2012 Season of Dreams & A Journey To The Otherside Of The Rainbow *Taxidermy Update*

[KAZ]

Before I go any further, I want you all to know that I share each and everyone of these harvests to give Praise & Thanks to God for what He has done for me this season. It's been a season full of fulfilled dreams, while yet maintaining harmony @home and I share them in humility. I am nothing special, deserve no focus of attention at all, nor do I crave the Lime Light... Please know that in all honesty. I am overwhelmed at what God did in & through me, and my relationships around me. Ben & I are close and strive to pray for one another, and hold each other's arms up in Faith when it seems tough to do in our own personal lives. In our weakness God is magnified and that's just the way I like it! I surrender.... Ben, thank you for sharing this season with me and I was glad to be there for you!!!! Well done my friend!

[KAZ]

I believe there's a finale coming...... I need to break for lunch and then I'm on it!!!!!!    

           

 

[KAZ]

Back to my "Plan B", but thankfully God's only plan!!!!!    

It's time for Public Land - Wilderness Adventure Hunt  

[Joeabowhunter]

WOW, those does are HUGE!

[KAZ]

As you can probably imagine, I didn't wait until November 17th to go buck hunting, sheesh   :rolleyes:      

I started to get more serious about the buck hunting the last week of October on... Despite hunting on Public Land, I still had high hopes of tagging a mature Iowa Buck and had every intention of holding out for that special opportunity the spurs me in to "Go-Time"... A man's got to dream, right? Generally speaking, I was seeing okay Buck movement at my Urban County spot & on my Public Land Wilderness Hunts as well when I could travel... However most of the activity was smaller bucks, any where from 80-115" or so but just not what I was looking for yet. And I did have a couple of bucks that were larger, say 120-135" cruise by just out of range at the Urban County Spot, but my heart was in tagging a Public Land Wilderness Buck. My rut hunting was broken up right around November 6th-8th due to a business trip in Philadelphia and I was sure longing to be in a treestand. But balance in life is a good thing! And as I've already shared, my cup was overflowing! So, I'd be in the stand and texting my wife about this or that being slow OR a buck came by that just wasn't what I hoped for or dreamed about and she for awhile would say, I hope you get the one you want... I'd say thanks!

Now's a good time to acknowledge my wife as a wonderful gift from God that I cherish. She is a wonderful Godly woman that so desires the best for me and she was an encouragement to me this entire dream season. More often than not she ENCOURAGED me to go hunting and thanked me for my hardwork while home and at work! I praise God for her! Thank you my dear...    , I know that it is possible so for now I'm going to let the moment dictate when & if I shoot!" She said, "okay, I know dear I sure hope you get the one you're looking for!!!!!" Watery eyes.... Wow, what a woman! Thank you Lord!  

[KAZ]

I've always kind of had those words in my mouth about being blessed to see the Otherside Of The Rainbow, meaning the Lord has blessed me with great gifts, treasures of joy, peace, and understanding. This includes some very nice whitetails that I'm so thankful for! Because it's on my heart, it helps me remember His blessings and it wards off the woe is me, and getting too down in the dumps when things in this life are not happening according to my timeline or will... Ultimately I'm better off if I just surrender it all to God...

I had some great encounters with the Public Land Wilderness Bucks but again each escaped with a pass in hopes of realizing dreams that were far more than "settling"... Well for Ben & I things were getting serious and I was feeling the ever looming "cliff" of the lockdown phase! Something I dread. With my small properties (No Food!) and public land, things can go from active to the desert overnight!    We both also knew that it was time to start shutting it down as this pursuit can take a toll on family even if they are all troopers! We love them too much to see them alone while we chase dreams! They need us! That brings us up to the last Hoorah weekend! Ben & I were of like mind that the weekend of November 17th & 18th is time to get it done or shut it down. The season for me was a "Dream Season" already, not quite so for Ben...  

[Sean B]

Hey Travis, it was great sharing hunting camp with you and Jeremiah.  Thats a sweet bow.  I have a long box from the UPS man waiting for me at home!!

Great stories!

[KAZ]

November 17th - 2:30am & the Alarm Goes Off            

I tell my wife, repeat after me! Today is the day! It's gonna happen! You can't get one if you're not out there!..... She's doing it but she's fading!

I then say: Tell me the achievement & satisfaction of accomplishing a goal comes in direct proportion to the effort it takes to achieve it! SHE SAYS YOU'RE STALLING!!!!!!!!!!!!

I said I'm up already, thanks dear I'm going now... May this be the day, I again see "The Otherside Of The Rainbow"! She was out of it and back to bed.  

[KAZ]

Originally posted by Sean B:
Hey Travis, it was great sharing hunting camp with you and Jeremiah.  Thats a sweet bow.  I have a long box from the UPS man waiting for me at home!!

Great stories!

Thanks Sean! You're gonna love it! We enjoyed our time with you as well "Big Bear"  

[Shinken]

 

Shoot straight, Shinken

 

[KAZ]

I begin the trek to Public Land - Wilderness Hunt for the last Hoorah! I'm up, I'm stoked, I'm all in! All three of those songs I mentioned earlier are going through my head! I'm flying with a Heart of Worship! Time to see if Ben is up and on His way to the area as well. I'm packing our personal sweet smelling hocks from the November 15th doe. Well I finally make contact and he's behind a little so I'll not see him at the bunkhouse before the hunt... I needed to keep moving because this was definitely a "Hang & Hunt" situation in a spot that was narrowing down to be a magical triangle for sure..... South East Wind and I'm gonna be on the Northwest side of a bedding thicket in a Pine Tree that I'd have to select in the dark! The Lone Wolf Alpha & 3 Climbing sticks should be the ticket... So I'm loaded to the gills with a turkey vest full of accessories and my "Dream Bow" headed to find the Otherside Of The Rainbow! No matter really, the Owner/Creator/and Sovereign God who holds everything in His hands, including the Otherside Of The Rainbow lives in my heart... I've surrendered, that I might truly LIVE. God is good ALL the time! Even if this dream of a deer never comes to fruition...

So, I strap on the drag rag which has a little premium doe estrus AND my magical November 15th sweet smelling doe hock skewered on it and make the trek in the pre-dawn darkness. The anticipation is great! I walk in the trail that skirts the downwind side of the bedding and amble a little as I get to my stand site... After some hem & haw about the "Perfect Tree", I stop the paralysis and get set-up! Now I'm ready with a few new mock scrapes and scent bombs, One primary that has my doe hock hanging over it!

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

[Chorus]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

I am packed for all day, my wife has me set-up with zip locks full of food, salami, cheese, crackers, protein bars, chicken & rice in the thermos!!! I am here til dark, you can bet on that! Whoops, no water... gulp... My setup is perfect and I'm confident a cruiser will come by eventually, as long as we're not in "LOCKDOWN", uggh don't say that ugly word... I've got the Asbell wool on and my thrifty Gander Mountain Wool Camo Pants, this is gonna be good... Of course at this point my mind is contemplating "settling" with great joy a smaller buck than "Rainbow" status... No need to worry, on this day, there would be no question who was in control of choosing the gift! God himself would rule the day!  

[KAZ]

Text Play by Play:

Ben:
November 17th, 6:59am - May this be the day....

Ben:
November 17th, 7:28am - Two does one spike. Spike is chasing!

Travis:
November 17th, 7:59am - Nothing yet for me... Shoot! Any more?

Ben:
November 17th, 8:01am - Too far, about 100 Everything good?

Nodding off......

Travis:
November 17th, 8:04am - Sweet spot, not perfect stand placement due to early hang but it should work! Sun straight at me!!! :-( Let's put some meat on the pole!!!

Sap Everywhere!!!!!

Ben:
November 17th, 8:05am - Yep yep!!!!!

I was wondering about that........


Travis:
November 17th, 8:39:am
Just smoked a giant!!!!!!!!!!

Travis:
November 17th, 8:40am
Shaking!!!!!!!!!

Travis:
November 17th, 8:41am
Praise God he's down @50

No response from Ben or anyone else for that matter...

Travis:
November 17th, 8:52am
Googly Eyed cruiser! Followed my drag rag in the way I walked! He wasn't in Lockdown!!!! May it happen for you as well!:-)

[23feetupandhappy]

Just as I remember it  

[KAZ]

Text Play by Play with my wife...

I sent her the same texts...

Kristen:
November 17th, 9:02am - Woo hoo! like how big Jer wants to kno! don't bump it mister. Stay put!

Travis:
November 17th, 9:07am - Yep!!!!! I think it's a monster 10pt, not sure if any broken or special tines but a stud for sure... :-) May be way off one way or the other but guess 150"

Kristen:
November 17th, 9:08am - :-) let us kno  & send pic!

Travis:
November 17th, 9:10am - I am so stoked!!!!!!! :-)

Kristen:
November 17th, 9:12am - We r so happy 4 u!

Travis:
November 17th, 9:14am - Thank you, that means way more to me than getting the deer! Watery Eyes... :-) Praise God for this blessing! May the deer be right where I last saw him!

Kristen:
November 17th, 9:16am - Yes and Amen! how long u gotta wait to go c it? what Ben say? r u cold?

Travis:
November 17th, 9:22am - He seems excited but I know it would help if he could get one too!!!!! Pray that might happen tonight... Not cold waiting in stand for Ben. I bet he shows within 30 min, then we track! Left video & good camera at home! :-( Will likely stay the day so I can support Ben & maybe shoot a doe.... We'll see how it goes with recovery & Ben... :-)

[KAZ]

NOW FOR SOME PICS.....................

             

[KAZ]

Ben arrives after I make him sweep wide to avoid spooking my prize  :D  

 

Shot re-enactment just as it was... Notice the crouch & branch in the way! The Black Widow 54" KB "Dream Bow" was divinely brought to fruition for just such an occasion, NO ACCIDENT MY FRIEND!        

 

The view from my buck!

 

[KAZ]

A trick my buddy Ben taught me, subtle at first... As he lay        

 

[KAZ]

Closer as he lay...

 

[KAZ]

Moved for pics!

 

[23feetupandhappy]

 

He wont be the only deer shot out of that stand!!!!