By Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News
Carl Underwood is from Connecticut, but for the past several months, he has been at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch working as a wildlife technician.
When the Lone Star Outdoor News crew came through the ranch in February, Underwood was asked if he had ever shot a deer.
“I had not,” he said. “I pretty much have no hunting experience, although I did try archery hunting at home a few times, with no luck, and have been on a few quail hunts at the ranch.
Underwood, a 2016 graduate of the University of Connecticut, shared his information. A few weeks later, he received a call to go deer hunting.
The 25-year-old, who is planning on pursuing his Master’s degree, headed to the West Texas ranch for the hunt.
“The first evening, we hung out in the blind for awhile but nothing came in,” he said. “We started driving around the ranch in the golf cart but didn’t see anything.”
Guided by Ben Carter, the next morning started off the same way.
“We went to a different blind, but nothing,” he said. “In the golf cart, about 30 minutes later, we came across a group of six bucks and they bolted over a hill.”
The pair eventually saw the group again and a buck to shoot was identified.
“I took a shot at a buck but missed,” Underwood said. “I was a little too excited.”
Later, another buck was spotted and identified. Obtaining a good rest on the golf cart, this time Underwood’s shot was true.
“I took the shot at around 200 yards,” Underwood said. “He only went 20 yards.”
After the harvest, the experience grew to full service.
“I quartered and deboned the buck by myself,” he said. “I saved the backstraps, tenderloin and brisket. I ground the rest, mixed it with beef fat and turned it into bratwurst.”
Since returning to RPQRR, he has been feeding the other technicians and his boss, Dale Rollins.
“I think I changed Dr. Rollins into a deer lover again,” Underwood said. “And Casey, another technician from California, is a vegetarian, but she is OK with game meat, so she has been partaking.”
Underwood is creating his own European mount with the buck’s skull.
“I boiled it and scrubbed it,” he said. “Now, it’s sitting on the ground and hopefully the bugs are finishing cleaning it out.”
Underwood’s time at the Texas ranch is nearly over, and he will soon head to Southern California to conduct research on how the massive wildfires have affected the bird populations. Hunting is in his future plans, though.
“I plan to be in Colorado for the next hunting season, though,” he said. “And I’m going to try and hunt a mule deer.”
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