KILLERS at kennym's

[fnshtr]

Really enjoying this thread.

Thanks!

[Jim Brennen]

This is a great thread,thank you

[kennym]

OK , the Arkansas assassins  arrive Friday.

David and Darrell , both have taken deer here and this family has been here for 4 years straight I think.

Was hoping again for the corn to be gone, but its still standing.

Charlie, I'm not sure what the lock slide button does on the SD cards, but think that might be it?

Hope you get your pics back buddy!

[Yellow Dog]

Good luck to David and Darrell. I think it might be a little bit warmer than the last time they were there! Looking forward to the rest of the story from Tracy, Charlie and Curt.

   

[kennym]

I bet it'll be warmer than last time you guys were here, Mike!!  :D

[Yellow Dog]

Yup, Steve and I in October

 

January

 

Just a little bit of a temperature swing, looking forward to the last week in November.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I'm pretty much done guys, I was hoping the other two would have jumped in here by now. I spent the rest of the week chasing does but watching them pass to far away for my shooting. I had some shots at yearling does and button bucks but chose to pass on them.

I heard coyotes every single night sometimes right on top of me but I never seen or had a chance at one and oh how I love to skin coyotes!!!    :D        

Turkeys were much better then when I was there in 2011, I pretty much seen and heard them at almost every sit. I should have taken the time to set up one of my blinds and my AvianX decoys because when I got out my calls they sure liked to talk back to me.

Tracy

[RedShaft]

KS Trapper,
How has hunting low been for you?

I also hunt from low stands.  Not quite that low but around the 10-13 ft range. As long as i get in a group of trees or tangle. I been doing good.

[jacobsladder]

Mike.....if we fall somewhere between -20 and 80 degrees I'll be happy     As long as we have enough ham,pop,and chocolate we can survive anything Kenny throws at us:) Looking forward to it ,

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I really have been hunting that way for a long time, probably 25yrs. I took my biggest buck at 10ft of the ground and a 8yd shot and that was a 190inch booner so it works for me. Charlie Lamb and I were just talking about this while we were at Kenny's.

I don't mind the ladder stands and have been using them the most for years but have no problems leaving the bottom section off too. I like making my own blinds but I like a little elevation, the other thing is since having  my health issues and three brain surgeries I promised my wife I would stay a little closer to the ground until the dizzy spells settle down.    

I'm liking it though and look forward to the rest of the season I've got some big old bucks I'm chasing and trying to out smart.    

Tracy

[Charlie Lamb]

The first time I sat the new stand the wind out of the northwest and running ahead of a pretty formidable storm.

While the winds blew a gale the tree my stand was in was relatively stationary... relatively! The limbs of the closest tree that I coveted for there cover beat against my legs and occasionally catching behind the legs of the ladder.

I had to keep looking over my shoulder toward a green field on an adjoining farm. A heavy trail ran from it and snaked toward my position. Visibility straight ahead was somewhat limited by the very branches that gave me such good cover, but I'd be able to see a deer coming along the edge of the timber if I stayed on my toes.

Somewhere between watching one direction and then the other a slight movement behind the screen of limbs riveted my attention close. Real close.

There through a small hole in the leafy branches I could see an eye attached to a gray muzzle. It seemed to be looking my way so I froze. Though I didn't see how this deer could have seen me I took no chances and held still as a statue.

The small doe had come out of the little trail that was right beside the tree where Tracy had placed his stand. She stood stock still for quite a while trying to decypher what information she could from the howling wind. It seemed to defeat both her sense of smell (I was downwind anyway), her hearing and to some degree her sight.

Finally she stepped from behind the covering branches and moved deliberately toward the trail a mere 10 yards in front of me.

[chinook907]

I hope she keeps coming !    

[Charlie Lamb]

At this point I need to preface the following events with a slight disclaimer.

I've been shooting Hill style longbows for the last few years and enjoying it big time. During that time I had begun using the rubber band/toothpick method of holding my arrow on the bow. It had worked like a champ.

So now I was shooting a Bear Magnesium handle take down that I'd refinished and modified slightly. Instead of attaching a QuickLoc arrow holder or one of the old StaJac holders that I still have a couple of I went with the rubber band method.

This brings us back to the aforementioned deer. Since I suspected the deer might be aware of me I came to my feet with the speed of a glacier in January.

That put the doe at somewhere between 15 and 20 yards and still walking. As I drew the Bear to anchor I let out a barely audible "Maaaaaa". The deer stopped as planned, I settled on a spot low and tight to her shoulder and slipped off the string like a raindrop falling from a leaf.

I knew that arrow would find her vitals. Not a doubt in my rabid little brain. So it was no little surprise when the arrow bobbed up and down while wagging side to side at the same time. Flying like a ruptured duck didn't enhance the arrows trajectory and I watched it nose dive into the wet soil at the doe's feet.

I was exasperated and more than a little confused. The wind was still blowing but the shot had come in between gusts and since I was shooting almost directly into the wind it was hard to believe that had robbed the energy of my carbon arrow.

I left that arrow sticking there in the beans as the sun finally set on my little fiasco. I'd pick it up the next morning. It was punishment for the arrow missing such an easy shot... yes, I'm prone to take out my frustrations on inanimate objects.

The next morning I slipped back into the ladder stand in the dark. I put another rubber band/toothpick on the arrow and hung the bow on it's hanger.

As the light came on I started searching the ground beneath my stand. The rubber band should be laying right beneath me. That's the way they work. You draw the arrow back, the friction of the arrow causes the rubber band to slip off the toothpick and the whole works drops to the ground.

I couldn't see it immediately and finally used my binoculars to look at every leaf and twig below me. Nothing! Finally I widened the search area and spotted the errant arrow holder laying 5 or 6 feet out in front of the stand in the direction of last nights deer. Hmmmmmm??

Suddenly it was like the a light went on and I realized just what had happened. During the shot the damp shaft had pulled through the rubber band without it releasing from the toothpick.
When the arrow was released it shot through the rubber band carrying it along for a few feet.

At the end of my vigil I walked out in the field to retrieve my arrow. As I knocked the mud off the VPA on the toe of my boot I thought that maybe it was me that should have spent the night laying in the mud.

[oldskool]

   

[Guru]

Sorry fellas.....been trying to get things at home caught up with the family....finally got some time today to get some thoughts and pix together...lets get going...

To say I was looking forward to this hunt would be a major, major understatement! But that also came with some mixed feelings....I was so looking forward to sharing camp with my buds....but my best bud Cade wouldn't be going with me....school first!

Being a high honors student, and a member of the varsity golf team(he's a freshman), and playing fall baseball had him very busy...

So anyway, the morning of October 10th, with tears running down my face I said my goodbye's to my family and I hit the road to the airport about 4:30 am...

•  

After about 3 hr's of flying I was in Kansas City, and had my bud KSTrapper waiting on me!  

Looking at him you'd never have a clue what he'd been through since the last time we'd hunted together...he's one tough SOB!

 But at the same time without a doubt one of the best people I've ever had the chance to know! He's one of the few guys I've met that I really, really wish we didn't live so far apart...because we'd be doing about everything outdoors together...

...any way....

We rode along, caught up on some things, stopped to buy our licenses, filled up the gas tank ans soon enough we turned onto the dirt road that would lead us past Kenny's house and to camp.

Just over the next hill...
•  

Charlie and Kenny were waiting for us when we pulled up.

It had been a few years since I'd seen and hunted with Charlie, the man I always refer to as "The living legend".
 Since I met Charlie he's always been one of those larger than life hunters that I always feel "small" when I'm around them. Not sure why either, because he always treats me like I'm something special, but that's just Charlie....he makes everyone feel that way....just the kind of guy he is...

Then the next handshake was a long time coming...

I feel like I've know Kenny for years thru Trad Gang. Threads, private messages, e mails, etc....

We shook hands, and I gave him a big bear hug like an old friend...I already knew this, but over the next few days it became very apparent....I'd just "met" another one of the good guys...

Ok enough of that.... lets go hunting!!!

The first morning I would sit in one of the ladderstands that Kenny had set pre-season.

It was on the north farm, in convergence of several fingers of timber that separate the cornfields...Tracy dropped me off and I made my way down the edge of the cornfield that Kenny suggested. As I got close to where the stand was supposed to be, I heard Charlie putting his was in to his chosen stand(I45)on his 4 wheeler.

I found the stand, and climbed up....beautiful cool morning, light wind...
•  


A couple hours later I hadn’t seen a thing....so I texted Charlie to let him know I would work my way to him around 10:00. I climbed down....

The stand...
•  

On my way to Charlie I saw a few of these...
•  

Soon I came upon the big guy...
•  
•  

My ride back to camp...
•  

[Cyclic-Rivers]

 

Charlie, I tried your tooth pick device this year but I cant figure out how to make it come off when drawing the bow, The arrow just slides through.

Good stuff guys, keep it coming.

[steadman]

" my bud KSTrapper waiting on me!

Looking at him you'd never have a clue what he'd been through since the last time we'd hunted together...he's one tough SOB!

 But at the same time without a doubt one of the best people I've ever had the chance to know! He's one of the few guys I've met that I really, really wish we didn't live so far apart...because we'd be doing about everything outdoors together..." posted by Guru

Curt I feel the exact same. Tracy and I have had a few laughs about the "trouble" we'd cause each other if we lived closer. I have no doubt if it was the three of us, it'd really be something      

A tougher man I've never known for sure! Great story  

[Chuck Janssen]

Keep the stories coming. Brings back great memeories on hunting with Charlie last year.Kenny has a top notch operation there.

[DanielB89]

[kennym]

Hey!! The Big Guy looks to be asleep in that first pic!!   :D