How many shells are left in your box?

I began  rummaging through my gear to gather my Sprint turkey hunting essentials for the 2018 season opener.  I was searching for my trusty box of Federal Premium turkey shells that had delivered many downed tom turkeys over the years.  The box is so old that it is difficult to read the label that should say 12 gauge #4 shot, but now you can only see wear marks instead.  Turkey loads come 10 shells to a box, but most years, I only use one to shoot my one turkey each Spring.  As I grabbed the box, I noticed it was lighter than expected and could hear shells rattling loose in the bottom.  I opened it up and was shocked to see only two shells remained!  As I thought back to account for where and when I had used these shells, I remembered that I had been living abroad for a while and missed 5 turkey seasons, so counting back the years per missing shells I quickly calculated the purchase date of this box was 2005!

I looked at this old worn box of shells and wondered if one more box of turkey shells will last me for the rest of my turkey seasons?  Said another way, do I have more than 10 years of hunting left in me?  That was a somber thought!  Am I like this old worn out box and my adventurous days numbered?  I'm in my mid-40s now and hope to continue strong well into retirement, but realistically, I probably only have 10 - 15 years left.  I know that sounds dramatic, but I am certain I have fewer hunts ahead of me than I have behind me.  As I let that soak in, I realized that, I have never achieved my life long goal of successfully hunting Western game such as Elk, Antelope, Mule Deer, Moose and Caribou.  One does not just decide to hunt all those species in the west without extensive research and participating in numerous state tag drawings that occur many months in advance of season and you likely need to build up preference points in those draws over many years to even have a chance to draw!  That all takes time.  Have I waited to long?  Am I to late?

That realization has stoked a new fire in me to ensure that I don't let further opportunity slip away.  Since I had that epiphany a few months ago, I've signed up with an outfitter for a Colorado archery Elk hunt and I've put in for tag lotteries in Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.  I'm opportunistically purchasing gear (when it goes on sale) for western hunting and working out like a crazy man so this flat lander living at sea level can breath when I'm at 11,000 feet chasing Elk!  I have already learned a ton of new information as I'm now subscribing to GoHunt.com to learn about the state draw systems and I'm signed up for the "University of Elk Hunting" at Elk101.com.

I'm enjoying the opportunity to expand my base of knowledge beyond whitetails, turkeys and upland birds and this has inspired me to begin writing again.  I plan to write about all that I'm doing and learning in hopes that these future blog posts can help other folks as they decide to make their dreams become realities.

So ask yourself, how many shells do you have left in your box???

Ron's Long Shot Deer

The last weekend of deer rifle season found Ron and I again in the deer woods.  I had tagged out with a buck the week before and although Ron had seen some good bucks, he hadn't yet pulled the trigger on one.  Leading up to this weekend we had some logistical problems and we knew the weather would be wet, but we were determined to overcome it with some planning.  Ron traveled to our hunting spot the day before me so he could set up a hunting blind in anticipation of the 90% chance of rain for Saturday, while I had a business meeting occupying me on Friday.  I met Ron at our staging area on Saturday morning a little after 6:00 AM and although it had rained a little that night, a quick check of the radar on my smart phone told me that another wave of rain was approaching fast and we had a brief "dry window" to travel to our blind.  I showed Ron the radar and we immediately agreed that the ATVs would be needed so we could successfully leave our hunting location after the rains hit.

We sprang into action and coaxed the four wheelers to life as they coughed and sputtered in the cold morning air.  We were under way fairly quickly, but we weren't making good time as we spun out and mudded down the dirt road.  We were about five minutes from our blind when the first big wet drop hit me in the face.  "Oh no, here it comes!"I muttered, but before I could finish the sentence, the heavens opened up and drenched us both.  I sped up and tried to out run the rain, but it was no use, we were gonna get wet.  Ron and I both had on rain gear, but I couldn't keep my hood over my head, I had left my rain gloves back at the house, and while I was driving and my rifle case kept slipping off the rack so I had my hands full.  Finally we reached the spot to park our ATVs and we trudged through the mud to the blind.  I have never been so happy to see a little pop up tent before!  We hurled ourselves inside the blind, zipped up the door, shivering, wet, and cold.  Ron looks over at me and says "we're having fun right?"  I agreed that we were having fun and that the small adversities just make it more memorable.  Really, which trips do you remember best?  The ones where everything is perfect including the weather or when all heck breaks loose and you still pull off a successful hunt?

Ron had done an excellent job (as usual) of setting up the blind.  He had cleared the grass, leveled the floor, and set up camp chairs inside so we would be comfortable.  He had also concealed it fairly well within a plum bush.  I normally don't like hunting from these blinds, but today I was all for it!  We could hardly hear each other talk because the noise from the rain pelting the blind and I didn't think we would see a thing until the rain passed, but sure enough a small buck came by about 7:30 AM.  He had a small four point antler on one side and a even smaller spike on the other side.  Unfortunately I have seen several of these lop sided bucks in the area.  Apparently there was a buck like this several years back that all of us had seen, but nobody wanted to shoot him.  Well, it looks like he has passed on his genes and in a weird sort of way it is a benefit to the deer since most people will pass them up.

About 30 minutes later another small buck ran past us, but didn't get much of a reaction from Ron or myself.  By 9:30 AM, the rain had let up a little and nature was calling me (if you know what I mean) so I asked Ron if he would mind if declared this a bathroom break.  We agreed, but first took a good look around the blind to ensure nothing was approaching.  Just then Ron spotted a good buck running into our area.  I grabbed my binoculars to assess him.  Although he wasn't huge, he was a good eight pointer with a tall rack.  We only had about 15 or 20 seconds to get a look at him and decide if he was big enough.  Ron couldn't see him from his position so we switched sides in the confined space that was available.  Once he settled in and acquired his target, I began to wonder if he was in range.  It looked like a long shot for me, but then Ron is comfortable with long shots as he competitively shoots up to 600 yards at times.  The buck continued to walk toward a ridge covered in brush. He stopped for a couple seconds at the edge of the brush.  A few more steps and he would be gone.  Ron's rifle rang out and the deer spun around and ducked into the foliage and out of sight.

We assess the shot and both agreed that it appeared he had hit the deer well, but since it was raining we should go after him sooner than normal so the blood trail wouldn't wash away (if we needed it).  We walked to where the deer had been standing and Ron ranged the distance with his range finder to be 199 yards!

I assumed that the deer would beyond the cover that he had ran into, but we didn't see him anywhere.  We both began to scan the ground for any evidence left by the deer.  The first sign we found were his fresh tracks and soon after that we found some blood.  We proceeded slowly watching the trail ahead just in case he jumped up.  We came to a several "forks in the road" along the trail where he could have gone left or right.  Each time we split up until one of us found additional sign.  After a slow methodical trailing job, we finally spotted him laying in a thicket with his head down.  We eased up, but our caution wasn't needed as the bullet had done its job.

Ron had pulled off a great long shot with only seconds to set up and make a decision not to mention he had done all the work in setting up the blind the day before.  We made quick work of field dressing the buck and hoisted him up on the ATV for the trip out.  It was a wild ride with the additional inch of rain that fell on the dirt trails and roads out that day, but these are the things that memories are made of.

The 2011 Dove Season Has Finally Arrived!

Dove Season has the most enviable placement among all the hunting seasons in Texas and Oklahoma as it is the first hunting season of the Fall.  Hunters across the area wait in anticipation of being able to once again go afield and have an outdoor adventure.  This year it seemed as though dove season would never arrive with the merciless +100 degree days and no rain in sight, but after much preparation and patience September 1 did arrive.

My first morning of dove season found me on my lease in a wheat field that was across the road from, what looked to be, the best dove field in the county (also part of my lease).  Why didn't I hunt across the road you ask?  Well, last year I did hunt what appeared to be the best field, but the crowds were terrible and there was a near altercation that I would rather not go into.  This year I wanted more space so I planned to intercept the doves coming and going into the primary field from my secondary location and it turned out nicely.  I had more than enough room and could enjoy myself with plenty of birds to go around.

It is always a humbling experience the first morning of dove season.  You discover just how "out of practice" you really are.  Your gun can only hold three shells per the federal regulations governing migratory bird harvest, so when a dove flies over and you empty your gun "BAM, BAM, BAM" and then the dove continues to fly by unscathed you realize "seriously, I need to practice more!"  Although as the morning went on I began to find my rhythm.  I made some really great shots bringing down 7 birds.  I had only taken a half day vacation from work, so I had to call it quits by 9:30 AM.

Thursday night was also great.  I returned to the same location by 6:30 PM and the birds were already moving.  I shot two while I was placing my decoys!  Everything was coming together as the birds were flying by in range and my shooting had vastly improved from the morning.  I was able to get the second half of my limit (8 more birds) bringing my total for the day to the 15 bird limit.

Friday evening I returned to my new "favorite spot" as soon as I could arrive after work.  There were two other hunters North of me along a tree row and I noticed that the one of the hunters nearest me wasn't doing so well.  He had a mojo decoy, but it was set up really close to his position and he was focusing his gaze to the East, but the doves were coming from the North West.  Multiple times, groups of birds flew over him and directly to me.  He didn't see them until I was unloading my 870 Remington pump into the sky and doves were raining down.  I thought about approaching him and giving him a few friendly suggestions, but he looked grumpy and I don't like giving advice to armed grumpy fellas.  The final straw was when he decided to pick up his spent shotgun shells and at that precise moment the biggest group of dove that evening flew directly over his position.  I had time to watch them approach me so I picked out the lead bird as it drew close.  After bringing down the first bird I and was able to pick up a second before the group passed.  I walked out to get my birds and I could see him throwing his gear into his pickup to leave looking even more aggravated. He didn't even wave when he drove out!

I spent the rest of the weekend with my family, but did sneak in one brief Labor Day morning hunt.  Things had gone downhill with the cold front blowing in.  I only saw a handful of dove and my outings since have also not been productive either.  Still, I have three nice freezer bags of dove awaiting their date with a grill in the future.  Hopefully the hunting will pick-up again in a few weeks.  If not, there is always Deer season come October 1!

Anticipation and Adjusting Expectations

It may not feel like it.  No, it doesn't even feel like it is remotely close, but Fall is coming.  Crisp cool mornings, chilly nights, and the Fall hunting seasons are drawing closer despite the fact that the dog days of Summer continue to beat down on us all.  As August passes, I am filled with anticipation and engage in preparations for the upcoming dove season.  When I was a boy, I wouldn't do much prep for the season except buy shells and put a plug in my shotgun (as required for migratory birds), but now I seem to do a little more.  This isn't because I need to prepare more.  I do it to feel like I am moving myself closer to the long anticipated beginning of the multiple hunting seasons where I will pursue dove, deer, quail, turkeys, and maybe even some predators.

This August is much like last year, except it is hotter and dryer.  Consistent with last year, I again signed up for a dove lease with DFW Hunt so that I can hunt near my home after work and on the weekends.  There are many dove lease outfitters in the area, but these guys work hard to have detailed aerial maps available for all the fields, provide advice based on their scouting, and are a pleasure to deal with.  Also, I received a discount for buying my lease earlier in the year and by providing them a video I created for their web site.

Last weekend was the "Dove Tour" of the fields available North of DFW and I attended as part of my pre-season scouting.  It was obvious from the tour, that this year will be really tough.  The birds appear to be concentrated in a few areas and it will mean that there will also be a concentration of dove hunters in those same few areas.

This weekend I returned to the dove fields to do some early morning scouting.  I started with my favorite field from last year.  I parked in the center of the pasture, got out my 10X50 Leopold binos, and started glassing.  I saw a sly coyote in the distance trotting through a cut Milo field, slipping in-between cows as he works his way across the field looking for rodents and rabbits.  I saw giant clouds of starlings and purple martins pass over head, but the skies were devoid of dove.  I did catch a glimpse of two mourning doves speeding across a field low to the ground, but they were about a quarter mile away.

No Doves Here

I drove to the next field a few miles down the road.  Last year this field was planted with Milo and had been cut prior to dove season.  The scattered grain left by the harvesters was a feast for the doves and it was obvious as large groups of birds poured into and out of this field.  This year the field had been planted to wheat and the crop was very poor, yielding little grain.  There was little to no activity in this field except for doves moving from a wooded area across the field and traveling to the next dove field South across the road.  This field will be the epicenter of activity come opening morning.  It was planted with Milo, but had been cut for hay due to the poor crop.  Despite the fact that it didn't make enough grain for harvest, the hay bailing process had scattered what little Milo seed there was all over the field.  Massive flocks of white wing doves circle this field and roost along the high lines and in the surrounding trees.

Glassing another field without many sightings

White Wing Doves resting after feasting on Milo

As the sun rose so did the temperatures.  I headed back home to grab a quick lunch and to head down to Irving to get some practice at the gun club.  I grew up shooting skeet and trap, but I have taken up shooting a new game called five stand.  This is much like sporting clays, but you shoot 25 shots from five locations with different combinations from six different clay pigeon throwers.  I like it because it provides multiple shot situations and is good preparation for bird hunting.

a Five Stand shooting field

Eye and Ear Protection, Check!

I also expanded my fleet of dove decoys by 100 percent!  I bought an additional Mojo Dove decoy bringing my total decoys to two (impressive, I know)!  I became a firm believer in this decoy last year and since Cabela's was having a sale and was selling them for $30 instead of $40, I had to purchase one!   That's funny, I now sound like my wife.

The final item on my check list to prepare for dove season is that I must adjust my expectations for this year's season.  In the past I have measured the success of a dove hunting outings based on the number of birds in my bag.  A limit of birds would be success and anything less, well it isn't.  This year looks tough, so I am redefining my terms to harvesting enough birds for a few dinners and enjoying the great outdoors with fellow sportsman.  If I get a limit it will be a bonus.  Good luck everyone.  Shoot strait and most of all, be safe!

A Two Year Wait for Turkey Season!

Some say that Spring is announced by the arrival of warm weather, spring showers, or flowers. For me, the Spring is officially here when I am in the woods just before sunrise seeing that first light shine on everything fresh and green and hearing the sounds of turkeys gobbling in their roosting trees.  I have had to wait two years to hunt turkeys again since I had missed the 2010 season because of work.  This year I was determined to go!  I called up my hunting buddy, Ron, months in advance and let him know that I had one weekend during the season that I would be available for spring turkey hunting and luckily, his schedule worked out as well.

I decided that this trip was going to be a backpacking turkey hunt so that I could do a "dry run" or test trip for my backpacking equipment.  I am thinking of taking a Colorado elk hunting trip with this equipment in the Fall so I would rather have equipment issue near the pickup instead of miles from civilization in the mountains.  I limited my gear to only what I could bring in my backpack, I used a bivy tent and mummy sleeping bag and brought enough freeze dried backpacking food for three days and the pocket rocket backpacking stove.  I normally bring way to much gear, but having the storage limitation of the backpack really makes you limit yourself to the essentials.

The pack was heavier than I thought!

My Bivy Tent and Backpack

We started the first day around 6:00 AM as we walked into our hunting area.  It was one of those cool mornings when the fog hangs in the air.  It was so still and sound seemed to carry forever making it difficult to judge the distances to a potential tom turkey answering our call.  We didn't know exactly where the turkeys were, but we were approaching a tree row that looked promising.  As we approached a couple toms began to gobble.  Ron and I froze and began to glass with our binoculars, looking for the birds.  We spotted them at the end of the tree row, still perched in the trees.  We quickly whispered our plan of attack and began to sneak into position.  We snuck around the birds through some cover and set up for our first calling session.

For those of you who are not familiar with hunting turkeys, the situation is supposed to happen like this.  The hunter takes position in cover in the general area of a turkey.  The hunter calls softly to the turkey like this....yelp, yelp, yelp with the aid of a call.  This translates to "I am an attractive hen and I would enjoy your company!"  The tom turkey should respond immediately with a bold gobble, gobble and this means, "I hear you and I will be right there!"  Then the tom flies down and heads in the direction of the hunter.  He will gobble a few more times and the hunter responds with few yelps as long as the turkey is not within sight.  Once the turkey is close enough to see the hunter, no more calls are made because the turkey will pin point the hunter's location and realize something is wrong and exit hastily!  Once the bird is within about 30 yards, the hunter aims for the head of the turkey with a shot gun and bam!  This is how it is supposed to happen, but most of the time it doesn't, as you will see from our multiple unsuccessful efforts.

Our first calling session, everything was looking great.  The toms were gobbling, we were yelping, and then nothing.  Turns out they already had hens with them and I think tom turkeys adhere to that old adage, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" because they just wouldn't come our way.  As we were just about to give up, a herd of feral pigs rolled through.  There were a couple adults and several younger pigs.  Feral pigs are different than wild animals.  A deer or turkey will slowly make his way though the brush, carefully studying the surroundings for danger, listening, watching, smelling.  A feral pig on the other hand is constantly in motion.  never stopping more than a second or two.  Head down and traveling like the rabbit in "Alice in Wonderland" as if they are saying "I'm late, I'm late"!  As the pigs passed by, Ron said "I think those smaller ones would fit just right in my smoker"!  He wanted to put a stalk on the pigs and take a detour from turkey hunting.  I didn't mind, but I only had five turkey shells with me (I am traveling light remember) and I wasn't about to waste more than one of them on a pig!  Well we snuck up on the pigs by crawling along through the brush.  Ron and I had just nodded to each other that we were close enough and should shoot when one of them saw us and there was an explosion of pork!  We both tried to pick one out of this fast moving herd and after the shots were fired and the dust settled, we had two pigs down!  We went to collected our prizes and began to hear gobbling to the West again.  We quickly drug our pigs out to the main path and set up for another calling set.  Ron and I were sitting side by side with our backs to a large tree.  We began to call and the tom answered, just like we planned.  He was getting closer!  Then he went silent.  We held still and waited and then out of the corner of my eye, I saw him approaching.  He had circled us to make sure we really were a pair of hens but he was coming in on our right hand side.  Now the problem with having a turkey come in from the right is that a right handed hunter (which both Ron and I are) can not easily turn and shoot to his right.  As the turkey made his way toward us, Ron attempted to turn for a shot, but he saw him move and the jig was up!  

That afternoon we spotted a tom with a few hens strutting in the shade of a tree.  We decided I would try to crawl within range of the birds and Ron would man the video camera.  I crawled through 400 yards of stickers to arrive at the tree where the turkeys had been only to find that they had moved to another tree.  I tried to get closer, but there wasn't enough cover to continue the stalk so I backed out without spooking them.  I still have some of those stickers in my forearms and knees as I write this blog post, ouch!

The second day we set up in the same area as the first day.  There was one tom turkey and he was gobbling non stop.  We were in a perfect position.  He flew down and began to call to us. We called back and he would respond in kind, but there was a problem.  He was getting further away each time he gobbled.  I felt like he was saying "it's not you, it's me" and "I'll call you" to an ex-girl friend.  He was saying the right things, but he was running away!  Later we changed areas and put out our decoys for a mid morning set up.   We called and called, but the wind had kicked up and the turkeys couldn't hear us.  

After a trip back to camp for lunch, Ron decided to build a blind from fallen branches in the area we had seen the toms the last two mornings.  He would just wait to see if they wandered back by and call them in if necessary.  I decided to try a new area so we split up that afternoon.  I had no luck after multiple calling sessions and I was heading back to camp when I heard a shot!  Ron had been patient and seen a pig, several deer and two turkeys!  He said that a jake (that is a young tom) and a big tom were heading his way, but the jake was in the lead.  He wanted to take the mature tom so he had to let the jake get closer.  At the last moment the jake got nervous and began to bolt.  Ron made his shot on the tom just as he was preparing to get the heck out of there.  He was a really nice bird with long spurs and a great beard!  I was really glad that Ron had bagged his bird, but I was a little down in the dumps because it appeared the conditions for our last morning would not be favorable with high winds and we only could hunt a few hours before we would need to leave and return to civilization.   It looked like I might come up empty handed this trip.  That night the wind howled and our tents flapped mercilessly.  I think Ron said he only slept a few hours.  He was in a larger cabin tent that bore the brunt of the wind, but my little bivy tent was so low to the ground that I really didn't notice with wind much.  

Ron built a blind

The next morning the wind had died down and we headed to a new area.  As we walked east toward the sunrise, Ron spotted some turkeys silhouetted in the trees.  They were along the path we intended to walk down so we had to go around them and set up further east so that the sun would be in their eyes and not ours.  We didn't know if these birds were toms or hens, but we decided to give it a try.  We nestled into our spots and I pulled out my crow call.  Crow calls are effective for making tom turkeys gobble if you are trying to locate them.  I gave a quick call "caw caw cawww" and we were answered with a gobble gobble, but the problem was that they were behind us.  We had snuck up on and began to call to a bunch of hens.  We quickly got up and moved closer to the gobblers.  I pointed our a promising spot and we both got set for the calling. 

As I set down,  I was horrified to see that the tom turkeys had already flown down from their trees, they were in the path about 150 yards away, and appeared to be looking right at us!  Ron was still standing and looking for a place to sit down.  I whisper shouted at Ron...."Ron, get down, the turkeys are right there!"  Luckily, they hadn't seen me (due to my stealthy camo) and there was enough brush between the turkeys and Ron that they hadn't seen him either.  I began to call while watching the toms through my binoculars.  It was fun watching their reaction as I called and they gobble back.   Normally the hens will come to the toms, but since hunters can't do that, we had to play "hard to get".  They finally began to move our way.  I signal to Ron to get the video camera up.  They slowly meander our way, but stopped about 60 yards away.  Then they turned to their right and went into the brush.  My heart sank.  There goes my last chance for this season.  I give a few more yelps and they still respond, but I figure they were giving me the same "it's not you, it's me" line I had heard yesterday.  Then Ron whispers to me "turn around, they are coming behind you"!  I slowly shift to my left and see a couple black blobs moving through the brush.  At times they are running in an effort to be first to arrive at my location to meet up with the the lovely hen that I am pretending to be.  I give a few more soft yelps to help bolster their confidence.  As the first tom reaches the clearing, he gave a loud gobble, gobble.   Stretching out his neck and then fluffing his feathers in a magnificent strut.  I am a little unsure of the distance and I hesitate.  I would like him to come just a little closer, but he isn't moving.  I see that the tom is beginning to be suspicious of the situation since the hen he was seeking is not were he thought she was.  The second tome steps into the clearing and looks for the hen.  This is it, he will come no closer.  I think it is about 30 yards.  When I shoot, it will knock him down, but he could jump back up and run off.  If he runs away, I will never find him.  I ready my gun and aim just under his head so that the pattern of shot will strike him in the head and neck.  I squeeze the trigger slowly and the shot rings out.  There is confusion for a moment.  My turkey is down and flopping and the other turkeys are scattering in a cloud of feathers.  I am up in an instant, shucking another shell in the chamber and sprinting toward the tom.  I reach him and place my boot on his neck to ensure he isn't going anywhere.  This turkey is down!  

It was truly a great turkey hunt.  We had seen turkeys each day although not in great numbers, but it was enough.  We had encountered lots of wildlife and experienced several nights under the stars.  My backpacking gear all functioned very well and my backing food was even acceptable for Ron.  I plucked and cleaned my bird later that morning.  I also kept the wing feathers so that I can have arrow fletchings made from them and of course I kept the beard and tail  feathers for an attempt at mounting them (perhaps another blog topic).  I know that the turkey meat will make an excellent meal, but the memories from hunts like these are the real prize.  They will last me for the rest of my life as I reflect on good times, with great friends, in the great outdoors!  

Planning Ahead, 2011 is "Year Of The ELK!

I recently had a birthday and I am getting really close to the ages that begin with 4 (I can't even begin to say the word 40's let alone describe myself as being in that demographic).  It is times like these that I become a bit more reflective and think back about what I have done and what I still want to achieve.  Growing up I read about the great adventures of Fred Bear as he went to Alaska, Canada, and Africa to hunt big game and I consumed a steady diet of hunting magazines and other hunting books that told tales of pursuing North Americas big game.  I just knew that I too would be chasing deer, elk, moose, caribou, and bears as soon as I finished school.  Well, life has a way of changing those plans with getting married, having children, going back to grad school, and a job that doesn't locate you near the mountain states or Alaska.  I have been successful at hunting whitetail deer, wing shooting, freshwater fishing, and I learned how to saltwater fish from a kayak, but I still long for wild places chasing really big game.  I made a resolution last year (about this time of year) that I would take each of the major North American big game species with a bow before I am too old to hunt.  I am excluding the varieties of big horn sheep and mountain goats because these animals require serious money to pursue.  So my plan is to take an Elk, Caribou, Pronghorn Antelope, Mule Deer, and Moose.  This is my bucket list.

I have done some initial research and decided that I begin this journey by pursuing Elk.  So why did I make that choice you ask.  Well there are reasons.  First, to go on a good Mule Deer hunt, you need to draw a tag in a high quality area of one of the mountain states.  This requires preference points and that takes multiple years of drawing.  So cross Mule Deer off the list for this year, but put in for preference points, check.   Caribou hunting is a major expense as you have to go all the way to Canada.  I will likely make this one my second to last animal to take off the list due to the expense and time required, so cross Caribou off the list and start saving, check.  Moose is in the really expensive category as well, but there are also tags that can be drawn in some closer states.  I will begin to put in for those as well once I research them more thoroughly, but this will probably be the last animal on my list, so cross moose off the list for this year.  Now pronghorn was a tough decision.  I can afford this hunt, the season is at the right time of year, and the success rates for hunting over water holes is really good.  All the stars are aligned, but it came down to this.  I really want a true wilderness hunt in the mountains chasing Elk.  Cross off Antelope this time, because it is the YEAR OF THE ELK!

With the species selected. now I need to choose a state.  I looked at New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, and Idaho.  Not all the states had archery season dates that would fit my small window of opportunity due to work restrictions, distance is a consideration as I will be driving, and then there is the issue of drawing tags.  After reviewing all the information, I chose Colorado because it has the largest herd, I can buy and over the counter (OTC) tag and it is relatively close to where I live compared to the other states.  More to come on the actual area I have chosen to hunt.

Next decision is guide, no guide, or drop camp.  I have never hunted with a guide before so I don't know what it would really be like, but have always been a solo bowhunter and prefer being in the woods by myself.  I would like some assistance with packing deep into the woods and some help getting an elk out, so I have decided that a drop camp is the ticket for me.

My chances will be slim (probably about a 10-15% chance of success) and the conditions will be tough.  I am being packed into a wilderness area where vehicles and ATVs are not allowed.  I will be at significantly higher elevations so I will be out of breath and tired much quicker than I normally would.  I will need to be in the best shape of my life and then I might be almost ready for the challenge that lies ahead of me.

So, some, but not all of my future posts will be about my preparation for this trip.  Just off hand I can think of several things I need to do that I will likely write about as well, such as:

1.  Determining the optimum arrow weight and broad head selection for Elk
2.  Selecting the appropriate camping gear (back pack stove, sleeping bag, bivy shelter, etc.
3.  Selecting the food for the trip (I am leaning toward freeze dried backpack food)
4.  Testing the gear and food selections on a camping trip
5.  Researching Elk hunting strategies
6.  Learning to effectively call Elk
7.  Learning how to navigate in the mountains with a map and GPS and compass
8.  Chronicling my struggle to get into tip top shape for Elk hunting

I am sure this is not a complete list, but I am so stoked just thinking about it.  Now that the decision has been made, I must start with getting into shape.  I have been stuck behind a desk for the last two months and then there was the deep freeze of winter weather we have all been trapped in.  Yesterday was the perfect day to begin my journey to a more fit me with warm south winds blowing, it got up to 70 degrees and I had an afternoon hall pass.  I planned to go mountain biking, but after checking the web site for the trails I learned that they were closed due to muddy trails.  I opted for hiking instead.

North Shore Trail Link

My hiking trail of choice for a quick trip is Lake Grapevine on the North shore.  I took the west loop trail because it is has more rough terrain, rocks, and hills.  It isn't elk country, but it the closest I can muster up in North Central Texas.  I took the camera to take some pics of the more challenging rocks that mountain bikers make it over.

I am not an expert mountain biker and have to walk up some of these, but I can make it down most all of them.  It is a great work out and a lot of fun.


Although this is just outside many people's back yards, there are signs of wildlife.

So after I made two miles into the trail, I decided I should turn back.  After I had traveled the third mile, my knee began to hurt as I traveled down some of the more steep hills.  Later this soreness became real pain.  I had to just grunt through the last mile until I made it back to my truck.  I had bitten off more than I could chew by taking a four mile hike from a state of being completely out of shape.  This is a wake-up call.  Now I need to heal up and then get in shape.  As I write this post tonight, I have gone from limping around the house yesterday, to walking like frankenstein this morning, to looking more like a rapper with a limp in his gait.  I think by tomorrow I will be fine, but I will be more careful next time.  Now I will work up the miles more slowly so I don't repeat this event.  It really sucks getting old.

The Blue Jay Deer (Video and Blog Post)

I am working 24/7.  So, with no time for an outdoor adventure now, I am forced to work on unfinished outdoor projects from 2010 at night.  I have pulled together a video from one of my two successful 2010 bowhunting trips.

It was early November and the temperatures were cold, but pleasant.  I was one of those still and quiet days when you can hear the smallest sounds from far away.  Song birds were singing and the turkeys are gobbling.  The deer were on the move just as the sun came up, but all of them were small bucks.  This didn't deter me, I had decided that I was not going to be picky this year.  I was hunting for meat.  My stockpiles of venison were  dangerously low and this was not the time to trophy hunt.

A small buck headed my way and I readied my bow.  He was headed on a collision course for my tree and would either need to walk in front of me or behind me.  My tree is a very large Pecan tree with wide broad limbs that sweep low toward the ground, to low for the deer to comfortably walk through.  He be forced to take one of the trails leading around me.  When he arrives at the point where he must choose his direction, he chose wisely and elected to use the trail behind me.  Traveling at a fast walk searching for a doe, his nose just off the ground with a desperate look in his eye.  There was no time to react.  I could only watch him go by out of the corner of my eye.  "There goes your one opportunity for this morning" I thought to myself.  Usually only one shot opportunity presents itself for a given hunt, but this day would be different.  I watched him disappear into the brush and looked back from where he had approached my stand, there was another buck approaching and this one was bigger.

When the second buck came to the "fork in the road" he selected the path that would put him in my shooting lane.  This is when time slows down and every second takes an eternity.  I wait for him to lower his head as he walks, so he won't catch the movement as I draw my bow.  When he does just that and I react quickly by silently drawing back the string until the familiar feeling of the release is on my cheek.  But there is a problem, the sun is rising be hind me and, although the leaves and branches of the tree break-up my outline, the deer caught the movement and has locked his eyes on me.  Now I am stuck.  The buck stands motionless looking in my direction, waiting for me to move and give away my position.  I am holding my bow at full draw, trying to remain calm.   Suddenly, good fortune arrives in the form of a bird.  A squawking blue jay flutters into my tree and lands near my general vicinity.  As the jay squawks, the deer looks as though he is thinking to himself, "I thought I saw a predator in that tree, but maybe it is  only that bird, oh I am just being paranoid".  The jay continues to put on a tremendous show as he hops and squawks in the branches behind me.  Then the deer relaxes his gaze, looks left and right and then turns for my shot.  This is where practice pays dividends.  If you aren't ready for this situation and never practice shooting after holding your bow at full draw for an extended period of time, you will end up flubbing the shot as your muscles begin to quiver and shake.  Luckily, experience (that is another word for my past failures) has taught me to prepare for this scenario.  There is only a brief opportunity as the deer turns broadside and begins a slow walk.  Up until now, I have not had a shot opportunity because the deer was at a sharp angle quartering toward me. Now I have a perfect broadside shot, but it will only be available for a few seconds and then he will be gone.  I look through the peep, the distance is 23 yards so hold the top sight pin just a little high.  I loosen the grip of my left so that I don't torque the bow.  The grip is now firmly pulling against the palm of my bow hand between my thumb and index finger.  I focus on the target, a small patch of hair behind the front shoulder of the deer.  I begin to squeeze the release with my trigger finger and at the instant the arrow is released, it is a surprise to me.  I can see the arrow sailing toward the deer and his instinctive reaction to lower his body as he prepares to spring away from danger, but the arrow is to quick.  It strikes him with a THWACK, and he leaps.  Turning into the thick brush of a plumb bush I hear him running and crashing.  He continues into thicker brush and then, silence.  I wait as I normally do before following the trail, replaying the shot in my head.  Trying to remember where the deer was hit and telling myself it was a good hit.  While I am waiting, a nice eight point steps out of the brush and stops about 15 yards from my tree.  Now I do have two buck tags, but I do believe I am getting old when I pass on a buck because I don't want to clean and butcher two at the same time.  Before I can change my mind he leaves and I am relieved.  I cautiously begin the tracking process and even though I think I know where he is, I always begin tracking at the point of impact.  I find my arrow and some hair and then spots of blood.  I ease into the stand of small trees and and find him about 20 yards in.

It is a unique blend of feelings when you kill a deer.  I am elated at taking a deer with a bow.  I feel a sense of accomplishment from the practice and preparation required, I relish the thought of the great meals this deer will provide, and I feel a large sense of responsibility to ensure I honor this beautiful creature by fully utilizing it.  I quickly begin the work of field dressing and dragging it out of the woods.  By Noon it is quartered and in my cooler for the trip back home where the final butchering will take place.  On the drive home I replay the events of the day in my head.  Not just the deer I had taken, but the birds, the turkeys, the coyote I had seen and the other deer.  I count myself lucky to be able to experience the outdoors and play a part in it as well.

I Dream of Turkey!

So I am working like a dog at work, coming in on weekends, getting up early, staying late and it is wearing me down.  Now a winter storm is at my doorstep as I write this blog post  and I need something to look forward to.  Something fun, with warm weather, green grass, spring in the air and tom turkeys gobbling.  Nothing says spring like turkey hunting.  Since I am day dreaming of turkey hunting, I decided to put together a brief you-tube video of a successful 2009 turkey hunt.  In this video, I have already gotten my turkey the day before and I am trying to call in a bird for my hunting buddy Ron.  This was our last set-up for the day and I had made a few initial calls and gotten responses from two toms.  I called until they sounded as though they were very close.  I stopped calling and began videoing.  So sit back enjoy some spring turkey hunting (as of the result of some excellent calling I might add)!

The Wild Within - Cool New Show and Good Book Recommendation

So I am in the depths of winter and I am in between hunting seasons.  I am looking for something to outdoorsy to watch on television or read and I have recently found both!  I don't have many television shows that I follow regularly, but I happened to catch an advertisement for a new show called "The Wild Within" and I was immediately intrigued.  Here was a guy (host Steve Rinella) that was going to interesting places, pursuing wild game and having a blast doing it.  I especially like his approach to hunting and fishing and how he explains that he does this out of respect for nature and to provide quality food for his family.  So far two episodes have aired and I have not been disappointed.  Episode one was a trip to his cabin in Southeast Alaska where he and his brother hunted Black-tail Deer.  The second episode included a buffalo hunt, constructing a home-made canoe, and hunting Mule Deer with Muzzleloader rifles.  The trips are not overly glamourous and you see the failures as well as the successes.

I was interested enough in the show to go to the web site to learn a bit more about the show and the author and I came across Steve's own web site where I found that he is also an author and he has written two books.  I took an interest in his more recent book titled "American Buffalo: In Search Of A Lost Icon".  I downloaded the book to my e-reader and I am a little over half way through it.  I am really enjoying it.  It is a combination of history of the American Buffalo, Steve's own research and tales relating to Buffalo, and his experiences from an Alaskan Buffalo hunt that he was lucky enough to draw a permit for.

Below I have posted the links to The Wild Within television show and Steve's own web site.  The show airs on the travel channel on Sunday nights at 8:00 PM central time.  I have also posted the link to his web site if you are interested.  I am in no way affiliated with the show, book, or author, but it isn't everyday you see an outdoor show that is this appealing and it isn't very often that I start a book that can keep my attention until the conclusion.  Enjoy!

The Wild Within on the Travel Channel

Steve Rinella Web Site

Dove Decoys Really Do Work!

So this post spans from September 2010 to New Year's day, but since I just recently started this blog, I think it is acceptable to give you a recap of one of my 2010 hunts.  I finally bit the bullet and paid for a dove lease.  I have never done this before because I had always been near land that I could access for free (public or private), but that was not the case this year.  I had not been dove hunting for a long, long, time so I needed some basic gear and my license.  While I was at Cabelas, I  noticed dove decoys galore.  Some were just molds resembling doves and others had wings that rotated and gave the illusion of a flapping wing.  My hunting buddy Ron is a believer in these mechanical decoys and he is usually right, so I grimaced as I plopped down the $40 required to purchase one fancy decoy and a few of the basic molded decoys.  This was after I went on the "Dove Tour" that the dove lease guys put on and man was it a crowd pleaser.  Below is a brief video that I took with my iPhone while they were explaining the ground rules to the hunting season.  I had a hard time paying attention because there were so many doves flying overhead.  I apologize for the crummy music with the video, I had to remove the ZZ Top track I had on it when I posted it on YouTube.


The Dove Tour

The Decoy Results!!!

I took off work the opening day of dove season and headed out to to a cut milo field that had been crawling with doves during my preseason scouting.  Since this was a lease, I knew there would be many other hunters, but boy was I surprised.  I had gotten to the field about an hour before daylight and I was still late, there were hunters in all the prime spots.  I was able to find my third choice spot in the dark so I began to set out my decoys and gear in the weeds where I would wait.  It was a cool cloudy day so the birds weren't flying in as I had seen them during my scouting trip, but there were good numbers.  The spots I had intended to sit were receiving great action with lots of shot opportunities, but I was patient. I looked out across the field where my decoy sat and suddenly a dove appeared flying low to the ground, headed straight for me traveling at mach 1!  I barely had time to raise my gun and shoot before he passed, BANG, I had bagged my first dove in years!  I thought to myself, he appeared to be headed straight for my decoy, that's odd.  Later, doves began to come over at much higher altitude as they were getting wise to the presence of the hunters, but several times large groups came overhead and circled to inspect my decoy attempting to land on my position, much like ducks setting their wings to come in for a landing.  This decoy is really working!  The first morning hunt was tough due to the number of hunters so I only took nine, but I was convinced that the decoy would continue to help me this season.

Over the course of the month I went out several more times, but to a pasture with multiple ponds and fields full of weeds.  Doves would hone in on my decoy like tomahawk missiles!  I had to be vigilant or I would miss prime opportunities.  I even had birds that I had shot at and missed, circle around for another pass as they continued to try to reach my decoy.  Despite the heat and mosquitos that were attempting to carry me away, I had a very successful dove season.

I saved a set of birds for a New Years get together with my hunting and fishing buddy Ron.  Ron is a great cook and I wanted him to show me how he creates his bacon wrapped grilled dove.  While I was expecting a detailed recipe with exact ingredients, I found that he winged it most of the time (no pun intended).  We grabbed every spice he had included a special seasoning he had received as a gift. We wrapped the doves in bacon with as many jalapeno slices as we could possibly fit.  The grilling proved difficult as the flames erupted from the bacon grease, but Ron's attentive flipping and repositioning of the doves was masterful.  The end result was a smokey and spicy treat that we still continue to talk about to this day.  Wow were those doves great!

The prize, start to finish!

It was a fitting end to my dove hunting experience.  As we enjoyed the fruits of the field, I told Ron tall tales about the dove hunts and how my shot to kill ratio was likely not very good.  I had seen many great sunsets, made many memories, and met a lot of great folks.  I can't wait for next season!