A Deerhunt In Progress - 2005

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Double Kicker Buck Hunt

Pictures and Hunt Comments...

At 5:30 I woke up, didn't have to do it this morning but I was too antsy to sleep any more. The outside temperature display on our atomic clock read 29 degrees -- the first cold day of the season. I made coffee, toasted some cherry pop tarts, and nuked two packages of oatmeal with raisons. 

Last night I had emailed and phoned some friends to see if they could take photos for me. But this morning no one was available. Debbie, my wife, had to work but said she would try to gt away.

I drove through the woods to the place where we found him and set him up on the high spot he had been was laying by. Then I positioned my tripod and camera, triggered the time delay, and ran back and forth a lot of times. Most of the pictures were of the not so hot type.

To get the shadows off us I turned him around and took some different pics at a different angle. Just when it looked like I would never get things right Debbie walked up and took the pictures. 

BOWTECH Archery
I used the BowTech Justice. It's a short bow with a single cam and I really enjoy shooting it. The Justice has BowTech's Hush Kit system and it is a toss up between it and the Patriot for quietness. The other deer never ran away, they just watched him leave. Accuracy is vital if you want a quick, lethal kill shot. And that's what I want. BowTech delivered it for me again.

Barrie Archery (Rocky Mountain Broadheads)
It takes other things to make a successful hunt but once the shot is made it's all up to the broadhead. I used the Snyper XP3 100 grain 3-blade expandable broadhead. Both the entry and exit wound were large cuts and the buck was down in seconds. I also used Barrie's Sphere stabilizer on my bow.

NIKON
On this hunt I used the heck out of the Laser 800 Range Finder and 10x42 Monarch Binoculars. The range finders I've used before were heavy and bulky, but the Laser 800 is exactly the opposite. It is so light weight and compact you can hold it and take the yardages with one hand. I want close shots and knowing I'm shooting the yardage I want is a definite asset to my hunting. The Monarch 10x42 binoculars are super for bowhunting, they focus sharp, fast and clear. Other 10 power binoculars that I've had were hard to hold steady, but these are stable. 

Double Bull Hunting Blinds
The MATRIX Ground Blind is a serious bowhunters tool. To hunt the food plot area I have to hunt from the ground. In this case I set the Matrix up a month before the season began so the deer would get used to it.

Wildlife Research Center
Hanging out at ground level in close proximity with deer takes scent control. Before every hunt I take a shower, most times that's 2 showers a day. I use Scent Killer products: the shampoo to wash my hair and the bar soap for the rest of me. Before I leave I use the spray on my boots, inside and out.

Jim Fletcher Archery
The Fletch Hunter Shorty with a Buckle Strap served me well on this hunt. A smooth, reliable release gives you confidence that you can make the shot when you get the chance.

Montana Black Gold
I used an ARCC Lite Sight that I've used in past seasons. It's proven itself to be tough, easy to adjust and accurate. The fiber optic pins are protected and that is a big plus. I put the bright green, top pin where it should go and the site led it there. 

CAROLINA NORTH
To field dress and weigh the buck I used a Hang Em' High Hoist to lift him off the ground. This is a super handy rig.

ARROWS
I fletched my own arrows with the Arizona E-Z Fletch from Arizona Rim. The shafts were the Maxima from Carbon Express and I used red EZE-Eye Wraps and 5 inch, red Gateway Feathers.

WOLVERINE Boots
Wolverine makes the best fitting, most comfortable boots this bowhunter has ever worn, and I've worn a bunch of different brands of boots. I wore the Bison 6" Gore Tex Boots. The proof of comfortable footwear is how your feet feel when you take them off. And when you take off these boots your feet do not ache and are not sweatty. Wolverine is a good thing.