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Features on Huntography #deertour and MeatEater's Steve Rinella plus wild game recipes, gear reviews and more!
Citation preview
Contributors
Ramon Bell
Rob Freyer
Bob Hooven
Bill Howard
Mark Huelsing
Darren Johnson
Randy Mabe
Amanda MacDonald
Jenny Nguyen
‘Papa’Scott Perrodin
Albert Quackenbush
Steven Rinella
Ryan Shoemaker
Gretchen Steele
Nick Viau
Bow Adventures The e-Magazine for Archery
Enthusiasts
A monthly online publication.
Publisher/Editor
BillHoward
Cover Design
AlbertQuackenbush
Advertising/Marketing
BillHoward
Circulation
BillHoward For free distribution to
your bowhunting group or organization, contact [email protected]
for information and instructions.
Any reproduction of copy or images without prior permission from Bow Adventures or its contributors is strictly forbidden.
©Bow Adventures2012
On Target with Bow Adventures Subject: #deertour 18 - Meet the Huntographers 22 – 30 Deer Year
Rob Freyer 35 – Stickbow Hunter’s
Perspective Nick Viau
Columns 08 - 20 Questions Steven Rinella 45 – Habitat Insight Darren Johnson 53 – Mock Rubs Ramon Bell 54 - Cookin’ with Camp Dog Pot Roasted Wood Ducks Scott Perrodin 62 – Project Game Cart Albert Quackenbush 66 – Food For Hunters Venison Bourguignon 68 – Bowfishing Slam Coastal Bowfishing 73 – We Are Warriors Archery after Cancer Gretchen Steele 77 – Target Bow 101 Amanda MacDonald
Features 12 – Muley Mania Randy Mabe 40 – Summer Sausage
Hogs in the Heat Bill Howard 43 – Rewards of Quality Wildlife Management Bill Howard 48 – Colorado 5x5 Bob Hooven 69 – How to Effectively Pack for a Hunting Trip Presented by Stowaway2 Cargo Systems 79 – 100 Miles Ryan Shoemaker
Reviews 06 – MeatEater by Steven Rinella Bill Howard 51 – Big Deer Hunters Doe Stick Bill Howard 55 – Rinehart Targets Mark Huelsing 58 – S4Gear Jackknife Albert Quackenbush 71 – Alps Outdoorz Pursuit Backpack Bill Howard
Cover: Huntography #Deertour2012 Inset: MeatEater by Steven Rinella
This Page: Mark Huelsing of Huntogaphy #Deertour2012
Bill Howard
A few years ago after the opening day of
dove season I taught my oldest son how to
clean a bird. Cleaning animals is not my
favorite part of the hunt, but it is necessary if
you are going to eat what you kill. It was
messy, but we got all the dove cleaned,
marinated them overnight, and that Sunday we
had a feast. If I remember correctly, we had
about eight kids in the neighborhood over at
the house trying their first dove meat.
Since then we have had a staple of wild
game meat, ranging from buffalo to bear to
deer to alligator. My son even cleaned and
fried a squirrel he had taken a couple of years
ago. Again, it was messy, the hide was ripped
to pieces and the grease from him attempting
to cook his own meat clogged the drain pipe in
the kitchen, but I was proud of his effort.
A few weeks ago I was forwarded a book
titled “Meat Eater” by Steve Rinella. Rinella
is the host of the television show of the same
name on the Sportsman Channel and was the
host of the show ‘The Wild Within’ on the
Travel Channel. If Rinella is anything, he is
not an apologist.
Rinella believes what you kill, you eat, and
what you eat, you kill. Part biography, part
philosophy, part history, Rinella explains what
a true outdoorsman is supposed to be.
Rinella began as a trapper in his youth,
thinking that a great life would consist of
living off the land. He studied and idolized
such people as Davy Crockett. He delves into
subject matter consisting of why frontiersmen
such as Crockett did what they did and how
they survived.
He explains how one can become so
consumed by the end game that shortcuts, or
ethics, can be compromised. He then explains
how those same mistakes helped him mature
and appreciate nature.
In one particular chapter, Rinella discusses
what many label as a hallmark of fishing.
Rinella always loved fishing and enjoyed
showing others up at times. After being
convinced a true angler can only reach the top
after fishing for bonefish in the flats off of
Mexico, Rinella and his brother hiked and
hitched south of the border. Rinella explains
how they survived off the land and water for
much of the trip. At one point, Rinella has an
epiphany. Here they were, fishing on
hallowed waters for prized game fish, and
starving. The only meals were the ones they
caught, and bonefish just did not make a great
meal. How did his passion turn into something
where he was hoping something edible would
grab the line rather than the targeted species
they trekked so far for?
The book is enlightening and real. It offers
a reason not to trophy hunt but rather a reason
to hunt for sustenance. With wit, insight, and
great storytelling, Rinella makes contact with
the reader in ways that even a non-hunter can
understand. Bringing in his personal accounts
of childhood and relating historical tales of
early America makes Rinella the perfect
hunting partner or fishing buddy, even if he is
not there in person. And based on his
experiences and wisdom, I would bet he would
be the first to grab the skinning knife at the
camp so I could stand back and watch my least
favorite part of the hunt.
Meat Eater went on sale September 4 and
can be found at most book sellers. BA
1- How long have you (been an archer or)
bowhunted?
SR- I grew up around archery. From as far
back as I can remember I was shooting long
bows, recurves, and compound bows. I started
bowhunting for deer when I was eleven,
though it took me a few years to kill one.
2- What/who started you in
bowhunting?
SR- My dad. He started bowhunting in
the early 1950s and was very active with
Pope and Young throughout his life. Also
the Muskegon Bowmen, an organization
near my home. He’d take my brothers and
I to shoot in leagues and silhouette
tournaments when we were really young.
When I was five, he took us to have lunch
with Fred Bear in Akron, Ohio. There was
never a doubt that I’d be a hunter, and that
I’d hunt with a bow.
3- What was the first game you
harvested with a bow?
SR- Squirrels, for starters. But I started
killing deer in my teens with a bow. We
ambush hunted from trees.
4- What was your most difficult hunt?
SR- Dall sheep are tough, both
mentally and physically, though I’ve never
hunted them with a bow. My most difficult
bow hunts have been every archery elk
hunt I’ve taken. When you’re chasing elk
on foot, so many little pieces have to fall in
place that it sometimes seems impossible.
But then you get that lucky break, and
everything falls into place, and it’s heaven.
5- What was your favorite hunt?
SR- Some of my favorite hunts happened
when I first decided to hunt for all of my own
meat. This was back in 1994, when I was in
college in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I
killed a doe and a buck with my bow that fall,
and just devoured the animals within a couple
months. Those experiences changed my life.
6- How long do you prepare for a hunt?
SR- I get to do a lot of hunting; I’m chasing
game almost 150 days a year. Between hunts, I
spend more time recovering from a previous
adventure than getting ready for the next.
7- How do you prepare for a hunt?
SR- I make lists and pack very carefully.
And if I have a few weeks between hunts, I’ll
work out for an hour a day several times a
week. And sometimes I run, though I get
bad shin splints and have shied away from
running lately. As long as we’re on that
subject, I’ll say that poor physical fitness
destroys more guys’ hunts than just about
anything else.
8- What archery gear do you use?
SR- I shoot Mathews bows, and use
components made by Schaffer Archery.
For bowfishing, which I’m a big fan of, I
use a lot of Cajun Archery gear. My
favorite apparel for archery hunting is the
merino wool stuff by First Lite It is super
quiet and resists odor. I’m also a big fan of
Vortex binoculars. They’re a great
company and have a lot of great guys
working for them.
9- What is the one thing you have to
have on every hunt?
SR- A hunting license! Besides that, I
use a lot of gear pretty religiously. To
name a couple items off the top of my
head, I always have a multi-tool and a
Havalon knife and a pair of binoculars. .
10- What game do you wish to hunt but
never have?
SR- For some reason I really want to hunt a
warthog in Africa. They look tasty, and I’d like
to have one of those skulls for my book shelf.
11- What game do you want to hunt again?
SR- Dall sheep, again and again. Those
animals get under your skin. A ram can take a
blow to the head about 40 times greater than
what is required to fracture a human skull. In
other words, they are some tough critters. And
I feel most at home in the
rugged alpine
zones, where
you’re faced
with constant
danger.
12- What is
the one thing
regarding
bowhunting you
could do without?
SR- I can’t
think of any
complaints that are
particular to
bowhunting. When it
comes to hunting in
general, I’d be really
happy if guys who hunt
fenced enclosures would
quit calling it “hunting.”
It’s more of a combination
between farming and
hunting, so why not combine
those words and call it “harming?”
13- Choose 3 people to take on a hunt with
you, 1 living, 1 deceased, and 1 non-hunter.
Who would they be and why?
SR- 1) Living: Jim Harrison. He’s my
favorite writer and an avid hunter. If it wasn’t
for his novels, I probably wouldn’t be doing
what I’m doing today. 2) Deceased: Daniel
Boone. That man took a lot of hunting secrets
to his grave, and I’d love to spend a year or so
with him back in the mid-1700s. 3) Non-
hunter: The president. I’d like for him to see
and understand what responsible hunting is all
about. I’d want him to
understand the reverence
that hunters have for the
land and the animals.
14- Do you have
any superstitions or
rituals that must be
followed for each
hunt or
preparation?
SR- I like to
eat a meal from
my kills while
in the field. At
the risk of
sounding
overly
spiritual, it’s
my way of
showing
the
animal
that it will be
honored and used
properly.
15- Any other hobbies you'd like to share
with us?
SR- I’m an avid fisherman, whether it’s
halibut at my cabin in Alaska or bluegills from
my mom’s dock with my little boy standing
between my legs.
16- What is your favorite thing about
archery or bowhunting?
SR- Getting really close to big animals.
17- What do you dislike the most about
archery or bowhunting?
SR- Bad hits.
18- Ever have a hair-raising incident or
scary situation occur while hunting?
SR- Yes, many. I used to worry a lot about
grizzlies, as I hunt Montana and Alaska pretty
heavily. But now I relish those run-ins, as I
enjoy being near the bears. In my old age (I’m
38), I’ve come to realize that the real dangers
in the outdoors are things like getting too cold
or slipping in steep country. That’s what I’m
paying attention to nowadays.
19- What is one bit of advice you would
give to a new or young bowhunter?
SR- Eat your kill. It fosters a level of
respect that will help you become a better
hunter.
20- What are your bowhunting goals for the
next year?
SR- I want to kill a deer with my bow on a
buddy’s property in New Jersey. And then I
want to drive that deer through the Holland
Tunnel into Manhattan and cook it at a really
fancy restaurant. Serve it to people who have
no idea about hunting. That’s how we win the
war. I call it venison diplomacy. BA
One of my “dream bow hunts” has long
been a spot and stalk mule deer hunt set upon
the rugged landscape of one of our beautiful
western states. So, this year when I was
invited to go with two friends on a DIY hunt in
eastern Wyoming, I jumped at the chance.
After applying for the tag in March, I had to
wait until June to find out the results of the
draw. Although previous years had resulted in
a 100% success rate for applicants, I was
still anxious until the results appeared on
line and I saw that I
had drawn a tag.
The hunt had
been scheduled to
begin on opening
day, September 1,
2012 with everyone
arriving in Wyoming
two days prior. This
would allow time to
acquire supplies, set up
camp and do some
preseason scouting. A vacation was planned to
allow for 12 days of hunting, giving us a great
amount of time to take a nice mulie with the
bow.
My two hunting buddies had been on
several mule deer hunts in this area, but it
would be my first spot and stalk bowhunt for
the gray ghost in this unit. Being confident of
us all drawing tags, I had begun preparations
for the hunt months in advance. Knowing I
would be hunting each day alone, I reviewed
operation of my Garmin gps, had my bow
tuned up at the pro shop, inventoried my
hunting gear and began reading everything I
could find about spot and stalk mule deer
hunting with a bow. I also watched any TV
show or video I could find about mule deer
hunting. Along with this I began a rigorous
exercise routine and began practicing with my
bow for hours each week, shooting out to 70
yards. I did all my practicing using practice
broadheads that represented the actual
broadheads I would use on the hunt. All was
looking great, and then the phone call came.
One of my hunting partners called and the
conversation began with
this sentence: “Hey Man,
I’ve got bad news…we
didn’t get a tag.” I
couldn’t believe it! I
asked what happened
and he told me the
Wyoming
Department of
Wildlife had
decided to cut back
on the number of
mule deer tags because of the
severe drought and wildfires that had
hammered the eastern part of the state this
year. He told me they had tried to get an
antelope tag, but they also were sold out
because of cut backs. After trying everything,
my friends were unable to acquire any type of
tag applicable to the unit we had planned to
hunt. As we finished our conversation, reality
set in and I knew I was faced with a question,
“Do I go alone or stay at home?”
When a planned hunt goes from 3 people
down to a solo hunter, a lot of questions arise.
Logistics, finances, the camaraderie and the
work load all come into play when deciding on
going alone. After a couple of days making
phone calls, working out some details and
weighing out decisions, I decided to make the
hunt alone and go at it aggressively.
I flew into Denver on August 30th, rented a
4x4 vehicle and drove 4 hours to Douglas,
Wyoming. I spent the night there, purchased
supplies for about 5 days and drove on to the
ranch the following morning. After being
shown the boundaries of my (huge) hunting
area, I found a small area of cottonwood trees
and set up camp. With a few hours of daylight
left, I scouted the area with the use of my Zeiss
10 x 42 binoculars and saw a few
mule deer does. Soon the sun
was setting on the vast prairie
and it was time to eat a little
supper, get some rest and be
ready for opening day.
My first night in camp
was a very restless one.
The wind blew hard
against the tent walls
and coyotes howling
under a full moon, sounded
like they were within 50 yards of
camp. My wind up alarm clock went off at
3:45 am, waking me from a light sleep. The
first thing I put on was my Buckmaster
headlamp and under the green glow cast inside
the dark tent, I began dressing in my Mossy
Oak camo. Next I reached for my Cabela’s
snake boots and shook them upside down just
in case any crawling creature had camped out
inside of them. Yep, there’s rattlesnakes living
around the small patches of sage that grows on
the Wyoming prairie. And I didn’t care to
encounter one inside or outside my hunting
boots. And, don’t forget about the cactus that
waits for the opportunity to stick you
anywhere it can. I carried camouflaged knee
pads inside my backpack and they were a life
saver for making a stalk across the open plains.
Eating a light breakfast while making the
20 minute drive to my parking spot, I reviewed
my mental plan for the first days’ hunt. I was
going to make about a 45 minute hike to a
mound of land that rose up in the open prairie
and spend time glassing the surrounding area
for a buck worthy of a stalk.
Sitting in the dark on top of the little
mountain for about 30 minutes gave me time
to position a cushion between my bottom
side and the rocky hillside, set
up my spotting scope and
ready my
binoculars for
a possible
long set. I
had read
stories about
mule deer
hunters spending
hours glassing,
looking for a buck
to show. I was also
aware that the 90 degree
temperatures plaguing the Wyoming
prairie was going to drive the mule deer to
shady bedding areas before the sun had a
chance to rise very high in the beautiful blue
western sky.
As the skies turned from dark to a light
gray, my first sighting was a group of elk
including one 5 x 6 bull and 8 cows feeding
about 700 yards in front of me. On both sides
of the mound I sat on were many antelope
feeding amidst the scattered sage. I thought at
any minute I would hear the thunderous
hooves of a thousand buffalo come charging
over the hills with a band of Indians shooting
arrows from the back of wild ponies. That
vision may have come from reading too many
Louis Lamour books, but the landscape sure fit
the bill for such a western painting.
Thirty minutes after light I saw my first
mule deer buck which joined the herd of elk as
they fed over a small green bench. My
spotting scope proved this buck to be smaller
than what I wished to pursue so I continued to
glass. Moving to the eastern side of the mound
I glassed across a thousand yards of open
prairie looking
for movement.
The rising sun
made it
difficult to see
clearly and as I
thought I saw a
deer size figure
out about 800
yards, I had to
make sure with
my spotting
scope.
Through the
sun’s glare it
was impossible
to see details of the bucks rack, but one thing
was obvious. The buck had an impressively
high rack and I was ready to make my first
attempt at stalking a Wyoming mule deer.
The sun was feeling warmer on my skin as
I began my slow stalk that took me in a wide
arch to the left of the buck. My decision to go
left was based on the fact that a deep canyon
lye to my left and the rising temperature would
encourage the buck to head that way looking
for a cool bedding spot. Bent over and making
myself as small as possible, I walked slowly,
stopping occasionally to glass the buck’s
movement while hoping to cut him off before
he made it to the canyon’s shade. Luckily the
high rack became more visible as the
Wyoming gray ghost began a lazy walk in my
direction.
Within two hundred yards of the canyon, I
began crawling on hands and knees glad to be
wearing the knee pads as I picked my way
through small clumps of cactus. Using my
range finder I kept tabs on the distance
between
myself
and the
buck. At
90 yards
my heart
was
beating
fast as I
imagined
myself
getting
within
bow
range of
this
beautiful buck. But, as I made my next move
to inch closer, the buck jerked his head erect
and stared a hole through me. There was no
cover to hide behind except the sage brush that
stood about 10 inches high. I froze with my
head looking down hoping my camouflage
would pull me through this difficult situation
and the wind would continue to hit me in the
face.
I waited for the buck to bring my first stalk
to an abrupt end, but amazingly he went back
to feeding after a long stare. I didn’t move but
let him feed by me, hopefully forgetting about
the object lying on the open ground a short
distance to his left. As the buck moved away
from me I began crawling again. The dry
landscape crunched as my shaking right hand
supported my body and I slid the bow forward
with my left hand. After another short crawl,
the buck raised his head and looked back at me
again. I knew I had pushed it to the limit and
would be lucky to ever draw my bow. When
the buck turned and began walking away I
quickly came to my knees, ranged the distance
at 61 yards and drew my Mathews bow.
The white wrap on the arrow shaft
disappeared in the bucks’ left flank and the
arrow exited the opposite side passing through
the liver. The buck ran about 10 yards then
walked 500 yards across the dry plains before
disappearing into the dark canyon. I walked to
the arrow and confirmed the hit then sat down
to collect my thoughts. I decided to wait 45
minutes before looking for sign of the buck.
It was 8:30 am when I made the shot. At
10:30 am I found the buck bedded against the
opposite side of the winding canyon 250 yards
north of where he entered it. Using my
binoculars I spotted one side of the bucks’ rack
before fully exposing my body. Now I had to
back out and make a hike to the other side of
the canyon and try for a shot straight down on
the bedded buck. One hour later I was placing
my boots as softly as possible on the rocky dry
ledge overlooking the buck bedded 15 yards
straight down. Drawing my bow and bending
my body for the most acute downward shot
I’ve ever taken, the arrow struck the deer
behind the left shoulder and the buck exploded
out of his bed and down the narrow canyon out
of sight. Again I sat down and waited as the
adrenalin drained from my body and fatigue
sat in. I felt good about the shot, but waited
another 30 minutes before moving in the
bucks’ direction. One hundred and twenty-
five yards down the canyon I found the
beautiful velvet racked mule deer lying
beneath one of only a few pine trees found
growing in the rocky landscape.
I could not believe this hunt had come
together as it did. I thanked the Lord for my
wonderful success and thought about my
understanding wife as I sat there holding the
bucks high rack. It had been only 52 hours
since I left my home in North Carolina and one
of the biggest decisions about making this hunt
happen had been, “go alone….or stay at
home.” BA
Equipment used on this hunt: Mathews Z7 Extreme
bow, Scott release, Montana Black Gold sights, QAD
rest, V Force Victory arrows, Rage 2 bladed
broadheads, Zeiss binoculars, Nikon’s Archers Choice
range finder, Garmin gps, Primos backpack, Nikon
spotting scope, Cabela’s Alaskan Guide tent, Cabela’s
snake boots, Mossy Oak camo, Canon Power Shot sx
120 camera
Willie Urish @outdoorfreaks
I am an outdoor junkie who is enthralled with hunting and fishing. From an early age I
joined my father on hunting and fishing trips around our home state of Illinois, and 13 short
years ago our family purchased out own hunting property. We have since sold it and purchased
a bigger piece, which luckily is where I currently call home. We have also added another family
farm, in western Illinois.
I make a living helping run a small manufacturing
plant near Springfield, Illinois. I am in charge of sales,
marketing and all media actions that the company does,
and could not enjoy it more. It allows me the flexibility
to take short trips throughout the year to scratch the itch
of hunting and fishing. I am extremely excited to be
apart of the Huntography family, and really appreciate
the grassroots vibe that is stands for. Early November
can't come soon enough, as I have thought about my Huntography hunt everyday since Rudy
asked me way back this past Spring. It is such a joy to be apart of the Huntography folks, who
exude the pragmatic part of hunting that is missing in today’s hunting world.
Mark Huelsing @soleadventure
When I was young my brother and I used to
spend weekends "in the country" at my
Grandparent's property. Their single-wide trailer,
which sat in a 3 acre cut, was our home base of
operations for adventures that included catching
crawdads in the creek, shooting cans off the
fence posts, and fishing for largemouth in the
farm ponds.
Just down the gravel road from my Grandpa’s
property was Charlie’s house. I still remember
the day that I – armed with my Grandpa’s .410 shotgun – crossed the electric fence that set the
perimeter around Charlie’s cattle and crossed into a heavily timbered hollow. It was then, and
there, that I became a hunter.
Hunting was set by the wayside as I transitioned from childhood and in to my teen years,
when I became more interested in playing sports and chasing girls than I was with pursuing
wild game. But after high school I was drawn back to my roots…back to the woods.
Several years ago I picked up my first bow and the casual hobby of hunting morphed into an
intense passion for hunting animals with archery equipment. Now I like to say that, “I am just a
regular guy with an irregular passion for bowhunting.”
I love to share my passion for bowhunting with others through writing. I blog at
SoleAdventure.com, have a weekly column at WiredToHunt.com, and also contribute to the
Driftwood Outdoors and Bow Adventures magazines.
Jessie Coe @bowhuntercoe
I'm a country boy that loves hunting. I'm young
and have a LOT to learn. I also love sharing
passion for hunting. As I go through life learning
all new kinds of stuff, I try and teach what I have
learned to young teens like myself. I have been
blessed by Yahweh in my efforts. He has put me in
positions that most kids my age could only dream
of.
My father, mother, and my two oldest brothers moved down to West Virginia from
Michigan in 1990 to pastor a small Baptist church here in Morgantown, where he still pastors
today. My dad was the one that had first took me into the rugged hills of West Virginia.
Looking back at the videos we have, I know where my passion for hunting came from.
Justin Morrell @foggymtnmeander
Hey everyone! I am Justin Morell and I am from
West Virginia. I grew up in rural Preston County and
currently use my family’s land there to hunt. I recently
moved to Morgantown, WV, about 45 minutes from
my hunting spot. I recently got married to the woman
of my dreams and she only helps fuel my love for the
outdoors daily. Even with the move most of my free
time in the fall is spent in a tree stand in Preston
County, WV. Actually, I can’t lie, most of my free time
is spent in the woods of Preston County prepping, running trail cameras and scouting for the
upcoming season.
I’d love to tell you I have been hunting my whole life, but I haven’t. I grew up hunting with
my grandfather and uncle but I “took a break” during those middle/high school years. Thanks to
a few great friends I found my way back to the woods again after high school and since then I
haven’t stopped. At the beginning of this journey, I started my blog, Foggy Mountain
Meanderings, to help chronicle these adventures. Hunting, in recent years, has become more
than a hobby, it has become an obsession. There is nothing like watching that first light peak
through the forest and silhouette the frost covered mountains making the woods come alive. To
me hunting isn’t just about the kill; it is about the whole experience.
The first picture is a picture is with my first bow kill this past 2011 WV archery season. The
second is a picture of the largest buck I have killed to date. Both were taken on Foggy
Mountain.
Blog: Foggy Mountain Meanderings - Hunting, Fishing, and Foraging West Virginia.
http://www.foggymountainmeanderings.com/
Facebook: Foggy Mountain Meanderings -
http://www.facebook.com/FoggyMountainMeanderings
Randy R. Mabe (336)908-0699 [email protected]
www.BroadheadKennels.com
SPOTLIGHT: ROB FREYER
@BIGBUCKPW
A Year of Thirty I’ll Never Forget
Hunting season for most of us is that time
of year we’re always waiting for, and that time
of year that gives us those memories that last a
lifetime. Well the 2011-2012 hunting season
certainly wasn’t short on those as it was the
year I successfully harvested 30 whitetail deer.
This was no small feat as I had to travel to
several different states, log tons of hours in
stand, be persistent, and stay motivated. At
certain points of my journey I wasn’t sure I
would make it, but the constant motivation
from my family, friends, and social media was
more than enough to help me accomplish my
goal.
My journey to thirty began in South
Carolina at Buck Run Hunting Lodge as the
season opens on August 15th down there. I
have been going to Buck Run for the past three
seasons, and this year will be my fourth. Pete
and Sandra Simmons own and operate Buck
Run, and have become good friends of mine,
so traveling down to SC is more than just a
hunt, it’s a time to reminisce with good
friends, and more good times. Last year was no
different than prior years, everything was
great, and time was going by way to fast as
usual, but on my final evening hunt there was
some magic in the air. It was a full moon that
day so to better my odds, I got the guys to drop
me off in stand at noon, I am always one that
likes to play the odds. Now keep in mind it
was 95 degrees when I got dropped off, and it
didn’t cool off for a long time, but I was
determined to get my buck. After about 6 long
hrs, I finally started to see some deer move, a
few does, then some bucks, but I was waiting
for that velvet trophy I so desired. As I
watched the corn field in front of me, I saw a
buck stand up, then another, and another, and
before I knew it I had about 20 bucks standing
in front of me about 200 yards away. I
cautiously hurried to pick out what I thought
was the biggest one, placed my crosshairs and
pulled the trigger. Deer scattered everywhere
as I came down off the recoil, and I had no
idea if I hit the deer or not. As I watched the
deer empty the field, the last buck was moving
a little slower than the others, and didn’t go in
the same direction, could it be? YES, I had
finally done it, I put a trophy velvet buck on
the ground.
Heading home from that trip was easy as I
was riding high on adrenaline from a hunt of a
lifetime if you ask me. I couldn’t be happier
than I was after harvesting a beautiful velvet
10 point. Already on the ride home I was
putting together plans for my hunting at home,
coming up with strategies, and deciding which
deer I wanted to go after. Keep in mind that it
was only August 18th and Maryland’s season
didn’t open until September 15th so I had
plenty of time to prepare. I already had two
bucks on the hit list, and my goal was to have
them figured out by opening day.
It’s now September 15th, opening day in
Maryland for the 2011 season, and I’m on my
way to one of my hunting spots in Annapolis,
MD. Not my ideal spot for big bucks, but I was
on a mission to harvest a doe, and I wanted to
scout for one of my big boys on a close
property after the morning hunt. As it got day
break I had 3 does feed into range, and I
successfully harvested one of them completing
my goal for the morning. I got the doe to the
truck, and headed down the road to my other
spot so I could check out what was going on. I
carefully slipped down into the woods to check
my camera as I had been monitoring the place
regularly, and to my surprise the big 8 point
I’d seen earlier in the year was still in the area.
Mental note, I need an east wind to hunt that
spot, and that’s not an easy wind to come by.
As the next few days went by, I was also
keeping track of another buck I had been
watching all summer on another farm in
Baltimore County, called The Big 7. He had
been very visible all summer long, as I caught
him movements on trail cameras, video, and
even glassed him a few times. In between
doing all this I managed to take a few more
doe, and waited patiently for the right
conditions to go after either of my hit list
bucks.
September 20th blew in on an east wind,
and I almost fell apart as I knew I would
finally get my chance to go after the big 8
point buck. Somehow I had to figure out how
to make it through the work day without
falling apart. I started the day with a scent free
shower, some coffee, and lots of motivation
because I had an appointment with the woods
that afternoon. As the day progressed I kept an
eye on the temperature as I was praying it
didn’t warm up too much. I’m sure you know
what I mean when I say the day couldn’t end
quick enough, but it finally did as I found
myself parked at my spot, changing clothes at
my door. Yes, I had to do what I had to do, and
that is to take a scent shower with a spray
bottle. I gathered my gear up, and slowly
headed down into the bottom where my
camera had been capturing all the action, but
this time it would be me. It was around 80
degrees that day, not too bad, but I still had to
be careful to not get sweated up as I climbed
the tree. I spent nearly a half an hour setting
up, so not to make the warmth my enemy. As
the temperatures started to fall, the deer began
to move off the ridge from where they bed.
First I had a few doe come by, then a spike,
and a few smaller bucks but not what I was
looking for. After watching the deer for around
20 minutes one of the small bucks threw his
head up as he caught something on the ridge. I
stared hard, and could see feet walking my
way, and as they got closer I could see antler,
BIG antler. Wow, it was him, and he was
coming right for me. I grabbed my bow,
positioned myself on stand, and waited for my
moment. He slowly but surely made his way
down the hill, but as older, wiser bucks do they
never come all the way in. He got to the base
of the hill in all his glory lifting his head to try
and catch a scent that wasn’t right, but not on
this day cause I had waited for the perfect
wind, and no matter what he did nothing could
save him now. As he fed around the other deer,
I watched and waited for my shot, not only did
I have to watch him I had to pay attention to
the half dozen other deer that were around.
This buck only fed for a few minutes, and
began to make his retreat, so it was now or
never. As he turned to walk away, I slowly
came to full draw, lined the pin up on his side,
and very softly bleated at him. He stopped
quartering away and in that split second my
pin found his last rib, and my finger pulled the
trigger. My arrow plunged deep into his chest,
and I knew it was over long before he could
have even realized what had happened. I
watched him make his way back up the ridge,
but the mighty king expired about 60 yards
away. What a hunt, all the scouting, checking
cameras, waiting for ideal conditions, well it
had all just paid off.
So it was September 20th and I now had 4
deer down only 6 days into the season. In
Maryland in my region you have to shoot 2
doe before you can purchase and harvest
another buck, so that is exactly what I did. I
belong to a management association in
Maryland called Tri-County Deer Management
Association and it is our job to manage the
deer population for people that give us the
opportunity to hunt. Being in the association
provides me with lots of properties to hunt and
lots and lots of opportunities to shoot more
doe. So I was off, doing what I do best,
harvesting deer, scouting for bucks, and
harvesting more deer. My focus was of course
the Big 7 point, one of my hit list bucks. In
between all my doe slaying, I didn’t lose focus
and I still kept checking my trail cameras
trying to pin point this big guy. It all came
down to an evening sit, actually it was just a
quick hunt in the field as I was hung up after
work. I was hunting from a tree in the middle
of a horse pasture, so it was ok to arrive late.
This would turn out to be one of my best last
minute decisions I’ve ever made. As I was
getting settled into my stand, I look across the
field to the upper field, and there he was, the
Big 7. He had come out of the woods right
where I had a ladder stand placed along the
field edge. Check mate, I knew where I would
be hunting the next evening. The next
morning as I awoke the first thing I did was
check the wind direction to make sure I could
hunt the Big 7, and yes it was perfect. As the
work day drug on all I could do was picture
how I hoped the hunt to go. Finally the day
was over and I had a date with the woods. I
arrived to my property with a light rain coming
down, so I quickly got my gear together and
hurried to stand as I was a bit worried the rain
would make the deer move earlier. While
setting up, and preparing for my sit I happen to
notice movement in the woods, and to my
disbelief it was the Big 7, he was up moving
already, and I wasn’t even set up completely. I
watched as he did his thing, and as he fed off, I
quickly finished getting ready, pulled my bow
up, and prepared myself mentally for what the
night might have in store for me. I was hunting
the edge of a field, so I grabbed my
rangefinder to check some distances as judging
distance in a field can be very deceiving. I
distinctly remember scanning a clump of grass
at 54 yards on the nose, and a few others that
stuck out to me. I was ready and the wait was
on, I was almost certain I would see the Big 7
again before the night was over. It wasn’t long
before I saw my first deer, it was s few doe
across the field in the thicket, then I had a few
small bucks come out right under me and they
began feeding in the field along with the doe.
As I watched the deer in the field out popped
the Big 7 from the wood line about 45yds
away. Immediately my heart started pounding,
and my hands started sweating, so I had to talk
myself down, and focus on the task at hand. As
I managed to get control of myself, the Big 7
bedded down in the field, what nerve, how
could he do this now. Well I just stood there
watching, locked and loaded and ready to go.
A half hour later he finally got up and
began to feed again, slowly moving out in the
field, but as he moved my direction he was
also getting farther at the same time. I watched
and repositioned as I needed to, being as
stealthy as I could so I didn’t get seen by him
or the other deer in the field. I was surrounded,
and now I had two small bucks within 5 yards
under my stand. I was waiting for my moment,
as daylight was fading fast, and as I watched
him he ended up standing right on that clump
of grass I ranged earlier. I glassed the field,
and verified the other deer were not looking,
so I slowly drew my bow back, took aim, and
put my 50 yd pin right behind his shoulder. I
took a deep breath, and as I exhaled I slowly
pulled the trigger releasing the arrow at the old
brute. Seconds after the shot, he dropped a
little, turned and bolted out of there. I watched
him run down the field and disappear into the
woods, still unsure about the shot. The shot felt
good, but at that moment, that’s all I could tell
myself. I gathered my gear, climbed down, and
hurried over to that clump of grass 54 yards
away. After looking around that clump of grass
for about 15-20 minutes and no blood, I began
scanning the field as I tried to follow his path
as he ran off. Still nothing, and now it was
dark, so I got out my flashlight, and began zig
sagging across the field as I headed back to my
grass clump. BINGO, I got blood, yes I was
so excited, but didn’t forget to carefully
examine the blood. The blood was a nice
bright red, with lots of bubbles, so this told me
it was a vital hit, and the search was on. After
approximately 125 yards of search through
briars, and crawling through thickets, there he
was, a true monarch. I had done it, it was
September 30 and I had two of my hit list
bucks down, and the Big 7 was my 7th deer of
the season so far.
As if things couldn’t get any better, I had
three trophy quality bucks down, and four doe,
but I now come to the most exciting part of my
story. In just a few weeks I had Rudy with
Huntography coming to film me, for the
Season 2 of Deer Tour. From the moment I
met Rudy until he asked me to be part of Deer
Tour I felt humbled to know such an amazing
individual, and to be part of something so
special. My goal from this point on was to
prepare for the arrival of Mr. Huntography, a
guy I feel so blessed to be able to call my
friend. I spent the next couple weeks checking
cameras, scouting fields, and doing everything
I could do to ensure Rudy and I had the best
hunt possible. I did take a quick detour for
Maryland’s early muzzleloader season and
harvested another doe.
So it’s now October 25th, I got juicy
backstraps on the grill, and I’m anxiously
waiting for Rudy’s arrival. This man Rudy,
what a champ he is, going from state to state
filming people non-stop, not getting any rest,
yet he just kept going and going. I’ve yet to
meet someone else so determined to make
their dream a reality, but I can tell you this, if
anyone can do, believe Rudy will make it
happen. It got to be around 9:30pm, and Rudy
finally showed up, as I was getting worried my
man might be having problems. I ran outside
to greet the man I had talked to so much via
Twitter and over email but hadn’t yet met. Our
meeting was like two old friends getting
together after years, I felt like I had known him
for years, and I did my best to make him as
though he was home. After our greeting, and
helping him unpack his gear and get
everything in the house we sat down for
dinner, and I went over the plan for the am
hunt. The next morning came quick, but much
quicker for Rudy, no the less, he got his gear
together quickly, and we were off, cameras
rolling. We made our way into the woods, got
set up, and just waited for the sun to rise. We
heard several deer move on through in the
dark, so I myself was ready to explode as I was
so excited to be filmed by Rudy, I couldn’t
wait for daylight. As light broke, we could see
deer feeding around, but nothing in range, until
a piebald spike walked right in to 10 yards and
just stood there and fed. I was torn as I knew
Rudy wanted me to shoot, and I had never shot
a piebald, but he was only a spike, and I just
couldn’t do it after all the years of
management I had put into my property. A
little while later we had some doe fed on
through but again, just couldn’t get a good shot
so I decided to not let an arrow fly. An hour
after all the deer movement ceased we headed
out to grab some breakfast. After some much
needed rest we headed back out for our
evening hunt over my food plot. Not long after
getting set up the deer begin to pour onto the
field. We had deer everywhere, except where
we could shoot them. The majority of the deer
were making their way onto the field at the far
end of the food plot, and then we had a very
nice buck step out as well. We were so
occupied watching those deer we didn’t notice
the deer that had popped out 10 yards away
right below us. I motioned to Rudy, he saw the
deer and got into position. When I knew he
was ready, I drew my bow, doubled checked
with him, and released my arrow. The lighted
nock immediately showed up the hit was good,
and we watched the deer run off to only drop
no more than 70 yards from where I shot her. I
can’t even explain the feeling of
accomplishment I had, to harvest a deer on
Deer Tour with Rudy filming was just
unprecedented. We got down, thanked god for
such a great experience, and then went to
recover the deer. I can’t thank Rudy enough
for an experience I will never forget. Keep
your eyes open for Huntography, this
movement is going to change what you know
about hunting, I can promise you that.
Not long after Rudy left I was back on a
tear whacking and stacking doe after doe until
it was time to leave for my trip to Bone Yard
Outfitters in IL. We headed out of town on
November 10th hoping to catch the rut in full
swing in the Midwest, definitely one of my
dream hunts. I left the great state of Maryland
with 12 deer under my belt, and not very
happy that my first IL deer was going to be
unlucky number 13. Hunting in IL was slow
that week, as the temps were up a bit, and the
majority of the deer movement was happening
at night. I continued to hunt hard all night, and
I even hunted a couple mid-days sits since the
rut was on and you never know what’s going
to happen. Finally toward the end of the week
some cooler air moved in but I only had one
day left. Unfortunately the cooler air didn’t
help my cause, and I was unsuccessful on my
last day in IL. Feeling pretty down, I was
completely surprised as our outfitter graciously
offered us one more day on him, as he felt bad
the conditions were so bad. I was so pumped I
could hardly sleep that night, even though I
was up at 3am every morning that week, my
adrenaline had me on fire. Getting up that next
morning was easier than every other that week,
as I was determined to get my buck. The
morning hunt was slow, only seeing a few doe
and some small bucks, it was up to me to make
it happen on my second last evening hunt. I
hurried through lunch as I wanted to get back
on stand ASAP, I needed every advantage I
could get. After being dropped off at my
evening spot, I carefully examined the area,
picked my spot and made my way to the tree I
wanted. I carefully and quietly put my stand on
the tree, and began my climb. I had to be as
quiet as possible as I was in a funnel along a
creek bottom between three bedding areas all
leading to a corn field behind me. While
setting up, I had just pulled my bow up, and
was in the process of bringing my camera up I
caught movement out of the corner of my eye.
It was a doe making her way toward the creek,
and oh yeah there was a buck behind her, and a
pretty nice one at that. The doe hit the creek,
and followed it away from me, and of course
the buck followed. Not good, I immediately
began grunting at him, which he didn’t like,
but still wouldn’t come my way. I then began
snort wheezing at him, followed by a sequence
of grunts, it definitely caught his attention but
still nothing, he did not want to leave his doe.
This went on for 15 minutes, and being the last
night I had nothing to lose so I kept getting
louder and louder. Finally this buck couldn’t
take it anymore, and turned my way, hair
standing on his back, he marched toward me. It
was one incredible site, just like something
you’ve seen on TV. This buck had enough, and
was making his way toward me looking for a
fight. He made it down into the creek bed, and
disappeared for a minute, so I grabbed my
bow, and positioned myself for the shot. I
stared down in the creek just waiting for him
to appear, and all of a sudden I saw antlers
coming up out of the creek. He was definitely
coming, and as I watched him come out of the
creek my knees started shaking. This buck
walked up to within 10 yards, but he was
quartering on to me, and I didn’t really have a
shot. Luckily for me, he turned around to look
for his doe, which gave me the perfect
opportunity to pick my shot. I drew my bow,
and placed my pin tightly right behind the
shoulder, and fired. The arrow slammed into
the buck, and he took off with half the arrow
sticking out. My initial instinct wasn’t good, as
I thought I hit the shoulder, and just as I was
about to get sick he stopped about 50 yards
away, and started looking around. Strange I
thought, and just as I got really worried he
started wobbling and then fell over. I was over
joyed with emotion as I started fist bumping
the air several times. What a feat, I couldn’t
believe I had made it happen on my last
chance second last night. When you get a
second chance, stay positive, and you can
always make the best of any situation.
As far as I was concerned I was already
having the best season possible, and there was
really nothing I could do to make it any better.
My passion for hunting had brought me to a
point I had never been to before, so I just
wanted to keep going and going. Some of my
friends had mentioned earlier in the season
about shooting 30 deer, and had I ever done it
before. I hadn’t really thought about it till that
moment in time. I manage five different
properties, and there were a lot of deer around,
so I made my mind up, that is what I was
going to do, go for thirty. My quest was on,
and I was hunting as much as I could, making
the best out of every hunt, and having the time
of my life. I still had a few shooter bucks on
my mind, not to mention a tag left, but the
possibility of seeing them that time of year was
pretty low. I kept my focus on harvesting doe
at every chance I had, and the numbers were
really starting to add up.
One particular hunt that comes to mind on
my quest to thirty is a New Year’s Eve hunt
because I promised a whole group of people
fresh venison for the New Year’s Eve party. I
had one particular spot that I had been
watching a group of doe on the camera, and I
hadn’t messed with them for weeks. I got up
that morning, verified the weather was good,
and I was off. I got in extra early to make sure
not to spook anything, and yes it was time for
a nap, after I tied in first of course. As the sun
started cracking through the woods, I caught
movement down in the bottom as some deer
were heading my way. As they got closer I
could tell it was a few large doe, so I grabbed
my bow and got ready for battle. The doe
eased their way my direction looking and
sniffing all the way, as with most deer that
time of year they were on full alert. I had the
perfect wind so no worries there, it just took
some time before these smart ole girls got into
range. I waited and waited so they would calm
down, and I would be able to get a good shot.
Finally after what seemed hours I had my shot,
so with all their heads down I drew my bow,
picked out the biggest one, and released my
arrow. The arrow disappeared into the deer and
buried itself in the ground before she knew
what hit her. She turned and ran the direction
she came, and I heard her crash not far at all.
As quick as that happened, I heard some other
deer running my direction, and before I knew
it they were standing right under me. I was
dumbfounded at how this all came about,
never the less I grabbed another arrow, and
repeated what I had done just a few moments
before. That deer ran up the other direction and
out of site but this time I heard nothing even
though I know I made a good shot. Wow, had
this really happened, a double on New Year’s
Eve, could this get any better. I gathered my
gear, and got down to recover the first deer. As
I followed the blood trail on the second I soon
knew why I didn’t hear her crash, as I found
her laying in my landowners front yard next to
the driveway. To say the least that was an easy
recovery. Now the work was ahead of me as I
had to turn those deer into tenderloin for the
grill. My hunt that morning, and the
overwhelming gratitude for the venison at the
party made it one of the best New Year’s I’ve
ever had.
It was now January, one month exactly left
of the season, and I had 24 deer under my belt.
I kept plugging away, and the deer kept falling,
25, 26, 27, 28, and 29 all seemed to go down
with no problem at all. So what always
happens when you’re trying to accomplish a
goal, you know it never comes easy, and it
sure as heck didn’t come easy for me. All I
needed was one deer, with almost two weeks
left, and I just couldn’t get it done. My quest
for thirty had brought me to the very last day
of the season, and I was so nervous as I had
come all this way and I truly wanted to
accomplish my goal. The morning was slow
that day, so I found myself in a last chance
situation once again, but now I could really
feel the pressure. I had the last evening
planned with my buddy Tim, which was great
as he was one of my biggest supporters during
my quest. We enjoyed a good lunch together
and then headed over the property to get ready
for the last hunt of the 2011-2012 season. I put
Tim in one of my best stands, but I went where
I knew I had the best shot and it was the same
place as my New Year’s Eve glory had taken
place. Once set in our stands, we were so
pumped we spent the next hour text messaging
each other, anticipating the evenings action.
Things got quiet, I hadn’t heard from Tim for a
while, and nothing was going on my way
either then all of a sudden my phone vibrated.
DEER DOWN, DEER DOWN is what I saw
when I checked my message. My man Tim had
gotten it done, and I was so stoked for him, I
almost forgot for a minute my dilemma. I gave
Tim a quick call, and congratulated him on his
deer, and told him to go ahead and get the deer
out of the woods, that I’d just meet him at the
truck. At this point I was starting to lose light
but not my spirits; I hung tight hoping for the
best. The next thing I knew I was looking at
movement down through the woods, could it
be, oh yeah it was deer moving my way. The
sight of those deer was an instant charge in my
system, I was up and boy was I ready. There
were two doe heading my way, and this time
there was nothing to decide, whoever
presented the first shot was getting it. The lead
doe made her way into the opening, and as
soon as she wasn’t looking I quickly drew my
bow back, legs trembling and all. As I placed
my pin behind her shoulder, I thanked god for
that moment, and then let my arrow fly.
Perfect shot, broadside through both lungs, and
she didn’t make it 50 yards and as I watched
her go down I knew I my quest was over. I
immediately called Tim, but I was so pumped
I’m sure he could of heard me from the
parking area phone or no phone. I was honored
to share that moment with Tim cause nothing
makes the outdoors any better than family, and
friends. It’s been really hard to put into words
all the feelings, emotions, and frustrations that
I dealt with over the 5 months it took me to
achieve my goal. It was a long hard road I
traveled to put 30 deer on the ground, but the
feeling of accomplishment I had was second to
none.
Shane Muller @smuller8
My name is Shane Muller, and ever since I
can remember I have spent my life in the
outdoors. I live in a small town called Elkton in
Cecil County Maryland. My Dad and two
grandfathers have hunted since they were young
kids, and they have passed the tradition on to
me. Ever since I was 4 my dad has let me join
him in the woods. I have hunted a lot of animals
from Pheasants to Ducks and Geese, to Turkeys
and Deer. But without my dad getting me
involved at such an early age I wouldn’t have had all those amazing opportunities. Up until this
past year I was able to go out every weekend and hunt, but this past year was my first year in
college. And being away from home made it challenging to get out. But I made it all work and
spent a lot of wonderful time in the woods. I even harvested a nice buck this past season! I
would say that my favorite part about hunting is not just killing an animal, but how relaxed and
stress-free I feel in the woods. Also how relaxing it is to be in a tree stand to watch the sun rise
on a crisp November morning. That is the real joy in hunting I believe, spending the day
outdoors with friends and family. Nothing is better than that. I think that if someone has the
opportunity to spend a day in the woods, you should take it. Even if you don’t see deer or kill
anything, you still get the rush of being a part of something that has gone on for centuries and
being a part of the outdoors. I love the outdoors, and I will continue to hunt until for the rest of
my life. I would like to thank my dad, Jeff Muller, Rudy from Huntography and Bow
Adventures for providing opportunities like these.
Facebook: Shane Muller, http://www.facebook.com/shane.muller.18
And search for Whitetail Chasers TV on facebook for my teams page!
Blog: http://wtcoutdoorstv.blogspot.com/ Whitetail Chasers TV
Will Jenkins @thewilltohunt
I'm more than excited to be on yet another season of
Huntography. I'm just a regular guy who start out
blogging at TheWilltoHunt.com and was blessed to
have Rudy come out last year and follow me around in
the woods. I hunt some private land here in Central
Virginia where I live with my wife and 2 kids (with a
3rd on the way!). This year I've also started hunting a
few spots in Maryland. I was recently selected to be a
Staff Blogger for PSE Archery which is a really exciting to be a part of. You can see my posts
over there weekly. I'm also the Managing Editor for Virginia Huntography.
As you can imagine I mostly bow hunt but do break out the gun every once in a while during
gun season. I grew up gun hunting and only started bow hunting about 4 years ago. I've really
come to enjoy hunting deer in the early season here in Virginia when they are nearly as
pressured as they are during gun season which allows people to run deer dogs. My season has
started great with a deer down in Maryland already and can't wait for the season to get rolling
here in Virginia.
In just over a month I'll be meeting up with Rudy and hunting with fellow Virginia
Huntographer Zac Stovall in the western part of Virginia. It's ridiculous how excited I am to
hunt out there. I've always wanted to hunt the mountains of Virginia and I finally get to do it
and one film with some good friends.
Zac Stovall @ekrawler
Born and raised in the small town of Glade Spring,
Virginia, I developed a passion for the outdoors at a very
young age. My family owned a few farms and I there was
nothing I loved more than riding my 4-wheeler down to the
river to fish for whatever would bite, coon hunting until the
sun came up and most importantly chasing whitetails in the
Appalachian Mountains. When I turned 18, I made a decision
to leave the mountains I grew up in and entered the Air Force.
After a 6-year enlistment and no idea where my life would go,
I heard the mountains calling my name and I decided to return to my homeland.
As of now, I live in Blacksburg, VA where I am currently a student at Virginia Tech and will
be graduating this December with a degree in journalism. Luckily when I moved to Blacksburg
in 2010 I was able to rent a house in the heart of the New River Valley that has allowed me to
reconnect with my hunting and fishing roots. Behind my house there is a tract of property that I
am allowed to hunt and have seen some of the biggest bucks of my life. When I’m not in the
woods or on the New River, I can be found exploring the outdoor possibilities in the southern
Appalachian region through and documenting my adventures through blogging, photography
and online videos.
Blogger -> www.feeldtrips.com
Adam Kujacznski @firstlightgear
Adam “Opie” Kujacznski has been living as an
outdoorsman since he was able to first wield a BB gun at
the age of 8 years old. For the 20 years since then he has
been living out his passion as a hunter and fisherman
around the United States. From his die hard passion as a
Whitetail and predator hunter in the midwest to his transient
lifestyle as a fly fishing bum in the summers “Opie” is a
quintessential outdoorsman.
“The essence of being outdoors pursuing my passions is the relationships that i build along
the way and the experiences I get to share with the people i care about” says Kujacznski. “The
other aspect that i truly enjoy is participating in a sustainable lifestyle...living off the land,
feeding my family and taking only what i need to survive from this great planet of ours. There
is a responsibility to conserve the things you love when you are an outdoorsman and that adds a
level of duty to all of us who calls ourselves outdoorsmen and women.?
Adam is a seasoned Whitetail hunter and can be found throughout the fall up in his treestand
with his bow chasing monster whitetail bucks. During the winter months he spends every spare
minute preying on the predators of Michigan. He is also a committed steelheader and fly
fisherman and can usually be found on the Pere Marquette river casting flies for Trout and
Salmon.
Gmail: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FirstLightGear
Website: www.firstlightgear.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/firstlightgear
SPOTLIGHT: NICK VIAU
@NICK_VIAU
Huntography: A Stickbow Hunter’s
Perspective
I stumbled upon the making of Hunto-
graphy Season Two on Twitter last year
without any prior knowledge as to what it was.
I noticed that several of my closest Tweeps
were using the #DeerTour hashtag frequently,
so I began using it to be social. I assumed it
was some kind of ongoing hunting
conversation. When I realized it was a guy
named Rudy (@huntography) traveling all
over the country, filming non-professional fair
chase hunters, I became addicted.
I followed every moment of it from that
point on. The concept seemed to spread
beyond the documentary itself. I began sharing
the progress of my hunts, and others began
sharing theirs as well, regardless of being in
the documentary or not. Ultimately, it didn’t
matter, which is the beauty of the product. It is
an ongoing, reality hunting movement, not just
a documentary.
I wanted in, and was initially thrilled when
asked. Moments later, reality set in, and I
wanted to back out of the whole thing entirely.
That was months ago, and I’m still feeling
twinges of anxiety as our scheduled November
16th date creeps closer.
There are plenty of reasons to justify the
anxiety. I’ve always been a little hesitant when
it comes to sharing things about myself with
other people. Hiding behind this keyboard is
one thing, film is something else entirely.
Huntography fans will be meeting me face-to-
face and vice versa. You are going to get all of
me, bad or good. I do not act well enough to
reflect anything otherwise.
What scares me more than anything is my
choice of gear. Not because of its lack of
efficiency – hunters have been proving the
opposite for centuries – but because of the
community behind it. I am a traditional
bowhunter, and to say we are underrepresented
in today’s hunting media would be an
understatement. Diehard fans clamber for a
glimpse of a stick and stringer on their
television screen. Should one of us find
ourselves on an outdoor program, it sets the
entire traditional community abuzz in a matter
of minutes. I’ll have to contend with that, and
hope I give them something positive to chatter
about.
Then there is the matter of preparation, or
my lack of thus far. One would think I would
be making plans, prepping gear, scouting,
building blinds, and hanging stands; routine
things everyone is doing this time of year. I
have done very little in that regard aside from
selecting my hunting bow, prepping my
arrows, and shooting regularly. Life, in the
form of a busy work schedule, my brother’s
wedding, a family reunion, a busy two-year-
old, a complicated pregnancy, and the recent
birth of my second daughter has proven too
much for me to balance
with hunting.
Others may be
able to do it, and
with busier
schedules. I haven’t
quite got it figured
out yet. I guess I’ll
need a few years of
practice.
Truth be told, I
don’t obsess about the
season as much as most. I got into this to shoot
my bow, and get away from the hustle and
bustle of modern society. I find my heart
thumps a little bit harder, and I am more alert
if the whereabouts of game is unknown. I hunt
several different Michigan locations
throughout the year, all of which are different
scenarios entirely, so mystery is commonplace
for me. I’ve come to embrace it. Scouting
wouldn’t help me as far as
Huntography is
concerned anyway. I’m
hunting with a friend
on land that is
unfamiliar to me, and
during Michigan’s
rifle season, so all
bets are off. It is
fixing to be a whole
lot of fun regardless.
I have no doubt the
company I’ll be keeping will make sure of
that.
But let’s park my anxieties on the shelf
before you get the wrong idea. I want you to
understand how utterly ecstatic I am to be a
part of this. Having a
stickbow hunter on the
tour is awesome. It is
good for traditional
bowhunting, and it is
good for Huntography.
In fact, the pairing of
the two makes perfect
sense, as they share a
focus on the hunter
and the pure hunting
experience, rather
than the kill itself. They are also both
refreshingly minimalist in their design and
approach. One of my favorite aspects of
traditional bowhunting is the do it yourself
element it celebrates. The absence of large
camera crews and elaborate production gives
Huntography the same vibe: a man grabbed his
camera and set out to film hunters. I love that
aspect of it, and hope it never changes. There
is nothing wrong with professional hunters or
their productions there is just plenty of them. I
want Huntography to
remain different.
Could Rudy have
found a more efficient
stick flinger than yours
truly? Absolutely, I
know several who are
better hunters with
better hunting situations,
but the point of the tour
is to showcase the
average hunter. I hit the
bullseye in that regard. We have our share of
accomplished bowmen writing books and
making videos, but traditional bowhunting
needs guys like me to show that it is possible
to obtain traditional gear, become proficient
with it, and have an adventure. If anything, I’m
living proof of that.
If I can accomplish one goal through
Huntography, it is to show how enjoyable,
fulfilling, and obtainable hunting with
traditional bows can be. Given the opportunity,
I may be able to demonstrate how lethal they
are as well.
I encourage you to tune in this November to
see the results. Follow me (@Nick_Viau),
Rudy (@huntography), Opie (@firstlightgear),
and the rest of the Huntography family on
Twitter or Facebook to share our experiences
in real time. You’ll be a part of the
conversation before you know it.
You may even be a future huntographer.
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/lifeandlongbows
Website/Blog: www.lifeandlongbows.com
Where I hunt: Cheboygan, Michigan and
Grand Rapids/Rockford Michigan (state land)
Don Romig @iowabowguy
A Pennsylvania native I began my hunting career
in the Keystone State back in '83. Annual trips to the
mountain counties for the rifle seasons quickly led
to a desire for me to extend my deer hunting
opportunities. I picked up a bow in '85 at age 15 and
an addiction was born!
In 2006 my employer offered me a career
opportunity in the great state of Iowa. We moved
out in July and never looked back. Shortly after
relocating I purchased a small piece of whitetail heaven! Some heavily timbered ground with
stream, pond, lots of cover and plenty of acorn factories. It even has a perfect interior location
where I planted a foodplot.
To date my wife and I are still adjusting to the laid back way of life here in Iowa. The many
great hunting opportunities IA has to offer has made the transition well worth the adjustment in
my book.
My wife Dena and I currently live in Council Bluffs, IA. I bow hunt as often as possible for
whitetails and usually take 2 weeks of vacation from work during the bow season to chase big
bucks. Dena likes to chase turkeys and is considering taking up a shotgun for the first time
during this years deer season.
What I find most exhilerating about bowhunting is the chase leading up to the kill. I'm
consumed with all of my preparation from late winter to early fall. When things finally come
together on a crisp November morning time stands still! I live for those moments. BA
Bill Howard
Hogs are smart compared to other animals,
they are observant, and when cornered, they
fight.
Just a few years ago I was trying to set up a
dog hunt for wild boar in the mountains near
the Tennessee state line. After talking to
several hunting clubs, guides, and groups,
most said they would not go after hogs on
purpose. Finally, one person who lived in
Tennessee but had a guide license in North
Carolina agreed to take me. I asked him why
so many people were skittish about sending
their canines after a pig and what he responded
with was enlightening.
“The hogs can’t climb trees like bear. They
turn and fight.” They are just too dangerous
was how the response was parlayed to me. I
asked him why he agreed and he told me that it
pays well when taking someone out, and he
was accustomed to providing care to his dogs.
Care was later explained to me from a brief
encounter his dogs had the year before. After
striking a track, the dogs surrounded a 450
pound hog. The hog proceeded to gut each
and every dog in the pack. The tusks tore
through the flesh and left them the on the
ground for dead. He quickly got back to his
truck and grabbed a first aid kit. He then
would push the insides back in and sew the
bellies back up. The hog got away.
I ended up not being able to make the hunt
do to some circumstances with the gentleman’s
personal life. But I still longed to experience a
hog hunt.
Last weekend I was invited to hunt a
cypress swamp near South Carolina for feral
hogs. I did not have much notice, but I did not
need much either. This would be a hog hunt
with the bow from stands. I wondered just
how many I would see.
I arrived at the camp site just after 5:30pm.
Feeders were set up in multiple locations to go
off at 7:00pm. This land is a deer hunting club
once gun season comes in, and the owners
wanted the hogs gone. According to my host,
the hogs would eat all the corn and leave
nothing for the deer.
The night before I shot a few arrows to
check my sight and make sure I was
comfortable. I own a wild boar 3d archer
target, so I visualized the ‘kill’ zone and
started at 40 yards. I was told the average shot
would run around 15 yards. After shooting 40
and feeling good, I moved up to 30 yards, then
20 yards. It was a good practice session and I
felt good about the vital area. I also taped a
small picture that showed where the vitals
were on a hog to the lower limb of my bow.
This was primarily to remind me that the vitals
sit differently in a hog than a deer.
My host shot several arrows while I
changed to my camo. Then around 6:00pm we
headed out. It was hot and muggy with the
temps in the mid 90’s. I was worried about
scent control as I knew pigs had a superior
sense of smell. I was given a bag that had
some hog attractant to lie at my feet in the
stand to use as a cover scent. I was also told
the main scent I had to worry about was my
boots. I was wearing rubber boots, known to
not carry odors. But for pigs, they can even
pick those out.
The feeder went off at 7:00 pm and I
remained alert. After another 30 minutes, I
noticed something to my left in the wood line.
It was brown and pulsating. After studying it
for a few seconds I could
tell it was a hog. The
pulsating was the hog
taking deep sniffs of the
ground where I had come
into the stand. Three more
followed him and they
were overly cautious. As
they approached the
clearing where the feeder
was they turned away.
They continued around
the clearing and I could
finally see their full bodies
about 25 yards away. A
larger black boar was
closest and leading the
group. The brown one,
slightly smaller, stayed to its left and would
step forward in stride with the black one. I
continued to study their movement. The way
they were moving side by side, I would not
have a clean shot if the arrow were to make a
pass-thru.
So, what if I made the shot where the pass-
thru, if there was one, would hit both in the
vitals. It could be done. The closer hog was
slightly taller. I would need to aim at the top
portion of the lungs on the black one, and then
if the arrow passed through then it should hit
the brown pig near the lower lungs and heart.
The opportunity presented itself.
I released the arrow with its fixed blade
broadhead. I watched it fly as the fletching
stopped short in the front hog. The whole
group took off, much faster than you would
expect from a robust round animal with short
legs. I texted that one was down even though I
was trying for the double shot.
After sitting for
another 30 minutes I
headed down the stand
and to where I shot the
pig. I followed a nice
blood trail for about 10
yards and then it split.
Two different
directions. Hmmm. I
followed the one on the
left first. Another 10
yards and I found the
brown one on the
ground, heart exploded.
He was the back pig. I
had hit both.
I backtracked and
followed the other trail.
15 yards away in a briar thick lay the black
one. Blood bubbled around the location where
the top of the lungs would be located.
I had taken a double with one arrow on my
first hog hunt.
We went on to hunt the remainder of the
weekend. I easily saw pigs out number deer 5
to 1. The land was infested with them. And
up to this point I had never seen a wild hog.
But I have seen summer sausage. BA
Bill Howard
Brian was in the stand early that Monday
afternoon. For the last hour, he watched as a
small buck and doe grazed in the field in front
of him. They were skittish, seeming to
understand something was not quite right.
However, the wind was
to Brian’s favor and try
as they might, Brian’s
scent would not be found
in their direction.
Then, in just a matter
of moments, the field
was populated with
another four bucks and
one more doe. Brian
sensed his target would
be showing himself soon.
After all, Brian had the
‘big one’ on camera at
consistent times since he
began scouting several
months earlier. But the
story does not end here,
nor begin here.
Brian first learned
how to hunt deer when
he was 8 or 9 years old.
His uncle, Jesse Lennon, ran a household of
13. Uncle Jesse taught Brian how to hunt.
Hunting was a necessity for the Bladen County
family as a means of survival. The deer meat
provided many meals for a family of that size.
About fifteen years ago Brian took up
bowhunting. He appreciated the technique and
it provided a way to hunt a longer season. Just
six years ago his mindset changed.
By providing for his own family, the deer
meat was not as much of a priority in his
hunting excursions. He became much more
serious about
bowhunting and his
chance to come
closer to the game
he was pursuing.
He also began
managing his land
and game to allow
for a healthier,
stronger, more
mature herd.
His
management paid
off.
The opening
weekend of bow
season in 2010, just
three years after he
began his plan,
Brian connected on
a mainframe 9
point whitetail
measuring 123 inches. Pope and Young record
book takes entries at 125 inches and larger net
score. Just a couple of inches kept Brian’s
efforts from making book. But all was not
lost. In fact, everything was working out
perfectly.
Opening weekend of bow season in 2011,
Brian was again in pursuit. Proper scouting
and management techniques once again paid
off. Brian connected on a 10 pointer. This one
measured 138 inches, easily making it one of
the bigger deer taken in North Carolina during
the year by bow, and making Pope and Young
record book.
Now, here in 2012, Brian was waiting.
Brian supplemented his herd with a mineral
site throughout the year. In June, Brian began
putting out corn to offer another food source
and establish a
routine for the
deer that grazed
on his land. His
trail cameras
showed a buck
developing a
huge crown.
Brian
recognized the
deer. It was a
nice 8 pointer
the previous
year. He passed
on it when he
took his record
book buck.
So Brian
waited in his
lock-on stand,
five bucks and 2 doe were near him. He knew
the big one should be showing up soon as he
did each day on the camera photos. He
anticipated a splendid opening day just a
couple of days earlier, to the extent of having a
friend there to film the hunt. Unfortunately,
two different storms passed through the area
late in the day. When lightning started
flashing, the linesman for Piedmont Electric
realized it was time to go. The buck would
have to wait for another day, but he would not
wait for long. This would be the day.
The monster stepped out and moved to the
corn. Brian drew his Mathews Z7 Extreme
bow armed with a Rage 2 blade 100 grain
mechanical broadhead at 5:12pm Monday,
September 10th. Just twenty one yards
separated Brian from the trophy he had
watched for over two years. At over 300 feet
per second, the
twenty one
yards was
traversed
quickly by the
arrow as it hit
its mark.
Brian Rhew
paid tribute to
the 192 pound
Orange County
buck shortly
afterwards. The
mainframe 9
pointer with 3
sticker points
measured 146
7/8 inches green
(green means
the score is not
official yet as the rack is required to dry for 60
days before an official measurement can be
taken). Now Brian had a once-a-lifetime
trophy and a freezer full of venison. Uncle
Jesse would have been proud. BA
Darren Johnson
When Life Hands You Lemons…
As I drove down the gravel drive, the feelings
of disgust became overwhelming. 2012 was
supposed to be the year where all of our hard
food plot work came to fruition. It was the
sixth year of a long-term plan to create high
quality deer and turkey populations on the
1,000 acre property that I help manage. Earlier
in the spring, we had cleared land to create a
new plot, one that was sure to help attract and
retain our antlered and feathered friends. We
meticulously mowed and sprayed our existing
plots to get them weed-free and ready to plant.
The seed mixes were carefully selected to
maximize resources available to the wildlife.
We even decided to subcontract our planting to
a local farmer to ensure that it was done
efficiently and on time.
It was shaping up to be a great year. That
was, until the wheels started to fall off…
First, as you know, the weather has been
absolutely obnoxious this year. A very warm
winter with next to no snowfall created a dry
spring that decided to turn cool with very little
moisture. As May rolled around and warmed
up, the dry spell continued. The farmer
showed up with his equipment, took our seed
and proceeded to plant away as we looked to
the sky for rain.
The dry spell in June intensified and
temperatures skyrocketed. Soil moisture levels
became so low that many seeds wouldn’t
germinate in the soil. Those that did struggled
to pull enough nutrients out of the ground to
stay healthy. On top of this, I came to the
conclusion that our local farmer failed to plant
three of our food plots as he was hired to do.
One of my partners strongly disagrees with
this notion and we continue to butt heads about
it today. Either way, the drought tolerant
weeds took over the plots and the land is
virtually useless to deer and turkey in its
current state.
Of the three remaining plots that were
planted, one was a pure soybean plot that
thanks to the drought, has a few beans and a
lot of weeds. The bean plants are less than one
foot tall and didn’t produce any bean pods due
to the drought. With one bean plant every four
to five square feet, the wildlife don’t find this
plot worth their while and have abandoned it.
We haven’t seen a deer or turkey there in
months.
The second planted plot is a sunflower plot
designed to help the doves and other game
birds. It is holding its own considering the
record high temperatures and concrete-like
soil. The birds and squirrels do visit there
some but for the most part, it is a large weedy
flowerbed.
The third plot was supposed to be another
soybean plot. I had high hopes for this new
plot as it runs parallel to a deer travel corridor
and I expected it to do great things to help
retain any deer travelling through the area.
Unfortunately, due to a communication error,
the plot was planted in sunflowers rather than
beans. The sunflowers have grown to be about
30 inches in height with virtually no seed
heads. Additionally, they didn’t germinate
well and we average one plant per four square
feet of plot. Occasionally, the songbirds will
visit the plot but that is about it.
So that brings us back to the title of this
month’s column and my current feeling of
disgust. Sometimes the most well intentioned
things just don’t go according to plan even
though the hard work and commitment are
there. When these dreaded times occur, and
life throws you lemons, you just have to
regroup and find a way to make lemonade.
Even though we are now post-Labor Day,
your less than stellar food plots don’t have to
remain that way. There is still time to plant
alternatives that will help you and the native
wildlife later this fall and winter. Time is short
but there still can be a Plan B if you choose.
There are three plants that I consider head
and shoulders above the rest when it comes to
late-season food plots. They are widely
available, easy to plant and provide great
nutrition to our wildlife friends.
My favorite late-season plant is turnips.
They are fast-growing and very tough plants
that are absolutely irresistible to deer. Deer
will largely ignore them until just after the first
heavy frost, when in response to the cool
temperatures, a chemical reaction changes the
taste and they become like candy to the deer.
If you happen to be sitting in a deer stand
overlooking turnips on the morning after the
frost, you can see a season’s worth of deer in
one sitting. Combine this with good pre-rut
timing and it can be a magical day.
Another favorite is cereal rye. Not to be
confused with ryegrass, this plant is a cold-
tolerant grain that will continue to feed the
deer from fall all the way through late-winter.
If possible, be sure to apply fertilizer in
October or November to ensure that you are
giving the rye the nutrients it needs to thrive.
It supply much-needed nutrients to many
different types of wildlife.
My final pick is radishes. While I don’t
personally care for the taste
of them, the deer love them.
Chocked full of nutrition,
they can help a herd thrive in
tough winter conditions.
Fast-growing, they are a
very good late-season
planting option. Like
turnips, when the deer hit the
radishes, they come in force.
Nothing beats sitting in a
stand overlooking a radish
buffet as the rut blooms.
If you find yourself in a
situation like mine this year,
don’t give up just yet.
Where you can, mow down
your unproductive plots,
spray with a good herbicide
like Roundup, and get the
planter ready to go again
with a late-season food plot
seed. You will be turning
life’s lemons into lemonade
by helping the wildlife and
your hunting opportunities at the same time.
Good luck and happy planting. BA
Bob Hooven
The majestic mountain views surrounding
the last few road miles to the cabin began to
erase the memory of the 1900 grueling miles
we had just driven. We stopped only for gas
and an occasional sandwich. Now the
anticipation of the hunt was almost a reality.
Upon arrival at Dunton, Co., it didn’t take us
long to unload our gear, change clothes, and
mount the ATVs. We would go our separate
ways to explore and listen for the bugle of the
bull elk. This evening wouldn’t be spent on
long hikes as we needed some time to adjust to
the new 8,500 to 11,000 foot altitude.
There were six of us on this hunt, traveling
in two separate vehicles. We would be
hunting in the San Juan National Forest unit
71. Our arrival date was Friday September 7th
and departure was planned for Saturday
September 15th.
Saturday morning began our first, dawn till
dark, day of hunting in the high country. We
would try all of our skills and techniques to
locate, sight, and get within bow range of a
bull elk. Being in good physical shape can’t be
over emphasized. Those seep mountains, low
oxygen, and fallen trees would test me over
and over again. During the next five days I
tried everything I knew including bugling, cow
calling, setting up ambushes at water holes and
well used trails, to just hiking the mountain
sides.
The sixth day started, as usual, before
daybreak. But it would be different because a
bull elk would be heading my way. A 40
minute ATV ride to the top of a nearby mesa
would put me within range of a bugling bull.
As I descended the mountain to close the gap,
the bull just kept getting farther away until he
was out of hearing. Now, it was almost lunch
time so I decided to hike back up to the ATV
before eating. I was about half way back when
I heard the sounds of sticks breaking above
me. I immediately nocked an arrow. Seconds
later a cow elk ran down through the timber,
with her tongue hanging out, and stopped
within ten yards of me. She slowly turned
away and continued down the mountain.
About the time it dawned on me that
something was chasing her, I heard more limbs
breaking above me. I came to full draw with
no target in sight. I only had to wait a couple
of seconds before this bull came running and
lunging past. There was no time to think it
over or size him up. The predator mentality
was taking over my response. I triggered the
release and the muzzy broad head thrust
forward as the bull lunged toward me. As the
arrow entered forward of the shoulder, I
thought that I would never retrieve this big
animal. To my surprise, the blood trial
revealed a fatal wound that folded him up 150
yards farther down the mountain. What a day
and what a hunt. Oh yes, now the real work
would begin. However, I met another hunter
that was camped at the trail head that was
willing to help me quarter and pack out the
5x5. This hunt will surely qualify to check off
one on my buck list. BA
Bill Howard
Deer hunting, specifically bowhunting for
deer, requires a lot of hard work and a fair
amount of deception. By deception, I am
referring to proper camouflage, grunts, bleats,
and antler rattling, and of course, scent control.
Without proper scent control, a bowhunter will
never get a deer
within range.
Big Deer
Hunters
(bigdeerhunters.
com) offers a
variety of
products to
assist in scent
control. Wood
scented soaps
and cover sprays
can hide your
odor and help
get you in close.
They also have a product that I was very
interested in trying, the Doe Stick. As one
person put it on twitter one day when
referencing BDH’s Doe Stick, “it’s doe
pee…on a stick”. Think of it as a stick of
deodorant or antiperspirant scented with a
mature doe in heat. Now, don’t get me wrong,
DO NOT wear it as an antiperspirant! It is
actual doe urine.
The thing I like about what BDH has done
with its Doe Stick is it allows for multiple
uses. Not multiple in numbers of times, which
of course you can, but multiple in the ways of
using it.
First, you
can take the
Doe Stick and
rub it on the
base of a tree,
shrub or even
the ground.
The waxy doe
urine lasts.
Second, you
can remove the
top of the stick,
take a hook or
paperclip and
put through the hole at the base, tie it to a
monofilament line or small string and attach it
to a limb. The scent will flow with the breeze.
Based on just these first two uses, you can
see it would work much better than the one or
few use sprays on the market. The sprays
administer the scent,
but as the liquid dries,
the scent dissipates
also.
My favorite way to
use the Doe Stick is
this; rub it along the
bottom of you hunting
boot. Instead of using
a drag, the scent sticks
to your path and
covers any scents you may have attached to the
boot.
Why is this my favorite way? Twice this
fall I have had a deer (one doe and one young
buck) come in from a direction I was not
expecting. I watched as the deer approached
the path I took to my stand. They both stopped
suddenly at my path, smelling the earth below,
then raising their heads high to try to catch any
scents on the wind. Both turned, followed my
path to the stand, and approached within 5
yards of my location.
Now, the doe was
likely seeking comfort
of other deer. It was a
little early for rut, so I
believe the young buck
was following the trail
more as curiosity than
raging hormones. But
the fact is, the stick
worked in covering my
scent, and the deer followed the scent rather
than continuing on their path or worse,
scampering off letting out warning screams or
blows.
The Doe Stick and its big brother the Bid
Daddy (made with mature buck urine and
tarsal gland) can be purchased for $15 from
BigDeerHunters.com. And for $15, they go a
lot further than the $10 sprays out ther e that
attempt to do the same thing. BA
Ramon Bell
I’m sure you’ve heard off mock scrapes and
rubs. But, have you ever tried using them?
I’ve used them on occasion, but until a
couple years ago, never really made a
conscious effort to remember to employ the
use of them on a regular basis. Especially
“Mock Rubs.”
It’s really very simple, and all you need is a
pocket knife or a small folding hand saw. I
carry both with me in my fanny pack every
time I go to my deer stand. Once you’ve
chosen the tree or location of your stand, find a
small sapling about one inch, or so, in
diameter. I prefer small hardwood trees like
ironwoods, oaks dogwoods or even a red cedar
sapling. Small pines are OK too. I just don’t
like using them. It should be located about 20-
25 yards upwind from your stand. Baiting for
deer is legal in North Carolina. Sometime I use
bait, and sometime I don’t. When I do use it, I
carry a small cloth grocery bag with 6 to 8
pounds of shelled corn in with me each time I
go hunting. I don’t pre-bait. I know hunters
who pour out 50 pounds of corn at stand sites
every 2 to 3 days. This is a big waste of corn,
money and time. And, all they’re doing is
feeding the does, squirrels, turkeys and other
forest critters. By the time you get to the stand
the next day, the deer have a full belly and
they’re not hungry. Actually, I believe does
will take over a heavily baited location and run
the bucks away from it. You also lay down
your human scent every time you traipse in
and out of the woods going to bait your stand.
A deer’s sense of smell is phenomenal. They
will smell your tiny corn pile that you put out
when you go to your stand to hunt. There’s no
need to haul a 50 pound bag of corn into your
stand a day or two before every time you plan
to hunt it.
Now, back to the subject of this article..
Mock Rubs! About 5 yards from you mini-
corn pile, but still upwind from your stand,
scrape the bark from a small sapling. Scrape it
down to bare wood. Start about knee-high and
scrape the bark off up to about waist high. You
know what fresh cut wood smells like! When
you can easily smell the fresh sap seeping from
the sapling you just scraped the bark from, you
can stop. Immediately climb up in your stand
and get ready for action. I’ve had deer come to
this setup within minutes of getting up into my
stand. Deer can smell that fresh running sap
too, and I believe they interpret it to mean a
buck has just created a new rub. For a doe in
heat, she may think there’s an eager boy friend
nearby. A buck may think there’s a rival buck
nearby that has just invaded his territory and
made a fresh rub. Either way, I am convinced
that this works to attract deer, both does and
bucks, to your stand site. Of course, it works
best during the rutting season, from late
October through early December. The best part
is it costs nothing except a couple minutes of
your time to prep the sapling and maybe a
“buck’s” worth of shelled corn. If you go back
to hunt this same stand on another day, simply
scrape a little fresh bark from the same sapling
again before getting back in your stand. BA
Wild Game Recipes presented by Papa Scott’s Camp Dog
Pot Roasted Wood Ducks Ingredients: • 2 or 3 cleaned wood ducks • 1 lb. smoked pork sausage cut into bite size pieces • vegetable oil, enough to cover the bottom of pot (I like to use cast iron black pots) • 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped • 1 bell pepper chopped • 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (optional) • 1/2 cup of pure orange juice • Cajun Seasoning to taste I use (Camp Dog) original blend. • 8 oz. of golden cream of mushroom soup to thicken gravy.
How to cook: Season ducks a couple of hours before and refrigerate until ready for use. Pour oil into
pot and heat. Once oil is hot put ducks in and start the browning process. Brown the ducks slowly for about an hour or more if needed adding a couple of ice cubes as needed to keep from burning. It's ok if it sticks to the bottom a little, this will help make a nice brown gravy. Once you are satisfied that the ducks have browned enough remove from pot and add sausage, brown them up then add onions and bell pepper and get them browned up nice and slow while stirring.
Once this has browned up nicely cut the ducks in 1/2 (poultry scissors work well) then add back to the pot. Pour in orange juice and 2 cups of water and cover. Cook in oven at 375 on top of stove for about 1 1/2 hours or until ducks are tender. Check often and add water as needed. Add golden cream of mushroom soup about 15 minutes before cooking time expires.
Serve over white rice along with sides of choice. Enjoy!
Mark Huelsing
“Buy once, cry once.”
Have you ever heard that saying? The idea
behind the phrase is that buying quality gear
may hurt you once, because of the cost, but
it’ll be the last time you ‘cry’ about it. On the
other hand, if you buy a cheap product and it
doesn’t perform as you anticipated, or it
breaks, fails, or simply doesn’t last, then you’ll
find yourself with a real problem to cry about.
I’m a cheapskate at heart, but over time I
have come to see the wisdom in spending on
quality from the start. I still like to get a deal
whenever I can, but sometimes you just have
to pony up and make a smart investment in a
product that will last. I’ve learned this lesson
the hard way – by making a lot of purchasing
mistakes.
When I started bowhunting I wrongly
assumed that any old target would suffice.
After all, there is nothing special about a
target. It is just a chunk of material that needs
to stop an arrow. Right?
I failed to account for the fact that arrows
impact the target with an immense amount of
energy. When an arrow is launched from a
70lb compound bow it flies fast and hits hard.
These same arrows penetrate, and often pass
through, the flesh and skeletal structures of big
game. Why in the world would I think that
“any old target” would stop dozens, hundreds,
or even thousands of arrows?
The “great deal” that I got on my first
archery target quickly turned into buyer’s
remorse. I set out to learn from that mistake
and I began to do a lot of research, hoping to
find a target that would last. My research lead
me to Rinehart, and though the price stung a
little bit, I went ahead and made the purchase.
Looking back now, years later, I would tell
you that it is one of the smartest purchases I
have made out of all the bowhunting gear I’ve
purchased.
One of the key features that make a
Rinehart so great is the self-healing foam
material they use in their targets. This material
stopping arrows exceptionally well and it heals
itself when you remove the arrow. Arrow
removal can be a little stiff when the target is
brand new, but not so bad that you’ll need an
arrow puller or arrow lubricant. And, after just
a few dozen shots you’ll find that the target
has been broken in, and arrow removal
becomes effortless.
In addition to handling field point tipped
arrows, Rinehart’s self-healing foam stands up
to both fixed-blade and mechanical
broadheads. Broadheads cut into the foam
nicely, and can be removed with a clean cut as
well. Eventually these broadhead impacts will
begin to cause some wear, but I’m truly
impressed with how many shots my Rinehart
18-1 has taken from broadheads. I don’t know
an exact number, but I can conservatively say
that it has been well over 1,000.
Let’s take a quick look at the three Rinehart
targets that I use regularly…
The Rinehart 18-1
The first Rinehart that I purchased was the
“18-1” target. I’ve owned this target for
around 3 years now, and though it may look
like it’s been beat to hell (and it has!), it is still
stopping arrows. I’ve got my money’s worth
out of this target…and then some!
The 18-1 is my favorite “do it all” target.
The 18-1 gets its name from the fact that the 1
target has 18 sides to shoot at. Measuring in at
15”x15”, the 18-1 is big enough to be a
suitable target for practicing from a wide range
of distances, yet small enough to lug around
without breaking your back. It’s a great target
for backyard shooting or for throwing in your
vehicle and taking to hunting camp.
Rinehart offers a one year guarantee on the
18-1; if you can shoot out all 18 sides within a
year, then your authorized Rinehart dealer will
replace it. Good luck shooting one out in a
year though!
The Rinehart Woodland Buck
The Woodland Buck is Rinehart’s 3D target
for the budget-minded shopper. Have you ever
taken the time to read reviews of 3D deer
targets that don’t cost an arm and a leg?
Honestly, it’s discouraging. I searched high
and low, looking for a quality 3D target that
wouldn’t set me back more than $150 or so. In
the end I decided to purchase the Woodland
Buck and I’m glad I did.
The Woodland Buck features a replaceable
shooting core that locks into the deer body.
One side of the core is contoured like the
exterior of a whitetail deer, but the other side
features the contour of the whitetail’s inner
organs, which is especially helpful for
understanding shot placement. The core is
made of Rinehart’s self-healing foam and will
handle field point and broadheads, from both
broadside and 45° shot angles. The rest of the
target body is made up of Rinehart’s Solid FX
foam. This material doesn’t heal as well as the
self-healing core, but it will still stand up to
errant shots that miss the vitals. The Solid FX
foam is used to keep the cost down, but also to
lighten the target so that it is easy to maneuver.
One thing that I was hesitant about when I
was looking at the Woodland Buck was its
size. The target is meant to simulate a 100lb
whitetail deer, and though it is smaller than
many other 3D deer targets, I am actually glad
I didn’t get anything bigger. I like to move my
target around, and even transport it in my
vehicle, so the smaller size and easy to remove
upper body are perfect for me. And while the
overall body size isn’t too large, the insert is
plenty big. I regularly practice with this target
from long distances and I have no problem
keeping my arrows inside the self-healing
core.
If you are
looking for a 3D
target that will
last, but you don’t
want to spend a
fortune, my
opinion is that the
Rinehart
Woodland Buck
is the best deal
out there.
The RhinoBlock XL
My newest Rinehart is the RhinoBlock XL.
This target is a tank! The RhinoBlock features
6 shooting sides, 4 of which have a variety of
high-visibility target zones, while the other 2
sides feature a textured 3D deer mid-section.
The RhinoBlock XL – and its slightly smaller
cousin, the RhinoBlock – are both made out of
Rinehart’s legendary self-healing foam.
In addition to the varied target faces and
generous size, my favorite feature of the
RhinoBlock models is the replaceable core. It
will take quite some time to shoot the core out,
even with dedicated broadhead use, but it is
always nice to know that you can refurbish
your target for a fraction of the cost of a new
one. I have no doubts that I’ll be shooting this
RhinoBlock for
years to come.
The downside to
the RhinoBlock
targets is that they
aren’t as light or
portable as the 18-1.
However, if you are
looking for a target
that you won’t be
constantly lugging
around or traveling
with, then I think that the RhinoBlock is the
smartest investment that you can make.
If you are tired of targets that won’t last, or
are difficult to use, then you really need to take
a look at Rinehart targets. Remember that the
cheapest product isn’t always the best deal,
and sometimes getting the best value means
spending a little bit more. I’ve definitely
found that to be the case with archery targets.
Buy once, cry once. BA
Albert Quackenbush
Whether it is to film for you to show your
friends or to try to get it noticed by someone,
getting a hunt on video seems to be the biggest
craze. I have tried filming my hunts using
different video, but some of the cameras are
bulky and expensive for most of the budget
conscious hunters I know. This is where I
think S4Gear came up with a solution that fits
almost every compound bow hunter I know.
Most of us have a Smartphone and S4Gear
jumped on that. They came up with a bow
mount for your Smartphone called the
JackKnife and I've been testing it out over the
past couple months with good results.
My first impressions of the JackKnife were
very good. The product looked very easy to
use. Right out of the box I was impressed with
how small it was, but I was cautious when I
saw all of the
knobs and moving
parts. There is no
sheen to the mount
as it is black
plastic and it is
also very
lightweight. Any
bowhunter will
tell you that
having lightweight
gear is a must,
especially when
it’s mounted to
your bow.
It installs very easily to a sight mount or the
side of a compound bow with one of two sets
of provided screws. You can actually relax the
tension on the knob and move the JackKnife
frame away from the mounting bolt holes to
allow easier and faster installation. It only took
me about a minute to get it installed.
The product features shown on the S4Gear
website explain it rather well.
Universal Design fits all bows with
AMO standard sight mount, right or left
handed -- even with quiver & sight
installed.
Highly Adjustable cradle mount fits
virtually any Smart Phone with or
without protective case.
Compact Design folds flush against the
riser when not in use and still fits in
most bow cases.
Quick Detach to easily remove your
phone for storage.
Oversize Knobs for easy adjustments
even when wearing gloves.
Protective Foam Lining holds your
phone securely in place while guarding
against shock and vibration.
After you get the JackKnife mounted to
your bow it’s time to fit it to your camera
phone. Again, this was very easy by using the
knobs to open the grip and sliding the phone
in. The orange you see is soft foam that holds
your phone in place. You lock that down and
then it’s on to the back of the Jackknife for
fine tuning.
One of the features I really liked was the
ball joint knob on the back that allows you to
position the camera at virtually any angle
exactly where you want it. I tried it many ways
and it was great! You can position it horizontal
or vertical. I did it both ways to see if there
was any difference in video quality, noise, or
difficulty in getting it set up how I wanted it. I
found no differences and was rather pleased at
how easy it was to set up.
I have been testing the mount with an
iPhone inside a Lifeproof case. (I also tried my
old Android and the JackKnife adjusted down
to that, too.) The mount does indeed hold the
iPhone, case and all, firmly and it is easily
adjustable on the fly. You can rotate left/right
with the larger knobs very easily, even with
gloves on your hands.
With the ability to view and share their
footage filmed right from their bow, its social
media live in the woods!
View your shot placement before you
track your animal.
Use your Smartphone as a training
device.
Sight mounting bracket placement
records video from the "hunter's eyes".
Use in addition to other cameras to
incorporate split screens in final video
pieces.
This is good for short yardage shots only. I
can’t fault the JackKnife because these are
limitations of the phone itself, but I don’t want
anyone feeling mislead. Videoing from under
30 yards is acceptable, but after that most
camera phones don't capture good video
beyond that. I tried a few shots out at 6o yards
and you couldn't see the shot, or the impact of
the hit. Once I moved in closer to 30 yards it
got better. It was even better at 20 yards. I
normally practice between 40-60 yards and
move out to 80 as well. I could not video from
my phone well at those distances. I attempted
to, but it was a waste of time as you couldn’t
view the target well enough.
Here I was set up at 100 yards.
The one thing I did notice, which I have
found with many camera mounts for your bow,
is that you can see some degree of vibration in
the video while filming. If you want to video
your hunt it is something you will have to
make peace with because it happens often.
Something very cool to try that isn’t
actually videoing your hunt is to Skype with
someone while hunting. The person you are
chatting with can view whatever you are
shooting at, or if you reverse the camera they
can view your reaction while you are hunting.
I understand you want it to be quiet and the
person on the other end would have to be
quiet, but it’s an interesting idea. My dad and I
have discussed it and we are going to try it at
some point for fun. Have any of you tried it?
What were your results?
The cost of the JackKnife is $44.99 retail.
In my opinion that is very high. The entire
camera mount is plastic and while it has
moving parts that certainly have to be put
together at the factory, I think this should retail
more toward the $25.00 range. I think more
bowhunters would consider something like this
if the price were lower. BA
Albert Quackenbush
Road Closed. Those were the signs my
hunting partners and I encountered on our first
scouting trips of 2012. A quick phone call to
the Forest Service and we found out we could
hike them or utilize a mountain bike to travel
on them. They were only closed to motorized
vehicle traffic.
‘Necessity breeds invention.’ ~ Author
unknown
At one of the trailheads, we encountered a
Road Closed sign, so we opened the map and
saw that the spot we were looking to get to
was a good three hour hike in. After discussing
it, we packed up and headed home. It was
middle of the day, well over 90 degrees and
our water supply was getting low. No, we were
not dejected or giving up. On the contrary, on
the ride home we had devised a plan to get to
the spot easier, faster and it was going to be
fun doing it.
Our plan seemed simple. We would
mountain bike in. Plenty of hunters do it, so
why not us? One of our goals
was to do it for as little
expense as possible. We also
decided that we wanted a tow
cart to cart our backpacks in
and carry out any wild game
we killed. Now we just had to
get some ideas on paper and
figure out how we would do
it.
The first task was simple;
Find a Mountain Bike. Each
of us figured on going to
local garage sales and getting
online to see if we could find
some inexpensive mountain
bikes. The very next week at archery
practice, Brett said he had some good news.
Brett came through and got me a bike at no
expense! It turns out his neighbor was
looking to get rid of two he had sitting in his
garage. Instead of tossing them in the trash
can he saved them at his cabin and Brett
would pick them up later. Score for the
home team!
Secondly, and most importantly, we
started looking at cart options. We would try
to only use our resources, ingenuity and
crafty skills to find parts to build our game
cart. I drew up some ideas for using a utility
cart and shared the idea with Brett. He even
thought it was a good idea at first. We drew up
plans, made notes as to what should be on the
cart, what shouldn't, how much it should
weigh, etc.
After letting that simmer in my brain, I felt
that a utility cart would not be exactly what we
would need. The more I thought about it the
more I saw my wallet getting lighter. We
would need to weld some metal to the frame,
buy a swivel kit to attach the cart to the bike,
and figure out how we wanted to reinforce the
sides. Seeing as our main goal was to not have
to spend lots of money on material to build I
felt I needed to expand my search area. That
was when I thought about using a wagon
frame. A quick post to Facebook and one of
my friends Erich Giardina responded that he
had a metal wagon that he had used for hauling
tires around his shop and it might be perfect
for me. He sent over some pictures and a price
of $40. It looked perfect and the price was
right. I was sold!
Arrangements were made for us to meet
and instead, Erich and his friend, Mike Kimler,
surprised me by delivering the wagon to my
house. It was a welcome surprise and it was
great to get to chat with both he and Mike!
Once I saw the wagon I knew it was going to
be a great start to our project.
Erich had a few surprises in store for me.
First off, I mentioned how we were going to
buy a swivel kit to attach to a bike. He
proceeded to show me where the handle comes
apart and can attach to a swivel connection.
That will work perfect when attaching it to
a bike! The second surprise was that the sides
all come off in sections. They are held together
with Cotter pins, so you can customize it for
each trip. I was stoked! Then, Erich pulled the
biggest surprise of all as he donated the
wagon! Yes, you read that right, he gave it to
me for nothing so that I'd have a cart to pull
out any animal deep in the forest. What an
awesome gesture and boy am I thankful to he
and Mike for bringing it down. They not only
saved me a trip to pick it up, but he saved
overhead expense. I am going to be sure to
share some game meat with those two for all
they have done.
Erich is part owner of Erich Giardina /
Mike Kimler Motorcade International. They
have whatever anyone might need for car
/truck/suv/and side by side off road vehicles.
Wheels, tires, off road gear, etc. They can ship
to any state and offer specials to Hawaii
including freight. Great company and great
people for anyone interested!
Before we got too deep into the project,
Brett and I gave the wagon a good once over.
The wagon measures 4’ x 2’ x 1’ deep and the
only thing that needs to be fixed is mending
some peeled away metal mesh on one of the
panels. An easy fix if you ask me. A rubber
mallet and some effort helped me pop out the
panels.
Now we had to figure out the hard parts.
How would we connect it to a bicycle? Would
we take the front wheels off to reduce friction?
Would we leave them on for better traction? It
was time to start doing the hard work!
The hinged walls of the wagon are
fantastic. You can drop down all four sides at
once if you’d like. Once you drop down all
four sides, you can remove the plastic liner at
the bottom. I weighed the pros and cons of
leaving this in and I believe I’ll be leaving it in
to catch any fluids and loose items that may
drop in.
A major challenge and decision was to
decide if we wanted to leave all four low-
clearance tires on the wagon. We originally
decided to remove the front two tires
completely and replace the rear tires with
BMX bike tires, but there was already 14” of
clearance with the current tires. The one
advantage to thinner wheels would be less
friction and enable us to move faster. The
other idea would be to go with solid tires and
eliminate the possibility of a flat. Erich
mentioned this to us and it’s a great idea. What
I haven’t decided on is will we do it with the
tires on there now or will we switch to BMX
tires and buy solid tires for those?
Brett and I will put our heads together and
decide in the next couple of weeks how to get
the brunt of the work done and hopefully put it
to good use. You can read up on Part Two of
the build in the next issue. Until then, enjoy
the rest of the Fall 2012 issue of Bow
Adventures! BA
Venison
Bourguignon By Food for Hunters
Or "Venison Burgundy" in
English. As many of you may
know, Beef Bourguignon is a very
popular dish, not only in France but
here in the U.S. Believe it or not,
this recipe belonged to the French
peasantry, only to be slowly adapted
into "haute cuisine" or "high cuisine" later on.
We slowly stewed chunks of venison in
burgundy and brandy, along with lots of
bacon, veggies and then flavored with a
"bouquet garni" of fresh herbs. What resulted
was a deeply flavorful dish perfect on top of
homemade mashed potatoes. This is a great
meal for those romantic candlelight dinners on
the back porch.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 - 2 pounds of venison roast, cleaned
and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 6 strips of bacon, chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs of fresh parsley, plus more for
garnish
- 1 (4-inch) piece of celery stalk
- 3 tbs. of all-purpose flour
- 1 tbs. of tomato paste
- 1/2 cup of brandy
- 2 cups of burgundy, or other dry red wine
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can of beef stock
- 2 tbs. of unsalted butter
- 8 ounces of button mushrooms, cut
however you like
- cooking twine
1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Over medium-
high heat, brown bacon in a Dutch oven.
Transfer bacon bits to a plate, but leave the
drippings in the pot.
2. Dab
venison with
paper towels to
dry. Lightly
sprinkle salt and
pepper over
venison cubes.
Fry in bacon grease until lightly browned on
all sides. (Fry in one-layer batches.) Transfer
venison to the plate with the bacon.
3. Add diced
carrots and onion
to the Dutch
oven. Add a
pinch of salt and
pepper. Cook
until softened and
slightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir
occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, make a "bouquet garni."
Tuck garlic inside the celery stalk. Nestle the
bay leaf, thyme and parsley on top of the garlic
and tie securely with cooking twine.
5. Once carrots and onions are
cooked, return the venison, bacon
and all its juices back into the pot.
Add flour and stir for a few minutes
to coat evenly. Stir in tomato paste.
6. Then
add brandy.
Scrape the
bottom of
the pot.
Let it
reduce by half, about 3-5 minutes. Stir often.
Next, add wine. Let it reduce in half again,
about 10 minutes. Stir often.
7. Once wine has reduced, add beef stock
and the "bouquet garni" to the pot. Give it
another quick stir. Cover and cook in a 325°
oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, melt unsalted butter in a
pan. Cook mushrooms over medium heat until
soft and the liquids evaporated, about 5
minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix
mushrooms into the Venison Bourguignon
after it comes
out of the oven.
Combine well.
Discard
"bouquet
garni."
Click on the pic to go to video!
How to Efficiently Pack for a
Hunting Trip brought to you by StowAway2.com, providing
the highest quality hitch mounted cargo
carriers and racks on the market.
Hunting requires a significant amount of
gear, and there’s always the chance you will
bag a kill that will take up space in or on your
vehicle. Packing for a hunting trip, therefore,
quickly becomes both an art and science for
many seasoned sportsmen.
Ultimately, practice is the best way to
determine what you absolutely need on a
hunting trip. The more hunting experience you
person have, the better you will become at
packing efficiently. Still, reviewing the
guidelines below can help you refine your own
approach to packing for a hunting expedition.
How to Pack for Your Next Hunting
Trip
First, a general packing tip: We recommend
creating a packing checklist. This preliminary
step guarantees that you will have everything
you need once you reach the wild. As you
pack, go through your list and check off each
item.
Next, group items according to where they
will be packed. Experienced hunters
recommend a day pack for on-the-hunt items;
a duffle bag for clothes and small
consumables; coolers for food and game; and
lockable boxes for ammo, guns and archery
gear. Finally, depending on the size of your
vehicle, you may benefit from having a roof-
mounted or hitch-mounted cargo carrier to
contain all of your camping gear.
In the day pack, include:
Lighter and waterproof fire starting kit,
including matches
Flashlight with extra batteries
Knife for cleaning game
Camera/smartphone
Binoculars
Compass, maps and/or GPS system
Water bottle
Meat bags, dressing gloves
Hunting license
This pack should also include outdoor
survival necessities such as a small first aid kit,
toilet paper in a baggie, a space blanket, lip
balm, sunscreen, insect repellant and energy
bars or trail mix.
In the duffle or rolling bag, place your
clothes for the trip. Some avid hunters
recommend scent-eliminating systems such as
Scentnote, which make it much more difficult
for animals to smell you coming. Don’t forget
to pack your hunter orange gear in this bag to
ensure you remain visible to other hunters. As
you select what clothing to bring, favor fabrics
such as wool and fleece, which will keep you
warm even when wet.
In the coolers, pack food for your journey.
Don’t forget to bring an extra cooler or two for
game. You could also consider a hitch-
mounted cargo carrier than can double as a
cooler for your game (note: you’ll want to
shop for these, not all can act as coolers).
Double-check that you have everything you’ll
need for cleaning your kills, including hunting
knives, zip-close plastic bags and a sharpening
stone. Hunting aficionados recommend
bringing a portable generator and a vacuum-
packing system, but this is excessive for
beginning hunters who may not bag a kill on
their first few trips.
In the lockable boxes, pack your
ammunition, weapons and other hunting
accessories such as a bipod or shooting stick.
Think through what could go wrong in the
wild, and pack accordingly. For instance, what
will you do if your bow string snaps? Better
pack an extra one just in case, as well as pliers
and a bow stringer.
For a multi-day excursion, your list will
also include camping gear. It’s not easy to find
enough space for everything a memorable
hunting trip requires. Rooftop cargo carriers
are a popular solution for this common
dilemma, or you can opt for a hitch-mounted
cargo carrier.
Rooftop Cargo
Carriers vs. Hitch-
Mounted Cargo
Carriers
Using a rooftop or
hitch-mounted cargo
carrier is akin to adding an extra trunk to your
vehicle. Both will provide plenty of extra
room. However, each storage solution poses its
own advantages and drawbacks.
Rooftop cargo carriers are helpful, but
they decrease gas mileage through drag, and
gear isn’t easy to access when it’s on top of
your car or SUV. (Most truck beds do not
provide a large enough mounting surface for
rooftop carriers.)
A hitch-mounted cargo carrier’s rear
placement does not decrease gas mileage, and
its rectangular shape makes it easier to pack
bulky items. There are also models that feature
swingaway frames to still provide access to the
rear of your vehicle. And, some can even
double as coolers for your fresh game.
Regardless of whether you choose a rooftop
or hitch-mounted cargo carrier, take a few
moments after your trip to reflect on what
worked and what failed as far as hunting
storage was concerned. With a little awareness,
you can continually improve your own
approach to packing for a hunting trip. Just
think: The better you get at packing, the more
quickly you can get out in the backcountry!
BA
Bill Howard
I am a sucker for testing three items;
flashlights, knives, and backpacks. As for
backpacks, I look for packs that can be used
for more than just hiking and camping. They
need to be multifunctional. I very seldom
‘just’ hike and camp. Hiking and camping is
usually a byproduct of hunting and fishing.
Because I mostly bowhunt, I need a pack
that allows the carrying of a bow. Many packs
are firearm accessible, but a bow requires a
different configuration in order to hold the
wide footprint of the limbs of a bow.
I have been using a Alps Outdoorz Pursuit
pack for the last 6 months. It has proved to be
more than adequate, tough, comfortable, and
has the ability to cover each of my needs.
When I first received the pack, I looked at
the different pockets, the zipper opening s that
allow access, and the utility compartments in
order to ‘design’ my layout of equipment. I
adjusted the straps for fit and comfort. The
chest strap is slid up and down on runners built
into the shoulder straps for quick adjustment.
Then I pulled out the gear I would need for a
three day backcountry hunt.
That is when it became fun!
The main pocket of the pack has a
hydration bladder sleeve. The suction tube fits
nicely through the top of the pack and has
clips to hold it in place down one of the
shoulder straps. The pocket is pare enough to
hold a change of clothes or layers . I placed
my knives, heat pads, main flashlight, food
packs, and other supplies in the compartment
with no problems.
The outside utility pocket stores my other
survival equipment and quick use items. The
pockets offer plenty of space to separate
different things. I have my Lifestraw water
filtration straw in one pocket, have the CRKT
Eat-n-Tool and a Fox40 whistle attached to the
inner hook, and it also has a large sleeve for
maps and such.
The waste strap has two pockets, one on
each side, that can be used for a cell phone,
small rangefinder or binoculars, or even packs
of nabs. Think of them as small gadget
compartments that you can access quickly
without having to remove your pack. At the
base of the waste straps where they connect to
the pack, there are two net style pockets, one at
each base, that are also useful for something
like a larger rangefinder.
A compression strap/sleeve is placed on the
main face of the pack. This is what holds the
bow or firearm. Nicely I would like to add.
Several magnets sewn into the bottom of the
pack pull loose revealing the butt sleeve that
holds the bottom of the bow or stock of the
firearm. A strap around the top of the sleeve
can be loosened or tightened for a secure fit on
the weapon. The compression sleeve fits over
the top of the bow or firearm holding it in
place and tight to the pack. To the side of the
pack there is a quick connect strap that can be
used to hold the string of the bow to further
prevent unwanted movement.
Straps are located on each side of the pack,
one to hold the bow strings, the other to use
how you wish. I chose to see how it would
work with my tent. The easily held the tent
snug without being in the way. The weight
distributed well for comfort also.
At the very bottom of the pack is another
zippered compartment. A hunter orange rain
cover is released which is large enough to
cover the top portion of the pack and anything
attached to it.
Overall, the
Alps Outdoorz
Pursuit pack is an
easily configured,
comfortable pack
that can be
utilized by the
hunter, both bow
and firearm, and
the hiker/camper.
The pack is well
constructed, able
to withstand the
abuse given by the
outdoors
enthusiast.
Padding on the
waste strap and
back of the pack,
along with quick
adjustment straps
supply the
comfort needed
for long trails
even with excess
weight in the
pack. BA
PREFACE: This isn’t meant to be a how
too guide for returning to archery after
mastectomy; because the mastectomy
experience is intensely individual with
individual and unique challenges. This is
merely my experience and from that I hope
that others can learn, find some help, and most
of know that it is possible to return to archery
after a mastectomy.
Breast cancer and all that it entailed were
nothing new to me. The youngest of three
sisters, I had already been helping my two
older sisters fight the dreaded disease for
several years. I can’t even say I was surprised
when I heard the words BRCA1 positive (the
breast cancer gene) and bilateral mastectomy
when they flew across the doctors desk at me.
Deep in my heart I knew it was coming.
As odd it may sound when I met with the
surgeons about all the options one of my first
questions was, “So, will I still be able to use
my bow after this? Will I still be able to use
my shot gun?” I’m sure they thought I was
raving lunatic, but luckily I had a pair of the
best surgeons in the country filleting me and
they understood how important my outdoor
lifestyle - my life outdoors - was to me and
considered that a priority when selecting the
type of surgery and reconstruction I would
have.
Fast forward from all slicing, dicing and
remanufacturing of my bust line. It was a
long process, I was restless, and more than
ready to return to rebuilding my upper body
strength, retraining muscles, and rerouting
nerve signals. I started physical therapy as
soon as receiving the green light from the
doctors and made sure the therapist understood
that one of my goals was to be ready to be in
the tree stand by fall. Thankfully once again
fate was on my side and the therapist
understood clearly that I would work harder
towards that goal than any he had so it was
huge part of the plan.
We began with simple stretching and
strengthening exercises, and slowly progressed
to using resistance bands. Looking back I wish
I known about the product Bowtrainer back
then. Instead we made a jerry-rigged version
of our own using resistance bands and my
bathroom door.
That’s when I hit the wall – no matter what
I tried, because of the extent of my surgery and
reconstruction, the physical motion of drawing
back was uncomfortable, it just plain felt
weird. To be completely honest, it felt like the
implant on my right side was migrating
somewhere under my arm and hanging out
around my elbow.
And being honest once again, I gave up. I
decided that returning to archery just wasn’t
going be something I could do. I would try
periodically, feel like a wimpy weakling with
an implant roaming around loose, and walk
away frustrated and sad. I tried talking to
various archery shops, archery manufactures,
and that was difficult. As men they simply
didn’t get it, and as men; talking about breasts
and mastectomies and implants for God’s sake
made them incredibly uncomfortable. Eyes
would glaze over, they would fidget, and with
a decidedly deer in the headlights look flee to
the safety of a sudden urgent phone call or
bow emergency in the repair department.
Then it happened…….
One late summer afternoon when all the
fellas were dialing in bows, practicing, getting
ramped up for the right around the corner
opening of archery deer season, while I stood
there snapping photos, kicking dirt, and in
general pouting, complaining and feeling left
out ; my friend Scott Huschle of DownRiver
Outdoors said “ G – have you talked to Karen
Butler from Shoot Like a Girl? I bet she could
help. “
WHAAAAT???? There are women in the
archery world that could help me figure this
out? How did I not know this? Had I been
living on some other planet?
Huschle
generously
gave me
all of Ms.
Butler’s
contact
information
and I raced
home to fire
off an email.
Suffice it to say
that may have
rank among one
of the most
important e mails I
have ever sent in my
life.
Ms. Butler was
quick to reply with
many great ideas as well
as much compassion and
understanding. Something I had not
experienced from the many archery resources I
previously explored.
As luck would have it, Butler would be in
my area soon, at the huge annual Hunting and
Fishing Days event held in our area. I couldn’t
wait to meet her in person, try some bows that
she suggested and see what we could come up
with.
I found a woman archer to talk to about the
situation, not just a woman archer but one of
the best and one who has made it her mission
to introduce and support women in archery.
That hot September Saturday that Karen
Butler spent a great deal of time and effort
working with me gave me a renewed hope that
I could indeed return
archery. She also helped
me to realize that while I
could return archery I
might not be able to
return to what it was
before, but where there
was a will there was a
way, a bow, and an
archery activity.
My biggest
issues came with
trying to use a
compound. It
simply didn’t
work for me.
No matter
how hard I
tried to
rebuild the strength,
to retrain the muscles, pulling
it to break over cam and then holding it
just wasn’t in the cards.
But between Ms. Butler and my friend
Christine Appleberg , of Illinois Bowfishers, I
learned that I could indeed use a recurve, I
could use a long bow, and holy smokes, I
could fling arrows like madwoman using one
of the Genesis 0% let off bows.
Yet being able to pull the required 40
pounds to hunt eluded me. Not only was a I
dealing with issues from the mastectomies, I
had been diagnosed with MS and that further
hampered my upper body strength.
It was standing by a spillway sticking gar
that I had an epiphany of sorts; maybe I’ll
never be able archery hunt for large game
again. Maybe I will with lots of hard work,
exercise and sheer will, but until
then I can certainly target shoot
and bowfish . I accepted that
and realized any archery is
better than no archery!
Here are few tips for
women returning to archery
after mastectomy. First
and foremost discuss it
with your physician to
insure that you are
ready and that there are
no medical reasons
why you should not
begin working
towards the goal of
sticking that arrow
in the bulls eye.
Ask your physician for a referral to
physical therapy that can help you develop a
plan to strengthen and rebuild the muscles,
nerve pathways, and endurance needed.
Start small. Picking up your regular hunting
bow and giving it a pull is likely to not be
successful initially, and can increase your
sense of frustration. Try one of the Genesis
bows used in the NASP or a light draw weight
recurve initially. Baby steps. Baby steps. Each
small victory will help to increase your
confidence.
Reach out to other women archers, such as
Karen Butler and Shoot Like A Girl.
As your strength and resolve grows try out
every bow that crosses your path. Be the most
annoying and time consuming customer that
archery dealer has ever seen. There IS one out
there that will work for you!
Accept any limitations as they come along.
Can’t pull enough to hunt game, but can pull
15 or 20 pounds? Find a bowfishing
organization, learn to
bowfish. I promise you
the first time you
see your arrow
dance and that
carp or gar flop
and fight, you will
be renewed and
know that indeed
archery is still
possible.
Allow yourself time
– the journey for me
from the first arrow out
of my nephews recurve
to standing on the platform
of a bowfishing rig flinging
arrow after arrow at
invasive carp was a several
year adventure.
Most of all love yourself, celebrate every
day, and in the words of one my best outdoor
mentors Deb West of Brownwaterdogs “
YOU CAN DO IT!”
Remember – the fierce Amazon warrior
women cut off a breast in order to make them
better archers and stronger warriors.
We are warriors too! BA
Amanda MacDonald
When you are new to the sport of archery,
or want to try a different type of bow it can be
somewhat daunting. There is already some
great technical information out there, but I
want to begin with the things that may seem
like common sense, but are rarely mentioned
for some reason.
Buying a target bow is like buying a pair of
shoes, it needs to fit your purpose. This is not
a multi-tasker. Heels for a wedding won’t
work for everyday work boots. If you plan to
be shooting lots and lots of arrows, you need to
be comfortable and be able to use your body
properly to avoid overuse injuries. The best
advice I ever received was to try a bunch of
different makes and brands of bows and find
out what felt right for me. You might have to
drive a bit to find a shop that can help you, but
it’s worth it in the end. A good target shop can
help fit you if you are new to the sport and
make sure you have what you need. If you
have no idea where to start, look up the clubs
that do well at the state level and find out
where they go. If you have the chance to visit
one of the big national tournaments, the big
manufacturers are there with inventory that
you can compare and handle. Avoid the big-
box sports stores, as they don’t carry target
equipment.
There are plenty of good, lightly-used bows
for sale online - don’t buy someone else’s
mistake unless you know exactly what fits.
Shoot it before you buy it whenever possible.
You may have your heart set on a particular
bow to find out that you hate the grip and it’s
noisy when you get it home. You will be
surprised at how different brands feel in your
hand. The wall may be too aggressive for you
or too mushy.
What NOT to worry about. Don’t let an
overenthusiastic clerk try and talk you into
something that shoots faster than anything else
in the shop. Chances are you will be using this
bow at a stationary target at 20 yards. That
target's not going to drop under your arrow and
boogie out of there before you can nock
another arrow. If you get the hard sell
approach, walk out and go somewhere else.
Any of the higher-end target bows out there
have enough speed to get the job done well.
Most bow manufacturers now make good
quality target bows and they have really big
marketing budgets. Don’t get swayed by which
manufacturer has the most shooters in the
final, or who has the sexiest ads, or what the
shooter in the next lane has. Get what fits
YOU.
Guys, I know most of you will ignore this
anyway, but ladies pay attention. Draw weight.
I take some teasing with my “toy” 30 lb
compound bow from the new guy in the next
lane. It usually stops when I out shoot them.
You only need enough to get the arrow in the
target without shaking 60 times and to not be
tired after 70 arrows. Yes, lots of people shoot
their hunting bow, or a hunting bow set up for
targets. Unless you shoot on a very regular
basis, 3-4 X a week, or are in good shape, a
60lb bow is not much fun to use for targets.
I’m actually getting a lighter set up for my
recurve this fall because I am anticipating less
time in my schedule for regular practice.
If you are a small adult or female, it can be
a challenge to find something that has a low
enough draw weight to pull comfortably and a
short enough draw length. Fit is key. Youth
bows can be a good place to start if you are
brand new, as they are less expensive, very
adjustable, and can be upgraded when your
skills outgrow it next season. My nephew is
hunting with my original bow. I do not
recommend using your husband’s or
boyfriend’s hand-me-down bow when he
upgrades. It will be an exercise in frustration
for both of you. If you are really unsure of
where to start, check out what the pro ladies
are shooting and select someone close to your
size. Most manufacturers are getting on board
making hunting bows that are female-friendly,
but you have fewer options to pick from in the
target compound bow group if you are very
petite. You may need to go up a bit in draw
weight, but try not to compromise length, as it
will not work as nicely in the long run.
Recurve archers of all sizes have it a bit
easier as bows are modular; from the length
(short, medium, long) and power of the limbs
(you can go up by 2 lb increments) to the riser
height (22” to 28”) depending on how much
weight you need to shoot (18 m vs. 90 m) to
get the arrow to the target with enough power
behind it. You might decide you need a shorter
riser with a medium limb to get enough power
behind your arrow to hit 70 or 90m. Many very
competitive archers have two set ups, one for
indoor and one for outdoor.
Why are target bows longer than hunting
bows and why is this important? The obvious
first answer is that today’s hunting bows are
designed to be lighter and shorter making them
easier to shoot while hanging out of a tree
stand. Longer and somewhat heavier translates
to smaller, slower wiggling when you are
aiming, aiming, aiming. A longer axel-to-axel
measurement when combined with a long
stabilizer and V-bars all work to slow down
your natural movement and give you smaller
groups.
Another variable you'll hear about is the
distance between the bow grip and the string at
rest, AKA the brace-height. The brace-height
determines the angle of the string from the cam
to your anchor point as well as how much
energy you can store in the bow at full draw.
While it's true that a larger brace-height can
make a bow more forgiving, it isn't nearly as
important as finding a bow that fits your draw
length and pulling power well.
Bow cams come in many forms and all do
the same job - store energy. Your draw length
will likely determine which cam you'll need so
again, try lots of different bows to see how
each feels during the draw, let-off and hold
phase of your shot.
Lastly, be sure you buy your new awesome
target bow from a shop that can set it up
properly for you. A great fitting, high-tech
bow won't hit the broad side of a barn if it isn't
set up and tuned correctly (so even online
shoppers will need a good local bow shop).
Target archery is a brilliant sport and having a
tool that erases all variables but one (YOU)
makes it much more enjoyable. Happy
shooting! BA
Ryan Shoemaker
"Wars are not won
by evacuations."
~Winston Churchill
Over the course of
100 miles I repeated the
quote a thousand times.
To me it meant sticking
with it no matter how
bad it got. To date I
have finished every ultra I've entered and I
wasn't about to let that go. I made a
commitment to myself and I was prepared to
"win the war." Running a 100 miles was the
hardest thing I have ever done in my life,
period.
A runner once said “If you have a
weakness, a 100 miler will find it” and now
speaking from experience I can say I have
never heard anything more truthful. Below is
my story....
The set up…..
The Burning River 100 was something that
when I signed up I really wasn’t even sure I
could do. Before this the furthest I had ever
run was 50 miles and after that I felt decent at
best. Thinking back I could have probably
went another 10 or 15…but another 50? I’m
not so sure. So using 0% logic I bucked the
odds and registered. The elk hunt this fall was
going to be a doozy with destinations over 9
miles in and elevations over 12,000 feet. I
figured a little extra prep wouldn’t hurt, plus it
would be good to see what I was made of.
Preparing for the race I broke it down into 3
major sections….first 50+miles to Happy Days
(64.1), Happy Days to Covered Bridge (85.5),
and Covered Bridge to the finish (101.1). I was
pretty comfortable with myself up until Happy
Days but after that I really wasn’t quite sure
what to expect. Using my best guest estimate I
planned to be at Happy Days at 6:51pm (race
clock 13hrs,51mins) and the finish at 5am
(24hrs).
I had 5 drop bags that I planned to access
during the race which would help me resupply
with essential items. Wilderness Athlete gels,
Hammer nutrition perpetuem, socks, Badlands
Reactor, headlamp, etc. My lone shoe change
was scheduled to take place at mile 54.
My pacer Dave and I were scheduled to
meet at the Happy Days aid station near mile
64 (for those unaware a pacer is a runner that
can run a portion of the race with you). Not all
runners have pacers but I was lucky enough to
find one, and Dave was worth his weight in
gold (Dave, I know you’ll read this and I can’t
thank you enough for helping me!!).
A quick rundown of events looked like
this…start the day at 2am, leave the house at
2:45, bus ride to the start 3:45, race start at
5am. By my pace schedule I was planned to
wrap up by 5am the next day. A far cry from
the 28hrs, 51mins, and 42secs it took me.
The first 50+ to Happy Days….
“To give anything less than your best is to
sacrifice the gift.” – Steve Prefontaine
When I saw this quote at mile 40 it literally
gave me chills. Someone at the Ottawa Point
Aid Station (AS) had made the sign and
slapped it to a tree. It was the last thing you
saw before disappearing again into the woods.
To this point I had been going since 2am
(up for 12 hrs and running for 9 of them) and I
still felt strong. Hammering down the trail I
repeated the quote….”don’t sacrifice the gift,
don’t sacrifice the gift”…. In my plans I was
right where I needed to be. The first 35+ miles
had rolled on smoothly and I was now on my
way to the Snowville aid station scheduled to
arrive around 3:27pm. I had knocked out a
touch over 40 miles and had a little more than
60 left to go.
Rolling on the miles I chipped away at it.
Snowville…Boston #1…Boston #2 and it was
on my way from Boston #2 to Pine Lane (one
stop before arriving at Happy Days to meet
Dave) where things started to fall apart. 3
miles into a 4.2 mile section my stomach
decided it had had enough, and I went from
feeling good and being positive, to complete
misery and just trying to survive. I just kept
putting one foot in front of another trying to
get to the next aid station.
Finally arriving at Pine Lane I sat down to
pull things together. I was now in my first real
battle with pain and losing some major time
along the way. Knowing all I had to do was get
to the next aid station (Happy Days) I forced
myself to get up and move on.
Looking at my watch I was running over an
hour late and I knew Jor and Dave would be
worried. Walking away I asked an aid station
volunteer to text Jor to let her know I was ok
and on my way. It wasn’t until about a mile
into the next section I realized I gave the
worker my cell number not Jor’s.
In route to Happy Days it went from worse
to impossible. First, I continued to linger on
the thought that my family and Dave would be
worried, so I was worried. And second, dealing
with my stomach was just consuming me. I
could barely run and now had fallen into the
dreadful cycle of run/walk/run and there was
nothing I could at the moment to escape it. I
didn’t have mental or physical strength to
break through it. I tried to battle on.
On the forever journey to Happy Days I
was finally caught by Tammy who was pacing
Simon from Germany. As they rolled by I
forced myself to get in behind them and run. It
was everything I had. Nearing the aid station I
caught a glimpse of someone running down
the trail at us. It was Dave. God bless him,
knowing I was in trouble he left to find me. As
we ran together we caught up and took
inventory before finally arriving at HD.
Happy Days (64.1) to Covered Bridge
(84.4)….
Before coming out of the woods to Happy
Days Dave got me up to speed. He said my
family was there and were worried, but ok. He
told me that he was talking with Jori and asked
her “no matter how bad he looks, don’t let him
quit”. I laughed as I could only imagine what
Jori was thinking.
Arriving at Happy Days I walked up, sat
down, and Dave started to bring me food. I
knew I needed to eat but to be honest it was
the last thing I wanted to do. I hit my drop bag,
ate some potatoes, and drank some ginger ale
before walking over to see Jor and my brother-
in-law Brad. We didn’t stay long. Knowing I
had to get out of there I
said my good byes and
grabbed my headlamp. I
had now been at it for over
15 hours and it was starting
to get dark.
Walking out of that aid
station I can honestly say I
had no earthly idea how I
was going to make it to the
next one, let alone cover the 35 miles left in
the race. At this point I felt sick and exhausted
and trying to figure out how I was going to
make the last 35 miles just made me feel even
more sick and exhausted. I felt like a walking
zombie. As we hit the trail head we flipped on
the headlamps.
Plodding down the trail dodging rocks and
boulders I asked Dave if he would lead. This
section was 6.8 miles long and I didn’t even
feel like I could think anymore. We pushed
on….turn after turn, hill after hill, downhill
after downhill until finally arriving at the next
aid station (Pine Hollow). I walked up, sat
down, Dave got me food, and we left. The
whole stop wasn’t 5 minutes. We were back at
it into the 3.3 mile loop that would bring us
right back to Pine Hollow at mile 74.2.
When we left Pine Hollow I was really
struggling keeping things together. Physically
my stomach was still upset and mentally the
remaining 35 miles almost seemed too much to
even get my hands around. As we plodded
down the trail I just stared at the 10 foot circle
created by my headlamp. What the heck I was
doing out here? Why on earth did I think that I
could do this? Like 98% of the other normal
people in this world I should be at home in my
nice cushy bed. I had now been running for
over 20 hours and the
majority of every
thought bouncing around
in my head was negative.
I was about as down and
out as I have ever been.
We finally emerged
from the dark timber to
an open meadow full of
glow sticks lining the
trail back to Pine Hollow for our second stop.
Walking up I heard the familiar voices of Jori,
Brad, and Darb. Looking back, this was a point
and time that things really turned around for
me. I walked up and sat down. Dave started
bringing me squares of hot grilled cheese
sandwich. Hammering away at the food I told
them that over the course of the last 15 miles,
suffering through my stomach issues, I
realized this was the most stupid, idiotic,
ridiculous thing I have ever done. At this point
even I myself couldn’t believe I was doing it.
We all joked and laughed before getting up to
go. 74.2 miles done, 26.9 miles to go.
Covered Bridge (85.5) to Finish
(101.1…or 103.1 “unofficially”)
As we moved over the next sections (Covered
Bridge #1, Covered Bridge #2, O’Neil Woods,
Merriman) things became more and more
weird…..towards the end I had been up for
over 30 hours and it was really starting to
catch up to me. I was tired, beat, and
something was going on with my left ankle
because it was starting to swell. Every time I
would sit down at an aid station it would get
harder and harder to get moving again. These
sections were all pretty uneventful with the
exception of taking two wrong turns at
Covered Bridge #1 which in the end cost us 2
miles and 40 minutes.
After 27 hours of being at it we finally
reached the last aid station around 8:30am,
95.4 miles down, 4.8 miles to go. I used an aid
station volunteers phone to call Jori and let her
know I was heading towards the finish.
Leaving the final aid station I could hardly
believe it was all coming to an end. As Dave
and I walked we talked about the many low
points, high points, wrong turns, and the
insanity that running 100 miles is all about.
Many of the moments over the course of the
last 4.8 miles seemed surreal.
As we neared the finish I could see Owen
and Jori. I could hear them yelling and see the
smile on their faces. I will never forget looking
at Jori as I heard everyone start to clap. I
walked over, grabbed Owen, and asked Jori to
walk with me. Whether they know it or not
they were with me every step of the way. The
two of them are the most important things in
my life and I wanted them to share in this
moment with me as I crossed the finish line.
Official finish time 28hrs, 51mins, and 42secs.
I had done it. I finished my first 100 miler.
Next up in 5 weeks is the whole reason I do
what I do…..elk hunting the mountains of
Colorado with Pops and I can’t be more
excited! After this 100 miler I’m ready and so
is Pops. He’s been working hard and I couldn’t
be more proud of him. All that work is going
to pay off when he puts an arrow through his
first elk! Stay tuned, stories from the elk trail
coming soon. BA