Post by Bobcat on Oct 16, 2003 17:41:45 GMT -5
Outdoors a way of life for couple....
By Janet Grafe
Seguin Gazette Published October 16, 2003
GUADALUPE COUNTY — Norma Guzman didn’t know much about hunting when her boyfriend (now husband) Ronnie Kresta took her on her first hunt in November 1997.
She bought a hunting license and practiced a few times with the gun she was given and was a natural marksman.
On her first hunt, she killed the 20th highest scoring typical white-tail buck ever recorded in Texas, with a Boone and Crockett green score of 1842/8.
It was the highest-scoring typical ever taken by a woman in Texas. The 5-year-old buck dressed out at 176 pounds.
Ronnie and Norma had the Boone and Crockett buck mounted and will show it at Buck Fever, Oct. 22-23, at the Seguin-Guadalupe County Coliseum.
In 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club was established by Teddy Roosevelt to encourage conservation and ethical conduct among hunters, and to keep a record of trophy-sized big game in North America.
A white-tail deer has to score at least 160 points to make the record book, and more than 170 to place in the all-time award section.
Ronnie Kresta was raised in Gonzales and has always loved hunting. He quickly discovered that the deer in deep south Texas were bigger than the deer around here.
“They’re a different breed and not hunted as much as they are here, so they have a chance to grow bigger,” Ronnie explained.
He manages a 3,000-acre deer lease near Carrizo Springs and credits conservative hunting practices with letting deer reach their full size. Only mature bucks were allowed to be shot for ten years, and now there is an abundance of large bucks at the lease.
“Here in central Texas, hunters will shoot anything with horns, so the deer don’t have a chance to mature,” Ronnie said.
Norma Kresta still uses the same Weatherby 270 magnum and has killed five more bucks since her first.
“We go to the deer lease just about every weekend,” Norma explained. “We hunt for a few hours in the morning and for a few hours in the evening, and the rest of the time is spent working around the lease or doing things with our friends. It’s a lot of fun.”
Ronnie has shot four deer in the 160 class, and just missed the all-time award when he bagged a buck scoring 168 points.
“I love being outdoors,” Ronnie said. “I could be outdoors seven days a week. It’s peaceful being away from work and mowing the grass and phones. Going to the lease is 10 percent hunting and 90 percent having fun with your friends.”
One of the challenges of hunting is estimating the size of the buck to decide if it is mature enough to shoot.
“It’s called ‘ground shrinkage’” Ronnie said. “The buck always looks smaller after it’s been shot and is laying on the ground.”
One thing that makes it harder to judge the size is that each deer’s rack is unique, and Ronnie says he can recognize deer from year to year, based on the appearance of their horns.
He has just taken up bow hunting and said that is a real challenge.
“The deer smell and hear so good; it’s hard to get close enough to shoot,” Ronnie said. “You have to be in the right spot at the right time.”
From the time deer season opens for bow hunting in September to the time it closes in January, Ronnie and Norma try to spend every weekend at the deer lease.
“The worst day at the deer lease is better than the best day at work,” Ronnie explained. “If you like the outdoors, you’ll love a deer lease.”
By Janet Grafe
Seguin Gazette Published October 16, 2003
GUADALUPE COUNTY — Norma Guzman didn’t know much about hunting when her boyfriend (now husband) Ronnie Kresta took her on her first hunt in November 1997.
She bought a hunting license and practiced a few times with the gun she was given and was a natural marksman.
On her first hunt, she killed the 20th highest scoring typical white-tail buck ever recorded in Texas, with a Boone and Crockett green score of 1842/8.
It was the highest-scoring typical ever taken by a woman in Texas. The 5-year-old buck dressed out at 176 pounds.
Ronnie and Norma had the Boone and Crockett buck mounted and will show it at Buck Fever, Oct. 22-23, at the Seguin-Guadalupe County Coliseum.
In 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club was established by Teddy Roosevelt to encourage conservation and ethical conduct among hunters, and to keep a record of trophy-sized big game in North America.
A white-tail deer has to score at least 160 points to make the record book, and more than 170 to place in the all-time award section.
Ronnie Kresta was raised in Gonzales and has always loved hunting. He quickly discovered that the deer in deep south Texas were bigger than the deer around here.
“They’re a different breed and not hunted as much as they are here, so they have a chance to grow bigger,” Ronnie explained.
He manages a 3,000-acre deer lease near Carrizo Springs and credits conservative hunting practices with letting deer reach their full size. Only mature bucks were allowed to be shot for ten years, and now there is an abundance of large bucks at the lease.
“Here in central Texas, hunters will shoot anything with horns, so the deer don’t have a chance to mature,” Ronnie said.
Norma Kresta still uses the same Weatherby 270 magnum and has killed five more bucks since her first.
“We go to the deer lease just about every weekend,” Norma explained. “We hunt for a few hours in the morning and for a few hours in the evening, and the rest of the time is spent working around the lease or doing things with our friends. It’s a lot of fun.”
Ronnie has shot four deer in the 160 class, and just missed the all-time award when he bagged a buck scoring 168 points.
“I love being outdoors,” Ronnie said. “I could be outdoors seven days a week. It’s peaceful being away from work and mowing the grass and phones. Going to the lease is 10 percent hunting and 90 percent having fun with your friends.”
One of the challenges of hunting is estimating the size of the buck to decide if it is mature enough to shoot.
“It’s called ‘ground shrinkage’” Ronnie said. “The buck always looks smaller after it’s been shot and is laying on the ground.”
One thing that makes it harder to judge the size is that each deer’s rack is unique, and Ronnie says he can recognize deer from year to year, based on the appearance of their horns.
He has just taken up bow hunting and said that is a real challenge.
“The deer smell and hear so good; it’s hard to get close enough to shoot,” Ronnie said. “You have to be in the right spot at the right time.”
From the time deer season opens for bow hunting in September to the time it closes in January, Ronnie and Norma try to spend every weekend at the deer lease.
“The worst day at the deer lease is better than the best day at work,” Ronnie explained. “If you like the outdoors, you’ll love a deer lease.”
