The Adventures of 'Hope' and 'Faith'

[Terry Green]

[Pinecone]

Good deal, Dave!  I tried POCs as well and had the same outcome.  When I tried 35-55 GTs I definately hit pay dirt.  Now, go get after those whitetails!

Claudia

[vermonster13]

I have to wait until Saturday Claudia, but turkeys open the same day and where I'm going has about 150 resident birds! Plus one eight pointer that last years drops were in the 140 class, so I'm Hoping(pun intended).

Terry I need you to give me a call if you can please.

[Horne's Archery]

Claudia,

Congratulations on your deer.  You sure know how to get it done.  Your pup looks like he is having a great time also.


Jerry,

Your 2114’s should fly great out of Ms. Hope.  Best of Luck.

This has really been great getting to watch the adventures unfold.

Mark & Sandy

[BenBow]

Thank you for your generosity and making this happen!

[Craig Warren]

Claudia,

Do you give lessons?  4 hours with a new bow and a deer in the freezer.  Wow!  Congratulations

Good luck to the next in line.  That would be Vermonster13 I think.  We will be waiting for a story.  


Craig

[BenBow]

Craig thankyou for your generosity too. The BowBolt is a slick system.
Thanks to everyone who has made this possible. It's been a blessing to be involved in

[vermonster13]

Today was opening day for deer and turkey archery here. It was a nice 28 out when I left at 5:45am, the moon was full in the western sky, bright enougn to count deer on my way to the farm. I'd reached a bakers dozen by the time I hit my pull-off. Pretty good sign I thought.

Nothing quite like the light of a full moon under a cold clear sky. The air is like drinking cold spring water, it cleanses the soul. I worked my way into the old remains of an orchard that had few apples still hanging and a few oaks and beeches with nuts in the woods around. A regular buffet for whitetails. I didn't even make it to my blind when I walked into the first unsuspecting deer and what do you know she's a bigun. The area hasn't been mowed this fall and there is a lot of stalking cover, problem is while I can see well enough to shoot, it isn't legal light yet. What's a guy to do?

[vermonster13]

As I wait to get busted or for the magic buzz in my pocket to say it's legal, two more deer walk into my killing field. Does everywhere, or I thought they were all does, that changed, but we'll get there in time.

The wind is blowing vey lightly from them to me, so things are good so far, but as the sun rises here, the wind usually swaps directions which is why I like to get in deep and then work my way ouy slowly with the wind at my face again. well I'm in deep at least.

[vermonster13]

I love that time when the full moon is in one side of the sky and the sun is beginning to get ready to crawl out from behind the mountains. The foliage is fast approaching peak up here and for now it is the most beautiful place on Earth. You can practically see God's brush of many colors sweeping across the land. Then the stupid vibrating alarm in my pocket pulls me back to the here and now. Time to make a decision.

[vermonster13]

Well the big one turned out to be a spike which isn't legal here, so I decided since Hope already had a doe under her belt, the first day would be dedicated to either a buck, turkey or bear.

Speaking of bears............

[vermonster13]

After a brief meeting with a fellow who was dragging a treestand in to hang, Hope and I headed down to the barn to meet the owner himself as so far I had only met the son in person. We helped load a wagon with hay bales for a customer he had and made the proper introductions.

His weekend hand was their with his own son who had just finished an archery shooting program in school. Well to make a long couple hours short, he loved Hope and will be attending a bowhunters safety course I'll be doing in one week with his dad, two more added to our ranks thanks to the Horne's beautiful work. So after a littl talking with Mr. Fox, he told he had been having some trouble with a black bear boar that torn up some corn and other stuff on him, said he wouldn't mind it leaving with a tag in it's ear and gave me an idea where I might find him if he was still hanging around. He also told me there was a sow with two cubs so please be sure I killed the right one.

Faith and I walked about a quarter mile into the woods and found a nice stand of Beech Trees with nuts dropping, we took up residence along a rather well worn trail and bided our time.

[vermonster13]

Some of the land Hope is touring with me these weeks.
 
Bears, turkey and deer lie ahead.
 

[vermonster13]

About an hour of watching gray and red squirrels tempting me with easy shots passed by when I heard something coming through the hardwoods below. Out of the thicket comes a bruiser of a blackie, sadly it isn't alone, two cubs about the size pitbulls come barreling out of the brush making a racket that even the squirrels were impressed by. It was a blast watching them and mama at the chowline (times like these I tend to forget how bad a hurting mama could put on me). Eventually Hope and I spend some time watching a half dozen does work the nuts, but no bucks. Sunday is another day.

[vermonster13]

Sunday was another day of does, it was also the last free pass day. The freezer needs filling and the next legal one of size will get the call. Bears were nowhere to be found today and I believe the boar has moved up the mountain from the sign I found and it's age. I found the turkeys on the other side of the road, but so did someone's black lab that was running loose and having a ball in the thick stuff chasing the flock into the next county. We ended the day watching a gray fox make a meal of a chipmunk and putting a mighty chase on a red squirrel. Talk about speed!

Hope and I will make it out a few more times before she moves on. I've enjoyed her company very much so far and I would also like to thank all of you who made this possible. It is a good thing you folks are doing.

[bentpole]

i enjoyed reading that vermonter. With all those critters about your luck will soon change!

[Craig Warren]

David,

Good read so far, but the story needs one of those magical endings that can happen in a blink here in New England so keep at it and and good luck.  I know Hope will do the rest.

Craig

[vermonster13]

Well Hope and I had an hour or so last night and an hour this morning to go for a walk. Last night we saw a dozen deer all on the wrong side of the road(posted and they don't give permission). A flock of about 80 turkeys were on the far end of the cut corn field and there was no cover for a stalk, but we're getting them patterned a bit. We also saw the bruiser and he is quite a bit bigger than last year! He was in the field posted in the last picture above and we caught him in the headlights on the way home. One of my friends has a stand up there but he didn't hunt last night! I haven't broke the news to him yet.

This morning we saw the turkeys in the field the deer were in last night and about 60 geese in the cut corn field, our time was short though as I had to pick my boy up at preschool. The animals are out there, we just need to make our connection.

[JC]

Great updates David! Beautiful pics too...how bout some more of that gorgeous country you're in?

[vermonster13]

 

This area here we can hunt both sides of the road. I'll get more tomorrow if it doesn't rain to much to get good pics. Talking snow late in the week possibly. That will make things real fun, can do some real New England hunting with a few inches on the ground.