Good morning....
Wheres my
....
Well I met my friend Chuck at 8pm at his place.
We loaded up the bows and such into his boat one of those nice Aluminum Tracker boats....
I brought along "Just Passable" my Hill bow it's 68" long and 52# @ 28"....My arrows where 2016's with 125grn Snuffers....
"Note to self need more Arrows"
Chuck only lives a couple miles from the launch ramp, For those not familiar with my area, I live close to what is called the San Joaquin Delta (think of Mekon Delta) and ya get the idea....There is approximetly 1000 miles of waterways, Sacramento River and 100's of what we call sloughs, small rivers....
We launch the Boat and where only about 10 minutes out and we see the first Beaver....My first shot I missed just over his head....Now keep in mind that almost all shots the Beaver are swimming, not fast butt they are moving and the boat is moving and the Boat and the Beaver are not always moving in the same direction....
OK good thing is Aluminum Arrows float, So after the missed shot I retrieved my Arrow....
I started this nite with 9 Arrows I have 2 good ones and a bent one left over....
Some tid bits to think about....
1) Beavers are tought sum of a guns
2) Beavers bite thru Aluminum Arrows like a match stick....
3) Beavers are tough suns a guns....
4) Beavers sink when they die....
5) These Beavers are not the cute little Beavers (more on this later).
Ok I missed the first one remember this is the Instinktive Archery at it's best it's dark out there on the river....
I want to explain something befor I finish the story....
Beavers out on the Delta are a pest, they are just a big rat, they dig up the leveys and cause floods....So please don't chastise me....
I'll explain the game plan with Beavers, you Arrow one and then hope he will head for the shore because he's a mammal and fears drowning....
Did mention these thing are tough and have a strong will to live, they do not give up the ghost easally....
Ok where were we....Ok I missed the first one it was'nt long befor we spotted the second one I think he was swimming just ahead of the boat and a little to the right maybe 5-6 yds away I shot this one just below the head and the Broadhead makes a sound like hitting wood our meatal there skulls are like a Bears very thick...I think this one somehow Bit off the Arrow....And I think I put another one in him butt he got away in some Tullies (cattails)
A little later was no. 3 we saw....It's hard to keep them all straight they kinda blend in after awhile....I remeber a couple of them, that after I arrowed them we got close enough for me the grab my Arrow, I remember once thinking about grabbing the Beaver, Butt I decided that I like all the fingers that I have....
Note to self....We need a gaff hook.
Ok... we decided that the next one that I Arrow we will just follow it close and hope that it will head for the shore....
We saw another one and Chuck manuvers the boat close to the Beaver and then the Beaver turns back and comes towards us and passes the right side of the Boat at this point I have been shooting them to high, Just below the head our maybe the head because of the angle of the shots....So on this one I think a little further back and as he swam buy I released and got a good hit, a nice body hit sound. the Beaver takes off butt not fast, we turn the boat around and follow close and watch....The Beaver is not useing his hind legs I think I hit his spine and he crawls up on the bank useing his front legs and lays there and gives it up....
I just got my first Beaver and he is a whopper....We put a rope around his chest just behind his front legs and tye him alongside of the Boat....
It's anout Midnite now and we have been at it for 4 hrs, and for us CA guys it's cold, just above freezing....
I arrowed 3 Beavers and recoverd 1 not a bad percentage....Chuck told me some times they recover very little of them and sometimes they recover a lot of them it's the luck of the draw, So I did well with the 1 in 3....
Things to remember is when you spot them all you see is the top of there head, unless there on the bank when ya see them.
This is instinktive shootin at it's best and it's hard when ya supposed to shoot at what ya see, butt you actualy want to shoot what ya don't see....I must of loosed 10 Arrows are more and I only had one clean miss....
Beavers are a hoot to hunt, we never went to long without seeing one, Once you do see one the fun begins, they swim on the surface for awile and then dive and then who knows where they will resurface, and like I said befor there moving the boat is moving sometimes in the opposite direction....
Things that I learned, need more Arrows, Beavers are one tough animal with a lot of stamina....We need a gaff hook, with a gaff hook I might of recoverd 3 instead of 1....
Maybe some waders will be good also....
Beaver season is from Nov. to March.
And I will definetly go again, it's a blast hunting them....
I want to tell you Guys and Gals how gracious my friend Chuck was...All he did last nite was run the boat, He never took a shot, he wanted to make sure I had a good time....
And I did....Thanks Chuck
Topic: "Wish me Luck" Story & Pictures added (Read 5160 times)
