John and I pulled up to Baker 3 Ranch and I knew this hunt was different from anything I’d done before. His church runs an annual hunt there, and it’s not about putting heads on walls—it’s about depth, challenge, and real bowhunting.
My first year was 2023. John brought me into it, and the second I got there, I understood why he talks about this place with so much respect. The ranch sits in rocky country, the animals are wild axis and blackbuck, and the hunt itself is a multi-day commitment with real challenge built into every stalk.
Scouting and Setting Up
Episode one was about getting oriented and laying the groundwork for the hunts to come. John and I spent the first day hiking the washes, placing Moultrie trail cameras at water holes and key spots, and looking for signs—rubs, tracks, water holes where axis come in to drink.
We heard axis roaring in the distance. That’s not a sound you hear from whitetail or elk. It’s unique, sharp, and wild. We moved toward the sound, trying to locate where the bucks were bedding. The terrain is all rock and creosote, so noise discipline matters. Every footfall on the rocks is a potential give-away.
We found a good water hole, set up a camera, and moved into some shade to gllass and listen. The afternoon wore on and we heard more roars. We knew the animals were in the area.
There’s just something special about this hunt that is way more in depth than killing a giant bull on a side of a mountain.
As light started getting thin, I spotted a buck across a clearing—about 100 yards away. I made my move, repositioned toward some better trees to close distance. But in moving to get a better position, I stood up and there he was—a good axis buck right across the water. I drew back and sent an arrow. Clean miss. That’s the hunt right there. Not the story I wanted to start with, but that’s what happens when you hunt wild animals with a bow.
What Baker 3 Really Is
This hunt isn’t about guaranteed success or trophy guarantees. It’s about being in rugged terrain, making long stalks on wary wild animals, and learning to hunt without a net. We’ve got more episodes coming. Animals will hit the ground. Decisions will be made. The hunt will unfold like it really does in the field, not like a highlight reel.
If you want to see what commitment to archery and wild country looks like, Episode 2 shows where this led. And if you’re hunting javelina in similar terrain, Texas hunts teach the same lessons about stalking and pressure.
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