As this event starts to time out , it seems we want to turn our thoughts towards the Blessings that have been bestowed on us this season. I guess for me this whole story started to unfold when I first signed into TradGang.com with the user name of “Iron Bull”. With many posts and Many Many FRIENDS made through this site, we are where we are today. Thanks to ALL who have come to share in our adventure.
To say that this season had any one moment that stood out more than any other would be to short change the whole. I would just for myself like to include in this thread a few of the highlights that spawned great and everlasting memories from this season.
The most recent was a E-mail that we received, just last night from a local Trad Gang member.
Charlie and I had the PLEASURE of meeting a VERY fine gentleman named Nate Fikkert at his hunting camp this fall. Nate is a True Trad Archer in ALL ways and we are Very Proud to include him in this camp fire.
Allow us to share this e-mail with ya’all
“Vance and Charlie,
Here are some pics of my buck, feel free to post on the web or just enjoy. A little bit of the story, I was hunting with a rifle toting companion who was out for meat and willing to shoot any buck. It had snowed quite a bit over night and was still pretty socked in when we woke up so we waited until the sun busted up the fog a bit to head out. We still-hunted our way up a drainage together and saw a few deer. I put a sneak on a doe that didn't pan out and we continued our way up. Nearing the top of the basin we spotted a fork horn that was looking intently up the drainage. We then saw 8 cows and calves head up and over the ridge into the next drainage. At this time elk were still my number one priority so I told my buddy to shoot the fork horn and after we had him taken care of I would take up the trail of the elk and try to get one.
He made a great shot and within an hour I was on the trail of the elk. They had headed into the dark timber and by this time the snow was falling off the trees so heavily that I lost there trail. I knew where I was (sort of) and figured I would hunt my way down the drainage and call it a morning. I didn't go another fifty yards when I jumped a buck and a doe. The buck had no Idea what happened and I really think he felt very secure in his bed because shortly after I jumped him I see him working back up the drainage towards me. I knelt down, knocked an arrow and the next thing I know I am drawing my bow and the fletches hit him perfect right behind the shoulder. He went 70 yards and faltered but I didn't actually see him go down, so I made myself wait 20 minutes and after a short trail I found him.
The rest of the story gets long so I will abbreviate it. Turns out I was alot farther from a road than I thought, a bit over a mile to be exact, and if you know the Cliff Creek area at all then you will believe me when I say it was a NASTY mile, cliffs, snow, mud, shale slides, etc. I ended up getting the cape, antlers, and boned meat out in my first trip and went back the next morning to get the rest of the meat. I didn't sleep much knowing my meat was out there with the bears, wolves, and coyotes, but God continued to provide and the meat was not touched and had cooled out nicely.”
Thanks Nate
Topic: The Way West...a bowhunting journey. (Read 67001 times)
