Friday, July 8, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Bob took his kids Jennifer and Sam and hit a local pond. The fishing was slow until Bob's natural inbred redneck instinct took over and he started catching little bluegills. A hook through the tail and big bobber was all it took. 16 Bass later from 1-3 pounds made out for a great day of fishing. Good times
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Ray Day on the Bay
I really wasn't expecting to have this much fun....After finally shooting my first underwater critter this season I wanted to try something a little bigger and cooler....Eric had been with JD before and told me about the awesome time while we were shootin carp....I jumped at the chance when I got the invite....JD worked his butt off to put us on the Rays. It was a tough go for the first 3 or 4 hours as the winds were high and the waves were big making the spotting of the fins almost impossible. We finally got on them after the wind died down and it was a free for all!!! We were shooting, gaffing, and chucking Rays in the bucket for hours...The minute we would unhook and get set we would be on another!!! Too much fun!!! JD was a very gracious host and gave up a whole day to cart Eric and I all over the place to get shots at these things. Just one more great guy I have met from MWC and the MBS...Dont meet too many folks like that!!! Thanks a ton guys!!!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
My Spring Turkey with the GT500
This story can be found in the current issue of the Maryland Bowhunters Society magazine....Rubs and Scrapes
For more information on Joining the Maryland Bowhunters Society click below...
www.marylandbowhunterssociety.org
Turkeys…With a Bow?
I had not intended on hunting Turkeys with the bow this season. I just didn’t feel like toting all the stuff around. I like to be a stealthy, mobile, Gobbler killing machine. (Well, as stealthy and mobile as a short, stumpy, fat boy can be) Sometimes I feel like hunting birds with a bow is just a great big hassle, and besides, I get just as much pleasure when I squeeze the trigger and send a load of 6’s toward a Gobblers noggin as I do an arrow.
If I lived out west where hunting from a blind in the prairies for roaming flocks of birds seems to be the norm I would spend more time with the bow in my hand. But from the thick cutovers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to heavily pressured ridges of Pennsylvania that I frequent…Packing, unpacking , moving, hauling, and resetting up a ton of stuff is more like work to me than a fun day in the woods.
Now maybe I’m the one to blame for having too much to carry around… I have never been accused of having a lightweight turkey vest or backpack. I always refer to my gear bags as Noah’s Arc as I usually seem to have two of everything (Can’t be too careful). So now add to the vest a stool for sitting long periods of time comfortably. Trying to capture everything on video means at least one camera but usually two…plus tripods. Gotta have a blind for bowhunting birds right? Well I guess not but I don’t feel confident enough to go through the movement of drawing a bow without being picked off by a keen eyed Gobbler. Throw in a couple bigger and better decoys and a few snacks for the day and I feel like I need a U-haul truck to get where I’m headed.
I toss the idea of bowhunting Turkeys around in my head for months leading up to the season every year. I always end up in the same predicament. This year was no different and I had pretty much convinced myself to bail on the idea of taking the bow out at all…Until I got the weather report for the first day of my scheduled Turkey hunting vacation. The threat of rain and the fact that I wanted to make the most of my time off of work had me pulling out the blind I had decided against taking with me.
There has to be a better way I thought as I was packing the blind in my truck. I now had to grab all the gear I mentioned earlier because if I was gonna “cheat” and use a blind…It just wouldn’t be right to stick a gun barrel out the window and shoot one…I had to use the bow. That meant I had to get the tripods and cameras because I couldn’t just sit there without at least trying to film the hunt could I?
I came up with a plan and was going to make it a point to stick with it. I figured since the weather report was only showing a little drizzle in the early part of the morning which in my opinion is awesome for Turkeys, I would take the gun and try to get as close as I could to a talkative Tom before flydown and see if I could close the deal before the rain. If that didn’t work, I would retreat and get the bow and blind before the rain. The fact that I know the property well and have a great late morning strutting area in mind where I see Turkeys often had me feeling great about running back to the truck before the heavy weather. The spot is actually pretty close to the truck so I could set up quickly.
I had birds gobbling on two sides of me about half way up the mountain in the dim light. From the sounds I was hearing I estimated multiple birds in the closest spot and a single Tom a little further off and to my right. I was running out of time so I quickly set up against a tall poplar and behind a screen of briars. I was facing an old logging road intersection and property line marked by a stone wall. I have pulled birds over this wall before but this morning the group on the other property must have had some girls already lined up because as they flew down they headed away gobbling. I stayed put hoping to hear from the single that had not been as vocal. I held off on the calling and just waited a while. Out of nowhere came a gobble that blew my mind…It was close! “This is going to be over quick”, I thought to myself as I moved the gun barrel to the right and pointed it up the road ready to smoke the oncoming Tom. As the birds white head cleared the wall of briars and into my shooting lane I was in perfect position to pull the trigger but I wanted confirmation on his beard…I’m glad I didn’t just squeeze…He was just a Jake. The booming gobble had me all amped up and ready but I guess he was just trying to impress the ladies because he was just a little guy. Time for plan B!
With what looked to be a little heavier rain on my iPhone radar. I raced to the truck and switched weapons and tactics. I grabbed all my stuff and headed back up the road to the cutover spot I previously mentioned. I felt good in my plan already but my hopes where lifted even higher when I arrived in the location and found all kinds of fresh Turkey doody!!! The group I had been hearing that moved off toward my left and down earlier was sure to make their way toward me I figured as I set up the blind. The place I believed them to be was only a short distance from me according to the arial I was looking at.
It was only about 8:30 when I was relaxing in my chair and trying to imagine where he would come from so I could set the tripod in the right area for video. I was watching the clouds and radar and it looked like I may have a good hour stretch of little to no rain. This is just what I was hoping for, thinking the birds would show up to soak up the sun and display for the ladies. I grabbed my bow, nocked an arrow and drew to check my clearance and shot positions. Everything was good so I let out a few clucks and purrs followed by a raspy yelp or two. I waited a few more minutes and hit my gobble shaker after another series of yelps. In my mind, anything within earshot may want to check that out.
I could not believe that within twenty minutes, a lone hen walked right down from the log landing at the top of the clearing and started picking her way toward me. I was dying to know if she had a longbeard in tow. It seemed like an eternity but I finally caught movement above her and notice it was a strutter. I’m guessing she responded to my calls or was already headed in my direction. Either way I grabbed the bow and prepared for the shot. The hen was in no hurry and seemed quite annoyed by the fact that I had a jake and hen decoy placed about 10 yards in front of my blind. The Tom was preoccupied trying to show off for his girl but as he got closer he started spitting and drumming directly at the impostor jake.
I was gathering myself, preparing for a shot, and trying to video all at the same time. I was not correct in my guess as to where to position the tripod so the bird kept walking out of the frame to the right and I could not get the angle I needed so I had to bail on the camera. The decision to forgo the video made everything easier. The hen walked into the brush to my left and I thought the Tom was going to follow her. He was still focused on fakey jakey and was steady spitting in the decoys direction then turning and quivering a few quick steps away. After I had drawn three times hoping for him to give me a better angle I decided that next time he turned away he was getting one in the rear as each time he did he ended up further away and was now at about 25 yards. Long shot from the 12 yards he had been when I was trying to get it on video. Its now or never I said to myself as I drew for the final time. I slid of the seat a little, centered the 20 yard pin at the base of his fan, a little above his left thigh and squeeeeezed.
Watching that bird hop off on one leg was exhilarating and something I was not planning on seeing this season at all. I ran out and found the bird piled up in a heap under a brush pile on the edge of the clearing. The broadhead had made a mess of the birds thigh and innards keeping him from taking flight and covering more distance. I guess you could say I was happy that I stuck to my plan. It was an awesome feeling hanging only my second bow killed Gobbler on the blind to take photos. The fact that I had one down makes for a relaxing remainder of Turkey season.
The plan I came up with seems to be one that I can stick to for the years to come. I love the fact that I can shoot one with a bow and it definitely feels like quite the accomplishment. The weird thing is that I somehow miss the bang, smell of gunpowder, and the sight of a gobbler being left in a pile that you get from using a shotgun. But I will take a Longbeard by any legal means necessary!
Equipment used.
Ultimate Camo Elite GT500 Sword Titan B-Stinger Carbon Express Maximas backed with a Lazer Nock N.A.P Gobbler Getter Broadheads Bohning Blazer Vanes
For more information on Joining the Maryland Bowhunters Society click below...
www.marylandbowhunterssociety.org
Turkeys…With a Bow?
I had not intended on hunting Turkeys with the bow this season. I just didn’t feel like toting all the stuff around. I like to be a stealthy, mobile, Gobbler killing machine. (Well, as stealthy and mobile as a short, stumpy, fat boy can be) Sometimes I feel like hunting birds with a bow is just a great big hassle, and besides, I get just as much pleasure when I squeeze the trigger and send a load of 6’s toward a Gobblers noggin as I do an arrow.
If I lived out west where hunting from a blind in the prairies for roaming flocks of birds seems to be the norm I would spend more time with the bow in my hand. But from the thick cutovers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to heavily pressured ridges of Pennsylvania that I frequent…Packing, unpacking , moving, hauling, and resetting up a ton of stuff is more like work to me than a fun day in the woods.
Now maybe I’m the one to blame for having too much to carry around… I have never been accused of having a lightweight turkey vest or backpack. I always refer to my gear bags as Noah’s Arc as I usually seem to have two of everything (Can’t be too careful). So now add to the vest a stool for sitting long periods of time comfortably. Trying to capture everything on video means at least one camera but usually two…plus tripods. Gotta have a blind for bowhunting birds right? Well I guess not but I don’t feel confident enough to go through the movement of drawing a bow without being picked off by a keen eyed Gobbler. Throw in a couple bigger and better decoys and a few snacks for the day and I feel like I need a U-haul truck to get where I’m headed.
I toss the idea of bowhunting Turkeys around in my head for months leading up to the season every year. I always end up in the same predicament. This year was no different and I had pretty much convinced myself to bail on the idea of taking the bow out at all…Until I got the weather report for the first day of my scheduled Turkey hunting vacation. The threat of rain and the fact that I wanted to make the most of my time off of work had me pulling out the blind I had decided against taking with me.
There has to be a better way I thought as I was packing the blind in my truck. I now had to grab all the gear I mentioned earlier because if I was gonna “cheat” and use a blind…It just wouldn’t be right to stick a gun barrel out the window and shoot one…I had to use the bow. That meant I had to get the tripods and cameras because I couldn’t just sit there without at least trying to film the hunt could I?
I came up with a plan and was going to make it a point to stick with it. I figured since the weather report was only showing a little drizzle in the early part of the morning which in my opinion is awesome for Turkeys, I would take the gun and try to get as close as I could to a talkative Tom before flydown and see if I could close the deal before the rain. If that didn’t work, I would retreat and get the bow and blind before the rain. The fact that I know the property well and have a great late morning strutting area in mind where I see Turkeys often had me feeling great about running back to the truck before the heavy weather. The spot is actually pretty close to the truck so I could set up quickly.
I had birds gobbling on two sides of me about half way up the mountain in the dim light. From the sounds I was hearing I estimated multiple birds in the closest spot and a single Tom a little further off and to my right. I was running out of time so I quickly set up against a tall poplar and behind a screen of briars. I was facing an old logging road intersection and property line marked by a stone wall. I have pulled birds over this wall before but this morning the group on the other property must have had some girls already lined up because as they flew down they headed away gobbling. I stayed put hoping to hear from the single that had not been as vocal. I held off on the calling and just waited a while. Out of nowhere came a gobble that blew my mind…It was close! “This is going to be over quick”, I thought to myself as I moved the gun barrel to the right and pointed it up the road ready to smoke the oncoming Tom. As the birds white head cleared the wall of briars and into my shooting lane I was in perfect position to pull the trigger but I wanted confirmation on his beard…I’m glad I didn’t just squeeze…He was just a Jake. The booming gobble had me all amped up and ready but I guess he was just trying to impress the ladies because he was just a little guy. Time for plan B!
With what looked to be a little heavier rain on my iPhone radar. I raced to the truck and switched weapons and tactics. I grabbed all my stuff and headed back up the road to the cutover spot I previously mentioned. I felt good in my plan already but my hopes where lifted even higher when I arrived in the location and found all kinds of fresh Turkey doody!!! The group I had been hearing that moved off toward my left and down earlier was sure to make their way toward me I figured as I set up the blind. The place I believed them to be was only a short distance from me according to the arial I was looking at.
It was only about 8:30 when I was relaxing in my chair and trying to imagine where he would come from so I could set the tripod in the right area for video. I was watching the clouds and radar and it looked like I may have a good hour stretch of little to no rain. This is just what I was hoping for, thinking the birds would show up to soak up the sun and display for the ladies. I grabbed my bow, nocked an arrow and drew to check my clearance and shot positions. Everything was good so I let out a few clucks and purrs followed by a raspy yelp or two. I waited a few more minutes and hit my gobble shaker after another series of yelps. In my mind, anything within earshot may want to check that out.
I could not believe that within twenty minutes, a lone hen walked right down from the log landing at the top of the clearing and started picking her way toward me. I was dying to know if she had a longbeard in tow. It seemed like an eternity but I finally caught movement above her and notice it was a strutter. I’m guessing she responded to my calls or was already headed in my direction. Either way I grabbed the bow and prepared for the shot. The hen was in no hurry and seemed quite annoyed by the fact that I had a jake and hen decoy placed about 10 yards in front of my blind. The Tom was preoccupied trying to show off for his girl but as he got closer he started spitting and drumming directly at the impostor jake.
I was gathering myself, preparing for a shot, and trying to video all at the same time. I was not correct in my guess as to where to position the tripod so the bird kept walking out of the frame to the right and I could not get the angle I needed so I had to bail on the camera. The decision to forgo the video made everything easier. The hen walked into the brush to my left and I thought the Tom was going to follow her. He was still focused on fakey jakey and was steady spitting in the decoys direction then turning and quivering a few quick steps away. After I had drawn three times hoping for him to give me a better angle I decided that next time he turned away he was getting one in the rear as each time he did he ended up further away and was now at about 25 yards. Long shot from the 12 yards he had been when I was trying to get it on video. Its now or never I said to myself as I drew for the final time. I slid of the seat a little, centered the 20 yard pin at the base of his fan, a little above his left thigh and squeeeeezed.
Watching that bird hop off on one leg was exhilarating and something I was not planning on seeing this season at all. I ran out and found the bird piled up in a heap under a brush pile on the edge of the clearing. The broadhead had made a mess of the birds thigh and innards keeping him from taking flight and covering more distance. I guess you could say I was happy that I stuck to my plan. It was an awesome feeling hanging only my second bow killed Gobbler on the blind to take photos. The fact that I had one down makes for a relaxing remainder of Turkey season.
The plan I came up with seems to be one that I can stick to for the years to come. I love the fact that I can shoot one with a bow and it definitely feels like quite the accomplishment. The weird thing is that I somehow miss the bang, smell of gunpowder, and the sight of a gobbler being left in a pile that you get from using a shotgun. But I will take a Longbeard by any legal means necessary!
Equipment used.
Ultimate Camo Elite GT500 Sword Titan B-Stinger Carbon Express Maximas backed with a Lazer Nock N.A.P Gobbler Getter Broadheads Bohning Blazer Vanes
Check this out
Pretty cool website and concept here....www.solohunterstv.com
Paul is going to have some of his solo video on the TV show on the sportsman channel
Congrats Paul!!!
Paul is going to have some of his solo video on the TV show on the sportsman channel
Congrats Paul!!!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Stinky Ol' Carp
The first time I ever saw anyone bowfishing I thought it was pretty cool. It was my Uncle Delmas. He smoked a big ole carp on a u lake in Va. and I was impressed ...I mean afterall I love bowhunting and its kinda the same right? I never put any time into it for years but always thought about it.
I finally got a bowfishing rig a few years back and piddled with it a bit. I would get an invite and it would always end with frustration...They were too low or it was too muddy...How low do I aim?
Everyone said these dang fish were supposed to be on the top and in the grass...but they never were.
I was also told by everyone to wear polarized glasses to see them. Problem was, I had the issue of not being able to shoot with sunglasses on. But I wont need them if the smelly fish would be on the top like they should be right?
I recently moved to the area where I first tried bowfishing. I now had the ability to go at the drop of a hat. Seeing all the pics being posted on marylandwhitetail.com had me wanting to get out to the lake so I sighted the Elite XXL in for my bowfishing rig. Again, all of the carp where really low and really far out. I took some pot shots but I was quickly growing frustrated again. To top it all off, I lost both of my arrows trying to rig them up with swivels for easy removal because I hate the way you have to keep it attatched at all times. I end up getting all tangled up in the bushes and leaving a trail of yellow string behind me. Kinda reminds me of my first few fishing trips as a kid.
I figured I would give it one more try because my friend Eric (who loves the completely stupid sport of bowfishing) wanted to go again. I told him I would go but he had to bring me an arrow. Of course we walked around for hours frustrated again waiting for a dumbass fish that Im not even going to eat. I was pretty sure I was done with the whole Idea of bowfishing........
Until last Friday!!! I had to go get my drivers license renewed...Joy...and on the way I drove past the lake. The water appeared to be boiling up near the grass. I almost turned around to get my bow but it would have to wait. I had to get the license thing taken care of. I actually got out of there in under an hour. The giant line I walked in to when I arrived at the MVA had me thinking hours would be wasted while I was missing my first real oppurtunity at some carp shooting.
I raced home, grabbed my gear, (camera, tripod, and all...that is how confident I was) and headed to the water's edge. I immediately saw a carp stick its ugly head out of the water in the grass. I thought to myself, "In range and on top...sorry bout your luck fish!!!"
I went 9 for 11 with the last being head shots because I broke the barb thingy off of a Eric's arrow. I just kept on reeling the things in, and just like that....the water was still and there was no action. I took some pics and headed home. Im still not sure what to think about shooting carp. They stink and are not yummy and It was only so so on the excitement meter. I will do it again...well I already did yesterday going 2 for 3 on a couple more... but I cant see me spending to much time on it. Unless someone wants to take me on a night trip on a boat or in the bay for skates!!!
I finally got a bowfishing rig a few years back and piddled with it a bit. I would get an invite and it would always end with frustration...They were too low or it was too muddy...How low do I aim?
Everyone said these dang fish were supposed to be on the top and in the grass...but they never were.
I was also told by everyone to wear polarized glasses to see them. Problem was, I had the issue of not being able to shoot with sunglasses on. But I wont need them if the smelly fish would be on the top like they should be right?
I recently moved to the area where I first tried bowfishing. I now had the ability to go at the drop of a hat. Seeing all the pics being posted on marylandwhitetail.com had me wanting to get out to the lake so I sighted the Elite XXL in for my bowfishing rig. Again, all of the carp where really low and really far out. I took some pot shots but I was quickly growing frustrated again. To top it all off, I lost both of my arrows trying to rig them up with swivels for easy removal because I hate the way you have to keep it attatched at all times. I end up getting all tangled up in the bushes and leaving a trail of yellow string behind me. Kinda reminds me of my first few fishing trips as a kid.
I figured I would give it one more try because my friend Eric (who loves the completely stupid sport of bowfishing) wanted to go again. I told him I would go but he had to bring me an arrow. Of course we walked around for hours frustrated again waiting for a dumbass fish that Im not even going to eat. I was pretty sure I was done with the whole Idea of bowfishing........
Until last Friday!!! I had to go get my drivers license renewed...Joy...and on the way I drove past the lake. The water appeared to be boiling up near the grass. I almost turned around to get my bow but it would have to wait. I had to get the license thing taken care of. I actually got out of there in under an hour. The giant line I walked in to when I arrived at the MVA had me thinking hours would be wasted while I was missing my first real oppurtunity at some carp shooting.
I raced home, grabbed my gear, (camera, tripod, and all...that is how confident I was) and headed to the water's edge. I immediately saw a carp stick its ugly head out of the water in the grass. I thought to myself, "In range and on top...sorry bout your luck fish!!!"
I went 9 for 11 with the last being head shots because I broke the barb thingy off of a Eric's arrow. I just kept on reeling the things in, and just like that....the water was still and there was no action. I took some pics and headed home. Im still not sure what to think about shooting carp. They stink and are not yummy and It was only so so on the excitement meter. I will do it again...well I already did yesterday going 2 for 3 on a couple more... but I cant see me spending to much time on it. Unless someone wants to take me on a night trip on a boat or in the bay for skates!!!
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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