The road goes on-Moderator Meltdown

[Terry Green]

Hard for me to tell how far I was zoomed in....but it ended up not being enough.....

I really enjoyed watching Guru stalk....with the wind and the little trees blowing, it was quiet celestial.  It will be a memory I'll look back on as a perfectly executed stalk....and glad I got to witness it.

The shot looked good to me, expecially with at 160 graind SNUFFER!!!  How that javie made it past 10 yards in brush is beyond me....and we tracked it for at least 50 yard by blood...and that's a lot of blood for a javie.

I'll see if I can get the clip up in a bit...but like I said, unfortunaly, I was zoomed too far out  to get much....and Guru is well hid even though he is in plain sight.

[Alex.B]

It took me a minute to read all seven pages of this thread!!!!...well worth the time. great pictures, especially of Rob's stalk  

[Rob DiStefano]

Hey Alex, the  Pedernal Bowhunts  and the 13,000 acre Laguna Ranch are just amazing! - you gotta go down there for a bowhunt!

[Randy Morin]

Good stuff Guys, I enjoyed the read!!  

[Rob DiStefano]

Moderator Melt Memoirs - SATURDAY a.m. 5/27

Around 6am or so the hunting party camo'd up again, 2 and 4 person groups formed, and JC rode shotgun to Terry while Kevin and I rode the back seats of our big Ford truck rental.  We headed back to the hub area, look for new signs of game and to get ready for the morning critter movement - at least that's the way the last Texas Sweat happened, where game was abundant in front of and behind vehicles cruising the senderos.  We drove around and around, hitting lotsa different senderos and sprinkling corn on key road areas.  

Nothing.  No hogs, no javelinas.  Hmmm, what's going on?  The March Texas Sweat was like "Javie/Hog Central", with bustling game literally everywhere.  Well, back in March it was very hot, very dry, and no rain - that probably kept the game on the move, making lots of treks to the watering holes.  Here at the end of May, there was lots of water left from an unusually heavy 5" rainfall a few weeks back.  With water just about everywhere (and we saw that for a fact), the critters just didn't have a need to constantly move.  At least that's one logical theory.

On the way back down to the fenced and gated hub area, one of the fellers spotted a big jack rabbit hopping about a very sparsely bushed open but fenced in area.  JC got out and began a stalk around one side of the field whilst I stalked close the fence area.  I saw three jacks in all and though they were nervous about the truck, I don't think they spotted the hunters that exited and were on their trail.  Two jacks got wired and hopped off in spurts of high gear while one big feller hung out around some of small bushes, "hiding out".  I stalked him and got pretty close, then he got nervous and sped off to my right and settled down next to another small bush.  I stalked him again, keeping low to the sand, watching where I put my hands to avoid any prickly stuff.  Again he took off, this time to my left, about 25 yards away.  I used a low bush for partial concealment, drew back an already nocked shaft, took careful aim and he jumped the string - and I mean "jumped!" - dang, those jacks are *fast*!  My consolation was a good feeling of a pretty close stalk on that jack, but no meat for camp.

We got back into the truck and drove a short way, past the hub gates and fences, and spotted another jack in yet another fairly open field.  As I recall, JC and Kevin took off together, scouting around the fences, while Terry and I took off after that lone jack.  I got the honor of this stalk as well, while Terry was snapping pix, and eventually I crept up to less than 20 yards, with the jack just behind a small bush.  I drew back the pre-nocked Hex Pine arrow with Ace Express broadhead, held at full draw while I took careful aim on speck of fur on the shoulder area of Mr. Jack that was visible through the brush, and released.  Close but no cigar as the broadhead deflected off a bit of the bush.  I stayed down low and made no other movement.  

The jack bolted to my right, over a dirt mound and under a barbed wire fence and into an adjoining fairly open field.  Down low on in the sand, I could just about see his ear tops over the long mound of dirt that held up the wire fence.  He was a good 40 yards away, and I started yet another down-low stalk that eventually got me again within 20 yards of the jack.  I drew back the wooden shaft, and my aim was dead on as the arrow sailed right through where the rabbit was - yep, jumped the string again.  JC and Kevin had just entered the field from my right and witnessed the disappearance of the jack.  Again, another good stalk, but no kill, so the day ended for me at: jack rabbits 3, Rob nada.  

There were some shots on jacks and bunnies, but no game was taken, and as the super hot sun started burning holes in our bodies we mounted up and wheeled back to camp for some late morning vitals, and get rested up for the evening adventures.

[Terry Green]

Since I had limited out at TX Sweat on javies...I made it a point to try and get everyone on a stalk...and an opportunity for a shot....and I got to enjoy that more than once with more that one hunter.

I got to watch Rob put his sneak on those 3 Jack Rabbits...and even though he hadn't hunted in a while, he showed NO signs of rust.  He's a sneak in the brush let me tell ya, and he's a heck of a shot.

I also got to witness Curts javie stalk as I mentioned earlier and then there was Rabbitman's....

Dick and I had been checking some areas in a frantic pace....just knowing javies would show sooner or later in one place or another....and we finally ran into them.....

This was a great 45 minute stalk....Dick was in the lead and I was following filming.  When the javies would scurry down the road in high gear, I would then get ahead of Dick and try my best to find the quickest route in the brush to catch up...then Dick would take the lead again.  this scenario took place at least 4 times. Lots of excitement and anticipation....and so many 'almosts' it wasn't funny.

Luckily through some pretty aggressive maneuvers, we were in position when they decided to call it quits in the road and move off into the brush....Dick was set up, and got a shot but it sailed right over the javie's back....he almost got a second opportunity on the trailing javie...but he veered right and didn't come out behind the shrub as his buddy.

I had a plan for hogs if I got the chance to hunt one evening alone......that story will come later..I'm behind on clips and pics of other's at the moment......stay tuned......

[cjones]

Terry,
You can see my arm and the top of my head in one of the earlier pics!  :D   I didn't mean to be camera shy, i swear.

[Rob DiStefano]

Moderator Melt Memoirs - SATURDAY p.m. 5/27

Much to my delight I paired up for the evening with Curtis and we drove out to the "corral" site.  We parked in sparsely bushed open field next to the fenced in areas and scouted around a local pond.  It was early and there were rabbits all around so we decided to bunny hunt while waiting for the real evening action (we hoped!) to arrive.  

We shuffled through the more open thorn bush and cacti areas and Curtis smartly whacked one dumb bunny who thought sitting under a prickly pear made him invisible.  Then he shot at another bunny, and skewered it through the butt and out the shoulder using a 3 blade broadhead.  Now, that rabbit took off like bat outta hell and was gone in a New York second, lost in the bush.  By all that's logical, that rabbit should have been dead as the arrow had to have penetrated all the vitals.  Yep, darn tough Texas rabbits all righty.  

This particular area was a meeting place of a North/South and East/West senderos, and at that juncture was a fenced in corral area to one side, and a fair amount of near open ground dotted with a few small bushes on the other side, which is where Curtis had parked.  Looking way up the North road, perhaps way more than a thousand yards away, Curtis spotted a huge lone hog feeding right on the sendero and he decided to try for a stalk, while I began a walk towards East on the adjoining sendero in an attempt to find game.  

I paced off no more than 50 yards when I spotted 2 hogs near the top of the road's highest crest, I guess about 300 yards away.  So I started a stalk along the North side of the East/West road, sneaking from bush to bush, and thankful that I was downwind as there was a goodly breeze directly out of the East.  At about 150 yards away, the bush on my stalking North side of the sendero ended in a large, low spit of sand - no cover at all.  Across the road from the sand area was an opening in the barbed wire fence and it looked like the bush on that side was sparse with room to maneuver around the thorn bushes.  I watched the hogs and when their heads went down to feed on the road corn I hunkered over on all fours and slowly 'grazed' over to the other roadside.  It worked perfectly and the hogs weren't the least bit concerned.  

However, after about 30 yards the sparse bush on the road's south side closed up to wall of thorn bushes.  Not good.  Now what to do?  No choice, I had to cross back over the road, and get past the 20 yards of open sand and over to the bushes just beyond it.  Again, watching the hogs, I kept my head down and slowly took my time to cross the road - if I saw the hogs look up, I froze, and when their heads went down or faced away I continued the long shuffle to the bush on the other roadside.  I was lucky and made it over without alarming the piggies.  After another 50 yards or so I noticed there were really 5 hogs, a big black boar, a black spotted brown sow, and 3 gray little piglets - all feeding on the corn we'd spread out on the way down to the coral.  

Well, with about 60 yards left to go, the sheltering nooks and crannies of the bush finally gave out on the North side and I had to make another diagonal move across the sendero where there were two small branches of mesquite bush overhanging the fence and about 3 feet into the road.  By now the daylight was giving way to the low evening light, and that coupled with being downwind allowed me to once again cross over to the other side and the safety of the bush.  

The last 40 yards of the stalk were painfully slow and took the better part of nearly a half hour.  With the light almost gone, I was less than 20 yards away from the sow, who was right in the middle of the lane and a bit higher than my position as she was nearer the crest.  I could make out her outline and see a bit of her hide as I drew back the Hex Pine arrow, picked as small a spot as I could imagine, and released.  A spark flew up on the trail as the arrow deflected off a road rock and skipped off to a tree base.  As best I can gather, the arrow went just under the hog's belly.  I kept my hidden position as the whole hog family lit their afterburners and skidaddled off.  

While I was crestfallen over the blown shot, I was elated on the long and successful stalk - it was a thrill to get so close the game.  Walking back to the truck I found Curtis smiling - he had watched my stalking action after returning from his hog stalk.  As we drove back to the ranch house, one thought kept looping in my gray matter - I'll be back!

[Guru]

This is good stuff,great getting more details on the hunts!!!

.....My time hunting with Terry was done,as I would switch partners again for the morning.The few hours I had with Terry were great,despite what I put him thru.Terry's as "real deal" as it gets!!

...The am would find us having a quick "breakfast"

 

....Today it would be myself,and the "hog killer extrodinair" !  The one and only "Littlefeather" himself. Before the hunt we talked about making sure that we at least get a little hunting time together.It was a long time coming.

When I got shot(almost 3 yrs. now),Curtis was one of my biggest supporters thru the whole ordeal.From that we've formed a strong cyber friendship.For almost 3 yrs now he's been trying to get me down to Texas to hunt with him.This would be our time!!

 We corned a few senderos,then started great morning of still hunting.At first we were hunting together,and quickly encountered a couple bunnies.It took us a few shots to settle in,and soon Curtis had a couple bunnies.Despite what he may say about his own shooting,don't believe it,when it comes to killin' critters,that boy gets it done!!    Curtis has an eagle eye.......

 

  So we separated and each work a diff. side of the sendero.It was cool looking over and seeing Curtis ghosting thru the brush,occasionally hearing that Horne bow pop a bunny,or hear a little grunt when he missed.

 CK saw a bobcat that was actually on my side of the sendero,but because of the brush,I never knew it was there.It was a big one,with nary a spot on it,Curtis said. I did finally see one javi down a huge sendero about a half mile away.The wind was wrong,I'd have to go around it,get past,then come in from the other side.Odds where way against me,as it looked like it would be gone at any second. Ck said..."your call,go for it if you want".  Since it was the only one I saw all morning,I had to try.

The javi was swallowed up by the south Texas brush before I could get anywhere near it.It was sure worth the try though.And I did see a velvet buck while trying to get into position.

 Here's a video of the famous Dung Beetle aka "turd roller". Ck and I laughing like little boys.....Ya just can't help it watching them things!!!

 

 

 All said and done we had a super morning,and had a bunch of bunnies to show for it.This pic was a long time coming .......

 


I'll be back with another video of a special gift for Bob Walker    

[Littlefeather]

Sorry I've been slack on my telling of this tale. I'm swamped at the moment. Well told guys. Brought back some memories that I was overlooking.
I wouldn't have traded this hunt for anything.
 CK

[rabbitman]

I was teamed up with the "hog killer extrodinair" on Sat. morning. We made the rounds dropping corn as we drove the roads and just got to know each other a little better.  CK and I had been having a running dialogue by email and such...    ..so I knew we would hit it off just fine. we spotted a group of javies far down a sendero and formulated a game plan.  After checking the wind CK let me out as we approached the group.  He drove on through them as they scattered to both side of the lane. I hurried and got within 40 yds. of where the critters were last seen and duck in about 8 yds. off the road behind a big prickley pear.In a few moments a large boar came back out onto the sendero and started munching corn and moving in my direction.  I had never seen a javy up close before and this guy was working his way into bow range quickly. I had the wind and was on my knees waiting for him to close the final 10-15 yds. where he would be in the shooting lane I'd chosen.  I could feel my blood pressure rising and thought I heard my heart beating in my throat. Wrong! I was hearing some noise alright...it was a small javy that appeared out of nowhere about 15 yds. downwind of me.  The runt making noise and hackling up alerted his big buddy that something wasn't quite right. The big boy couldn't see me but decided he was better off in the cover and turned left going off the road.  I had been facing away from the boar, waiting for him to pass, so I twisted my upper body, looking back over my right shoulder and came to full draw as he stopped behind a bush.  We had a mexican standoff for a few seconds as I believe he saw movement when I drew the bow. He finally started moving again and I released the arrow and missed just over his back.  I sat there dejected and cursing my luck as the perfect set up had been ruined by a pint size javy's nose.  I then saw CK approaching and I started laughing to my self.  The man had been sneaking through the thickets and brush with his shirt off and carrying "Hope", the righthanded Horne bow. He reminded me of a Native American stalking throught the cover. Wish I'd had my camera.  The rest of the morning was slow but it was a pleasure spending that time with Curtis.  He sure taught me alot about south Texas hunting in a short amount of time.

[Rob DiStefano]

Moderator Melt Memoirs - SUNDAY a.m. 5/28

My first day hunting with Charlie and boy was I stoked!  Hunting with the Master, how cool is that?  We saddled up in Charlie's truck and took off ... yep, back to the corral.  On the way we checked for signs, and corned the sendero.  I told Charlie of my stalk there last night and that I was hoping those pigs would come back.  We parked nearby the coral, in the more open area, and since it was pretty early we cased the place out and did a bit of bunny hunting.  I think Charlie got at least a few, I didn't connect on any.  

Charlie wanted to go up the North/South sendero, where Curtis had been, and I'd walk the East/West road, looking for a return of yesterday evening's hogs.  We parted with much hope, and I started slowly walking the North edge of the road, wind in my face out of the NorEast.  I didn't get very far when I spotted a large black hog maybe 500 yards up on the sendero ridge, rooting around the road corn.  I started my slow stalk East.  The hog seemed a bit jittery, wandering all over the ridge area - sometimes in view, sometimes out.  Then another fat, muddy black hog stepped out of the bush onto the sendero about 100 yards or so closer to me.  I slowly continued my downwind stalk and a good 100 yards or so from the first muddy black hog, but he lit out back into the bush.  I managed to get a little closer to the high ridge hog, but was stopped when I hit that open sand pit area and had to cross the sendero to the South side, under the barbed wire fence.  

I could only go so far and hit that wall of bush.  Drat!  If all that dense spikey bush wasn't there, I'd be able to creep in real close to that pig for a nice shot.  He was still up on the ridge, but also seemed a bit jittery.  So I made a decision to see if I could hack a crawl way through those pricklies and get closer for a good shot.  If only I had a pair of cutters (mental note: NEVER go on a SoTx hunt without pruning shears!), so instead I used a nice new Helle knive to slowly whittle off thorn bush limbs and make an entrance into that living hell.  

Approaching the brush wall I saw a fat bunny at its edge.  Arrow to string, string to eye, a fine loose and the deed is done.  Surprisingly, that was a fairly quick kill.  But I wanted bigger game and had that hog on my mind, so I draped the bunny over the fence post and continued to hack out a sendero side trail.  After about 20 yards, the bush wall gave way to a small game trail the pigs and javies used to travel South to the pond near the corral.  I just about crawled to within 30 yards of the ridge - just in time to see the black hog trot off into the bush.  Dang!  Well, at least I now had a private side road to wander up and down the sendero in seclusion, and it was downwind all the way.  

I squatted down low and eased over to the strung barbed wired, stuck my head under the bottom wire and took a look Westward, down the sendero ... a javelina was grazing the road corn a coupla hundred yards away!  I scooted real fast through my private trail way and as I neared the feeding javie I could hear it snorting while it crunched away on the corn kernels.  Ever so slowly I stalked closer to a thorn bush that grew around and through a fence post and barbed wire.  20 yards, 15 yards, 10 yards ... soon I was no more than 7 yards away from the jet black javie boar, who was facing away from me, slightly quartering to the right.  Kneeling on the ground, keeping my eyes barely covered by my camo cap, making ultra slow movements to lift up my bow arm, clasp my tab around the 14 strand Dacron string, getting ready for the draw, totally focused on the javie's rib cage just behind his elbow, when ... I heard a coyote call coming directly from across the sendero.  

A real hoot 'n' holler followed, with at least a few coyotes screaming and crying.  Didn't seem to bother the javie much at first, and I figured to give it a few seconds to settle back down to corn munching and maybe it would offer up a bit better side shot when, zing! the javie's back neck hackles went up and he wheeled around and quickly scooted *towards* me, under the barbed wire and on the other side of the thorn bush.  He ended up about 25 yards away under mesquite, but was nervous and agitated - I quickly drew back, took quick aim, let fly.  Too late, that critter was off and running and the shaft ended up in the mesquite, right where he had just been standing.  DANG!  

I waited a bit, then got up, shaking my head.  I was so close to this javie that I considered it dead meat, a done kill.  Now, nothing left but the vivid memory of a good stalk.  Heart wrenching, I tell ya.  I walked a hundred yards or so back to the corral area, checked out the "tank" again for sign, walked over to the field, watching Charlie do some "bunny roving".  Charlie had an idea, a haunt to revisit, a pond where he had harvested a big hog during the last Texas Sweat.  

A short ride later we parked off the main road, went over the wire fence and took a slow walk down to the pond.  Along the way we took some shots at bunnies and Charlie connected with one and propped it up in a tree by the pond for picking up later.  I circled around to the South side and slowly walked through the brush when 30 yards ahead of me a big ol' black hog came crashing through the brush, fleeing the pond and scooted into the bush.  I continued to scout around that side of the big pond while Charlie worked the pond's ridge dam.  I found lotsa signs and trails - this place is in constant use by both hogs and javies.  

I circled back and caught up with Charlie who had just sighted a javie cruising below the ridge, but no luck to draw it out in the open.  We stalked around, sighting a few bunnies, walked back to the truck and drove it past the gate to the pond, and Charlie began setting up a still hunt area right at the pond's edge, under a large tree.  In the meanwhile, I was back at the truck, dressing out Charlie's rabbit.  Charlie keeps a cooler full of ice and after dressing out and watering down a bunny, he slips it into a ZipLock bag and stows the bag in an ice cooler.  I like that!          

It was getting late, around 11am, and we drove back down to the coral sendero and corned the ridge.  The evening's game plan was for me to work the corral ridge while Charlie still hunted in his spot by the pond.  Okay, back to the house and get some good lunch!

[Charlie Lamb]

Rob... great tale telling!     I think I'm caught up with ya and will continue my own tale in the morning.
Terry get's fussy if he doesn't have new hunting stories to go with his morning coffee.    :D

[JEFF B]

HEY  REAL GREAT HUNTING GUYS YOU ALL DO A FINE JOB OF TELLING US ABOUT IT. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS GOOD FUN THANKS FOR THE STORIES. AND PICS          

[Guru]

......Curtis had something up his sleeve for a special gift for Big Bob Walker.He showed me what he had,and I added a thought that might enhance his "package".A quick search and we had some "enhancement"          

 So back at camp we found out that Bob had been successful,killing a javi with a very well placed shot.....congrats again bud!!

We all got together and had brunch,and swapped stories about our morning hunts.Then it was time for the presentation...........turn up your volume

   

[Ray Hammond]

Curt, I may be using the photobucket wrong, but every time I try to play your videos it asks for YOUR photobucket password.

[Charlie Lamb]

It turned out that I wasn't much of a guide as far as getting Dick on a Javelina or hog. I guess that's the way it goes, but it sure could have gone better.

Danged if I can remember what we had to eat when we got in that night, but I do know the bottled water caught hell. Turned out to be the hottest day we'd had so far and even though we hadn't spent much time out in it, I was feeling the effects.
With darkness coming so late now, it was nearly ten o'clock before we were finished with supper.
A little story tellin and I was more than ready to hit the sack.

Most everyone who goes down to Texas hunting will ask this question. "What about snakes"? Seems you hear and read every horror story ever told about snakes down there and how they're behind every cactus.
I have to admit that when I first started hunting Texas it was on my mind... a lot! But over the years I've become comfortable with it and found to my intense relief that snakes WEREN'T laying around everywhere with dripping fangs,waiting to murder me.
Matter of fact, I've only seen a few (mostly killed by others) in all the years I've been hunting down that way. Hell, I finally killed one of my own this year during the Texas Sweat and I'd gotten to where I kinda wanted to do just that.

But it does pay to be careful and I guess that's where this is going. Walking over to the bunkhouse at night I'd be sure and have a light with me. Shucks, I could see the bunkhouse just fine from the main camp house, but it was plenty dark and I sure didn't want to step on anything squishy while making that walk.

No. I never saw a snake going from building to building and that's just fine with me. My point is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of antivenom in my book. Same goes for out in the bush. Just watch where you are going to step and don't stick your hands or feet anywhere you can't see and you'll be fine.

Curt was still in turkey hunting mode, so he became the official Mod Melt alarm clock. The boy was awake at 4 o'clock each morning and made sure we were all  stirring in time to get a snack and out the door.

Javelina hunting can be a leasurely pursuit because they don't seem to be stirring all that early, but hogs demand rising with the chickens or Curt Cabrera. That makes it pretty cool actually. About the time the peak hog time is over, the javie action is just starting to roll.

Rob DiStefano and I teamed up the next morning and headed out to the area he and Curtis had been the day before. They both had plenty of action from what I'd heard around the dinner table and since I'd had zero, it sounded like a good plan.
With just enough light to see by Rob and I rolled into the junction of two major senderos and parked the truck. I'd take my little stool and head one way and Rob the other.

Except for a few rabbits for the cooler, it was a pretty nonproductive morning for me. That figures! Curtis had seen javies all over this same sendero the day before and a nice enough hog to make him take a really long walk. I saw zip!

Back at the truck I half expected that Rob had had the same experience. Not so. He'd gotten in on the hogs he'd seen the day before and had a jolly old time. Not to mention putting the whomp on another fat bunny.
 

[Charlie Lamb]

Yes folks! A full blown frontal photo of Rob "Admin" DiStefano.

Very quiet and unassuming, he's very knowledgable (been at this stuff since Hector was a pup) and shoots a mean stick.

I thought I was gonna have to rough him up to get this picture. He may be a touch camera shy.  :D

[rabbitman]

You are a story teller extraordinaire Charlie.  Don't beat yourself up because we couldn't stir up any game during our hunting time together.  It was a pleasure just spending the time with you.  Besides, this hunt was about all of us getting together as much as trying to kill something.  Although I was one of the older guys on this hunt, I was at the bottom as far as stickbow hunting experience.  My prior hunts have been whitetails out of treestands.  The handfull I've killed have been in the 8-12 yd. range.  I sure learned alot from you, CK and Terry. Thanks Charlie!  The first evening I was with Bob Walker and we saw some game at a distance but coluldn't get close.  We did end up slinging arrows at a few bunnies but that's it.  Didn't matter, Bob's a class act and an outgoing fun loving individual.  Listening to him laugh on Curt's video says it all about Bob.  I already talked about my hunting time with CK and Terry.  I sorry we didn't have more time as I didn't get to hunt with Guru, JC, Rob or Kevin but did get to spend time with them in the evenings and during afternoon breaks.  All are unique in there own way and all fine individuals.  Can't wait to hunt with this group again and by the way...CK...don't worry about the shopping bags...what happens in Texas stays in Texas.  

[Charlie Lamb]

With the morning heating up, Rob and I threw our gear in the truck and headed for a spot that I'd been wanting to check.

I'd done quite well on a small pond near the entrance to the ranch during the Texas Sweat. It had always showed me javelina's and I'd taken a pretty nice hog there as well.
When Andrew and Chris Kinslow hunted it, they too had had action with Javies and Chris arrowed a hog there as well. I had high hopes for it.

Considering the heavy rain the area had received a few weeks prior to this hunt, I shouldn't have been surprised by what I found when Rob and I walked in there.
Like all the rest of the ponds I'd seen, this one was brim full as well.

I had a good idea where I wanted to look for fresh sign, so we approached the water I split off to the right and Rob went left.
I slipped along the top of the pond bank, keeping an eye open for the javies I hoped were somewhere near... it was that time of day.
As I approached the end of dam a movement off in the brush below me brought me to a hault. A lone Javelina was walking through a clearing in the cactus some 25 yards below me.
I waited until he'd gone behind some shielding brush and moved quickly forward, thinking I'd catch him coming out the other side and with luck, up toward where I waited.

I guess he had other ideas, because that was the last I saw of him.

A quick inspection of the head of the pond where the water pinched down to a point showed lots of hog sign and some javie sign in the hard packed dirt. Fresh deer tracks in the mud at the waters edge showed that most of the animals in the area were using this point to access the water and would make it a near perfect ambush spot. I went to find Rob only to find him easing toward me along the dam.

We held a quick conference and Rob headed back toward the truck while I prepared a spot  to hide during the evenings hunt.
I found the perfect location under the spreading limbs of a large tree at the waters edge, not 15 yards from the point of most sign. A steady wind blew quartering toward the far end of the pond, so I was covered in that regard.

A little work with saw and rachet pruners and I had a perfect hide out.

Now all I had to do was wait for evening. Rob met me on the walk out and we returned to the truck... and then retraced our steps to recover the rabbit I'd shot and had stashed in a dead tree on the way in. Duh!!

Back at the camp house we shared the morning's adventures with the rest of the gang and filled empty bellies with more great chow.
I was planning another siesta for the mid day hours, but like the day before, a practice session broke out.

I'd suspected that my brace height was too low and had accounted for some erratic shooting the previous day, so I twisted the string up a few turns and joined Curt and JC to pound the block target  a little while.

Now I can tell ya, that when you're shooting with those guys, you'd better be on your toes. The boys can shoot! Throw Terry Green into the mix and you'd better be having a good day or they'll leave you crying in the dust.
The minor equiptment adjustment helped me in that department and I felt I was at least holding my own when the shooting started.

It turned out that JC was having a slight equiptment malfunction himself. His arrows were going pretty close to where he wanted them to, but the arrow flight was ratty to say the least. That wouldn't do for Joe and as Curt and I retired to the air conditioning, I noticed that Joe had come back out and was busilly pounding arrows into the target.

He would find the problem in his new shooting glove and fixed it when he returned to shooting his old retired glove. That simple switch cleaned up arrow flight to it's usual lazer like performance and Joe was once again laying them in there.
That's probably a good thing for me. Joe's a drop dead great shot!