RDG and her 8pt

Well it's been a looong season so far here in 2009. I've hunted over 35 hunts and have only have a decent 8 pt to speak up. I've seen some muy grandes though! One 150"+ and two or three 140"+ class bucks, I just happened to have my bow with me at the time. RDG was finally able to get away from work and school and get one hunt in this weekend. Sunday morning was a cold, foggy, and slow morning. Right before daylight we saw a monster buck cruising the wheat field line chasing a doe. We gave him another hour or so but he never showed. Being that RDG doesn't have much time to hunt with they way her schedule is, I figured that her luck of getting a buck at all on our place was about to be out after this weekend. Around 8am a spike hopped the fence back into the wheat field and fed then another doe. At that time a huge thunder roared as I looked out the left window of the blind I could see a huge cold front/storm brewing. It wasn't 5 minutes when I looked out the opposite window and saw a great first buck for RDG about 300 yds away doggin' a doe. She wasn't going to have much time getting on this buck none the less me getting it on film. I grunted as he pulled up from the doe and RDG made her first shot - she had missed. As I ejected the .270 cartridge, the buck was still standing there. I couldn't believe it. As she got back on the buck he started running - OUR WAY!!! At 225 yds I grunted one last time as she put the cross hairs on the bucks vitals - BOOM!!! Down went RDG's first "non-cull" buck. I was shocked! She had just dropped a 135 lb buck at 225 yds! I know about 2 people who have shot that far and killed a deer before - and now my RDG?!? Better not make her mad lol. In short, it was a great hunt! I'm working on the video as well as her mount as we speak (type) whatever it is lol. I'll try and get it up as fast as I can. Good luck hunting!


Ghillie & RDG :)

The One That Got Away!!!

First buck of Scott's trip to Texas. We were watching a doe group feeding on the prairie, when this buck got up from his bed, 150 yards from us, and made his way to them. It was just the first day, so we passed the shot. I sure wish we had a DO-OVER, but thats hunting.

The Kiwi's Time in Texas

The Kiwi was greeted with a big ole Texas "HOWDY"! for his two weeks of hunting in Hamilton. I gave him a tour of our small town and introduced him to some truly Texas things. We had some great hunts and put in many hours in the field. Here are a few of the pictures from the trip.

Kiwi and the Boar

The Kiwi busted a huge boar this morning, we heard the sounder and got in amongst em!!! There were two big boars fighting over a sow in heat and Scott dropped this boar on a dead run, literally!!! We are taking this buck thing down to the wire, but we will make it happen!!!

AAARRGGGHHHHH !!!!!

Well , I'm feeling the thrill of victory & the agony of defeat all at the same time !!! Dawson hammered a mature sow, with his mamma's .223 tonight....AFTER I made him hold off on a HUGE 350+ lb boar hog. That .223 wouldnt have even bothered that big boy... So he held up his end by drillen her @ 45 yds, and Dad couldnt get h...is end of the deal done ! I tracked her for an hr in the thickest nastiest palmetto bushes. At one point I was on my hands & knees for 150 yds....couldnt see 3 ft in front of me....saw 1 rattlesnake along the way....hands & arms are shredded now... COULD NOT find her...I felt so bad for him I cant put it into words....... going back in the AM to look with friends.......either way I'm VERY VERY proud of my new little hunter ! I did get it all on video though. Welcome to the club son !

First crack with the new bow

G'Day Wildworkians

After a satisfying day killing what seemed like thousands of spiders (our house needed a good spray before it became entirely engulfed in webs and we were all wrapped up and stored away as some giant spider's meal!), I thought it'd be nice to go kill something that I could actually eat. I have a week off work and my new Ross Carnivore was just sitting there all tuned, sited and polished ready to go. I had no deadlines to meet or clients to satisfy, no errands to run and an empty 'honey-do' list. So it seemed right that I grab a few arrows and head off in the dwindling afternoon heat in search of a rabbit.

I stopped the ute at the gate of my favourite rabbit block and glassed a lone bunny from behind the wheel. Check of the wind and a stalk plan sorted I was soon eyeball to eyeball with dinner through a few obscuring tentacles of blackberry. I worked out the shot to be 25 metres and shuffled sideways enough to clear the briars and sent a VB on its way. A clean hit saw a plump rabbit hanging on the fence in the shade awaiting collection.

With jowls salivating I set off hoping to add to the menu. I blew a couple of stalks before I found the second pin settling on the chest of another rabbit. The shot went off and so did my rabbit, I thought my aim must have been a bit low until a few yards into his escape my rabbit started doing a bit of circle work and rolled over. Cool!! Now there were possibilities of all sorts of recipes flashing through the recesses of my mind as a quick check in the binos confirmed my rabbit was wheels up. I was in a good spot to have a whistle for a fox and the Carnivore was going alright so I opted for an outback adorned arrow and played out a couple of notes on the button whistle. In no time I had a fox propped in the long grass about 70 metres out quite interested in getting himself a free feed - but, UH-OH, this guy was just sitting, staring - not a good sign. All my attention was focused on trying to coax this sitting fox until I noticed some movement to my right. UH-OH!! Another fox! - at about 8 metres and he was catching on to my game real fast. As soon as I tried to turn toward him he was gone - bugga! Oh well, I thought, I'll just go get my second bunny and head back to the ute. I got my arrow and bent over to grab the rabbit and the bugga took off! My 18 year old brain said, "Get him fatso!!", and my 38 year old body gave it a red hot go, but was no match for a startled rabbit who led me on a 100 metre dash before disappearing down a hole. I am sure the bugger was laughed at me as he dove to safety!

I was heading back to get my first bunny, grinning to myself about my attempted pursuit, when another rabbit appeared in the last gasps of afternoon light. I settled a pin on his head and off went the shot. Thwack!! "Take that" I thought as I trotted over to secure this rabbit. So now I had two bunnies and plans-a-brewing for a cold beer and a big plate of Rabbit McNuggets. Not a bad first outing for me and the Carnivore. Could have been better if I hadn't been outfoxed by a pair of red coats, but I've a feeling that the Carnivore and I are gonna get along just fine in the future.

I know all you blokes n' shielas are busy with the big game, but I've a while to wait downunder, so I though you might enjoy a little small game antics.

Have a good one
Aaron

Huntn Hard

Well as I sit here and reflect on last weeks "rut" hunt in Ohio I cant help but feel a slight bit of disappointment. Disappointment in myself more so than the deer. Ya see I went there with expectations of 140" or better with my bow OR P&Y with my longbow. I had a productive week seeing 78 deer in 7 days 28 were bucks & 16 were (in my estimation) 110"-135" all of which were in bow range. The only problem was I wasn't willing to fill my 1 tag on any of those deer.... why is that I ask myself ? Am I preoccupied with BIG BONE ? (ok that didn't sound right....) Is it ALL about the inches? Does size REALLY matter? (I'm referring to deer here people ! GGEEZZZ!!) The answer for me at least is NO ! I really needed to remember its about the HUNT & the memories along the way as well as who your sharing them with. Who in their right mind would pass P&Y deer on several occasions when you drive 1000 miles each way to hunt ?

The point I'm trying to convey here people is that the commercialization of the sport we all love so much has turned us (me at least) into "single minded bone collectors" instead of memory collectors. I'm taking the rest of this week to hunt with my son, Dawson, who really "GETS" the whole hunting thing better than his 37 yo dad. The lil guy's been hunting with me since he was 2 and last December we went on HIS first hunt..he had a chance but missed a hog...(he was only 5) since then we've been out probably 20 times and never had the right chance again. But ya know what he tells me ? He says "Dad , I dont care that I havnt ever killed a hog or a deer, or even that we arn't seeing anything...all I care about is having fun with YOU!" That is an exact quote from a 6 y-o boy....Isnt that what its REALLY all about ?

Dont get me wrong I still want to progress and harvest better deer, I dont see a problem with that. I just feel that my motives & priorities got kinda skewed here lateley. So...when I leave next week for my 4th trip to Ohio...I will remember this and happily shoot those 135"s

Erich

PS Did anyone notice the BIG black "W" on my face ? Guess my face aint big enough for a "WW" no fear I'll use my butt for that one....hhhmmm maybe not....if I bend over it would say "WOW"...or if I stand on my head it would say "MOM"....or if I do cartwheels it would say "WOW MOM" ! Or if I ....ahh nevermind !

my season is over, but was a good one !!

got back from deer camp today, sadly already over. but now have meat in the freezer for winter. got my first archery deer, on gun opening day i got a 4 pointer, second day gun season got a doe from the same stand. and got redemption on the big buck i saw the same day i got the doe. i first thought he was a 10 pointer but was a nice 8. jumped him twice during gun season and finally got a crack at him yesterday afternoon and nailed him.

What it is really all about!!!

It is easy in today's hunting world to lose direction of what "HUNTING", is really all about. The commercialization of our chosen form of recreation has skewed the entire process, to say the least. I am sometimes guilty of it as well, I get wrapped up in the "BIG BUCK" side of things and lose all sense of what is important. People have lost their minds in some cases and have become completely obsessed with growing and killing the buck with the largest antlers possible. Spending absurd amounts of money and effort to grow bone on the top of an animals head. They manipulate entire deer herds to the point that the animals are dependent on supplemental foods, the deer, becoming almost like livestock. I don't want to shoot a cow, I want to HUNT the wild animals that I kill. I do not want to sit in a box and shoot an animal with its head in a protein feeder! People have taken away the part of the process that makes it our passion to begin with, the chase and the challenge!

I got home this evening and had three tenderloins, from doe we have killed, thawed out and ready to work my magic on and feed the family. This always brings me back to where I need to be. I love the fact that I can say, "I provide for my family, I need no one else to do that for me, I can take life to sustain life if I choose and I can make you want to hurt someone or slap your mama to get to the grub!!!

Here is a pic of Baker's butterflied loins and here is how to make them melt in your mouth:

• 2 pounds of venison tenderloin - fresh off the deer preferable, cut down the middle almost in half. Butterflied!
• Garlic salt, i sprinkle each loin, liberally, on the top side only
• bacon - this time i used Wrights peppered bacon, hardwood smoked, place half strip bacon on top of each loin, use toothpick to hold in place.
• Heinz Chili Sauce, I said easy, so buy the sauce, don't spend time to make it. Apply liberally, again to topside only.

Place on grill and cook to 150 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes, venison is best served still pink, it has very little fat, so it is easily overcooked, just get it hot fast, to kill any micro-critters and you are good.

That's it! I leave the underside plain because I love the taste of venison by itself, this still allows the natural flavor to come through and the top side allows even non-hunters to enjoy the spoils of your arrows!!!

Good hunting to you all and remember, "What good is first place when your in a rat race," eat hardy and stay grounded, it makes the hunting much more memorable!!!

Would ya' shoot him?

Testing 1...2...3...

This buck came to the horns Friday night and postured around my decoy for around seven minutes. He catches my wind at :38, yet sticks around proving that with a decoy you can get away with almost anything! At 3:38, and 5:59 he does a couple of "Snort/Wheeze's", and he makes several scrapes throughout the footage.

I drew on him just to assure that I could, but he needs a year or two IMO. Pretty slow here so far this year but it will be picking up this week no doubt!

Slow season

Slow season

Well season has certainly gotten off to a slow start this year.
All the signs and tracks seen pre-season obviously must have been the deer gearing up to leave as they headed for the hills :)

I did have the opportunity to take a doe. Here’s what happened……





I was hunting from the ground….hadn’t been there too long when a big fat doe came within 17 yards of me broadside….just as I was going to draw back on her, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I quickly diverted my eyes to the right seeing horns. A beauty of a buck, definitely a shooter. A 6-point with lots of mass and wider than his ears. I would say a 3 yr old buck.
Unbeknown to the doe, today was her lucky day. Lowering my bow slowly I let her walk on by hoping the buck would follow her path. Unfortunately he was more interested in filling his belly. He walked around and fed staying just out of shooting range, almost as if he knew the exact distance to stay.. Once he was full he headed back in the direction he came? I tried calling and rattling him back. I was able to stop him for a brief moment as he looked around. But no such luck he continued on and out of sight.
Was an exciting hunt nonetheless ,
One thing I can say about my season so far is its been enjoyable. Hunting, friends and lots of laughs shared, making memories for sure.




The hunting will improve and there is plenty of time left for my arrow to fly true.

On the flip side

Well I'm not sure whats going on. Last year I had a great harvest. I filled my cooler with plenty-o-hogs and I even got me a couple of deer. No wall hangers but meat in the freezer for sure. This year i have been hiting the woods hard. Spreading my time between my lease in Perry and the public woods of Green swamp and Richloam, I have gotton to the point where if I am not in the office at my job I am in the woods.

Sleep has become a distant memory for me and good hot meals at the table but a rumor once told long ago. Have I seen deer, yes, teasing and taunting me from afar. Pretending not to see me sitting still in my stand, not moving, hardly breating, and whispering little two word prayers, "please God, Please God, Please God" as i watch them hoping they would come into my bow range. They pretend not to see me but i know that they are watching me from teh corner of their big dark eyes smirking and knowing that they are well outside my shooting range.

My time will come, I'm not picky, I will catch one slipping up, I will spot one trying to sneak past me, yes my time will come and i will stick one. \

Till then, catch ya on the flip side.

WW for Life

Well, Ghillie might have come up with the gangsta sign for the team, but I just came up with the face paint design. If you can hang with the vato loco, wear it like this the next time you head to the wild. You probably wont look this good however!!!!

Close Encounters 2009

A few of the encounters I have had this bow season, just have not pulled the trigger yet, but it will happen. Scotty will be here next week to hunt Texas. We will be capturing the entire hunt on video.

Blowing Smoke!!!

This is a short clip of a buck I rattled in one morning. Why do they always seem to be just under shooting size!!! Captured with the xacti dual camcorder. Its a great little cam, it was about right after sunrise.

Ruttin' Time

I went out to the ranch this morning to do some scouting for this weekend. I saw a few good bucks and half a dozen doe. It's almost full rut here in Coke County, and I'm ready for round two. Hopefully RDG will be able to get back out there with me within the next week or so to get her first archery kill.

Good luck this weekend to all of you!

Don't forget to push REC!!!!!



Ghillie and RDG

My turns a comin !

Well, things have been a tad slow for this ol fireman so far this season. Yeh Ive been out a bunch, and yeh Ive seen deer & had my share of shot opps. I passed on 2 smaller 120" 8 pts, and a few does(No camera angle on the does). For some reason this season I havnt even been tempted to shoot a smaller buck.

As I sit here on my couch with the flu.....(flu ..swine flu...deer flu..who cares...I'm so sick of hereing "swine flu"..arnt you?), and pack my gear to head to Ohio for our second trip of the year, I cant help but get excited....even through the fatigue & sweating episodes. I'm leaving with some BIG hopes for this seasons rut. So far the guys Im huntn with have killed 11 bucks on film, that range from 134" all the way up to a 187" monster, & 7 of em are over 150"! I had to ask em, "Are there any GIANTS left for us Florida boys?" "Is my turn a comin?".......

I asked the same question a few weeks ago, after I got a text with a pic of Sean's 162" 10 pt P&Y. A few minutes later while out driving on my friends wifes pink golf cart on their orange grove I saw a small buck chasing does. Normally I wouldnt even pick up the bow or muzzleloader up for this buck. It was a "average" buck for my part of Fl, but well below what I would like to see in the pins.....However..the rancher asked me to shoot EVERY legal buck I saw. Ya see, they were rubbing his young orange trees, and killing them. The previous year he spent $10K replacing dead trees from bucks. Sooooo in order to keep huntn the property(I mainly hunt this farm for Osceola's), I had to "take one for the team"...lol. I was able to be "stealthy " enough in my pink huntn ride to "sneak" up to within 120 yds. I took the shot, and made the farmer happy. He was REAL happy when I delivered some fresh backstraps & tenderloins to his door.

Back to Ohio, the only GOOD news is that most of my huntn buddies are already tagged out so I'll have a "full time camera man"...lol. Even with this though I can still feel that slight, but old familiar pressure to "get it done"....All I can do is hunt all day, everyday, & hope for a little luck. But I still have to think..."Is my turn a comin?"

As soon as I return I'll be focused on the kids gettin their deer & me get a Osceola with my bow or more preferably...my longbow. So I have PLENTY of hunts left...to get PLENTY of awesome footage.
I just have to say YEH!..."My turns a comin!!"

Hunt safe !
Erich

Archery Buck 2009 Video

CHECK OUT MY WILDWORK!!!

Here Kitty Kitty!!!

The other morning after my hunt, I noticed that two bobcats had been hit by a vehicle and killed on the bridge crossing the Leon River right past our gate. The next morning when I pulled up to the gate to go hunt, a bobcat was sitting on our road, looking towards the bridge. I did'nt think much about it until I was driving back to the gate after my morning hunt, the cat was in the road again, starring at the bridge! I then thought that it was a female who was looking for her kittens and could probably smell them on the bridge. I went hunting again this morning and walking back to my truck, which I had parked outside the gate, I noticed the same bobcat sitting by the river, looking at the bridge. I turned the camera on and noticed that she had a kitten with her! I thought, cooool, what a great chance to capture some rare footage! I never expected what happened next, lol, life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what your gonna get!!!

Archery Buck 2009

Hey y'all I finally got one this evening!! Shot my second buck ever with a bow. Filmed most of it too! Give me a couple days and I'll have more pics and video.

Ghillie