My answer to bowhunting during gun season

[Friends call me Pac]

Since modern gun season is open I packed up and went for a 3 day trip to one of Arkansas’s many fine public bow only hunting areas.  With almost everyone else out gun hunting I basically had this 14000 acre area to myself.  As far as I know I was the only hunter because in 3 days I never saw another soul.

I soon arrived and quickly set up camp.
 

Pat McManus, if you are reading this please ignore my made camp statement.  I know you don’t believe pulling up to a spot and setting the handbrake as “making camp”.    To appease you a little I did take the camper off of the truck.  I also had to back in at an odd angle so I could get this view from my “front porch”.

 


I went to the same spot where I got a nice doe about 2 weeks ago with my recurve.  I had also seen an impressive 8 point from that stand and my hopes were to get a shot at him on this trip.  

 


As I picked the perfect tree I took my climbing stand off of my shoulders and laid it on the ground.  Less than 20 seconds later I heard deer running in the woods but surprisingly towards me instead of away from me.  Three does ran like crazy to within 20 yards of me and stopped.  I was thinking a buck was chasing them as I slowly got my hands on my bow and tried to become a part of the tree I had intended to climb.  I just knew a buck was chasing those does because of the way they were running so fast but alas there was no buck.  The 3 does were obviously in a race to see which one could get to the acorn buffet first.  After a few minutes I was ready for the does to leave but they had other plans.  I had to stand up and wave my arms to get them to leave the area so I could get my climber up into my tree.

Once in place I had a spike come within 10 yards but with our 3 point on 1 side rule I had to let him walk.  I also had 2 more does come in range but with only 1 tag left I was waiting on a nice buck.  Unfortunately, these deer would be the only ones I would see on the trip.  The next two days it was unseasonably warm and the wind swirled constantly.  Still all in all I had a good time and enjoyed my little trip.  Bow season doesn’t end until mid February so I still have plenty of time.    If anyone would like to hunt public land with me you are welcome to go.

[BUFF]

LOOKS FUN...Good luck

[Chris Surtees]

       

[bloodyarrow]

[madness522]

SWEET!!!

[Gaff]

AWESOME DUANE!!!! i love truck campers, i am lookin to pick one up in the near future. how do you like you sun-light? nothing like being able to pack up and drive into your hunting spot, and be cormfortable and warm at the same time....  

[vermonster13]

[Friends call me Pac]

Originally posted by vermonster13:
   

This was my first trip with my camper.  Up until now it has been tent camping.  The slide in is much nicer although getting it back into the truck squarely took a little bit of manuvering.  I'm sure after a couple of more times I'll have it down pat.

This is a Sunlight Eagle RK and I like it alot.  It poured rain the first night and I was perfectly dry as I read a book and enjoyed some hot chocolate. No complaints so far.

[Kip]

Pac looks like a fun time and good trip.One question I did not know you could camp out of the camper just on the small four legs.Is it stable enough or do you have it braced some other way.I like it thinking about one.Kip

[Friends call me Pac]

You are only suppose to use the jacks to raise and lower it.  I lowered the camper all the way down after snapping the photo.  It was about a foot off of the ground but was very stable.  After reading my manual that first night I found out I should have had something under it but by then it was too late to find something out there in the boonies.

Some type of sawhorses or something simular will have to be made or bought for the next trip.

[South MS Bowhunter]

Pac, What was the name of the WMA you were at?

[Friends call me Pac]

I was at Gulf Mountain near Clinton AR but just about every wma away from major cities and the larger towns have low to no hunters after gun season starts.

Bears are there as well and can be hunted.  I was kind of hoping to see one but since I don't know anything about bear hunting running across one would have been blind luck.  I know they are there because the fellow that maintains the wma has a bear trap.  He told me he uses it to catch and remove problem bears from the camping areas and relocates them to remote parts of the wma.

I usually hunt one of the WMAs closer to home but wanted a change of scenery and the long shot at a bear.

[George Tsoukalas]

I feel relaxed just looking at it! Great spot. Jawge