Stoke the Fire!

[jamie]

sitting in the stand. typically i dont last long in the stand and i'll go stalking. this day i told myself to just stay in the stand. 3 hrs later about to lose my mind from boredom and trying not to fling all my arrows at one damn squirrell i hear a grunt. armed with an osage bow and arrows made with stone tools and my favorite quiver made from a deer i killed , i draw a viburnum shaft that is tipped with a deadly sharp normanskill point. now i can hear the brute walking through the leaves. he walks out of the hemlocks roughly 40 yards away. basket rack 8 pointer (4x4 for you westies). typical rack for these woods. heavy body deer. probably 220 dressed. big deer for these woods. now he stops and tastes the air. he's at a fork , right fork will bring him to me at 15 yards. he goes left. i can hear him walking away from me. then silence. back to boredom. oh well at least i got to see him and maybe next.........i hear him again and he's moving fast.  coming back up the trail right towards me. now i had put that beautiful normanskill tipped arrow back in my quiver . i carefully reach in grab another arrow and nock it. buck is coming at a good pace and im trying to pick a spot between the saplings where i should stop him for the shot. i find the spot, bleat , he stops, im so focused my eyes are burning a hole through this deers chest. i draw, hit anchor, feel the string slide from my fingers, watch the shaft fly true right to the spot i was burning a hole through, .................................then watch the only blunt i had left in my quiver bounce of the chest of that deer. was so focused on the deer i never noticed i had nocked a hand carved 3/4" wooden blunt. arrow damn near landed at the foot of my treestand , buck ran 50 yards away and stopped. i sat down , took it all in , watching the buck lick his side, and then started to laugh my a$$ off. had 2 does come in but i was on the phone with my buddy telling him what i had done. by the time i got back home every hunter i knew had heard the story and was calling to see if it was true and to get a good laugh.

quick p.s. that arrow still lays at the foot of that tree. not out of anger. kind of a reminder of that day.

[Marc St Louis]

About 20 years ago my older brother and I were taking advantage of an early archery Deer season.  We had been hunting for a couple weeks without seeing anything so we decided to take a break from Deer hunting.  We grabbed our shotguns and took off for an area nearby that was full of Beaver dams looking for some Ducks.  While we were out there it started to rain so we took shelter under a big Spruce tree.  While we were waiting for the rain to stop we decided to start a small fire under the tree, it had a number of dead and dry branches underneath.  Every once in awhile I would get up and break some of them off for the fire, they would go POP as I broke them.  After several minutes of this we heard a noise off to one side.  We both glanced over and there was a really nice 8 point slowly walking by looking for what had made those popping noises.  He was not much more than 20 yards away and broadside.  I was wishing for a bow in hand and I'm sure my brother was as well.

[Eric Krewson]

Back in the mid seventies I lived in Alabama but hunted land in Tn as well as Bama. Every year we applied for drawing for a bow hunt at an Army ammunition storage depot in Chattanooga. Thousands of acres of fenced in land stocked with blacktail deer as well as whitetails. Some of the blacktail bucks would exceed the word record but being a fenced in area anything killed there couldn't be entered into the record book.

Most years we were drawn for this hunt. We would gather at the office for an indoctrination, and then be asked to forfeit a variety of things including anything that made a flame because there were thousands of bunkers with live ordnance in them on this area. The area was like a checker board of roads, with bunkers in rows and woods between the bunkers and roads as well as small woodlots here and there. It wasn't an easy hunt but was different so we applied every year.

We were pretty green hunters and were bussed out to various locations and dropped off at random. We were mostly recurve shooters, compounds had just come out but only one of us shot one. We would wander around and try to stalk up on deer or take shots and what ever happened by. We weren't very successful and our party only killed one doe in several years of hunting.

On our last hunt on the area each of us were tracked down and rounded up by the area military police. We were given a very through search. I asked one of the MPs what was up, he said someone brought a dead deer with only a small nick in it's back leg, when they searched the guy he had several poison pods in his pocket, he was from Ms where the pods were legal. When they rounded up the whole bunch from Ms they all had pods.

When we walked in the gate the prison sentence for carrying banned substances into the depot were posted in huge letters. I suspect these guys are still in jail.

[Keenan]

Great stories everyone,,,,,Jamie that blunt story had me choking on the coffee   

[Pat B]

Here is another I've told before but...
   At our club in GA I was heading to my afternoon stand. The pine tree I would have put my stand in is surrounded by water oaks and the ground was littered with these small acorns. As I broke into the woods about 100 yds from the tree I noticed a deer feeding under it. I squatted and removed my climbing stand from my back, nocked an arrow and did a short "toot" on my grunt call.  The deer, a fork horn, turned and charged in my dirrection at full speed. When he was about 10' away he turned sharply to my right and lost footing with all 4 feet. He hit the ground only a foot or so from me, quickly got to his feet and was gone.
  In the mean time 5 other deer that I never saw began to run but they went to my left. Without thinking I spun, drew and released on the lead doe. I hear a "whack" and the deer were gone. I went over to see if there was blood on the ground and found my arrow dead center of a 2" diameter sweet gum tree. I was using a Wensel Woodsman(3 blade) broadhead and it was buried half way through the sapling. When I attempted to remove it the arrow(cedar) broke right behind the point. I had to cut the sapling down and split it to retrieve my broadhead.
  Normally I wouldn't shoot ar a moving target much less a running target but instinct took over. I still think if that sweet gum hadn't been there I would have taken the doe. My instincts are way better than any thoughtful shots I've ever made.    This was one of the most exciting 15 seconds of my 30 years of bow hunting. 

[Blacktail]

THIS HAPPENED LAST WEEK END....i went hunting for blacktails in an are that is mixed with pines and oaks...i was walking up a skid road when i came across some fresh deer track..so,i knew there was some deer in the area...the trouble i has was that the wind was blowing at my back side and all so blowing right into the same area the deer went to...after standing in one spot for 10Min's...i heard leaves rustling and deer running my way so i got into the ready shoot postion ...and here they come running in a panice..the doe was the first to show up but right after her was a young forked horn...in this unit of southern Oregon you can only shoot at least a fork on one side...when they came out of the timber and to the skid road they stop because i just walk past that spot and they smelled me...so,the blood was flowing big time in me and could feel my pulse in my neck...the doe picked me up and she went in the same direction she just came from..the fork stood there for awhile sniffing the area then he seen the doe was gone he left too...i circled the area to find them but they must have left the whole county...any how i walked up the skid road some more and then dropped off into a small wooded ravine and i found trails all over in the area ...i decided to just stand by a huge moss covered oak tree and just see what is happening in that spot...so,after standing there for an hour i seen a gray squirrel doing some daily travailing pass me...then all the sudden i herd what sounded like horns banging in the distance..but,i really was not sure if it was bucks fighting or if anther hunter was ratting or even if it was a woodpecker banging on a tree..then all the sudden to my other side i herd the scattering of leaves and the gray squirrel barking...MAN WHAT IS GOING ON HERE...i said to myself...i scanned the area to find out what the squirrel was doing. i couldnt  see any thing happing.so, i turned back to the area of where i herd bucks fight and didn't see or here any thing...i turned back to the squirrel action..and all the sudden i seen it...it was a 20 pound bobcat that chased the squirrel up a tree..and he was walking on a log 20yards away and coming closer...when he got about 15yards away from me he seen me.but,rather than running off he was more curious of what i was...he went behind an old stump and thats when i got my yew wood bow up and ready..so,at 15yards he just stood there checking me out..thats when i slowly drew the bow back..but,when i got half way back with my draw the bow limb hit a branch above me and i didn't get my full draw i wanted and i released the arrow..the arrow went into the stump at 10yards and the cat  just flinch...so,then i just flipped the bow over grabbed anther arrow and then the cat just walked out of range...i tried to do some squeaking with my mouth but he would just stop and look back then walk further out...that was fun hunt and some thing to remember for along time ....john

[stickbender]

     Well a long time ago......in the early seventies, when I was in college, I took up archery, since I had, and still have, a Bear Grizzly, recurve, and thought I could learn to shoot better, and use their targets.  Well I actually got fairly good at.  I would practice at the 25, and the 50 yd targets, till, I was consistently hitting the center mark.  Well, I had planned on bow hunting, that year, but I never got around to it, but the next year, I decided I would go.  Well I go to a place called Brown's Farm, out near Belle Glade.  It was an old Tomato farm, and at one time a bombing range during the 2nd World War.  Found an old Fifty Cal. shell there once.  It was starting to crumble.  Anyway, I get there nice and early, just as the sun is starting to come up.  I seen a few does, but no bucks.  Then as I am coming back at noon to get something to eat, and go to another area, I am saying to myself, All I want is a chance.  Well I no More than said that to myself, when, I see a four point eating about twenty yds. in front of me.  He is sort of quartered, and a perfect shot angle,  I am so excited, I am shaking, and didn't even get an anchor point, and my arrow goes all wobbly to the front of the deer, and he jumps back, and then sees me, and says crap,  that was meant for me, and takes off, well I knock another arrow, and bleat like a fawn, and he stops about fifty yds out, and turns broadside to me.  Well I had done quite well at that range, but then I start thinking, ......how high did I aim at those targets?  It was a year or more ago, So I think well I will just aim about an inch above him about an inch behind the shoulder .  Well I do, and I have a good anchor point, and good stance, and I release the Arrow, and it flies perfectly straight, towards, the Deer, and perfectly one inch above the shoulder, about one inch behind the shoulder, and on into the muck past it.  The Deer, says yeah, right, and down shifts, and I bleated, and then grunted, and he flipped me the hoof, and was heading to Miami.  Well I look for the arrow, and found it, but didn't find the first one., so I go on down the trail to my truck, and about a hundred yds or so, I see this Deer tail, just wagging, and flicking back and forth.  I walk up, and see a young doe eating something, and she is just in piggy heaven.  I read in the Outdoorlife mag, years before about a guy, who watched a South American Indian walk up on a deer in the open to with ten feet or so.  He said the Indian explained to him, that deer, when feeding will feed for about ten seconds, and then look up and if nothing is moving towards them, or they don't wind anything, they will go back to feeding.  I tried this a few years before, and was successful, on a doe, and a fawn, till the fawn saw me move.  I went to another area, and jumped two six points, that a small plane had circled above and dipped their wings to let me know there was deer there.   But they got up and left, and I couldn't get a shot at them.  But I had a great time, I got my chance, but I just was not prepared.  The next year, I found my first arrow.  I haven't bow hunted since then, but I am going to get back into it.  And I WILL be prepared for the next chance,

                                                                             Wayne

[Wolf Watcher]

In the early 70s I was teaching school and coaching wrestling in the little coastal town of Reedsport, Ore.  We had made several bows, strings, arrows, etc. in a volunteer class.  The bow I made was from materials from Bingham Archery which sold at a good price to schools.  I had a tag for Eastern Oregon so I took the Wagoneer and headed for the mountains.  The second day I had found some young bulls feeding on a rocky hill side about a mile across a canyon.  I had already walked a good five miles from the jeep!  By the time I finally made it across the canyon one of the bulls had laid down at the edge of a huge boulder.  What a good opportunity for a good old Indian sneak.  Took about 45 minutes for me to reach the back side of the boulder.  What to do to get a shot?  Dropped my quiver and took out my very best port orford cedar arrow with one of the best jasper points I had ever made.  With much effort I started climbing the boulder with my bow across my back and the arrow in my teeth.  Had to be slow and quiet and prayed the elk would not hear all the grunts and effort and head for the Sisters mountains.  When I was almost able to break over the top of the rock I took the bow off my back and pushed it up and laid it there thinking that when I did top out it would be ready for a quick shot.  Well, I still had the arrow in my teeth so it took it by the flech end and reached it toward the bow.  It seemed to snag a little so I gave it a shove.  I will never forget the noise and shock of the sound the bow made as the point cut the bow string!  They probably heard the it all the way to Bend!  There was no sound of hoofs beats of a very startled elk so I made it up the last little bit and stood up.  There was the bull standing there below me looking up at about fifteen feet below!  He only took a couple of seconds to decide he did not like the looks of me and headed full blast for the big timber!  I did not know whether to cry or just laugh at what had just happened.  With no extra string even back at the jeep that marked the end of my Eastern Oregon hunt that year!  Thats when I started carring extra strings and of course have never needed one.  A/Ho Pokie

[Keenan]

Awesome stories.  thanks everyone this makes for good coffee sipping in the morning.
 
John to bad you didn't get the bobcat.

Wolf Watcher:  Great story, I was also a wrestler and had a jeep waganeer years ago as well. got a good chuckle out of that story. Do you get down around these parts any more.

[Wolf Watcher]

Keenan:  One of our daughters lives in McMinnville, but I never get out that way anymore.  I taught school one year in Milton-Freewater before I went on to Reedsport.  Later I worked as a pipeline welder all over Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Idaho.  I grew up in Cody, Wyoming and thought I was a fairly good deer hunter until those little black tails proved me wrong.  Had to learn to hunt in the rain and was constantly outsmarted by them.  Have some elk hunting stories in the coastal mountains.  You have to have been there to realize the difference in the hunting techniques.  A/Ho Pokie

[Keenan]

Wolf I also grew up in the Valley around Cottage Grove so started out hunting blacktails in the bush. So definitely know what your talking about. Also was a pipeline welder for years and did allot of high pressure and boiler work. Did miles of ex ray certified stuff years ago for hydro plants. Looks like we have allot in common.

[Little John]

          I have also welded for a living since the mid seventys. Prefer plants and stations over pipelining. No special hunting stories come to mind good enough for this thread but have made dozens of bow hunting trips for elk and each one is a trophy in its own. Love hearing other folks experiences.       Kenneth

[Pat B]

Hey Kenneth, how about the one when you had to pack out the crippled grengo! 

[Little John]

Pat is refering to the time when he came out to share a hunt with me in 2006. A great adventure but the eld did not cooperate very well.  I think I got to stalk on cows a couple of times and the poor gringo never got to see an elk but got to run after a bugling bull that had traveling on hiss mind. Hard to catch up to that kind, much better is the  ones that are coming your way and all worked up. Any way the gringo ended up spraining his ankle real bad on about day 3 or 4  and  could barley get around even with a walking stick, probably lucky to get back to camp, so I opted to hike out and fetch a  couple of horses to pack out the gringo and his gear rather than packing him out my self. Only about three uphill miles but too tough for old bow hunters. Pretty sure the gringo is coming back out this fall and we will have storys worthy of this thread. Pat, Kathie sprained her ankle real bad a couple of monthes ago and is just now getting around pretty good on it, says she can sympothise with you.       Kenneth

[Pat B]

Kenneth, I remember you telling me about Kathie but I guess I never replied. I know her pain!  Those sprained ackles or feet take forever to hear. I hope she's doing better now.

...and the horse I rode out on!


...we were down there