than I thought it could be. All along the way, my Dad was right there, like a guide from above. This was truly a hunt amongst a Hero and a Legend.