Hunting in the 'New Year' @ Solana Ranch....

[Guru]

Com'on Shep...time for you to finish your story my friend......nobody can tell it like you    

[Terry Green]

Hopefully Shep will get in here and tell his story.....cause we got some pics to post!

And....there's still a few more tales to be told...and waiting on another 'installment' by Charlie.

[Duckbutt]

A dilla can tote a snuffer like no big game animal alive.  No dat.  I've proven it many times over.  

[Greyfox54]

I would like to express my deepest gratitude for being able to hunt with you Trad-gangers last week . Due to family matters I got into camp a day or so late and after saying hello to everyone I changed my clothes and headed right out to a stand . Even though I hunted hard I didn't get the chance I was looking for . It's all part of growing up . I've been fortuate to have taken a lot of animals over the years but some of my best hunts have been with Trad-gang . just being in such good company is worth the price of admission . The guys I bunked with , Thomas , Dave , and Randy along with Jeff who was part of our group are the finest , I feel bad I didn't get enough time to spend with the other "Legends " (and soon to be legend Skylar )so I will have to make it a point to go next year . Can't wait , Fred

[Charlie Lamb]

Just been sittin back enjoyin the stories. Looks like I need to catch up.

Always lots of honey do's that have stacked up while I was away. Meat processed and trophys preserved. Projects in the shop that just needed to be tended to.

The second morning was way over the top. I'd been placed at a pop up blind that was tucked neatly into a bunch of cedars at the base of some big oaks.
The pop up had been there a while and the deer were use to it... or what passes for getting use to with these deer.

I'd gotten dropped off early so that the other guys could be placed at their stands before first light. There would be a good 45 minutes before it would be light enough to see anything.

I buttoned the blind down tight and proceeded to arrange my space so that I could operate with the least movement and in complete silence.
The camo net which had been hanging loose from the shooting window was put in place and stretched taut.

Once I settled in it was a matter of staring into the dark interior of the blind waiting fro the dark exterior to get light enough to see.

Finally a faint glow started coming over the clearing. The edges of my shooting window came into focus and out in the gray dawn stood a shape. Indistinct gray against a gray background.

My anticipation had been running high, so I guess it's possible I could have been imagining the shape, but time would show that I was not.
   

[Charlie Lamb]

The deer emerged slowly from the haze of morning into a distinct shape and being. One deer finally morphed into three... all young bucks.

I'd see a dozen more like them as the morning progressed.

At one point a wide racked eight point cruised around in front of me and though his rack was quite a bit wider than his ears, the eight tines weren't more than a few inchs long at best. I watched until he fed away.

I had a doe tag, but the only two does I would see that day would stay well away from the bachelor spikes on the other side of the clearing.
I tried to will the young bucks away, but didn't have much luck in that department.

I was sitting there lamenting not having a shot at the girls when a movement on my left front got my attention.

A high and heavy racked eight point stood eyeing the deer in front of me. I took my bow into my hand.

Once the buck moved into the zone where I'd have to take the shot or pass it, he never stopped walking. If I'd have tried the television bleat noise that the guys use to stop the deer it would have left me sitting alone in the Texas countryside.

He was at the limit of my effective range and especially when I'm shooting through mesh screen... It seems to mess with my depth perception.

I let him walk.

[Charlie Lamb]

Most of the morning passed with the same core group of young bucks hanging around. It was not only entertaining to watch all those deer, it was also very educational.

I studied the vocalizations I heard for inflection and situation. Body language in deer is always capivating and there was a whole lot of that as many deer interacted in this feeding area.

When John showed up to get me the sun was high and the day was warming considerably. I had to look at my watch in surprise. Time had flown away while I sat there enjoying the show.

Back to camp for a great breakfast, a few bull sessions and a session at the practice butts. It all went by quickly and we were soon loading packs and bow for the trip out to our stands.

I was once again placed in a pop up blind but in a different location than the morning.
I'd have a good hour wait until anything showed this day and as I recall I had about a half dozen young bucks in front of me for most of the evening.

I was getting eager to shoot something and was really hoping a doe would get close enough. That just never seemed to be the case.

I had figured that I'd rather shoot my first shot at these deer at a doe to see what all the string jumping fuss was about.

I made it until the third day and finally had a nice fat doe and yearling feeding on my side of the clearing. I was hunting the first pop up blind I'd been in.

This time the young bucks were on the other side of the clearing and the does were on mine. I studied the largest doe for quite some time and actually had her at 12 yards broadside, but I ws fighting off the temptation to shoot and scare all the other deer... in case there was a big one near by.

Finally when the doe had fed out to almost 20 yards I decided that I wanted to shoot her. What the heck! I reasoned that I had two days left to find a buck.
I prepared for the shot.

I had a nasty sharp Magnus I w/bleeder on the end of my arrow and 625 grains of carbon arrow pushing it. It's a reliable combination that's worked well for me for years.

There is a great freedom of movement in a pop up blind. I took full advantage of that fact and stretched into a relaxed full draw.

I took a little longer at anchor than I might otherwise and concentrated low at the very bottom of the chest. I'd been practicing that shot and had it down pretty good.

The arrow slipped away at the perfect instant a lazer straight flash of white fletching against tan hair... and then she started her boogy.

[bowhunterfrompast]

 to all.

[BowHuntingFool]

What a great read, I love threads like this! Congrats to everyone involved!

[Charlie Lamb]

In that instant when the arrow should have hit right behind her shoulder the doe went into hyperspace.

For a moment the earth stood still and I watched in slow motion as she dropped a full body depth. The arrow spun harmlessly over her shoulders.

But in that moment of movement, a head and neck appeared behind the doe. I'd thought that all was clear behind my target but obviously I was wrong.

With deer literally going in every direction the intended doe's partner flashed out of the melee', her right front leg hanging useless... and setting new land speed records on three legs I might add.

I sat alone in my blind, amazed at what had just happened.

[Charlie Lamb]

That was about it for the evening. I figured it would be. I assembled my gear in the blind and waited for the troops to arrive.

When they did I pointed to where I'd last seen the doe and Michael was on the blood trail almost instantly.

John turned out "Stubby", his little Jack Russel mix pup. Without a sound except the tinkling of the bell on his collar, Stubby caught up to and passed Michael on the blood trail.

Soon we spotted the reflective Trad Gang wrap on my arrow. Somehow it had pulled out of the wound. Evidence suggested that this wouldn't be a long tracking job.

With little fanfare,but a lot of praise the little dog soon was standing on my prize. We'd have found her by blood alone, but this had been good practice for the dog and speeded things up for us considerably.

We took her photo and headed for camp.
 

[Charlie Lamb]

Post Mortem of the doe showed that Big Magnus I w/bleeder had passed through the meaty part of the shoulder, busted a couple of ribs and trashed the lungs.

An interesting phenominon that I've noticed many times before is that an animal that whirls at the shot like these deer (apparently what I thought was a stationary deer was in motion when the arrow hit.) is that penetration can be impeded. When you think about it, it makes sense.
The momentum of the arrow is overcome by the momentum of the heavier deer and it changes direction suddenly, sapping a lot of energy from the arrow.

What also impressed me was that this animal was hit solidly in both lungs, yet was able to run for at least a hundred yards if not a little more. Incredible will to live.

Along with that will was almost surreal lack of blood on the ground from what was a very good hit. It was as if the animal constricted all of it's muscles to prevent losing any blood.
 Sign on the ground was minimal through out the length of the trail.

[Guru]

 


It was so cool having one of bowhuntings true living legends in camp with us.  Now I'm sure Charlie will deny that, but for those of us that know his backround, and know him personally, and have had the pleasure of sharing a camp with him, will all agree it's 100% true(no matter what he thinks ;^)!  And let me tell ya, if you think reading one of Charlie's stories is good, "being there" when he speaks of a hunt, the detail and the twinkle in his eye is touching and something you'll never forget.....luv ya big brother    

I hope we can do it again soon......

[Terry Green]

Thanks for starting my weekend coffee off right Charlie....  

[Toklat1]

Looks like a great time had by all  

[Shaun]

Here is one with a smile

 

[vermonster13]

[Chris Surtees]

Great stories everyone keep them coming  

[SKYLER W]

[d. ward]

What a great thread guy's this is what its all about...bd