North Dakota Badlands are Real Good!

[smoke1953]

 

 

[Kevin Winkler]

Congrat's Rafael! ....Now that's some good story telling! You had me on the edge of my chair.

Now for the Pictures    

[smoke1953]

Blaze removed for the pictures.

[Kevin Winkler]

Yup.....now that's what I'm talking about!
Whoo! Hoo! way to go    

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Congratulations    

How did Joe B. do?  I am thrilled for you guys. Great story telling Raphael.

[GREATBROWNKNOCKEMDOWN]

I just want to thank Smoke, "Bruce H." and Whip "Joe L. for inviting me and making a dream of mine to go out of state to come true. I also want to thank Bowhuntinfool "joe.B for helping me make the transistion from compound to Traditional. I can never see going back. Want to thank John McDonald for the best longbows around. Dave Ricke for the Knives he made me and Paul M. from badger arrows for helping me pick  properly spined arrows for my set up. And also My Big River bow that i named Indian Summer for Providing 3 deer for me in my 1st year of Traditional Archery.

[gregg dudley]

Congratulations, man!  What an inaugural year!

[Whip]

My evening wasn't nearly as eventful.  I hadn't even seen a deer from my stand, and at dark I headed out to pick up Rafael.  There was a skiff of snow on the road, and as I pulled up to Rafael I noticed the road was filled with his tracks where he had been pacing back and forth.  I thought to myself that he must have been really cold to have been pacing around so much waiting to be picked up.

I rolled down the window and he said "I shot a nice whitetail doe.  She's laying right over here"  I got out, walked up the small rise, shined my flashlight, and immediately saw the rack of a great buck sticking up from the head of his "doe".

The whooping and hollering and hugging and dancing commenced!  What a fantastic animal!  I couldn't have been happier for my brother, and to share that moment with him was the highlight of my trip.  I was so glad I could be there to savor a special moment.  I don't think I have ever been as excited, even over an animal of my own.

[GREATBROWNKNOCKEMDOWN]

The  story doesn't end there, REMEMBER the luck was in the truck!!  Smoke and i drove up together and we drove back together!! And he has got his own story to tell!! ENJOY!

[smoke1953]

I'd been hunting the ground for the entire trip and had many great experiences but when I had the opportunity to hunt a tree that Bowhuntinfool decided to vacate for a new location 150 yds away I jumped at the opportunity for our last evening. Joe Bzura and I headed out early as did all of us that night. Our location was in the Ponderosa Pines about a half mile up slope from where Rafael was about to have his encounter with that real nice North Dakota whitetail. Congratulations Rafael it was a pleasure to be part of that experience with you. We were able to drive my truck about a quarter mile back in the pines and then had about a half mile to walk in. I was carrying my lone wolf assault with climbing sticks
 to the tree location that Joe B new well. Once at the site I could see why it was special. 5 trails appeared to cross in this high level saddle. With the stand secure and me exploring the different shot angles I already had good case of nervous anticipation.

[steadman]

Great story guys! Congrats on a fine buck!  

[Matty]

Thats awesome!!

[smoke1953]

A few hours went by and I decided to sit for awhile which seems to be a mistake in this stand, because the deer are on you in a hurry with no sound as I would soon find out. Later Joe B would tell me that he meant to remind me of that fact. Soon out of the corner of my eye I saw a deer already only 12 yds away to my left.  It was a decent forkie mulie and I started to stand and my ash arrow I had crafted for this trip hit a branch on the way up that I knew I should have removed as soon as I got in the stand. He jumped off the trail hesitated enough for me to get to half draw than he headed up slope and gone. The heart was pumpin. Not a minute later a decent 3x3 was coming down the same trail off to my left and behind. As soon as he got to the spot that the previous deer had moved upslope he thought he would too and that evening ended that way. I was now really looking forward to the morning, our last stand.
On the drive out we met up with Whip and Rafael on the road and had a good old celebration over Rafael's success.

[smoke1953]

The next morning after a proper celebration you would think it would be hard to get up..........well you're right, but we all did except Rafael of course, but he had plenty of work ahead of him since we planned to leave that afternoon. Joe B and I got started about 10 minutes earlier than he had normally left for his stand. I had been used to leaving about an hour later because Whip and I had been doing the morning glassing for the last couple of days so we would enjoy our morning coffee at a leisurely pace. That was not the case this morning. Also it was much colder about 15 with a breeze so the heavy pacs and fur hat were in order and we were off.

[smoke1953]

I got into the stand and sat down waiting for shooting light that was 15 minutes away. Why was I sitting down again. 20 min. had gone by and I was still sitting anticipating how I might shoot at the different approaches that deer come into this stand.  Out of no where in the low light a big bodied tall racked mulie was coming straight in from the trail facing me. Last year even though I got a good shot on a doe I had a high hit on a nice 10 ptr that I never recovered. Negative thoughts began to creep in as this beautiful specimen was moving in but quartering toward me. I would need to wait for him to pass.

[smoke1953]

As he approached the trail that Joe B and I walked in on he got a wiff of a drag rag that Joe had attached to his foot as he walked past my stand. This boy didn't like whatever he smelled and slowly turned to leave giving me that split second opportunity for a more broadside shot. My Northern Mist Baraga tightened in my hand as I squeezed the sap out of that handle and drew the 54# longbow with a 750 gr. white ash arrow and released into the low light conditions. I heard the sound you want to hear as the arrow entered the cavity but I didn't see the track of the arrow. He bolted back to where he came, around a corner and out of sight.

I got down to look for blood in the light snow cover and after a few minutes found blood at 20 yds but no arrow at the site. I climbed back into the stand for a nearly two hour wait.

[smoke1953]

How I didn't see arrow earlier I don't know but after I got down I checked where I shot at 13 yds and there layed a blood soaked arrow. The emotions began to flow but I still had doubts that I shot high. Tracking began and as I turned the corner into the shorter grass the blood was small spatters.  I got on my hands and knees to follow than sat up to look down slope. I see these branches in the distance and continue blood trailing. I look up again at those branches and rise to my feet dreaming that they might be horns..........They are horns! I'm overwhelmed and holding the bow high but couldn't yell because Joe B was hunting nearby. I had done it and like Rafael was overcome with only good thoughts.

 

[gregg dudley]

Great buck!  Cngrats!

[smoke1953]

 

I waited for a couple of hours before Bowhuntingfool showed up to celebrate our last stand bucks to top off a wonderful trip in the badlands of North Dakota with a group of great guys.

[elkbreath]

fantastic!  and great bucks to boot!  incredible hunt, thanks for the tellin.