Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Autumnarcher on November 01, 2010, 06:50:00 PM
-
A few short days had passed since my retirement party, and since I had that whole work issue out of the way, the fall air was calling. My gear was loaded, food packed, broadheads sharp and the boat was ready to go. So, last Friday I pulled out of my drive to again meet the challenge of hunting The Island. I pulled away from the dock just after sunrise, motored across a light chop and easy morning breeze, arriving at my destination without incident. The 4 mile run in the early morning light was invigorating.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/autumnarcher/1023000810.jpg)
I quickly unloaded my small boat of its burden, and got busy setting up my camp.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/autumnarcher/1023000910.jpg)
While setting up my tent, I met a couple guys who came out of the woods behind the tent, both with brand new crossbows slung across their backs. One of them had shot a doe about 75 yds behind my camp, and they werent the most friendly fellas, asking me all sorts of questions about how long I was going to be there, did I hunt here much, and told me several times how long they have etc etc, all the while looking down their noses at my longbow leaning against the tree. they soon enough left, and fortunately I didnt have to deal with them again.
I returned to the task of making my camp ready for a week of hunting.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/autumnarcher/001.jpg)
The Island is among several as part of a state game area more popular for duck hunting, although they do hold a fair amount of deer. It is public land, but access to it to hunt is tricky as the island is surrounded by shallow and rocky waters, just itching to trash your motor. Along with that, there are the usual dealings with other bowhunters, and in this particular trip showed that trad hunters are distinctly different that some of our wheel-bow shooting counterparts.
Sunday started out quiet as well, so after lunch I scouted a new area, a slight ridge littered with acorns and a few scrapes here and there. Further snooping around led me to a grassy pocket of cover, surrounded by a line of thorn apples, and more oaks raining acorns. I also found an old stick blind, which I decided to hunt that evening after hanging my treestand in another spot.
About 2:30 I headed back to the blind, only to hear another "bowhunter" whistle at me as I neared his setup. He had come in just prior to me, and set up on the ridge, about 100 yds from the blind. I cut a ide circle around him, being as quiet as possible and slipped into my blind.
He proceeds to stand up and start yelling and cursing at me, then pulled his treestand and walked over to me and started screaming and yelling about me hunting HIS area, then left, walking a 100 yd radius around me yelling stomping and making an embarrassing spectacle of himself.
I told him I had cleared out the blind that morning with plans to hunt there, and if he had just sat quietly , we wouldnt be any bother to each other, but he wouldnt hear any of it. Yeah, we were fairly close to each other, but he was on the ridge, and I was below it. I had not other close option for the evening, and when I cleared the blind and trimmed a few shooting lanes, he was no where to be seen. How wasI to know he was gonna set up there later? Oh the joys of hunting public land.
-
What an outfit. Hap
-
It was a shame you had to have that kind of nonsense going on to spoil your day. But you did the right thing not confronting him and going down to his level! Hope you have better things happen in your retirement!!
-
The Island consists of around 400+ acres of mature old growth oaks and maples, fairly open forest with some grassy patches, marchy areas, subtle ridges and soft bog areas. LOTS of acorns, looks like there was an acorn blizzard.
As I walked around, I was impressed with the massive size of some of the blown down old growth trees.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/autumnarcher/0012.jpg)
This one here is my finest stump shooting trophy! The pic doesnt do this tree justice, the massive size and length of it was impressive. Im more than certain that this tree was a young upstart long before the fur-trader era. I wonder if any of those old trappers ever sat in its shade resting their tired feet. I wondered if there were any musket balls buried deep within its mass from the wars of the early settlers of this area.
-
Deer activity and sightings were few and far between, warm temps during the day, along with high winds and an unreal mast crop all combined to add up to slow deer movement. The rest of the trip provided no other encounters with other hunters, and I pretty much had the place to myself. The high winds and storms did leave me stranded a couple extra days, as the water was far too rough to navigate in my small boat.
The trip ended bad as my motor would not start, and I had to be towed back to the launch is some rather turbulent water conditions. That is a whole other story, but we made it back safely.
All in all it was a tough hunt, with plenty of challenges aside from the hunting. I never loosed an arrow, other than a few judo tipped practice shots here and there. But the relative solitude, remoteness and challenge of such a solo journey all combine for a good experience, even if nothing goes right. You learn a little about yourself, you test your skills and your fortitude, and depend on no one but yourself.
I'll take that kind of hunt any day.
-
The main point that I got out of your story is, that you still had a pretty good time. I wish I could be like that under those circumstances. The nice part of having to stay a few days longer is, you didn't have to worry about getting back to work and you enjoyed yourself. I liked reading your story, thanks for sharing.
-
looks like beautifull country and you had an awesome camp setup.i like those tepee tents.
-
That tent is awesome. I had a very cozy camp, and with some of the weather I had, I spent a little more time in camp than I wanted to. It got cool, rainy and very windy, so I just fired up the woodstove, put on a pot of coffee and read a good book, listening to the waves pounding the shore.
-
Nice story.I enjoyed it.Thats a very interesting place to hunt.You know how to enjoy your retirement it looks like to me!
Shoot Straight
>>>--------->
-
Thanks for sharing your camp with us. Looks like a great place to be.
-
Sounds like a cool adventure John. Enjoy your retirement - take it from me, you will have the time of your life ;)
Nice tent :thumbsup: :goldtooth:
-
Awesome story, and the camp looks great.
-
I live near Bad Axe Mi., we have a lot of state land with the Verona game area and rush lake area, needless to say I avoid all state land for the reasons you mentioned. I helped a local farmer for years and developed a friendship to hunt his land, as well as a small acreage of my own. I would find a local farmer you could work a deal with for hunting, I would love to hunt Rush lake, but I really don't care to deal with the public. I almost gave up hunting because of all the clowns out there, but I now found the traditional way and people who are my kind of people / hunters.
-
Sounds like a good time outdoors! Definately an adventure.
-
Great pics! Sounds like a very unique hunt. I love the looks of that camp! Thanks for sharing!
-
Nice pics!
Thanks for sharing.
-
That looks like a great camp.
It must be nice to retire and be able to sit in a nice camp with the coffee on and wood in the fire reading.
My time will come....
-
So much for the big tent theory- sounds like a perfect storm for a trad only season. Enjoy your retirement.
-
Funny thing aboutthis hunt is, yeah I had to deal with a couple of idiots the first couple days. Thats part and parcel of hunting public land. But in reality, they didnt ruin my trip by a longshot. After Sunday, I never saw another person. In Michigan for public land, thats unheard of. Geez, I've run in to as many hunting the Gunnison Natioinal Forest in Colorado.
But lets be real- when you hunt public land, you expect to run across others. If you are gonna let that ruin your trip, you're setting yourself up for disappointment every time. I just try to be mindful of their hunt as well, and do my own thing. If they want to be a jerk, then thats on them. I don't hunt public land here a lot, but from time to time I do. I just roll with it.
-
Is the island in Lake Huron?
-
what bow is the one on the pic?
-
Cool thread! Thanks. Nice bow.
-
The bow is a thunderstick MOAB 60" 57@28". HArd hitting deer killin machine.When the deer cooperate that is.