Reflections through Sweat (story and pics added)

[Littlefeather]

It seems almost impossible these days that so many years have passed since I looked through the sleet filled night leading into the very first Texas Sweat. That night was cold, windy, and stress filled thinking about the days that would follow. Was everything in place? Did I forget to pack something essential? Would we make it through this trip without hazardous bridges to cross? Well, we made it. Not only did we make it that year but we've somehow made it through numerous Texas Sweats since then. Each year the enormous tasks of lining up all the details seems endless. Sometime I feel that it just isn't worth all the work that goes into this annual event and then as the final Sweat participants head toward the gate in the closing minutes of each years event I know it all was very worth all the work and more.

The origins of our annual pilgrimage all started right here several years ago. I'd been longing for some hunting partners who shared the same fire inside to also share in some South Texas warmth, camaraderie, and hunting. Charlie Lamb felt the same and through this site and your participation it all came to fruition a few short months later. Now we find ourselves with friendships that span the globe solidified through blood, campfire ashes, and a few hard years of Sweat. It would be easy to say that this event was the culmination of a few peoples effort but it has not. This event has been an event built by each and every participant who ever attended, for it would not have been the Texas Sweat without the brotherhood of all those who chose to make the journey. As has been said in another thread, "it's been a way for all of us to gather and share". It's the sharing that's been the tie that binds.

As I close this morning and head back to prepare yet another camp for adventure, I do so with a little sadness. You see, hunting camp is always special but after the comaradarie of Texas Sweat they all seem like there is something missing. A special thank you to all you guys who fill up the roster each year at the Sweat. Without you guys there would not have ever been a Texas Sweat. Thank you very much for the friendships, the camaraderie, and a lifetime's worth of fond memories! See you next year in the Texas sunshine!  Curtis

[JC]

Missed ya the moment we pulled out bro...thank you and Charlie (as well as Pop and Rick) for all your hard work in bringing that together. Once again, you helped make memories of a lifetime....

[AZStickman]

I've really enjoyed the stories that have come from your Hunt each year Curtis and regret a packed schedule has left me no time to come and join in...... Keep it up bud. What you are doing is great and a source of enjoyment for the participants and us on the sidelines as well..... Terry

[Golden Hawk]

This is exactly why I have already emailed CK to tell him to count me in for Sweat 08. I don't care if I have to get there by dog sled.

[Whip]

We attend the Sweat on the premise that we are going on a hunt, but it is far more than that.  The freindships formed over the two Sweats I attended are the real trophies of my trips.  And it has already grown into the sharing of other hunts, including antelope and deer, with more hunts in the planning stages. Those would have never happened if it hadn't been for the freinds made in Texas.

So for me at least, the Sweat has become far more than just spending a few days in Texas during March.  Thank you Curtis for everything you do each year to influence the lives of so many people.

[beachbowhunter]

You said it Joe. Now that this year's Sweat is over, I feel better about not being able to make it. Odd? Well not really. It makes the anticipation of going next year even greater and puts some perspective on my trip last year. This event is one of the cornerstones of Tradgang and a way for our "virtual" relationships to come into reality. I"ve been lucky to have a bunch of very good friends that I've stayed in touch with most of my life. Through Tradgang, I have met many GREAT people as an adult who I'm now proud to call friends too.

Curtis, I continue to be amazed at the energy and dedication you put into this event, Traditional bowhunting and all the other stuff you do. I hope your new boss gives you lots of paid vacation because I'm sure you need it right about now!

Norb

[IB]

For the last several years I have waited with anxious anticipation for my turn.

Returning to the main highway after G2 this year I find my self back waiting with Anxious Anticipation for the next. With 50+ years of hunts under my belt I think I qualify to say that this is The Only camp I look forward to with no reservations.

Curtis,Charles,Deb. and Papa Smurf I count it a TRUE BLESSING to call you my friends.

I know it isn't easy to do what you do, I am truly sorry that a mere thank you is all I can offer up. You were able to JUMP start my 07 season and I THANK YOU from my Heart........vance

[BigRonHuntAlot]

Gary, Rick and Curtis, Many thanks for all the hard work and organization you guys put into the Sweat. Many Thanks for the Positive Friendships you guys made possible.

[hormoan]

It’s a little strange, some of us never having meet. Arrive together like we have known each other for decades. And in ways of old we have, like the mountain men’s rendezvous we come together. And are so happy to see one another. We share the sunrise and mourn the sunset only, as a day has passed. And our days together finally come to an end way to soon. And  we have to resume being responsible and return to our homes and loved ones. But with such bittersweet objections. The joy of sharing the fire I thank you for. And I miss you all, and long for the day we share a fire together again.

Thanks Curtis Please make Sweat 08 possiable & please save a spot for me.


                    Brent

[Charlie Lamb]

I can only echo Curtis' (and everyone else) sentiments about the Texas Sweat. It ranks right up there with the most special hunts I've ever done... for all the reasons already listed.


I'd short stopped my trip to Texas in Oklahoma City to visit an old buddy from my southeast asian jungle days.
It was a welcome respite and the perfect launching point for the run home to Curtis' rancherita.

That would make for a long day behind the wheel, but would quell the twitching anxiety I had for overnighting anywhere near Dallas/Ft.Worth... I was still a little gun shy from last spring's fiasco and passing through that area at 80+ mph. sounded like a plan to me.

 I have to admit that I had a whole bunch of questions running through my head as I traveled south for this annual reunion.

The country was going to be different than anything I'd experienced in Texas to date and the critters we'd be focused on would be foreign as well. I could only imagine.

A whole ton of my old buddies from past hunts would be there for the first segment of the hunt and I really looked forward to that.

The second part of the hunt would mostly be comprised of guys I didn't know except on line and I looked forward to first meetings. Hell, it was all gonna be good.

I knew the country was hilly/mountainous compared to past hunts and that presented a slight problem for me.

During the waning days of the '06 deer season here at home I'd taken a little tumble from the lower section of ladder as I descended from my tree stand one morning.

That fall didn't amount to a total of 3 feet, but it left both of my knees aching very uncomfortably... they were already bothering me before this happened.

Well, I'd finally gotten around to getting something done and had just gotten some orthroscopic work done two weeks before the Sweat.
To say my knees were still sore is an understatement.

I'd do my best, but I suspected I'd be limited in where I could go. That proved to be so true.

CK, Gary, Rick and I got into camp early enough to have some leisure time before the hunt started. We knew that once it was "on", there'd be little quality rest for anyone, so we made the best of it.

Curtis and I got in a little bowfishing and some varmint calling.

We'd been assured that there were no coyotes on this ranch or in the area. As strange as that sounds we could never prove different. We never saw nor heard any sign of a coyote.

Cats, however, were thick. At least their sign seemed to be everywhere. We never called one or saw any indication that we had.
 

(CONT.)

[kctreeman]

Curtis, Gary, Rick, Charlie, thanks for all that you guys did.  It was a great camp and hunt. I appreciate all of the work you all put into getting all the details worked out.  Curtis did you get that bow shooting yet?  Anxious to see how that turned out.  Thanks to all the guys in group 1 for making sitting around camp the highlight of the trip.

[Lee Viv]

Someday!!!!!!

Lee

[3Under]

I've read along with several of your  past hunts. It would be great to be part of a future hunt if there is room for a new face!

[tippit]

Curtis, Charlie, Gary , Rick, & Debbie...

As always this was another memorable hunt!  There is no comparing the Sweat Camp to other hunts.  I sure appreciate all your work getting it together each year.  Can't wait to share camp again next year.  Thanks so much...Doc

PS:  Charlie my knees are still sore too!

[Charlie Lamb]

I understand what you're saying Doc!

For those who weren't there, the whole area was covered with baseball size rocks. Not only was it extremely rough on arrows but it could make coming down (or going up)any of the hills a tricky proposition.

It was found by the first group that a wise man would get off the mountain before it got too dark to see.
A good flashlight helped the situation, but day light was the best illumination for trouble free travel.

During the first hunt Curtis had time to work on a beautiful little snakey osage bow he'd brought.
Actually it wasn't quite a bow when we arrived, but in short order he brought it to a great tiller and it could be properly called a bow.

CK's intent was to use it to take an animal during the hunt, but I don't think he ever got to do that.
He was much too busy killing stuff with the other bows in camp.

This was my first experience being around the Little Delta bow and I can say that it's one cool bow.
I'll take this time to say thanks to Mike "4Nolz" Huston for making it possible for so many to experience this magical bow.

As for me, I stayed away from shooting it. With my gorilla draw length I just knew the bow would break if I drew it and I sure didn't want that on my conscience.

To say I was tempted would be understatement on a grand scale. I really wanted to use that bow... I was just skeered!!    

Then of course we had Hope and Faith in camp as well. These bows have quite a history of their own which is growing even as I type.

They are left and right handed brush bows by bowyer extrordinaire Mark Horne. They've been making the rounds with bowhunters all over the country.

You can read more of their exploits in the thread, "The adventures of Hope and Faith" which appears at the top of this page.

CK managed to secure game with Hope and the Little Delta bow and was attempting to pull off a left handed kill with Faith as the hunt came to a close.

I can say one thing about the guys on the first hunt... they were an ambitious lot. Persistent too!!

The howdy's were barely over before the whole crew was off up the mountain looking for game. And they found it too. I'll not revisit those stories here, but only tip this old bowhunters hat to a dedicated group of hunters.  

[Ted Fry]

I will have to second all those statements , funny I have been on loads of hunts through the years but my time on the SWEAT was by far one of the more memorable , not by the animals taken but the time spent with old friends and new ones that are now old friends. No sooner had I gotten homeand put the stuff away was I missing my SWEAT buddies. Heck I even missed John's snoring and Mel's cussing in the middle of the night because of John's snoring.But most of all the evening around the dinner table sharing the days events. Thanks to all that made this a great hunt.

[Charlie Lamb]

Ted... I sure wanted to spend more time than we did together, but that's kinda the way the Sweat goes. Still good sharing camp with you again and can't wait until June.

I don't think I've mentioned my own personal hell yet.
Seems the wind blows so hard it sucks! That's right, it got to me.

I'd set up my tent down by the river to spare everyone my thunderous snoring and to free up a bed.
The wind was blowing pretty good the day I put it up and with a little help from Curtis and some industrial strength tent stakes, I got anchored pretty well.

What I hadn't counted on was the infernal flapping of tent and fly. Remember how you used to take a baseball card and clip it to the frame of your bike so the spokes would smack it and sound like... hell, I'm not sure what we thought it sounded like, but the tent sounded just like that.

It made for some very long nights. Of course there were the nights that the wind blew so hard that it smashed the tent poles flat and on top of me.
One night in particular it got so bad that I deserted the tent and took my blanky to the truck.
It sure wasn't leg stretching comfy, but it was quiet and secure.

Gary and Curtis can be quite the pranksters too. By the end of the first day I found a liberal helping of corn surronding my tent.

I think they were hoping a racoon would jump in bed with me... it never did.

I did have the opportunity to add a new species to my small game list. Seems there were a number of blacktail jack rabbits on the ranch and I came up on one in the scrub one morning early.
Killed him with one well placed shot... don't know where the other shots went.        

They're not quite as big as the whitetail jacks I'm used to shooting up in Wyoming, but they are substantial bunnies none the less. Broadheads on these dudes for sure.

The bunny list so far is... Blacktail Jack, Whitetail Jack, Eastern cottontail, Mountain cottontail, desert cottontail, and snowshoe hare. With any luck I'm gonna get a swamper this year.  

The first week went by very quickly and before you knew it, the second group was heading in.
That sounds like a good enough place to stop for tonight.

[LUCKY MAN]

Good Stuff !  "Gotta Love Texas"

[Whip]

Will a swamper complete a Bunny Slam?   :D   Some guys go for sheep, some for turkeys, even heard of a ham slam, but Charlie, you might be the first I've heard of on Bunnies!  

[JEFF B]

good luck on the bunnies charlie!!!!