I drew a multi-season tag for deer here in Washington, so I was out with my new longbow during rifle deer season (Hence the blaze orange vest!!)  I was sneeking into my treestand location when I spied this bear lurking about.  We had a stare down for a

few minutes at 20 yards but then he decided to exit on a trail that took him right past me at 16 yards.  The longbow performed flawlessly and I had my first bear with traditional archery tackle.  My boy helped me finish him off with recurve!!!

Sometimes we get lucky!

One of the prettiest bucks I've ever had the fortune of shooting.

The first 3 and a half weeks of whitetail season here in Oklahoma have been pretty uneventful for me.  Between work, battling the H1N1 virus, building a new home and getting overrun with hogs everytime I try to find a good buck, things have not exactly went per script.  That all changed late on the evening of the 27th however.  The early stages of the pre-rut and favorable weather conditions have had the bucks making tracks of late.  This buck was obviously convinced the little doe he was with was his soul mate.  Unfortunately for him, she didn’t seem to harbor the same feelings and I was lucky enough to be positioned in the right ground blind at the right time.  The shot was a classic; 22 yards broadside with the classic result we all strive for.  Hopefully things will only get better from here!

After a failed first attempt at this particular flock the day before, Sunday Oct. 11th was a different story.

I was hunting some oaks heavy with acorns. Got in one the birds before and set-up my Double Bull before daylight. Heard a bunch of birds off in the distance flying down, and one series of calls was all it took. She was the lead bird that came running over the hill to me…..
The set-up…

Giving thanks….

Going home….

Then the next weekend was our bow season opener. Opening day evening I passed up a small spike then this guy. He walked by at 10yds., then worked over this scrape…..

One of the nicest bucks I’ve ever passed on here in N.Y., but it was opening day, and I knew there were bigger bucks around. Short time later he chased a doe around and she ended up walking right by me at about 10yds. 160 Snuffers are just wicked…..

She ended up going about 70yds after the shot.

Now hopefully one of these guys will show up……

This adventure started when I learned that I had drawn for 7E in Arizona.  I was making plans for that hunt when I got a call from a buddy asking if I wanted to call for a couple of TV shows in New Mexico.  The hunting locations were only six hours apart so it was going to make for one heck of an adventure!  Plans were made, the proper Sitka Gear was obtained, broadheads were sharpened, gas tank was full, time to hit the road!!!  The 28 hour drive to New Mexico from my Washington home (By myself), was boring at best, but the thoughts of bugling bulls kept me eating away the miles.  I finally arrived on the ranch in New Mexico and instantly saw lots of elk.  I got to hunt by myself for the first four days of September before the first TV show rolled into camp.  I called in several small bulls and stalked a few good ones but no opportunities came to be.  The first TV crew I called for was from Inside Outdoors.  I called for them for several days before I decided that I needed to put my Optifade Sitka Gear on again and go hunting for myself (I was only allowed to wear Mossy Oak for the show and I wasn’t able to find any Sitka Gear in that pattern in time for the hunt.)  Because the bugling action was a little slow, I put up a trail cam on a tiny water hole one afternoon.  I checked it the next day and found several bulls were using the water.  The TV crew went with their guide for the day and I settled into my little brush blind for the evening.  I was sitting for about 2 hours when I heard antlers hitting trees behind me.  I looked over my shoulder and saw the rear end of an elk seemingly floating through the oaks.  I got to my knees just as the bull rounded the corner at 10 yards!  The bull was on a crash course to run over me in my brush blind and he got as close as 7 yards before veering off.  I drew my bow when his head went behind a tree at 10 yards, but he heard my cables hit my draw stops on my cams.  He froze for about 30 seconds, and then turned to bolt.  I stopped him with a cow call at 18 yards and sent an arrow into the boiler room.  I shoot barebow so I got to watch the shaft go exactly to the spot I had picked.  The bull went about 90 yards before tipping over!!!!  What a day.  The silver in the Sitka Gear must have worked great because that bull came in 100% downwind of my location.  I called for the TV guys one more day and they finally harvested a bull on the same water hole I was sitting at two days before. 

Now it was off to Arizona.  I picked up my buddy in Flagstaff and we were able to scout the area for one day before starting to hunt.  We located a nice 6×6 and I called him in several times with no shot opportunities.  There were tons of people in the unit and no real way to get away from them but we pressed on.  I managed to call in a bear to 5 yards and a mountain lion to 15 yards.  That was a little spooky, because I did not know how long the cat was there watching me while I was cow calling.  I stood up to walk away and I spied him at 15 yards.  We both walked away unscathed!!!!  With all of the pressure around us, I found the steepest hill with cover I could find, and managed to harvest a 4×5 bull while he was raking a tree.  Two states, two arrows, two bulls, I was on top of the world!!! 

Now it was back to New Mexico for another TV show.  This time it was the crew from Muzzy Bad to the Bone Bowhunting TV.  Upon my return, I found the bulls to be screaming their fool heads off and the calling action was intense.  I managed to call in 11 bulls to reasonable shooting distance of my shooter.  My shooter, who will remain unnamed, missed three bulls and had very close encounters with the others.  I had to wear Realtree for this show and again, I didn’t have any Sitka Gear in that pattern.  I told those fellas if they had been in Sitka Gear, they would be eating elk steaks instead of tag stew garnished with video tape!!!  Both shows will be airing in July 2010, stay tuned.

I hope everyone is having a great season

Take Care,

Joel Turner

While spotting and stalking a cranker mule deer I was presented with a shot at this nice buck as he cruised the river bottom. After watching this buck pass by twice out of range I decided to take a shot if he presented the opportunity. After moving to a bit different location he passed by on a trail at 18 yards. A quick grunt stopped him in his tracks as my arrow broke the shoulder closest to me and exited just behind the opposite shoulder. The buck was down in 40 yards. When things calmed back down I looked up on the bluff to see the mule deer buck still feeding unaware of what had just transpired. He was lucky this day but I have a rifle tag burning a hole in my pocket and I hope to use my archery tackle during rifle season to take him down.

In August I posted some scouting photos from a quick trip down to the infamous, once-in-a-lifetime, Valle Vidal area  in New Mexico.  A buddy and I were fortunate enough to draw tags for the September 16-22nd archery hunt through the buddy application system.  Unfortunately our astounding luck would end there.  We had a great hunt filled with ups and downs, and lots of bugling bulls, but ultimately we returned to Kansas with unfilled tags.  We nearly tagged out on several occasions and had multiple close encounters.  I had an opportunity to kill a bull on the second night of the hunt and to put it bluntly I blew it!  I will save you from all the excuses that I have conjured up in my mind and share some pictures from the hunt.    The Valle Vidal is truely a remarkable place teaming with wildlife and scenic beauty, and it was a hunt of a lifetime that I will never forget.

Spirits were high when we spotted this bull on our drive into the area.

Home Sweet Home!

Bivy Camp: Nearly killed a bull 300 yards from camp.

Optifade worked great!!

We awoke to snow on the last morning. Simply beautiful!!!

A poor substitute, but at least we didn't leave empty handed...

Just returned from New Foundland hunting woodland caribou.  The weather changed more often than any other location i have ever been.  The stormfront jacket and pants were perfect.  Saw lots of caribou but never any of the big stags that i was hoping for.  Great hunt, now its on to whitetails!

I really like Alaska.  It is not as remote as the Yukon, but it is GIANT and diverse.  This is my fourth trip to Alaska; this is also my first time hunting with a guide and the first time I have come back without my quarry.  Alaska law states non-residents must hunt Dall Sheep, Mountain Goat, and Brown Bear with a licensed outfitter/guide.  That is a shame.

This Brown Bear hunt was a last minute cancellation type deal.  It taught me that the next time I hunt with a guide in Alaska, it will again be for Brown Bear, but there will be a TON more research!

In the future, I will look back with some regret, but will build on it and remember the new experiences and habitat I encountered.

Cessna 185 taking off from the beach

Loading up for the 5 mile raft trip to spike camp.

The weather was pretty rough, but a good test for the Sitka Gear.  My old DownPour Pants and Nimbus Jacket performed flawlessly as expected.  I have never seen this much rain for this long.  It poured rain for 3 straight days and I sat and watched for bears from 7am until 8pm.  The creek we were set up on rose 4 FEET while I was there!   You have to expect that in S.E. Alaska.

Not the trophy I was planning on bringing home!

One new piece of gear that worked exactly as I expected it to was the Kelvin Jacket.  That baby will keep you WARM.  I used it one afternoon under my raingear after I was thouroughly chilled.  Almost instantly after I slipped on the Kelvin Jacket I warmed up…even my feet in my not so insulated hip boots.

I was treated to some beautiful Alaska scenery and counted up to 21 different mountain goat from our river/creek overlook:

Goat Central!

Not a bad view from the blind...