Trad Gang
Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: Terry Green on August 25, 2011, 04:08:00 PM
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Many thanks to South Cox for offering these bows up for this season and the 2012 St Jude auction.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, ALL the bowyers that have done this prior have all put there best foot forward. South is no different....once again we have some stunning 'Gals' to take hunting with up.
Both Bows are 60 inch 50#@28...and will be leaving out this week.....
Originally posted by South Cox AKA Bivyhunter: Stalker Custom Recurves
Terry got in touch with me and asked me to post the woods for the two bows. Starting from the tips, Aussie Shane (he just came out to make a hunt with Steve Tadin, my camera man and assistant bowyer up in the Marble Mountains. He is still up there bear hunting as I write) supplied me with some Asiatic buffalo horn that I made the tips with. Under the tips is yellowheart and red fiberglass. Limb veneers are curly etimoe and mexican kingwood. The handles are macassar ebony and pau rosa. Fadeouts are of the same species as the handle material. Hope you guys enjoy shooting them! I am headed out tomorrow morning early for Colorado for mule deer and elk, but will get the build along pics I took up when I roll back into town and the dust settles.
Below is the list...with a few dates for the Lefty Faith still open.
The bows are in a case, and I shipped the case in the box they came in. If in the future the boxes deteriorate ....then the case can be shipped without the boxes if need be.....just be sure to tape the case closed in the 4 spots that will cover the latches for protection.
There is a bag in the case with the string and I have the string tied so it wont untwist....I'm sure the 1st shooters will get the string shot in and it will need to be re-twisted to brace. Please just tie the loops back together with the yarn I used to keep them from untwisting. There will be a list in the cases of the 'next' hunters and there addresses.
I also felt there might need to be some protection of the riser in case it contacted the limbs...so I took a pair of wool socks and put each riser in a sock. Now, these aren't ordinary socks....they were Chris Surtees'....so, we will also auction off the socks as a pair in the auction as well.
I put my name in for June for Hope since no one wanted June at this time, but I would give it up if someone has a jam up hunt they would like to take the bow own.
The last person on the list that ends up with the bows in June need to ship them to the auction winners. Thanks,...and GREAT Luck guys!!!
September Hope - Robert Carter
September Faith - David Torbert
October Hope -Dalton Lewis*
October Faith - Paul Mattson*
November Hope - Rick Wiltshire*
November Faith - Jesse Cales*
December Hope - Jerome Bischoffberger*
December Faith - Bud Blaylock*
January Hope - Ricky Couch*
January Faith - Gerardo Rodriguez*
February Hope - Michael Langahans*
February Faith - Tom Porter*
March Hope - Randy Keene*
March Faith - Don and Skyler Wilson
April Hope - Ken Gettman*
April Faith - Thomas Gilkerson*
May Hope - Larry Surtees
May Faith - Curt Cabrera
June Hope - Terry Green
June Faith - Jim Gilmer*
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/hopefaith2011stalker16z.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/hopefaith2011stalker15z.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/hopefaith2011stalker17z.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/hopefaith2011stalker18z.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/hopefaith2011stalker19z.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/hopefaith2011stalker20z.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/hopefaith2011stalker21z.jpg)
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Thank you South! :notworthy:
I'm looking forward to hunting with Faith in February. :campfire:
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Seems really cool but can you explainexactly what this is about? I'm in for anything for St. Jude... :pray:
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Deer are jumpy by Dec in these parts, but I'll do my very best.
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I have a June bear hunt with Manitoba Stick Flingers and would love to take Faith along......
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Originally posted by LITTLEBIGMAN:
I have a June bear hunt with Manitoba Stick Flingers and would love to take Faith along......
Done!...email me your shipping address.
[email protected]
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ALRIGHT!!!! Go get em, Fellas!!!
God Bless,
Nathan
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Beautiful bows!!
Super generous gift for the kids...
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
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I'd love to gear up for spring gobbler with Faith in April though I'd only have the opener to hunt with her before I'd have to send her on. Still she'd bag her limits of stumps and morels in the woods of PA before she moved on.
Let me know and I'll shoot you my shipping address
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Can I please have Faith for Va. April Spring Gobbler Season.?
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Can I please have Faith for Va. April Spring Gobbler Season.?
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Got the message String Cutter....you bet....just email me your address....
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Got "Hope" delivered at the House while I was at work on Monday. Ran a few arrows through her on Tuesday and found some things out.This Young Lady will shoot. I have been shooting Hill Style bows for a while now and I was shooting a bit right . Rather than re-adjusting arrows and stuff I peeled the side plate back a little and added a small stick. Made the weaker arrows shoot straight and right where I was looking.
I was gonna keep my grandson today but it worked out for me to get him tomorrow so I grabbed "Hope" and my gear and headed to the swamp. I have several WMA`s close to home but decided to go to a Honey Hole for not only some pig hunting but also so Deer scouting. Deer season comes in on the 10th here.
Got some pics to upload as soon as I quit wrestling with photo bucket but lets just say a 47@27 longbow with a no mercy head will kill a good size pig.....RC
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Well I eased into the swamp and started checking some persimmons Through out the bottoms. I do really good on years with lots of persimmons during the first few weeks of bow season . I went by this big one and had to let "Hope" pose for a snapshot. Notice the pig sign here around the tree and it don`t even have persimmons this year....
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1670.jpg)
I headed towards the River...about a mile and half away and was in fairly good pig sign but it is awful dry here and it was hard to really tell what was smoking hot and what wasn`t.After making it to the River with no pork encounters I stopped to rest and drink some water. Had to get a pic of Hope by the River as well...I did see 6 deer on the walk.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1672.jpg)
I then headed east towards a honey hole that I have shown to very few folks.A very beautiful place to me and always a bit "gamey". I bet my good Friend Dave from Wis. will remember this spot . Its close to where he killed his St. Judes pig back in the Spring...
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1676.jpg)
I was easing through a dry slew when I heard a limb break....I stopped and was looking around...my directional hearing is poor and it takes me a bit to pin down where I hear something when I saw a sow go by about 60 yards out followed by some pigs. Gotta get a closer look so I ease forwad. They go in some Rivercane and I hear an awful bunch of racket and pigs are hollering and teeth are clicking and I realize there is a ripe sow in there and more than one boar in Love...Everytime the fighting gets loud I ease forward. Its very dry and impossible to move very quietly. I get as close as I dare and can see movement in the cane thicket when a Blue Boar steps out and starts walking across in front of me. As he turns slightly away to go back in maybe a bit past 20 yards away I come to full draw and shoot in less than a second. I see the arrow hit maybe 2"s from where I was looking. He turns and runs hard back the way he came . I give it about 20 minutes and ease forward for a look....
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1674.jpg)
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Lots of blood and its looking good so I take up the trail. Much to hot to wait much longer so I ease ahead.
If you have ever hunted pigs and been near a group of boars after a sow it is very exciting. They don`t play with each other and you will hear some awful screams and growls..enough to make a seasoned swamper get the shakes and I had`em.Funny thing when I shot the pig there were other pigs and I focused on the one I shot and where he was headed and totally lost track of the others and don`t have a clue where they went....On with the trailing..
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1681.jpg)
A little farther..
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1689.jpg)
After about 75-80 yards from the shot...
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1680.jpg)
Not bad penetration for a 47-48@27" longbow. I was shooting a Zwickey No-Mercy single bevel head and a farly lite wt arrow for me at about 525 grains. I cut a chunk of the sheild out for you to have a look at...
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1692.jpg)
Up near the shoulder is thicker. This was a rank boar that was scarred from head to toe.Both cutters were broken off.I was proud to get him With a Bow this special and can honestly say this is one of my favorite hunts ever.I have been busy and have not hunted much at all and this was the first hunt in a long time for me and the first critter I`ve shot at since killing a Turkey in the Spring.Very sweet evening I won`t soon forget.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1687.jpg)
I gotta thank Stalker bows for the donation of a piece of art that is not only purty but deadly but most of all I gotta thank God for a group of folks that care and want to help Kids they will probably never meet.God bless you fellers and come on Deer season...Hope is hungry for venison I think..RC
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good job and story!! way to get the mojo flowing and blood on the ground.
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Congratulations again, RC. I'm proud of you! :campfire:
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Awesome! Way to put some Mojo on that thing before you send it up my way in October!
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RC
Awesome way to start it off!!! Good going! South will be impressed! He should be heading home from his backcountry mulie trip any day now.
Aloha!
Ryan
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That's awesome Robert! Congrats bud :notworthy:
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ALRIGHT!!
She got a notch in her belt already! Great going RC! Judging from you storys and pics here on TG, you must be a pig killing machine.
God Bless,
Nathan
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What a fantastic start for Hope!!!
Great job RC!!
That old warrior is a prize for sure :)
:campfire:
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Took "Hope" out for pig hunt/deer scouting trip yesterday. I went to Big Hammock WMA on the Altamaha river . Its about 20 miles from the house and the place where I killed my very first pig.
The River is very low and the swamps have very little water. I walked 6 hours and never turned on my thermacel. I was covering ground more than pig hunting. deer season comes in this saturday. I have to work Sat-Mon but was hoping to find something hot to hunt over on tuesday.Mainly Persimmons or maybe a feeding water oak.
Spider webs are everywhere this time of year....
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1714.jpg)
Posed Hope on this log that has been laying in the bottom of a slew for no telling how long...
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1701.jpg)
The slew has been dry a while usually it takes a bit of wading to get around in here.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1702-1.jpg)
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Came out of the slew and across a ridge on a purty good game trail..
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1698.jpg)
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1696.jpg)
A good place to sit if I don`t find some food on the dirt. I would much rather sit over a feed tree of some sort because it will often narrow down the hunting time to evening or morning. Trails in thickts like this could be used at anytime so an all day sit sometimes is what it takes. Found a swamp Chestnut that will be worth another look come late October..
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1699.jpg)
And made through to the River. 2.8 miles from the truck. ..
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1710.jpg)
Looked across on the edge of the Sandbar and 17 turkeys came out and started doing turkey stuff...
I got a poor camera .They are up in the grass..
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1712.jpg)
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Angled into the wind to head out and came across this "Boar" tree..
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1703-1.jpg)
Found a mess of fuzzy worms/soon to be winged critters...
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1720.jpg)
And found some hope for "Hope" on next Tuesday when I`m off work. Found a persimmon dropping decent and was already covered in deer tracks and had been hit this morning...I jumped two deer and went to see what they were doing is how I found the tree.Its only 3/4 a mile in with a good tree to climb 10 yards from the drop line and has another persimmon 15 yards away starting to drop.Can`t wait.RC
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1713.jpg)
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Headed over to Horse Creek WMA for some scouting this evening. Been seeing lots of squirrels so I`m gonna take some squirrel arrows and try to bag a bushytail while I`m after`m.RC
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RC you sure know how to make the most of your world.
Thank you for filling my afternoon at the office with a walk thru your country :)
Oh well back to work............
:campfire:
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Congrats RC! I really enjoyed the stories, looks like you are getting to spend a lot of time in the field with the bow! I'm glad you're enjoying it--kind of like watching one of your kids go out into the world.
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It is going to get bloody under them persimmion trees real soon if I know RC...... ? Great pics and story tellin bud ! Keep it coming.
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I was able to get out yesterday evening for a hunt behind my Uncles peanut field. Its about 10 acres and the deer and Turkeys are wearing it out . I don`t like to hunt "field " deer because they are hard to narrow down. You see deer nearly everytime but getting one close is tuff and if you ain`t careful you`ll kill a week on them with no blood. I`ve lost two weeks hunting field deer before without a shot playing musical stands with them.
Yesterday a few deer came by to far. I did`nt see`m but heard them and since I had stuff to do today I decided to hunt them again this evening instead of hunting persimmons in the swamp its a 20 mile drive.The field is a mile.
Got in the stand...sweated down and got as comfortable as a fella can 15 feet in a tree in a loc-on. I did move it a bit toward the deer from before and still kept a crosswind.
A good bit before dark I heard deer coming. they usually show up in the field at dark so I`m a good 150 yards in the woods. A big doe gets sideways at 16 steps which is a long shot for me and I see yellow feathers go through about right...
I sit on hoping for another shot but did`nt see anymore.
Waited a bit and took up the trail...
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1729.jpg)
Looks purty good. Its hot and I saw the arrow go where I was looking so I get on the trail right away...
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1728.jpg)
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See that foot? Deer ran about 75 yards and was down. Same broadhead I killed the pig with the other day. "Hope" don`t play.
Where and how she was laying when I found her...
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1722.jpg)
One happy swamper with a purty doe and purty bow..Thank You Lord.RC
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1733.jpg)
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Luv it Robert....congrats again brother! :clapper:
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Dang Robert, I sure love this time of year when I can read about your adventures. Love your stories and pics. keep em coming.
Dan
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:clapper: :clapper: Well done! :clapper: :clapper:
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Good job buddy!!
You've upped the bar once again for those who will be hunting "Hope" after September.
Congratulations!!
God bless,Mudd
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Congrats RC!
Fantastic pics and top rate story telling too!!
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I hate to see the bid war on this one.....or should I say "the bids will be reeeeal good for St. Jude's on Hope this year" :)
Excellent work!
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Congrats RC !!! :archer2:
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Looks like you are off to a good start RC. Thanks for taking us along.
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You da man, RC!
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Nice RC!!!
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RC,
That bow has your name written all over it!!!!
"I don't know what happend to Hope????, I mailed her last week. It must have gotten lost in the mail....." :D
Good going RC!!!!!!!!
Aloha!
Ryan
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Great job, as always.
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:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
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Nice, RC!
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:jumper: :jumper: :jumper: :jumper: :jumper:
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Way to go RC!!! I hope I can even come close to what you have accomplished with "Hope" when I get her in December. I know I will not be as good as you at telling the story.
Congrats,
Bisch
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Congratulations RC:)
Thanks for sharing!
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I am hurt. I didn't get a text on that doe. :-)
Congrats, great shooting and I would say - 16 paces is a chip shot for you.
Very cool.
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Nice Nice Nice. Now don't were out that beautiful bow before others get a chance. Never mind you are just putting some wicked mojo in it. Keep up the great work! Love your stories.
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WOW - you really know how to put the pressure on the guys that get the bow after you!
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Slow down, your freezer is filling way too quickly :readit:
Congrats RC :clapper:
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RC, I've said it many times...but you are simply pure hell on game animals. Do you ever go out and NOT make a kill? I hope I get to be where you are at someday.
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Way to go again RC! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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CongratsRC,you are building a solid Mojo on that bow!
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Thanks for the comments fellas. Jonsimoneau, Thanks you but I am very lucky and persistent. I am blessed to have quality public land to hunt in all directions from the house in a very short drive.I have been hunting my Uncles peanut field and the swamp around it about 60 acres total only because of some obligations around home this week. thats all the private land I can hunt.The nearby public land total is around 60,000 acres not counting 250,000 acres at Fort stewart so anybody that walks around half lost like I do is bound to kill something every now and then on this much land.
Now for this mornings hunt....
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Overslept this morning after an evening of shopping and visiting friends with the Wife...not to mention a short ride and bow swap with my Buddy Ralph. ralph will trade a bow now and again...check the classifieds he has a sharp Widow pl up now..lol
Was gonna head to the swamp but decided to hunt a dry creek behind a peanut field then pull the stand to put on persimmons in the swamp for next week.
Got there at the crack of dawn without spooking deer from the field. I hunt a good ways in the woods from the field where deer cross a creek and they could be coming to the field or traveling from ridge to ridge so its a good place with a chance of deer from any direction. Helps my confidence when the wind blows every direction in 5 minutes.
Long story short I had not even settled in good when I heard two deer coming from behind me. One started across the ridge and another stayed on a trail taking it to the field.
I had my video camera on and did not have time to make sure it was lined up good. The doe was coming and I only had a couple of openings for a shot. I "pointed" the camera in the general direction and waited for her to step in the gap. When she did I made good on the ten yard shot and heard her bound off hard and stop thirty yards away. She stood there for a few seconds and I`m thinking I may have hit to far back then she does the staggering two step and goes down.SSWWWEEEETT. I sit down and notice I`m shaking so hard the dry muscadine leaves in the tree I`m climbed in are rattling from me shaking so badly.
I replay the footage and see I did get the deer at the shot on camera just not zoomed up really close and also about 3 seconds before I shoot the deer in the footage you can hear a gun shot from a field about a mile down the road. I musta been locked down in concentration for the shot on the doe to not hear it when it happened.
Its not gun season here and we have poachers a plenty.
Firts day it rains here all day and I cant` hunt and I`m praying for that I`ll get my buddy chris to show me how to post the footage.
The peanut field ..Its awful dry and it will be a poor crop but the deer are eating the vine and the Turkeys are scratching beside the plant and getting the peanuts.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1749.jpg)
The trail I`m hunting only much farther in the woods...
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1755.jpg)
plenty of blood from the Woodsman. I was gonna shoot the same no mercy head and send it with the bow to the next guy but I shot an armidilla with it and he ran in a hole with the broadhead doggone-it. So I had a Woodsman on instead.Fine Broadheads..
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1751.jpg)
And an early morning Nanny..The shot was back but angled in good. The deer ran maybe 30 yards.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1758.jpg)
Gonna go pull the stand and head to the swamp for some pig hunting and scouting then its off to work the next three day 14 hrs a day.Thank You Lord. RC
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Congrats on another one, RC!!!!
Bisch
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RC you are a killin' machine :) You are makin' South's St Jude bows a legend. The mojo you have attached to Faith and Hope is just awesome buddy. Congrats and thank you for posting for all of us who wish we were hunting right now :campfire:
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Totally awesome, Congrats! :archer2:
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:notworthy: :campfire:
You truly make it look so easy RC, its not fair! haha Good job and can't wait to see what you shoot next!
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Very cool! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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RC,
If I could kill 1/8 of the critters you do, I would feed a 3rd world country LOL
Again, congradulations are in order. :thumbsup: :notworthy:
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Wow RC :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
What a great start for the Kids :)
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Awesome job again. You aren't gona get tired of shooting stuff before I get out there in the spring, are you?
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Congratulations again RC:)
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Way to go again sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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SWEET!!! RC, Man, I love following your hunts.
Sorry you had to sit so long to wait on a shot.
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Man, I am getting more and more behind! But...I've finally gotten the busy work week behind me and in about an hour, I'll be taking Faith up a tree for the first time this year.
.....gotta a lot of catchin up to do.....
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Good luck getting after them recurve shooter. I gotta head to work the next three days. RC
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RC - you got it going on for sure!!!
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You're living large RC!
Thanks for all the stories and pictures.
I appreciate it that you are keeping the average up, it helps the numbers of slackers like me..lol
God bless,Mudd
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:thumbsup: way to ( get-r-done ) rc. :thumbsup:
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RC........ " He has killed more than the smallpox !!! " My hat is off to you RC ! I am coming to your house when things get bad, we will always have something to eat as long as you have a stick and a string. :notworthy:
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Originally posted by NoCams:
RC........ " He has killed more than the smallpox !!! " My hat is off to you RC ! I am coming to your house when things get bad, we will always have something to eat as long as you have a stick and a string. :notworthy:
What he said!!! Congrats again!
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:thumbsup: :archer:
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Man RC, you keep this up and my Stalker bows are going to go WAY up in value! :bigsmyl: I've been eating tag soup for so long I like to see all your kills.
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Very nice RC!! Makes me want to start posting pics. and my hunts!! You are the man!! It is nice to see and read about your hunts, as you are one of the best! Shawn
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great job cant hardly wait the 2 more weeks for our season to open, but reading your stories helps!!
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Gotta Love it!!! :D :D :D
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Hey you Faith and Hope shooters, send me your pics to [email protected] and I'll get them on the '011 poster.
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Dang man, with all that mojo im going to be ran over by deer in October :saywhat: big shoes to fill! :help:
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Well my run with Hope has bout come to its end. Lord willing I`ll hunt with her maybe a couple more times then she`s off to North Carolina for Dalton to enjoy. Here are a few pics from a romp through the swamp the other day.
This is a big Public land bottom I have not hunted in several years.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1765.jpg)
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1766.jpg)
The Altamaha just below where it is made by the Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers running together.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1770.jpg)
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And here is a small doe that came by alone at 14 yards. I was lucky enough to make a good shot and the best backstrapps of the year are cooking now. RC
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w39/rcswampbucket/IMG_1773.jpg)
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Way to go again RC! Great job of putting some serious mojo on this bow for the rest of us! God's country down there! :wavey:
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Way to go Robert....
Terry's goal every year with these bows is to get them into the hands of "real deal" trad bowhunters that will hunt hard, and document the trials and tribs of the hunts. Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen...truthfully, a lot of guys "drop the ball"...
We talked about how happy we were to have the bow in your hands, we just knew you were the guy to get things started and set the bar high...you didn't disappoint my friend!
Thank you for your efforts :notworthy:
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Originally posted by Guru:
Way to go Robert....
...you didn't disappoint my friend!
Thank you for your efforts :notworthy:
IMHO...an understatement for sure!!...lol
More like totally, awesomely, way....cool!
Thanks RC for the "Ride on the F&H Stalker Express"!!
Try this out for an RC hunting logo/mantra:
"This ain't gonna take very long but it's gonna hurt a bunch...but not for long!"
God bless,Mudd
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Mister RC, great pics as usual. Just read a few comments re Faith & Hope. Don't read all posts & must have missed this one entirely. You are THE go to guy for instant mojo & credibility. You carry the F&H banner well. Thanks.
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Robert is one of the finest people I know, and that swamper can hunt!
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:eek: you tagged out yet :confused:
Congrats RC well done :clapper:
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I still have 9 more tags and a whole lot more arrows. I forgot to say I killed the small doe with an arrow I fletched using Turkey feathers from a gobbler I killed with my hill bow in the spring.I`m blessed to have quality affordable hunting nearby.RC
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Don't let RC loose in my state, I want some deer and hogs to hunt too!
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Very much enjoyed my round with "Hope". Its a very fine bow and is very easy to shoot.Other than a squirrel or two it drilled all the critters I shot at with it. I got it boxed up to send to North Carolina. Would have already sent it but have been very busy ,my Wifes Sister and Aunt passed away in a three day period so it has been busy. The rain sat in here for about a week so I have been using the Hill bow and killed one with it. Its nice to be able to shoot different bow equally as bad.lolYou`ll have to check the Hill bow thread for deer number 4. Thanks guys for letting me hunt with this bow . You had better save your money for the auction because I will be bidding high.RC
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I think you might need to buy another freezer. Great season so far, RC.
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Looking forward to recieving it! im ready to whack and stack with her
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A little late, perhaps, but I wanted to toss in a little account of Faith's hunts. I had intended on keeping an updated account as they ocurred, but never could seem to find the time.
I was out of town on opening weekend (9/10) and managed to come down with a cold/sinus infection upon returning, and didn't really feel like getting after it much until the 2nd weekend.
I finally got a chance to take Faith out Sunday evening for a little while. Even with the cooler weather, I managed to work up a sweat on the way in, I'm just thankful it was a more tolerable 73 degrees instead of the normal 85 degrees this time of year! A slight eastern breeze quickly cooled me down and even kept the mosquitos at bay, which was nice considering I managed to leave my thermacell at home. Nothing like the first hunt of the year to help you "remember" all the things you "forgot"!
Here's Faith paitently waiting. I have no doubt she'll do her part if I can do mine...
(http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt300/dtorbert/Faith004.jpg)
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Sorry about the image size. I thought I had resized it to 640. I'll try again on the next picture.
I put up a climber in a small hardwood draw that is surrounded by 6 year old planted pine. The plantation is covered with browse, droppings tracks and trails, but with the recent heat and the worst drought we've had in 25 years, it's hard to tell how fresh it is. The droppings dry uot and lose their shine in a couple of days, and it's nearly impossible to tell if a track is 2 hours or 2 weeks old....they look about the same.
Fairly well used trail that runs along parrallel to the younger pines.
(http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt300/dtorbert/Faith006.jpg)
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After an uneventful first evening, it was a couple of days before I could get out again.
Still fighting the lingering effects of my cold, I was able to get out for a couple of hours Thursday morning. This ridge is just about 200 yards behind my house, so it makes for a good place to go on those mornings when I don't have a lot of time due to work or oversleeping....not that I ever oversleep!
(http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt300/dtorbert/Faith026.jpg)
I never get tired of watching the sun come up and start filtering through the canopy. Some of these red oaks are dropping pretty good, although there isn't a ton of sign under them. The white oak crop looks like it will be very thin this year. I have killed a couple of deer in this area over the last several years and missed a few more. There is even a Zwickey head stuck in the base of one of the trees near the bottom of the hill. Another one of those "just a hair too high" shots that I seem to have too many of.
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The images still seem large, even though the last on was resized to 400 x 400. I'll try them again later.
As RC said, these are great shooting bows. Faith is on her way to Wisconsin and shouold arrive mid afternoon tomorrow.
Well, it's after 5 and the front is passing through, so I'm going to see if I can shoot something this evening. I'll post more later.
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Wow RC - you go for a walk in the swamp, something ends up dead!
Thanks for your hard work in breaking it in. I'm sure it's a start in making that bow famous. More for the kids, way to go!
:clapper:
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Picked up Miss Faith from the PO on 10/03, I havn't had time to do any shooting with her, but plan on later today. Will be out hunting with her this coming weekend.
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Hope arrived in perfect condition yesterday evening! I have class until 1, then im gonna take her hunting. I had a few minutes yesterday before i went to church and launched 2 arrows both of which slammed the spot i was looking. Cant wait to draw blood with this thing!
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Good luck with`m fellers. They are fine bows. RC
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WTG Robert!!!! mighty fine shooting for sure...Hope did her part right well!!! :)
Good Luck and God Speed to the next shooters of Faith and Hope!!!
Tomi
:archer:
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Some REAL close calls, no blood drawn as of yet, She just about got a shot at about a 100" class 8 pointer (a dandy in the mountains of NC) but the dang wind swirled. Hunted with her everyday so it wont be long.
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Good luck Dalton.RC
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Good luck Dalton hope you get a shot at that buck.
And well done RC those were some fine critters you took.
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Where can I find the info to get in on this for next year? Wish I would have joined you guys sooner would have loved to take Faith on my Jan hunt coming up!! Is there a waiting list if someone cancels? And is there a thread with the requirements, donations, etc....required to get in on this. Great cause!!
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I am getting Hope for November :bigsmyl: I sure hope to see more deer in November than I have seen so far!!
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Originally posted by Rick Wiltshire:
I am getting Hope for November :bigsmyl: I sure hope to see more deer in November than I have seen so far!!
I'm right behind you, Rick, in december. I too hope the good deer are holding out so they can be shot with Hope.
Good luck with her in november!
Bisch
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Thanks Bisch. PM me your addresss I will let you know when I send her off to you.
Rick
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Well fellas, October is now over which means my sad departure with Hope. She did spill blood though, let me eat some supper, pics to follow.
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Well we had some good times, watched many a sunset and sunrise. Overall it was a decent month, not near the movement i was expecting i must admit..
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Heres Hope loaded up in the sock on our first date.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/BadNightHopepics204.jpg)
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Now on to the blood, we were slipping down an old logging road when movement caught my eye, this fella is going to cross right in front of me i thought as soon as i saw it. It was feeding on acorns. Like instinct, Hope did what she was made to do, it happened so fast she didnt have time to hesitate. When i got to the spot, we found this..
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/BadNightHopepics209.jpg)
then this...
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/BadNightHopepics213.jpg)
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After a short blood trail, it was over. Hope had found success once again, impressive shot placement she had i might add..
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/BadNightHopepics210.jpg)
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And how dadgum appropriate is this?
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/BadNightHopepics211.jpg)
Blood all over RC's name?
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(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/BadNightHopepics205.jpg)
We Spent alot of time like this
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Overall this was a great experience! I loved this bow its such a sweetheart to shoot. Whoever gets her for good is a lucky guy! Thank you guys so much for letting me be apart of this i really enjoyed it. I "hope" everyone has as much fun with it as i did. Thanks again and God bless you all, Extra good luck to the next lucky Ganger, Mr. Wiltshire!
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:campfire:
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Fine bow indeed. Glad you got some blood on her Dalton. Good luck for the rest of you fellers.RC
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Love the fake-out!
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Way to go Dalton! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice pictures!
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Any updates ? News, stories , pics
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Hope is headed out (Priority Mail) to Jerry B. for the month of December. It did not get to me in time for me to use (shotgun begins today) so I figured Jerry could get a little longer use of the bow.
It is a beauty and shoots real nice, just no opportunity to take it hunting. :(
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Thanks Rick! I have a few plans for her if i can quickly get an arrow worked up and get her shooting for me.
Bisch
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Good Luck with her Bisch. Your gonna like her no doubt.RC
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Looking forward to getting Faith. I have a few chances to score. We'll see how it plays out.
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Bisch,
You are welcome. With any luck you will get her either today or tomorrow. I have no doubt you will find the right arrow quickly and be out there shooting.
Enjoy.
Rick
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I came home yesterday to find a package on my doorstep! It was Hope. I got her put together and WOW, she is a beauty for sure. I'm going after the pigs this afternoon but don't know that I can figure it all out by then. I'm headed to the lease on Friday and hope to be carrying her into a tree by this weekend!
Can anyone tell me what the recommended brace height on this bow is?
See ya later,
Bisch
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Well. I put Hope together this morning and went out in the yard to get aquainted with her. I shot for about 15 minutes (no tuning; I just picked up my arrows for my bow and started shooting). After about 15 minutes I was shooting groups like this at 15yds:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/hopegroup.jpg)
With a little fine tuning I think Hope and I will get along together just fine!
Bisch
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Looks like you have her figured out pretty well right now!
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Good to have her in the hands of someone that will get out and hunt with her, post pictures, and more than likely kill something with her to add to the "mojo"....good luck buddy!
Looking forward to reading and seeing the pix of your time with her :pray:
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:campfire:
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Well, this morning I took Hope to the shop and began to tune her to my shooting style. It went so well that I decided to take her on my pig hunt this afternoon!
I arrived at my buddy's place at about 2:30pm. We broke out our bows and flung a few practice shots at his 3D target. We then dressed for the hunt and he took me to a box blind in an oak mott that he said the pigs had been frequenting. Here is the view from the blind:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-22pighunt.jpg)
At about 3:50pm a nice young whitetail buck (8pt) came walking through but did not stop. That was just as well because I could not shoot deer on this hunt. At 3:57pm (7 minutes after the deer) I caught movement to my right and two small sows and a gaggle of piglets came walking in front of the blind. They just walked through like the deer and did not stop long enough to catch a greeting from Hope.
That was pretty much it until right before dark when a whole herd of larger pigs came in front of me. It was very close to dark and when I first saw them I could see them well but they were too far for a shot. As they worked their way closer and closer the light was fading fast. Finally they were close enough to shoot at but I just could not see them good enough to pick a spot and make a good shot. They finally fed through the area and I exited the blind and went to meet my buddy.
Not 10 hours had passed since I first laid a hand on Hope and I already had tension on the string with a critter in front of us.
We were sooooooooooooooooo close!
We will see if we can get close enough to let an arrow go on the next hunt.
See ya later,
Bisch
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Good deal Bisch. You`ll be skinning critters before long. RC
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Good luck Bisch! That bow has pig mojo all over it!
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Hey good luck Bisch! What arrow combo did you come up with to use?
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Originally posted by rastaman:
Hey good luck Bisch! What arrow combo did you come up with to use?
I think I somewhat lucked out. Right now I am using the same arow i ws using on my longbow - 30.5" GT 55/75 with a 100gr brass insert and 150gr point. I know this setup is just a tad weak and will play with it a little to try to get it perfect. I shot it through paper with a very acceptable (but not as good as it can get) result. I also shot my broadheads and they also went right where I was looking. While playing at the shop yesterday I found that if i went with a 100gr point that it made the arrow almost perfect but it also made it a little too light weight wise for my liking.
Bisch
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That sounds about right. I used 29.75" GT 5575s with a 50 gr insert and 150 gr woodsmans with Miss Faith, and they flew perfectly. Good luck with her!
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That sounds about right. I used 29.75" GT 5575s with a 50 gr insert and 150 gr woodsmans with Miss Faith, and they flew perfectly. Good luck with her!
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Oops, sorry for the double tap
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Oops, sorry for the double tap
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Wish me luck! I'll be headed to the woods for 4 or 5 days starting tomorrow. I won't have internet out there so stand by till Wed or Thur. I "Hope" I have a good story and some pics for y'all when i get home!
Bisch
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Good luck to you sir! :thumbsup: Can't wait to read all about it!
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Faith shooters,
What arrow setup have you been using?
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Bud B, look 5 posts up from yours to see what I used. I liked it so much I even said it twice!
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Blind as a bat! Thanks!!
My GT Trad 55/75s are 30.5 BOP with 50gr insert. I may need to go with a 125 BH on those. We'll see. I also have 6 with standard insert so a heavier BH would work also I trust. Looking forward to getting her. I have a 21 acre tract of land I have permission to hunt. I was in a stand Thursday morn and after daylight set I learned there were about 6-7 trees rubbed within 20 yards of my stand. I just hope I get to hunt alot with her. The acreage was clear cut about 10 years ago and it's swarming with active sign. The acorns are all but gone from under the oaks.
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That will probably work. Good luck with her. I missed a small buck right at dark on the last night I hunted with her...another one of those times I failed to pick-a-spot. She would have blood on her by now if I had done my part! Haven't heard from her Oct or Nov hunting partners.
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I arrived from the woods to find Faith safely delivered. Like a kid on Christmas morn I opened the package (carefully, mind you) and promptly put her together and shot two volleys of five arrows. I shots 3555s out of her with 145 tips. Little rockets they were. Quite accurate for just shooting it too :)
I'll try some 5575s Saturday morning and hunt with her Saturday evening. I was grunted by a buck this evening on the 21 acre tract I can now hunt. He was about 30 yards in the thick growth of the 10 year old cutover. He blew at my presence first, then grunted kinda stalking me in a half circle trying to figure me out i guess. he never showed. The rain set in and forced me out. Next Monday will be Miss Faith's turn at the old cutover. Lord willing, and a little Faith, I'll harvest one and add some mojo.
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I "HOPE" everyone is ready for a story! Here is a little something to get your interest up:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck004.jpg)
Be back shortly with more details!
Bisch
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Thats what I`m talking bout. Waiting on the story...RC
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:campfire:
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Well, I'm back and I "HOPE" you guys are ready for a neat story!
This story started last weekend when I decided I needed to get out in the woods with Hope and put some critters on the ground. On this trip I was really after pigs or turkeys. I have not seen any decent bucks this year but would be happy with a nice buck if one showed itself also.
I arrived at my hunting lease on Saturday afternoon and decided to hunt a tree stand in the bottom to see if any new deer were coming around. It was very windy and all I saw was two small scrubby bucks that I have been seeing all season.
Sunday morning came around and it was still very windy, and COLD! I decided to try an enclosed stand to help protect me from the elements. I chose a stand we call the Taj Majal. This stand is a homemade elevated blind. I chose this stand because I had seen a couple spikes there earlier in the season and would not be opposed to shooting one if givin the chance. Here is a couple of pictures of the Taj Majal:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck021.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck020.jpg)
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And here is a picture of the view from inside the Taj Majal:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck001.jpg)
I threw out a little hand thrown corn and climbed up into the stand about an hour before daylight. I just curled up in my chair and waited for the woods to come alive with the break of daylight.
As it began to get light I caught movement out of the window and could tell there was a deer there already having breakfast. I could not tell anything about this deer. As it continued to get lighter I realized that this was buck as I could just make out tines moving around as he fed.
Then, as it got light enough to finally see good, I realized that this was a pretty good buck. I also decided that I would shoot him if given the opportunity.
For the next thirty minutes we played cat and mouse. The buck came and went several times but every time he would come in close he was always quartering towards me and I had no shot.
Then one of the coolest things I have seen in the woods happened. A Red Tailed hawk came swooping in several times like he was dive-bombing the buck. The buck paid little attention to the hawk but would kind of duck when he would swoop down. After several swoops, the hawk landed on the ground and walked right up to the buck. His head was all cocked sideways as he was looking at the deer. The hawk then flew up and lit on a fence post about six feet in front of the deer. The hawk had lit on a T-post and was having quite a hard time balancing atop the post. He was flopping his wings around trying to balance himself and I think he was in the bucks comfort zone.
The buck raised his head staring at the hawk as he backed up a few steps. That is when I realized that the buck has now put his self in a perfect position for me to shoot. The next thing I knew, the arrow was on its way! It appeared to hit exactly in the spot that my eyes were just focused on. At that, the buck turned and ran. I thought I could see him get wobbley in the brush not too far from the stand.
After a short while I got out of the blind and took up the trail.
Here is what I found at the spot where I had shot him-
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck002.jpg)
This was about ten feet into the trail-
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck005.jpg)
And the rest of the trail-
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck006.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck008.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck009.jpg)
And this is what lay at the end of the trail (a long and arduous 22yd trail)-
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck028.jpg)
In this pic you can see the exit hole (and that is a pretty good place for and exit hole if I do say so myself)-
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck029.jpg)
More pics to follow!
Bisch
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Here is some more pics of the buck that I shot with Hope.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck034.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck019.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck016.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck018.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck017.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/11-27-11Buck012.jpg)
When I started my story I said I was going hunting for pigs or turkeys and would take a deer if it happened. Well, I never saw a turkey and let's just say the pigs got my number......for now!
See y'all later,
Bisch
P.S. - TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!!!!
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Outstanding!!! I gotta tell you that is a buck of a lifetime where I live at. Hope you get another. Congrats,RC.....That "Hope" knows exactly what it was made for.RC
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Great job!! super hunt and super Buck!!!
:campfire:
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Congratulations! Looks like Miss Hope is running up the score on Miss Faith!
I agree with RC, here in this part of GA, you don't see bucks like that very often, outside of night time trail camera pictures.
Good shooting, maybe you can find a hog now to add to the list.
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Real cool stuff there Bisch. :campfire:
The hawk thing kinda makes you wonder. :)
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Absolutely beautiful animal Bisch!
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"Hope" is having a great season. Congratulations on a dandy buck!!!!
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I'm not 100% sure but I think I might have experienced a "first" with Hope? How about it RC, Dalton, or Rick? Any of you guys have this happen and just too modest to post it up?
I was practicing at the local shop. Shooting at 15yds when I heard "that" sound!!!
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/RobinHood.jpg)
Most of the time I look at robin hoods as money down the drain but I think I had a little smile on my face after this one!
I'm liking this bow more and more every day.
Going after more critters next week!
See ya later,
Bisch
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Good shooting Man!!! I`m happy if I hit the backstop...lol .Actually I don`t think I own any field points.That bows got the Mojo and I`m sure not close to finished.RC
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Thats awesome Bisch, congrats buddy!
Extremely handsome buck and a super shot :clapper:
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You put the pressure on me Curt with that malarky about sombody having the bow who will get some critters down with it. I don't want to let you down. :notworthy: :notworthy:
I also have to try to keep up with RC! He set the bar kind of high right off the bat. I know the bow has "it". I just have to do my part.
I ain't done yet, brother, so keep checking back in!
See ya later,
Bisch
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Awesome Buck Bisch!!!
Mighty fine shooting too!!!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Aloha!
Ryan
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Sure looking forward to more Bisch...I knew you'd do just fine...congrats again :campfire:
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Originally posted by Guru:
Sure looking forward to more Bisch...I knew you'd do just fine...congrats again :campfire:
You know I would not miss the meet at Solana! You just PM me with the dates you guys will be there and I am there. I will come out earlier this year and shoot some arrows along with the breeze with you guys.
Bisch
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Congrats Bisch! Great shooting and great buck :thumbsup:
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Dang it righties!
I've had Faith out this past Thurs, Sat and today but not a deer one to be seen. I had three walk by my stand before daylight this morning but about a half an hour too early. It was still pitch black in the woods.
Us lefties have some catching up to do.
From Thursday:
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/Faith001.jpg)
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/Faith002.jpg)
From Saturday:
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/Faith003.jpg)
I'll have Faith out again tomorrow. Say some prayers southpaws! :pray: :goldtooth:
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Good luck Bud B! I don't think I will get back in the woods till next Fri unless a buddy of mine takes me hog hunting before that.
Bisch
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Bisch,
Congrats on the deer!!!! and the Robin Hood - great shootin. I did not get the bow until just before the middle of the month and only took a couple of shots in my backyard; you sure have it sighted in. Looks like you may want to look forward to the St. Jude auction :)
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:campfire: Great job Bisch! Looking forward to more!
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In the stand from 1:30 this afternoon until dark. Still nada. :(
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Bisch
Excellent Job !!!!! Hope I have some luck with Faith myself,
will 2018 alums cut to 29 for a 28 draw be okay with her? Maybe someone has experimented some arrows out of them.
Our season started last week , its been a slow 2 weeks, and this means the big bucks will be coming by the end of december , beginning of January, so I´ll wait for her to take her out
Good Luck Bud B !!!!!
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Gerardo, I never knew you were wrong handed - lol!!!!!
Good luck with "Faith" brother! I'll be watching next month for your pics.
Bisch
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Great shot and a very good use of HOPE!
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Gerardo,
I'm curently using 30.5" 3555 GT Trads with 3 5" RW shields, 50gr brass insert with 175gr Eclipse BH. (125gr RH bevel w/50gr insert) I check them as often as I can before hitting the stand. No wobble at all in flight.
If only the local deer population would cooperate.
-
Man, did I tell y'all how much I love Hope!
It was cold but I got out into the woods for a while this afternoon. (Hint - The pigs ain't got my number any more!):
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-6-11Boar001.jpg)
It's late! More to come in the am.
See ya later,
Bisch
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Well, as I stated last night; "the pigs ain't got my number any more!". A buddy of mine has a place that is infested with pigs about an hour from where I live. This is the same place that I took Hope on our first date where we saw lots of pigs but they came in too late to see good enough to take a shot. We were soooooo close on that hunt.
Yesterday I met my friend Kirby at his house and drove up to his place. We spent a few minutes shooting at his 3D target and then changed into our hunting clothes and headed to the woods. I hunted out of the same stand as last time and when I walked in at about 3:15, pushed 3 pigs out of the area of the stand. About 3:35 five or six more hogs came strolling through but never stopped to investigate the hand thrown corn I had spread out in front of the blind. Did I say this place is infested with feral hogs? About 4:10 a nice boar came in by his self. He fed around for about 10 minutes but never would get in a position that presented a shot. Then he just walked off. Man, I was getting frustrated!!!
Then nothing for the next hour and a half. I was beginning to think that I had once again missed my opportunity to take a hog with Hope when I caught movement in the trees. It was more hogs! About 5 or 6 with a couple smaller pigs and a couple bigger ones. Darkness was approaching fast and I was ready. The pigs were milling around and then a couple of them found my hand thrown corn and were getting close. My light was fading fast and I knew I only had a few minutes left. Finally, one of the smaller pigs fed into a shooting lane and got broadside about 15yds in front of me.
GAME ON!!!!!
I drew Hope back and let my GoldTip arow fly. SCHMACK!! It hit and my first impression was that I had hit a little high. (High is BAD on pigs). With almost no light left I decided to get out and make sure I had blood to follow. I had a complete pass through with my arrow covered in blood (see pic in above post). There was great blood on the ground too. I decided to back out and go meet my buddy. We took up the trail after about 45minutes. The little brown boar only went about 40yds but when I found him I confirmed that the shot was indeed a little high and I got a little lucky. Or, maybe, it was that mojo in Hope that RC is always pointing out?
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-6-11Boar003.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-6-11Boar004.jpg)
See y'all later. I'm headed out to a friend of mines ranch on Friday to see what else I can "Hope" to find in the woods!
Bisch
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Outstanding!!!! Good job on the pork.Pigs that size are my favorite ones to shoot.I gotta get out after the swine myself.Good luck on your upcoming hunts.RC
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Way to go again Bisch! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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another one bites the dust!! congrats bisch!!
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Awesome Bisch! I knew Miss Hope would be in good hands with you :notworthy:
Congrats brother :clapper:
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:campfire: Congrats Bisch! I'm going to have to put a bid in on this bow! My wife will understand right? :rolleyes: Thanks for adding to the MOJO!
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Man the Sisters Hope and Faith are sure getting a work out this year!!!
WELL DONE!
Thanks for taking the time to share your hunts with us guys....some killing machines you are!
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Guys and gals I'm trying with Faith. I took the day off to run errands this morning and got to the woods by 1pm in the tree. I was optimistic as it rained yesterday and there were fresh tracks all around the stand. One set was BIG. Within 30 yards of my treestand there must be at least a dozen tree rubs. I sat and watched the near full moon rise before sunset. I only saw the one fat squirrel that I see each time and the same small woodpecker. Lots of crows were flying about.
A brisk breeze was coming in as night fell. No sounds of walking deer. The only sounds at dusk were the sounds of a Cardinal having it out with another songbird over territory.
I'll try again this weekend.
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Good luck this weekend Bud!
Bisch
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Good luck fellas. Be safe and have fun.RC
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Congrats on the pig Bisch, you've been piling them up! Hope you don't "hog" all of the mojo! Come on lefty's, show the Hope brothers your power! :thumbsup:
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I got Faith to the woods yesterday and this morning.
Yesterday was an uneventful morning up until about 9am. I heard a rushing thrash of leaves kicking up and caught a deer to my right but about 50 yards away. The deer stopped and nature's camouflage took over. I left the binocs in the truck so I had to rely on my less than perfect vision. I noticed it s-l-o-w-l-y meandering away and caught a glimpse of antler. From where I was it looked to be at least an 8 pointer. I could see three points on each side and if brow tines were properly in place that would make it an 8. He was a nice big bodied buck with a rack at least as wide as his ears. I lost sight of him and figured it was over. After about 45 minutes I grunted a few times and hit the rattle bag a time or two without seeing him. I figured he had skipped country.
I stood in my stand and leaned forward to try to eye the area I last saw him. I noticed a limb that looked an awful lot like an anlter. I locked in on it and couldn't detect movement. I hit the grunt another time and rattled some more while watching and then I saw him turn his head.
He had bedded down behind a huge downed Oak with his head just high enough to see approaching danger. I grunted and rattled bit by bit and I guess he finally had enough. He casually got up, turned directly away from my sounds, and walked out of sight. I heard him as he left for good this time. I guess he was not in the mood to confront any other ficticious bucks in the area.
I hunted that afternoon and saw nothing. The same squirrels fought over territory and whatever acorns they had not yet found. Night fell as silence took over the woods and the swollen yellow moon rose in the northeast. I stayed until moonlight was all that filled the empty spaces between the trees. I slipped out with a return planned for this morning.
I got to the frigid stand today after walking to the stand under the full moon's light. Usually if I make it to the stand without getting blewn by a nearby deer I feel like it may be a good morning. As silently as I could I climbed in the ladder stand and afixed the camo netting around the stand. Good! I made it safely without scaring away any deer in the area. WRONG! After being the the stand about 5 minutes I was leaned back on the tree with my heaard tilted back and eyes closed. I do this to try to better my hearing. Tinitis plays heavy on my ability to detect where exactly sounds are coming from. As I sat there imagining that buck returning for a close broadside shot and finally getting some mojo going with Faith, my daydreams were abuptly interrupted by a deer springing from its bed and an immediate whistling wheeze at my presence. DANG IT! It crashed through the woods taking out every low lying limb from the Virginia pines it passed. I knew my morning was gone.
I sat there as morning started taking over the night. The rolls reversed, the full moon now setting and the sun not yet over the horizon but lighting the woods anyway. A nearby neighboring property owner's penned up dog began franticaly barking. He's a pretty good alarm system. The small tract of land I hunt is surrounded by homeowners, kids, dogs, and cattle. Sitting in total silence is not a common occurrence but I have leaarned that this dog barks at anything in the woods that makes noise. I heard it too. An occasional stick breaking and leaves rustling. I sat back again with my head tilted back, eyes closed. About five minutes passed and I heard a slight crunch nearby. I leveled my head and opened my eyes to find a deer to my right coming up an old overgrown four-wheeler path. It was a large doe. I made my way to my bow and got to a standing position. Then another doe appeared. Gotta be careful, while focusing on the one to shoot the other could bust me. I had to let the large one pass as the yealing came catching up. The larger doe then turned and came down my path towards my stand. She was heading right for my open lane. Suddenly she made me, or she made something. She stopped, glared, and froze. I did too. We locked on each other for what seemed like forever but it was probably about a minute. She turned and went back up the hill. The smaller doe was now coming up the four wheeler path to an open area. I drew back to loose the arrow when she hit the opening. She stopped and fed. I didn't have a clear shot so I held for about 15 seconds and let down. As soon as I let down she tried to catch up to the other doe. I knew I'd have only a split second to time it right. She passed the opening at a walk and I drew and loosed the arrow. The silent woods were awakened by the sound of the string being released and launching the arrow. The dead silence before allowed the sound of the bow to cause both does to explode in flight. Mine spun to the left. The arrows was heading for her right slightly quartering away shoulder. Her alert spin caused a clean miss. I knew it didn't hit any unseen limbs during its flight. I didn't hear it even hit the ground. The sound of the larger doe was all I could hear. She ran about 20 yards and stopped. The smaller doe ran about three steps and looked around as if confused. I was able to retrieve another arrow to prepare for a second shot, but it was not meant to be. They both trotted off, never blowing an alarm wheeze, and disappeared in the area where the buck had gone the morning before.
So far no luck with Faith. I still think I'll be able to connect. I just gotta do my part.
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PM sent South
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Great story Bud! You got to have all the fun and none of the work. Maybe you will connect next time out. Good luck to you and Faith.
Hope and I just got home from a weekend hunt and we have a few more lines to add to the story......
It's after midnight so I'll have to catch up tomorrow.
Bisch
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congrats again!!!
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Well, I can't compete with that. I did have a very young six pointer come in this morning. He got within 10 yards of my stand but he had his eye on me the whole time.
He came in the first time at the twilight when the deer move like smudges among the leaves. Not enough light to shoot safely. Too many twigs where I hunt. He clumsily ran off crashing through deadfall. About 20 minutes later he was now on my right. Still making way too much noise for a deer that'll survive for many years. He got upwind of me and blew me about a dozen times. I figured that was it but darned if he didn't come in again in about fifteen minutes. I had bow in hand and was at the ready but so was he. He would take two or three steps and look right at me. Two or thee more and look again. He was heading down the very trail I watch from my stand but he swirled and ran off.
Maybe next time. I have to go back to work for a few days now.
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Nice work guys! I should have put a backstrap clause in the contract! :D
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Good deal Bisch. Gotta feeling I may need to start saving for the Auction .RC
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Excellent Bisch !!!!! :clapper:
Where at is your lease in south texas , I have hunted close to laredo in the past ,
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While hunting Monday I finally gave in to the temptation of the 6-8 squirrels that have mocked me this season. Faith took some game, albeit small game.
I had fried squirrel for lunch Monday. The shot was a little high and off to the left but no blood trail due to a pass thru pin down.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/PICT1333.jpg)
The sun set on Faith and me again. I'll have a few more before I have to ship her off.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/PICT1342.jpg)
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Hope and I got this nice doe in North Texas last Saturday (12/10)! Sorry for the pic but I made a rather poor shot (which turned out OK because of the mojo in this bow) and it was late by the time we got her recovered and taking pics. She ended up only going about 60yds from where I shot her but since I made a bad shot we waited quite a long time before going to look for her.
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-10-11doe002.jpg)
Oh yeah, Great shot on the tree rat, Bud!
See ya later,
Bisch
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Originally posted by Gerardo:
Excellent Bisch !!!!! :clapper:
Where at is your lease in south texas , I have hunted close to laredo in the past ,
Gerardo, my lease is near Tilden. It is about 1 1/2 hours south of San Antonio and probably about the same distance north of Laredo.
Good luck to you when you get your hands on Faith!
Bisch
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Well I got home from my weekend hunt on Sunday about midnight. I satyed home on Monday and then headed to south Tx to my lease on Tuesday. I was not really after anything in particular other than to get to hunt with my lease partner. Due to things going on in his life he has not got to hunt much this season and as such I have been hunting by myself a lot this year and have missed his company.
Hope and I arrived at the ranch in the afternoon on Tuesday just in time to hunt. I went to a ground blind we call the Astroblind. It was a pretty slow afternoon till right before dark when a gaggle of pigs came through feeding. Something spooked them and they all ran off. I thought it was over when a few minutes later a medium sized sow with white front legs and two bigger pigs came through. It was REAL close to dark and very difficult to see through the netting in the window of the blind. I could see those white legs clearly though and told myself "all you got to do is put it right above that white". Well, I took a shot and best I could tell, I missed low. The pigs skeedaddled out of there. I have always said I would rather miss low than hit high (esp on a pig).
The next morning I went to the same blind and saw a few little deer but no pigs.
That afternoon I went back to the same blind again. At about 4:00pm a nice little up-and-comer 8 point came in and fed for a while in front of me accompanied by a small 4 point and a button buck. We are very near the rut and the 8pt is a buck we have not seen before. Here is a pic of the 8 point:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/buck-1.jpg)
Those 3 deer fed around in front of me for about 30 minutes and then just left to go do other things. From then on until almost dark I saw nothing! It got too dark to see through the netting again so I reached up folded it down out of the way. About two minutes later, I catch movement. It is a single pig coming in. Oh yeah! It is the same white legged pig I missed the day before. The pig found my hand thrown corn and began to feed. It was rooting around and would not stand still. It was really starting to get dark and the pig finally stopped and was (I thought) a little quartered away. Hope came to full draw and the arrow was on the way. The arrow smacked hard and the pig tore out of there with my arrow still in it. I got out of the blind to make sure I had a blood trail and this is what I found about 12yds from where I had shot him:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-14-11Sowbloodtrail002.jpg)
This was the first critter I had shot with Hope that I did not get a complete pass through. My buddy had texted me that he had shot a deer so I went and picked him up and helped him drag his little 4 point out of the woods. We then returned to find my pig.
The blood trail started out like this (I always like to see blood coming out of both sides):
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-14-11Sowbloodtrail005.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-14-11Sowbloodtrail004.jpg)
I was real confident. Then about 25yds into it the blood trail went down to just single tiny drops (and I started to get a little worried and second guess my shot):
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-14-11Sowbloodtrail008.jpg)
We followed the tiny drops for about 30-40yds and then foud this:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-14-11Sowbloodtrail010.jpg)
We got stuck right at the last big bubbly blood but I knew my pig had to be close. We did a small circle pattern and could find no more blood anywhere. I then went back to the big bubbly spot on my hands and knees and my pig was 4 feet away in a THICK pile of brush. It turns out that the pig was actually quartered to me just a bit and not away like I had thought. So I got to shoot at the same pig two afternoons in a row and bagged her with the second shot. It was a nice sized (70#-80#) sow. Here is a couple pics of the sow that Hope and I were able to take:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-14-11Sow004.jpg)
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/12-14-11Sow002.jpg)
I don't know if I will get out again before Christmas but I am sure I will between XMas and New Years.
See y'all later,
Bisch
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Congrats Bisch!
I wish hunting spots like yours were close to me. I am stuck to two small tracks of private land and public land. Public land during gun season 'round here is a gamble. You might be the one that gets harvested.
I saw another sunrise with Faith.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/PICT1355.jpg)
Then after a bout of sneezing at about 8am I decided my morning chances were nill. I got the climber down and did some scouting since the recent rain had the leaves silenced.
I have seen these before but thought I'd show you all a little of Faith's hunting grounds.
These are all within 50 yards of my stand.
sorry for the poor photography
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/PICT1360.jpg)
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/PICT1361.jpg)
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/PICT1362.jpg)
And just so you don't think the deer around here pick on only small trees.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/PICT1363.jpg)
And I saw this right as I got to the road where I parked.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/PICT1356.jpg)
I gotta do some chores and then I'll be back this afternoon trusting in Faith to get me through and get some harvest photos up.
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Good luck Bud!!!! I am blessed to have a good place to hunt and a few friends that have good places too. A couple of the animals I have taken with Hope are only due to the friends part. Looks like there is good sign in your area, but for whatever reason, the deer just are not cooperating with you and Faith. Keep at it because a day in the woods (even with no harvest) is better than almost anything else!
See ya later,
Bisch
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Nice pics Bud B !!!!
Bisch :notworthy: I am spechless !!! CONGRATS !!! you sure are taking hope for a ride around TEXAS
keep on sharing
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I
SAW
HIM!!
I made it back to the stand today at 1:30pm. I was s-l-e-e-p-y! Thank goodness for the harness.
I was in a daze at about 3:30 when I heard what I thought were footsteps behind me and to my left. I'm backed up along a treeline that has a creek running along the property line. I'm facing east-northeast. I turned and there he was. A massive antlered thick buck. I caught him as he jumped the creek. His antlers gleamed in the low sunlight. He cleared the creek with ease. He hadn't a clue I was there. He had a tag along. I thought it was a doe.
The big buck landed and looked around. I prayed he would turn right. He turned left and slowly walked along the creek. he was only 15 yards away when he landed but it was too thick to get a shooting window. I was afraid to move and get busted by the next one in line. It came up to the creek to follow the big leader. It thought about jumping the creek. He bobbed and dipped but must've thought he couldn't do it so he jumped in the middle of the creek and came up. He was a little spike with a left 4" tine and his right tine was either gone or too small to see. He looked right at me!
He paused for about two seconds and then took the same left turn and followed Big Daddy. This was last year's crop. The old buck was definitely mature and wise. He had a dark patch on his crown and thick neck and body. He looked to outweigh the spike by about 75 pounds at least. He was taller too. I'm not a real good judge of animal weight but I'd bet he go 200lbs live weight. He's the biggest buck I've ever had that close to me while hunting. His body disappeared long before I lost sight of his antlers in the thick brush.
Dwight Millsaps, "see" here on tradgang, hunted this patch on Thanksgiving. He can tell you how thick it is. (Dwight, he went near the tree you were in.)
I have never seen such a magnificent animal while hunting. He's the one that's been polishing that big cedar.
I'll be back. I only had about 45 seconds to see them both. The little one was just tagging along. I hope and pray I get a chance with Faith on this guy. What an accomplishment that would be.
I'm still dumbfounded.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/BaseMap20_59_13_0.jpg)
When he jumped the creek he landed behind the big dead tree in this photo. There was a small parallelogram just to the right of the tree that would have been my only window, but he was quartering away and spine was all I could see. I was shaking pretty bad too. :)
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f94/Equismith/PICT1368.jpg)
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Good luck to you Bud!
Way to go again Bisch!
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Good Luck Bud !!!!! Hope you get to see him again , this will be good motivation !!!!
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Originally posted by Gerardo:
Good Luck Bud !!!!! Hope you get to see him again , this will be good motivation !!!!
You bet it's motivation. I didn't get a bit sleepy after seeing him. I'm still feeling a little of the rush!
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Good luck, Bud! I sure hope you get a crack at him.
Bisch
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I got home and as excited as I was telling what happened my wife said, "Aw...you didn't shoot him did you?" Both her and my daughter aren't anti hunting, they just think deer are too pretty to shoot. I have to say it was nice just to see him but if he gives me a chance I'll have some 'splainin' to do. I hope. :thumbsup:
I actually thought he may have been shot by gunners in the area and wasn't sure if he might still be around. Hunting pressure around here is tough. I hear gunshots all the time while in the stand. Some are close. I'm right next to a large leased area that's hunted hard. It's just west of the oblong field in the photo.
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Another sunset with Faith. Only squirrels were game seen. Lots of birds and even a buzzard landed in the top of a dead tree near me. I could see the wrinkles in his bare head. Coal black eyes.
No deer.
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Well, I did not get to go hunting this weekend so I took Hope to meet a few other Trad Gangers!
Gangers in attendance were: Raging Water, kestimator, dbishop, Green, and myself. dbishop also had his dad there providing moral support. Here is a shot of when we were first geting started. It is truely a motley crew:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/groupfunshoot.jpg)
Most of the guys had seen/followed the Adventures of Hope and Faith and wanted to fling a few arrows with Hope.
Here is Raging Water with Hope. This bow probably felt like a kid's bow to him since his regular bows are in the 80# and up range!:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/Matthope.jpg)
And kestimator;
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/kestimatorhope.jpg)
And Green too:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/Greenhope-1.jpg)
This gathering looked somewhat like a meeting of the Central Texas Assn of Mudd's Merry Men as Raging Water, kestimator, and Green were all sporting their Robin Hood hats made by Mudd.
We played all kinds of archery games like kicking a ball and then shooting at it, aerial targets, and clay targets. We even tried our hand at shooting at a mountain laurel bean from 50yds! kestimator won that one:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/kevinmtnlaurelbean.jpg)
Here is a picture of our "bow rack" when we would go pull arrows (that is dbishop's dad in the background):
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/bowrackfunshoot.jpg)
And here is Raging Water and dbishop playing tug-of-war with Raging Water's 82# takedown bow (actually they are just trying to get it apart):
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/Matt-Davetugofwar.jpg)
All in all I think it was a great time shooting with friends and everybady said they really liked Hope. I know I had fun shooting with my friends.
Hope and I should be getting back to the woods just after Christmas to try for one last time.
See ya later,
Bisch
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Had a great time with the ganger's at what turned out to be the CenTex Mudd Society shoot. It was a pleasure to shoot HOPE. Very smooth and hard hitting bow that Bisch has put pounds and pounds of Mojo in during the short time he's had her.
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Hey Bud,Just got your message and all I can say is wow,you got to see him.Oh how I wish I could have been with you again to have seen him with you.We both knew he would be big by all the sign he was leaving.If you can stay in there long enough you will get him.Hopefully he will stay in there for he knows the gunners aren't allowed.Thanks for letting me know he came to where I was at.One like that don't come around often.I am hoping to be with you again next year.Keep us all posted on your future times in the woods.Hang in there brother.I believe your name is on him.
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Hope is a fine, fine bow. It was an honor to shoot her with the Mudd's Merry Men of Central Texas!
Matt
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Originally posted by Raging Water:
Hope is a fine, fine bow. It was an honor to shoot her with the Mudd's Merry Men of Central Texas!
Matt
I second Matt's comments on the bow and the day!! ....and will add that I think that we all had a blast :)
Bisch, thanks for sharing this special bow with us!!!
Sincerely,
Kevin
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It was great to see you guys having fun with Hope.
I also felt honored that you'd wear the "Robin Hood" hats with a camera running...lol
God bless,Mudd
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(http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac138/hemdell/Hope/th_SDV_0043.jpg) (http:// [url=http://s893.photobucket.com/albums/ac138/hemdell/Hope/?action=view¤t=SDV_0043.mp4) ]Hope in Action with Jerry "Bisch" Bischoffberger[/URL]
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Gentlemen,
For those of you waiting for your turn to shoot "Hope"; see the video above.
That bow is greeeaaaaat! Notice how smooth and extremely quiet. Very flat cast.
Color me impressed!
Matt
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Another sunrise and sunset with Faith.
No deer :(
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Keep at it Bud !!!!!
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Thanks Gerardo. I didn't see anything except the same bunch of mocking squirrels.
I did move my tree stand to a location where deer are coming in and out of their feeding and bedding areas. I heard 17 shots yesterday morning. The gun pressure on the deer around here is tremendous.
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I hope you get to let one loose before you have to send Faith on her next journey, Bud!
Looks like it will be after XMas before I get out again.
Bisch
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Rain is forecast for my next off-days. :(
I will ship Faith off on Dec 27. I'm off Dec 26 and if rain isn't falling I will be in the woods a final time with Faith. I'm off the 27th too, but I would like to see Faith in the hands of Greardo by Jan 1 if possible. Hopefully the mail will cooperate. I'll ship her Tuesaday morning.
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Well I went up to the shop today and shot a little. I think Hope is mad at me because I have not had her out in the woods for a week now (my shooting was a little off today). Anyway, I assured her that we would be out in the woods for one last hurrah on Tuesday. Then I have to get her all dressed and waxed up for her stay with longarrow!
See ya later,
Bisch
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Christmas has me a bit stumped./ I will try to get Faith out today, but I've been up almost 24 hours now. Cant' be effective in the woods when you're in a stuper.
I will Faithfully try to get her in the woods this afternoon after some catch-up sleep.
EDIT:
I wasn't able to make it to the woods with Faith. Christmas responsibilities and not getting to sleep until 2pm this afternoon after being up for about 32 hours did me in. My apologies.
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:campfire:
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I got Faith out last night. I put the climber in a new tree, but went rather high by my standards. I was so high my 24' rope to pull up the bow was off the ground and Faith's lower limb tip barely drug the leaves.
At about 4pm I heard running through the woods across a creek bottom. I saw a deer being chased by another. It ended up being two young bucks. I could see the one and he stood for about 10 minutes without moving. I heard steps behind me and turned to see momma doe, and I mean a big one, walking up an old 4-wheeler trail. The buck I could see across the bottom was watching her. I then heard the other deer move and could see a small set of antlers. Then another doe appeared near momma, then another chocolate buck. He too was young. He was a six pointer but a very small one; maybe last years crop.
The three bucks eventually came under my stand. Too close to shoot because it was a straight down shot. The two does left behind me.
I eventually got a shot at a cow horn spike which was missing his left antler. Right over his back. He never flinched at the shot, but took about five trotting steps afterwards into a pine stand. I had blown it again. With all the deer eyes around I felt like I couldn't move.
When it got nearly dark the chocolate buck came back in the area but never presented a shot. He was head first to the tree I was in and a spine shot was all I had. Another large bodied deer joined him well after sunset but with just enough light to see his or her outline. I was stuck in the tree. After it got almost pitch black I began clucking like a turkey, which are common in the area. The deer trotted off and never seemed alarmed.
I planned on hunting this morning but rain kept me out of the woods.
I shipped Faith off this afternoon.
She's a sweet bow. I could not give her any mojo, but if it makes any difference, I saw more bucks with Faith in my hand than I almost have over my hunting years. Almost ALL the years. Sitting here I can count 8 bucks over my hunts in times past with two harvested. Two unharvested were button bucks.
Maybe more will be seen with her companionship.
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At least you got out in the woods, that's time wells spent. Good job bud, can't really ask for more than that.
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That's OK, Bud! And you are right, these are great bows. I talked to longarrow on the phone today (he gets Hope for January) and since he lives so close to me I will be hand delivering it to him on Sat or Sun. That means I get to go hunting with her one more/last time! I'll be headed to my lease tomorrow and in a stand for the afternoon hunt.
Bisch
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Good luck Bisch!
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Good luck fellers.RC
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Just wanted to say hello to everyone on Trad. Been off the form for a long time and just came back a couple days ago. For those hunting the next day or so, good luck......
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Bud B,
Its good you got her out and had the opportunity to be in the peace and quiet of the woods. I hope I can see as much deer as you did also and maybe I can get lucky on a good shot.
Hope to receive Faith soon!!!!
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Last year I passed to many shots for a very big whitetail that has been roaming around our woods.
The last day of the season on a Sunday as I was on my truck heading home, and really wanting to see my wife and kids.
I saw him on a cliff about 100 yds , he stared at me like knowing I had been after him and that it was a goodbye for life.
It was 3pm that day and that was the end of my season without any meat or antlers.
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Here in Mexico or season starts on the 1st of December and runs toward the last days of January in fact our deer´s rut generally is the last days of December.
Our brush is low the same as Texas , being Mezquite trees the tallest trees around. The most effective way to hunt is on ground blinds.
Our lease is a big cattle ranch, and we have had problems with the cattle eating up our pop up blinds. We generally install them and leave them there so the deer won't get spoked and they get accustomed to watching it. This year we made some ground blinds out of wire , wood and hay. Old rotten hay , think of it like the 3 little pigs mini little house.
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Well to get into my story , I was hunting on the 13 of December. It had been a very slow morning and I had only seen two does and a little 6 pointer that always stared at my ground blind and never gave me a shot. It was now 10 in the morning and I was feeling like going to the camp and fixing me up some dry meat and egg tacos ( we call it machaca). That with some beans , salsa and a hot coffee will really motivate you. So I was thinking about breakfast and wanting to get out of the blind , when big old 14 pointer was walking 100 yds infront of the blind.
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This ground blind has a little cliff in front and was placed here because its this guys territory.
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Good luck with Faith Gerardo. I hope you see twice as many deer as I did but I hope they all are at 20 yards or closer without twigs in between blocking your arrow :thumbsup:
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Gerardo,
When I get home I'll run a track on the # provided by the PO.
And BTW folks, my USPS took me for a ride on this shipping. I insured it for $500 and del confirmation. (not a shipping store but the good ol USPS main office in Asheboro, NC 27203)
Almost $39.
The previous shipper sent it to me for less than $17.
I have to say, even so, this was worth it having participated in this pass around.
Look out lefties come auction time!!
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Well, I just got home from my last hunt with Hope and it was somewhat bittersweet. I stuck a big 'ol boar Thursday evening but hit him a little high, only got about 7" penetration, and never found a single drop of blood. Needless to say, I never found the boar either. I got a call in to longarrow to get him Hope today or tomorrow.
I had a great time with Hope and will definitly be considereing bidding on her (if I don't already own one of these bows by then).
Thank you South for creating such a great bow for such a great cause.
Gerardo, I hope you get a shot at that old 14 pointer with Faith and will be checking in to see the pics.
See y'all later,
Bisch
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I know that big one is roaming the woods, and I haven't gone hunting, because it will be a lot of temptation to shoot him if he comes around so , my next time out hunting will be with FAITH
thanks
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Well, I just hand delivered Hope to longarrow.
Good luck this month with her Rickey. I "HOPE" you break in the new year real well with her!
Bisch
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Faith arrive Gerardo?
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I got Faith today , tomorrow I will try to get her set up with some arrows and I will probably go hunting this weekend
She is nice looking !!!!!!
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Originally posted by Gerardo:
I got Faith today , tomorrow I will try to get her set up with some arrows and I will probably go hunting this weekend
She is nice looking !!!!!!
I want to see her! :banghead: I hate you for that jajaja
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Any updates?
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Well, since I've picked up "Hope" from Bisch, it's rain on/off again. In this part of the country you NEVER conplain about the rain. As "Daddy" use to say..."the guy who hates the rain, has never had to do without it" Got Hope dailed in and will put to the test week. Looking for a doe/spike or a Hog. Will try to keep you posted!!
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Good luck Rickey!!! I "Hope" she treats you as well as she treated me.
Bisch
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Got Faith ready with some beman classics 500 , this is the same set I took my first buck so maybe I can be lucky with her this week
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Got Faith ready with some beman classics 500 , this is the same set I took my first buck so maybe I can be lucky with her this week
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Originally posted by Gerardo:
Got Faith ready with some beman classics 500 , this is the same set I took my first buck so maybe I can be lucky with her this week
Knock something down, Gerardo!
Good luck,
Bisch
P.S. - I'm checking into a few things before i answer your PM.
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A cold front just entered , and its COLD!!!!
I am planning on hunting tomorrow morning and maybe try to sit as much as possible during the day, I am sure Faith will be a good companion during the morning
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Good luck to you guys! :thumbsup:
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FAITH is hunting in Mexico ,
Is this the way to start a story ?
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr20/gerardz17/photo-33.jpg)
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OH YEAH!!! :thumbsup:
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This weekend was going to be special, my mind was focused on hunting and I expected some time for myself.
With two toddlers at home and a 3 month old baby. Peace and quiet are appreciated more than ever.
Sharp broadheads on my arrows and a beautiful FAITH by my hand I drove friday morning to our hunting ground.
A cold front was entering from the north and this helps the rut , which for us generally starts in the last few days of December and the first days of January
I had previously prepared a ground blind , and this location was going to be the perfect place , where the north front hits you in the face and in front there is a big hill where bucks and does usually travel. A lot of visibility for me to check out the woods and have an opportunity to shoot.
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This is the sight from my ground blind window
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr20/gerardz17/photo-36.jpg)
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SWEET, Gerardo!!!! I can't wait to hear the reat of this story.
Don't be shy, now. Let's hear more!
Bisch
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I hunted Friday morning, and there was a lot of movement but no shot, at 2 pm I taught it was a good time for a hot meal. I got out of the blind and walked in the midday sun and saw myself in the shadow
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr20/gerardz17/photo-31.jpg)
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After some warmth , and comfort from a hot meal, I came back with the motivation to stay put until dark.
After some minutes I see some movement in the middle of the hill in front of my blind. Its a doe, running and looking back from where she came. That got me to find my binos and search the woods.
A big buck was on her trail, she couldn't go anywhere with him on her her trail.
There is something special about our sport in which we see the woods come alive and we see game way beyond our range. This pair of lovers where going up and down, running all over at about 200 yds away. I managed to take some pics using my iPhone camera close to the binocular lens
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(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr20/gerardz17/photo-35.png)
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(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr20/gerardz17/photo-29.png)
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That was a motivating evening , with me eventually deciding to stalk this buck with no luck at all.
Of course next day I was the first one awake with the plan on sitting in my blind the whole day
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Next morning was a slow one, no movement at all, and I taught that maybe because I had walked around the day after I had left my trail all over and it was going to be a done deal.
I went for lunch to the surprise that my brother in law and 10 year old nephew had come hunting also
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OK Gerardo, get to the reeeeeal good stuff. Good photos but me thinks there's more to this story.... :)
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I took some practice shots at lunch
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr20/gerardz17/photo-34.jpg)
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My nephew wanted to come with me for the afternoon hunt, and I felt as maybe he was going to be a little noisy and whitetails are very jumpy with ground blinds.
I decided to take him as I had not seen anything in the morning and probably it was going to be the same.
I leave my truck about half a mile from the blind and have to cross two dirt roads and some thick brush. Gus my nephew was excited to go walking to the blind and was paying attention the whole time. When we got to the blind we scared of a doe and we entered it as quickly as possible as I taught it was too early for deer movement
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It didn´t took long for the doe to come back racing away and pass 15 yds from my ground blind with the buck on her tail
They came fast and I took the worst shot at him. I didn't choose a spot and just shot at the whole deer and my arrow went up and shaved the hair from the top part of him. He was going after her and he didn´t know what happened he came and went and I prepared an arrow for the next time he was going to pass thru my shooting lane
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Good luck to you Gerardo!
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Yeehaa! Faith on the move!!
Get'em Gerardo!!
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and then.................................!!!
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Now I was ready the buck came and stopped quartering away it was a 25 yds shot but it was going to be the only shot, I took it focusing on a spot
I saw my white fletch go thru and the buck ran and I could see where my arrow was hanging from the nock on the other side completely covered in blood.
It was a good blood trail and a short recovery
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(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr20/gerardz17/photo-32.jpg)
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(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr20/gerardz17/photo-30.jpg)
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Way to go Gerardo!!!!!! That'a the way to get Faith going.
Congrats on a great deer with a great bow!
Bisch
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Congrats on a great buck with a special bow! :thumbsup:
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Thay's a great buck, and a fine looking bow. Congratulations, Gerardo.
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WOW! Congrats from Texas! Way to go on that cool mexico buck.
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Gerardo my brother, way to keep the family name alive! Congratulations.
Mike Gerard owlbait :D
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Way to go Gerardo!!
Guess that string works, huh?
;)
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Congrats!
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WAY TO GO!!! Congrats on a great buck. Great story and wonderful pictures lefty :)
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Awesome job sir!
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Congratulations to a great persistent, precise, traditional whitetail hunter!!!!!
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Congrats on a great buck and a great hunt! I know the hard time you had making the arrows fly straight. Well worth the effort!
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Outstanding!!! That makes two Big bucks from the Stalker twins.
I`ve not kept up with the Hope and Faith threads years past but these two bows seem to have really put some meat on the table.RC
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Felicidades!
way to go my friend!
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Congrats! Awesome hunt and I bet your nephew is more than excited about traditional hunting now! Great job!
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Thanks , Yes gus my nephew wants to go this week and his dad told me that he doesn't know what I did to him that he just wants to get out to the woods. Its fun to hook a kid on bow hunting
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Felicidaes Gerardo! Nice buck.
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congrats on a nice buck and some great pics.
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Wow, congrats on a great buck and story! Chalk one up for Miss Faith!!
Sure hope I can do as well in May with the turks :pray:
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:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
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Great Job Gerardo! You have made Faith an International celebrity. Perhaps if i have some luck with her in June in Canada she will take game in three different countries!
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Congrats Gerardo! Beautiful buck, great pics and awesome storytelling! Thanks for sharing.
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Originally posted by LITTLEBIGMAN:
Great Job Gerardo! You have made Faith an International celebrity. Perhaps if i have some luck with her in June in Canada she will take game in three different countries!
if you score in Canada let's rename her "NAFTA Faith" :biglaugh:
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Good job looks like St. Jude Auction may get expensive for you this year.Kip :thumbsup: :clapper:
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Very good MOJO on Hope and Faith, whoever wins the auction will get a super bow !!!!
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updates?
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No new stories to talk about ,
I will probably ship Faith tomorrow to Tom Porter he will take her to the Pig Gig
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Great work Gerardo!!!
Super Buck :)
:campfire:
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We have hope and she's nice. :readit: :eek:
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Originally posted by Lowcountry Archer:
We have hope and she's nice. :readit: :eek:
Good luck with her.....I hope you have as much fun with her as I did!
Can't wait for the stories and pics!
Bisch
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Faith was sent to Tom Porter,
I think he will take her to chase some bacon !!!!
Good Luck
Gerardo
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Originally posted by Pon:
Originally posted by LITTLEBIGMAN:
Great Job Gerardo! You have made Faith an International celebrity. Perhaps if i have some luck with her in June in Canada she will take game in three different countries!
if you score in Canada let's rename her "NAFTA Faith" :biglaugh: [/b]
That was a good one Pon! :biglaugh:
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Hi Gang
Faith is here and in great shape. She will be going with me to tag burning party and archery shoot / party this weekend at Mike Horton’s place. Mike is the owner of the Nocking Point. And then the following weekend she will be going to the first week of the Pig Gig on the Lambshead Ranch. I’ll try to make you proud.
Tom
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Make us proud GATEKEEPER !!!!! Us LEFTIES need to stick together.
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Good luck Tom!!! Smack a couple old boars with Faith.
Bisch
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:campfire:
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terry
I just found out my bear hunt is in May.so Faith can go to some one else who my be able to hunt with her in June. I tried emailing you but my emails keep bouncing back .
My apologies, good luck to whom ever gets her in June .
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Love the tales guys, great stuff.
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I received Hope in the mail today. i have a hog hunting trip planned for this weekend with Greg Campbell out of Marshallville, Ga. on the Flint river swamps. i "hope" i can add a little more Mojo to her. Wish me luck!
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Good luck with her Randy! I "HOPE" you can get her tuned in and knock a couple hogs down this weekend. I'll be watching for stories and pics!
Bisch
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Best of luck on the hog hunt Randy .... I'm looking forward to scaring some gobblers with Hope in April.
Best to ya, Ken
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I know for a fact that Miss Faith was on a heck of a hunt today!
Serious mojo added for us southpaws!!
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GREAT !!!
Cant wait for the stories and pics !!!!!
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SWEET! Can't wait to hear the story!!!
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Can't wait for the story! :campfire:
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As Curt said, Faith got to see a little action this weekend on the 2012 St. Judes Peasant Hunt. It's a GREAT shooting bow, and hopefully she'll see some more action before the end of the month. Be watching for a thread about the pheasant hunt on PowWow in the next few days.
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/2012--everything/P3110080.jpg) (http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/2012--everything/P3110079.jpg)
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/2012--everything/P3110079.jpg)
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/2012--everything/P3110049.jpg)
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/2012--everything/P3110050.jpg)
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That's awesome buddy...congrats!!
Can't wait to shoot her this weekend :campfire:
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Good grief! I think I'd tip over if I saw one of those pitch forks coming at me!
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Congratulations Skyler! Good shooting with a great bow! Bet you don't lose any of those arrows, they have a built in GPS antenna and rotisserie!
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Great job!!!!
That's a stack and a half of poultry!!!
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Way to go Skylar! that is awesome.
Bisch
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GREAT SKYLER !!!!
Excellent shooting and this tips are awesome !!!!
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Congrats Skyler!! Great shooting too!
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You all are doing great things with faith and hope. I just love the stories of your successful hunt. Congrats to all of you!!!
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Way to go Skyler .... Hope has arrived in Washington and I took her on the annual Washington Traditional Bowhunters " Rock Shoot " in Moses Lake WA this past week end. It was a good warm up for my up coming turkey hunt later this week.
Sweet shooting bow !!
(http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/elkken/P1010709.jpg)
A real sweet looker too !!
(http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/elkken/P1010704.jpg)
They call this the "rock" shoot for a reason ... here is a "slightly" up hill shot at a Mt Goat partially hidden behind a formidable size rock with a solid rock wall behind
(http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/elkken/P1010705.jpg)
No problem for Hope :scared:
HOPEfully I'll have some turkey pictures for you soon .... wish me luck ....
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Good shooting and good luck on the birds.RC
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Nice shooting! Good luck with the turkeys!
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Good luck, elkken!
Bisch
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Now that you've warmed up on the rocks Elkken, let's see what you and HOPE can do with some Thunder Chickens!
Keep the wind in your face!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
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(http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/elkken/P1010720.jpg)
Did I say "Hope" is a sweet shooting bow ? :archer2:
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YA-HOO! You DA man!
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
WAY TO GO Elkken!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Enjoy the feast!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
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Let's see some dead bird pics!!!!!
Congrats in advance too!
Bisch
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Thats outstanding!! Has any other Saint Judes bow racked up the kills this one has? One fine bow.RC
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Way to go sir!!
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:bigsmyl:
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(http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/elkken/P1010719.jpg)
I shot the first legal bird I had a chance at wanting to add to the fine history of this bow. Ten yard shot right through the wing butt. One shot, one kill.
(http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/elkken/P1010725.jpg)
By the looks of this Jake's tail feathers some tom must have given him a good a$$ whoop'n
Unfortunately the top of my hat was taken off in this photo, it is a hat given to me by Larry Surtees. It was Chris's and is military issue with the good old stars and stripes up front. I wear it often and I know it has good karma. I added a Thunder Horn quiver to the bow and it matches really well so I will be sending it along so it can be added to the auction package. Really a fine shooting bow.
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Nice Job Ken! That bow has great Mojo. It was great shooting with you and Dave at the Rock,thanks for the laughs.. I knew I'd see a harvest pic before you passed it along.
Outstanding! :thumbsup:
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Awesome 3D shooting and great job on the bird!!! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
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Hey Jeff ... It was good to see you again and share some shooting and stories. Someone will definitely get a fine bow with major GOOD Karma in this years St Judes auction.
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:notworthy: :campfire:
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Way to go Ken! There is no doubt that Hope & Faith are fine bows!!!!!!
Congrats on the bird!
Bisch
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Way to go Ken :thumbsup:
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Long story and many pix to follow....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040395faithgob.JPG)
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Faith showed up kinda unexpectedly this past Saturday. I mean I figured she'd be coming as I had her for the month of May, but I was so wrapped up in things around here...just kinda forgot.
As a matter of fact when the mail lady handed me the big box I still hadn't thought about it being her till Cade brought it up...Miss faith was in NY!
Cade and I had both shot her a little in AL. when we were on our trip to visit the Wilson family, so we kinda knew what to expect...a fine shooting bow!
I'd had some arrows given to me last year by a good old friend of mine that I was hoping would work out of her. I'd even gone ahead and cut them down about a month ago so they'd be ready. They were GT 35-55's, and I hoped 250grs would work up front. I wanted to use my favorite 1 1/4" 250gr. 3bl. VPA's.
Within a few shots it was apparent that they'd work just fine.
I strapped on a GN quiver also given to me by my buddy Jim, and loaded his arrows into it...I felt ready to hunt within about a half hr. of shooting and prepping...Miss Faith isn't very "picky" to tune and shoot.
Cade got home and wanted to shoot her...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040333faithgob.JPG)
This was honestly his very first shot!
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040334faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040335faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040350faithgob.JPG)
The next morning we were set-up on a bird we'd roosted the night before....long story short...he came in to about 30yds. then went to some other birds in the distance...but Cade and I still had an exciting hunt...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040353faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040354faithgob.JPG)
Found this under the roost tree...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040355faithgob.JPG)
"Dropping in" to our late morning spot...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040356faithgob.JPG)
Again, nothing came close...
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Hiking back out...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040360faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040361faithgob.JPG)
Good first hunt with Miss Faith, close, but not close enough. Besides what fun would it be to kill one the very first morning out? :rolleyes: :dunno:
The next morning(yesterday) would be different...
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Soooooo.....
The next morning I decided to set up in a spot where, in the past, has been very productive. I killed a bird last spring on the very last day of the season here.
I'd been here twice prior this spring, once scouting before the season and heard on bird that started gobbling late on the roost. I could hear birds across the road gobbling for at least a half hr. before this bird sounded off.
Then one day last week I hunted and only heard one gobble at 6:10am way up on the mountain, a good 30-40min. later than the birds usually start gobbling. Then I had a hen come in and keep me company for over an hour...nothing else.
I had a good feeling I should be here the night before, so there I was setting up in the dark....
It was getting lighter by the second and I'd been hearing birds behind me down the hill for at least 10 minutes now....and still no gobble up above where the birds usually are.
I couldn't tell if the birds behind me were even on my side of the road. But with nothing where I was set-up, I was getting itchy to move. But I was reluctant to do so till the last minute because I knew if this other bird was around he wouldn't gobble till later than usual.
So I waited....and I waited.....and I waited till I couldn't take it any longer. I took the blind
down, grabbed my deke's, tucked everything under my arms and ran down the hill to try to figure out where these other birds were!
I got down there, blew a crow call and heard....NOTHING!!!!
Sweating from the run down the hill I waited a bit and crow called again.....NOTHING!!!!!
Ten seconds later I heard a gobble though....back up on the hill where I was!!! DANG IT!!!
So I grab all my stuff, shove it all under my arms and run, yes run back up the hill to try to set right back up where I was to try to get ready before he does whatever it is he's going do, or go.
Now I was really sweating! But I got set up, and while doing so heard him gobble one more time. he sounded about 150yds away. Right where he was that time in the pre-season.
I called to him and he answered...at least i hadn't spooked him...I was in the game!
A couple minutes later he gobbled again, and it sounded like he'd moved...he was out of the tree, but still up in the woods.
I call and he doesn't answer, but then gobbles about 30sec. later...he sounded a little closer...
Maybe five minutes go by and I call softly one more time, but he doesn't answer....the silent approach?
Ten minutes later I look up into the orchard and there he is!
I know he can see the decoys and he starts to slowly but surely start down the hill...I grab my camera...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040367faithgob.JPG)
This it what he's seeing...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040369faithgob.JPG)
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:clapper: :pray:
Good shootin Curt
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I put the camera away and take Miss faith out the in-ground bowholder that keeps her upright and at-the-ready...
Before I know it, he's right at the decoys, standing stone still...but right behind the jake...I can't shoot....yet....
I have tension on the string, a lot of tension...
This is about to happen...I'm holding Miss Faith, using arrows and quiver given to me by a dear friend, and I was shooting the last of my Chris Surtees VPA broadheads(last years that I used to kill 3 turkeys, and 3 deer is going into the St. Jude action along with the arrows that were used along the way).
This was going to be very special in so many ways....he walked 2 very slow steps and is now at about 10yds, quartering away.....
This is where the first of the "twists" in this story happen....
What happened next was something I thought about keeping out of the story...it's almost embarrassing to tell, but it's a part of the story and I'm committed to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth...
I'm a guy that takes a lot of pride in his shooting, and my ability to make good on opportunities when given. I mean I'm not the best shot in the world, but I'm not bad. But I'll be the first to admit, even though I've killed a lot of turkeys with my bow....THEY SHAKE ME UP WORSE THAN ANY OTHER CRITTER WALKING!!!!!!
This is going to happen right here and now....there's no doubt in my mind that I'm about to hammer this gobbler....I draw....release.....and watch my arrow go right under him!!!
I was dumbfounded!
But he just jumped up and took a few steps and stopped. I quickly knocked another arrow and draw as he's standing about 12-13yds away....draw and shoot right below him again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He jumps up again, and trots out of sight....I lean Miss Faith up against the front of the blind...bend over in my chair, put my head between my hands and start to beat myself up for blowing such an opportunity!!! I just couldn't believe it!!!!
This went on for about 15seconds, I lift my head up and look out of the blind over by where he disappeared and see a red head through the apple tree branches!!!!! He was coming back!!!!
I reached for Miss Faith, knock the last arrow in my quiver. Of course no time to attach the string.
He's further away now and very much on alert. He looks like he wants to come to the decoys, but is kinda keeping his distance...he's at about 18yds.
I knew I had to make this one count! Three shots is way more than I deserved in this situation, but here was opportunity #3 right in front of me!
I draw and pick a spot and drill him!! But I could tell right away penetration was iffy!
If I'd missed my spot it wasn't much!
He flipped over and flopped for a second, righted
himself, and as he started to run off with a wing hanging, I noticed the arrow flip into the air....he was out of sight, over the hill in a second!
Even though I knew I'd hit him good, him leaving the arrow at the spot of the hit concerned me.
I only waited about a minute and got out to check the arrow. As I got closer I could see it was missing some of the bh end...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040370faithgob.JPG)
And the end was soaked in blood...more good news...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040371faithgob.JPG)
There was dirt in the nock, so it was apparent that he'd landed on it and broke it off. After comparing it to another shaft(after I'd found the first 2) I knew I had "enough" penetration.
I knew in my gut, he couldn't have gone far, but I had no string to follow, and no blood either. I waited a half hour and started looking.
First I tried on direction for about 100yds...nothing...
Second direction....again nothing....
So I go back to where my arrow lay and decide that I'd walk straight away down a row of trees. I could look both up and downhill. I was really starting to get a little down. But I was very far from giving up....I just knew in my heart he wasn't far....
I walked about 80yds and as I turned to look to my left this is what I saw....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040372faithgob.JPG)
I had in fact made a good hit...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040374faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040375faithgob.JPG)
He was stiff when I found him and looked as if he'd died running...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040378faithgob.JPG)
The VPA had made it out the other side...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040380faithgob.JPG)
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I reached over and picked him up....I thought..."wow, he's small and light"....just figured he was run down from chasing the ladies....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040386faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040387faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040395faithgob.JPG)
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More than half of his beard had broken off making it look very thin...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040388faithgob.JPG)
Typical 2yr. old, 3/4" spurs...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040390faithgob.JPG)
Beard was 8 1/2"..
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040391faithgob.JPG)
Special bow...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040395faithgob.JPG)
Time to fill out tag #1...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040399faithgob.JPG)
This story isn't over, another "twist" yet to come...more tomorrow......
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040400faithgob.JPG)
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Excellent, Curt! Congrats on the bird and can't wait to hear more.
Bisch
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:thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper: :archer2: way to go Curt
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Ok...where was I.... ahhh the next "twist" to this story....
After getting home and eating a good breakfast I grabbed my camera like I always do when I'm about to breakdown a turkey.
So, I check out the entrance side and see the 1 1/4" VPA had broken the radius, ulna, and the humorous bone of the folded wing on the way in..
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040403faithgob.JPG)
And entered right behind the ball joint of the wing...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040404faithgob.JPG)
Although the BH was completely inside the bird when I first found it, it was apparent by the small hole on the exit side that the BH had come partially out the far side....but in its retreat had worked back inside...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040406faithgob.JPG)
Next I weighed it...".hmmmm, just over 13#'s"..."awful light for a 2yr old gobbler".
Around here they are usually 18-20#'s...again just figured he was a ladies man and was running ragged...
I flipped it on its back to start to open up the skin on the breast and feel I something hard and seemingly out of place inside the skin on the breast. I kinda shrug it off at first thinking it was just something stiffened up.
What I found after opening the skin was totally unexpected......
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• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040407faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040408faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040409faithgob.JPG)
It was very firm, but not rock hard...and as you saw in the pix, even the "normal" side of the breast was very thin and flat.
I knew right away this wasn't a bird I would eat, and decided to take a ride to our DEC regional office that's about 20mins away in New Paltz.
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040411faithgob.JPG)
While waiting for the biologist to come out and examine the gobbler....I got to looking close and saw this....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040412faithgob.JPG)
Yes, he'd been shot with a shotgun last year as a jake!
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......another eason I wanted to bring the bird to the DEC office is to see if they would deem him "unfit for human consumption". If so, I would be given another tag to get something "hopefully" edible.
I'd done this about 15yds ago with a gobbler I shot with a shotgun. He'd acted normal, gobbling and strutting his way in. But when I went to pick him up it was apparent he'd tangled at some point with something....he had a big greenish festering wound on his,wingbutt/breast area....and it smelled foul! They gave me another tag....
When the biologist came out he looked the bird over and I showed him the lead shot. Explained I'd killed it with my bow and showed him the beard I'd already cut off before my discovery.
After examining it all he came to the conclusion that I already had....this "lump" was caused by his encounter with a shotgun some time back in his life. This was no wound from anytime recent, everything was neat and healed over except for this giant "lump" that was leftover.
He without a doubt deemed him unfit, and offered to give me another tag for that reason....but there was now a catch....I would have to turn over the entire bird to him...every part, including the tail, beard, and spurs!
No way!! This bird meant way too much to me to even think about giving him up for the possibility of shooting an extra bird....no way!
Besides I still have another tag to fill...
So I went home and got back to taking it apart...
Here's the entrance side, you can see the end of my GT trad shaft...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040416faithgob.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040417faithgob.JPG)
As far as the beard goes...... when turkeys have an off-colored area like thatUsually reddinsh to yellow), it's from a stressful time in their life....the result is a hard brittle area. They usually eventually break at the point of the damage.......looks like his was damaged enough that only part of it grew longer.
Exit side...the tip of my 1 1/4" VPA 3 blade...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040421faithgob.JPG)
Again the bh, and another lead pellet that was right by the ball joint of the wing...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040422faithgob.JPG)
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A lot of folks still talk about trying to hit the "wingbutt" on turkeys. But, a lot of bowhunters have gotten away from doing so for good reason. One is penetration. A hit directly on this joint will cause major problems with your arrow getting in far enough to do any damage. But the additional problem is that there is hardly anything there to hit on a broadside bird...
This hit a bit further forward than I like to hit them, but as seen by this pic, it was still behind the wingbutt, both entrance and exit....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040422faithgob.JPG)
The result was a shot that barely, I mean barely nicked the front of the lungs.....the reason this bird dies quickly was because the big broadhead when through the neck/breast junction where all the Carotid artery, Jugular vein,trachea enters the body just in front of the heart and lungs...note all the coagulated blood that settled up in the front of the chest cavity...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040423faithgob.JPG)
The broadhead after extraction...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040427faithgob.JPG)
Now, the million dollar question...."what exactly was inside the "lump"?
What I found was unexpected, well at least the color of it.....
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• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040413faithgob.JPG)
Best I could figure it was some kind of blood sack that formed from the shotgun blast it took, the bleeding obviously was pretty bad, and his body just never absorbed it as it would a smaller injury...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040428faithgob.JPG)
It was firm, and fairly dry but not powdery dry or mushy wet either.....it smelled bad, but not horrible.
Obviously it was taxing on his body...he was only 13+ pounds. Looks like he was lucky we had such a mild winter.
So once again it seems I've killed another "wierd" critter, not sure why, but I seem to do that a lot....but.... how boring would this story have been had he been "just another gobbler" :campfire:
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Cool story, Curt!
Congrats again,
Bisch
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Way to go Curt! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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May 16th...
When I went outside Wednesday morning at 4:30am...it was hot, humid, and foggy! The rain the evening before and earlier during the night had everything soaked.
I was going to hit a spot where I hadn't been in a while, and I hoped nobody else had either. The plan was to get to a high spot in the middle of the orchard and listen for gobbling...then set-up.
I was on my high spot at 5:00 and I wasn't standing there for 2 minutes when a gobbler cut loose over in the NE corner of the orchard. I listened to him gobble again to make sure where he was and was off!
I new I wouldn't be able to get to tight because he was roosted in a hilly part of the orchard and in an area where he could possibly see me set up....so I knew I had to hang back a bit.
I found a decent spot in a flatter area of the orchard about 200yds. away and started to set up. While doing so I heard another bird gobble off to the NW pretty far off. So I figured if it didn't work out with this first bird, I might be able to go after this other bird.
I got everything set up and got out of the blind and got as close as I thought I could to the roosted bird to try to draw him around the northern edge of the hedgerow that separated us.
I snuck up behind some good cover withing 100yds. and called softly.....he banged a gobble right back at me! Game on!
Fast forward 10 minutes....I could tell my plan to draw him around to the north hadn't worked. he had flown down into a field over the property line. He was gobbling steadily though, so I could keep track of where he was while I sat and called once in a while and waited.
From scouting and previous hunts in the orchard, I knew these birds usually head up to the orchard after a while....so I just relaxed and waited.
After another half hr. I started hearing a hen calling from down by where the gobbler was. She was yelping loudly and aggressively, obviously not happy at all with my calling!
She called...I called.....she called....I called...back and forth we went for a few series. Then came a nice surprise....another bird boomed a gobble! Apparently all this calling had brought in the other bird that I'd heard while setting up. And he was closer and sounding very hot!
After another 15 minutes it sounded as though the original bird I'd set up on was further away, but this other bird was coming!
After another 10 mins. or so I hadn't heard anything...so I purred and clucked softly....nothing.....
Like gobblers like to do once they commit to coming...I hoped it was the silent approach.
A few minutes went by without any hint of where he might be when I saw movement.....there he was...only 20yds. away!
But he was barely in view and in a spot where I couldn't shoot anyway...
He strutted and drummed for a few minutes without moving. Then another red head came into view right behind him!
I'd only put out 2 hen decoys this morning. Even though it was only half way though our season and I'd normally still have a jake in my set-up. This season was different and the birds seemed to be further along in the breeding cycle so I'd been going with only hens for a week or so. I've always noticed that gobblers coming into a set with only hens usually take their sweet time getting to the decoys...these two would be no different!
They preened their feathers, pecked some dandelions heads off, the first birds would strutt and drum a bit. But 10 mins. after they showed up they still hadn't moved a step!
A crow flew over and let loose and I was rewarded with a booming, simultaneous gobble from each bird at 20yds!!! Awesome!!!!!
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Ten minutes later they had moved about 5 yds. closer to the decoys, but they still had about 7-8yds to go before I could even consider a shot.
Again, they just pecked around, preened, the one strutted.....they were still just kinda "hangin out".
Then, about 5 mins. later it seemed they finally either just finally saw the decoys or just decided it was time to go check out the ladies. They started forward......I grabbed Miss Faith out of her holder and readied myself....
Very slowly, and mean very slowly....they walked forward. The lead bird stutting, his "wingman" just staying a step behind.
When they were within 5yds. of the decoys and about 12yds from me, the "wingman" turned around and stood facing back the way they'd just come from....the strutter just stood his ground.
I had a feeling that they were about to head back the way they'd come...hmmm...
So, I leaned over a little on my stool and found that I had a good shot at the strutter, but I'd have to be on the money as it was in a part of the window where a pole and strap formed a small triangle.The shot would also be through a small slot in the tall grass that screened the birds.
Leaning forward,I drew the GT shaft tipped with Chris' 1 1/4" VPA to anchor and released.....
As some of you might remember, I used one of Chris' bh's last year to kill 3 turkeys, and three deer. That BH is headed for the ST. Jude auction. I thought I'd try to do it again this year with the last of his VPA's that I have. If you remember about a week ago I killed a bird, but missed my first shot that was Chris' broadhead. I needed to make this one count!
.....the arrows seemed to strike right on the money! At impact, he rolled and flapped wildly as he tried to retreat....I faintly remember hearing the other gobbler putting as he ran off....the strutter wouldn't make it far, after about 2 seconds and 10yds he was over the rise, the string stopped, and all was silent! Then, a second later he flapped and rolled wildly again, this time back toward me about 3-4yds, and everything was still and quiet again...was it over?
I held my breath waiting for any more movement or sound as I couldn't see him over the rise, but the only movement that came was from the second bird running in to stand over his partner....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040490faithgob2.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040491faithgob2.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040492faithgob2.JPG)
He just stood in the same spot for a minute so I knew it was over, my gobbler had to be dead just over the rise in front of me!
In this picture you can see the grass I shot through and how truly drenched the grass was...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040493faithgob2.JPG)
The little triangle part of the window I shot through....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040494faithgob2.JPG)
I waited about ten minutes for the bird to finally walk off. Even though I was 99 pecent sure he was dead, since I couldn't see him, I slowly got out of the blind, nocked an arrow on MIss Faith, and started forward....
I only made it 3-4 steps and could see my gobbler was indeed very dead just over that little rise in front of me...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040495afaithgob2.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040495faithgob2.JPG)
You can see he didn't make it very far at all...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040496faithgob2.JPG)
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He was wet when he came in, and then when he got to rolling and flopping after the shot he got totally soaked....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040497faithgob2.JPG)
He's a good bird...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040498faithgob2.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040499faithgob2.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040500faithgob2.JPG)
Always nice to have company in the blind...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040501faithgob2.JPG)
The arrow took him through the wing and right in front of the thigh on the way in...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040502faithgob2.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040503faithgob2.JPG)
Exited right on the thigh on the way out...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040504faithgob2.JPG)
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Another view of the set-up....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040506faithgob2.JPG)
The screen of cover that the gobblers where looking through to see the decoys. I think its better to when they don't get a very clear view of the dekes. I think it keeps them wondering...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040507faithgob2.JPG)
Two cut feathers found at the spot of the shot, one cut on the way in(clean quill), and the other cut on the way out(bloody quill)...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040509faithgob2.JPG)
Taggin'...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040510faitghgob2.JPG)
Since the gobbler was so wet when I originally took my pix, I waited a while for him to dry out and went to a different part of the orchard to take a few better pix....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040511faithgob2.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040512faithgob2.JPG)
Miss Faith one last time...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1040513faithgob2.JPG)
It always feels so good when everything comes together and things go just as planned after all the effort....but to do it with Miss Faith and Chris' broadhead makes it so much sweeter....Thanks again for the "company"....
Autopsy later....
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Cool deal!
Congrats again, Curt.
Bisch
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As much as I hate to do it, I know I needed to get Miss Faith packed back up soon to send to Minnesota.
After adding to her "mojo" by taking 2 gobblers with her since she got here in early May....I knew I wanted add just a little more before sending her off.
With the weather forecast for the week, I needed to get on the river this morning.
I left the house and hit the river before sunrise with a single goal in mind....get one fish to add to the Miss Faith "mojo"...anything beyond that would just be a bonus.
It didn't take long...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210204missfaithcarp.JPG)
Miss Faith looking over some prime water...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210206missfaithcarp.JPG)
It wasn't long and I was into another fish..
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210209missfaithcarp.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210212missfaithcarp.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210213missfaithcarp.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210215missfaithcarp.JPG)
This was a nice fat fish!
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210216missfaithcarp.JPG)
I missed a couple more, and lost two that somehow got off off during the fight.
Then I drove to another spot on the river...
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Slower water here, but as i worked the shoreline, I spotted a fish "tailing" up stream right along shore. Tough sneaking in this slow water, but I was just sneaky enough...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210218missfaithcarp.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210219missfaithcarp.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210220missfaithcarp.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210221missfaithcarp.JPG)
As I was untangling line and getting this fish subdued, I saw another fish upstream and I had fish #4...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210222missfaithcarp.JPG)
Another good sneak and I had fish #5...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210223missfaithcarp.JPG)
Looking down stream, working back toward my truck and another fish showed itself. See the subtle ripple and dark spot just to the right of the weeds?
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210224missfaithcarp.JPG)
The shot was good...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210226missfaithcarp.JPG)
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And I had fish #6...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210228missfaithcarp.JPG)
I had Miss Faith rigged with an AMS adapter and Retriever reel...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210230missfaithcarp.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210231missfaithcarp.JPG)
The Fish and Miss Faith...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210233missfaithcarp.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210234missfaithcarp.JPG)
A great way to "cap off" my time with Miss Faith...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P5210238missfaithcarp.JPG)
I promise that I treated Miss Faith with more "TLC" than I've ever showed any bowfishing bow in the past...although a little muddy, she's none the worse for wear.
She's cleaned up now and will be headed to Minnesota soon...I'll miss her :campfire:
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Good run with Faith Brother.The Staker bows kinda grow on ya don`t they. I hated to send Hope off after I had her.Sweet bows and a heck of a good donation for the kids.RC
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You bet buddy wasn't long before I was pretty attached to her!
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You fellas have that right ... sweet shoot'n bows !
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I knew about Curts kills...since he called me...but missed Ken's..
CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is just too cool.
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I feel so fortunate to have won Faith in the St. Jude auction. I am patiently awaiting her arrival. Planning to print this thread off and stick in the case with her for my kids.
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Ken, I sent the arrow that I killed the first gobbler with Miss Faith. Enjoy her!!
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Wow! Thanks Curt!
I'll find a special place for it in my room at our new house and send you a pic.
Faith should probably make it to her new home by Tuesday. We'll still have 4 days of our spring squirrel season here in Virginia, so I'm looking forward to giving my K-Mag a break and putting her in the game.
Then it'll be on to a bit of bowfishing and range duty in preparation for the fall.
Ken
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Moving to archives....