I came to Rock N Roll Redneck Ranch the day before rifle season opened because Mark was kind enough to let me bow hunt first. What I got was a lesson in adaptation and honest hunting that I carry with me every season.
It was November 4th, 2022, and my buddy and I were heading out to rattle in some deer and maybe take a shot with the bow before the rifle opener. We were grateful just to be on good ground. We’d been worried about getting to hunt at all that year, and Mark gave us permission to be there. That was enough.
The Opener Doesn’t Cooperate
November 5th came in cold—37 degrees—and crisp. Opening day in Texas. We sat the blind expecting to see does, maybe a small buck. Nothing came. Not a single sighting all morning. We heard a couple distant gunshots, but nothing on the property. The hogs that were supposed to be everywhere? Nowhere to be found.
Here’s the thing about opening day: it’s not always what you dream about the night before. Sometimes it’s slow. Sometimes it’s cold and quiet and the animals are somewhere else, doing whatever they want while you’re sitting in a blind wondering if you made the right call.
I know you wanted to eat, I wanted to eat too—I sent one through the PMP house later baby.
We had two sits to work with and we needed meat for the freezer. Simple as that. So we made the call: we grabbed the AR-15 and started still-hunting the back side of Mark’s property. No dramatics, no trophy hunting. Just two bowhunters who became rifle hunters because the situation demanded it.
Walking the back, we heard gunshots—closer this time. Maybe Mark connected. Maybe John and his son got something. We headed back toward the blind to see what the morning had turned into. We didn’t know if there was meat on the ground or just more hunting ahead.
Real Hunts Teach Real Lessons
Mark was generous with his ground, and I was grateful. I’ve been hunting long enough to know that the hardest days often teach more than the easy ones. This was an honest hunt from start to finish. No gimmicks, no script. Just a November morning and two guys trying to put meat in the freezer before dark.
The rifle season opening taught me something important: hunting isn’t always about perfect conditions and trophy moments. Sometimes it’s about showing up, adapting when the plan changes, and doing what needs to be done. When your season opens slow like this, having the right attractants in your pack and the patience to work through tough mornings matter more than luck. Come back tomorrow. Keep grinding.
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