A few friends get together for a hunt

[Friends call me Pac]

Buckster, Caleb (Rogers) and myself set up a hunt for the weekend.  The plan was to arrive Friday afternoon and hunt until Sunday around lunchtime.

We picked a local wma that was central to us but only I had hunted this wma before.  As a matter of a fact I killed my 2nd trad deer on this land 2 years ago and hoped for another one.

After showing Buckster a spot to check out I stayed at camp to get things ready.  Camp set up went really quick.

 

I wanted to impress my buddies with my amazing skills with the dutch oven.  What could it be?

 

Think they will like this if I don't burn it.

 

[slivrslingr]

   

[Huntschool]

Heck Pac, I thought when ya took the top off it was gonna be "four and twenty black birds...." LOL

[Friends call me Pac]

Chowder (Buckster's tracking dog) decided to stay at camp with me.  He did give me his seal of approval on the roast.

 

The next morning I rode with Caleb so we could try and find a place for him to hunt.  A tornado went through this area last year.  I am looking over a huge portion of land that had been blasted during the storm.

 

Well my roast went over great.  I was very happy with how it turned out.  The next night Buckster treated us to tuna steaks.  It was absolutely fridgid so we crammed into the camper as best as we could for supper.

 

[Friends call me Pac]

After a fine meal we got the fire going.  Now it was time for tall tales and whatnot.

 

Chowder decided to come over to the fire so we included him into a group photo.

 

I'm getting ready for supper.  I'll be back in a bit with the rest of my side of the story.

[kennyb]

Looks pretty cool to me, Pac. That's how I'd like to spend part of my retirement years too!
Cannot tell who's who in your photo's, except your 4 legged buddy! lol.... I'm lovin' it!  

[LONGSTYKES]

Looks like a great hunt, hope you all enjoyed the time together. I like onions with my roast. Don

[Frank V]

Looks like a great time to me.
Frank

[Tajue17]

thats a darn good time right there,,,,, my friends used to do stuff like that until everyone in the whole group except for me just decided to STOP shooting,hunting,trad shoots..  

1 died, 1 got in a bike accident, and 7 just quit stickbows like it was a fad..

Point is--> cherish that stuff and save those memories I wish I did.

Pac,
Good job with the dutch oven....I had one just like that for years.  I was lucky if I didn't burn the food.

My brothers and I have done this together for many years.  Glad they stuck with it because my experience with my ol' huntin buddies was similar to Tajue17...one by one they all dropped outta sight.  Times like those are are priceless!

[joe ashton]

lucks like fun..

[ArkyBob]

Looks like a good time pac.  Hope to get togather again some time.  Maybe after duck season is over, sometime in Feb?

BOB

[gregg dudley]

Cool man!  Tell me about your truck camper.  I have been thinking about one for a little while now.  Make?  Model? Vintage?  Pros/Cons?  

Gregg

[Mudd]

   

[VTer]

Any "after its done" pics of that stew? Looked like a good time.

[Wannabe1]

No better way to spend time around a camp fire!      

[RC]

Looks like a great time.RC

[longbowben]

Looks like a great time.Thanks for the pictures

[Gen273]

looks like fun!

[Friends call me Pac]

This is my part of the story.

I met Buckster at the wma entrance and he followed me to the camp spot.  Then I hopped in his vehicle and I directed him to a spot that was very thick and I have seen deer there several times.

Once we got to the thicket he went down one side and I went down the other.  I wasn't exspecting to see anything but I brought my bow with one judo for stumping and I also had two broadheads stored in the skookum quiver.  

As I causually walked through the woods I caught movement coming my way.  I didn't really pay much attention to it because I just knew it was Buckster.  But heck no it wasn't him it was a big doe trotting along straight to me.  I dropped the judo and was grabbing for a broadhead when the doe finally saw me and kicked it into high gear.  She crossed about 20 yards beside me and at warp speed I never had time to put the broadhead on the string before she was gone.

The next morning I rode with Caleb so I could show him the lay of the land and help him find a spot to hunt.  We went to the area where I killed the doe with the recurve two years ago and I showed him some green food plots.  As he explored them I went to the area where I had killed the doe.

As I easeed along I heard a slight noise in the briar thicket.  Just then I saw 3 flags as the deer ran to safety.  If those deer had kept their cool I would never have known they were there.

After making a huge circle I was back at the truck where Caleb was waiting.  He had also seen deer but that's his story.

Today was our last day to hunt.  It was realy cold and the winds were blowing hard.  I went to my stand and after arriving I put on three wool sweaters and a vest.  By 10:00 I had seen nothing, not even a squierrel. I had enough and climbed down.  

As I was packing my climber away Caleb walked up and said he had the same thoughts.  He didn't know if we were going to hunt this afternoon and had left his stand in the woods at his spot.

I asked for his keys and promised to have the truck warm when he got there. I was freezing and didn't secure my stand the way it should have been.  A buckle on my backpack was steadily clonk, clonk, clonking as I made my way back to the truck.  When the truck came into view I also noticed 2 deer about 30 yards from the truck.  I had to laugh but kept saying that figures.

Once everyone got to the truck I had the heater cranking like I had promised.  We piled in and drove back towards the camp site.  As we drove along one of the guys said they just aren't moving today.  At that moment 3 does and a real nice 8 point bounded out of the woods and in front of the truck.  To add insult to injury we could see the camper about 300 yards away.  Like I said that figures.

Buckster had to go home but Caleb and I planned to hunt this afternoon.  We packed up camp and had a couple of hours to kill so we attempted to get some green wood to burn so we could thaw a bit.  All we got was some smoke.  At that point we decided the best thing to do was to head home.

I personnly believe it was a good choice to come on home.  An hour after pulling into the yard it started snowing and it is still coming down hard.  Last week I was bragging about how it was 70 degrees and today we have a blizzard.  Like I say that figures.

I know I had a great time.  Hopefully, the other two guys will tell their part of the story.