In my last post I mentioned that my son and I were practicing hard in preparation for this shoot. It was an outstanding weekend! The weather, the people, and the shoot were all wonderful!
After not shooting his bow for a week(he was on vacation), he started out a little slow on Saturday and sat firmly in second place in the youth division.
Cade warming up Sunday morning…
I was out shooting all morning Sunday in my competition rounds. But while I was out, Cade did his shooting, and from what everyone and him told me, he’d shot really well and may have moved into first. The results were being tallied, but had yet to be posted.
Meanwhile I’d had one “bad round”, and ended up shooting for 3rd or 4th place in the recurve division with non other that Fred Eichler!
His wife, Michelle(CEO of Muzzy Corp. and the sponsor of the shoot for 29yrs.)had finally dragged him along with her to the shoot. Fred’s had been trying to come for years, but because of his busy guiding, hunting, and filming schedule, he could never get to NY for the shoot…but this year he did.
For those that have never been around Fred, he’s as “down to earth”, and “fun loving” as anyone you’ll ever meet…just a really “good dude”!
Getting ready to head out…
Some of the highlights of our round…
We went back and forth, him starting out strong.Then in the middle of the round, I came back and passed him…
Two pix that caught targets tumbling with the arrows in them…
Fred having some fun with my son…
Fred came back strong, and needed to knock down the last target to tie me and force a shoot off in….. “The Chair”!
He nailed it! It would come down to a shoot off in the chair! All shoot-off’s are decided in the chair which in in a spot where everyone gathers, so there’s always an audiance!
As we approached the The chair, we could see a big crowd already. the shootoff for 1st and 2nd had come down to the chair , they were tied 6-6 as well…we waited….
Then it was our turn. I won the coin toss and decided to shoot first.
I got lucky and drilled it on my first shot…
Fredthen, got his turn to tie, but pulled his shot a little left….what a fun round!
Right after the shoot-off Cade ran down to check out the posted results and came running up to me to let me know he’d come in 1st… how cool! I’m so proud of my little man.
Here’s a pic that Fred wanted us to take…Him 4th, Cade 1st, and me 3rd…good fun…
Cade getting his ribbon for 1st. Standing with Michelle Mussachia-Eichler, Fred’s wife, and the heart and soul of the Muzzy Stump Shoot…..
.
This pretty much sums it up…
.
The “Champ”…
Little Guy:) Shot with the Panasonic around 40 yards.
Well, with several hunts fast approaching I haven’t been scouting as much this summer as I would have hoped, but I have been fortunate enough to see a few potential shooters to look for this fall.
Scouting is a great time to get some decent photos of wildlife. I added some new toys to the camera arsenal for this year and it has been fun playing with them and learning more about manual settings on the camera. I purchased a Pentax PF CA-35 Camera Adaptor that mounts to my Pentax K100D digital SLR camera and allows me to use my PF80ED spotting scope as a camera lens. It is important to have a very sturdy rest for decent pictures. I use a Bogen 3130 tripod head, either with a Bogen window mount or 3221 Tripod. It is a heavy setup, but the majority of our observations are done from the pickup so it isn’t an issue.
I also picked up a smaller “superzoom” point and shoot for using while hunting. It is a Panasonic DMC FZ-35K. It has a 12.1 megapixal camera with a 18x Optical Zoom, ranging from a 27mm wide-angle to a 486mm telephoto. It is a compact little camera that is very quiet compared to a dSLR with a zoom lens. I look forward to using it this fall.
My main reason for purchasing the Panasonic was for the big zoom in a small package. I also have a Sigma 170-500mm lens for my K100D, which is a great telephoto combo, but it is very cumbersome and noisy when trying to take photos while hunting.
I have a ton to learn and have excepted the fact that it will take years to become a good photographer, but it is fun learning. Here are a few pictures from the various options I discussed.
Eastern Kingbird w/Pentax Spotting Scope combo 30-40 yards
Pentax with Sigma lens at 500mm.
Potential Shooter around 150 yards through the Pentax Spotting Scope Combo
As the 2010 season gets reved up and rolling i had a great invite to film Cameron Hanes in the Backcountry of Nevada on a 10 day Mule Deer hunt. I’ve personally hunted Nevada numerous times and enjoyed every minute of it, so my answer was absolutely i’ll do it.
However, this was in a unit in which i didn’t have any experience and didn’t know much about at all. We ended up spending 9 nights and 10 days beating around the wilderness and was hands down the most physically demanding hunt i’ve ever been on.
Pretty hard to keep pace with a dude that runs 100 miles for fun, and i’m not embarrassed to say that he could have walked away from me at any given time. It’s always good to hunt with people you can learn from. I walked away from this experience a better hunter in the end forsure. The majority of our water was gathered from the remainning snow packs and the not so prevelant springs that we came across. I can say that i’ve never hunted with anyone who has the drive and mental toughness of him. I believe his favorite saying on the trip was, ” I think we need to be up on that ridge:)” And up we’d go!
Anyway, great experience and i can say my legs are ready for elk season now. Just a few short weeks away. I ended up loosing about 18lbs on the trip, probably mostly water weight, but feeling good none the less.
Even managed to take pretty good care of my skin at those high eleveations and slightly breezy conditions:)
Happy and safe hunting to all you guys! Good luck out there!
Wanted to bust out a little hike to check my fitness and gear prior to elk season. I’ve got a hot Monroe, UT elk tag burning a hole in my pocket. For those of you who have been to Palm Springs, CA, this is Mt. San Jacinto; the mountain that you look up to, where you can ride the tram up most of the way. We hiked up the opposite (west) side of the mountain. It’s 20+ miles round trip and about 5600 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead. We did 4 miles in Friday evening and then did the summit and back out the next day for 16+ miles. Beautiful weather, but it was a bit hazy up top. Otherwise it would have made for better pictures.
I just wanted to share an experience I had in January of 2010. Actually, it began in 2008 with a recommendation from a close friend. He suggested that I look at hunting desert bighorn sheep in Mexico with Ty Miller of El Fuerte Outfitters. My buddy had recently returned from a successfull archery hunt in the Baja peninsula and was adamant that I investigate my possibilities of doing the same.
Since a desert bighorn tag is extremely hard to draw in the states, I talked myself into booking a hunt for 2010. Ty allows two other people to go along at no extra charge so I invited my buddy, Jake, to go along also. After all, it was he whom recommended the adventure. He readily accepted and in January we found ourselves in Mexico on what would be a hunt-of-a-lifetime for me.
When we landed in Loreto, we were met by one of our guides named Victor. Victor drove us some two hours south to a camp that was positioned on a beach. It was very luxurious to this Iowa boy. The temperature was around 75 degrees in camp which was nearly a 100 degree change for me because when I left the Omaha airport earlier in the day it was -15 degrees.
pic from above our basecamp on the beach
Jake and I settled into camp and I set up an archery target and took some shots to make sure I was still accurate. We ate an awesome Mexican style dinner and retired for the day. The next day would be the beginning of my hunt for desert bighorn!
Almost every morning of the hunt, the guides(of which there were 3 to 4), Jake, and myself, would pile into a small S-10 type pickup and drive 30 to 40 minutes to the mountains we would be hunting. The views from the narrow road were beautiful.
Our other guides were named Jorge, Trino(?), and Sergio. We began the hunt by seeking a vantage point and breaking out the optics. The habitat of the desert was beautiful and breath-taking. It actually had many different shades of green which were helped by some recent rainfall
Vantage points were chosen and we broke out the optics to pick apart the mountainsides. Quite a few sheep were located but, on day one, the guides were excited about one ram that they named “Champion”. They felt as though it would score near 170″ and would be the largest ram harvest in this area with a bow should I be successful.
Glassing for the Champion
We spent all day on the first and second day trying to pattern the Champion. On the morning of day three, the Champion was quickly located and he was up to his old tricks. He bedded and a decision was made to stalk him. After a 3 hour climb, my guide and I were positioned above the monarch. I looked over a cliff and the ram was bedded at a severe angle. I am embarassed to say that I missed the shot. The arrow sailed harmlessly just over the Champion’s back. It was later determined by me after some calculation that he was approximately 17 yards away. I had held for more and ended up watching the Champion bound away. The guides were upbeat and continued to encourage me as they kept saying “No problemo” and that we would have more opportunities.
Near the Champion's lair
On day four, we chose to take a boat and travel the shoreline searching for rams. We didn’t find any until we beached and walked inland. Several rams were spotted but not in approachable positions. We saw many porpoises and lots of feeding pelicans.
On day five, a large ram was spotted very quickly. It was within a band of nearly a dozen sheep. We began climbing right away to close the distance. After a short distance into the climb, it began to rain. It rained very heavy and the winds had to exceed 30 miles per hour. We tracked the band up and over the mountain and found that the sheep were located on a near vertical face making it impossible to stalk them any further. The climb and descent took all day.
Hiding from the rain
The sixth day began with a couple of very nice rams spotted high on the mountain. They were in a tough spot so we watched them most of the morning. They moved a bit so we searched for another vantage point aout midday. At this vantage point, an immature ram was located very low on the mountain. It was bedded and my friend Jake said that he thought it would be likely that a bigger ram would be hanging out with this younger ram. He glassed the area near the younger ram very well and about a half an hour after the immature sheep was spotted, he found a mature one not far away from the little guy. A stalk was calculated and executed. My guide, Jorge, led me up an arroyo and to within a hundred yards or so of the ram. From there I was able to sneak my way to within 35 yards of the feeding ram. Occaisonally the ram would head butt a palo blanco tree which enabled me to close the distance. When the ram stepped out from behind the tree, I delivered the arrow and accomplished what I thought would never be posssible for me. I had harvested a desert bighorn ram.
Jorge and I
This was truly a hunt of a lifetime. I think that having a friend along to share the experience really added to it. It was awesome that Jake actually spotted the ram I harvested. Thanks to Ty Miller of El Fuerte Outfitters and also to my wonderful guides.
Still having an awful lot of fun with the carp in a local river….
On this morning I’d already shot one fish and was working my way upstream when I saw this…
One was a giant!
Ended up with two carp…
Then later in the morning we had some fun getting ready for the Muzzy Stump Shoot(all traditional)..my son Cade(he loves his Sitka ball cap)…
.
I like mine too…
This Saturday and Sunday is the Muzzy shoot, wish me luck!
The next morning,Cade joined us on the river. He ’s still on a quest for his his first fish. He had 5 shots, but didn’t connect…dang it! But one fish stayed around long enough for the “back-up shooter” to get a shot. I made good on the opportunity, then handed Cade my bow to fight and land it…
Good friend, and the guy who “showed me the ropes” about bowfishing this river, Gary K…
Then this past Friday, I had the river all to myself. I had two real good opportunities, and connected with both shots. I stingered them both and headed back out into the river.A half hour later, I hadn’t seen another fish so I returned to shore to get my fish. I was within 3 ft. of them when a “rock” moved. This guy was about to start on an easy meal!
He wasn’t happy that I’d ruined his breakfast plans!
The fish on the bottm in this picture, and in my left hand in the next picture is my biggest from this river this year…
Hopefully I’ll have some pix to share from the Muzzy shoot this weekend, I’m really looking forward to it!
Hello everyone!
Our hunt season here in New Mexico is about to start rolling. The anticipation of a new year and new opportunities in the field always begins here early in the year with our annual draw process. About the first of June, the “lucky list” is picked, and we all know what animals we will get to pursue for the year. This year, with God’s help, I was fortunate to draw a rut archery elk hunt in the famed Gila Country of southwestern New Mexico, my backyard. The hunt begins September 19th and runs through the 24th. Through this blog, I will attempt to take all of you along with me, through the initial scouting, set-up and the hunt. The Gila is famous for producing bone, bone, and more bone. Think I am joking? Take a look at these mid-July bulls from my hunt area!
The Big Boys Club
Here is a larger shot of the bull on the left. NO doubt this fellar is going to be over 400″ on opening day!
400 Inches!
As you can see, there is plenty to be excited about for opening day!
After the draw, the process started immediately for me with making some calls and working to secure an area for the hunt. The elk tag is a public lands tag, which means you can hunt on any public lands you choose. However, if you can secure access to private land within the forest, then your odds just went way up. After a few calls, I was able to do exactly that, securing access to a couple of different areas of private land south of Mule Creek, New Mexico. The ranch I gained access to produced 2 different 400″+ bulls last year! With some private land access secured, it was time to get the ball rolling and get the trail cameras to work!
Obviously, prior to the first trip to the ranch, I reviewed all of the maps I could find for the area for water and bedding areas. The reason private land access is so important here in New Mexico is because most of the water is on private land. The first area of the ranch we looked at has three tanks, and is the main water source for about 3 square miles. I always start my scouting by focusing on finding water. The rut here will be hot and dry, and those bulls will be close to water! Aerial photography plays a big role in my hunt planning!
You have to know the area!
Having the “lay” of the land before my first scouting trip allowed me to see this huge feeding area above the ranch before I even started looking around. Using GPS coordinates for waters allows hunters to realize actual distances from one spot to the next and figure travel times. The three dots on the lower left are the locations of the trail cams I placed the first day I visited the location.
Aerial photos can also be used to visualize terrain and to plan placement of stands and blinds taking into account travel ways and feeding areas….
Tanks and locations of trail cameras
Of course, the “ground work”, once made easier by using all of the technology you can access, then becomes the most important part of the hunt! And you never know what else you will find in an area either!
That is a size 13E show right beside that track!
That is the biggest bear track I have ever seen in my life! About 17 inches long and HEAVY! Guess I will be carrying a bear tag in September too!
And then there was this guy. For those of you who have never had the opportunity to chase the illusive “Grey Ghost”, let me introduce you to a MONSTER! I hold the SCI New Mexico state record for archery coues whitetail, and this guy is bigger, by about 15 inches I would guess! And you gotta love that kicker on his right side!
The Grey Ghost
Our target however, is the big ole bugling bull. Talk about gorgeous elk country, we saw plenty of that too!
Elk Country!
Can you hear them screaming?
And while we did not see any elk on this visit, there was plenty of evidence they are in this country!
That time of year!
All in all, by the end of the first day in the country, you can tell I am stoked about opening day!
We will be checking the trail cams for the first time this week. I will update this as soon as we have some images from them to show you! Until then, good luck to everyone and God Bless you and your families!
As I sit here and post this I am blessed to be staring out across the southern Colorado Rockies. The temperature is about 58 degrees and I just got off the phone with my dad back in Oklahoma where the temp was hovering around 104. Several days ago my family and I stole a couple of days and came out here to do some trout fishing, though, truth be told, that was really just an excuse to get away from the heat of Oklahoma. Welding shops and hay fields tend to lose their luster by the first of August. In all reality I ought to be ashamed of myself because in less than 4 weeks I will turn around and make the trek back to this area because I have a pretty good mulie tag in the desk drawer back home. That will be the first stop in a gut-busting fall that will hopefully see no less than four different species walk in front of me. Big ideas,I know, but thankfully in a few short days the fall seasons will be in full swing. I can’t wait!
My son, Eli Fate, the real fisherman in the family. Dad didn't catch anything!
Even in a storm the Colorado Rockies are magnificent.
This year’s shed season had it’s ups and downs. We found a couple of sheds from deer we know very well. We unfortunately found some dead bucks that were on our hit list for this year.
This deer is nicknamed Top Hat.
There are a lot bigger deer on the property but we've been seeing this deer for a long time. He's on my hit list for this year.
Here are Top Hats sheds from the past couple of years.
One weekend worth of shed hunting.
This is a big six pointer. We've got three years of his sheds and he's always been a six pointer. Not sure how he died but he was laying right next to a pond.
Found this one buried in the ice and snow. By the looks of it he probably broke a leg trying to cross a big ditch.
Opening week in California did not let us down with the temperature reaching 105 degree’s.
My buddy was able to put a good buck down. As I drew the sort straw on this one. Justin and I put a plane in motion to make a stalk he was able to cut the distance in half to make a great shoot at 58 yrd.
As the week whent on and the temperature keept creeping up I was able to catch a glimps of the buck Im after
Recent Comments