Archery - 2007
News
(10/09/2007) - Bounty of Harvest It all started the week before.
The season had opened and it was another fall with my own yearling in the house
(second child, 9m old). I had no time to scout, but I had a couple spots
on my neighbors land picked out.
All that week as I arrived
home after a long day; 4am Andrew diaper changing, 5am feeding,
6am Samantha is up, 7am off to drop off kids at Daycares (split
with wife, we go in opposite directions)... I get home after
a longer than usual work day and stare wistfully out the window.
I know there are deer out there somewhere.
On Thursday I am supposed to
put my stand up and fix my blind to place on the edge of a field.
I get home to find out my wife had tweaked her shoulder working
out and is out of commission. I cook supper, give the kids baths,
get Andrew in bed and then retire to the living room to dream
about being out in the woods.
Friday rolls around and I am
going through the 'routine' that evening while my wife is waiting
to get into the Drs office this upcoming Monday to get her shoulder
checked out. By now it is hardly able to move. The phone rings,
it is my brother.
"Shawn",
he says in a shaky voice while half whispering, "I
just arrowed a doe!". He continues, "I
finally got a shot on with the Diablo and it felt soooo smooth.
She was
quartering
away hard but I know it was a good shot. It all felt so magical."
I ask him if he needs help tracking, though I was not looking
forward to the hour drive knowing Mandy would have to deal with
two kids with a hurt arm. Marc replies, "Naw.
Charlie is coming to help. If we do not find it by 8:30p, I'll
give you
a call back." Around 8pm, he calls and excitedly tells
me he found her. She went about 80 yards and lied down. I congratulate
him and ask him if Dad is going to help him skin it out tomorrow.
Nope, he is busy.
So I offer to go down and help
him out and I'll find Mandy help babysitting with the kids. At
that point he suggest I pack my bow up and take a turn in the
stand. There were three does in the area and they all came in
together. He is sure they will come back out, as he has them
well timed and they are walking through like clockwork.
I ask Mandy if she would mind
if I put an evening in the stand, and she agrees. She does tell
me that not only do I need to do, but if I get the chance I need
to take the shot. No waiting for the perfect moment. She has
seen me shoot and I need to use the skills I have.
The next day I head out in
the late morning down to my brothers. As I make the hour trip
I am feeling a little pride in the confidence my wife has in
me and her actually saying she knows I can make a humane shot
even without the broadside. It fills me with confidence as I
head down and makes the drive that much more enjoyable.
I arrive around 1pm and help
my brother finish processing his deer. It is a nice time chatting
about how exactly they came in, how he kept waiting for the broadside,
but finally settled on the quartering away. I take a couple pictures
for him, and while it looked like he hit it WAY back, the shockwave
sliced and diced all the vitals and left the ponch in place.
A textbook shot.
I head over to the landowners
place at 3:30 and settle in. I sit enjoying the cool breeze (it
had been 80 dgrees all week, fall in Maine - welcome global warming).
I slowly turn my head this way and that, my bow across my lap
holding my personally assembled arrows in the quiver. I am shooting
Xweave Predators fletched myself with Blazers (2 Orange and a
White cock Vane), Bohning Signature Flo Orange Nock and Slick
Trick Magnums.
I pull out an arrow
and place it in the Whisker Biscuit, and nock it. Staring at
the broadhead,
I reflect back on the decision to make the switch. Last year
I took a buck with a G5 Montec, but the blood trail was less
than I would have expected and I just felt my sharpening skills
were not good enough to make the most of the broadhead. I bought
a couple packs of ST Magnums to try out as an alternative and
within my second set of 3, I was hitting 2" squares
at 20yds with no tweaking of rest or sights. I was sold.
I sit and wait. In front of
me are several old and dying apple trees, still feebly bearing
fruit. Several woodpeckers flitter from tree to tree while searching
for bugs and soft spots in the trees to find tree worms (or whatever
they really are).
Slowly the sun goes down and
the sound of traffic slows in the distance. My awareness increases
tenfold as the 'right time' approaches. I start scanning more
with my eyes, working right to left and slowly turning my head
to help my vision reach the tote road to my far left. Time slows
down, but it is not boring. It is that time that takes out into
the woods. The time where you become part of nature as a predator.
Your patience becomes ten fold as you wait. Waiting like a Puma
in the trees.
Off to my far right I hear
the tell tale sound of a deer. Not surprisingly the small doe
has decided to break all the normal rules of access and is coming
through the thickest part of the woods instead of the easy tote
roads or the two deer trails running parallel to them. I turn
my eyes and head slowly, and she is walking straight in. I see
that she is small. But, I promised the wife that it was meat
I was after and not a trophy. If a deer came out, and did not
sport spots, then I would take it.
Slowly she comes in, but relaxed.
She walks straight in and under my stand. Stopping for a moment
she sniffs the rungs of the ladder stand and sort of glances
around. I guess the soles of my 15 year old leather slipper boots
(it was so warm I could not wear my 'hunting' boots) did not
leave much scent. She then walks out from under the stand and
slowly starts walking straight away.
As she comes out from under
the stand I wait for her to get out a little and then I stand
and turn ever so slowly. Forest Ninja's could not have moved
so silently or smoothly. Knowing she could not see at that angle
behind her I get myself into position.
She browses a little but slowly
continues walking straight out. It is time for a decision! So
I wait for her turn? Do I risk her walking straight ahead and
under the canopy 30 yards out? I look to my right again (straight
ahead of my body now) and check for following does or bucks and
see nothing. This is my chance for the evening and I think of
my wife back at home, hurt and watching our two kids to give
me this chance. I draw.
One of the important
pieces of a successful shot is to not change your style. To let
your
instincts do what you have done dozens, hundreds, thousands of
times at home and on the range and in the 3D course (if you are
lucky enough to live close). To draw the same, anchor the same,
hold the same, and to take the shot when it looks and feels right.
Overthink it and you take too long. Get over excited and you
shoot too soon. I bring my bow up into the draw (I happen to
draw upwards, always have) and line everything up, just like
every other time. I envision in my mind where the arrow will
go, and aim for the far lung. I ‘see’the arrow going
through to the far leg, down and through.
Without even realizing it my
finger smoothly pulls and my Scott Wildcat go off. I see the
arrow in flight through my VBG Triangle sight and watch as the
arrow strikes HARD. The doe drops instantly and without so much
as a kick breathes in and out 4, then 5 times. In the time it
take for me to see her drop with the arrow still within her,
I have a second arrow out of its quiver and nocked in the rest.
Later I would remark to my Dad and brother than my hands just
automatically did it, that the next thing I knew I had the bow
in the ready position and tension on the dloop. I watch as she
takes her last breathe and passes, less than 30 seconds after
the shot. I can not express my concern, and then relief that
no second arrow would be needed.
As I let my bow down
and call my Brother and Dad, I reflect on the shot and wonder
if I ‘missed’.
I had certainly not intended to spine her. And the arrow not
getting pass through had me concerned that I had somehow missed
the vitals and hit something harder like the upper scapula. I
take great care to respect the doe as I have my Dad take some
pictures of where she lay. I give thanks for the bounty and we
move the deer off to take care of her in preparation of getting
her to the tagging station.
Later, and mostly due to the
interest and thoughtful atmosphere of sharing here to help educate
ourselves and others, I take special interest in capturing on
my camera the entrance, exit, and damage pictures. Upon skinning
out the doe I find that my shot was not bad at all. In fact,
the arrow passed one blade through the spine, nicked one lung
(it did not look like a pull out wound) and punctured the far
lung cleanly. There was complete pass through the lower ribs
on the far side and the broadhead had actually lodged in the
far leg in the lower potion of the shoulder. It was that penetration
that required two hands to start the broadhead back out through
the body. Interestingly, and maybe it was because it was dark,
we had not figured it as a pass through or I would have captured
a picture of the broadhead external to the shot.
Attached below are
the photo’s
that relate to this story.
There are more if people are interested, but these are those that tell the
story without being repetitive.
Thank you for the opportunity
to share.
Equipment
2006 Diablo NH 65# 26"DL
VBG Triangle w/G5 Peep
WB DX QS
Doinker Multi-Rod 7" D2 Hunter
SIMS Modules as Riser Vibration Dampeners
Scott Wildcat Buckle
Radial XWeave Predator 200s @ 26.75"
Bohning Signature Flo Orange Nocks
Blazer Vanes (2 Flo Orange/1 White)
Slick Trick Magnum 100s
Benchmade Snoddy 210
Buck Woodsman 105
Game
Doe @ 75#s
16yds
Spine/Lung
0 Foot Tracking
Supporting Pictures
My second group with Slick
Trick Magnum 100s.
I did not shoot a third.:
My Doe Represented:
Slick Trick Post Shot --
Straight Blade:
Only Damage:
News
(06/09/2007) - Equipment Tune-up
Well. Turkey season is over.
Work ramped up again and I await the fall hunting.
So I started my equipment tune-up
this week.
Strings:
Want newer string, but the shop I trust is 3hr round trip and I just don't
see it happening this summer. I can easily make it another season though.
I've not had the PSE string problems other people report. When I get the
new strings I'll get the Hush Kit and the limb pocket upgrade (though no
creaking, just prevention).
Riser Dampeners:
I worked a deal with my pal to get 2 SVL Modules for the price of one, and
to let my Dad have the Vibracheck Dampeners. So now I have those on the
back of my riser.
Arrows:
Picking up my new dozen arrows tomorrow to fletch, XWeave 200 Predators (up
from my first dozen STLs)
Kept out the deer arrow with Montec on it. First deer and buck to boot. Memories...
Lost a few due to RHs and Nock smacks cracking the shaft. Got 5 left, but keeping
3 OEM for IBO 3D and the other two are well used.
Broadheads:
I replaced all my Spitfire Blades today.
From the couple fall misses I had, stalked birds tend to get alert when you
come to full draw and have a knack for taking off right as you shoot. The hen
I got last year, and the one from the Jake I got this spring.
My brother used Shockwaves
on his bear and returned my 5 Montecs (pre-diamond sharpened),
and 3 practice heads (got the 3 practice heads free as eBay bonus).
Sight:
My brother and I have had such good luck with our VBG Triangle, Dad wanted
to try one out. Got him one used (like new) and split the cost. He is putting
it on this week for his lane shooting on Thurs.
Money? Who Needs It!
So, now I have a hankering for a different broadhead for some reason. I can
not explain it. I really like the Montecs, but maybe the success with it
is pushing me to try something else. Although the success of the Spitfires
on Turkeys have them locked in as my turkey blade. Weird... I'm confusing
myself. The Striker and Slick Tricks are intriguing. The Silver Flames
look GREAT, but I'm not sure about the limited cutting area of a 2 blade.
And not sure about my resharpening skill. I can do the Montecs as a 'flat
stone' Broadhead, but nervous about spending so much on a Broadhead (Silver
Flames) I may not be able to sharpen well. Choices, Choices, Choices.
News
(06/01/2007) - 2007 Spring Turkey - Bow Turkey hunting, from first
to last
My Morning, had to leave blind
at 9am due to work.
-
4:30am:
head to blind, set up 1 hen facing off canter to left of
blind.
-
5:00am:
get first gobble response
-
6:00am:
Finally lure the tom over the crest and he sees decoy.
-
6:00am-8:00am:
Tom stops gobbling and Struts, Preens and Stands on Log showing
off. Slowly, SLOWLY displays, preens, and peck feeds down
the entire length of the field edge to the right, around
the corner and hangs up 30yds short and behind vegetation
(not clearable)
-
8:05am:
Second Tom blast into the field gobbling like crazy.
-
8:10am:
I give up on closer Tom who is stalled and I Box Call the
Field Gobbler. He approaches 60 yards out and sees decoy.
-
8:10am-8:50am:
He circles around to the left continues crossing the field,
enters the woods and comes in behind me. He would not enter
by 3 rear facing shooting lanes and ends up walking off as
well.
-
9:00am:
I head out, no turkeys in sight.
I moved my blind.
I think the distance that the Toms have to cross from the far side of the field
put them on edge when they do not see any hen movement for so long.
I got 2 shots off out of the
blind last year when Paired Toms rushed the decoy, but have had
4 other times when single birds fetch up after crossing a couple
hundred yards only to see the decoy never move or call back.
I've moved my blind over the
little crest and 1/2 to the other side of the field where they
usually enter to give them less distance to consider the immobile
hen before they are in range.
Guess that is why they call
it Turkey Hunting and not Turkey Shooting.
_____
Day 2
Another near miss.
Set up this morning and 2 hens, a jake, and small tom come into the field.
They just would not respond to calling and calmly pecked and strolled on by
out of range.
At least there are birds about!
Tomorrow I get 4 hours in the blind.
We'll see what happens.
_____
Day 3
This morning was even more
stressful than the other morning.
A larger flock (for around here) came into the top of the field.
About 10 hens, one big tom and 1 jake (I thought).
I called to them as they crossed the top of the field and slowly 4 hens and
the jake broke off and started coming by way, the long way. They did a giant
circle around the field and came into the decoys the opposite side of where
they entered the field.
Now, I am getting
excited. They slowly come in and I notice the jack is a young
Tom. More
color and a 2-3" beard. Here they come, but the tom is out
the outside and they are all kind of huddled together. I draw
back and hold waiting for a gap.... wait for it... wait for it....
GAH... have to let down.
They peck along slowly, with
the Tom still on the outside and just poking his head up every
so often and looking at the decoys. I draw back again... wait...
wait... wait........ wait. MAN!
I let down again. Still now shot. Now they are about 3/4 out of my shooting
arc and still moving along.
I take a couple deep breaths
and draw back again. Watching them slowly walk out of my arc
and range. The whole time there was not ONE break in the flock
that let me have a shot at the small tom.
I'm trying to convince myself
it is for the best, that I succeeded in calling them in, and
that I'll gt another chance. I have 2 days this week, a week
off, and another week before my season is over. And I know there
are two other big Toms around. But man! I just wanted to tag
out and eat some turkey!!!
_____
Day 4
Yesterday:
Cold, Rainy, Damp.
No turkeys.
BOOO...
_____
Day 5
Finally!
Got up at what I thought was 2am with the baby to feed him.
Then as I was prepping the bottle I realize it said 12:00 not 2:00.. WHOOOOOHOOOOO
2 extra hours of sleep!
So, I get up again at 2:30am,
get ready and head down to my Dads.
Get there, say hi and we head out to the blind around 4:30am.
The landowner had said she saw 1 big tom and a couple jakes almost every morning,
so we waited. Around 6:45am a lone jake came in my Dad spotted him out his side of the blind.
I promised my wife that if
it had a beard, I would take it down.
He had a beard, so I waited for him to get into my shooting lane and took him
down at 21.5 yards.
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