The Hog Blog

Yeah, there’s a lot to be experienced in North Carolina, and I got to get up close and fairly personal with all of it over my recent long weekend.

I was hoping to have the story of my weekend on video, but that’s gonna have to wait until later this week.  In the meantime, here’s a word-centric version for those of you who’ve been wondering how I did.

 Some of you will remember the catalyst for this whole trip, a trail-cam photo my brother sent me.  Allegedly, this buck was on his property, and allegedly, he has this big boy all figured out, from bedroom to dinner table and all points in between.  Allegedly…

Well, I jumped on it, made my airline reservations, and let my mom know she’d have an unexpected house guest for a few days.  I’d arrive on Thursday night, spend the day Friday visiting and relaxing (and doing a few hours of work), then plan on hitting the opening morning on Saturday.  Based on my brother’s stories, I figured we’d have a deer each on the hook by 10:00, and relax on the river the rest of the day. 

The best laid plans of mice and men g’ang aft agley!
Robert Burns

Brother Burns had it right.  So did Murphy.

Saturday morning dawned hot and muggy.  Sweat soaked my new, lightweight clothes, and ran down my spine.  I was thankful for my Thermacell, as I could hear the mosquitoes plotting their assault, only to be thwarted again and again by the vapors from this magical device.  The wind was absolutely still, and with the dense humidity, scent dropped to the ground and stayed there. 

All this detail serves a point…  Stink.  The hunters’ bane.  Deer don’t like us.

About an hour after first light, I was scanning the woods when I heard the dreaded “huff”, and turned my head in time to see the white flag flickering through the catclaws and pin oaks.  The deer had been within 15 yards and I’d neither heard her, nor seen her until she hit my scent and blew out.  How long she’d been there, I’ll never know.  The dense, late-summer foliage made it impossible to see anywhere except the shooting lanes my brother had cut.

I sat tight, waiting for quite a while, until I was sure the deer wasn’t going to circle back (as they sometimes do).  I hung my bow on the hook, and settled back into my seat.  Morning dragged on, and the effects of staying up late the previous night, and rising at 0400 were catching up.  Keep in mind that I still hadn’t had an opportunity to switch from Pacific time to the East Coast, so my internal clock was all out of whack and I was dog tired.  I caught myself nodding from time to time, and knew I wouldn’t last much longer.

I shot a little more video, and considered climbing down and heading back to the truck.  As I was doing a little monologue, I heard a snap in the bushes.  I froze, and put the camera away, slowly.  I couldn’t see anything, but as I scanned the brush I heard it again… the whoof of exhaled air, and the crash of brush.  This time, I saw the deer breaking away to my left, heading for an open spot.  I lifted the bow, hoping for a shot, but just as the deer hit the opening, he disappeared!  A ditch runs along the property line right there, and it is apparently a regular escape route. 

I held tight for another hour or two before climbing down.  It was too hot to be there anymore, my back was aching, and I was a little disappointed that all of the main trails were directly downwind of my stand. 

Back at mom’s place, I took a brief nap, had some lunch, and took some practice shots with the Mathews.  Before long, it was time to get back in the woods.  To summarize the evening hunt, nothing happened.  Just before dark, I heard some deer blowing, and thought my brother may have had a shot.  Turns out that there were a couple of smaller bucks sparring in the creek, too far for him to shoot and nowhere near my stand. 

North Carolina is one of the handful of states that still doesn’t allow Sunday hunting.  This worked out OK this trip, because it was an opportunity to spend some time with the whole family… nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters-in-law… you know, the whole shebang.  It was fun, and definitely a highlight of the trip.  Sunday came and went, and after over-indulging on good, homecooked food and a few drinks, I went to bed fairly early.

My schedule had me departing at 1125 on Monday, so the plan was for me to sleep in and then have a good breakfast before heading on over to the airport.  I’d expected to have at least one deer in the cooler by then, but as we’ve seen, that wasn’t to be.  So, instead of laying in bed, I was up and out at 04:00 again to get back in the treestand.  I blame my little brother, who insisted that even if I shot one at the last minute, he’d track it and process it for me. 

At 06:45, as the morning light was still filtering through the trees, I caught the movement of legs in the trail.  I raised the Leicas and, sure enough, a small buck was browsing on something right in the middle of my shooting lane.  With tiny, three-inch spikes, he was too small for even me to take, so I enjoyed watching him for a while.  Another deer was with him, and while I couldn’t see antlers, it was about the same size, body-wise, and I figure it’s probably a sibling.

After watching them for a few minutes, they suddenly stopped still and stared back into the thicket before bolting up the trail.  At first I thought my brother had just shot something, or was walking up the trail, but then I spotted a larger deer coming in.  A quick scan with the binos told me he was a decent little cowhorn, and certainly good enough for a first archery deer.  (A “cowhorn” is a spike with antlers over six inches or so.)  I slowly lifted the bow from the hanger, and got ready.

It all went so perfectly, as he eased right into my shooting lane.  As his head went behind a clister of branches, I raised and drew back.  He stepped into the open and lowered his head, stopping almost perfectly broadside.  Textbook! 

I centered the pin, took a deep breath, and I’m pretty sure I gently squeezed the release trigger until the arrow zipped into the air.  A split-second later, I heard the thump of the impact, and the deer spun and took off into the bushes.  I listened to him run, hoping for a crash, but didn’t hear it.  With the damp ground, I figured I might not hear anything, so I sat still for a half-hour, then climbed down to check the arrow and the sign.

And here’s where it all fell apart.

I estimated the range and the angle, and decided to hold a little high on the shoulder.  The thought was that the angle would carry the arrow down, through the shoulder, into the lungs.  But I over-estimated that angle, and the arrow apparently went right under the spine, but too high to hit any vitals.  The arrow was covered in blood, but I couldn’t find a single drop on the ground for yards. 

I packed my gear out to the road then went back in after another half-hour wait.  By now my brother was down, and the two of us scoured the woods for sign.  We circled outward.  Finally, about 100 yards from where I’d made the shot, I spotted a splotch of blood on a dead leaf.  We soon spotted another drop, then followed the likely trail until we hit more blood at the creek bank.  We could see where the deer had run down the creek bank and crossed.  He was heading toward a bedding area, and my hopes were getting pretty high.

Unfortunately the sun was getting higher too, and I realized it was way past time for me to go.  It was two hours before my departure time, and I still had to drive back to mom’s place, get my luggage packed, and have her drive me to the airport.  Regretfully, I left the tracking to my brother and took off. 

Waiting for my connection in Atlanta a few hours later, I gave him a call.  He told me he’d followed the trail without finding more blood, but as he entered the bedding area, a deer jumped and took off.  He’s assuming it was my deer, and based on its movement, it wasn’t hurt too badly.  He gave a brief pursuit, but found no indication that this deer was fatally hit.  He finally gave up the search, and headed off to work.

So there we go.  I’m blown away by this new bow, and the accuracy it offers.  But even with this technology, there is no sure thing. 

The streak continues… I have yet to take a big game animal with a bow.

 

Inspired by the contest over at Her Outdoors blog.  There’s still time to get your entries in!

In my mind’s eye, I still see myself that January morning… a tall, gangly, 12-year-old kid.  I’m standing by a logging road, swallowed up in a tan, hunting coat, about three sizes too big, wearing high-water blue jeans that only half cover green, rubber boots (uninsulated, by the way, and guaranteed to freeze a youngster’s feet).  Under my arm is my Christmas present, a used Revelation 20ga, pump shotgun, complete with “deer-slayer” barrel and a magazine stuffed full of 3-inch magnum buckshot. 

Through this hazy fog of memory, I can also still hear the cry of the hounds echoing through the North Carolina hardwood swamps, heading up toward my stand at the edge, where swamp turns to sandhill, and the oaks and catclaw briars give way to pines and sandspurs.  I remember the breathless wait as the baying and barking drew closer, and the anticipation and selfish hope that somehow that deer would evade all of the other standers as it flew from the pursuing dogs.  With 20 or 30 other hunters on this drive, the odds that this deer would come to me instead of anyone else were slim.  All season long, I had stood in similar anticipation as the chase got closer and closer, only to be foiled by the boom of a distant shotgun and the sudden silence of the hounds.  But so far, this time, there had been no “boom.”  This time they just kept coming, and coming. 

200 yards up the road, I saw my father step out of the brush, quickly shoulder his shotgun, and then lower it just as quickly.  He stared intently at something, then turned his gaze to me!  As I tried to figure out what was going on, something began to thrash through the bushes across from me, and then it appeared… a deer!  It was running hard, parallel to my position, and I remember bringing up my gun even as I was checking for antlers.  We couldn’t shoot does back then, so I had only seconds to determine if this was a buck.  I saw the blur of brownish-white flashing above his ears, and my body went into autopilot as I somehow aimed and fired, sending the charge of #3 buckshot 50 yards, directly behind the shoulder of my first deer! 

The little buck, reacting to the blast and trying to evade the shot even as the pellets penetrated his heart and lungs, cut a somersault and dropped still on the ground.  He neither thrashed nor struggled, but was dead where he fell.  A part of me breathed a sigh of relief at the quickness of it, and at the fact that all that time spent practicing had paid off… a quick, clean kill.  It’s what every sportsman wants and works for.

Shaking so hard I could barely pump the shotgun, I chambered an unnecessary follow-up round and stalked up to my prize.  I remember the odd, happy exhileration, pride mingling with dread and some sort of sadness for what I’d done.  While a lot of time and effort had gone into preparing me for the shot, no one had prepared me for the result… this beautiful animal laying dead on the ground… dead by MY hand!  It was a stark confirmation of what I’d been taught… the irrevocable decision to pull the trigger.  You can’t call it back. 

Not that I wanted to.  I had done it!  I had faced the trial and passed the test!  There on the ground was the proof that I was a deer hunter now, not just another kid in camp! 

I stepped up to my deer, and suddenly the thrill was replaced by an icy hand gripping my stomach.  My throat went taut and I could feel the warm blood drain from my face.  Panic raced through my heart, and a wave of dizziness nearly shook me from my feet. 

No horns.

There were no antlers on this deer’s head! 

I stood staring at what I had done, frozen to the spot.  From the corner of my vision, I saw my dad walking up to me.  He was saying something, but at first I couldn’t hear him over the roaring in my ears.  Finally, the words came through.  “Did you get him,” he was calling excitedly? 

I turned to him, white-faced and nearly in tears.  “He had horns when I shot him,” I cried!  “He did!”

That phrase has since become a family joke.

While examining the deer, I had noticed the two bloody holes on the top of his head.  In my naivete, I figured they must have been buckshot wounds.  A couple of stray pellets must have hit there.  My dad raced over, as fast as he could with bum knees, and together we took a closer inspection.  One quick look between the hind legs confirmed that, indeed, this was a male deer.  But even so, club rules and State law require the deer to have visible antlers.  The club was even more strict, and imposed a fine on anyone who shot a deer with antlers less than six inches long.  Things weren’t looking good.

I replayed the shot in my mind (an image that I can still summon today), and I was absolutely certain that there were antlers on this deer.  Was it possible that the bloody holes were where I’d shot them off?  I began to backtrack a few steps, to where the deer was when I fired.  The ground was scuffed where his head had hit the ground as he flipped.  There, protruding through the pine duff and sand, was the end of an antler!  I pulled it out… a perfectly formed, eight-inch spike!  The butt end of it was still bloody.  Relief ran through me again, and it felt like I was going to explode with happiness.

I searched in vain for the other antler, but one was all I needed.  That made my deer legal and accepted, both by the State of North Carolina, and by the folks back at the hunting club!  I was beaming, and when I looked at my dad his smile that day was one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen or felt.  The pride fairly radiated from him, and even from several yards apart I could feel the embrace of it nearly taking my breath away. 

As we stood there smiling at each other, one of the club’s old-timers pulled up in his truck.  Tom “Turkey” we all called him, a grandfatherly man, stepped out and came to see what we were out there grinning about.  He got the story, and laughed himself nearly to tears when I got to the part about telling my dad, “he had horns when I shot him!”

When he was finished chuckling at the scene, he reached into his pocket and drew out a silver dollar.  He shook my hand and placed the coin in my sweaty hand.  “Congratulations, boy,” he said.  “I carry one of these for every young man’s first deer.  I hope it’s something you’ll always remember.”

On my desk now, partially buried under “important” papers and other accumulated stuff, I still keep that single antler.  The silver dollar was stolen years ago along with a coin collection.  But more important than either of those objects, I keep the memory of that day, and my father’s proud smile. 

 

 

Heading out this morning, into the sun

Heart, Dreamboat Annie

This is the song that’s been running through my head since I woke up this morning.  Besides the fact that it’s one of my favorite Heart songs, it’s also apropos, since I will be boarding an east-bound jetliner later this morning and heading back to NC for a few days.  The archery deer season opens this weekend, and my little brother has totally conned me into giving more money to the greedy airlines in order to come out and sit in a tree, in the sweltering, late-summer, southeastern heat. 

And I can’t wait! 

How’d he convince me to come out?  He sent me this danged picture of a fine whitetail from one of his trail cameras. You’ll need to click the pic to enlarge it, but when you do you’ll see that no self-respecting deer hunter could turn down the opportunity to get back home and try to stick an arrow in this sucker! 

Even worse, the time stamp is my birthday!  Is that a sign, or what?

So the new Mathews is packed up in a brand new SKB bow case, I’ve got a dozen arrows, half of them tipped with 100 grain Slick Trick broadheads, and the other half tipped with field points for practice…  and the skinning knife is tucked away as well. 

In addition to the hunting, of course, I’ll also be visiting with family.  Didn’t have much time back there on my last visit, so I’m looking forward to relaxing a bit at Mom’s house, and just taking it easy for a while.

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On another, mostly unrelated note, no, I haven’t forgotten the significance of today’s date.  It’s one I’ll never forget, the same as any other American.  But I’m not gonna try to stick together some kind of flashy or heartfelt memorial.  That’s been amply done around the blogosphere, including tributes from several of my Skinny Moose Network compatriots, including:

Her Outdoors

From the Stand

Moose Droppings Blog

Not to mention several outside of the network, like Arthur’s Simply Outdoors, are also commemorating the day.

 

 

 

There’s a ton of stuff going on right now, and it’s all I can do to keep up.  Sometimes, having a real job is a pain… it sure gets in the way of the fun stuff, like blogging and hunting.

Anyway, here are a couple of quick releases I’ve just picked up.  One is from the CA Department of Fish and Game, and the other is from the Arizona Game and Fish Department.  Funny how they all use the same words, but change the order a bit.  Or maybe that’s just me…

First, the CA DFG is asking A-zone deer hunters in Monterey County, San Benito County, and San Luis Obispo County to bring in sections of the colon from the deer they harvest this season as part of an E.Coli research program.  Here’s the details:

Department of Fish and Game

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 7, 2008

Contacts: Dr. Andrew G. Gordus, Senior Environmental Scientist, (559)
243-4014 ext 239; Terry Palmisano, Senior Wildlife Biologist, (831) 649-2890; Harry Morse, Office of Communications, (916) 322-8962

DFG Hoping Hunters Can Help Start New Study on E. Coli and Wildlife

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is conducting a new study on how native wildlife affect E. coli presence in three coastal counties. The new study focuses on the bacteria, Escherichia coli 0157:H7 which can cause illness and death in humans. The study will help establish if the bacteria is found in wildlife in Monterey, San Benito and San Luis Obispo counties.

DFG is requesting A-zone deer hunters in those counties if they harvest a deer to take a six-inch segment of the deer’s colon to the special drop off locations listed below. Samples need to be kept cool and delivered to a drop off location within three days. There are no known health hazards to hunters collecting a small segment of deer colon when cleaning their deer.

“Hunter cooperation in this study is extremely important to the long term management of the deer herds moving between foothills and croplands,” said DFG Senior Environmental Scientist Dr. Andrew G. Gordus, who is heading up the study.

A special collection kit consisting of two latex gloves, two zip ties, two gallon-size ziplock bags, label and instructions are available to hunters upon request. For a description of how to collect the sample while cleaning a deer, go to www.dfg.ca.gov/news/docs/FieldSamplingProtocolForDeerHunters.pdf

Hunters normally clean their deer in the field. By taking the extra step of securing a small section of colon, the study will help biologists understand how native wildlife affect E. coli presence, enabling them to better manage deer herds in the vicinity of vegetable croplands.

The new study is designed to collect information over a three-year testing period. Plans are to collect a total of 2,400 colon or fecal samples over a three-year period for analysis from deer, wild pigs, elk, small mammals and birds across a variety of watersheds in the three coastal counties.

Specimen drop off locations and collection kits are available from:

● Bob Martin, Rio Farms, (831) 595-1554, King City;
● Kek Flores, Jackpot Harvesting, (831) 970-7073, Gonzales;
● Traci Roberts, Monterey County Farm Bureau,  (831) 750-5875,Salinas;
● Mike Silva, (831) 595-0102, Salinas;
● Monterey Fish and Game Office, (831) 649-2870, Monterey;
● On opening weekend Aug. 9-10, Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett Hunter Check Stations.

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Seems like a reasonable request.  Help ‘em out, hunters! 

Now, from the AZFGD…  In addition to the annual selection of leftover tags in AZ, they’ve got a bunch of javelina tags for youth hunters, all available on a first-come-first-served basis.  This is for a new fall hunting program that didn’t get a ton of promotion this summer, but it sure sounds like a great deal for the youngsters.  (I know, there are the anal retentives amongst you who are just dying to tell me that javelina aren’t really hogs, so this doesn’t really have anything to do with hog hunting, but just go with it, OK?) 

Anyway, here’s the press release:

Contact
Doug Burt, (623) 236-7215
Public Information Officer, AGFD

Arizona Game and Fish Department
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release July 31, 2008
5,000 Arizona hunting tags available by first-come, first-serve

PHOENIX – Sportsmen and sportswomen wishing to hunt big game in Arizona this fall can start applying for leftover hunt permit-tags beginning at 8 a.m. (MST) Monday, Aug. 11. For those who either missed the fall drawing or were unsuccessful in the draw, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has tags for deer, turkey and juniors-only javelina hunts, to be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Parents, grandparents, relatives, and friends of the family can take advantage of the many available juniors-only permits. There are more than 2,000 fall juniors-only javelina tags and 106 juniors-only deer tags leftover from the draw. This is a great opportunity to take a youngster outdoors and introduce him or her to the American tradition of wildlife conservation through hunting. These juniors’ hunts are structured to assure a fun, safe and satisfying family hunting experience.

Also remaining are more than 2,500 tags for general deer, 27 tags for muzzleloader deer, and more than 700 tags for archery-only deer. The majority of these tags are for Coues whitetail deer in beautiful southern Arizona.

Turkey hunters also have a chance at 354 remaining permits for a fall hunt on the Kaibab. These tags will go very quickly.

To apply for a tag, a paper hunt permit-tag application must be submitted by U.S. mail only, for delivery no earlier than August 11 at 8 a.m. (MST), to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Drawing Section, P.O. Box 52002, Phoenix, Ariz., 85072-2002.

Hunters with bonus points who are awarded a tag through the first-come, first-serve process will not lose their bonus points for the genus for which the tag is allocated per R12-4-107(G). Conversely, an unsuccessful applicant for a leftover tag is not awarded a bonus point.

Applicants must include their 2008 license number on the application request. However, a 2008 license may be purchased through the application request if needed. Additionally, junior hunters ages 10, 11, 12 and 13 are required to complete a certified hunter education class to participate in a big game hunt.

For a detailed listing of leftover permits, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw  or call (623) 236-7702. For those who qualify, there are military hunts available for Fort Huachuca. Call (520) 533-2549 for additional information.

For more information about the department’s hunter education course, visit www.azgfd.gov/education and click on “hunter education.”

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The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes they have been discriminated against in any Game and Fish program or activity, including its employment practices, the individual may file a complaint alleging discrimination directly with the Game and Fish Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phx., AZ 85086, (602) 942-3000 or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr., Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact the Game and Fish Deputy Director as listed above or by calling TTY at 1-800-367-8939.
 

More stuff coming down the pike… with the rifle deer hunting season kicking off this weekend, I can just about guarantee there’ll be a lot more news and information coming up soon!

This just in from the DFG… no real news to regular Hog Blog readers, but I figured I’d pass it along.  The first rifle season for deer opens Saturday, August 9.  I don’t have a rifle tag for the zone this year, so I’ll stick with archery tackle until September. 

Department of Fish and Game

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 6, 2008

Contacts: Harry Morse, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8962
Craig Stowers, DFG Wildlife Management Branch, (916) 445-3553

First Deer Season with Nonlead Ammunition Requirements Opens Aug. 9

The first deer season requiring the use of nonlead ammunition in historic condor range opens Aug 9. The law requiring the use of nonlead ammunition in historic California condor range took effect July 1. The law covers major portions of the A-zone deer season from Santa Clara to Ventura counties.

“This is the first of several general deer hunting seasons where nonlead ammunition is required in this range,” said John Baker Assistant Chief of Enforcemnet of the Department of Fish and Game (DFG). “We expect all hunters to understand the importance of this law and follow the regulations.”

Under the new law it is illegal to use or possess lead projectiles (bullets) while hunting big game and non game species in the range of the endangered California condor.

Lead poisoning is a serious threat to wild condors. Lead bullet fragments have been found to be a potential source of this risk to condors. To protect condors from lead poisoning as a result hunting activity, hunters can no longer use or possess lead projectiles while hunting in condor range.

A list of certified bullets, packaged ammunition and a map of the areas encompassed by the ban along with commonly asked questions about nonlead issuesn are available at www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/condor.

Fire closures and restrictions may affect A-zone hunters on public lands. The U.S. Forest Service has implemented major fire restrictions on the Los Padres National Forest and is considering or implemented similar actions for the Angeles, Cleveland and San Bernardino National Forests. In the Los Padres National Forest much of the Monterey Ranger District, including all forest roads and trails, are closed to the public for at least the next several weeks, according to District Ranger John Bradford. For more information on fire closures or fire restrictions go to: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/deer/fire.html.

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 Good luck to all the A-zone rifle hunters this weekend! Send me pix and stories of your success and I’ll make ya famous! 

Just browsing around and saw this in last week’s edition of the Savannah Daily News.  Looks like the time to get your applications in for limited entry hunts on the NWRs and other special hunt areas is coming fast. 

Although the deer hunting season is still a couple of months away, those who plan to participate in the area’s National Wildlife Refuge-managed archery and gun hunts can start marking their calendars. Jane Griess, manager of the Savannah Coastal Refuges (SCR), which includes Blackbeard Island, Harris Neck, Wassaw Island, Pinckney Island and the Savannah National Widlife Refuges, has released the hunt dates for each location.

As in past years, both quota (limited number selected by a drawing) and non-quota hunts are on the schedule, depending on the specific refuge area. Depending on the location, the allowable game is deer, feral hog, squirrel, turkey and waterfowl.

Applications for quota hunts are available at each refuge Web site - www.fws.gov/blackbeardisland; www.fws.gov/harrisneck; www.fws.gov/savannah; www.fws.gov/pinckneyisland; and www.fws.gov/wassaw.

Don’t miss it! 

 

Well, first of all… I didn’t get sprayed by a skunk. I’m a little gun shy of those things. In the last video, when he raises his tail I think there was a coyote down in the draw with him. He had no idea I was there.

For those who haven’t been keeping up, I was bowhunting blacktails during the California A-zone archery season. This was my first outing with the new Mathews Drenalin compound, after many years shooting a recurve. The hunt took place on the Hedgepeth Ranch, which is leased by the Golden Ram Sportsmen’s Club. It’s a great place, and I had success there with a hog and a deer last year.

Anyway, once again as in so many of my hunting videos, there won’t be any kill shots or spectacular close-ups with trophy game (except that skunk). But I hope you enjoy it anyway…

That’s right.  I’m gone hunting! 

Outta here for the weekend.  First shot at blacktail deer for the season, and maybe I’ll get a hog or two to come close enough to poke an arrow through the little piggy CPU.  (Boy, I gotta get away from this computer for a while!)

Heading back up the Hedgepeth Ranch (Golden Ram property) for this second weekend of the CA archery season.  I hope it’s as good there as it was last year! 

Hope to be back with stories, video, and maybe even some fresh venison or pork on Monday!

Ya’ll hold down the fort!

Well, only a few more days until my first blacktail deer hunt of the 2008 season, and my first bowhunt with the new Matthews.  This will be my first outing, ever, with a compound bow… something I’ve avoided for several years through my hard-headed insistence on doing it “the hard way” with traditional archery tackle. 

So how do I feel about it? 

Here are a couple of representatives of my current groups at 20 yards with the new bow.  I realize it’s not much compared to folks who’ve been shooting a bit longer, but I’m pretty happy with it.  That’s six arrows in there, four of which are in the yellow and two of them on the X.  I actually shot several groups that were even better than this, like the one below. 

The average groups at 40 yards aren’t quite as tight, but they’re still all going into the red and yellow when I don’t cant the bow (a bad habit from shooting the recurve) or jerk the shot. 

Point is, I’m feeling pretty good about the decision to adopt the compound bow.  Training wheels or whatever, it was the right and ethical thing to do. 

So this weekend, when I’m up there in Sonoma County hunting deer (or hogs), I feel very confident that I can put an arrow into the kill zone at reasonable ranges, and that the arrow will do what it’s intended with plenty of precision and energy. 

We’ll see, of course.  There’s no guarantee, and heck, if I can miss with a rifle I can sure miss with a bow.  But I now feel that I’ve done what I can to make sure my kill is as clean and humane as possible… a confidence I no longer have with the recurve.