We Should Do a Book

[Bisch]

Here are the pics that go with Mike's stories!

This one with the javi story:



And these go with the pig story:





Bisch

[Texas5o]

Awesome story Marty.....

[RogueSamurai]

Someone is going to have to be the editor, and THAT is work.
Not only is it work, believe me when I tell you that the writer has to check his ego
at the door because a good editor will have to cut out some stuff.
You have to edit for grammar, context and content and quite frankly some folks don't
know the difference between Your/You're or There/Their/They're.

[Ol Man]

Some mighty fine stories fellas.

[MEsquivel]

I'll share one.

I'm not very good at telling stories, but here it goes...

First time Double hog.

This happened in November 2012.
It was my first year on the lease and to say the least, I had been skunked since the beginning of the season. I knew there where lots of hogs hitting the feeder and a few deer. That's what the trail cam pictures showed. But the animals seemed to be way smarter than the hunter.
I had a ground blind setup at about 15 yards away from a feeder, behind a big mesquite. My shooting lane was clear; the center of a huge V that branched from the bottom of the tree. Clean shot up to maybe 20 yards, no problem.
I had my Bob Lee recurve with me and in my quiver I kept four arrows. Three where tipped with steelforce 125gr and one with a zwickey. I try to keep an "ugly arrow" with a zwickey to play around with. Shoot squirrels, racoons or whatever. They're just tough broadheads and can handle a beating.

Like I was saying, I had hunted every morning and evening of every weekend since the beginning of the season and nothing ever showed up to the feeder.
This morning was different. I came in early and settled in the corner of my groundblind. I was still waiting for my feeder to go off and right before it did, this nice mid-sized boar started to make it's way. I saw his ear coming in to my right from the corner of my window and my heart started pumping automatically. I had not even taken my shooting arrow out of my quiver and I could feel the blood pumping in my neck as I pulled it off the quiver to get it nocked.
I remember being very shaky and waited for the hog to get broadside. There was no corn on the ground, so I knew it had to be quick. It gave me a shot at maybe 13-14 yards. I pulled back and released. The arrow went underneath the hog and passed maybe 2-3" under his armpit. I was very nervous and instantly pulled the second arrow in my quiver as the hog ran in confusion and fortunately, circled around at about 18 yards. I pulled back for the second time, held anchor, and released. This time I got him right where I wanted. It appeared to be a double lung right behind the shoulder. He ran off and I was a happy hunter. I knew it was only a matter of time before I could go claim my prize. I sent a text message to the rest of my friend that are on the same lease and told them I had shot a hog and that it was a good hit, etc. It was still very early and I had another hunter/friend not far away from me that was in the direction that the hog had ran. So, all I could do at the time was to wait.
The feeder went off and a lot of green jays and dove came in for breakfast. After a while a small squirrel kept on coming in, taking corn and hiding it. It was kind of fun to watch until my predator instinct or boredom kicked in and decided I was going to shoot it. I pulled my "ugly arrow" the one that had the fletching messed up and the zwickey BH and waited for the squirrel to give me a shot. I pulled back on the squirrel about 3 times and couldn't get a shot.
I was in the middle of that when out of the blue this boar comes in. It looked pretty much the same as the one I had just shot. -I had not seen any animals in maybe 10-12 hunts and to see 2 the same morning didn't add up to me-. As my brain started to throw me explanations, this hog made a bee line straight into the corn.-All this happened in a matter of seconds- and without overthinking I pulled back and released to a hard quartering away shot. The arrow hit almost on the ham with perfect height. I was confused and kind of upset because I had just realized that I had not changed the arrow. I wasn't sure if it was the same hog or not and I had made a tough shot on it with what was not considered to be my best equipment.
I only waited 15 minutes this time and got out of my ground blind.
I inspected the area and found a nice blood trail from where I had shot the first time and no blood at all from the second shot. I went to retrieve the arrow I had missed the first time and came out a different trail. I found my hog right there. Not 20 yards from where I had shot him. Flipped him over only to find out this was the second hog. The one I had just shot. No blood or anything. Just the arrow stuck on his side angling perfectly into the boiler room. He only had that arrow, so I just smiled in disbelief and happiness. I knew that if this hog didn't have a blood trail, the blood trail that I had belonged to a different hog. I pulled him out of the brush and to the road. I then followed the other blood trail for maybe 70-80 yards and found the other hog. I still remember that feeling and I'm living the moment as I tell the story.

[Loreva13]

Keep them coming! Pretty cool to have a thread were you can turn to and read a few stories when passing time.

[TxMedic]

Well, this dream began 4 years ago when a good friend invited me to hunt his brothers farm in South Dakota. Archery whitetails, fair chase. Long story short, getting married, changing jobs and life in general had always gotten in the way up until this year. Got the green light from my wife and started planning. Tons of prep work and equipment went into the trip.

I flew into Fargo, ND last Thursday and by 5:30 pm, Dpug and I were in the truck scouting some corn fields and food plots. This is absolutely a sportsman's paradise...thousands of geese, ducks, pheasants, grouse and partridge flying and deer and turkey plentiful. Needless to say, I was excited to start hunting!

As beautiful as the country is, it's very difficult hunting! I have never hunted as hard or been as cold in my life! Well, I saw several deer and had a really nice shooter buck at 15 yards chasing a hot doe, screamed at him with the grunt call and couldn't slow him down. Finally yesterday morning sitting in 25 degree weather with a 15 mph blowing snow/sleet and 4 inches of snow on the ground, I had the experience of a lifetime...well, almost...9:30 I had 2 deer come back out of the corn and work their way towards my stand. The first was a young 4 point who was skidish and on alert, behind him was a huge deer...snow was blowing so hard I could barely make out the deeds rack, but it was very wide and dark chocolate. They worked within 15 yards of my tree behind some scrub brush and stopped. The big buck was probably 6.5 years old, his huge thick neck was scarred and beaten...I couldn't believe that I was looking at this king of the Forrest. He work up a little knoll, passed behind a bush...I grunted and he stopped. I was at full draw at this point, had him slightly quartered away and 19 yards away. I settled the 20 yard pin, slowly exhaled and released. I hear a loud thwack and I am beyond excited! all the hours of sitting freezing my tail off we're worth it! I climbed down,walked over and there was my arrow sticking up out of the snow...clean as a whistle!! The dang little twig that I failed to see in the snow had deflected just enough for a clean miss...talk a bout a let down! After the initial frustration and disappointment wore off, I was able to just be thankful it was a clean miss and not a non lethal shot!

This was the only opportunity I had to harvest a deer on this trip, but it was by far the best bow hunting trip of my life and I can't wait to get back again next year for another shot at the big boy!

Thanks for listening and sorry for the long read!

[M.E.B.]

Well here is the disclaimer for those who will want to flame me. This happened when I was 25-26 years old. I had great confidence in my shooting. I shot well and I shot a lot. I would not advise any one to follow suit. Most of my really good story telling hunts happened when I was younger and was sowing my oats. Back when I was young dumb and not SKEERED. Most of my hunting these days in much more laid back.


First Bow Hunt With My First Born

Back when my kids were young I got to hunt quite a bit but due to my work schedule I never got to hunt with the boys as much as I would have liked. So when I did have a chance to bring them hunting it was special. Chris and Dusty killed their first deer with a rifle when they were 7 & 9. They both killed their first deer with bows, recurves mind you, at 11 & 13.

This was the first time that I was able to bring Chris, then 6 yrs old, bow hunting for deer with me. I had a tripod set up by a large granite hill on my wife's family's lease in Llano. It was shoved into some scrub oak overlooking a trail that went around the hill. I would throw corn on the trail when I hunted but did not have a feeder. I had set up an 8' wooden step ladder about 10' behind my tripod. I camoed it and had used as a stand back when I did not have money to buy one.

Chris was always a serious little guy and when I told him to sit really still and don't move he did just that. We had some squirrels come by and I looked behind me to see his reaction. There was a squirrel eye level with him at about 2' and he just sat there staring the rodent down. I was impressed.

It was a warmish Oct morning. We had about 3 bucks come through or wind us without giving me a chance of a shot. I was really wanting the boy to get a chance to see a deer up close feeding. I wanted to kill a deer in front of him more than anything.

Just about the time I figured we might as well head back to camp a small spike walked past. I don't recall if he never stopped at the corn or if I could not get a shot. It has been a long time ago. The little deer walked down the trail about 20 yds and bedded down directly facing me. He was off to my right where I had never intended to shoot. He went fast asleep. I sat there not wanting to wake and spook the deer from the area. At that time I was just a deer hunter and he was trophy enough for me.

The deer would fall asleep nap for a bit then raise his head look around and go back to sleep. After near an hr of this and no other deer coming by I started considering to take the shot. Now I knew it was not a good shot and I really should pass on it but the longer I looked at the sleeping deer the more confident I became.

Well I figured here goes. My plan was to shoot the deer straight through the chest. I had a few problems to over come to do so. The first was the tree I was in had a branch hanging down in that direction which required me to bend at the waist, a lot. It also required me to cant my bow almost horizontal.

The biggest issue was when the buck was awake with his head up he was looking right in my direction. When he nodded off he really nodded off. He dropped his head and covered his chest. I was shooting an Asbell Bighorn Custom recurve and I could shoot it good. I figured I would wait for the spike to fall asleep good and put an arrow right through the top of his head.

I drew down on the deer about 3 times before I finally went for it. I bent over a whole lot and canted the bow almost horizontal drew back and released. The arrow flew perfectly and the Zwickey hit the buck square in the head perfectly. When the arrow hit the deer the deer's head hit the ground so hard I heard his jaw rattle.

I jumped out of the tree and so did Chris. I paced it off at 23 steps. I was really really lucky. For a short while until Chris got older and knew better, say 8, he thought I could walk on water.

[M.E.B.]

[MEsquivel]

Thats a good one!

I really like the european mount.

[M.E.B.]

Thats a good one!

I really like the european mount.

Makes a neat story. But after more years of maturity, more years of hunting, making more good and BAD shots it is something I should not have done nor will try again.

It was great that everything went well. I have thought in years since that had I wounded the deer it would have been as bad of a memory as it is a good one.

I pretty much shoot broadside deer within 15 yards preferably 12 yards these days.

take care.

Mike

[Selfbowman]

Traditional bowhunter of Georgia has done this and included a few recipes and such. Hatchet bow Dan Beckwith sent me a copy. It was an interesting read.

[Phillip Fields]

Montana Pronghorn

In 2004 my buddy David and I decided we wanted to try for a pronghorn. It was too late in the year to set up for that year so we decided to try for 2005. After doing the research and talking to some outfitters, we decided on an outfitter in South Dakota. Two other buddies, Donnie and Sammie, decided they would go also. This outfitter’s ranch was right on the Montana/ South Dakota border and he had hunting areas in each state. Sammie and I got tags in Montana, David and Donnie got tags in South Dakota.

We decided to hunt the third week in September when the rut would be on. We would hunt out of blinds over waterholes. I shoot longbows, but was concerned with clearance so elected to use my 50” Blackwidow recurve, 54 lbs at 28 inches. For arrows I would use grizzlystics tipped with 160 grain, 2 blade Magnus broadheads. David and Donnie would also be using Blackwidow recurves. We won’t talk about what Sammie was using. Just before we were ready to leave Virginia, I received a letter from Montana offering leftover doe tags. It was getting close to time to leave, so I purchased a doe tag and made arrangements to have it mailed to my outfitter.

We arrived at the ranch and got settled in on the 19th. The rancher, Alvin, showed us around and assigned each of us a spot over a waterhole. We saw lots of pronghorns and the bucks were busy chasing does. Then we shot our bows for a while. Later that evening Alvin drove us out to an alfalfa patch where we say some great whitetails. After he fed us a huge dinner we settled into the bunkhouse to try to get a good night’s sleep. After the long drive from Virginia we were dead tired, but sleep didn’t come easy, with big bucks running through our dreams,

Early the next morning, Monday, Alvin drove us out to our spots and dropped us off with plenty of water and lunch. He would check on us periodically during the day. He would not approach the blinds but would check with binoculars. If we needed him we would put up a small flag and he would come in. It was warm but not hot. I had pronghorns in view almost all day. It was entertaining watching the bucks chase does, and the bigger bucks chasing off the smaller bucks. I had several small bucks and does come to the water, but nothing I wanted to shoot. I had decided I wouldn’t shoot a doe until after I had a buck on the ground. Alvin picked me up just after dark and said that Donnie had taken a nice buck. Donnie was through as he did not have a doe tag.

Tuesday morning Alvin dropped me off again, and I settled in for a long day. Again, pronghorns were constantly in view. Midmorning a nice buck came into the water hole. He stopped on the far side of the water hole, about 25 yards out. He turned broadside and dropped his head to drink. When he had settled in and was drinking steadily. I picked a spot, came to anchor and released the string. The arrow just clipped hair off his back. The rest of the day I just had small bucks and does come in. When Alvin picked me up he said that both David and Sammie had taken bucks. David was now through, but Sammie still had a doe tag

Wednesday morning Alvin dropped me off again. All morning I had small bucks and does come in. There was one pretty nice buck came in, but he would never settle down and give me a shot. Midafternoon, I had a decent buck start working in toward the water. After about 1 ½ hours he finally came on in. He stopped at water’s edge about 15 yards from the blind. He was slightly quartering away from me. I picked a spot, came to anchor and released. The shot looked a little far back as he ran out of sight. Looking at the edge of the blind window I could see that my broadhead had clipped the edge of the blind window. I put up the flag and waited for Alvin to come in. By this time it was almost dark and after talking over the hit with Alvin we decided to wait until next morning to take up the trail. Alvin told me that Sammie had got a doe so he was through.
Thursday morning we only had a blood trail about 50 yards. Since it was open country, Alvin took his ATV and scoured the countryside to see if he could spot the buck. Finally, about 600 yards from where we had lost the blood trail he spotted the buck lying dead in the bottom of a shallow gully. I now had my buck and it was time to concentrate on the does. I got into the blind about noon. All afternoon I had does coming into the water, but none presented a shot.

Friday morning found me back in the blind. Throughout the morning I had does and some bucks coming into the water, but no shot. At about 1:00 I had a doe come in. She stopped outside of the window away from the water. She stood there, broadside, at about 15 yards. She didn’t act like she was going to commit to the water so I decided to take the shot. As the arrow sliced through her it looked like a good hit. She ran out about 40 yards and laid down. Her head was still up so I just settled down to wait. After about 30 minutes her head started to sink. I gave her another 15 minutes and she didn’t show any sign of life so I eased out to her, she was dead. I went back to the blind and raised the flag for Alvin to come in.

[Loreva13]

Another great story Phillip!

[M.E.B.]

Cool story.