bow & arrow hunting - february 2015 usa

FOR A MICHIGAN WHOPPERINCREDIBLE HUNT

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JAN/FEB 2015 • VOLUME 53, NO.1 • $4.99 U.S.DISPLAY UNTIL: 3/10/15 • BOWANDARROWHUNTING.COM

Engaged Media By Beckett

BROADHEAD

FACTSTHE REAL

TRUTH BEHINDLETHAL ARROWPERFORMANCE

ALASKABROWNBEARSGoing Eye to Eye withAmerica’sLargest Predator

HIGH-ALTITUDEELKA True Journey forRutting Bulls

BIG-GAME ADVENTURE

Wyoming Moose Colorado Antelope Quebec Caribou

SCOUTINGNOW IS WHATLEADS TO NEXTYEAR’S BUCK

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4 BOW ARROW HUNTING • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 20154 BOW ARROW HUNTING • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

VOL. 53 NO. 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 BowAndArrowHunting.com

Bow & Arrow Hunting (ISSN 0894-7856), Volume 53, Number 1 is published 6 times per year in Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct, and Nov/Dec by Beckett Media, LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway,#200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Bow & Arrow Hunting c/o Beckett Media, 4635 McEwen Road,Dallas, TX 75244. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Bow & Arrow Hunting c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc., PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2 GST#855050365RT001. © 2014 by Beckett Media, LLC.All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

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Contents}{

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HOW-TOs46}Next Year’s PlanIf you want to improve your next huntthen now is the time to get to work. By Steve Bartylla

74}Western ReadyIf you’re the type of bowhunter that hashunted nothing but whitetails from atree, but is planning a western elk ordeer hunt, here are some crucial bits ofadvice to help you plan right. By Joe Bell

ADVENTURE18}Nomads of the Tundra Two bowhunters take to the open bogsof Quebec, searching for big-beamedcaribou and lots of adventure. By Grant N. Benson

34}Midwestern Double TapCome along on this exciting double-adventure, do-it-yourself hunt for bigmidwestern bucks. By Tony Ruggeri

40}Wyoming ShirasAfter years of striking out in the bullmoose draws, this bowhunter decidedto turn his focus on a cow tag. Hisstrategy paid off well. By Warren Anderson

54}Coastal Mega BearsJoin this bowhunter as he travels to thewilds of Alaska to face America’slargest predator. By Ryan Eaves

62}Aspen RoyalsAmid the wild mountains ofsouthwestern Colorado, twobowhunters embark on a uniquejourney for rutting bulls. By Eyad Yehyawi

68}Pronghorn By the NoseOn the prairie, anything can happen, as this adventure truly shows. By Bob Barnette

SPECIAL82}Michigan Whopper

This avid whitetailer shares a recenthunting experience about a big

10-point buck that followed the script perfectly.

By John Eberhart

88}Warrior Axis Buck This bowhunter enjoys a great day

bowhunting free-ranging Hawaiian axisdeer, resulting in one incredible

encounter and trophy. By Bruce Faulkner

TECHNICAL26}Hard-Core Arrow

Performance This bowhunter explores the facts

behind arrow and broadheadpenetration. The results are

quite noteworthy. By Jeremy Johnson

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WHAT DOES ZERO TORQUE MEAN TO YOU?

MORE BUCKSIN TRUCKS.EVERY COMPOUND BOW EVER BUILT HAS SUFFERED FROM ONE INHERENT FLAW: TORQUE.MORE SPECIFICALLY, TORQUE FORCED INTO THE RISER FROM CABLE TENSION THROUGH THE CABLE GUARD. EVEN FLEXIBLE CABLE GUARDS ARE GUILTY. BUT THE ALL-NEW, TRULY REVOLUTIONARY ZT CABLE GUARD SYSTEM (PATENT PENDING) ELIMINATES THE SIDE LOAD TORQUE THAT THE CABLES APPLY TO THE RISER AS THE BOW IS DRAWN, GIVING YOU DEAD-ON ALIGNMENT AND EASY TUNING. NOT TO MENTION A MORE ACCURATE, CONSIS-TENT, SMOOTH AND HARD-HITTING SHOT. IN OTHER WORDS: MORE BUCKS IN YOUR TRUCK. THE ALL-NEW CARBON SPYDER ZT AND NITRUM SERIES ARE THE ONLY BOWS THAT HAVE IT, AND BOTH ARE ONLY AVAILABLE AT A HOYT DEALER. GET SERIOUS. GET HOYT.

The only system of its kind. Available exclusively on the new Carbon Spyder ZT and Nitrum Series bows in 30”, 33” 350 fps Turbo and 34” axle-to-axle.

BAH_1501_5 12/7/14 10:47 PM

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015Volume 53 • Number 1

EDITORIAL Editor: Joe Bell

Managing Editor: Breanna ArmstrongSenior Creative Director: Eric Knagg

Art Director: Claire MoralesDeer Editor: Chuck Adams

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSSteve Bartylla, Denny Sturgis, Jr., Judd Cooney,

Myles Keller, Ted Nugent, Lisa Price, Tim Strickland, Randy Templeton, Joe Blake

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Bow & Arrow Hunting (ISSN 0894-7856), Volume 53, Number1 is published 6 times per year in Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr,May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct, and Nov/Dec by Beckett

Media, LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda,CA 92887. Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address

changes to Bow & Arrow Hunting c/o Beckett Media, 4635McEwen Road, Dallas, TX 75244. Return undeliverable

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Contents}{BowAndArrowHunting.com

Deer cover photo by donaldmjones.com

ON THE COVER:

If it’s adventure you like,then you’re going to lovethis issue. From Quebeccaribou to midwesternwhitetails, to Alaskanbrown bears to Wyomingmoose, and much inbetween, this edition ofBow & Arrow Huntingdelivers exciting, nail-gripping bowhuntingaction you’re gonna love.We hope you enjoy.

As always, please sendyour comments, huntingphotos or stories to:[email protected]. Regular mail:Bow & Arrow Hunting,Attn: “Reader Success,”22840 Savi RanchParkway, Suite 200,Yorba Linda, CA 92887.We’d love to hear fromyou!

Thanks for making Bow &Arrow Hunting yourfavorite go-tobowhunting source! Besure to visit us onFacebook.com andbowandarrowhunting.wordpress.com

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VOL. 53 NO. 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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92

Columns 16 Adams on Deer

Doing It Right By Chuck Adams

92 Stickbows Silent and Deadly By Denny Sturgis, Jr.

98 Tech Tips Pre-Shot Primer By BAH Staff

Departments 8 From The Editor 10 Sneak Peek

12 Inside Gear 14 Questions & Answers

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8 BOW ARROW HUNTING • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 20158

Comfort is a desire we all naturallywant in our lives. But when outbowhunting, comfort is often a rarity. Atleast this is what I’ve found. Being sleepdeprived, cold, frustrated, and home-sickcan wreck any chance of being at easeand comfortable. But as a dedicatedbowhunter, you must resist thesetemporary setbacks and press on, all inhopes of being successful. Remember, ittakes only a few seconds for a trophy toappear and for the shot to break.

All year long we think about huntingand ready ourselves for the season, sowe must not forget that. I can think ofseveral hunts where I gave in toemotional disruption. The result in everycase was tag soup, and every time Iregretted being so weak and faint-hearted.

On the other hand, during those huntswhere I kept it together, I felt nothing butsatisfaction as I looked back on theencounter. They were essentially someof my best days ever in the field.

Here are two great examples of this.

STILL-HUNTING FOR MULIESThis hunt, which took place nearly 10

years ago in the famed Unit 61 ofColorado, challenged me in so manyways, but mentally more than anythingelse. I was truck hunting by myself andknew very little about the area. I huntedfor seven straight days, employing everytactic in the book, from limited spot-and-stalk, to still-hunting, totree-standing, to sitting waterholes.After countless encounters with nicebucks, I had yet to put a clean shottogether. I had a ton of magazine work tofinish up, recently moved to Arizona, andhad a wife and two kids back at home.By day eight, my emotions were gettingthe best of me. I needed to get home totake care of priorities.

However, I did all I could to stay strongfor one more day of giving it my all. Withthis attitude, I drove to my favorite still-hunting area and began tip-toeingthrough the somewhat noisy mixed oak-brush/ponderosa environment.

After half a day of poor results, I cameto a large meadow area and scanned formovement. A string of bucks caught myattention, and I went into predator modeinstantly. Crawling a bit closer, I finallydrew and placed a arrow right throughthe trailing buck. Despite the mental

difficulty of still-hunting day after day, Inever gave up. When my mind drifted, Iwrote story ideas down on a palm-sizenotepad. When it drifted more, I beganquietly singing to myself. It all added upto lots of discomfort and mind gamesduring the hunt, but boy was the drivehome pleasant with that hard-won buckriding in the back of my pickup.

12 DAYS OF ELKAfter moving to Arizona, I drew a

decent elk tag a few hours from myhome. My friend Ron was instrumental inchoosing hunting areas and providing hiscabin as lodging during the hunt. Theseason lasts two weeks, so the plan wasto hunt the first six days intensely andhopefully get it all done.

Well, things didn’t turn out exactly as Ihad planned. After three days of chasingbulls all over the country side,unsuccessfully, I finally set up in theperfect spot on a bull returning to hisbedding area. He was constantly buglingas he walked a well-used trail I wassitting five yards from.

Before I knew it, I was at full draw andhe was walking in close. Fortunately, at 17yards, and two minutes of holding at fulldraw, he turned from a straight-onposture to a quartering-to position. I cutthe shot as tight to the shoulder as Icould. The arrow appeared to penetrateone-half the shaft length. After threedays of searching, and nothing but acouple drops of blood to show for it, I

failed to recover the bull. Only thing Icould think of is that the arrow, which hitat a sharp quartering-to angle, slid underthe bull’s hide, not penetrating into thechest. I was heart sickened. On day six, Ireturned home. But two days later, I wasback hunting the woods.

On the 14th day of the season—lastday—I was exhausted, disappointed andfeeling severely home sick. Yet, I wasthere and when that bright sun begandrooping near the horizon, I had anewfound focus. I vowed to stay alertand finish strong to the bitter end.

Minutes later, with only one hour ofshooting light left, a big 320-class bullcame traipsing out of the woodwork andinto the waterhole I was overlooking inmy treestand. The shot was long, but Iknew the stars were all lined up once I hitfull draw. To this day, this bull remainsone of my top trophies.

Bowhunting is not a comfort game. It’smore about overcoming adversity andstaying strong to the end so you canobtain the prize. Remember that the nexttime discomfort and challenge comesyour way; ignore it. Stay tough and meanand things will work out for the better.

EDITOR}{from the

SHARING THOUGHT, INSIGHT, AND HARD-CORE ADVENTURE WITH TODAY’S SERIOUS BOWHUNTING ENTHUSIAST…

JOE [email protected]

Perservering to the End

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insulated mid-layer shirt and pants, and merino-wool base layers. Each piece is engineeredfor lightweight, low-bulk mobility, whether it’s being worn or packed. All four layers work

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pound hard-cooked block attractant specifically designed to attract, holdand position deer for that perfectgame camera photo. UsingMoultrie’s unique CamStrap™design, Camera Candy can easilybe positioned at the exact level ofyour camera, allowing you toposition that trophy buck’s headin the center of your photo andon the top of your hit list. $19.99.

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Eliminating CamsMathews’ new No-Cam HTR bow features the revolutionary No-Cam ST technology that uses two circular and

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Superior WaxBlack Lightning is an effective, long-lasting all-purpose graphite/silicone wax

lubricant that provides maximum lubrication, not only for bow strings and servings butfor hard to fit nocks, arrow tips, moving parts like cams, eccentric wheels, axles andmuch more.

Jeremy Todd of Pro Release, Inc noted, “Black Lightning is a soft, easy to use waxlubricant that will work in many applications for sporting goods to home, shop, garageand so much more. It is easy to work with and apply in that Black Lightning penetratesand coats to reduce friction and wear so its use increases product life and overallperformance. Black Lightning will work on a variety of materials including wood, plastic, metal, rubber and, of course, bow string material.”

Black Lightning is also odorless, non-toxic and waterproof, perfect for all your lubrication requirements.

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Improve Your ShotWhen Steady Form came on the scene, many archers were skeptical. However,

this bow accessory is proven to up your accuracy. The concept is very simple andessentially guides your arm and hand into the proper position. Thiseliminates bow-arm string slap and it creates a bow-armanchor point, to ensure added consistency, so that yougrip and hold the bow in the same exact position. It’sguaranteed to increase accuracy and confidence or yourmoney back. $99 to $119.

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Prime’s new Ion is a fast,compact and lightweight huntingbow that uses the new PCXLparallel cam, which can be adjustedfor a full 85-percent letoff. Thebow’s Flexis-AR roller guard reducestorque on the cables and improvestuning capability for added shotassurance. Moreover, the redesigned7000 series aluminum riser withintegrated Ghost Grip is lighter thanever, yet is still extremeley strong.Specification includes 31-inch axleto axle length, 7.25-inch braceheight, 3.9-pound weight, drawlengths from 26 to 30 inches, drawweights from 30 to 70 and IBOspeed of 330 fps. $999 for camoand $1,049 for all black.

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Real Phone FlairHunting Skins announces that more than 100 of its exclusive Mossy Oak

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Alleviates Side TorqueAs a devout fan of a custom hip-quiver

system, which I’ve used for more than adecade, I’m pretty serious about

eliminating irritating side-weight on my bow.However, I’m back to experimenting with bowquivers a little out of convenience whencrawling on a sage-covered hillside. One quiverthat I plan on hunting with in the months tocome is the ever-popular Tight Spot quiver.

Now this quiver is nothing new. It’s been outfor a few years now, and it’s quickly gainingfans, year after year. And for good reason, too.This quiver is light, strong, snaps on quickly,and uses a unique mounting system thatallows the quiver to slide in tight to your bowriser. This eliminates that awkward side-loadthat ordinary quivers create.

Just so you know, anytime you placeunequal weight at the side of a bow, it has atendency to vibrate and twist at the shot. Thiscauses less forgiveness and poor accuracy onthose longer-than-normal shots and especiallywhen using fixed-blade broadheads. It alsocauses a less natural feel as you draw and aimthe bow, feeling it tilt a bit to the side, whichyou will have to “muscle over” to level the sightand keep the bow plumb.

For the most part, a good two-piece quiverwill mount pretty tight to the bow and won’tcause too much side-load or accuracy issues,especially if you’re using more-forgiving andstreamlined mechanical heads. But if you canbalance your bow out better, even whenshooting mechanicals, you’ll always shoot a

smidgen better overall. At least I think so. Ifnot, you’ll make the bow surely a bit moreforgiving in those tricky field shots.

This is the premise behind the Tight Spotquiver. It mounts tight, and it’s made to vibrateless than most quivers. This makes it apleasure for hunting use.

Other great features about the quiver is thatit accepts mechanical or fixed-bladebroadheads interchangeably and easilymounts to the two threaded holes on any sightbracket, just like any other quick-detach one-piece quiver. It also mounts farther back (orforward as some call it) on the bow. This isadvantageous with today’s reflex-style bowsthat balance a whole lot better with theweight more near the bowstring than towardsthe grip. You can also buy extra mounting

brackets for different bow setups, switchingthe quiver from one bow to the next.

The quiver’s 5-arrow gripper is alsoadjustable for all arrow diameters, from theskinniest Victory VAP or Easton Injexion,, toordinary carbon or aluminum. This ensures asnug, solid fit and less arrow vibration, andeven eliminates the concern for losing arrowsthat can slide out when going through brush.The hood-to-gripper spacing is a full 18 inchesas well. All this adds up to a quiet-shootingsystem, suitable for any hunting situation,from whitetails in a tree to mulies on themountain.

Overall, I’m highly impressed with the TightSpot. Check it out. It’s one of those five-starproducts that come along every now and then.$160. —Joe Bell, Editor

A bow quiver can be a pain if it pulls the bow to theside, causing aiming and accuracy issues. TheTight Spot quiver was made to mount closer to thecenterline of the bow, making the bow morestreamlined and better balanced. This quiver isalso made of vibration-absorbing materials, andcomes with a highly adjustable arrow gripper,allowing it to shoot quietly as well.

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warm as the day heats up. It also doesn’tretain much odor, if any, and washing is moreout of ridding outside germs than inside fabricodor. It’s simply one of those types of shirtsthat you simply can’t wear enough, eitheroutside, inside or underneath a bulky jacket. Ilike it so much that I plan on ordering a back-up between washings. The shirt is alsoavailable in a camo version within their InstinctSeries. Cost is $149/$159 camo, but anymerino wool garment is made to last. It’ssimply worth it. Trust me. —Joe Bell, EditorVisit Cabela’s.com.

breathability can be better managed andobtained. For example, the heaviest weight isused in the core spots (chest and back area,along with shoulders and outer arms) andmaximum-exposed areas to provide optimalheat retention for the most critical zones. Themidweight fabric is employed in less criticalareas that still receive substantial exposure. Thelightest weight is located in high-heat outputareas that are prone to excessive perspiration(under arms and at flex points in the body).

Since wearing this garment, I’ve noticedstaying warmer when it’s cold out, yet not too

In the last four or five seasons, I’vebackpacked the wilderness quiteextensively searching for tall-racked mule

deer. My travels have taken me from oneextreme climate to another—heat, rain, sleet,snow and heavy wind. On these trips, everyounce counts, so only a few select pieces ofclothing can go with you. One of the garmentsyou’ll see me wearing more than anything elseis a thin, zip-neck shirt made out of Merinowool. This type of shirt is extremelycomfortable—soft and stretchable—warm,breathable and doesn’t produce an outersheen that most high-tech synthetic camoclothing comes with nowadays. I don’t like asheen because it can stand out in naturalvegetation like a glow stick, giving animalssomething to detect.

Over these seasons I’ve used a lot ofdifferent brands of these shirts. However,recently I’ve been testing out a new modeloffered by Cabela’s and is called the ThermalZone 1/2-zip top. Personally, I think it’s one ofthe best wool zip-tops I’ve used. One of thekeys behind the effectiveness of this shirt isthat it uses super-high-quality merino woolfabric—something you can truly feel againstyour skin. Second, this shirt is not made withjust one thickness of fabric but three. Why?Well, the concept is a bit ingenious. Here’s howit works.

The weights are strategically placed in body-mapped areas so that thermal heat and

When it comes to comfort, breathability andno-odor performance, especially for backcountryhunting use, it’s hard to beat the versatility of agarment made of merino wool. Cabela’s newIcebreaker Thermal Zone Merino Base Layer 3/4-Zip Top is one of the layers a hunter can get,thanks to the use of the highest quality wool anda unique triple-fabric-thickness system thatbetter regulates body temperature and breathability.

BAH_1501_INSIDE_12-13.CX 12/11/14 11:12 PM


Improving Draw Length

QHi Joe. I know this is anelementary question, but as a

five-year bowhunting veteran, I stillthink my draw length is too long.My release hand doesn’t seem tohave a solid spot on my jaw line,which you talk about a lot. My firstknuckle is more near my ear lobeand close to the back of my neck.Is this considered a floatinganchor? Any tips you have for mewould be great. It seems that a lotof guys at my local pro shop havean anchor similar to mine.

J.R., via email

A proper shooting anchor iscritical for consistency. The more

fool-proof you make it, the better. Forthis reason, a solid bone to bonecontact between your shooting handand jaw line is the best way to go. Toachieve this, you’ll have to shorten yourdraw length a bit so the “web” of yourthumb and forefinger cling to the jawline, just in front of the ear lobe. Thiswill almost always place the apex ofthe string at the very tip of your nose.This will give you three points of solidcontact: hand to jaw line, string to tip ofnose and peep centering sight pin orsight guard.

In my opinion, most archers areshooting draw lengths close to an inchtoo long. This, like you pointed out,gives their release hand a narrow pointof contact between one finger knuckleand the side of the neck region.

Remember, when shooting from atree stand, draw at a level plane if youcan, to maintain correct upper-bodyposture (T-Form), and this draw length

setting will deliver precision results foryou. Experiment and watch youraccuracy go up. —Joe Bell

Hitting Far Back

QHey Joe. I know you’ve beenhunting for a long time, and I

was wondering, how do you handlea far-back liver or gut hit? Howlong do you wait before followingup? I hear a lot of different thingsfrom fellow hunters. One guy willsay it’s best to wait eight to 12hours, while the next guy will sayfour hours is good enough beforetrailing the deer. Thoughts?Thanks.

Mark S., via email

Hi Mark. Generally speaking, I saythis because there are lots of

variables in weather and where thebuck is hit, but if I feel like I surely hit abuck in the liver region, I’ll wait four tosix hours. If I feel like the shot hit thedeer solidly in the paunch—muchfarther back—then I’ll wait 8 to 12 hoursif possible. My feelings are the morepatient you are with questionable hitsthe better off you’ll be.

If you’re uncertain of where the arrowstruck the deer, even though there issolid blood on the arrow, alwaysperform the smell test. A strong, foul,acidic smell almost always means thearrow hit the intestines/paunch region,although much of the greenish matteror liquid could’ve been smeared off byfat tissue. —Joe Bell

14

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BAH_1501_QA_14-15 12/8/14 4:22 AM


Deep-Six Arrows &Broadheads

QHey Joe. I just bought a dozenInjexion arrows, which use

the Deep-Six Insert technology.However, the broadheads I oftenuse aren’t available in the smaller6-40 thread. I prefer a fixed-bladehead with a narrow profile. Canyou recommend any greatmodels?

Also, what are your thoughts onvanes? Right now I’m using Blazervanes on the shafts. Should I try aneven smaller vane for faster arrowspeed and less wind drift? So farI’m really liking these arrows. Theyseem to fly more accurately on myhome archery range here inMontana. It can get windy out here.Thanks in advance for your help.

Larry P., via email

Hi Larry. Congratulations on afine set of arrows. I plan on using

these shafts in the hunts to come aswell. The three broadheads I’ve beenusing on my Injexions are the MuzzyTrocar (fixed head), Ulmer EdgeStainless Steel, and Rage Hypodermic.The Trocars are an excellent fixed headto consider that flies superbly, basedon my tests shooting out west. I thinkyou’ll be happy with them. The head isvery durable and the blades are lethal

sharp out of the package. As far as vanes go, it sounds like the

Blazer vanes are working well for you.However, we’re in the middle of theoff-season, so if you want toexperiement a little, I’d suggest tryingout the AAE Pro Max vanes or Max 2.3-inch vane. I’ve been shooting the ProMax vane four-fletch, and the Max 2.3three-fletch. Both combinations seemto work well with the Trocar head. I’mstill testing to see which one offers thebest overall combination of accuracy,wind performance and quiet flight. I’llkeep you posted. —Joe Bell

Favorite Finger Bows

QHi, I am looking for adviceregarding a good Mathews

compound to shoot with fingers,and I saw at one time Joe Bellmentioned the Mathews Conquest4 with the Super Soft cam. I wouldlike to contact him to learn a littlemore about that, if I may. Thankyou.

Jeff H., via email

Hey Jeff. My favorite Mathewsbows for fingers are the Apex 8

and older Rival Pro or Conquest withMini-Max cam. A good friend of mineuses the Conquest with Super Softcam—mushy back wall. It just dependson what feel you prefer. I likesomewhat of a firm wall. All are solidfinger bows. Let me know if you needmore info. —Joe Bell

Reader Response: Hi Joe. Thanks forgetting back to me, really appreciate it.What is your favorite finger bowregardless of manufacturer? Bothcurrently being manufactured andhistorically. Again, thanks for yourinput. Regards, Jeff.

Joe’s Response: My favorite fingersbow with a firm wall would have to bethe Mathews APEX 8. My favorite foruse with a clicker or that offers a softerwall would be the Hoyt Tribute orMontega AccuWheel models.

If you suspect a far-back hit on a deer, be sure to examine the arrow closely for important details. If ithas greenish matter on it or smells foul, then a paunch hit is very likely and you should wait a full 8 to12 hours before following up.

Easton’s new Injexion arrows make great hunting shafts since they provide a smaller-diameter shaft,which lessens surface area for improved flight characteristics in the wind and for increasing penetra-tion on game. Broadhead choices are somewhat limited, however, there are some solid models cur-rently offered. The Muzzy Trocar is one great example.

BAH_1501_QA_14-15 12/8/14 4:22 AM


ADAMS DEER

Doing It RightA lethal bow shot is never a guarantee and patience is often required to recovergame in certain situations.

BY CHUCK ADAMS

Chuck’s 2014 Montana mule deer was thebest that he saw, and was especiallyrewarding because the stalk and follow-up were difficult.

The fall of 2014 was difficult for muledeer. I bowhunted my favorite area inMontana for three solid weeks withoutseeing one buck that would crack the 145net score required for entry in Pope andYoung. This was the same area where Ihave bagged several deer scoring over 180in the past, and one non-typical with agross score over 216.

Spring rains had been heavy andSeptember temperatures were hot. Deerwere widely scattered due to lush andabundant food, and any large bucks weretucked deep in cover during muggydaylight hours.

Finally, I gave up on my former hotspotand moved to a high-mountain areawhere a friend had told me he had seen acouple of dandies. With less than oneweek left of archery season, I wasdesperate to try something new.

I covered lots of ground in the alpinearea over two strenuous days. I saw a fewsmall bucks, but nothing big.

Dawn had barely broken on the thirdday when something moved 400 yardsuphill. I rolled the focus dial on my 10Xbinocular, and nice antlers popped intocrystal-clear focus. Not one set, butseveral! As I panned the high-countrybasin, I counted ten mulie bucks. Threewere decent, and one stood out. Not amonster, but a solid P&Y.

SNEAKING INLike every other, this day promised to

be warm. I began a footrace against time,trotting uphill and circling to get the windexactly right. Twenty minutes later, I wasin the timber above the bucks.

What followed was amazing. There issimply no substitute for good luck.

One by one, I watched the bucks filteraway through the trees. They were allmore than 100 yards away, across agrass-choked and impossibly noisy draw.

Suddenly, large antlers appearedbeyond a rise 20 yards below me. It was

BAH_1501_ADAMS_16-17 12/8/14 4:24 AM


the biggest buck in the bunch! I droppedto my knees, nocked an arrow, andtracked the rack with my laser rangefinder.The deer strolled past me, angling fartherand farther away. He was all by himself.

Then, like magic, the buck topped theridge and stopped: 30 yards exactly!

I could see the deer’s eye as it glitteredin the sun. I was staring almost directlyeast into the brilliant early-morning light,and I knew the deer would certainly seeme bathed in light if I moved. I waited in alow crouch. Then the buck looked straightaway. I drew in a flash, noting that theleveling bubble and Retina Lock Dot onmy IQ bowsight were both perfectlyaligned. The brilliant 30-yard fiber-opticpin settled behind the buck’s shoulder,and I released.

The shot felt good, and the Ragebroadhead hit with a pleasing thump. Icould not clearly see the arrow impact orthe deer’s reaction with the sun in myeyes, but I figured the buck would drop inshort order.

Wrong! As I watched, he trotted uphill afull 150 yards as if nothing was wrong. Hewasn’t bounding away like a frightenedand healthy deer might do, but try as Imight, I could not see blood on his side ora stumble in his gait. Had I missed and hita pile of dirt with a deceiving thud? I couldnot believe it. I blinked my eyes, watchedthe buck walk over a ridge, and rose to gofind my arrow.

LOOKING FOR SIGNThe Easton shaft was buried in dirt, all

right, but it was covered with slick, darkblood. A solid hit for sure. The close-rangedeer must have lunged ahead at the dullsound of my bow. With a solid double-lung hit, he would never have made it outof sight.

I started looking for blood. There wereoccasional match-head-sized flecks forthe first 100 yards, and then three plate-sized puddles on the ground. From there, Icould not find a thing, even when Idropped to hands and knees. The woundhad sealed up.

“Time to wait awhile,” I muttered as Iapproached the ridge where the buck haddisappeared. A liver hit can take up tothree or four hours to kill. I was not aboutto go over that ridge and push the deer.

BLOOD TRAILING 101

In my experience, bowhunterssometimes follow arrow-hit deerwith little or no game plan. This isusually due to inexperience orover-excitement. Here is how toproceed.

First, watch your deer until itdisappears. Clearly mark theplace you shot from, wait at least30 minutes, and then take up thetrail. Wait longer if you know thehit is bad…at least three hours fora liver hit, and at least six hoursfor a gut shot.

Look for the arrow first, unlessit stayed in the animal. Blood onthe shaft can be a clue to the typeof hit. Bright red or pink blood isoften quickly lethal, especially if itincludes foam or bubbles fromthe lungs. Dark red blood usuallymeans a liver hit or fringe hit. Off-color fluid or slime with anunpleasant odor signals a gutshot.

Start at the hit site and slowlysearch for blood. Stay to one sideof the trail so you do not disturbsign. Repeatedly mark the lastblood you find with toilet paper,surveyor’s tape, your hat, orsomething else and search aheadfor more. This will speed up theprocess.

Avoid the tendency to raceahead and overlook blood. Arrow-hit deer often go in unexpecteddirections—uphill, off trails, etc.You cannot always second-guessan animal’s direction without signto follow.

Searching without bloodshould be your last resort. LikeChuck’s 2014 mulie, lethally hitdeer sometimes leave little or noblood on the ground. But if youcan, finding blood is the surest,easiest way to locate your deer.

—Chuck Adams

I hiked back to my pickup, ate a bit ofbrunch, and closed my eyes for a coupleof hours. Time was on my side, with awhole afternoon to look. There is no upside to pushing a liver-hit or gut-shotbuck. If the animal is still alive, it mightrun for hundreds of yards when spooked. Iknew this was not a gut shot, becausethere was only blood covering the arrow.But there was no telling how solidly I hadhit the liver. Waiting was the only solution.

It was just past noon when I peeredinto a little draw where the buck haddisappeared. I could not find one drop ofblood. I circled cautiously, and began togrid-search the area. Half an hour later, Ihad inspected every square foot of theravine. No blood, and no deer.

Another much larger draw cut themountainside beyond the little ravine.The hit site was about 250 yards behindme. Deer can be tough, and I have seenliver-hit bucks travel up to ¼-mile. Iclimbed to the top of the larger ravine,circled to get the wind right, and easedback toward where I had taken the shot.The canyon was dotted with juniper, sage,and tall grass. This could take some time.

PATIENCE PAYS OFFForty minutes later, I peeked around a

bush. There, 25 yards in front of me, was anice antler thrusting above the grass. Thebig buck was dead, facing back the wayhe had come. The carcass was still limberand warm. Using my rangefinder, I figuredthe deer had traveled over 400 yardsbefore settling down to die. Had Ifollowed at once, he might have jumpedand run a mile.

I did a little dance on the hillside. Thebuck’s 5x6 antlers rough-scored 170record-book points—not a monster, butby far the best I had seen. A combinationof fast stalking, good luck, and carefulfollow-up had gotten me my deer.

More often than not, bagging a buck isa direct result of doing things right. Youhunt smart, shoot straight, and develop aplan if your animal does not drop at once.In 2014, my mule deer bowhunt unfoldedin a series of carefully calculated moves. Iwas rewarded with a very nice animal andthe great feeling that comes from doingthings the way they are supposed to bedone!

BAH_1501_ADAMS_16-17 12/8/14 4:24 AM


DO

NA

LD

MJO

NE

S.C

OM

The aluminum boat took abeating as we headed across thewhite-capped lake directly intothe chilly north wind. A

consistent spray of icy water flew overthe bow and pelted my raingear. Withhooded-head down, I knew I was takingthe brunt of the abuse whereas RickDuggan, a fellow bowhunter fromColorado, and our camp-man, Jimmy,gladly used me as a shield of sorts. Weneeded to reach to the relative securityoffered by a rocky cove 3/4-mile ahead,and from there our strategy would be toaccess the tallest ridge in search of thebands of caribou that were migratingacross the tundra towards theirtraditional wintering grounds.

The discomfort of the soaking andinternal organ-jarring ridenotwithstanding, it felt wonderful toonce again be bowhunting in northernQuebec after a six-year hiatus. Thishunter only hoped that this hunt wouldoffer a repeat of the first two of myprevious three adventures to the

northland. On those trips I had beenfortunate to harvest a pair of nice bullseach time. I was keenly aware, however,that chasing caribou in September canalso result in unfilled tags, as had beenthe case on my last expedition.

My outfitter for this year’s trip wasRichard Hume who, along with his wifeAmanda, team up to run Jack HumeAdventures. Jack is Richard’s father andthe family has been in the caribouhunting business for over 30 years. Atrue icon in the Quebec outfittingcommunity, Richard has built a stellaroperation by continually expandingthough the acquisition of other outfits.He has leveraged this to his advantageby adding dozens of strategicallypositioned outpost camps, whichprovide precious flexibility for hispatrons. With over 35 camps spreadacross thousands of square miles oftundra, bogs, and spruce thickets, thereare not many places where the nomadiccaribou can wander that Hume’shunters can’t follow.

NOMADSOF THETUNDRA

TWO BOWHUNTERS TAKE TO THE OPEN BOGS OF QUEBEC,SEARCHING FOR BIG-BEAMED CARIBOU AND LOTS OF ADVENTURE.

BY GRANT N. BENSON

BAH_1501_CARIBOU_18-25;96-97 12/8/14 4:35 AM


BAH_1501_CARIBOU_18-25;96-97 12/8/14 4:35 AM


ridgeline and this entailed traversinga nearly impenetrable combinationof willow tangles, hazardous blow-downs, fast-running feeder streams,and rock fields at the water’s edge.Eventually we arrived at the otherside and began the ascent to the topof the “mountain” at the same timethe rain changed to wind-drivensleet!

Topping out on the barrenhumpback, sweaty and breathlessfrom the strenuous hike, the skiesbegan to clear, and we paused to restagainst a large boulder to eat someapples and glass the vast expanse ofcountry that lay before us. Mostly itwas open tundra, comprised ofexposed granite, lichen-coveredrocks, wild blueberry bushes,innumerable pockets of spruce,expansive willow growth, and theoccasional bog. The autumn colorsincluded a wide spectrum frombright red groundcover to orangewillow leaves. The bog grass wasturning from green to yellow as werethe spindly tamaracks, but thestunted black spruce remained trueto their name. Crisscrossing game

trails left by caribou travelingthrough marked the wetter areas, andin some places the mud was torn upas if it had been used as a dirt biketrack!

Before long we began to noticegroups of ‘bou heading north. Thesebands, numbering anywhere from afew animals to over 60, were verydiverse in composition, includingmostly females, calves, and youngerbulls. Interspersed in the virtualparade would be the occasionallarger bull or a small group of oldermales travelling together.

Finding the Right AmbushIt did not take us long to identify

what we were looking for, a placewhere the terrain, cover, and gamemovement would complement eachother in a manner that allowed for theshort-range limitations of the bowand arrow to be mitigated. This waseventually confirmed when we notedthe predominant “pinch point” to thesouth where the majority of thecaribou troupes, regardless of wherethey may have first appeared,seemed to funnel down through.

The great thing about thisapproach is that Richard onlydeploys five or six of those venues inany given week, so his clients enjoythe benefits of a larger operationwhile at the same time they willappreciate the personalized touch ofsmaller camps. Many of these camps,including the one I would be basedat this week, are located between 100and 200 miles by float plane from theHume’s base of operations in Lac Pau(Caniapiscau), Quebec.

Trudging TundraEventually, we reached the

sanctuary of the cove simultaneouswith the arrival of the rains, andJimmy let Rick and me out on thewest side of the long inlet. Thetowering ridge we needed to scalewas to the east, but there was no wayto safely get there via boat in theseheavy winds. This presented asignificant challenge to the day’s huntas it would tack on over two hours toour hike up, and eventually backdown, in the evening. We were nowforced to trudge around theelongated cove to get to the western

The author and his first Quebec bullfrom the trip. The shot came fast,but from 26 yards, his Hoyt setupdelivered an effective killing shot.

BAH_1501_CARIBOU_18-25;96-97 12/8/14 4:35 AM

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BAH_1501_21 12/9/14 10:34 PM

Rick and I scurried down off theridge to the funnel and set up on thedownwind side of the main rockypathway that the animals were using.To the east of that thoroughfare,which was about 70 yards wide, werea number of tall bushes to hide in oraround. The ground cover was mostlystubby willow and knee-high grass,allowing for silent movement as abowhunter could dodge from bush tobush to try to intercept any caribouthat would opt to stray from the maintrail and cross through the sparsevegetative cover. Rick named thislocation “Ambush Ridge” in his GPS.

That first day we observed wellover 700 head. Sporting coats thatranged in coloration from dappledgray to tan-brown to creamy white,the caribou flowed through in waves.About 10 percent of the passersbyswere older bulls, with sweepingantlers still covered in thick, butsoon to be peeling, velvet. The mostmature specimens proudly sported

snow-white manes that blew in thewind. But by the time we headedback to the lake at the end of theday, we had encountered none thatmet that perfect combination ofbeing the right bull in the rightplace at the right time for an ethicalarchery shot.

While the second day of the huntfound us stationed in a different areawhere we spied over 200 caribou, inour 12 hours afield we were neverable to narrow down a predictableshooting location. So it was withmuch anticipation that we venturedout across the calm lake at dawn onthe frosty third morning knowing wewere going to revisit Ambush Ridge.Equally good news was that with thewind having died down to a gentlebreeze, Jimmy could now drop us offat the base of the mountain. Thisafforded us the advantage ofavoiding the arduous, and timeconsuming, hike that was previouslynecessary.

Looking for a ShotAt 10:30 that morning, a group of

over two dozen ‘bou appeared on theskyline 400 yards distant and amongthe animals was a very nice bull.Over the next 15 minutes the caribouworked their way north towards ourlair and, with the crosswind blowingperfectly, they soon began to pass infront of the tamarack cluster I wasnestled into. First the does, calves,and young bulls trickled by atbetween 8 and 55 yards, but it wasthe dominant bull that I awaited. Hewas cautiously bringing up the rear,the tell-tale “clicking” of ankletendons on bone that is unique tocaribou audibly giving away hisapproach.

When my target quarry was finallystrolling broadside, I cautiously tooka rangefinder reading at 26 yardsand by the time I drew the 71-poundcompound and anchored for the shothe was another seven or eight yardsfurther out quartering slightly away.


That first day we observed well over 700 head. Sporting coats that ranged in coloration from dappled gray to tan-brown

to creamy white, the caribou flowed through in waves.

BAH_1501_CARIBOU_18-25;96-97 12/8/14 4:36 AM


With but the lightest of pressure onthe knurled trigger of my release,the feather fletched arrow was senton its way.

In a slightly arching flash thecarbon shaft sliced completelythrough the bull, clattering audiblyacross the barren rocks beyond him.Upon impact the monarch stumbledawkwardly, lurched forward, thenstood stationary while the otheranimals continued to meander awayunaware that the bull had met withtrouble. Having struck the caribou abit further back than intended, hewas undoubtedly hit hard and soonwalked off slowly. With his headdown and panting, he settled into thebush where he stood on wobbly legsfor a minute or two before tumblingover. It was fitting that the old bulltook his final breath of crispCanadian air with his head held offthe tundra by the wide spread of hisheavy rack. As quickly as that, thefirst of my two tags was punched andwithin an hour Rick and I had

quartered the carcass and neatlyplaced the meat in game bags to bepacked down to the lake at the end ofthe day.

It should be noted that Rick holdsthe distinction of being the firstbowhunter to take the NorthAmerican Super Slam of all 29species with a recurve bow. Ashumble a man as you would everhope to spend a day outdoors with,the stories he shared when askedwere both amazing and inspirational.

Throughout the sun-drenchedafternoon we continued to seecaribou with a predictable cadence, acouple groups per hour streamingthrough the vicinity. Some wereworthy of making a play on, mostwere simply suitable for enjoyableobservation.

Making Fast DecisionsBy early afternoon the shifting

winds had put a crimp in our tacticsas the breeze was now providing thegame-advance notice of unseen

danger lurking in the brush. With thesetting sun nearing the westernhorizon, a final gang of 11 caribouappeared to the south and withinmere minutes they were in range ofRick’s recurve. Without notice,however, the lead bull went onextreme alert and froze, peeringinquisitively into the tamarack jungle.Without hesitation the othersfollowed his lead and began to swingwell to the west of the primary trail.

In a move born of experiencegained over decades, Rick bolted outthe back side of his cover andsprinted to cut off the animals downover the hill. He returned to meshortly thereafter, thumbs up andsmiling, recounting the events thathad transpired. His race to thesecondary trail put him 39 yardsaway from the string of bulls thatwere passing through the sprucethicket in a single file procession. Asluck would have it the third to last‘bou stopped briefly in an openingwhere Rick laced him with a classic

OPPOSITE: Caribou were very prevalent on this adventure, with band after band of nice bulls. BELOW: Motor boats make effective transportation in the far-North.

BAH_1501_CARIBOU_18-25;96-97 12/8/14 4:36 AM


double-lung shot that sent the bull onan abbreviated, but noisy, death runthat ended less than 40 yards away ina crashing tumble.

We made short work field-processing the animal and addedhim to our now “two bull load” topack down to the lake. As we reachedthe boat with Jimmy waiting for us,the moon began to appear over theridge and cast an eerie ovalreflection on the calm lake.

Reminiscing a Great Day AfieldAt camp that night over a dinner of

lightly seasoned pan-fried cariboutenderloins, buttered mashedpotatoes, and sautéed mushrooms,the other four hunters in camphuddled with us around the wood-burning stove in the cook shack andrecounted the day’s events. With twodays left in the quest, all the othershad tagged out, leaving only Rickand me each with a tag to fill. Thisworked out well as we now had totaldiscretion on where to hunt tomorrowand it made no sense for us to go

anywhere but back to Ambush Ridge.The caribou were there, we hadfigured out how to play the varioustrails depending on multiple winddirections, and access to the territoryfrom the main lake was fairly direct.Seasoned bowhunters realize that theflow of caribou can evaporate asquickly as it starts, meaning that alocation that teems with game oneday may be void of the beasts thenext. If that was to happen it wouldbe outside of our control, but we hadno reason not to return tomorrow andfind out for ourselves if things weregoing to remain consistent or not. Itwas with that nagging thought inmind that we drifted off to sleep assoon at the droning hum of the gasgenerator stopped and darkness fellover the remote wilderness outpost.

Looking for More ActionAny time spent worrying about the

caribou having moved out of our areaunder cover of darkness was quicklyput to rest within the first hour thenext morning. With a heavy frost and

a westerly wind present, we began tosee small bands of caribou behavingjust as they had in the previous days.The difference this morning was thatthe clusters were generally a bitsmaller, but there were more, andbetter, bulls represented. This is acommon phenomenon whereby moremature males are present in greaternumbers at the later stages of amigratory wave.

With multiple groups passingthrough and skirting our hiding spot,we were unable to close the deal onany shooters until noon. It was thenthat I selected a large-bodied bullthat donned extremely wide antlers,but lacked top points, as a candidatefor my remaining tag. As heapproached the near edge of thegravel rise with a half dozen or soother travel companions, I had tomake an assumption on which trail hewould take. If I moved down too far tothe south, I would position myself outof bow range, not far enough and thenorthern wind would betray mebefore they were committed to a

Caribou often usethe gentle contoursof the topographyto travel along. Theauthor and hishunting buddy RickDuggan found aspot where the ‘bouwere comingthrough in bunches.They aptly namedthis effective funnelAmbush Ridge.

BAH_1501_CARIBOU_18-25;96-97 12/8/14 4:36 AM


In a move born of experiencegained overdecades, Rick bolted out the backside of his cover and sprinted to cut off the animalsdown over the hill.

Continued on page 96

given path in the labyrinth of options.In this instance my instincts provedsound, and I was already at full drawand crouched kneeling on the soggytundra when the wide-antleredspecimen stepped into a shootinglane that I had pre-ranged at 32yards.

Settling my fluorescent-red middlesight pin solidly on his side, wellbehind the point of his body wherehis bleached mane faded into a massof grayish woolen hide, I gentlysqueezed the release and watchedthe arrow pass through the caribouslightly behind the lungs. He whirledaround at once and retreated another15 yards back into the open andaway from the brush line. Just as I waspreparing to take a follow-up shot,the caribou turned directly awayfrom me and, not following the nowspooked herd, strolled sluggishly outinto the barrens where he promptlybedded down. Through myrangefinder I observed the bloodexiting his heaving side, clearly afatal liver hit. I knew the best thing todo was to allow the ‘bou to remainunpressured so he would die in thatbed without additional chase or risk.According to the script, within twohours he expired and Rick and Iapproached him to complete thenecessary field work and meat care

tasks. In the end this was the onlyanimal we took that day, meaning thatRick had one last day to try to fill his,and the camp’s, final tag of the week.

As we broke out of the lakesidetimber and into the barrensapproaching Ambush Ridge just pastdawn the final morning, weimmediately saw caribou rovingacross the landscape and detected

them doing something that hadbecome commonplace the priorafternoon. The animals had begun tonavigate a route that carried themwell wide of the ambush area. Usingthis new trail it was impossible tointercept them within bow range.Relegated to watching thesetravelers leave us frustrated, Rick

BAH_1501_CARIBOU_18-25;96-97 12/8/14 4:36 AM


BAH_1501_BROAD_26-32 12/8/14 4:40 AM


These days much credence is given toarrow flight and accuracy, as it should.But how about an arrow’s effectivenessafter it hits the target? I mean, how well

does that ultra-accurate arrow perform once ithits the animal and has to travel through hide,muscle, bone, and organs?

Have you ever made what you felt was a prettydarn good shot on an animal and ended up witha long drawn-out recovery? Or maybe lost theanimal altogether? I have. It’s a bummer whenthat happens, but the good news is, it rarely hasto. By taking the time to learn what makes anarrow perform well on live animal tissue (nottargets, plywood, etc.), you can head out on yournext hunt with confidence, knowing full well yourarrow/broadhead combo will perform whencalled upon.

Using a Plan B SetupI can’t count the number of times I’ve heard

someone in an archery shop arrogantly state, “Ifyou just place your shot right, it doesn’t matterwhat type of arrow you shoot.” When I hearstatements like these, it throws up a red flag inmy mind that this person is eitherinexperienced, or unwilling to face the facts.Perfect shot placement every time is a greatgoal, but I would not bet the farm on ithappening on each occasion in the field.

In the real world people are still people andwe all make mistakes. Even if your shooting wasperfect 100-percent of the time, animals will onoccasion jump the string or take an unexpectedstep forward. I’ve had it happen too many timesto turn a blind eye toward this fact.

This is why you need a good backup plan inthis regard. I call it “Plan B.” Plan B is to shoot anarrow and broadhead combo that if/when shotplacement doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped,you can instead count on deep penetration, bonebreakage and two holes that bleed profusely.When a bad hit is made for whatever reason, thechances of recovery are far more likely with thistype of setup than with an arrow that bankseverything on shot placement.

Finding ToughnessA few years back I got a phone call from

Garrett Schlief, the owner of Grizzly StikCorporation and Alaska Bowhunting Supply. WithDr. Ed Ashby no longer able to do producttesting he asked if I would be interested in thejob. Besides shooting live animals, another one ofmy tasks was to drive to the local butcher shopand fill up the back of my truck with fresh bones.I then would shoot these bones with Grizzly Stikproducts, along with other companies, andreport on the results. In the process, I destroyedthousands of dollars’ worth of brand-new arrows

This bowhunter explores the facts behind arrow and broadhead penetration.

The results are quite noteworthy.BY JEREMY JOHNSON

HARD-COREARROW

PERFORMANCE

Steep cuttingangles will requiremore arrow force toadequatelypenetrate throughan animal.

BAH_1501_BROAD_26-32 12/8/14 4:40 AM


penetration may not stop—but it willsuffer. When a broadhead bends itredirects the arrow through the tissue.Changing an arrow’s direction oftravel causes tremendous drag thatwastes its energy and results indecreased penetration. Often timesthis rapid redirection of the arrow ismore than the shaft can take, so thearrow snaps just behind the insert.

In regards to broadhead strength,there are some key design features tolook for. Without strength, like I said,the broadhead will lose its integrityand its ability to cut becomes ruined.Here are the most important featuresthat make a broadhead tough.

Blade thickness: The thicker theblade, the less likely it is to bend orbreak and rob valuable penetration.

Quality of steel: Ask any knifemaker and they will tell you howquality steel allows a knife to hold anedge better than one with cheap steel.The same goes for broadheads. Asharp broadhead doesn’t do youmuch good if it dulls out by the time itreaches the vitals. A broadhead mayfeel like a surgeon’s scalpel when itcomes out of the package, but how

and broadheads. The reason for thistype of testing was to establish what ittakes to consistently break big bonesand find the weak points in arrows andbroadheads so Grizzly Stik couldimprove upon their designs.

I test this way because in Dr. EdAshby’s studies, he ranks the strengthor “structural integrity” as the mostimportant aspect of a hunting arrow. Inlaymen’s terms, this means how muchabuse an arrow or broadhead can takebefore it bends or breaks. Reasonbeing, if an arrow or broadheadbreaks when it hits the animal, it’sgame over. Penetration will stop aswell as any further tissue damage. Aspowerful as today’s bows are,structural integrity is more importantthan ever.

Being from elk country myself, Ican’t tell you how many stories I’veheard of guys who’ve had their arrowor broadhead come apart on the ribsor shoulder bones of a mature bull,only to have them dug out by a riflehunter a month later. Even the mostdeadly broadhead isn’t all that deadlyif penetration stops.

If a blade or ferrule bends, then

sharp will it be after it cuts throughhair, hide, muscle, and then ribs? Thisis when sharpness counts the most,which is why I like to check abroadhead sharpness after I’ve shotan animal with it.

The type of steel used and how abroadhead is heat treated determinesthe Rockwell hardness rating of themetal. Optimum hardness forbroadheads is 52 to 59 Rockwell(depending on the type of steel). Withratings less than this, the metal canbend and dull, robbing penetration.Go higher in the Rockwell scale andbroadheads will shatter like glasswhen bone impact occurs. Find outwhat kind of steel is used and theRockwell hardness rating of anypotential broadhead design you’reconsidering.

Ferrule design: Just like blades,ferrules can be made from differentquality materials. Their design willalso determine how much impact theycan handle. Too much machine work,too many pieces, or low-quality metalall can create weak spots.

There are some excellent qualityheads out there. No matter what the

Animals move andperfect shots aren’talways made. I hitthis bull a little highand square in theshoulder blade.Thankfully Plan Bwent into effect andthe arrow crashedthrough the shoulderblade, broke thebottom of the spineand into the oppositeshoulder. There wasno tracking required.

BAH_1501_BROAD_26-32 12/8/14 4:40 AM

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BAH_1501_29 12/10/14 4:53 AM

percent FOC and compound fromthere. There’s no downside to havingas much FOC as you can get, so longas you maintain good arrow flight.

Less Deflection: High FOC arrowsare less susceptible to deflection bothin flight and after impact.

Less Arrow Shaft Damage: Ahigh FOC arrow that pulls the shaftthrough the animal will have less flexon impact and therefore break lessoften.

Better Broadhead Flight: Bymoving the center of mass closer tothe front of the arrow, broadheadoscillation distance is decreased asthe arrow leaves the bow, makingthem less likely to steer the arrow offcourse.

Better in Crosswinds: Long rangefield archers have used this trick foryears to buck the wind in outdoortournaments. Even when crosswindspull the rear of the arrow slightlysideways the front of the arrow stays


brand you choose, good broadheadswon’t be cheap, there’s no way aroundthat. High-quality steel, proper heattreating, and tight machiningtolerances cost money—but they arewithout a doubt worth it.

Also, don’t forget about your inserts.Aluminum inserts are the next weakestlink if heavy bone impact occurs.Consider using a brass or stainless-steel insert. Most arrow manufacturersnow offer them. I prefer to install themwith a quality slow-cure 24-hourepoxy, which is less brittle and likelyto shatter lose.

Increasing Forward-WeightBalance

When someone refers to an arrows“forward of center” or “FOC,” whatthey’re talking about is the arrow’sbalance point. For an arrow to flycorrectly, the balance point needs tobe forward of center.

As FOC levels increase, the

percentage of weight in the back halfof the arrow is decreased. Thischanges the physics of how an arrowtravels through the animal. For ahunter, high FOC creates a number ofbenefits. I’ve listed each one below.

Better Penetration: With low FOCmore of the arrow weight is at the backand middle of the shaft. So this weightpushes the broadhead through thetissue. This causes the arrow to flexand drag on the sides of the woundchannel.

When the majority of the arrowsweight is toward the front, it pulls therest of the arrow through the tissue.This reduces shaft flex on impact andcauses less drag as the arrowpenetrates.

Dr. Ed Ashby’s studies showed thatincreasing an arrows FOC had more ofan impact on how well an arrowpenetrates than any other factor. Edfound definite measurable penetrationgains start showing up around 19-

Being from elk countrymyself, I can’t tell you howmany stories I’ve heard of

guys who’ve had their arrowor broadhead come apart onthe ribs or shoulder bones of

a mature bull, only to havethem dug out by a rifle

hunter a month later.

The formula looks like this: blade length / width factor (bladeheight or ½ the cutting diameter X number of blades) =Mechanical Advantage.

EXAMPLE #1: 100 Grain Mechanical1.48 (Blade length) / 1.0 (Blade height) x 2 blades = 2.0 (widthfactor) = .74 M.A.

EXAMPLE #2: 125 Grain Three-Blade Head1.5 (blade length) / .63 (blade height or ½ the cuttingdiameter) x 3 (# of blades) = 1.89 (Width Factor) = .79 M.A.

EXAMPLE #3: 200-Grain Samurai by Alaska Bow Supply3.28”Blade Length / .57” (blade height or ½ width) x 2 (# ofblades) = 2.877 M.A.

FORMULA FOR MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE

High broadheadmechanicaladvantage ratingsare needed forthose using low-draw-weightbows.

BAH_1501_BROAD_26-32 12/8/14 4:40 AM


on course. This is especially helpfulwhen using broadheads.

Use Smaller Vanes: With thecenter of mass farther forward it givesthe vanes more leverage to steer with.The result is you won‘t need as largeof vanes to steer the arrow. Smallervanes equal less drag, flatter shooting,quieter flight, less surface area to beaffected by crosswinds and moreenergy for penetration.

Keep in mind, you can use one ofthe several Forward of Centercalculators available online to checkyour arrow’s FOC.

Mechanical AdvantageRegardless of what bow you shoot, it

can only produce a set amount ofuseful force. Making the most of thatforce is what Mechanical Advantage(MA) is all about. Next to an arrow’sforward of center, broadheadmechanical advantage has more of aneffect on an arrow’s penetration

potential than any otherfactor. Bowhunters using lowdraw weight bows need to pay closeattention to MA, since the force theirbow provides is limited. The goodnews is that with some forethought,massive penetration and pass-throughshots are possible even with low drawweight bows!

MA is not a term specific tobowhunting—it’s a basic engineeringprinciple, or applied physics as somewould call it. MA is a formulaengineers use to measure efficiency,or, in other words, how much worksomething can accomplish withwhatever force it has. Withbroadheads, we are measuring howmuch penetration potential (work) abroadhead can provide with the forceour bow applies to it. If mechanicaladvantage goes up 30 percent on anarrow, penetration will go up 30percent.

Steep angles, wide-cutting

diameters and more blades, alllower a broadhead’s mechanicaladvantage, because they require moreforce to make the arrow penetratewhatever it hits. This isn’t much of anissue when only soft tissue isencountered, but when you hit ashoulder bone, center punch a rib, orhave to penetrate a lot of soft tissue toreach the vitals (such as in aquartering-away shot) you’re going toneed all the penetration you can get!

Many people equate more bladeswith more tissue damage and betterblood trails. If MA were not an issue,they might be right. The problem withthis idea is that by adding extra bladesand not increasing the force drivingthose blades, penetration will not be asdeep. Having less blades andpenetrating deeper, or better yetpassing all the way through the animal,will make quick kills and gamerecovery easier. Two holes in the hideincreases blood trails and lethality as a

LEFT: By using mechanical advantage to her“advantage,” Rhonda Nielson was able to get a pass-through shot on this big Nilgia, shooting only a 42-pound bow! BELOW: Placing your shot accordingly isn’t alwaysgood enough. What is also needed is a broadheadand arrow package that drives deep, cuts wickedlythrough tissue, bone and vitals, and drives out thefar side of the critter. Two holes are simply betterthan one.

To fly well, an arrow should have adequate center-forward weight, or what is commonly referred to as front-of-center weight (FOC).More FOC also equates to increased penetration, according to renowned broadhead and penetration expert Dr. Ed Ashby.

BAH_1501_BROAD_26-32 12/8/14 4:41 AM


whole, more so than wide cuts on oneside, especially when the entry woundis high on the animal, such as shotsmade from a tree stand.

How to Measure MechanicalAdvantage

Knowing your broadhead’s MA is acritical part of arrow selection andfiguring it out is easy once you learnhow. To do this you will need twomeasurements. The first is the lengthof one blade. Measure blade lengthwith a set of calipers or if it’s easiertrace the blade on to a piece of paperand then measure your line. Thesecond measurement is blade height,or the distance from the centerline ofthe arrow to the highest point on theblade. A set of calipers works great forthese measurements, but you can alsoget pretty close with a tape measure orruler.

Another way to get the blade heightmeasurement is to look at the packageyour broadhead came in. Mostbroadheads list a cutting diameter.Take the cutting diameter and divide itin half, since we only want the heightof one blade for this formula.

Now take the height of a blade

and multiply it by the number of blades the broadhead has. Thiswill give you your width factor.Next divide the first measurement(length of one blade) by the widthfactor we just figured out, and youwill end up with the MA of thatbroadhead.

The formula looks like this: bladelength/width factor (blade height or½ the cutting diameter X number ofblades) = Mechanical Advantage. Seesidebar for more information.

Arrow MassAn arrow’s lethality is increased

every time you add weight to it. This isbecause added arrow weightincreases the arrow’s momentum,which in turn increases its penetration.It’s simple and unarguable physics.Despite this fact, arrow weight is stillthe most widely known and underused penetration enhancing factor outthere. Why?

Many people fear if they add toomuch arrow weight, their trajectorywon’t be flat enough and they mightmiss. A valid concern for sure, but ifyou have to leave out Plan B to get aflat trajectory, I’ll tell you from

experience – it’s notworth it!

Years ago afterpurchasing my firstlaser range finder Icashed in my arrowspeed for an extradose of arrowweight. I found thatextra weight didfar more for myoverall successthan a lot of arrowspeed did. Thosesteep quartering

shots or accidentalshoulder hits now had

Dr. Ed Ashby’s studies showed thatincreasing an arrow’s FOC had more

of an impact on how well an arrowpenetrates than any other factor.

happy endings and trophy photos,instead of knots in my stomach and anempty freezer.

My new system was shoot a heavyenough arrow to penetrate steepangles and shoulder shots. I made arule that if I attempt any shot beyond30 yards it would require a click of therangefinder first. Inside 30 yards thesmall trajectory difference proved tobe a non-issue in hunting situations.Years later, I look back and see adramatic jump in my success andconfidence as a result of the change.More arrow weight = more arrowmomentum = better penetration

Multiply Your Arrow’sPerformance

By paying attention to broadheadselection, FOC and arrow weight youwill be surprised at what an arrowreally can do. More than once I’vebroken elk down at the shoulder, hadsteep-quartering shots passlengthways through a buck’s body, andhad tree stand-angle shots provide lowexit wounds and short recoveries.These weren’t flukes or lucky shots.They were simply the result of usingthe laws of physics to my advantage.Take these principles to heart andapply them to your next dozen huntingarrows and success will follow.

Not having to worry about deer shoulders hasincreased my shot options. This was the thirdblacktail in a row I killed with a close range, frontalshot. All shots were a complete pass-throughsand fast kills. Not a shot I would recommend withanything less than a strong, heavy, high FOC arrowand a broadhead that can break bone.

Bowhunters have acountless number ofbroadheads tochoose from. Someare simply moreeffective when itcomes topenetrating well.

BAH_1501_BROAD_26-32 12/8/14 4:41 AM

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BAH_1501_MIDWEST.qxp 12/8/14 4:47 AM


By Tony Ruggert

of that state. Hunting units therecomprise a region that many believeoffers bowhunters the bestopportunity by far to hunt and kill atrue mega-whitetail buck. And I wassmack in the middle of it well into thefirst week of November.

Back in July when my Iowa tagarrived, I was really pumped! I knewwhat that tag meant to my chances attaking a great buck. But that emotionwas tempered by the realization that Iwould likely have to bypass myannual Illinois bowhunt. Over the pastseveral years I had always done wellthere, taking several solid Pope &Young bucks, and I hated to miss outon even one trip to a state that hadtreated me so well in the past.

PLANNING THE HUNTTime was not a problem. Being

semi-retired and owning my ownsmall business my schedule isextremely flexible. But money…wellthat’s always an issue, isn’t it? Trophywhitetail bowhunts in the mostpopular “big buck” states, with topproducing outfitters in the industry,are not cheap, and two in the sameyear for me was out of the question.Still, with my favorite Illinois hunting

COME ALONG ON THIS EXCITING

DOUBLE-ADVENTURE, DO-IT-

YOURSELF HUNT FOR BIG

MIDWESTERN BUCKS.

First light was gatheringquickly now, and the glow onthe cloudless eastern skylinepromised that another balmy,blue bird day would soon be

added to the string of four that hadjust preceded it. That thought left mebriefly annoyed, as a stalled high-pressure system does nothing toimprove daytime whitetail activity,which frankly had been in the toiletsince my hunt began four daysearlier. But as quickly as they came,those feelings faded as I settled intomy stand for the day and the soundsand smells of early November in thedeer woods pulled me headlong intothe hunt.

My stand was located on the side ofa small hardwood ridge bordering anovergrown CRP field to the west and apasture interspersed with juniper andhardwood saplings of oak, ash andsome hedge apple. Less than 15minutes later, full-blown shootinglight had just arrived when I heard arustling in the leaves over my leftshoulder and slightly above metoward the spine of the ridge. I knewwhat it was before I turned to look.Three rapid but evenly spaced blowsto the leaf-covered forest floor…ashort pause…then three more left nodoubt that a buck was making ortending a scrape just up the ridgefrom me.

At first I saw nothing. Then thelicking branch shuddered as hebegan to work it over. The “bones”protruding through the foliage as hebusied himself with the task at handtold me all I needed to know.

I’d finally made it to Iowa. With mythree preference points, I hadmanaged to draw a coveted archerywhitetail tag in the southeast corner

MidwesternDouble

Tap


area and my intended Iowadestination within easy drivingdistance of each other, I wasn’t willingto concede anything just yet. So Istarted digging.

Since Iowa was my primarydestination for the coming fall, Iturned to my network of Midwesthunting contacts. As a huntingconsultant, I deal with outfitters inseveral states from Indiana to Kansas.And while Iowa’s preference pointsystem can make it a challenge tofind clients looking to bowhunt thatstate, I did know of one particularoutfitter with great private leases inUnit 5 where I had drawn a tag.

Iowa does not license or certify theiroutfitters, nor do they have alandowner-participation programgeared to opening private lands to the

hunting public as some states do. Sohaving a contact like Mike Nichols ofThe Whitetail Connection is everything.He’s young, enthusiastic and, above alllives, eats and breathes big whitetails.Born and raised in the area, he knowsthe landowners, and many are friendsof the family. This enables him toacquire some of the best privatewhitetail habitat found anywhere in thestate. Fortunately, he had datesavailable in early November and hespecializes in providing private leaseaccess and semi-guided bowhunts,exactly the type of affordable hunt Iwas looking for.

With my Iowa hunt secured, Iturned my attention to Illinois. Thiswas the easy part. I had multiplecontacts in that state that offeroutfitted, DIY hunts on private leases

complete with food and lodging, allpre-scouting, pre-set treestands,aerial photos with lease boundarieshighlighted, and a detailedorientation providing stand locationsand known deer movement patternson the day before the hunt. Once theorientation is completed, hunters arethen left to their own devices. Ibooked my Illinois hunt to follow myIowa bowhunt, allowing one daybetween the two for travel,orientation and settling in. Thesetypes of hunts are priced about 50 to60 percent of what a fully guided huntgoes for. In the end, I was able to hunttrophy whitetails in two of the bestwhitetail destinations in the world forjust a bit more than the price of oneguided hunt and the cost of anadditional tag. That, I could handle.


...full-blown shooting light had just arrived when I heard a rustling in the leaves over my left shoulder...

ABOVE: Author and hisIowa buck, which he shotafter luring the deer inrange using a WoodsWise Buc ‘n Doe call. RIGHT: Author and hisIllinois buck thatcompleted his doublehunting adventure

BAH_1501_MIDWEST 12/11/14 10:18 PM

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ABOVE: Heading into the woods scent-free is a critical part of the equation that truly pays off. I alsohad an Ozonics 200 in my stand (not pictured) to neutralize any remaining human odor within myscent zone. RIGHT: I always have a lightweight hang-on stand with climbing sticks just in case I find asmoking hot area that has to be hunted now!

I was able hunt trophy whitetails in two of the best whitetaildestinations in the world for just a bit more than the price of one

guided hunt and the cost of an additional tag.

MAKING A DECISIONEasily the buck tormenting that

licking branch was a goodone…beam length, brow and fightingtine length and mass all good…justnot great. He was a solid P&Y bucksporting a typical 4X4 frame in themid to high 130s, not what I had cometo Iowa for but a good trophynonetheless. Also, he was the onlyshooter I had in bow range my entirehunt with nearly 50 hours on stand todate.

I had seen a half dozen of thosegiant bucks we all dream of along theedges of the standing corn and in thebeams of my headlights as I traveledto and from our hunting area. Two ofthem I’m certain would have grossedbetter than 170 inches, one of thoseon the high side of 180 inches. A wetfall made getting the combines intothe fields impossible for longstretches, so more than half the cropwas still standing. My guess was the

breeders were rounding up the doesat night and moving them into thecorn during the day. The stationaryhigh pressure system and warmtemperatures weren’t helping mattersat all, and there was no end to it insight. It was with all this in mind that Idecided this late in the hunt, if giventhe opportunity, I would take thisbuck.

He continued to work the lickingbranch relentlessly for the better partof five minutes. He was no more than30 yards up the side of the ridge, yetall I could see were a few patches ofhair, his rack and an occasional flashof white throat patch through theheavy canopy directly over hisscrape. Then that rack was suddenlymotionless, maybe he was surveyinghis work or leaving a calling card ofurine passed over blackened, musk-soaked hocks. My guess wasprobably both.

Finally, he slowly turned his head

and looked toward the ridge top andstarted moving directly away from mystand. I use a specific call for close-range situations like this thatproduces either buck or doevocalizations. I hit it twice, producingtwo of the most seductive, almostinaudible, doe bleats I could muster.Instantly he froze in his tracks andstared briefly in my direction. Withears cocked forward and head low heslowly turned and came at adeliberate, almost hurriedpace…searching.

I was at full draw before he clearedthe canopy well up the hillside, andfollowed him with my 20-yard pin fastto his front shoulder, one-third of theway up his side. He came by justunder 15 yards, and as he quarteredslightly away I dropped the string. Ashe passed, his gait had slowed so Ididn’t try to stop him. Entry was ahand width behind the shoulder andexit was just forward of the opposite



RIGHT: Mike Nichols retrieves a good buck for one ofhis clients on a fully guided hunt. If you are on anoutfitted DIY hunt, you will need a 4-wheeler to getyour deer back to the truck.BELOW: Hunting during the rut is great...lots of deer,lots of action. Bucks were definitely tending scrapesand trailing does on both of the author's hunts.

leg. My 100-grain HellRazor took outboth lungs, and I watched him fall.The elation that comes with wrappingyour hands around a great set ofbones usually is accompanied bysome regret that the hunt is over. Butthis time, with a valid Illinois tag stillin my pocket, there was none of that.

TRAVELING TO ILLINOISThe drive to my Illinois camp was a

breeze, and by nightfall not only had Ibeen oriented to the lease I would behunting, but I had a chance to checkout and select my stand for themorning hunt. The first day wasuneventful, most likely because I wasdealing with the same weather herethat dogged me throughout my entireIowa hunt.

Day two was more of the same, butday three arrived and with it thepromise of a frontal system andfalling temperatures that night. As Ileft the lodge and drove into thedarkness, I felt that familiarexcitement—butterflies in the chestand the prickle of hair on the back ofmy neck standing on end. This wasgoing to be a good day!

My stand was in the timberoverlooking a pinch point between alakeshore and a cut corn field.

Identifying these “buck funnels” andlocating your stand precisely where itneeds to be is often the most criticalfactor in putting a big whitetail buckon the ground. From first light deerwere moving both in the timber andout in the cut corn, and I caughtglimpses of good bucks moving justat the limit of my vision.

Around 9:15 a.m., I began my“casting” series of calls…doe bleats,followed by tending grunts andfinally estrous bleats…spaced fiveminutes apart. A half hour later, Istarted to repeat the same sequence.Half way through the first series ofdoe bleats, there he was, comingstraight for my tree. He was almostthe twin of my Iowa buck, big bodyand all. He stopped broadside at 17yards, and my HellRazor performedlethally once again, tipping him overafter a very short death sprint andcompleting my Midwest double hunt.

Opportunities such as thosedescribed in this piece are moreavailable than you might think. TheMidwest is within driving distance ofjust about anywhere in the lower 48.These DIY hunts are not onlyaffordable, but I think more gratifyingand simply more fun. You do your ownthing…hunt the way you like to hunt

in the type of cover you prefer. Bringa hang-on or two. See some country,read sign, adjust on the fly. True, thepre-hunt scouting is done for you. Butyou decide how to apply theinformation provided, putting theoutcome of your hunt…good orbad…almost solely in your hands.

AUTHOR’S NOTES: There are manyvariations available similar to the huntyou just read about. Kansas andWisconsin are other options. Indiana,Nebraska and Missouri also have verygood deer and over-the-counter licensing.These could be used as “fill in” type huntsif you score early on your primary hunt,and have done the research. If you needany more information, you can call me at:Trophyseekers Worldwide Inc., (717) 352-7119, or visit Trophyseekers.com.

During the hunt, I used the followinggear: Mathews Drenalin bow, Spot-Hogg5-Pin Sight, NAP Quik Tune SmartRest,Limbsaver products, Carter ChocolateAddiction, Bushnell 1000 rangefinder andElite 8x43 binoculars, Beman 340 shafts,NAP QuikFletch QuikSpin vanes, NAPHellRazor 100-grain broadheads, WoodsWise game calls, and Dead Downwindscent-prevention products.



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BAH_1501_MOOSE_40-45.qxp 12/8/14 5:23 AM

41NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 • BOW ARROW HUNTING

After years of applying for abull moose tag in my homestate (and still waiting todraw one) I decided to burn

the few points I had acquired inWyoming for a chance to hunt a cowmoose with my bow. A trip to BritishColumbia, Canada, two years agoproduced no opportunities due tobad weather the whole week wewere in camp. A chance to huntthem do-it-yourself style a littlecloser to home held a strong appealto me. Studying units and drawodds, I settled on Unit One in theBighorn Mountains. This decisionalso had an ulterior motive. Myclose friend Wayne was gaining onenough points to draw a bull tag inthis unit and agreed to go along onmy cow hunt. The reasons were twofold. One, he could see the caliber

of bulls in the state’s number-oneunit for trophy Shiras bulls and, two,he would be a great hand in packingout my cow, hopefully.

The good news came in earlysummer, and I made a trip sevenhours north to get a boots-on-the-ground feel for what I was up against.Since most of us rarely get a chance tohunt moose, the learning curve wouldbe steep. Phone calls and in-personinterviews with state biologistshelped me get a better feel of whereI’d find them and what habitats theypreferred (at least in the summer).Past hunters in the area chimed in onwhat to expect and where they foundmoose once the season opened. Mostall had the same thing to say, “Whereyou find them in the summer is notwhere they will be come fall.” Notruer words have been spoken.

BY WARREN ANDERSON

WyomingShiras

After years of striking out in the bull moose draws, this bowhunter decided to turn his focus

on a cow tag. His strategy paid off well.

BAH_1501_MOOSE_40-45.qxp 12/8/14 5:23 AM

42 BOW ARROW HUNTING • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

plan of every other hunter that had a moose tag. After a dayof this, I grew extremely bored and it proved fruitless.Except for two bulls killed on opening morning, the animalswere not in their summer haunts (just as the past huntershad said).

Formulating a StrategyAfter a few run-ins with elk hunters, it became obvious

that still-hunting the timber would be the way to get thisdone. The elk hunters we talked to had all seen moose whilechasing elk. A few of them gave us some solid tips on wherethey were finding them, and we checked out each lead likea seasoned detective. Five days into the hunt we had seen

The summer trip was a huge success. Thirty-plus animalswere spotted in just a day and a half of scouting the likelylooking areas on the map. Feeling confident that there wereplenty of animals to hunt, all I could do was return home andwait until the season opened.

Preparing for the HuntMy good friend Wayne packed up his wall tent and other

camping essentials, and we headed north in earlySeptember. Having found a few good options for campingspots (and a few dynamite trout streams), we set up camp ina driving rain storm and finished camp chores of cuttingand stacking fire wood. Relaxing in the gargantuan wall tentcomplete with woodstove, being out of the rain, was apleasure that I rarely get to experience on most of my hunts.Normally I am crammed into a one-man backpacking tenton some remote mountain top, gear stuffed under thevestibule, trying to keep it somewhat dry when the heavensopen the flood gates. This would be a very comfortablecamp from which to hunt.

This hunt would also prove to be much different than mosthunts I am used to and, quite frankly, prefer. Instead ofglassing from some remote high point, the main plan wouldbe to cruise some of the many roads that run through greatmoose habitat. Unfortunately, that also seemed to be the

Finding a lone cow proved very difficult,as most of them were accompanied bycalves. State regulations prohibit shooting a cow that is with a calf.

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One afternoon, while glassing from an old forestservice road, a group of cowboys on horseback rode outof the timber below us and worked their way up to ourposition. This would be a golden opportunity to see ifthey had seen any moose while gathering up the cows.Turns out...they had! A vague list of instructions pointedus in the right direction. To my way of thinking, thesemoose would be in the bottoms finishing off the last fewwillow shoots that hadn’t yet been completely killed bythe frost. So, we hiked up a wide valley to a likelylooking ambush spot and settled in. Plenty of deer, butno moose showed themselves that evening.

Glassing the TimberThe next morning we were back at the cutback glassing

when I happened to catch a glimpse of the bull and cow thecowboys had told us about the day before. They were nearthe top of the mountain near the alpine and working theirway into a basin with plenty of thick timber to bed in. Wehustled up a gnarly two-track and began the steep hike towhere I had last seen them. Once over the top, we tip toedalong, zigzagging in and out of fingers of timber. The windhad picked up and was swirling, so I decided to back outand return in the afternoon. We made note of a great placeto glass from that would offer a commanding view of the

elk, deer, bear and a few bull moose, but the cows wereproving to be slippery. How on earth can you spend thismuch time snooping around the timber in good-lookingspots where others had seen moose and still not be able tofind an animal the size of a Volkswagen? I was gettingfrustrated but tried to remain positive. It only takes oneanimal to turn the tides, and each day it felt like we weregetting closer to cracking the code.


TOP: Thanks to this large wall tent, moose camp was a pleasant“resort” compared to pitching a small backpacking tent on someremote ridge. BOTTOM: Warren Anderson and his trophy Shirascow moose. During the hunt, information provided by fellow elkhunters and cowboys proved invaluable in locating moose.

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Taking a few extra seconds to control my breathingand pounding heart, I settled my 40-yard pin on her

flank and began the pull.


only were we trying to find a cow, it had to be a cow withouta calf as per game regulations.

At the top, we were into the moose, but all the cows had acalf and a few of them had boyfriends. This being the firstactual encounter, I decided to experiment and see howclose I could get and determine how weary these animalsreally were. They tolerated more than I expected, and it wasobvious that once we found a single cow, the stalk would beanti-climactic.

Gaining DistanceTwo miles down the drainage, I let out a bull grunt and

was answered immediately by a cow. As I moved intoposition, I could see legs moving my way through the trees.At 30 yards, she stopped broadside in a small openingoffering a prime shot opportunity. I looked back at Wayne,he had the camera up and was snapping pictures. Helooked at me and pointed while mouthing the words, “She’sright there.” I thought I had seen a second set of legs, andsure enough, junior stepped into view behind mom. Wesnapped a few more pictures and continued on down thedrainage.

Another half mile and we again ran into a cow and calf.We were in the right area, plenty of moose, we just needed

basin and returned later in the day to see if we could turnup the pair of unsuspecting moose.

It was a strenuous hike, but shortly after getting situated,the clouds began to build and a storm was brewing. Itappeared to be blowing away from us at first, so I wasn’t tooconcerned. Then, it switched 180 degrees and began toblow back in our direction, and with a vengeance!

Soon, the trees were bent over at almost 90 degrees. Rain,sleet, snow, and lightning soon followed. The former I candeal with, but the ladder I was not interested in. We bailedoff the top to get into the trees and were planning to wait itout when Wayne brought up a good point. The two-trackwas a pretty sorry road to begin with and it crossed twocreeks. Since this storm had no signs of moving quick, thepounding rain would make travel on that road treacherous.To top it off, the last several hundred yards of it ran downthe center of a valley that was already saturated from theprevious day’s storms. We decided to turn tail and head forcamp. We made it out but barely. Of course, two miles downthe main road, the rain stopped and the sun came out.

On day six, finally feeling like we nailed down a specificdrainage, we parked one truck at the bottom and took theother to the top. The plan was to still-hunt down thedrainage, some 4 1/2 miles, in hopes of finding a cow. Not

The author hunted theBighorn Mountains region,an area known for its beautyand expansive country.

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to find a legal cow. After stopping to filter some water andtake a break, I saw Wayne’s eyes light up and he said, “Noway.” Turning to see what he was looking at, he said, “Thereis a cow.” About that time, I saw a second set of legs behindher and I said, “And there’s the calf. Right?” He hissed back,“There’s the bull! A cow and a bull! Give me your pack; yougot this.”

Quickly, I shed my pack and began to close the distance.The bull was young with a small set of antlers, but his bodywas large. Large enough that if he decided I was a threat, hecould have dished out some serious injury. I kept veryaware of his location as I eased into a comfortable shootingdistance. Now it was a matter of her turning broadside andhim not getting too temperamental, just a scant 13 yardsaway. Finally, she turned as the bowstring found its placealong my cheek. Taking a few extra seconds to control mybreathing and pounding heart, I settled my 40-yard pin onher flank and began the pull. The arrow disappearedexactly where I was looking, and she started for the edge ofthe meadow. Wayne grunted and she stopped.

With blood pouring out of both sides of her mouth, Iknew she was hit well. She stood for what felt like forever,even though it was probably only 20 seconds and then triedto walk. Her rubbery legs gave out, and she crashed to theground. Her last few labored breaths shot a mist of blood 15feet into the air from the arrow’s entrance hole. I will behonest, it was a little sad to watch her die. An arrow is adevastating weapon when placed correctly. Fortunately, thewhole ordeal lasted less than a minute, andshe never felt a thing.

Soon Wayne and I were standing over myprize and, after snapping a few pictures (andrunning off her boyfriend—twice), wecommenced to the task of breaking her downand packing her out. Wayne’s GPS revealed anold logging road not far from where she felland, after we brought the first load of meat out,he headed for the truck at the bottom of thedrainage while I went back for the last threequarters. When he came bouncing up theroad, I was coming out of the timber with thelast load of meat.

Wyoming Game and Fish had asked me tocollect some blood, kidney and tooth samplesfor their study on the moose herd. In thespring of this year, after the Wyoming Gameand Fish published their tooth analysis report,it showed the cow I shot was 7 ½ years old.Overall, it was a memorable experience I’llnever forget.


TOP: The author is seen here still-hunting along atwo-track road. During his walks he spotted severalsmall bulls, including this one pictured in the photo.BOTTOM: A woodstove provided much-neededwarmth during segments of cold weather.

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W ith most seasons winding down by the time this issue hits the stands,there’s no better time to start planning for next season’s successthan now. What follows are the things I strive to do during the off-

season so I can improve my time on stand. When it comes to hunting, I’venever been an overly lucky hunter. To achieve consistent results, I have tomake my own luck. These are the tasks that have had the greatest impact onhow lucky I feel.

Where to HuntIt all starts with having places to hunt. A few years ago, my friend had just

lost all three of the areas he’d hunted the year before. Though the reasonsvaried from property to property, the words he shared with me ring true innearly all cases. “If you don’t own your hunting land you’ll eventually lose it,”he said. “It’s just a matter of when.”

Outside of the 40 acres I previously owned for about five years, I’ve neverowned the land I hunt on. My experiences line up perfectly with my friend’sstatement. The list of reasons of why I lose land to hunt on is endless, to behonest.

Doing a lot of public-ground hunting, one would incorrectly assume thatthose secret public spots I’ve found over the years were safe. Betweengovernment contracts ending, “public” grounds being sold, logging, mining,other hunters finding those hidden gems, and a long list of other reasons, I’venever had any secret spot on public ground last more than a handful of years.

Next Year’s PlanIf you want to improve your next hunt then now isthe time to get to work. By Steve Bartylla

Before spring green-up isthe best time to locateand learn new huntinggrounds.

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Even when you own your ownground, having extra land to huntcan be extremely beneficial. Notonly does it allow you extraopportunities at new bucks, but itallows you to take pressure off ofthe land. You can hunt the very bestwhitetail ground in the county buthaving the ability to hunt otherlocations is an important part ofkeeping that ground fresh andproductive.

How you go about finding newland is not important. Whether it’sground open to the public, a leaseor merely gaining permission tohunt, it doesn’t matter.

What does matter is that this isthe single best time of year to addnew hunting spots to your arsenal,and you can never have too much

of it. With deer hunting being manymonths away, owners are moreopen to talk now then they will beafter they’ve had their doorknocked on by the tenth hunter thisweek. It also offers you enoughtime to trade labor services forhunting rights. On public grounds,you pretty much have the woods toyourself this time of year, so youcan dig in and narrow downspecific stand sites.

Regardless if land is open to thepublic or not, uncovering usefulhunting sites now provides thechance to learn them before thespring green-up. Not only is mostof the buck sign still visible, but Ibelieve far too many hunters ruintheir hunting areas the first year byscouting the ground right before

and during the season. Thatpressure most often pushes deer tothe neighbor’s land, when we wantthe neighbor and his friendspushing deer to our land.

Get out there now, find that newhoneyhole and learn how deer useit. I can promise you that you won’tbe upset if you end up with moreland than you can hunt. If that’s thecase, simply hunt the best spotsand leave the bottom-end groundalone for an entire year. Leavingthese spots alone can do wondersfor the following season.

Public-Land BucksI’ll be honest and admit that I

find a great deal of satisfaction andpride in taking public-land bucks.For me, taking a 3 1/2-year-old or

Habitat improvement ismuch like remodeling a house.Anytime we remodel awhitetail’s home, we should doso in a manner that helps createor enhance a stand setup.

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older survivor of the public-land“wars” is my ultimate hunting thrill.

As alluded to earlier, huntingpublic-land bucks also keeps myprivate hunting grounds a littlefresher. Yes, I’m unbelievablyspoiled by being contracted tomanage one or two really goodpieces of ground each year. Onthose large chunks, you can getaway with a lot more than youwould on the normal smallproperties I also manage. On thesmaller grounds, a huge key tosuccess is tightly controlling thehunting pressure. Convince thedeer that they aren’t being huntedand good things happen.

In short, as the neighborspummel their grounds, the deerkeep piling into the woods you

The early off-season isperfect for exploring newareas that you don’t wantto disturb later in the year.

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A big advantage to earlyoff-season scouting isthat most of all the previous season’s rut sign is still clearly visible.

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manage, because they feel safethere. For many small private-landhunters, keeping the deer ignorantto being hunted is the biggest keyto improving the quality of thehunting. When possible, a big partof tricking deer into believingthey’re safe is improving thehabitat in ways that produce low-impact, high-reward stands. Doingso allows the woods to be hunted,while providing the illusion that it’snot. The result is that deerencounters go up with eachpassing day, instead of thedownward trend most propertiesprovide. For me, hunting publicground creates an escape toalleviate the pressure off myprivate grounds.

One key to successfully huntingpublic-land bucks is this: you haveto find the dang things before youcan kill them. Having huntedpublic grounds in six states andseveral provinces, I can tell youthat there are more 3 1/2-year-old

and older bucks running aroundpublic woods than you’d believe.However, they surely aren’t behindevery tree and, to get to that age,they tend to be masters ofescaping.

There’s no better time to findthose masters than the day afterseason closes, on through springgreen-up. Begin by scouting areasthat are either too thick/too muchwork for other hunters to access orthe pockets of cover around roads,building or parking areas that areignored. Tear the woods apart,looking for big rubs, overly largetracks, large beds and sheds.

Public-land bucks generallygrow to maturity by finding thoseareas we don’t hunt and stickingtight to them during daylight. Findenough of those spots, and you’llfind some nice bucks worthhunting. The catch is that you’llhave to pound boots to do it.There’s no better time to do sothan now, as your intrusion will be

long forgotten by the time seasonrolls around.

Up the OddsFor those able to manipulate the

private land they hunt, now is alsowhen you start manufacturing thoselow-impact, high-odds stand sites.Habitat improvement is much likeremodeling a house. Anytime weremodel a whitetail’s home, weshould do so in a manner that helpscreate or enhance a stand setup.

Before doing anything, identifyyour goals for the property and layout the improvements that youbelieve will be the most helpful forachieving them. The best plannever happens by winging it.Instead, it will involve tying eachimprovement together with carefulplanning so it encourages deer tobed, feed, water and travel in theways that best aid in hunting.

With a plan in hand, get out therewith a chainsaw and createbedding areas and blockades to

Since I mentioned chainsaw work, we should brieflycover the act of hinge cutting. After all, no other tree-cutting method can create as much extra deer cover asswiftly as hinge cutting trees.

The premise behind hinge cutting is straight forward.Make one cut far enough through the tree to allow it tofall, but allow the top to remain connected to the rootsystem. As the tree falls, the connecting tissue serves asa hinge. With many tree species, the connecting tissuebends, but doesn’t break, allowing the continued flow ofnutrients.

Before taking a chainsaw into the woods, learnchainsaw safety backwards and forwards. Also, alwayswear logger’s chaps, helmet with a face shield, glovesand boots.

There’s not enough room in this article to coverchainsaw-safety procedures. However, a couple thingsspecific to hinge cutting must be covered. On trees ofany real size, always cut on the opposite side from howthe tree is leaning. Make one continuous cut until thetree just starts to fall and step back.

On small trees, only cut around 60 percent of the waythrough and pull them down into the desired position.Minimizing the cut allows a better connection betweenroots and the branches, enhancing survival rates.

With chest-high cuts, deer can bed and travel underthe trees. Using waist- to knee-high cuts, they can oftencreate effective deer blockades. In either case, droppingthe tree to the forest floor creates instant cover and deerbrowse. —S.B.

HINGE CUTTING

Having hunted public grounds in six states and several provinces, I can tell you that there are more

3 1/2-year-old and older bucks running public grounds than you would believe.

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deep-woods setups. Doing so givesme and my clients a tremendousadvantage.

The over simplified goal is forthe sanctuaries to provide the bestsecurity and thermal cover the areahas to offer. It’s also not bad if itoffers some good browse and mastcrops. However, as a hunter, youreally want the majority of feedingto occur outside its boundary. Thatway deer have what they trulyneed inside, but also have a strongtemptation to leave for top-qualityfood.

That said, I believe many makethe mistake of never entering theirsanctuaries. I need to know what’sgoing on inside their boundaries.How deer are using, accessing andexiting these sanctuaries is criticalto taking advantage of them.

At the same time, for sanctuariesto best do their job, they need tooffer superior cover. Often, it takesa chainsaw or tree planting work toachieve that. If I don’t ventureinside them to inspect the qualityof deer cover, I have no clue if itneeds further improvement.

After the season closes is thetime to really inspect thosesanctuaries. Doing so providesinvaluable hunting intel and allowsample time to make anyimprovements to cover that may behelpful. Plunging in is the only wayto make those determinations, andthis is the time of year to do that.

Access and FunnelsWhether it’s private or public

grounds, keeping impact lowallows you to go undetected.Unfortunately, low impact oftendoesn’t occur naturally.

For the private land owner, it maymake sense to make new roadsalong the property lines. With that,the hunter can use the line foraccess and departure that blowstheir odors into the neighboringground, keeping the ground theyhunt undisturbed.

One can also use less drasticmeasures to make lower impactaccess. In many situations, a ditch


CHECKYOURGEAR

The off-season is a greattime to go through your gear,looking for potentialproblems. In many cases,identifying problems early onprovides you with ample timeto remedy issues. In the caseof tree stands, some fixescould save your life. For thisreason, pay special attentionto all the parts on your stands.Make the time now to give alltree-stand associatedequipment an extra closeinspection. In fact, beforeheading to the woods later tohang stands, give them asecond safety check. Yousimply can’t be too cautious inthis regard. —S.B.

Before planting food plots, one should craft a thorough planfor how to improve the habitat to create low-impact, high-odds stand locations.

help funnel deer activities. Doingso over the winter months gives theimprovements plenty of time towork before next season beginsand provides all those extra topsfor feeding during this otherwiselow point in the food supply.

Creating Safe ZonesSanctuaries are becoming more

and more popular, and for goodreason. As mentioned above, allowdeer to feel safe on your groundand you’ll suck them in over theseason like a vacuum. Setting asidea good percent of the deer cover asgenerally off limits to hunting doeswonders to help achieve that. That’sparticularly true when thesanctuary area offers high-impacthunting, anyway.

I set aside more deer cover as asanctuary than most. When layingout plans, it’s common for me todesignate 70 to 90 percent of deercover as a sanctuary. I strive tobuild habitat plans around notneeding to hunt deep in deercover, while producing low-impact,high-odds stands that hunt like

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or creek may provide low-impactaccess, but fallen trees and brushmake them unusable. Anothercommon problem is that manystand access and departure routescan’t be used without brushingagainst things, making noise andleaving odors.

Now is the perfect time to cuttrails and clear passages. Sure,growth will again occur before theseason. Still, whatever work is donenow is that much less disturbancenear and during season.

At the same time, deer don’talways travel as we’d like them to,but that can often be changed.

While improving access, why notimprove the funnels and trails yourstands cover, while discouragingdeer from using those we don’twant them to use? All one must doto dissuade deer from using fencecrossings, trails, any sharp bankcrossing and all sorts of othertravel ways is to clog them withsome brush.

One should then make thosesame features that our standsoverlook more enticing to deer byfixing them up. Something as simpleas doing some minor clearing to adeer trail in spring can get deer touse it even more than theyotherwise would. Do a little diggingon a sharp-bank crossing to make iteasier to climb and it will almostalways receives more deer traffic. Ifthat neck of trees that connects twowoodlots is too wide to shoot across,make a brush-pile fence to forcethem over to within bow range.

Outside of building new accessroads, all of this can be done onboth private and public grounds. Allit takes is a little creativity and someelbow grease. You’ll never goundetected by every deer or getthem all to use your improved route.However, if you go undetected bythe one buck you want to kill and hedecides to use your enhancedpathway the day you are on stand, itcan be well worth it.

This is just one of many bucks the authorhas taken as a result of his early off-seasonprep work.

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hunting archer.

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Banking the Super Cub hard to the left, my guide andoutfitter Jonah began the circle that wouldhopefully confirm what both our eyes had spotted.With my face pressed to the glass I peered as hard

as I could trying to spy what my mind kept telling me I hadwitnessed. Sure enough, standing in the middle of the riverwas the coastal brown bear I had made the long trek fromOklahoma to find. From the relative comfort of the SuperCub, the bear looked huge, although in reality I’m not sureif he was big or not. The good news was that the bear was onthe river fishing less than a mile and a half from camp.Peering out the window with renewed resolve we continuedon to camp, which happened to be just around the bend inthe river.

Join this bowhunter as he travels to the wilds ofAlaska to face America’s largest predator.

By Ryan Eaves

Coastal Mega Bears

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The sight of amassive brownbear track promptsexcitement andfear.

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Landing on the sandbar andexiting the plane, we soon set tothe task of unloading andchecking gear. With Alaska lawbeing what it is, it would be thenext day before any huntingbegan, so we took our time andenjoyed the experience. Truth betold, I was wore out. By no stretchof the imagination is it easy tomake it from Oklahoma to Alaska.The full day of travel had mefrazzled, and I soon found myselfnodding off during conversation.Retiring to the tent, surrounded byan electric fence I might add,sleep came easy. But before Iknew it, I was being rousted out ofthe comfort of the sleeping bed. Itseems many hours had passed ina couple of minutes and this huntwas officially ready to begin. Aftera quick breakfast, we slipped intowaders and loaded the raft.

The giant coastal bears are anamazing animal. For several yearsI had wanted to hunt them, butthere was always other huntsscheduled or life in general justseemed to keep this hunt off thebooks. That all changed in January2013 when I began talking withmy friend Casey and we got off onthe subject of bears. In fact, I hadlistened to Casey’s story of hishunt the previous July, so the greatthings he had said about the huntand outfitter he went with justseemed to stick. I just knew it wasthe hunt I was looking for.

The next day, I contacted theoutfitter, Jonah Stewart, to learnmore about his services and whatto expect. He reiterated most ofwhat Casey had talked so fondlyabout. Before I knew it, I wasbooked for a July hunt.

Preparations began immediately,because to say I was pumpedwould be a drastic understatement!

BATTLING THE RIVERThe first day’s plan was to head

up river to what traditionally hadbeen the prime fishing spot forthe bears. At this time of year thebest hunting would be at night,when the bears would come out ofhiding and spend all nightfeeding up and down the river.The plan was to simply find agood spot to view as much of theriver as possible and be ready tomove when a bear showedhimself. I have to admit that thesize of the river concerned me. Itwas much wider than I expected,which posed several potentialproblems.

First, it was too wide to shootacross, which would effectivelymake the hunt more difficult. Notbeing able to cover the entirewidth of the river would mean abear could easily pass by and beout of range. Also, being wideralso meant deeper. Jonah wassomewhat concerned alsobecause our trek up the river eachday became more difficult. Inyears past, he explained that theriver was rarely more than thighdeep. Trust me, I’m 6-foot, 6-inches tall, and we found areasthat were at the top of my head. Allthat aside, though, there wasnothing we could do to combatthat. We simply had to deal with itand make it work.

The labor involved in pulling a16-foot inflatable raft up riverturned out to be more difficultthan I expected. As previouslystated, the depth of the river made


With renewed energy I grabbedmy gear and in a half-walk, half-jog,we headed to the bear.

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BOOKING A HUNTJonah Stewart is one of the best guides I’ve ever had the privilege to hunt with. This hunt proved to be just what I was

looking for: simple, no-frills camping in the heart of the Alaskan backcountry. Despite conditions not being ideal, Jonah

was able to put us on a nice bruin all due to his knowledge of the area and the game being pursued. Making the call to pick

up camp and to move to new county is a gutsy move that some outfitters wouldn’t be inclined to do. Jonah made the call

with no hesitation, and his decisiveness proved wise. I can speak no higher words for an outfitter than to say that I will

hunt with Jonah again in the near future. In the meantime, if you would like to plan your own Alaskan adventure, I suggest

you give him a call or check him out on the web at jonahsalaskanoutfitters.com. You won’t be disappointed. —R.E.

The super cub is the primarymeans of transportation inthe far-North.

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sure Jonah could hear theexcitement in my voice as Ipleaded for any options, but Iknew as well as Jonah that thisencounter was about over.

Whispering back and forth toone another we watched as thebear hit our scent. It was anincredible sight to watch as thebear raised his nose and, with nomore noise than a mouse,disappeared back into thesurrounding jungle. The entirety ofthe first night played outuneventfully and, as the easternsky began its greeting of a newday, we shoved off in the raft anddrifted back to camp.

COVERING MORE GROUNDThe next several days played out

much like the first. We hit differentareas up and down the river and,with the exception of one ornerysow and her three rambunctiouscubs, we had nothing to show forour efforts. We found tracks in thesand and other sign, but the lack ofsalmon was definitely hamperingour opportunities. On day fourJonah made the decision that weneeded to pack up and head outonto the tidal flats. His theory wasthat the bears were still out therebecause of the lack of fish, so webroke camp and made a change inscenery.

It proved to be a wise move. Theday after moving out there I put astalk on the first coastal brownbear of my life. We spotted twojuvenile bears less than a quarter-mile from camp and spent acouple of hours sneaking in onthem. At about 60 yards, westopped and watched as the two

things difficult as did the current.As everybody knows, more watertrying to make its way to the oceanmeans more current to fight whenone is going in the oppositedirection. It was laborious, but theweather was about as perfect asone could hope. It was a beautifulday that made it difficult not toenjoy the journey, regardless ofhow difficult things were. In duetime, we found ourselves severalhundred yards downwind fromwhere the bear had been theprevious evening. Stashing the raft,we hunkered down in cover andtook turns watching the riverupwind. We did this for hours, andhours, and hours.

FAST ACTIONFor the most part that first night

was slow. The lack of salmon wassomewhat disconcerting but theone encounter that night more thanmade up for it. I had gotten up andchanged positions to keep tabs onthe area downstream from us,when, like a ghost, the monstrousform of a bear popped out of thealders 150 yards downstream.

As soon as the bear appeared,he was gone, making me questionwhat I knew I had seen. Quicklycrawling back to Jonah, I informedhim I had spotted a bear, and weboth turned our attention back thatdirection. Long minutes passedwhen suddenly the hulking form ofthe bear ghosted out of the alders80 yards away. The bear wasmoving upstream on the east sideof the river and, unfortunately, wehad no options. We were pinneddown with no cover, and the bearwould be downwind shortly. I’m

Deciding it was go time, I slipped therangefinder to my eye to confirm the distanceone last time and, in one fluid motion, I rose up

and drew at the same time.

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young bears continued theirjourney. It was an awesomeexperience, one that will remainwith me for a long time. Sneakingin on an animal that is at the top ofthe food chain, all the whileremaining undetected and while itgoes about its natural activities isabout as good as it gets. After thetwo young bears had disappeared,Jonah and I headed back to ourvantage point to spend more timebehind the glasses.

As the evening wore on wecontinued our vigil from atop ourvantage point. The seeminglyendless sea of tidal grass seemedto hide the bears exceedingly well,but after hours of work the wordsthat Jonah uttered from atop hisvantage point still echo in mymind. “I got a bear,” he said. Jonahhad a bear, on the far side ofyonder I might add. Anxious to geta look, I turned my attention to thetiny brown spot seemingly milesfrom us. With hope in my voice I

asked Jonah what he thought, andhis reply sent a surge ofadrenaline coursing through mybody. “We need to get closer; Ithink this is the bear we arelooking for.”

STALKING INWith renewed energy I grabbed

my gear and in a half-walk, half-jog, we headed to the bear. Thefirst 1/2-mile was rudimentary, butit allowed us to close the gap anddetermine without a doubt thatthis bear was indeed worthy of astalk. He was all alone, rummagingand feeding out in the tall grass,content to dine on whatever it isbears find in such a place.Occasionally he would lay down,but even when he was up foraginghe didn’t seem to have anywherein particular he was headed, so wesimply headed directly at him. Iwas originally concerned that theseemingly flat terrain wouldcomplicate the stalk; however, it

GEAR FORTHE HUNT

Going after one of the most

incredible predators in the world will

make you pause and really study

your equipment. With the big bears,

equipment failure can indeed prove

costly, more so than on any other

North American critter. Because of

their size and stature I pumped

everything up a notch in regards to

my bow setup. The combination of

my 72-pound Hoyt Spyder 34, 530-

grain Easton FMJ arrow, and G5

Striker on the business end proved to

be a deadly combination passing

completely through my bear. My

Sitka system performed as one

would expect, as did my Swarovski

optics and Simm’s waders that I

spent most of my time in. I packed a

Ruger .454 Casull for back-up, luckily

never having to use it to prove its

worth.

A pair of camp shoes are almost a

necessity as is a book or magazine to

pass the slow times. Bug spray is a

must have because I’m convinced

Alaska has the biggest mosquitoes,

black flies, and no-see-ums God put

anywhere on this earth.

One last thing that was a huge

departure for me equipment-wise on

this hunt, compared to every other

hunt I’ve ever done, had to do with

my release. As a guy who has dealt

with target panic numerous times

over the years, I made the decision

long before this hunt to use a back-

tension release. My reasoning was

quite simple actually — a bad shot

on a coastal bear had the potential

to get very serious very fast. To

eliminate the chance of me rushing a

shot, punching a trigger, or any other

such nonsense, I simply chose to

hunt with the Scott Longhorn Hunter

that most of my offseason practice

is spent shooting. This seemingly

small decision, I’m convinced, was a

huge plus for me. Everything worked

out the way it should, and, even

though I don’t intend to tell everyone

that the back-tension is the only way

to go, it has proven over the years to

work for me, and at the end of the

day that is all that matters. —R.E.

BAH_1501_BEAR_54-61 12/8/14 5:52 AM


quickly became apparent thatslight undulations in the groundwere going to help.

At 128 yards I stopped to removemy waders and mentally preparedfor the “turtle mode” of the stalk.The bear was laying down at thispoint and after conversing over theplan we began the slow crawltowards him. With the consistent

breeze coming off the oceanhitting us directly in the face, weslithered as quickly and as quietlyas possible. The wet grass wasamazingly quiet and providedsurprisingly good cover. Wequickly found ourselves within 60yards and things seemed to befalling into place when, suddenly,the bear rose up and beganfeeding away. With a touch of panicwe followed on our bellies tryingto not lose ground but,nonetheless, falling farther awaywhen he suddenly plopped down

again. Breathing asigh of relief, I beganthe slow crawl againonly to have the bearget up a second time!

DRAWING CLOSEFeeding away

again, Jonah and Iscrambled to not loseany more ground andjust like the first timethe bear went 30 to 40yards and laid downagain. Refocusing thespeed gears again, Icontinued to slip evercloser, and as I inchedinside 40 yards, I knew

soon I would get my chance.Sprawled out in the wet grass, myface mere inches from the ground,I was beginning another slitherforward when I saw the bear’shead come up and his font endbegin to rise out of the grass.Deciding it was go time, I slippedthe rangefinder to my eye toconfirm the distance one last timeand, in one fluid motion, I rose upand drew at the same time.Focusing on the spot I thought Ineeded to be focused on, I beganto pull through the shot and wasshocked when the bow went off! Inthe split second it took for thearrow to get there, time seemed tostand still and the hollow plump ofbroadhead slicing through hideechoed back.

At the impact, I slammed backdown into the relative security of

the grass and watched as the bearroared and spun, trying to findwhat had jumped up and bit him.Rising out of the grass on just hisback two feet, the bear stared inour direction and then droppedand began a 60-yard sprint theother way. Elated, but unsure, wewatched as the bear stopped fromwhere the arrow had slicedthrough him, spun a few times andsunk to the grass. At that point theenormity of what had transpiredsettled over me, and I sunk to theground, overwhelmed andsuddenly at a loss for words.

INCREDIBLE FULFILLMENTAs in any hunt, there are

aspects and experiences thatcan’t be conveyed in eitherwritten words or in the stories ofthe adventure afterwards. Allhunts have some of the mostimportant details that only thoseinvolved can relate to. This hunt inparticular reinforces thatbelief...the moments leading upto the shot, the momentsimmediately after the shot, andeven some details we choose tohold onto because they areimportant to us. For example, I’llnever forget the slow times duringthe hunt when Jonah and I triedfishing, sliding down the banks ofa no name river in an inflatableraft like two teenagers, or the lookon Jonah’s face when I told him Iwould pack out my bear myself.Those are the kinds details thatwill remain the most important tome, even though they may seeminconsequential to others, not tomention painful to me (in the caseof the pack-out.)

A couple of days after oursuccess, we found ourselves backin civilization in Wasilla. I was gladto be headed back home becauseI missed my family badly, but, Iexpect some time in the nearfuture I’ll have to give Jonah a calland make plans to do it again. Thegiant bears will simply do that toyou.

The author’s well-tuned,72-pound Hoyt Spyder 34was primed and ready foraction, as was hisSwarovski optics. Theguide used a high-powerRemington rifle aslegitimate bear back-up.

After a long stalk and a perfect 40-yard shot the author had what he wanted. His bear was big andimpressive. The hunt couldn’t havegone sweeter.

BAH_1501_BEAR_54-61 12/8/14 5:52 AM

62 BOW ARROW HUNTING •JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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Aspen Royals

Ihad been waiting patiently for weeks, checking my mail and creditcard statements with the consistency of the sunrise. After steadilyaccumulating points in Arizona for years, I had decided to roll the diceand apply for a limited-entry elk tag. The results would be availableany day now, and I was excited to say the least. Having never hunted

elk before, I devoured as many videos and articles on the subject as I couldand began to increase my time at the gym and archery range. Despite myoptimism and efforts, though, Arizona was not meant to be. Following a call togame and fish in early April, perhaps hoping that somehow there had been amistake, the reality that I had not drawn a tag finally sank in. Regardless of thisminor setback, though, I was still committed to hunting elk that fall and beganlooking at states with over-the-counter tag options.

The biggest obstacle I was facing was a limited amount of time, and withhaving no experience hunting elk, I knew that finding the right outfitter was ofparamount importance. Research and recommendations eventually led me toTom Collander of Colorado Trophies, located in southwest Colorado amidstthe majestic San Juan Mountains. With elevations over 10,000 feet, I was a bitconcerned how my lungs would feel about those numbers. After a longconversation with Tom, however, I knew that this was the place I needed to beand made plans to hunt with him that September. Since Tom runs most of hishunts with two bowhunters per one guide, I asked good friend Dr. ChrisDurando if he would care to join me on the hunt. Chris thought it was a greatidea, and we made arrangements to meet in Colorado that fall.

PRACTICE AND PREPARATIONIn preparation for the hunt, I spent the majority of the summer increasing my

workouts on The Matrix, a punishing, escalator-like machine that shows nomercy. By refusing to touch the sidebars, and steadily increasing the intensityand duration of my workouts, I hoped to prepare my body for what was tocome. Chris preferred to run on a treadmill, steadily increasing his workoutsand shooting sessions as the summer progressed. We both spent considerabletime shooting our bows, ensuring that we were carrying the most accurate andforgiving set-ups that we were capable of. Time passed quickly, and beforelong it was time to leave for Colorado.

On September 5th, I drove west through Nebraska before staying overnightin a small town outside Denver. Departing early the next day, I eventuallymade my way across Colorado and to the small town of Norwood in thesouthwest corner of the state. After making my way to the lodge, I met up with

Amid the wild mountains of southwesternColorado, two bowhunters embark on aunique journey for rutting bulls.By Eyad Yehyawi

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Chris, who had flown in earlierthat day, along with Tom and therest of the staff at ColoradoTrophies. Before dinner thatevening, Tom held a shortseminar on calling, shotplacement, and the huntingtactics we would be using. Theplan was to leave early each dayand make our way to variousranches, hoping to find a bull elk interested in our calls.Tom felt that the rut was just starting to heat up, with bothsatellite and herd bulls becoming more vocal each day.

Tom was extremely aggressive when it came to elkhunting, using a combination of cow calls and bugles to lurebulls in. Ideally, Tom liked to move in on a bull andchallenge him, positioning his hunters 50 yards ahead of hiscalling position, while always using the wind to theiradvantage. Mature bulls did not like competition, and whilesome would be intimidated and move away from Tom’sbugles, many would come in looking for a fight. Tom alsoexplained that hunters shouldn’t be afraid to move forwardinto a better position, or break a few limbs to clear shootinglanes. As long as the wind was in their favor, doing so wouldonly improve their chance of success. After discussing allthese points and taking mental notes, we sat down andenjoyed the first of many incredible meals at the lodge.Chris and I learned that Matt, a young man working on theranch for the summer, would also be joining us on the huntto gain experience as a guide. We were more than alrightwith this scenario, and got to know each other as the night

progressed. The camaraderie in camp was great, and wewere all looking forward to the week ahead.

BUGLES AND BOOT LEATHER We covered many miles over the next three days. Chris,

Matt, Tom and I would awaken well before first light, head tothe high country, and then work our way towards any bullthat wanted to have a conversation. On more than oneoccasion we would get a response, only to have the bullhang up, go silent or simply disappear. Although we hadseen some good bulls by the end of day three, and actuallypassed on two younger ones, we had yet to put an elk on theground.

On September 10th, the fourth day of our hunt, weheaded back to the same hillside where we had started thefirst morning. The past few days had been filled with heavyrains and windy conditions, making calling difficult at best.This day, however, would dawn much differently than theprevious two, with crisp, almost cold temperatures, and astillness to the air that screamed perfection. Setting up atfirst light near a large meadow, we once again were into elkalmost immediately, as a herd bull with a large harem was

The author is all smilesafter traveling to therugged hills of Coloradofor his first elk.

As soon as his head dipped down tofeed, I stood and raced for the edge of the timber, longing to reach the cover

that the trees would afford me.

BAH_1501_ELK_62-67; 81 12/8/14 5:56 AM


bugling from a grove of aspens. Chris and Tom begancrawling towards the isolated cluster of trees, hoping thatthe chest high grass would conceal their approach. Onceinside the shaded tree line, they separated, with Tomsetting up behind Chris in the hopes of luring the bullwithin bow range.

Seated on the other side of the meadow, Matt and Icouldn’t help but notice that another bull had startedbugling to the west of our location. In no time at all this bullhad cut the distance in half, and with Tom continuing to callfrom the aspens, there was no question as to where he washeaded. Scanning the distant, dew-covered meadow for thefirst hint of antlers or hide, I finally saw the big bull appearfrom the dark timber, displaying a regal 6x7 rack withwhite-tipped antlers. Lowering his head to the ground, theenraged bull began to destroy a small bush with his antlers,flinging water and mist through the air with each headtwist. After yet another piercing bugle, the bull continued towalk across the open meadow, heading straight for theaspens that Tom and Chris were stationed in.

Realizing that another bull was fast approaching theirsetup, Chris and Tom switched positions, just as the bullcame into view. With steam emanating from his nostrils, thebull continued on his course, searching the shadows for therival he was determined to face. As the bull passed behinda small aspen, Chris drew his bow, only to have the giantstop with his vitals obscured. Holding at full draw for whatseemed like an eternity, Chris could only hope that hisnerves and practice sessions would see him through. Just as

TOP LEFT: The author's friend, Chris, sat on this elk wallow thesecond night but failed to see any bulls.

TOP RIGHT: The weather can turn on a dime in the high country, soyou better come equipped with good raingear. Eyad is shown heretaking a break during a lightening storm in Colorado.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Chris Durando made a great shot to end a classicelk hunt

BAH_1501_ELK_62-67; 81 12/8/14 5:56 AM


Chris was about to let down, the bull finally steppedforward, and Chris made a perfect 20-yard shot. The bullspun on a dime and headed back towards the timber on adead run. From our vantage point, it appeared that Tom andChris had spooked the bull, but that was until we watchedhim fall in the sunlit meadow. Chris had done it, and mostcertainly paid his dues along the way. Throughout the weekhe had sat on wallows and alfalfa fields, endured torrentialdownpours, and walked over 12 miles a day. Hearing Chrisdescribe his emotions as the hunt unfolded was priceless,and the smile on his face said it all. It was the perfectending to a classic elk hunt.

INTO THE ASPENSAfter processing the bull and celebrating back at camp,

we headed out again for an evening hunt. Earlier in theweek, we had seen quite a few elk near a mountain-sidemeadow, with numerous bugles picking up towards lastlight. Our plan was to set up late that afternoon and blindcall, hoping to entice a lovesick bull into bow range. By lateafternoon we had made it to our setup, and after a fewminutes of clearing shooting lanes, Tom threw a loud bugleinto the wind. Almost immediately a bull answered, only afew hundred yards away and directly up the mountain from

our setup. The bull seemed responsive at first, but thenquickly lost interest and began walking away from ourposition. With only one day left to hunt, we knew that wewere running out of time, and elected to push theenvelope. Matt and Chris would stay behind with ourbackpacks as Tom and I headed further up the mountainafter the bull. Gaining elevation with each step, now atalmost 9,000 feet, I realized that my training had failed toadequately prepare me for the thin air. Stopping to catchmy breath, I waited for Tom to bugle from behind me, andthen continued at a feverish pace once the bull respondedand gave me direction. As the bull continued to workfurther away from us with each bugle, almost as if he wasmocking our efforts, we noticed that another bull hadbegun bugling down the mountain to our right.

Knowing that I was now between two different bulls, butnot gaining ground on either in the diminishing light, I wasbeginning to think this was a wasted venture. Tom quicklyworked his way beside me, where we discussed ouroptions between labored breaths. After asking Tomwhether we should raise the white flag or keep pushing, heresponded with a statement that I’ll never forget.

“Well, Eyad, it’s getting late, but these bulls are the onlygame in town right now, which means we gotta play.”

The sun had just begunto set as the author andTom started climbingafter his bull.

BAH_1501_ELK_62-67; 81 12/8/14 5:56 AM


Tom’s response was symbolic of his attitude on this entirehunt, and was one of the many reasons why I had enjoyed itso much. Lighting a fire in my weary legs and burninglungs to keep going, we kept pushing onward through thedark timber. As we dove deeper into the forest, themoisture of the past two days had spawned a white mistthrough the aspens, adding a bit of nostalgia in the fadinglight. Hitting the edge of an isolated meadow, with thesetting sun having no empathy towards our efforts, Irealized this hunt was quickly drawing to an end. Taking astep into the meadow, I immediately stopped in my tracksas a bugle rang out from the timber before me. The secondbull we had been chasing was now much closer, and lookedto be moving towards our position. I could tell that Tomrealized the same thing, knowing that we were still in thegame, and motioned for me to crawl across the meadow tothe edge of the timber.

As I hit my stomach and began to crawl forward, inchingmy bow and body towards the ridge that the bull was surelyon, I suddenly caught movement to my right. A young bullappeared 50 yards within the forest, staring in my directionand trying to make out my flattened form lying in themeadow. I was handcuffed, but had no time to be overlycautious. As soon as his head dipped down to feed, I stoodand raced for the edge of the timber, longing to reach thecover that the trees would afford me. Reaching a cluster ofsaplings just as the young bull’s head came back up, I couldtell that he once again caught movement, but was unsure ofwhat it was. I don’t think either of us cared, though, as in thenext instant a bugle erupted from the aspens behind theyoung raghorn, and in its wake, a giant 6x6 emerged fromthe darkness.

THE STAND OFFWith the giant bull staring right through me, I stayed

perfectly still, hoping that the cluster of young trees wasenough to break up my outline. The wind was still in ourfavor, but was starting to swirl with the setting sun andchanging thermals. I was drenched in sweat, trying tobreathe through my nose and hoping that I could keep ittogether. Then suddenly, as if a gift from the heavens, adeep-throated bugle erupted to my left, as the first bull ofthe evening began to materialize from the shadows. In thecommotion of Tom’s vocal battle with the 6x6, the first bullmust have had a change of heart and decided to introduce

himself. With their heads down and walking stiff leggedtowards each other, the two monarchs locked antlers andbegan to spar, giving me a chance to make my move. Iremembered Tom saying not to be afraid of being tooaggressive, and in this case, I was anything but.

Sprinting forward and cutting the distance in half, Ireached a small opening in the forest just as Tom hit hisbugle for the last time. Both bulls immediately separatedand looked up, with the bigger of the two making me outright away. Tipping his head back as he tried to catch mywind, the old monarch’s curiosity finally conceded to hissenses, and he disappeared into the aspens. The other bull,however, carrying a dark 5x5 rack with dagger-like points,held his ground, staring directly at my motionless form.Slowly pulling the rangefinder from my pocket, I placed thelens to my eye and began trying to find the bull through thesmall ocular and dim light. My efforts proved to be pointless,though, with too many trees and twigs in the way to get anaccurate reading. Looking up through the forest, I noticed agiant aspen standing halfway between the bull and myself,revealing a possible avenue to mask my approach. Havingnothing to lose, and on the tail end of a hunt that was alreadymore than I bargained for, I decided to go for it.

Using the aspen as a shield, I began walking straight atthe bull, coming to full draw just as I approached the base ofthe cream-colored tree. Expecting to step out and begreeted by an empty forest, I instead saw the bull standing

Lighting a fire in myweary legs and burning

lungs to keep going, we keptpushing onward through

the dark timber.

The work never stops and what you put down you must carry out.However, the author is still beaming with joy despite packing out hideand horns down the mountain at midnight.

Continued on page 81

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Pronghorn By

The morning after the storm,the father and son team didn’tmake it far before boggingdown in the mud.

BAH_1501_Prong_68-73.CX 12/11/14 10:46 PM


“Hey, Clint. How are things?” It was noon on August 16 and

time for a radio-check with my sonas we had agreed to do every twohours. We were on our firstbowhunt for pronghorn, a do-it-yourself affair, watching watertanks from popup blinds onsoutheast Colorado’s ComancheNational Grasslands.

“Nothing so far,” came thewhispered reply. “Same here – justsome prairie dogs and…whoa—buck! Gotta go!”

Scanning as I talked, I spottedjust the head of a nice pronghornbuck glaring at me over a smallrise about 100 yards away. Clintdescribes this as a “mean mug”look—a stare of seeming contemptand superiority from a critter thatlooks like he would love to comefight you. If you have ever caughtthe glare of a mature pronghornyou know what I mean. I turned offthe radio and slowly reached formy bow.

Approaching the water, the buckwas suspicious of the newly-placedbrown lump that I placed on hisprairie. He circled behind the 12-foot diameter concrete tank, wellout of range, and finally beganmoving my way. The rangefindersaid 77 yards as I began preparingfor a shot, watching his approach.With arrow nocked, it was time toclip my release to the D-loop. Itried to quietly ease the calipers

the Nose On the prairie, anything

can happen, as this

adventure truly shows.

By Bob Barnette

BAH_1501_Prong_68-73.CX 12/11/14 10:46 PM


closed, and blew it—“clink”—a faint and unwelcomemetallic noise. Amazingly, at a distance exceeding 60yards the buck heard it! Argh! He backed off anddrifted away forever. But, wow, what a great encounterfor the first day in the blind.

Getting StartedWe had driven up from Dallas and met a friend in La

Junta the day before the season opened for someassisted scouting. Tom had been my guide on asuccessful elk hunt in 2009 and was from the area. Hewas not only familiar with the grasslands but also wasknowledgeable about pronghorns. He was happy tospend a day scouting with us to narrow down options.Archery tags for this area are over the counter, andthere is easy access to thousands of acres of federalland. Our basic plan was to find an area to hunt, set upa campsite, and hunt for five days just before Clint

would have to return to Texas A&M for his junior year.We scouted several different areas and saw a fair

number of antelope. One area had a network of watertanks fed by pipelines (this land was used for cattlegrazing too). We saw several pronghorns in the area,and found lots of sign around two tanks that wereabout a mile apart – so we set up blinds at each one.The next day (August 15) was the season opener, andwe chose to let the blinds “settle in” that first day andhunt on foot elsewhere. Opening day was uneventful.

Shot TakenTurning to day two, things were quiet until our next

radio-check at 2:00. “Dad, I just missed a monster!”whispered Clint. “Oh no, what happened?” Clintexplained he had shot over the buck’s back, but it hadrun off a couple hundred yards and bedded by ascrubby cedar bush. That seemed strange—I would

The author’s son Clint with his 69 6/8-inch buck. The hit proved bizarre, as the archer drew for the shot and watched the buck turn and step back a few spaces. As he shot, the buck jumped the string and the arrow arched into his snout.

BAH_1501_Prong_68-73.CX 12/11/14 10:47 PM


have expected him to be in the next county after anear miss. “Keep an eye on him, and if he’s not toospooked, maybe he will come back in,” I advised.

By 4:00 the temperature was well into the 90s, and myun-shaded popup was sweltering. Check-in time again.“Dad, I don’t know what to make of this….he’s still there,with his neck stretched out and head on the ground. I’vebeen staring at him through my binoculars, and I think Ican barely make out some red stuff on his nose. Surely Ididn’t hit him. What do you think?”

Something had to be up. I couldn’t imagine ahealthy animal laying his head on the ground that way.“Clint, I think you must have hit him somehow. Hehasn’t moved in a long time, right?” “Right.” I adviseda careful investigation, using any available cover toscreen his approach and to be prepared for anothershot. More than two hours had passed since theoriginal arrow flew.

A few tense moments later and the radio explodedwith chatter: “He’s dead—I got him—Wow—He’sHUGE! What the heck?” I asked for details. “I hit himin the nose!” What? “That’s the only wound I see!” Noway! “OK,” I told him, “Sit tight and I’ll pack my stuffand head your way.”

This was nuts—surely he did not shoot a pronghornin the nose and kill him. I hurriedly gathered my bowand daypack and zipped my blind closed. I couldn’twait to see Clint and celebrate. When we met I gavehim a high-five and tackled him!

As the typical late-summer-afternoonthunderstorms began to form in the distance, weexamined his trophy. His uniquely marked body wasun-blemished. Indeed, the only wound was a pair ofvery deep gashes across the upper left part of thebuck’s snout. Clint was using a Slick Trick broadhead,and two of its four blades made contact. Amazingly,the massive pronghorn buck had bled to death fromthis odd wound.

Reviewing the DetailsThis made no sense—how does a shot at a buck

standing broadside become a forward-angled slashacross its snout? As we took photos and began field-dressing, Clint shared all the details.

The buck had appeared around 1 p.m., in no hurryto approach the water tank. After almost an hour andlots of mean-mugging directed at Clint’s blind, hefinally came in, a bit nervous but in need of a drink.

Clint ranged him at 35 yards and readied his 65-pound Darton compound bow for a shot.

As he drew, the arrow made just enough noise onthe rest for the buck to hear it. He backed off a fewyards and spun around, but was still in a broadsidepose. With no way to let down and get a newrangefinder reading without spooking him, Clintestimated the new distance as about 45 yards, aimedaccordingly and released the string.

We later determined the buck was actually at 38yards. At the time Clint was certain he had shot overits back, and the distance-judging error was certainlya contributing factor. So how did the arrow hit itsnose? Our only explanation is that the buck reacted tothe sound of the bow firing and turned to its right torun. Video footage has proven pronghorns can reactquickly to such noises. But in a very un-lucky

Our basic plan was to find an area to hunt, set up a campsite, and hunt for five days just before Clint

would have to return to Texas A&M...

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BAH_1501_Prong_68-73.CX 12/11/14 10:47 PM


More AdventureLittle did we know

more adventure awaitedus that evening. Weloaded the buck in mytruck and drove back tocamp so we could skinand quarter. To thenorth, skies darkenedas the thunderstormscontinued to grow.They were moving ourway. Throughout alifetime of hunting I

have experienced lots of trickyweather and often almost enjoy theawesome power of thunderstormsin the wilderness, as it is a moreup-close and personal experiencethan one has in the city. So from adistance the storms were cool.However, as they moved our waythey strengthened. Not cool.

We had no trees around to hangthe pronghorn, so we used mytailgate as a work table. Ominous

development for Mr. Mean Mug,he apparently turned his head intothe path of the arrow that hadmissed his chest and was mortallyslashed across the snout instead.Not what Clint intended, but what’sthe saying about better to belucky than good?

lightning bolts flashed to ournorth, and the thunder rolled. Thesweet cool rush of the storm gustcame through, and knowing rainwas imminent, we donned raingear and hurried about our task.Then the bottom fell out—heavyrain poured, with high windsgusting. Time to take shelter in thetruck. Before long it became clearthis storm would be with us forawhile, and we became concernedabout our camp. We were in thewide-open, and my 9x12 tent wastaking a beating in the high winds.

We decided to collapse the tentpoles to hopefully minimize winddamage. It seemed like a goodidea at the time, and it did work inthat regard, but our cots, sleepingbags, and everything else in thetent got soaked. We returned to thetruck to wait out the storm. But itkept raining, lightning, thundering,and blowing.

By 9:00pm it had been raining

This shows the hunter’s blind setup where the buck was shot.

The author is shown here fired up andready for the hot afternoon sit in the blind.

BAH_1501_Prong_68-73.CX 12/11/14 10:47 PM


for almost two hours, but had letup a bit. We knew we needed tocomplete the skinning, so weresumed our work in the rain andfinished a short time later.Realizing our supply of ice wasvery low and afraid of meatspoilage, we attempted to drive toLa Junta to re-stock. Camp wasabout a mile from the highway, andabout 20 miles from La Junta.Despite my F-150’s 4WD, we onlymade it about 50 feet from campon the sloppy two-track beforebogging down! We weren’t goinganywhere anytime soon. With ourcamp wrecked by the storm, all wecould do was sleep in the truckand hope we could get out in themorning, and cross fingers aboutthe meat.

The morning dawned bright and clear, and the mud wasalready firming a bit. I checkedmy sparsely- iced cooler with a“smell test” and expected theworst. Amazingly it seemed OK.Another miracle! It occurred to methat we could take our wetsleeping bags and clothing totown and dry them at alaundromat. That is, if we could get out of camp. We ate breakfast,straightened up camp, and bymid-morning we were able to get to the highway and on to town. We were back at camp by earlyafternoon with iced meat and dry gear.

The remainder of the hunt wasnot nearly as eventful. We had moreweather extremes but no realproblems, and although we sawmore antelope, I never had a shotopportunity. But Clint and I had agreat time and returned home withsome of the most delicious wild-game meat we have ever had.Clint’s buck really was exceptional,making the Pope and Young recordbook with a score of 69 6/8.

Black Widow Custom Bows

Black Widow Bow

Black Widow

Jan.19

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BAH_1501_TECH_74-80 12/8/14 10:23 PM


The air was crisp and cold and elk were screaming like crazy as the twohunters climbed high into the jagged, forested landscapes. They wereexcited as they discussed their ambush options, recognizing that there

were several bulls talking in different directions. They knew it was best to splitup and increase their odds of a shot, each pursuing their own rutting trophy.

As they neared the deep-throated roars, one of the gentleman, a native of thestate, eased into the bull he was after with tremendous stealth, despitenavigating lots of brush, blow-downs and steep drainages. He walked withconfidence and wore sneaker-like hiking shoes, soft, streamline clothing, and asmall fanny pack.

Meanwhile, his partner, who had flown in to hunt the region from Missouri,wasn’t faring as well. He was feeling out of place and approaching his targetwith great caution. His clunky, just-bought five-pound boots, heavy pants, andscreechy nylon vest made him sound like a steer on the move. He was alsotooting on his bugle tube, just like he had seen others do on outdoor television.One minute the bull’s voice was echoing down the canyon. The next, the woodsfell quiet. For some reason, he thought the bull was coming in, since he wasn’ttalking anymore, so he set up for an ambush.

About 45 minutes later, after a hustled approach and then some persistenttiptoeing, while donning soft fleece over-booties over his footwear, the nativehunter snuck in close enough to deliver a killing 40-yard shot on a big, 330-class bull.

The eastern guy, on the other hand, ended up losing out, as his bull soundedoff about a 1/2 mile up the hillside, then went completely silent. As the rest ofthe week went on, the cycle repeated itself over and over until it was time toreturn home. He never got to draw his bow while hunting for seven full days.

This scenario is quite common when eastern guys travel out West for biggame. The motivation and planning for a good hunt is certainly there, but theright knowledge and preparation is usually lacking.

Fortunately, this can be fixed by following some proven advice—basically aset of rules that jive more with western habitats and animals. Here’s what everyeastern bowhunter should consider to ready themselves for a westernadventure.

WesternReadyIf you’re the type of bowhunter that has huntednothing but whitetails from a tree, but is planning awestern elk or deer hunt, here are some crucuial bitsof advice to help you plan right.

By Joe Bell

As a western hunter, you need to know howto use your rangefinder fast, as animals canapproach from virtually any angle and offervarious shots at different distances. If youcan’t grab the unit and get a reading andbegin your draw within 5 seconds or so, youneed more practice.

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Shedding the WeightDressing the part is critical for western success. This means

leaving the heavy, bulky clothing at home and opting for thinlayers that you can strip easily to accommodate fast-changingweather conditions. Lighter gear also works better for on-the-move hunting, which is what you can expect in the westernwoods or prairielands.

Remember, western hunting often means chilly morningsand 80 to 90-degree midday temps. Plus, the daily routine is tohike during the pre-dawn, then sit and glass frequently, or gofrom one ridge to the next looking for critters. Feeling “loaded”down with gear and plagued by hot, sweaty feet wrapped inheavy boots does nothing but dampen your spirits for goingthat extra mile.

Any of today’s lightweight cotton or polyester garments workwell for western hunting. Just be sure to take two or three sets ofpants and undershirts so you can change out clothing that hasbecome sweat-soaked and covered with odor. Wash these in abucket or stream and then hang dry for the following day’s use.Also, utilize Scent-Killer Field Wipes and Spray, along withscent-free shampoos and soaps as frequently as possible.

For backcountry outings, where limited gear (and clothing) isrequired, go with better quality garments that are made frommoisture-wicking, antibacterial fabrics to reduce scent andincrease comfort and thermal efficiency. Today’s high-techsynthetics and top-quality merino wool are great choices toconsider. I’m particularly fond of Sitka Gear Core products andCabela’s new Instinct Backcountry Series.

Avoiding Big PacksOne of the worst things a western hunter can do is add a

bunch of daypack weight to his body. Doing so, again, will makeyou move through the woods less efficiently and quietly. Bothwill deter smooth, stealth-like travel in the woods.

The western mountains are remote, I understand that, butthere are roads and you can hunt without worry of getting lostand dying in the backcountry. You just have to plan out yourtravel, carry a compact GPS, and make sure you have just whatyou need to replenish thirst, hunger and have basic essentialsto care for your trophy, if you happen to tag out.

In this case, a very small hydration or lumbar-pack willsuffice. Don’t be tempted to use a 2,000 cubic-inch pack unless

Most western terrain is steep, sometimessuper steep. Don’t just practice shooting inday clothes and on level ground. Be sure tomix it up by shooting at extreme angles aswell.

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you’re carrying lots of optics or doing a long trek in remotecountry. Otherwise, go with a pack 1/4 the size, reallysomething that will move with your body as you traverseterrain, crawl through sage and willow, and duck under treesand limbs.

Some western hunters like to carry a meat frame or largepack for on-the-spot meat retrieval, which is great. But the firstorder of the day should be to harvest your trophy, then you canformulate a meat plan. Going light and using a small pack willmake you more efficient and deadly. I say kill first then go toplan meat run.

My pack essentials include a very small knife, GPS,sharpener, lightweight game bags, a few energy bars,parachute cord, water-purifying tablets, hunting license andtag, and 50 ounces or so of water.

Remember, when stalking and crawling for mule deer orantelope, you’ll likely need quiet rubber knee pads (Lowe’scarries some good ones for about $15, as does RanchoSafari.com), leather or heavy-duty mechanic’s gloves, and a setof fleece boot covers or extra thick wool socks to put over yourfeet when removing your boots to cover the last final yards.

Using More VigorWhat this ultimately means is adopting a fresh, somewhat-

aggressive hunting mindset, really the opposite approach younormally take when hunting whitetails in a deep-woods setting.

As with the example at the beginning of this story, avoidbeing timid until the final segment of a stalk. When charging offto stalk a buck or bull, do all you can to cover as much groundas quickly as possible and to get in position. If you dawdle toomuch or become overly patient, you’ll end up losing out most oftime, as western game has a way of walking into thick cover,over a rise, and disappearing unless you don’t do what you canto move in for the shot.

Of course, this doesn’t mean being reckless when stalking orstill-hunting. It means being methodical in choosing good, quietwalking routes, and it means constantly checking the wind. Butif you think you can fast walk, trot or even run for a 1/4 mileacross an expansive area, all without spooking your target, thenyou should do it. The faster you can get into position, the betterthe chances are for a shot.

Remember, when hunting whitetails everything is in close-quarters. In the west, everything is expansive and at

Every back-east hunter should re-formulate his hunting strategy and archery practice for western big-game adventures. The terrain and animals are different, therefore, they require a new set of rules and training. Prepare accordingly and you’ll be moresuccessful.

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drinks. Try to consume morewhole grains, lean meat or fish,fruits and vegetables, anddrink lots and lots of water. Asimple lifestyle adjustment isthe true answer to becominga better western hunter.

Fine-Tuning YourSetup

We all know that westernshots are usually longerthan what you can expectin the whitetail woods, soextending your effectiverange is of primaryimportance. But shrinkingyour groups should notstop there.

You must practice withreal hunting conditions inmind. Try drawing your bowwhile laying on the ground(simulating what you’ll likelydo when stalking in for ashot) and from other irregularpositions common to westernbowhunting, such as sitting onyour butt, crouched on yourknees, and standing anddrawing then walking up a fewyards to acquire your target.

Also, try to force yourself toshoot one broadhed-tippedarrow only from a toughshooting position, then goretrieve your shot. This willenforce a discipline that says you onlyget one good shot, so make it count.

To further refine accuracy, be sure tofine-tune your bow, ensuring arrow flightis perfect. Then experiment with groupsizes by sampling differentbroadheads—and even weights—to seeif you can tighten your accuracy moredownrange.

Remember, when choosing abroadhead, go with a model that canhandle the toughest shot conditions.Since western shots are further, there’s a


far-quarters. This is why beingaggressive is more the rule than theexception.

Getting In ShapeBeing in solid physical shape for

western hunting is not mandatory, by nomeans, but it does help significantly inrough terrain or when you intend to bivyor backpack hunt. Better fitness won’tonly give you an edge to climbmountains, but it will increase motivationso you pursue game more passionatelyand intensely. This will eventually helpyou score when the odds are stackedagainst you.

Many hunters like to hit the gym threemonths or so before the big hunt.However, this tactic tends to work so-sofor most. A better plan is a lifestylechange, where regular fitness andhealthy eating becomes a part of yourweekly, year-long schedule.

This sort of system is more effectiveas it will speed up your metabolism(reducing your weight) and allows yourbody and mind to become moreacquainted with the rigors of physicaltraining, instead of rushing into it priorto a hunt. Besides, there’s usually somuch planning and shot training to do inthe months prior to a hunt that adding ina heavy “gym schedule” onlycomplicates it all.

For best results, learn to cross-train allyear long. This doesn’t mean runningmarathons and racing mountain bikes,unless you want to go that route. What itmeans is doing something physically“light” whenever and wherever you can.Get creative by walking the dog more,riding a bike around town with family orfriends, doing push-ups, crunches,squats or lunges, or lifting dumbbellswhile you watch TV, and whatever elseyou can to make fitness a normal part ofyour life.

Also, perhaps most importantly, doyour best to avoid greasy fast foods,high-calorie desserts and carbonated

One of the worst things a western hunter can do isadd a bunch of daypack weight to his body.

TOP: Sometimes switching up footwear isnecessary on some western hunts. The au-thor backpacked into the Nevada wildernesslast fall for mule deer. He wore maximum-support backpacking-style (Crispi Nevada)boots for the hike in, but packed along a setof Oboz trail shoes for daily still-huntingtrips. His quiet, lightweight cross-trainerswere instrumental in sneaking in closeenough for a shot. BELOW: Big bulls like thisdon’t come to sloppy hunting practice. Theauthor’s friend Ron Way did lots of pre-sea-son scouting, and long-range practice shoot-ing, before his hunt and came away with thistrue bull of a lifetime.

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greater chance for things to go wrong,per se, and having a broadhead that youknow will penetrate deeply will helpboost your confidence.

For this reason, go with a goodcompact fixed head or a mechanicalproven to penetrate well, despite anangled hit and collision with bone. Myadvice is to steer clear of the extra-widecutting angles, which will increase thechance of deflection on such impacts.

Beyond your broadheads, sometimesusing a smaller peep can help improveaccuracy, as will using higher-gradearrows and a bow sight with tightertolerances and smaller aiming beads(for 40 to 60-yard shooting).

The golden rule for western hunting isto be highly proficient at 40 to 50 yards,so plan accordingly. To make myself feelcomfortable, under pressure, with shotson game at these distances, I like todouble the length of my practicedistances. This means shooting out to 70or 80 yards, and sometimes beyond. Tryit. It has helped me feel much moreconfident in western shooting scenarios.


Understanding the GameEvery western animal calls for

different hunting requirements, so hereare a few suggestions to maximize yourefforts. By no means are these end-allrules, just guidelines to help reduce thelearning curve. ELK: If you end up hunting elk in a

deep-forested region with highdensities of animals, such as mostareas of Colorado or Idaho, be sureyou know how to call very well,particularly with an open-reed cowcall. These areas are nearly impossibleto stalk in, so calling is the key tosuccess.

Open-reed calls are the best becausethey are highly versatile and producegreat volume, but, unfortunately, theyrequire the most practice to master.

Learn to call as raspy as possible inorder to entice bulls that “hang up” orcircle around downwind. Many timespacking a Montana Decoy can make thedifference between another blown bulland one coming in on a string, so packone along.

Out-west means expansive country with alower density of game. In many cases, youdon’t hunt for days in one spot. Instead,you must glass, hike and then move on tothe next block of country. This can bephysically draining, so be prepared for it.

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Pre-rut, early-season elk can be called very well, butremember, don’t expect many replies from approachinganimals. They often come in silent. Call for 30 minutes or so in asign-rich area and then watch for movement, being ready at alltimes. Then go to your next calling spot.

During the rut, calling tactics can be more aggressive. If youhear a bugle, use your cow call to get a response in hopes ofdrawing one in. If there’s no response, then try a spike bugle. Ifthe bull stays put, then advance on him, calling again fromcloser away, attempting to provoke his interest. Don’t worryabout making noise or breaking branches—this is normalrutting-elk behavior—so move fast and get the bull’s attention.

If not, then do your best to get ahead of the talking bull byjogging or fast-walking ahead, then set up an ambushsomewhere. In this scenario, don’t call much, just do your best tohurry and to cut him off. Of course, always keep a close watchon the wind or your efforts will be blown.

MULE DEER: Of course, terrain will dictate how you huntdeer, but if you’re above tree line, expect lots of glassing andeither putting a buck to bed or moving fast to intercept bucksbefore they venture into dense cover to bed.

Putting a buck to bed requires a more patient approach whileyou wait for midday thermals to stabilize before venturing outon a well-planned stalk.

However, in terrain where deer bed in the “thick stuff,” you’llhave to get much more aggressive or lose out. This meansglassing deer at first light, and then charging out to set up ashot before they head for heavy cover.

Bottom line is to improvise and hunt accordingly based onterrain. Also, don’t be resistant to still-hunting tree-coveredareas, or sitting remote springs or seeps, when nothing else isworking. Even sitting along a meadow common to deer travelmay be in order to get a shot.

Regardless of how you hunt deer, be sure to continuouslymonitor the wind with a wind-checker bottle and alwaysconceal your human silhouette when venturing along openareas or ridgelines.

ANTELOPE: There are three good ways to hunt antelope—sit water, spot and stalk, or by decoying.

Water tactics often require long, exhausting all-day sits in hotweather, but it’s highly effective. Whereas, stalking is superaggressive but should only be done in terrain conducive to this style of hunting, which is the hard part. Also, stalkingrequires hours and hours of on-your-knees crawling, oftenamid ground-hugging cactus and rattle-snake infestedenvironments.

Then you’ve got decoying, which can be highly effective, butusually during the pre-rut to rut stages. For this method, youbasically spot bucks out yonder, then stalk and crawl in within200 yards or so, then erect a highly visible decoy such as theMontana Buck Decoy. The target buck will instantly see thedecoy as an intruder, and when the timing is right, the animalwill charge your way in hopes of defending his territory.

Of course, this tactic doesn’t always work correctly and manytimes the buck you’re after will just stare without coming closer,growing more and more suspicious until he walks or runs away.

My advice for decoying is to use the tactic when terrain istoo flat for good stalking. Or use it in all terrain types when thepre-rut or rut is going strong and bucks are responding well tothe decoy.

Productive decoying will require some practice on your part.Know how to stay hidden behind the decoy while lookingdownrange at your target animal. Also, be sure you can obtain arangefinder reading quickly, as well as draw your bow low tothe ground, while your buck advances in a rapid manner.

Bowhunting out west could mean that once-in-a-lifetimeexperience that went better than you could’ve ever imagined.Or, it can be the worst. The fate of it is simply in your hands. Byadopting a new set of hunting rules and gear, and practicingreligiously to hone your broadhead-accuracy from all shootingpositions, you can greatly boost your chances of having asmooth, successful western hunt. Try these tips and tactics. Myguess is you’ll come away with more meat in the freezer and anice rack for the wall.

Many archerslike to carry afull-size packwhen huntingout-west.However, inmost cases, thisis unnecessaryand only weighsyou down. Try toreduce your“essentials”needed for theday and use alighter weightpack. You canalways retrievethe pack-frameunit for meatand antlershuttles.

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broadside, his vitals now exposed forthe first time. Settling my pin andtouching the release, I watched as myarrow’s yellow fletching arced throughthe air before disappearing into themonarch. Despite what I feared to be alow hit, the impact sounded solid asthe arrow entered the bull, and Iwatched as he crashed through theforest, regained his composure, andthen finally bedded 100 yards away.The bull’s demeanor seemed toindicate that he was mortallywounded, but after hearing multiplestories as to the strength and staminathat these elk possessed, I wasnervous to say the least.

TENSE MOMENTSSignaling for Tom to work his way

towards me, we tried to formulate aplan before darkness enveloped theforest. Still unsure of my exact arrowplacement, all we could do was go onthe bull’s reaction, and even that hadcreated more questions than answers.Still bedded with his head erect, whichis never a good sign, I feared that thewound would not prove fatal withoutanother arrow. Although I am a firmbeliever in patience before taking upany blood trail, the bull’s reaction andour instincts told us to pursue on thisnight, and that is exactly what we did.

With Tom in the lead and onlyminutes of shooting light remaining,we slowly began walking towards thebedded bull. As we approached towithin 80 yards, the bull slowly rose tohis feet and started working his waydown the mountain, heading for aspruce thicket to our right. Circlingaround and recklessly entering thethicket ourselves, we came over asmall rise, and immediately spottedantlers a mere 20 yards away. Movingforward through the thicket, I cameupon the bull and finished him in thefading light. Experiencing emotionsthat are hard to describe, I knelt downwith tears in my eyes, knowing howfortunate I was to be in this moment.

In retrospect, my first arrow hadclipped one lung and broken the bull’s

shoulder, a wound that may have takendays or weeks to prove fatal. Thedecision to pursue that night had beenthe right one, and I am grateful that wemade it. Like any endeavor in life, thereality of bowhunting is not alwaysperfect, despite our intentions, and allwe can do is strive for excellence.

We made our way down themountain just past midnight thatevening, with heavy packs andexhausted legs. The full moon was atits peak, illuminating the aspens as wemade our descent. It was a

ASPEN ROYALSContinued from page 67

remarkable ending to an epicadventure, one that Chris and I willnever forget. While there may be morebugles and bigger bulls one day, therewill never be another first elk, nor ahunt more special. Smiling as I carriedthe bull’s cape and rack securedfirmly upon my shoulders, I couldn’thelp but think to myself,

“I’m really glad I didn’t drawArizona.”

AUTHOR’S NOTE: To book a hunt with Tom Collander at Colorado Trophies call(970) 327-4678.

This shows the high country theauthor and his guide hunted. Itwas chock-full of elk.

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The author photographedseveral smaller bucks ontrail camera and all werestill wearing velvet.However, the big buckhad stripped his clean.This allowed him tolocate the deer’s freshrubs and plan aneffective ambush.

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In my 51 years of bowhunting in Michigan, Ican’t ever remember a hunting scenario thatdeveloped and worked out as methodicallywell as on a buck I took in 2014. In a round

about way, this is how the story went.

Setting the StageI had been a negative critic of motion cameras

until my 2012 hunting trip to Kansas duringMichigan’s gun season. On that hunt, my huntingpartner brought three Covert cameras, and we seteach up at active-primary scrape areas.

Having hunted in Kansas six times prior, I knewthat mature bucks there are not remotely as leeryor react in any way similar to human presence asthe seemingly PHD-educated bucks back home inMichigan. There is a plethora of reasons whymature bucks in Kansas and several other

Michigan WhopperThis avid whitetailer shares arecent hunting experience about abig 10-point buck that followedthe script perfectly.

By John Eberhart

John Eberhart and his big northern Michigan whitetail. At over 150 inchesin size, this is the biggest buck he has taken in this region of the state. Hewas able to arrow the buck at 14 yards after waiting for the rightconditions to make his strike.

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Midwestern states are much more tolerant of humanintrusions than even two-and-a-half-year-old bucks insome eastern states, but the main reason is heavyconsequential hunting pressure.

Kansas for instance has about 25,000 licensedbowhunters, whereas Michigan has about 320,000bowhunters and around 700,000 gun hunters. Due to thelack of hunters in many Midwestern states, there are morebucks that survive to maturity and they are simply moretolerant of human presence and far easier to kill.

Mature bucks in some Midwestern states do not react,change to more nocturnal movement habits, or seeminglydissipate into thin air as most Eastern state mature bucksdo when there is an influx of human activity or oftentimesany hint of human presence.

Utilizing CamerasThe motion cameras not only showed us what bucks

were using the scrape areas, but also when they weredoing it. The cameras dictated where and when we huntedthose locations. On our Kansas trip in 2013, we set upseven motion cameras on either scrape areas or pinchpoints in travel corridors, and again they took theguesswork out of what location and when we would hunt.

I knew from past experience that using cameras inheavily pressured areas in Michigan would require fardifferent setup requirements. There would be no way Iwould set up cameras at destination locations such as atisolated white oaks, apple trees or at primary scrape areasand check them daily as we did in Kansas.

After an initial setup and visits to check the camera, anymature buck that I may be interested in taking would likelyhave had a bad past history of visiting locations wherethere had been human intrusions.

Bucks fortunate enough to survive to maturity in heavilypressured areas typically have had consequences in theform of getting shot at or wounded and alter their habits toavoid human traffic locations during vulnerable daylighthours.

Up until 2014, I had never taken a three-and-one-halfyear old buck in Michigan that didn’t have at least one oldarrow or bullet wound, and many two-and-one-halfs andsome one and one-and-one-half year olds did as well,whereas of the 17 mature bucks I’ve taken out of state,none have ever had an old wound.

Big Buck in the VicinityIn the summer of 2014 I caught wind of a buck that was

far larger than the norm for Northern Michigan, and he justhappened to reside in an area I quit hunting about 10 yearsprior. I quit hunting the area because I never saw a buckover two-and-one-half years old, but evidently one notonly survived beyond that age but he had phenomenalgenetics as well.

Having kept up my relations with the property owner, Iacquired permission again. Being familiar with the area, Iknew of a cattail marsh and also knew it was the densestbedding area in the vicinity.

In mid-August, while totally clad in Scent-Lok clothing,so as not to leave any human odor, I set up a motioncamera next to an acorn-laden white oak located in awooded area about 200 yards from the marsh. The majorityof other trees were red oaks, poplar, beech, and maple, so Iknew the white oak acorns would garner attention.

On August 28th, again in total Scent-Lok, I pulled andreplaced the SD card and was quite shocked when I lookedat the pictures. There were a couple sets of does and twin

...We set up seven motion cameras oneither scrape areas or pinch points intravel corridors, and again they took theguesswork out of what location and whenwe would hunt.

Michigan deer areextremely elusive,especially the maturebucks. For this reason,it’s wise to choose yourambushes with care andto choose a stand heightwell beyond the norm, inorder to avoid eyecontact with deer.

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fawns passing through almost every morning and evening. There was also a four-, five-, two eight-points and a

whopping 10-point. The two eight points were two-and-a-half year olds with the biggest maybe scoring 80 inches.You could have set your watch to the consistency of thedoes and fawns, and the two-and-a-half-year-old bucks,but as normal in Michigan, the patterns of the three biggerbucks were quite sporadic.

The eight-point hung together and visited the white oaka few times, but I only had the 10-point on camera onenight at 1:27 a.m. and again at 3:46 a.m.

Door of OpportunityOn September 8th, again in Scent-Lok, I went in and

swapped SD cards for the second time and the pictures Igot definitely aided me in taking the 10-point. The onlypictures I had of him were earlier that same morning at6:38 a.m., just prior to daybreak. He was alone and hisantlers were polished clean, meaning he had been out ofvelvet at least a few days.

Around 5:10 a.m. of the same night, the two eight-points

had been there and a couple times earlier so had the fourand five-points and all four of them were still in velvet. Haha! If I could find any fresh rubs it would verify his patternsince all the other bucks were still in velvet.

It was still early, so I put my Scent-Lok suit back on andheaded out to scour the area for fresh rubs.

The area between where the camera was and the cattailmarsh was a mature hardwoods flat with some understudythat could possibly act as a secure bedding area, but thefirst place I looked was around the perimeter of the marsh.

Man, this was developing way too easily. At one end ofthe marsh is a narrow buffer of tall marsh grass with somered brush mixed in. From the timber’s edge of the marsh, Icould see three shredded red-brush bushes and there wasno doubt in my mind that those rubs confirmed the 10-point was either entering or exiting the cattail marsh fromthis point.

Having no clue how far into the marsh he or any otherdeer may be bedded, I immediately left the scene andwaited for a rainy day to go in and set up a location.

There was no way of properly preparing a location and

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After nearly 25 minutes of closely scrutinizing thearea outside the marsh, I chose a tree that would allowme a close shot to all the runways except one. This treewas also chosen because while walking each runwayand checking the trees while doing so, this treerequired the least amount of clearing for shootinglanes to each runway.

Once the tree was chosen, I went to work and itonly took about an hour and a half to set up the tree,

cut some shooting lanes, and another 45 minutes to markmy entry and exit routes with reflective tacks. My treesetup would be about 24 feet up a red oak with tworunways to my right and one to my left.

It was a warm rainy day, and I wore a light Rivers Westweather-beater rain suit with a light Scent-Lok Savannasuit over the top. My light rain suit worked perfectly, butthe inner liner was pretty well soaked from myperspiration.

It rained hard enough to mask my setup noise andrained the remainder of the day, and on and off for the nexttwo days, so I was pretty comfortable knowing anyresidual odor would have been diluted by the rain.

I don’t know why I did it but for some strange reason theday before season I went to scope out the area. Actually I doknow why and it’s something I had never done before. Myplan was to walk through the timber and spook any deer

After refusing to use trail cameras, the author finally beganusing them in the year 2012. During the 2014 hunting season,they proved instrumental in locating this big 10-point buck.

clearing shooting lanes that close to the bedding area in dry conditions without making noise and leavingresidual human odor, either of which could alert and orspook deer bedded nearby. Spooking or alerting any deercould cause a domino effect that could possibly spook thebuck as well, and there was no doubt he had played theavoiding-hunters game before and knew what to do.

Time to StrikeWithin a week, we had a several-day forecast of hard

rain, and on the first day of it I went in to find and preparea hunting location. I wanted to be as close to the cattailmarsh as possible because once the closely clusteredrunways exited the marsh, they immediately spread outinto multiple directions.

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that might have been bedded in it down into the marsh. In the timber I came across a ladder stand that had been

baited for a while as the ground was bare dirt. All thebucks were out of velvet by now, and there were a fewfresh rubs around the bait and one of them was on a bigtree and was quite high up the tree confirming it wasmade by a taller buck, likely the 10-point. There was also afresh scrape nearby.

I had no idea whose stand this was but assumed theydidn’t have permission. The property owner was out oftown and at this late date there really was nothing I coulddo but leave and hope for the best in the morning.

If the big guy hadn’t turned nocturnal from the otherhunters baiting regiment, my hope was that he would takea different route to the marsh bedding area than throughthe timber and past the other hunters baited stand.

Typically, mature bucks in Michigan are hip to baitingbeing associated with humans since most bait huntersleave odor and generally whatever they bait with is notcommon to the immediate area. Being a trophy scorer, Iknow mature bucks fall prey at bait piles during the rutphases when they think with other body parts than theirbrains and come in with or come in search of hot does, butgenerally during the early season they avoid daytimevisits to bait piles.

Time would tell, and I was still nervous because in deerhunting, nothing concerning movements is carved into stone.


Returning to the WoodsI entered from the backside of the cattail marsh, so as

not to spook deer feeding in the oaks and was settled inby 5am. Opening mornings are always interesting as the-get-ready process isn’t fresh in my mind, as it is duringseason when getting ready is on auto pilot.

At 6:15 a.m. I heard the telltale sound of a crossbowbeing discharged and it came from the direction of theladder stand.

It was 45 minutes before dawn and someone had justshot a deer and, of course, my first thought was theypoached the big guy. What now? I weighed my options. DoI get down, go over and check what happened, or sit andwait it out?

If he took the 10-point it was over, and if I got down andchecked, the hunt would definitely be over. He might haveshot something else, so I stayed put.

Show TimeIt cracked daybreak at around 7 a.m. and by 8 I had yet

to see a deer. At 8:14 a.m., the five-point meandered in andpassed by into the marsh.

A few minutes later, the bigger of the two eight-pointspassed by down the same runway. While watching as heentered the tall weedy buffer of the marsh, I heard thesound of crunching dry leaves. I turned my head to see the10-point coming towards me from the direction of theladder stand.

Either the big guy went around the bait hunter, or thehunter had left his stand. I don’t know. The runway he wason came directly towards my tree before turning at adistance of 14 yards and heading into the marsh.

He casually came in and turned towards the cattails. Iwas at full draw and, once he turned, he stopped for amoment to browse on a few leaves.

I picked my spot and opened my fingers to release theCarbon Express and Rocket Sidewinder-tipped arrow frommy Mathew’s Conquest 58-pound bow. The shot was trueand he wheeled and ran about 100 yards in the directionhe had come from before expiring.

He was a perfect 10-point and grossed just over 152inches. I had taken six larger bucks in Southern Michigan,but this was the largest buck I had ever laid my eyes onwhile hunting in Northern Michigan.

Editor’s note: John Eberhart is an accomplished Michigan hunter that spe-cializes in heavy consequential hunting pressure (hchp) areas. John hasproduced a three-volume instructional DVD series titled “BowhuntingPressured Whitetails” and co-authored the books “Bowhunting PressuredWhitetails,” “Precision Bowhunting” and “Bowhunting Whitetails TheEberhart Way.” They are available at Deer-John.net

My tree setup would be about 24 feet up a red oak withtwo runways to my right and one to my left.

Patience and smart strategy werekey in taking this big northern Michigan buck. When entering the woods, scent-control is critical as well, and Eberhart never goes anywhere without his fullwardrobe of Scent-Lok clothing.

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Warrior Axis BuckThis bowhunter enjoys a great day bowhunting free-rangingHawaiian axis deer, resulting in one incredible encounter and trophy.

By Bruce Faulkner

Bowhunting on the island ofMaui is always special butwhen the target species is axis

deer it can be downright magical. Lastyear, I was very fortunate to havepermission to hunt on some privateproperty located on the southwestslopes of Haleakala where this hunttook place.

The drive to the hunting area thatSaturday morning was a relatively shortone. Normally, I can be in the field onthis particular property within onehour after departing from my houselocated in the cowboy town ofMakawao. Driving up the winding roadto the hunting area was fairlyuneventful. My high beams werelighting the way for most of the drive.There were only two instances where Ihad to reduce the high beams foroncoming cars. Before I knew it, I hadreached my destination and found asuitable parking area.

Getting my gear ready for the day’shunt has become a regular routine. Iloaded my field pack with my lunchand several cold drinks, making sure Ihad my rangefinder, binoculars,facemask, release, wind powder and, ofcourse, what I consider one of my mostvaluable items, toilet paper. A quickchange of clothes, slippers to boots,quiver on, spray down, pack on, and Iwas off.

I had only been still-hunting forabout 45 minutes when I came upon anice crease in the terrain. I sat downand began glassing the area below.Within a few minutes I could tell thatthere were no deer in this particularspot. Standing up, I adjusted mybackpack, then bent down to pick upmy bow, but before I could straightenup, several rifle shots rang out belowme. My immediate reaction wasbummer, but that mood quicklyvaporized as I heard leaves crunching,branches snapping, as 30 axis deerbegan pouring into the crease I hadjust been glassing. What luck—theshooting drove this group right to me.Now if you know anything about axisdeer, it’s that they are very high strungby nature. These particular animalswere now totally wired from the gunshots.

In Hawaii, the grass grows tall, which can create problems with seeing an animal’s chest areaclearly and picking an aiming spot in the lower vital area. Most archers have a tendency of aiming and shooting high.

BAH_1501_AXIS_88-91 12/8/14 10:43 PM


There were several nice bucks in thegroup, but those “boys” remained onthe far side, well over 100 yards away.The closest deer was still a good 65yards away and as nervous as a fish outof water. I eased down the hillside everso slowly, trying to keep track of allthose probing eyes (no easy feat).

After several minutes, I was able tocut the distance down to 50 yards fromwhere there was a nice buck feedingwith his head down behind a tree.Although he was standing broadside, Ireally didn’t want to have to shoot thatfar. I had ranged a tree in front of me tobe at 10 yards. I felt that if I could makeit to that spot, I would take the 40-yardshot. Well, I only made it about 5 yardsfurther before a doe let out a yelp andthe whole herd cleared out as quickly asthey came in. The temperature wasn’tthat warm yet, but I can tell you rightthen, steam was coming out of my ears.After a few minutes, the hair on the backof my neck began to lie down. I tooksome long swigs of water to cool off andsettle down before continuing on.

Before I knew it, the morning primetime had slipped away. Most of the deerwere now bedded. It wasn’t until around11:30 a.m. before I finally found somemore deer. I spotted a small group ofthree does as they headed up from asmall grassy flat. They were workingtheir way up towards a group of trees,which I had just entered. I studied theirmovement for a few minutes beforedeciding on an approach. Moving in asquickly as I dared, I began cutting thedistance down from 250 yards, to 150yards, and then at 35 yards I lost them inthe tall grass. I began glassing the areawhere I had last seen them but couldnot see any of them.

Hunt NotesOn this hunt, I was using a Mathews bow,

Redfield 8x32 binoculars, Nikon Archer’sChoice rangefinder, and a Badlands 2200backpack.

This may have been the heaviest axisdeer I have ever taken to date. If you look atthe photo with me in it, you should realizethat I am 200-plus pounds, and I’msomewhat dwarfed by this buck. I knowpeople refer to axis deer as “those littledeer,” but I can tell you when you have to

pack them out they sadly don’t seem solittle.

It was unfortunate that this bucksantlers were not very symmetrical, and in atransitional stage, which, in my opinion,made him unsuitable for a head mount.However, I immediately realized that thiswas a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity tohave taken an animal that actually had thebroken tip from another buck embedded inhis hide. Luckily for me, my neighbor doessome taxidermy work part time. I saved thehide with the healed-over broken antler tip

embedded in it and took it to him andsimply asked him if he could do some kindof novelty mount for me. I had confidence inhis work and was pleased with the finishedmount he did for me.

When hunting in Hawaii on privateproperty, there are no bag limits and theseason is open year around. Both bag limitand seasons are up to the discretion of theland owner. You still need a state huntinglicense to hunt, which cost $100 for non-residents and $10 for residents. —B.F.

The author poses with his trophy axis buck, which he arrowed from 40 yards.

After about 15 minutes, I saw an earflicker in the tall grass. Not knowingwhether this was the first doe or thethird doe, I watched intensely to see if Icould spot the others. Finally, theybegan moving up again, so I crawledup to the base of a tree, removed mypack, nocked in arrow, and rose up onmy knees. The lead doe was the largestof the three.

She moved through the grass walkingbroadside at about 20 yards. I held offdrawing my bow until her head went

behind a tree. I was at full draw whenshe emerged, continuing to move upthrough the grass. Although I could onlysee the top third of her back through thegrass, I was confident of the shot whenmy release let the arrow go. The shotlooked good initially, but I heard abothersome clunk from my arrow hittingsomething other than that doe.

After waiting for about 15 minutes, Iwalked over to where I last saw her tolook for sign. I took this opportunity torange the distance back to where I took

I had only been still-hunting forabout 45 minutes when I came upon a

nice crease in the terrain.

BAH_1501_AXIS_88-91 12/8/14 10:43 PM


This shows the imbedded antler tip that wasstuck in the back of the buck’s neck.

tendency to shoot a bit high. As frustrated as I was, I continued to

methodically cover ground. However, Iwas mentally beating myself up for theblunder on a great shot opportunity.You just don’t get that many close shotopportunities at axis deer.

It was late afternoon before I hadanother chance at a group of deer. This

group happened to have a couple ofnice bucks. All the deer I that I hadbeen seeing up to this time seemedmore skittish than usual. I was thinkingabout the fact that I had passed up the50-yard shot earlier in the morningwanting to get closer, only to have theherd blow out of the area. So when thisafternoon group started to act nervous,I decided I better get set up to take theshot.

The closest deer was a rather largebuck, which was less than 50 yardsaway. Now that’s a long shot for me, butI sensed it was now or never. Focusingmy gaze on the buck, I had grabbed anarrow from my quiver that had amechanical broadhead on it. I didn’tnotice the broadhead until I reachedfull draw. Normally, I carry at least onearrow armed with a mechanical head. Iusually reserve that arrow for a close-range unobstructed broadside shot. Isimply prefer to shoot fixedbroadheads on shots longer than 25yards or anything that doesn’t offer agood clear broadside target. Anotherconsideration is the possibility ofhaving to shoot through the grass,which factors in to choosing fixed-bladed broadheads over mechanicals.

As the deer started nervouslyshuffling about, I decided to take theshot before they began to move out.Settling the pin the best as I could, therelease “broke” with a surprise. When

the arrow hit the buck, heyelped, jumped in the air, ran forabout 40 yards, then I saw himpile up. I hauled down to him asquickly as I could because it allseemed too good to be true. As Igot up to the buck, he started tojump up, so I shot again and hit himhigh in the spine anchoring him forgood. Yep, he was in the tall grass,which resulted in me shootinganother high shot.

It didn’t matter, however, becausethe second shot may not have beennecessary. The buck really wasn’tgoing anywhere. My first arrow had hit

him dead center behind the rightshoulder angling forward, leaving awicked entry hole.

My first impression of this deer washis overall size. He was a brute. I

Early Success!Young Brianne Dewani Lauro of Hawaii arrowed these

great spanish goats during the last three years. The firstgoat was taken while she was just 11 years old.

“I shot it in the Pu’u’waa’waa Hunting Area,” shewrites. “My dad and I made the stalk around the bend ofa large hill. Long story short, I arrowed the goat from 25yards. At the time, my adrenaline was pumping, so Ididn’t pay attention to where the goat fell or ran afterthe shot. I thought I missed or wounded it until I saw itsgolden body on the ground.”

The second goat she arrowed in 2013, now 13 yearsold. “I shot it in the Pohakuloa Training Area, a verypopular place for hunters,” she said. “The area iscrowded with many hunters, and it’s very difficult toget a shot at something. However, I was successful intaking this great black goat, from 47 yards away. Imade my one shot count, right through the heart. It was a specialexperience.”

Recently, she arrowed her biggest goat to date (pictured above). “My shot was from about35 yards,” she writes. “The hunting areas was near Pu’uanahulu, Hawaii. This goat wasaccompanied by another billy, perhaps the same size or bigger. They were fighting with eachother, banging heads and constantly jolting and moving while I tried to set up for a shot.Finally, they both stood still, looking at each other in the eyes, horn to horn. It was then when Itook my shot. The hit was on target, and I was very blessed that day for the experience.”

the shot from. It was only 17 yards. Irealized I had blown a slam-dunk shotand had shot over her back. I spentclose to an hour looking for my arrowand or any sign of a hit. Never did findeither, but as for finding the arrow itreally was like looking for a needle in ahaystack. I was bummed and shouldhave known better. After all, I know thatwhen deer are in the tall grass, and nottotally exposed, there is usually a

BAH_1501_AXIS_88-91 12/8/14 10:43 PM


estimated that he weighed in at anhonest 250-plus pounds, which is onthe large size for the axis deer species.The antlers were big but very irregular,with the right side being quite a bitlonger than the left side. Also, the leftside had an unusual split at the top,probably due to an injury or fighting.

Later, when I measured the antlers,they were impressive to say the least.They measured 32-¼ X 27-¼ inches.He was over 25 inches wide, and thetip-to-tip measurement on the browtines were over 18 inches. The browtines were polished at the tips, butmost of the other antler area was in ahard-horned shredded-velvet state(what I call the dreadlock stage).

When I lifted his head off the grass, Inoticed something white colored onthe back of his neck. I thought it wassome dried grass or debris. However,when I went to brush it off, I realizedthat this was a broken off antler tipstuck in the back of his neck, right

behind his head. The impaled antlertip was completely healed over andfirmly embedded in the thick neckhide. Now, I have seen other deer withinjuries from fighting, but I have neverseen a broken antler imbedded in theanimal. Since the antler tip wascompletely healed over, it must havebeen stuck in his neck for awhile. Isurmised that he was quite a fighter,which would explain why his hornswere deformed. Interestingly enough, Ihave noticed that when these deer areinjured on one side their antler oftendevelops deformed on the oppositeside.

After taking pictures, I quarteredand boned the buck in preparation tobe packed out. I had a ways to go tohike back to my vehicle. Problem was,once I got my Badlands pack loadedwith meat, I couldn’t get off the ground!I rolled around in the grass like a turtleon his back but there was no way Icould get to my feet. I ended up havingto split up the load, and then did twotrips of 100 yards to 200 yards at a time.As I was packing him out, feeling all thestress from the weight, I kept thinkingabout the size of this brute and hisfamed warrior injury. And so I decidedto call him Brutus.

About the AuthorBruce Faulkner is an avid hunter, who enjoys all forms of hunting whether it is pursuing

big game, small game, or birds, but his passion is bowhunting. He started seriousbowhunting around 1967, when he was just 17 years old. In fact, he received a Ben PearsonHunter recurve from his parents for his high-school graduation present. Prior to that, hewas using a 47-pound 62-inch York. He went to college on Maui but moved to the BigIsland (Hawaii) after he graduated from college, so he could take advantage of the greatsheep hunting they had there. After a couple of years, he moved back to Maui wherethere’s excellent goat, axis deer and pig hunting.

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BAH_1501_AXIS_88-91 12/8/14 10:43 PM

Bowhunting is a close-range sport,even more so for the archer usingtraditional gear. Sometimes the slightestnoise in dead-calm conditions can alertgame, resulting in a lost opportunity or abad hit. In this column, I’d like to discusscertain tweaks that can be done toeffectively quiet your setup.

Reduce Finger-Grip SqueaksMost traditional archers use a tab or

glove to protect their string fingers. Someof these tabs and gloves can squeak whiledrawing or during the anchor/aim phase ofthe shot. Years ago, my dad and I used toshoot Howard Hill-styled gloves with nyloninserts sewed into the finger stalls. Theyoffered good finger protection and a slickrelease without wearing deep stringgrooves into the leather. These gloves werealso notorious squeakers. I rememberdrawing down on a Michigan buck in thelate-December season. It was a cold, stillmorning and the buck paused at 10 yards.When the glove creaked, the buck nearlyturned inside out exiting the area before Icould finish the shot.

My dad always carried a piece of paraffinin his pocket and rubbed it into the leatherto stop any squeaking. I’m sure certainleather conditioning products will alsowork. If all else fails you can mimic our oldhunting buddy, Gary Smith, who licked hiscordovan finger stalls before drawing on aclose shot.

Stop Arrow ScreechNoise caused by your arrow dragging

across the shelf or rest can also be a dealbreaker. If you use an elevated rest it mightrequire a piece of moleskin stuck on the arm.Leather, bear-hair, seal-skin, calf-hair, felt orthe loop side of Velcro all make good shelfand side-plate materials. Shooting blunt orJudo-tipped arrows into the groundespecially in damp conditions can leave yourshelf dirty, which creates arrow noise whendrawing. Roughing-up a leather side plateand shelf will help and wiping off debris


SWEET & SILENT

STICKBOWSBY DENNY STURGIS, JR.

If you want to be deadly in the woods, make sure your rig delivers a super-quiet shot.

from the softer materials should keep themquiet. Remember to check whatever you usefrequently and replace or clean as needed.

Watch the WaxFlemish twist strings should be waxed,

but you have to make sure they don’t havetoo much of the type that sticks to thelimbs. Strings with too much wax will clickas the string is pulled clear of the stringgrooves. Rub the ends of the string with acloth to remove excess wax and remove anywax stuck to the bow limb. Most string-maintenance waxes are less tacky than thebeeswax and rosin wax that some stringmakers use.

Alleviate Noisy Take-DownsCertain take-down bow deigns can make

unwanted creaks or clicks. I shot a BearKodiak take-down when I was a teenager.

Keeping the limbs and limb pockets coatedwith paraffin eliminated drawing noiseseven in sub-zero weather. I keep my BlackWidow Locket-Socket take-down partscoated with Bohning’s Tex-Tite string wax. Iknow some archers that place a cork orrubber washer between the riser and limbbolts to eliminate creaky sounds.

Tighten Up the QuiverIf you use a bow quiver, make sure it

attaches snuggly to eliminate vibration.Lock washers or Lock-Tite on bolt threadscan help with constant loosening. Loosescrew-in points can also rattle on the shot.Coating the threads with a little string waxwill keep them tight. If your Judo pointsrattle in your quiver, you can try a tip fromKen Beck of Black Widow bows. He places atiny drop of Gorilla glue on the springswhere they attach and adds a dab of water.

Sometimes a quiet bowstill isn’t enough. Thiswas the case with thissteenbuck the authorshot in Africa. He actuallyhad to wait for a gust ofwind to help hide thesound of the bow andarrow to prevent theanimal from badlyjumping the string.

BAH_1501_STICK_92-95_M 12/8/14 10:54 PM

866-732-87833RiversArchery.com

BAH_1501_93 12/9/14 12:51 AM


{STICKBOWS}

Shoot a Quiet BroadheadBroadheads can cause noise in flight.

Make sure they are mounted to spin trueand remove any rough burrs that couldcatch air and whistle. Some vented modelsare difficult to get to shoot quietly.

Use the Right ShaftArrows spined too weak or stiff can crack

off the riser along with other problems. Thephysical weight of an arrow can influence

the noise a bow makes at release. Usuallythe heavier the shaft is, the quieter the shot.You have to use common sense with this,though, as you want a decent flighttrajectory, which a super-heavy arrow willdestroy. I know very successful bowhuntersusing well-tuned arrows that weigh from 6and all the way up to 15 grains per pound ofdraw weight depending on what they arehunting. This proves there is more than oneway to get the job done correctly.

Choose Different FletchingFletching noise can alert game animals

once the arrow is released. The size andshape of a feather definitely influences thesound of an arrow in flight. Big feathers lookcool and make up for a lot of mistakes, but ifyour arrows scream all the way to the targetI would seriously consider a change. Ilearned my lesson on an antelope huntyears ago when a big buck easily beat myarrow fletched with 5 ½ -inch, high-profile,shield-cut feathers. Really, the faster your rigis the more the fletching noise.

I remember a guy telling me he wasn’tever going to hunt with white feathers again.He finally got a shot at a deer and said itwas like throwing a snowball at it. It easilyjumped out of the way at the time of theshot. Never mind the fact that his arrow hadhuge feathers that resembled flu-flus.

I think the key is to find a combinationthat flies quiet and provides great

There are a wide variety of string silencers available. The silencers shown here canall be found at 3RiversArchery.com. You can read the reviews and try differentmodels to determine their effectiveness.

Limb-mounted silencerswill help reduce limbvibrations and noise.Pictured is the OMPRemedy (left) andSticktamers.

TOP AND RIGHT: Longtime bowhunter TerryGreen makes the BowHush, which wraps aroundthe bowstring where itcontacts the limb, alongwith Hush Puppies stringsilencers. Both are madefrom high-crimp NewZealand wool that greatlyreduce string noise.

BAH_1501_STICK_92-95_M 12/8/14 10:54 PM

{STICKBOWS}


broadhead stabilization, even if thefletching becomes damp. My favoritefletching after much testing is four 4-inchlong right-wing parabolic die-cut feathersglued at 90-degrees with helical clamps.

Oh, also, don’t forget that over-used ordamaged fletching can make a normallyquiet arrow fly super noisy.

Reduce Limb SlapThere are several types of limb-mounted

noise dampeners available. Most attach to alocation on the limb with adhesive self-stickbacking or some even wrap around the limb.I’ve experimented with several of theLimbsaver products. While I didn’t notice alot of difference with longbows, I felt theyeliminated noise and vibration on severaldifferent brands of recurves I tried them on.

Three fairly new products available forrecurve shooters are the OMP Remedy,Fivics Top Saver, and Sticktamers. All thesemount to the limb touching the bowstring. Iknow some good hunters that have beenusing the Sticktamers for several years withgood results. Added bonuses they claim arethat they also function as brush guards anddon’t allow the bow to wedge onto a bow-holder peg if in a treestand or blind.

Another option to help dampen limb slapon a recurve is to stick or glue a strip ofmoleskin, felt or suede to the limb over thestring grooves. It works well also.

Utilize Better String SilencersThere is a large variety of string-mounted

silencers available today. Ask 10 differentarchers what their favorite is and you couldeasily get 10 different answers. I thinkdifferent bow designs and shooting stylescan have an effect on which style worksbest as well. I’ve tried numerous varietiesover the years and most work quiteeffectively.

For my longbows, I still like the littlegasket-type spiders that Black WidowCustom Bows sells. They weigh practicallynothing and are not impacted by moisture. Iuse four of them positioned around 10 and15 inches from each end of the string.

I might add, I do think the positioning ofthe silencer on the string can impact thecomponent’s ability to quiet the noise. Manyarchers like to try different positions on thestring before finalizing the attachmentlocation. In addition, you must use commonsense when determining the size and weight

of silencers. If you tie half a lamb on eachside of the string, it will be quiet but the bowwill be super slow.

Another silencing product is availablefrom long-time bowhunter, Terry Green. Heruns a high-end wool carpet manufacturingoperation. He offers two silencing productsmade from the same resilient high-crimpNew Zealand wool used in his carpets. HisBow Hush accessory is installed bywrapping around the string where itcontacts the limb to dampen string slap.Also, his Hush Puppies attach to the stringand resemble cattail heads once they settlein. Both products come with detailedinstallation instructions and are available atBowHush.com.

One more thing, don’t forget to recheckyour arrow tuning after installing newsilencers, as they can influence arrow flightas well, since they increase string weight.

Shoot at the Right TimeTo my knowledge, there is no such thing

as a completely silent bow. Even thequietest rig still makes noise. In our close-range sport, even the timing of when toshoot is important. For instance, a standingwhitetail is more alert to sound than onewith its head down feeding, or, better yet,crunching up acorns. I have several whitetailstands located near roads. On calmmornings, I’ve used traffic noise to myadvantage to make a quiet, effective shot.

Of the species I’ve hunted, I would givethe “top string-jumper award” to the littlesteenbuck. A mature animal weighs from 30to 35 pounds and it’s coiled to spring at alltimes.

One calm morning in Namibia, I shot at asteenbuck ram from a pit blind. When Ireleased my relatively quiet longbow, theram bolted away while my arrow soaredthrough the dust cloud he’d left behind.Several minutes later, another steenbuckwandered in. I wasn’t even going to shootagain until a gust of wind came up. Withdry leaves on the surrounding trees andbrush rattling, I took the shot. This timethe ram’s reaction time was slower andthe arrow found its mark. Without thatgust of wind, I never would’ve killed theanimal.

Bottom line: stickbow shooters need toget close, therefore, a quiet bow is amust. Follow these tips for a quieter,deadlier rig.

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This shows the author’s hunting camp. The camp is owned and operated by Jack Hume Adventures.

suggested I make an openly visiblemove to cut them off to see how theywould react. Interestingly, the firsttime I did this the small group ofcaribou stopped and ambled backtowards, and eventually through, theold trap zone.

An hour later the next quartet, withno shooter bulls included, reactedmuch the same way to a similardiversion. We now were confidentthat if the right animals appeared onthe far route we could encouragethem to swing back into range. This isprecisely what happened when,shortly thereafter, a fine bachelorgroup of eight bulls broke onto thehorizon and began to angle backtowards Rick’s area after reacting tomy ruse. This time, however, theywere going to slip well beyond thehidden archer on the downhill sideleaving him with no prospect for ashot. When I envisioned thisunfolding, I sprinted wildly down tothe pathway I anticipated them using

HUNT NOTES:

My primary gear on this

hunt was a Hoyt Carbon

Element G3 bow set at 71

pounds launching Easton Epic

arrows tipped with 100-grain

Magnus Stinger broadheads.

Total arrow weight was 452

grains. My optics, which are a

key part of any spot-and-stalk

hunt, included Swarovski EL

10x42 binoculars and a Leica

CRF 1000 rangefinder. The

outfitter was Richard Hume of

Jack Hume Adventures.

Richard can be reached

through his website at

JackHumeAdventures.com or

by phone at (877) 563-3832. I

strongly recommend Hume as

his experience and tenure in

the industry consistently

leads to exceptional results

on hunts that are

professionally run from a

logistics perspective. —G.B.

and arrived just as the caravanmaterialized. Standing directly onthat trail, in their way at only 70yards, the lead sentry saw me andreversed the herd’s course backtowards the hunter.

Like clockwork the animals movedpast Rick at a steady gait and whenthe largest of the group cleared thebushes that Rick was using forshelter, the traditional archerinstinctively drew his recurve andcast an arrow that cleanly penetratedthe bull and brought him to a finalresting place in the scrub brush lessthan 30 yards away. Out of breathfrom sprinting, I approached myfellow bowhunter and offered ahearty backslap and congratulatoryhandshake on a magnificent trophyfairly taken in a unique manner. Theheavy palmation of the antlers wasnotable and the thick beams, eachcarrying a very representative set ofbez tines and a shovel, indicated thiswas a true northern monarch.

In the end any caribou hunt is anadventure. It’s simply impossible inso many ways to visit to some of the

NOMADS OF THE TUNDRAContinued from page 24

d

BAH_1501_CARIBOU_18-25;96-97 12/8/14 4:36 AM


most remote of areas in NorthAmerica and not experience ajourney that is as memorable as it isisolated. The opportunity to seewolves, foxes, eagles, ptarmigan,bears, and osprey participating in thedaily ritual of survival only serves toadd more to the occasion.Considering the migratory nature ofthe Quebec-Labrador caribousubspecies any given week at anyparticular camp has the potential tobe a bit of a feast or famineproposition, but on this excursion ourgroup was blessed with the very best

that caribou hunting can offer. Weobserved a plethora of animals in apristine region enveloped in a nearlyperfect week of refreshingly coolautumn days, each followed by astarlit night where the northern lightsdanced seductively in the sky. Goodcampmates and a seasoned campmanager made for a trip toremember.

It’s safe to say I don’t expectanother six-year hiatus beforereturning to Nunavik, the land theInuit people of northern Quebec callhome.

Grant Benson poses with his second bullhe arrowed during his trip to Quebec.

Traditional bowhunter Rick Dugganwith his trophy caribou.

A D I N D E X

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Beckett Media LLC., 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, Suite 200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Beckett Media LLC.,

22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, Suite 200, Yorba Linda, CA 928879. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher,

Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher Beckett Media LLC., 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, Suite 200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887 Editor Joe Bell, Beckett Media LLC., 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, Suite 200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887 Managing Editor Breanna Armstrong, Beckett Media LLC., 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, Suite 200, Yorba Linda, CA 9288710. Owner: Beckett Media LLC.,

22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, Suite 200, Yorba Linda, CA 9288711. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security

Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent of More of Total Amount of Bonds,Mortgagees, or Other Securities.: None

Not applicable

13. Publication Title: Bow and Arrow Hunting14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Dec 13-Sep/Oct 14

/ Sep/Oct-1415. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

34,613 / 29,108 B. Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 1. Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: 3,688 / 3,597 2. Paid In-County Subscriptions: 0 / 0 3. Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribu-tion: 7,695 / 6,475 4. Other ClassesMailed Through the USPS: 0 / 0 C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 11,383 / 10,072 D. Free Distribution By Mail: 1. Outside-County as Stated on Form3541: 160 / 167 2. In-County as Stated on Form 3541: 0 / 0 3. Other Classes Mailed Through USPS: 0 / 0 4. Outside the mail: 223 / 224 E. Total Free Distribution Outside the Mail: 383 / 391 F. Total Distribution: 11,766 / 10,463 G. Copies Not Distibuted: 22,847 / 18,645 H. Total: 34,613 / 29,108 I. Percent Paid: 96.74% / 96.26%6. Total Circulation includes electronic copies. Report circula-tion on PS form 3526-X worksheet: Print Only (No electronic copies)17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Jan/Feb 201518. Signature: Nick Singh

BAH_1501_CARIBOU_18-25;96-97 12/9/14 12:32 AM

In the midst of adrenalineand excitement, we try ourbest to echo the phrase,

“pick a spot.” Surely this is agood thing to do, but itshouldn’t take over ourcomplete thought process untilwe’ve stepped our way throughother key elements. One ofthose steps is to acquire theright sight picture and placingthe pin exactly where it needsto go.

Aligning the peep sightcorrectly is important here,either by centering it in the pinor aligning it with your sight’sguard. The same goes for theanchor. Be sure to feel a lightpressure of the hand againstyour cheek as you anchor,nothing more. If you don’tconsciously think about thesethings, you can easily foul upthe shot. Take the extra second or two it takes to dothis and you’ll hit more ontarget.

Also, when aligning the peepsight, be sure to take a quickglance at your sight’s bubble.Train yourself to do this in asplit second, so you’re holdingthe bow perfectly plumb fortop accuracy.

If your sight’s fiber-optic pinsseem hazy during lowlightshooting, you may want toexperiment with different peepsizes to enhance the shootingexperience. This alone couldcause a blown attempt. Largerpeeps, such as one with a 3/16-inch orifice, are ideal forwhitetail hunting, as are peepswith special light-enhancingcoatings.

The same goes for sight pinsize. Don’t go too small, suchas .019-inch size, which arebetter for 40-yard use andbeyond. Larger beads like .029or .039-inch are easier to seesince they create more fiberillumination during that criticaldusk/dawn period.

Remember Proper FormRegardless of the situation

you face, your basic shootingform should stay consistent.This means bending at thewaist and keeping your torsoperpendicular to your arms,which is known as using proper“T-Form.” Doing so will helpmaintain correct posture anddeadly shooting.

To do this when shootingfrom a treestand, it’s best tofirst draw your bow level with

the treestand’s platform, thenslowly bend at the waist untilyou acquire the target.

However, most bowhuntersrarely do it this way. Theyusually swing their bow-armand bow downward, then pullthe bow back to shoot whenthe sight is close to the target.But, this places the bow handclose to the leg and twists thetorso incorrectly, jeopardizingaccuracy.

The same technique is

critical for extreme up/downhillshots, like those encounteredout west. However, thesescenarios are more challengingdue to uneven terrain whereyou must position your feetwhen shooting. To executethese shots well, experimentahead of time with variousshooting stances anddetermine what position worksbest for maintaining accuracy.

In many cases, depending onthe severity of the shootingangle, you may need to bendyour uphill or downhill knee tomaintain proper stability andcomfort for your body.

When to Draw“Is the shot clear?” That’s

the first thing every bowhuntermust think about before pullingthe string back.

Well before a buck appears,assess your best shootinglanes, but also visualizepossible secondary shootingspots. These shot windowsmay not be as “wide open” asothers, but often times, deerwill stop just off from the bestshooting areas, leaving you withthe possibility of threading theneedle, which may or may notbe wise to do.

Since it’s harder to think wellwhen adrenaline is clouding thebrain, it’s recommended tovisualize all shootingpossibilities ahead of time, soyou can act more decisivelywhen the moment of truthcomes.

This is critical becausecertain shooting lanes may lookgood with a quick glance but,upon closer inspection, theymay actually contain lots oftiny obstructions that appearfuzzy when viewing with abinocular downrange. If this isthe case, check it off your list asa zone to shoot through. Lookfor better possibilities and waitfor the right shot.


This was the sign we had been looking for; a large tom that hadjust recently moved and was headed into an area where furtherpursuit was possible. This was the beginning of the end for thebig cat that was arrowed on this trip.

{TECHTIP}

Taking a few extra seconds to ensure a solid anchor and a clearsight picture can pay off big-game for scoring a better hit. Try tosimulate high-adrenaline draw downs on your backyard targetsand you’ll be well on your way to achieving deadly field shots.

{BY BAH STAFF

TECH tips}

Pre-Shot PrimerHere are three steps to perform prior to releasing a deadly lung shot.

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