Friday, May 20, 2011
One ridiculously awesome bow!!!
Jeff set up yet another new Elite Hunter yesterday!!! This time it was Andys turn. Only a matter of minutes and Andy had some fantastic groups. His remarks were that the bow was a lot faster than what he was shooting last season and was super quiet.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Reliving another hunt
Another article I wrote for Rubs & Scrapes Magazine
This deer is something special to me. It symbolizes many things.
Enjoy
The Texas Ten
by Troy Knoll
Early afternoon on the bow season opener in 2008, I brought to a close what has probably been the most difficult challenge of my archery career. I have been successful in harvesting a great deal of animals with archery gear including some decent bucks. However, a deer that always seemed to elude me was a ten-point buck. Sure, I have taken some nice eight points, a couple big nine points, and even a decent six by four, but I just wanted a big ole’ 5X5 TEN POINT BUCK! I started hunting when I was just thirteen years old and was unable to score on my first buck until a month after my sixteenth birthday. Shooting that little eight-point lit a fire in me and I was more dedicated to this bow hunting thing than ever before. Everyone around me seemed to be shooting 10-point bucks. This type of deer seemed to be out of reach for me. It is rare in some of the places I hunt to even see a ten-point buck. On most of the properties I hunt our group lets smaller bucks walk in hopes that they grow, but we just seem to get larger eight points, not the elusive ten. Then in July as I walked in to check the card from a trail cam I had placed on a property I had recently acquired in Prince Georges County, I spotted a buck that I thought could change all of that.
The buck jumped out of a small thicket ahead of me as I walked from my work truck to the mineral station I had prepared months earlier. I was on my way in to swap cards on the camera and replenish the apples and corn that I put out for the deer. I would usually stop by the property once a week to check the cam and bring food. I had seen some decent deer but nothing worth writing about. Since my circle of friends consists of die-hard whitetail bow hunting fanatics, it should come as no surprise that I was talking to one of them (Jeff) on the phone about hunting as the buck jumped up from his bed. I stopped dead in my tracks and remarked to Jeff, "I ‘ve got a good one over here." I didn’t get the best look at the buck but I figured he was a ten from the low, wide frame of the still growing rack. Trust me, you have never seen a fat boy run as fast as I did that day to get back to the truck so I could put the card with the new pictures in my card reader. There he was, the same buck I had just seen, walking past the cam just a day before . . . And he had 10 points!
From that moment on my life revolved around this deer. There was an even higher scoring eight-point in the same group of pictures but my heart was set on this one particular buck that we named "The Texas Ten" for the low, wide shape of his rack that is typical of south Texas deer. I’m sure that everyone I know heard me talk about this deer more than they ever cared to hear about it. I am positive that I drove my Wife crazy with the highs and lows of scouting and keeping tabs on this buck. Over the next two months I would pick up the card from the camera one or two times a week and get upwards of 100 pictures of this buck. There were also around 10 different bucks that shared this mineral and bait station but this guy was definitely the most visible and consistent visitor. He was also one of the most deceiving deer I have ever tried to judge. We would see pictures of him that made him look like a 150+ inch deer however others made him look like he would barely go 125 inches. I know that even at 150 inches he would not be a world class giant and at 125 he definitely wouldn’t be. I didn’t care, he was a true 10 point buck and if I could pull this off he would be the biggest deer I had ever taken in my life.
The property that this deer is located on is a neighborhood yard that borders a large private unhunted forest. It also borders a major highway‘s noise reduction wall. The deer filter through a pinch point between the homeowner’s yard and the highway as the make their way out to ravage the neighborhood landscape during the night. We call this property "The Hood" because of its location in a neighborhood. I placed double stand set in a tree in the pinch point in early August preparing for the upcoming season. The summer seemed to drag along worse that usual. I mean, it’s always a long wait between seasons, but I have never had such a promising outlook on an upcoming opener . . . This long waiting period of began to play on me . . . Should we try it on the opener? What if the wind is wrong? What if he disappears when the velvet comes of? What if this isn’t his home area? Should we go in the morning? Or the evening? What if he doesn’t show up on the first hunt? Should we give it more time? Or go in the next day? I was coming unglued. I talked with all of my friends about this deer but Jeff was the one that was going to be taping the hunt with me so we spoke daily. Oh yeah, the video thing, did I mention that? Adding the video aspect has been fun but it is definitely twice as much to consider.
Jeff has quite a wall of trophies to his credit and I value his opinion but this deer was getting to him as well. The use of the trail camera had Jeff thinking the buck was getting wise to our game. He thought I should remove the flash cam so it would not spook the buck but I figured since he had been flashed with it so much already it would not make a difference, in fact removing the camera would be different . . . Or would it? Seriously, we were losin’ it! We had thought of everything . . . twice . . . The buck was the only factor we couldn’t control. We felt like the deer just knew we were watching, especially when we got trail cam video of him. The video seemed to show the difference between a mature buck’s edgy demeanor and the naivete of younger deer.
A day before the opener we had a final plan . . . or so we thought. We decided to hunt the buck in the evening based upon recent photos taken by the trail cam of the buck heading to feed around seven in the evening. Jeff and I made separate plans to video for some buddies in the morning. Both of our hunts that morning were busts with little deer movement. The fact that we saw little deer activity coupled with a few random photos of my buck cruising through the pinch at 1:45 and 2:30 in the last week had me rethinking the decision to go in at two. I thought more about the moon transit time which called for deer to be on their feet around lunch time. The moon on Sept 15th was full, the temps were high, and the forecast for the evening was calling for 14 mph winds from the north west which was perfect for the evening hunt. I just had a feeling we needed to be in the tree earlier.
Jeff and I were hanging out at his house shooting our bows at about 11:30 when I said "Lets Go." Jeff asked if I was serious and I told him that I just had a hunch that we should get going. The thought of climbing up in a stand in early September to hunt at lunch time seemed crazy and although Jeff was giving me the evil eye, we started the long trip to "The Hood" from Frederick. I had a lump in my throat already. I felt like I was so close to making this dream a reality. I had never been this nervous before or during a hunt. It just seemed so real and it was finally here. We had scrutinized every detail . . . well almost . . .
As we climbed into the tree I noticed that a large dead branch covered in a vine that was lodged above my stand had shifted and partially blocked our way. This caused something we never expected. As Jeff climbed up the tree, the before mentioned branch hooked Jeff’s backpack. The zipper opened and my brand new Canon GL2 video camera fell out of the backpack and to the ground, breaking the tripod adaptor from the bottom. Luckily that was the only damage done and the camera still worked. We were set up and ready at 12:45 p.m.. I sat with my bow at the ready. I was feeling edgy and anxious. I was already second guessing my decision to come out this early. I was thinking how long and hot the sit would be if he never showed. I didn’t have to think about that for too long as I looked to my left and spotted an antler. The antler that I knew so well from studying every inch of this deer for months. I simply said to Jeff, "IT’S HIM" and time stood still.
We had only been in the tree for an hour and "The Texas Ten" was within 22 yards. He still had some remaining shreds of velvet hanging from his left antler. He was partially hidden behind some brush. I immediately drew my bow and I remember thinking how I couldn’t believe the hunt was gonna be over just like that. I remember Jeff telling me weeks before in our discussions that the hunt could be anticlimactic and nothing to it. I had a hard time believing that because things just don’t work that way for me. There is usually some kind of drama as my family and friends can attest. This hunt would prove no different. Here I was at full draw about to make the most important shot of my life and it seemed that it was going to be that easy . . . Until the buck kinda tweaked out . . . turned . . . and walked away . . . offering me no shot. Still at full draw, a million thoughts went through my head . . . What caused his reaction? Is it over? Did he see me? He can’t smell us . . . Maybe it’s just the way big bucks act in the wind . . . I held my draw . . . and held . . . and held . . . for what seemed like an eternity until he finally walked back in my direction . . . slowly . . . I let down my draw . . . He looked forward toward the yard . . . He took a few more steps behind a sapling and I drew again . . . After reaching full draw the buck finally moved into the shooting lane after another lengthy pause . . . and the shortest yet longest hunt of my life was in the books.
I had taken my first ten-point buck! We were blown away! Jeff kept saying "You called it! You called it! You said we had to be in the tree before two and it worked!" I had killed the deer I was after at 1:40 in the afternoon. "The Texas Ten" was mine. He was the first buck I had ever gotten trail cam photos of before taking, and thanks to Jeff, my first mature deer on video! The feeling was that of a giant weight being lifted. A huge relief and feeling of satisfaction in the fact that all of the practice, preparation and planning and a little luck following my hunch had all payed off. Then a weird feeling I have never experienced came over me . . . a feeling of sadness that the whole thing was over . . . I realized I was never going get those exciting trail cam photos of this great deer again. Wrapping my hands around those antlers was a great feeling. For the first time in my life I was speechless. Everyone knows I have a big mouth and I really could not find words. I just kept looking at that perfect rack. That 5X5 rack I have been dreaming of for all of these years.
The best part of the whole deal is having been able to share it with so many friends and family and let them hunt the buck along with me. I would not be able to do any of this without the support and understanding of my wife that I know thinks I’m crazy but somehow "gets it" and tries to understand my obsession and I thank her for that.
This deer is something special to me. It symbolizes many things.
Enjoy
The Texas Ten
by Troy Knoll
Early afternoon on the bow season opener in 2008, I brought to a close what has probably been the most difficult challenge of my archery career. I have been successful in harvesting a great deal of animals with archery gear including some decent bucks. However, a deer that always seemed to elude me was a ten-point buck. Sure, I have taken some nice eight points, a couple big nine points, and even a decent six by four, but I just wanted a big ole’ 5X5 TEN POINT BUCK! I started hunting when I was just thirteen years old and was unable to score on my first buck until a month after my sixteenth birthday. Shooting that little eight-point lit a fire in me and I was more dedicated to this bow hunting thing than ever before. Everyone around me seemed to be shooting 10-point bucks. This type of deer seemed to be out of reach for me. It is rare in some of the places I hunt to even see a ten-point buck. On most of the properties I hunt our group lets smaller bucks walk in hopes that they grow, but we just seem to get larger eight points, not the elusive ten. Then in July as I walked in to check the card from a trail cam I had placed on a property I had recently acquired in Prince Georges County, I spotted a buck that I thought could change all of that.
The buck jumped out of a small thicket ahead of me as I walked from my work truck to the mineral station I had prepared months earlier. I was on my way in to swap cards on the camera and replenish the apples and corn that I put out for the deer. I would usually stop by the property once a week to check the cam and bring food. I had seen some decent deer but nothing worth writing about. Since my circle of friends consists of die-hard whitetail bow hunting fanatics, it should come as no surprise that I was talking to one of them (Jeff) on the phone about hunting as the buck jumped up from his bed. I stopped dead in my tracks and remarked to Jeff, "I ‘ve got a good one over here." I didn’t get the best look at the buck but I figured he was a ten from the low, wide frame of the still growing rack. Trust me, you have never seen a fat boy run as fast as I did that day to get back to the truck so I could put the card with the new pictures in my card reader. There he was, the same buck I had just seen, walking past the cam just a day before . . . And he had 10 points!
From that moment on my life revolved around this deer. There was an even higher scoring eight-point in the same group of pictures but my heart was set on this one particular buck that we named "The Texas Ten" for the low, wide shape of his rack that is typical of south Texas deer. I’m sure that everyone I know heard me talk about this deer more than they ever cared to hear about it. I am positive that I drove my Wife crazy with the highs and lows of scouting and keeping tabs on this buck. Over the next two months I would pick up the card from the camera one or two times a week and get upwards of 100 pictures of this buck. There were also around 10 different bucks that shared this mineral and bait station but this guy was definitely the most visible and consistent visitor. He was also one of the most deceiving deer I have ever tried to judge. We would see pictures of him that made him look like a 150+ inch deer however others made him look like he would barely go 125 inches. I know that even at 150 inches he would not be a world class giant and at 125 he definitely wouldn’t be. I didn’t care, he was a true 10 point buck and if I could pull this off he would be the biggest deer I had ever taken in my life.
The property that this deer is located on is a neighborhood yard that borders a large private unhunted forest. It also borders a major highway‘s noise reduction wall. The deer filter through a pinch point between the homeowner’s yard and the highway as the make their way out to ravage the neighborhood landscape during the night. We call this property "The Hood" because of its location in a neighborhood. I placed double stand set in a tree in the pinch point in early August preparing for the upcoming season. The summer seemed to drag along worse that usual. I mean, it’s always a long wait between seasons, but I have never had such a promising outlook on an upcoming opener . . . This long waiting period of began to play on me . . . Should we try it on the opener? What if the wind is wrong? What if he disappears when the velvet comes of? What if this isn’t his home area? Should we go in the morning? Or the evening? What if he doesn’t show up on the first hunt? Should we give it more time? Or go in the next day? I was coming unglued. I talked with all of my friends about this deer but Jeff was the one that was going to be taping the hunt with me so we spoke daily. Oh yeah, the video thing, did I mention that? Adding the video aspect has been fun but it is definitely twice as much to consider.
Jeff has quite a wall of trophies to his credit and I value his opinion but this deer was getting to him as well. The use of the trail camera had Jeff thinking the buck was getting wise to our game. He thought I should remove the flash cam so it would not spook the buck but I figured since he had been flashed with it so much already it would not make a difference, in fact removing the camera would be different . . . Or would it? Seriously, we were losin’ it! We had thought of everything . . . twice . . . The buck was the only factor we couldn’t control. We felt like the deer just knew we were watching, especially when we got trail cam video of him. The video seemed to show the difference between a mature buck’s edgy demeanor and the naivete of younger deer.
A day before the opener we had a final plan . . . or so we thought. We decided to hunt the buck in the evening based upon recent photos taken by the trail cam of the buck heading to feed around seven in the evening. Jeff and I made separate plans to video for some buddies in the morning. Both of our hunts that morning were busts with little deer movement. The fact that we saw little deer activity coupled with a few random photos of my buck cruising through the pinch at 1:45 and 2:30 in the last week had me rethinking the decision to go in at two. I thought more about the moon transit time which called for deer to be on their feet around lunch time. The moon on Sept 15th was full, the temps were high, and the forecast for the evening was calling for 14 mph winds from the north west which was perfect for the evening hunt. I just had a feeling we needed to be in the tree earlier.
Jeff and I were hanging out at his house shooting our bows at about 11:30 when I said "Lets Go." Jeff asked if I was serious and I told him that I just had a hunch that we should get going. The thought of climbing up in a stand in early September to hunt at lunch time seemed crazy and although Jeff was giving me the evil eye, we started the long trip to "The Hood" from Frederick. I had a lump in my throat already. I felt like I was so close to making this dream a reality. I had never been this nervous before or during a hunt. It just seemed so real and it was finally here. We had scrutinized every detail . . . well almost . . .
As we climbed into the tree I noticed that a large dead branch covered in a vine that was lodged above my stand had shifted and partially blocked our way. This caused something we never expected. As Jeff climbed up the tree, the before mentioned branch hooked Jeff’s backpack. The zipper opened and my brand new Canon GL2 video camera fell out of the backpack and to the ground, breaking the tripod adaptor from the bottom. Luckily that was the only damage done and the camera still worked. We were set up and ready at 12:45 p.m.. I sat with my bow at the ready. I was feeling edgy and anxious. I was already second guessing my decision to come out this early. I was thinking how long and hot the sit would be if he never showed. I didn’t have to think about that for too long as I looked to my left and spotted an antler. The antler that I knew so well from studying every inch of this deer for months. I simply said to Jeff, "IT’S HIM" and time stood still.
We had only been in the tree for an hour and "The Texas Ten" was within 22 yards. He still had some remaining shreds of velvet hanging from his left antler. He was partially hidden behind some brush. I immediately drew my bow and I remember thinking how I couldn’t believe the hunt was gonna be over just like that. I remember Jeff telling me weeks before in our discussions that the hunt could be anticlimactic and nothing to it. I had a hard time believing that because things just don’t work that way for me. There is usually some kind of drama as my family and friends can attest. This hunt would prove no different. Here I was at full draw about to make the most important shot of my life and it seemed that it was going to be that easy . . . Until the buck kinda tweaked out . . . turned . . . and walked away . . . offering me no shot. Still at full draw, a million thoughts went through my head . . . What caused his reaction? Is it over? Did he see me? He can’t smell us . . . Maybe it’s just the way big bucks act in the wind . . . I held my draw . . . and held . . . and held . . . for what seemed like an eternity until he finally walked back in my direction . . . slowly . . . I let down my draw . . . He looked forward toward the yard . . . He took a few more steps behind a sapling and I drew again . . . After reaching full draw the buck finally moved into the shooting lane after another lengthy pause . . . and the shortest yet longest hunt of my life was in the books.
I had taken my first ten-point buck! We were blown away! Jeff kept saying "You called it! You called it! You said we had to be in the tree before two and it worked!" I had killed the deer I was after at 1:40 in the afternoon. "The Texas Ten" was mine. He was the first buck I had ever gotten trail cam photos of before taking, and thanks to Jeff, my first mature deer on video! The feeling was that of a giant weight being lifted. A huge relief and feeling of satisfaction in the fact that all of the practice, preparation and planning and a little luck following my hunch had all payed off. Then a weird feeling I have never experienced came over me . . . a feeling of sadness that the whole thing was over . . . I realized I was never going get those exciting trail cam photos of this great deer again. Wrapping my hands around those antlers was a great feeling. For the first time in my life I was speechless. Everyone knows I have a big mouth and I really could not find words. I just kept looking at that perfect rack. That 5X5 rack I have been dreaming of for all of these years.
The best part of the whole deal is having been able to share it with so many friends and family and let them hunt the buck along with me. I would not be able to do any of this without the support and understanding of my wife that I know thinks I’m crazy but somehow "gets it" and tries to understand my obsession and I thank her for that.
Reliving a special hunt
I wrote this article for Rubs & Scrapes Magazine a few years back. It still ranks as one of my all time favorite hunting memories. Not just the deer I shot but the fact that I have met some great people through the Maryland Bowhunters Society and www.MarylandWhitetail.com
Enjoy
This past summer while in Ocean City, I took a quick trip to Assateague Island to look for Sika deer. I did not see any while there but I got to thinking and remarked to my Wife that I have lived in Maryland for 32 years and my 20th hunting season was coming up and I had never been to the lower eastern shore to hunt these unique deer. In fact I had never even seen one. The next few days I really began to wonder how I could best go about hunting for these little "Mini Elk", so when I received an email out of the blue from Joe Voelker informing me of an upcoming UBC group Sika deer hunt, I was excited to say the least as I had read about this hunt the year before in Rubs and Scrapes.
In the upcoming weeks I talked with Joe about the hunt via email. We had never met face to face, only through Marylandwhitetail.com where we both spend a lot of time. It sounded like we had about 7 or 8 guys that were in for the hunt. Some had been hunting for Sikas and others were rookies like myself. Joe told me that he had taken a few and knew enough to put me in the right general area. I was getting more and more revved up for this hunt and after meeting Joe and some of the guys that were going on the trip at the Marylandwhitetail bonfire I was even more so. I did as much reading and research as I could on these critters. I contacted Doug Wigfield about a Sika call. He was more than happy to answer all of my questions. He rushed me a Sika Seducer and instructional CD. The stage was set!!!
We were all set to meet on Friday the 8th of October. Problem was…so was the rain! The forecast was calling for a complete washout with dangerous wind. To say I was bummed when we all decided to bag the hunt would be an understatement. Joe, John Bogden and myself decided to make a go of it on Monday so with a little schedule rearranging we were back on again!!!
I had no trouble staying awake as I made the 3-hour drive at 2 in the morning from Smithsburg to Cambridge. Joe told me when I arrived at the WaWa that if he could show me a Sika he would be happy and feel like the trip was a success. I said I would be just as happy to hear one. After grabbing some snacks we hit the road towards Blackwater. As soon as we arrived on the refuge I saw a few calves and a spike Sika run across the road in front of John and Joe. We pulled into the parking area and Joe said his job was done because I saw those three. Within 10 minutes of hitting the trail we heard a Sika bugle somewhere in the darkness. The trip had already been a success and the sun had not even come up yet.
After walking for 45 minutes through knee high water we stopped to split up and go to our chosen locations. Joe said he was going to put me in the rookie stand. This is where he has had good success placing rookies in the past with lots of sighting and shot opportunities. We said our Good Lucks and decided on contacting each other via radio at 9:00 am. I made my way into a relatively open section of flooded timber with the aid of my flashlight. There are no terrain features to speak of, and minimal brush. I found a thin wall of grassy vegetation and followed it to a point where I spotted a good tree to climb. I laughed to myself, as this was the first time I had ever attached my climber while standing in water.
Once up and belted to the tree I got to soak in all of the amazing but eerie noises of a dark swamp. I heard lots of whistling wood ducks and other sounds as the sun came up creating awesome colors on the watery woods. I then heard the bugles of Sika Stags in two different locations. Soon after daybreak I spotted a small calf walking on my right hand side. I eased up and out of my seat and began messing with the deer with my call. She looked my way several times but seemed to show no concern or care in what she was hearing. I was not being very aggressive with the call as this was my first time and I was not going to shoot her anyway. I just wanted to see her reaction to some cow talk and if she would come closer. Just then I heard a tremendous crashing and splashing sound behind me to the right. I looked back to see a large Hind with an Awesome 3X3 Stag in tow. It had been a long time since I have come unglued like I did at that very moment! I knew the magnitude of what I was seeing. I knew some people have hunted all of their lives without seeing an animal like this, and he was coming right toward me. I struggled to keep my rangefinder still on the mounds of pine needles at the base of the trees, trying to get a yardage. The frustrated Stag sniffed and grunted as he came closer. I heard noise coming from the direction of the earlier calf. She was coming in to investigate. This caused the Stag to spin my way and right into my shooting lane with a 2X2 bringing up the rear. He stuck out his neck as if he was going to bugle but let out a frustrated uuuuhhhhhh!!!. He was now at 35 yards …broadside…I held it together really well considering the spaghetti legs from minutes before. I pulled the bow to full draw and settled the 30 yd. Pin in the middle of the lung area hoping to drop down for a heart shot. My arrow blew through both shoulders and took out the heart. The big boy could not go very far as he was running on his brisket. He made it a whopping 10 yards and piled up in the water.
I was now in complete shock. I just kept saying over and over to myself " I cant believe it…I cant believe it…Is this for real" I had to sit down and gather my composure. I looked at the time. It was 3 minutes till 8!!! I was done and deer were still running everywhere. I don’t know what they all were because I could not take my eyes off of my prize!
I climbed down and took some pics with my timer in the hour I had to wait for the guys to pick up the radio. It was excruciating. All I wanted to do was tell someone. I called my Wife but the service was terrible. Finally, a voice, it was John. "You guys see anything" I lost it! I don’t even know if I made any sense but the guys were right there with me in about 3 and half seconds to share the experience with me. We took more pics and started our drag/float back to the trucks. The Guys were great. They carried my stand and bow but I refused help dragging the deer out. I felt like I did not deserve this awesome trophy and wanted to work harder and drag him the mile back by myself. John went ahead and came back with a cart for me to push him on the dry ground for the last quarter mile.
Joe, John, and I headed to Taylor Island, where we met Doug Wigfield and Mark Andrews for lunch. These guys are the biggest Sika Nuts I have ever seen and they were so happy for me. We had a great time with lots of handshakes and high fives. We talked about the hunt over burgers and crab cakes. Last year I had only ever daydreamed of shooting a Sika and I now have made some great friends and taken a true trophy animal. I would like to say thanks to all the guys for helping make this happen by taking time to help a rookie out. Hunting with new and old friends is definitely one of the best parts of this sport. The whole thing adds up to one of the best hunts I have ever been a part of and I can’t wait to get back down to Sika country again.
Enjoy
This past summer while in Ocean City, I took a quick trip to Assateague Island to look for Sika deer. I did not see any while there but I got to thinking and remarked to my Wife that I have lived in Maryland for 32 years and my 20th hunting season was coming up and I had never been to the lower eastern shore to hunt these unique deer. In fact I had never even seen one. The next few days I really began to wonder how I could best go about hunting for these little "Mini Elk", so when I received an email out of the blue from Joe Voelker informing me of an upcoming UBC group Sika deer hunt, I was excited to say the least as I had read about this hunt the year before in Rubs and Scrapes.
In the upcoming weeks I talked with Joe about the hunt via email. We had never met face to face, only through Marylandwhitetail.com where we both spend a lot of time. It sounded like we had about 7 or 8 guys that were in for the hunt. Some had been hunting for Sikas and others were rookies like myself. Joe told me that he had taken a few and knew enough to put me in the right general area. I was getting more and more revved up for this hunt and after meeting Joe and some of the guys that were going on the trip at the Marylandwhitetail bonfire I was even more so. I did as much reading and research as I could on these critters. I contacted Doug Wigfield about a Sika call. He was more than happy to answer all of my questions. He rushed me a Sika Seducer and instructional CD. The stage was set!!!
We were all set to meet on Friday the 8th of October. Problem was…so was the rain! The forecast was calling for a complete washout with dangerous wind. To say I was bummed when we all decided to bag the hunt would be an understatement. Joe, John Bogden and myself decided to make a go of it on Monday so with a little schedule rearranging we were back on again!!!
I had no trouble staying awake as I made the 3-hour drive at 2 in the morning from Smithsburg to Cambridge. Joe told me when I arrived at the WaWa that if he could show me a Sika he would be happy and feel like the trip was a success. I said I would be just as happy to hear one. After grabbing some snacks we hit the road towards Blackwater. As soon as we arrived on the refuge I saw a few calves and a spike Sika run across the road in front of John and Joe. We pulled into the parking area and Joe said his job was done because I saw those three. Within 10 minutes of hitting the trail we heard a Sika bugle somewhere in the darkness. The trip had already been a success and the sun had not even come up yet.
After walking for 45 minutes through knee high water we stopped to split up and go to our chosen locations. Joe said he was going to put me in the rookie stand. This is where he has had good success placing rookies in the past with lots of sighting and shot opportunities. We said our Good Lucks and decided on contacting each other via radio at 9:00 am. I made my way into a relatively open section of flooded timber with the aid of my flashlight. There are no terrain features to speak of, and minimal brush. I found a thin wall of grassy vegetation and followed it to a point where I spotted a good tree to climb. I laughed to myself, as this was the first time I had ever attached my climber while standing in water.
Once up and belted to the tree I got to soak in all of the amazing but eerie noises of a dark swamp. I heard lots of whistling wood ducks and other sounds as the sun came up creating awesome colors on the watery woods. I then heard the bugles of Sika Stags in two different locations. Soon after daybreak I spotted a small calf walking on my right hand side. I eased up and out of my seat and began messing with the deer with my call. She looked my way several times but seemed to show no concern or care in what she was hearing. I was not being very aggressive with the call as this was my first time and I was not going to shoot her anyway. I just wanted to see her reaction to some cow talk and if she would come closer. Just then I heard a tremendous crashing and splashing sound behind me to the right. I looked back to see a large Hind with an Awesome 3X3 Stag in tow. It had been a long time since I have come unglued like I did at that very moment! I knew the magnitude of what I was seeing. I knew some people have hunted all of their lives without seeing an animal like this, and he was coming right toward me. I struggled to keep my rangefinder still on the mounds of pine needles at the base of the trees, trying to get a yardage. The frustrated Stag sniffed and grunted as he came closer. I heard noise coming from the direction of the earlier calf. She was coming in to investigate. This caused the Stag to spin my way and right into my shooting lane with a 2X2 bringing up the rear. He stuck out his neck as if he was going to bugle but let out a frustrated uuuuhhhhhh!!!. He was now at 35 yards …broadside…I held it together really well considering the spaghetti legs from minutes before. I pulled the bow to full draw and settled the 30 yd. Pin in the middle of the lung area hoping to drop down for a heart shot. My arrow blew through both shoulders and took out the heart. The big boy could not go very far as he was running on his brisket. He made it a whopping 10 yards and piled up in the water.
I was now in complete shock. I just kept saying over and over to myself " I cant believe it…I cant believe it…Is this for real" I had to sit down and gather my composure. I looked at the time. It was 3 minutes till 8!!! I was done and deer were still running everywhere. I don’t know what they all were because I could not take my eyes off of my prize!
I climbed down and took some pics with my timer in the hour I had to wait for the guys to pick up the radio. It was excruciating. All I wanted to do was tell someone. I called my Wife but the service was terrible. Finally, a voice, it was John. "You guys see anything" I lost it! I don’t even know if I made any sense but the guys were right there with me in about 3 and half seconds to share the experience with me. We took more pics and started our drag/float back to the trucks. The Guys were great. They carried my stand and bow but I refused help dragging the deer out. I felt like I did not deserve this awesome trophy and wanted to work harder and drag him the mile back by myself. John went ahead and came back with a cart for me to push him on the dry ground for the last quarter mile.
Joe, John, and I headed to Taylor Island, where we met Doug Wigfield and Mark Andrews for lunch. These guys are the biggest Sika Nuts I have ever seen and they were so happy for me. We had a great time with lots of handshakes and high fives. We talked about the hunt over burgers and crab cakes. Last year I had only ever daydreamed of shooting a Sika and I now have made some great friends and taken a true trophy animal. I would like to say thanks to all the guys for helping make this happen by taking time to help a rookie out. Hunting with new and old friends is definitely one of the best parts of this sport. The whole thing adds up to one of the best hunts I have ever been a part of and I can’t wait to get back down to Sika country again.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Shroooomin!!!
I had a fantastic shroom season this year!!! Getting to spend time with each of the kids on the hunt and introducing some new folks and hunting with friends!!! Good times and great scenery!!! Here is a whole rack of pics...ENJOY!!!
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