Hunting Journal
The Wild Wild West!
By: Lynne Frady The Lady Archer
I topped the ridge just as the eastern sky was set ablaze by the sun. I had ridden all night to reach my destination, Dead Montana. Not much of a town and from the looks of it I could tell why they called it dead. I sat my horse for a long moment taking in all that the creator had made. I pointed Black, which is what I called my horse, toward the town and we slowly started down the mountain. I had heard that beaver was bringing prime dollar here and I was ready to cash in on my winters trappings. As we got closer to the town in the distance I heard someone say “Are you ready”? Ready for what I thought, I slowly slipped out of my saddle into a ditch to hide myself and let Black keep walking, he wouldn’t go far. As I lay motionless with both my hands filled with colt 44’s I heard it again. “Are you ready”, the voice was almost right behind me. I rolled quickly to get into position to center punch a hole through the outlaw……….. It was Jim asking me if I was ready to head out on our next hunting adventure in Monteray, Tennessee. I smiled and closed the cover of the western I was reading.
We were headed to hunt with Alan Wilson, owner of Wilderness Hunting Lodge to fulfill a life long dream of hunting American Bison with a bow.
When I was growing up one of my greatest delights was getting to go to work with my Dad. He owns a small shoe store and I would get to go to work with him on Saturdays and during the summer. I won’t say that I was a hyper kid, busy is a better word. I never liked to do anything that required being still, at ten or eleven years old, who does.
One Saturday afternoon business was slow and I made the comment that I was bored.
Dad looked at me and tossed me a book, “here, read this”. “No thanks” I said as I walked off, he just smiled and said”” if you get bored again it will be here.” Reading required sitting still and that was definitely not for me.
After fifteen more minutes of complete boredom I went back for the book. I knew it would be dreadful but at this point what did I have to lose. My Dad has always understood me. He let me be who I was and never told me I could not do things because I was a girl. If I wanted to do something he would help me, from working on race cars to gutting fish. This book was just another instance of how well he knew me.
I picked up the book and headed to the little green bench that sat against the wall near the door and opened the cover. I was ready for some blah blah blah story but instead I was transported on a real adventure.
The book Dad had tossed me was a book of short stories by Louis L’amore’. I was riding the rim rock out west, slinging bullets and hanging with my pards. The stories were just long enough to keep my attention and kept me turning pages. Dad ask, “So how is that book”. I didn’t answer, I was busy dodging bullets and watching my back trail. I know he was sitting there smiling; he is a very smart man.
Thanks to Dad my love of the west and everything about it grew. I only read westerns still to this day. One thing that always stood out in all the books was hunting buffalo. It did not matter to me if the Indians were hunting them off the backs of their ponies or if the buffalo hunters were after them on the open plains, all I knew is that some how some way I wanted to hunt one…with a bow.
Jim really put in the time looking for places to hunt American bison. We go to Texas quiet often to hunt and Jim harvested a nice cow bison several years ago. After three additional trips it seemed it was not in the cards for me to harvest a one.
Now we were on our way to Wilderness Hunting Lodge in hopes of my dream becoming a reality. We had talked with Alan last summer and set up the hunt, but Dad had got sick in the fall and we canceled all of our hunts so I could run the store with my brother while Dad recovered.
Alan told us that he would love to have us hunt with him and that he had a nice herd of bison and I was more than welcome to try to harvest one with a bow after Dad recovered.
Alan began guiding hog hunters while he was still in High School in 1978. Coming from a family of five boys and two girls he was no stranger to hard work and knowing that you have to work hard for what you want. He and his brothers grew up hunting and fishing and this was also a step toward his goal. He began his business partnership with his brother, Grady. At the time Grady owned and operated a taxidermy shop. The first two years Alan guided hog hunters on property that they leased. As time went on Alan was able to begin buying property instead of just leasing it and his vision turned into Wilderness Hunting Lodge.
Now Wilderness Hunting Lodge is 3000+ acres and one of the finest hunting destinations in the south. They have come a long way from their humble beginnings of wild boar hunting. They offer wild boar hunting, exotic hunts, free range turkey and whitetail hunts as well. Their property is all you would expect in Tennessee, everything from steep mountains to rolling hills, deep ravines and rock cliffs. You can hunt on your own, semi-guided or fully guided. They are also well equipped to accommodate physically challenged hunters and families. Another great thing about Wilderness Hunting Lodge, it is only four and a half hours from home and not sixteen to where we hunt in Texas.
Jim and I had the trusty Gamin GPS and we had also printed off the directions off the Wilderness Hunting Lodge website. We knew we would be well covered on driving directions, but things happen. We knew we would arrive after dark since it was a four hour drive and we didn’t leave until Jim got off work. What we did not expect was fog so thick you could not see your hand in front of your face, printed directions that were wrong and our GPS put us on a dead end road in the middle of no where. To add to the fun my cell phone had no bars of connection. Oh the fun never ends.
I dialed Alan’s number and hoped that somehow there might be enough connection to get a call through. It did, Alan’s wife Sherry answered the phone and we told her what had happened. She being a true southern lady in every since of the word was kind enough to not only give us correct directions but she stayed on the phone and brought us right to the front door. Luckily the phone never faltered. We were 20 miles in the wrong direction…….so much for directions both printed and by GPS.
We quickly unloaded in the beautiful two story log lodge in the honeymoon suite; they offer accommodations for family’s, couples, and large groups of hunting parties. We were told that breakfast was at 7:00am and that we would meet our guide then and head to the woods. My night was rather sleepless with the growing expectations of finally stalking bison with my bow.
I was up the next morning, showered and scent free thanks to my Wildlife Research Center Scent Killer products and ready to hit the woods. After a delicious hardy breakfast, we met Bruce Wilson who was to be my guide, he is Alan’s brother. The weather was overcast and it was drizzling rain, the temperature was in the mid thirties, perfect for slipping around in the woods. I was beside myself but thought I kept it very well controlled due to the danger of the hunt.
I had received my new Mathews Z-7 Mangum bow two weeks before the hunt and I could not wait to take it on its first adventure. I had shot the bow everyday, shooting in the string. I can tell you that straight out of the box it was as if we were made for each other. Jim had built Carbon Express CXL 2 150’s tipped with Muzzy 100 grain M-X 3’s special for the hunt. The bow is set on 55 pounds and I was putting them where I wanted at 60 yards. I have not had a bow that felt this good since the Mathews LX.
Bruce, Jim and I headed to the woods ready for the story to unfold, we walked and glassed most of the morning with no sign of any bison, but this did not dampen my spirits at all, that only added to the adrenalin rush. As the morning wore we could feel a change in the air, the rain had got harder and then it turned to snow. How much more perfect could this hunt get? Hunting bison in the snow with a bow!!!! All the things that I had read about for years in my westerns was right in front of me, the only thing I didn’t have was a horse.
Bruce ask if I would mind if we split up, he would go one direction, Jim and I would head in another to be able to cover more ground. I usually hunt alone so I didn’t mind splitting up at all. Jim was with me as well, we hardly ever get to hunt together, so an extra set of eyes with me was a bonus. Jim and I headed for the woodline at the base of a mountain and Bruce disappeared over the top of a hill in the opposite direction. We hoped the bison would be bedded in the timber out of the snow and wind so we could put a stalk on them. After thirty minutes or more Bruce came back and said that he had been glassing and spotted them in the woods above us on the mountain. The terrain is rugged and the vegetation is thick so it made it hard for us to see very far. Bruce said that they were moving and if they stayed on their path they might head our direction.
Jim and I topped the ridge we had been walking and found a game trail that ran from the woods up to the edge of an open field. We could not see the bison but hoped this was the trail they would use heading to feed. I got behind a tree and got set up. I was 50 yards from the game trail and felt confident I could make the shot from there if necessary.
Jim was squatted down behind me and we were both scanning the woods for any movement. We were motionless for a couple of hours, only our eyes moved, waiting for one of North America’s most treasured animals. Finally we saw motion, Jim touched my leg and pointed, we must have seen them at the same time. I just nodded, not taking my eyes off them as they moved slowly through the woods. If they stayed on their course they would come out 800 yards above us, so I had to decide quickly if I wanted to take a chance and make a run to cut them off or stay where I was. I slowly reached down for my pack to make the move as I kept my eyes on them but they turned and were headed to the game trail so I stood back up and waited.
The snow had stopped falling and the temperature was getting colder, it was still very dark and overcast which I knew would help conceal us in the trees. As they drew closer I knew that I would only have one opportunity to get my shot off and it had to be well placed due to the enormous size of the beast. They were comeing down the side of the mountain, through the creek and up the other side to where I was. They slowly made their way up out of the ravine on the game trail, I was ready. The wind was in my favor and I knew when they crested the hill they would head away from me up the game trail. The shot would either be broadside or quartering away, which I had practiced. They drew closer.
As they topped the ravine I was getting ready to draw my bow for the shot but as they crested the hill they turned toward us to come toward the field. I waited. I was so in the moment that I did not realize Jim was so close squatted behind me, “wait” he whispered. As they moved slowly toward us the wind was still in our favor, Jim had the Nikon Archer’s Choice range finder and softly whispering the yardage to me, 80, 68, 55. As they came closer we were well concealed behind our tree. The bison were not alarmed at all instead of walking bunched together they we walking single file, which is what I was hoping for. From my pard, I heard 48, 40, 35. After that I didn’t hear anymore as the buffalo came closer I drew my bow, I had already made up my mind which one I intended to shoot, he was bringing up the rear, they drew near and as if on cue the big bull stopped and looked right at me. I touched off my Tru-ball Cooperhead release and let the arrow fly. THWACK! I placed it just behind the shoulder, he was 19 yards away. The arrow did not pass all the way through but it had good penetration. The bison erupted and off toward the field they flew.
I turned to Jim, gave him a big high five a hug and then I fell apart. A dream realized, with my hunting pard and wing man at my side. There was no way that it could get any better than this. We waved at Bruce to let him know that I had arrowed the bull and we would wait for him where we were. I didn’t want to take any chance on pushing him. If you hunt long enough you will learn not to push animals after they are shot, their adrenalin will kick in and you will go on a real adventure.
When Bruce caught up with us he decided that we would give the bison plenty of time to expire since he had went over a hill out of sight. We would go eat lunch and come back. Another thing we have learned over the years is that if you have a guide use them to your advantage and trust them.
On the way back to the lodge Jim and I both began replaying the shot in our minds. The placement was good and we found the arrow but knew that I had either hit the back of the shoulder or a rib due to the lack of penetration. So going for lunch was the best bet instead of pushing the beast.
Lunch seemed to last for days and one thing we learned quickly is that all the great people that work at Wilderness Hunting Lodge have a very laid back attitude. They want you to hunt at your pace, eat at your pace and enjoy every minute of your time spent with them, which is great except for when you are eager to get back to the woods.
Bruce, Jim and I headed back to the woods and again the decision was made to split up. My knee is still not 100% after surgery so the more ground that we all could cover the better. Jim stayed with me and we set off in the direction we last saw the big bull. Bruce headed over the mountain to see if it made it that far from the field, we all hoped it had expired.
Me and my pard decided to head back to where we had stopped and pick up the blood trail again. The great thing about us is that we have hunted so long together we don’t have to talk, we are as one in the woods and that is what makes a great team.
We made it back to the wood line where I shot the bison and picked up the trail, we were carefully walking so we didn’t miss anything and we were also watching our back trail for any outlaws that might be riding the owl hoot trail and looking to do us harm.
As we moved across the field we had stopped and was looking ahead of us, Jim took another look behind us and saw movement in the woods at the edge of the woodline at the top of the mountain. He pointed for me to look and I pulled my Nikon Monarch Bino’s to my eyes and quickly scanned the woodline for a better look. It was a lone bison and he was headed back down the mountain just inside the woodline toward us, he was about 300 yards away. He stopped and we kept watching him, he had been walking slowly and seemed to be favoring his left side.
We made a mad dash back to the woods up the creek bed and back up to the game trail where the bison had crossed earlier. We got in position except this time Jim stayed back, I laid my pack on the ground where he stopped and navigated my way closer to the game trail using the trees for cover. The big bull stepped out of the woodline and was walking on the game trail straight for me. I was far enough over to see his left side and saw the wound that my arrow had made. I was ready to make a follow up shot and if he stayed on course he would be thirty yards from me before he headed down the ravine toward the creek. He was breathing hard when he got within range, he was a fighter. As he turned his massive head to go down the ravine I delivered the shot and it was true, he ran the bottom of the ravine, crossed the creek and expired. In a flash my pard was back at my side and we headed down to where the big bison lay. We called Bruce and he told us he would make his way back to us.
What a hunt! Maybe I wasn’t out west riding a pony across the plains. Or riding the rim rock in search of the wooly beast, but Tennessee is west of North Carolina.
When we field dressed him we found that the first arrow had center punched a rib and had taken out one lung. They are as mystical and powerful as all the stories betray them.
I have a deep respect for them and the power they hold over me to this day.
We would like to say thank you to Alan Wilson, his brother Bruce and all the great people at Wilderness Hunting Lodge that made my adventure possible.
Also a special thanks to my Dad who knew how to transport me into a world that would mesmerize me and lead me on adventures I never imagined possible.
So as me and my pard ride off to the saloon for a sarsaparilla at the end of the day to wash down the dust from the trail, remember to always watch your back trail, keep your bow within reach, your pistols loaded and never give up on your dreams. Adios.
For information on Hunting with Alan Wilson at Wilderness Hunting Lodge
Contact Wilderness Hunting Lodge: 931-839-2091
Or Lynn Melton (guide) 931-979-0057
Email: tuskers@citlink.net
Website: www.wildernesshuntinglodge.com
The Best Day Ever
By: The Lady Archer Lynne Frady
Circle T Bowhunting ranch is a sprawling ranch owned by Kenneth Tallent who was born and raised in
We arrived at the ranch on Friday before Thanksgiving for our seven day hunt and were greeted by Johnny and Juan, who is one of the ranch hands. That afternoon we got unloaded and settled in and spent some quality time with Johnny. He gave us the grand tour of the ranch, the bunkhouse and the rifle and archery range. Then we were off to Wal-Mart. No trip would be complete without a venture to Wally World to get groceries and a few supplies? For those that know me going to Wally World is the equivalent of having all my teeth pulled without novocain, no that would be pleasant in comparison, anyway you get the point. I hate shopping.
Saturday we were up at
Our first morning and evening hunt were great, Jim and I saw plenty of deer but they either had too many points or not enough. Seeing so many deer on the first day had us excited for the week ahead. Our evening ended with elk steaks on the grill, great friends and a campfire under the stars. I honestly believe that all the world’s problems could be solved sitting around a campfire.
Sunday we were up and eager to get back to the woods to see what would materialize. The morning again was good, Jim and I saw plenty of whitetail, but they seemed to know to stay out of bow range. Johnny and I had several nice bucks come in and one little spike buck come in everyday that we nicknamed Jr. One of his tines was a knurled looking nub and the other one was about 6” long. Jim saw him a few times as well and another spike that had the same horn configuration but on the opposite side. Neither of us drew on a whitetail today but getting to sit and watch them you learn alot. You know your in the zone when you have deer come within 10 yards and never know your there. We attribute that to our Wildlife Research Center Scent Killer regiment.
Sunday after lunch we headed back to our blinds, Jim decided to sit in a box blind this evening just below the tripod stand he had been sitting in. The temps were in the low 70’s but the wind had really kicked up with 40 and 50 mile an hour gust, so he decided a box blind might be a little more productive and offer some protection. Johnny and I were heading back to the blind we had been hunting from. There had been a lot of activity and some great bucks; there were several trails that intersected to the right of the blind to the main trail that lead to the food plot.
Johnny and I had some nice bucks come by but again they were either too big or too small. So when it was to dark to see the pins on my
As we turned the corner of the food plot I saw Jim standing by the road with his flashlight, but there was something different about the light. I said to Johnny “a dancing light I believe Jim has one on the ground”. As we got closer to Jim the light went from dancing to a laser light show. We were almost to him when I could make out a dark shape laying on the ground, as I strained my eyes in the darkness the lights on the Kawasaki Mule swept the ground near Jim. Not only had he harvested a super buck he had harvested two!
By the time we finally got to Jim he was all but jumping up and down with excitement. He was still shaking and was talking so fast that we could hardly make out anything he was saying. He finally gained his composure and told us the story of his best day ever.
When Jim arrived at his blind the wind was blowing hard and of course in the wrong direction. The wind was blowing at the back of the blind so before Jim climbed in he hung a Wildlife Research Center Trophy Leaf in Golden Estrus scent on a limb on the edge of the food plot about 20 yards in front of his blind. His plan was to use the wind to carry the scent of the trophy leaf across the food plot and help mask any human odor.
The first part of the afternoon was uneventful and he was afraid that there would be no activity due to the wind, but he was wrong. A little after
Jim knew it would be a long wait till dark before he could get out of the blind to retrieve the deer but he knew it would be worth the wait. Jim also had more whitetail tags he was wanting to fill; you can harvest two deer a day in
As he sat there watching the field he caught movement out of the corner of his eye to his left. He slowly turned his head hoping it would be the doe’s beginning to ease out of the wood line. It was not the doe he hoped for; instead it was the buck with the bad eye that Kenneth had told us about. Jim watched it slowly come out across the field and head to the Wildlife Trophy leaf. Jim slowly picked up his bow and hoped the buck would offer him a shot. The buck was really favoring the side with his bad eye and Jim could tell when he got into range that his eye was infected. He walked deliberately toward trophy leaf but stopped about 35 yards from it. The big buck was watching the other deer Jim had shot that was laying 30 yards away. The deer was curious why the big buck was just laying there.
The buck had his bad eye to Jim so he knew he would not see him draw. Jim slowly drew his Mathews Z-7 and squeezed the trigger on his Tru-Ball Tornado release. The thwack of the arrow let Jim know that this would be his best day ever in the field. The buck dropped in his tracks from a high shoulder shot.
We headed back to the ranch house to get the truck, there was no way we could load two bucks on the back of the Kawasaki Mule. When we got the bucks back to the ranch house we finally got a good look at the buck with one eye, we named him Igor. He was a main frame 9 point with two non typical points. Not only was his eye damaged but his front hoof on that side had an odd formation as well. His eye was infected and so was that side of his face. Jim really done him a favor by harvesting him and Kenneth was glad that the buck was put out of his misery and no longer had to suffer.
What an awesome hunt and being able to share it with Johnny and Kenneth made it that much more special. We look forward to our next adventure in
We can’t thank Kenneth enough for having us down to hunt at the Circle T Bowhunting Ranch. We enjoyed spending time with him and
If you were wondering what the two bucks scored that Jim harvested the 10pt scored 144 and Igor scored 142 and some change.
Circle T Bowhunting Ranch is a great place for everyone to hunt. So bring your family and have the time of your life. Ladies if you are looking for a quality hunt where you will be treated with respect and appreciated for the hunter that you are this is the place you want to hunt. To book a quality hunt with a well managed whitetail herd book your hunt with Circle T Bowhunting Ranch. You will have the time of your life and possibly your best day ever in the field.
To book a hunt with Circle T Bowhunting Ranch
Contact Johnny Kennedy 1-972-814-4440 or
contact them through their
website www.circletbowhuntingranch.com
The Sweetie Buck
By: The Lady Archer Lynne Frady
In my last article I shared with you Jim’s whitetail adventure from Circle T Bowhunting Ranch in Commerce Texas over the week of Thanksgiving. The ranch manager there is our “Big Daddy” Johnny Kennedy who is the Archery Pro Staff Director for Nikon Sport Optics with whom we have worked with for 10 years. Kenneth Tallent is the owner of Circle T Bowhunting Ranch which was established in 2003. He also owns Tallent Roofing located in McKinney Texas where he was born and raised. Kenneth owns several other businesses in 6 states. What I didn’t tell you about in my last article was my adventure with the “Sweetie Buck’ at Circle T.
Our first morning out was an eventful one. Johnny and I left Jim sitting on the edge of a food plot in a tri-pod stand and Johnny and I were off to a box blind. Usually I don’t have the pleasure of having someone to hunt with but on this adventure Johnny was going to be my wing man so to speak. He had been watching several nice bucks during the summer and early fall and had one in mind that he was hoping would come to our neck of the woods. They are on a strict management program and were wanting to cull certain bucks.
Our box blind was sitting about 60 yards inside the wood line with a great view of a food plot. There were several trails that intersected to the right of the blind and the main trail led to the food plot. It was a great place and I was excited to be sitting in a blind with so much potential. As Johnny and I sat and glassed I caught movement out of the corner of my eye to my right.
We had several deer come in at day light and one nice 8point, I looked at Johnny he shook his head and whispered “no sweetie”. Where I come from that was one dandy buck but in Texas everything is bigger and I trust Johnny. The buck was weak on his left side and Johnny knew there were much better deer. As the buck walked off I looked at Johnny and slowly pointed to what had initially caught my eye. He looked and then turned around and said “where is it, I don’t see anything”? The problem was he was looking for a deer, what I was looking at was not on the ground but in the tree, what I saw was my nemesis, a huge fox squirrel and it was a Booner!
Until now Johnny did not know about my obsession with fox squirrels, I don’t let everyone know due to the fact I usually get the same look, you know the one, the “are you a half bubble off plumb look” Well, that is the look I got from Johnny and he chuckled a little, that was until the squirrel came in front of the blind and I drew on it.
No matter where we hunt I always check to see what is in season while we will be hunting in that state and I always check to see if squirrel and varmints are in season. Yes, squirrel season was in during the time we were in Texas deer hunting.
As I drew my Mathews Z-7 Johnny just looked at me in disbelief and said “are you going to shoot it”. I just nodded my head in affirmation and let my carbon express arrow fly. Just as my arrow got to him he moved to the left…….a clean miss. Foiled AGAIN!
Needless to say Johnny and I both got a bad case of the giggles and my secret was out. I spent the next few minutes explaining my scoring system for squirrel. Bronze, Silver, Gold, P&Y and then the of course the Boone and Crocket or Booner for short, which is what I am always after. But to set the record straight, I don’t squirrel hunt during prime time or if there is a lot of deer movement. I squirrel hunt when it’s slow. I always carry two squirrel arrows and three arrows for whitetail.
Our morning and afternoon ended with no whitetails or booners on the ground but we had a great time and saw some dandy bucks. Jim also had a great day of hunting but nothing fell to our Mathews Z-7’s today.
Our evening ended with elk steaks on the grill a roaring campfire and Kenneth and Shannon came over and shared the evening with us. There is no better way to end a day then sitting with friends, starring into the burning embers of a fire and swapping hunting stories and bending the truth a little.
Sunday we were up and eager to get back to the woods. Johnny and I dropped Jim off and were headed back to our box blind. We were set up well before first light and ready for what the day offered. We had movement before daylight but could not make out how big the buck was. As daylight finally made its presence known we could make out antlers on a nice buck, I looked at Johnny and said “he looks good to me what do you think”? The buck was in woods and it was hard to get a good look at him, but after several minutes of glasses Johnny looked at me and said “no sweetie, not what we are looking for”.
Okay, now we have to understand something here, my finger is itching and I have back strap on the brain. We are looking for 8 and 9 point bucks that have reached their maximum and Kenneth told us he wanted these taken out of the herd. Kenneth also told us about two bucks that needed to be harvested one had a bad right eye that was infected and the other had a mass growing on his face below his eye. He said if we saw either of these bucks to harvest them. So as I watch another nice deer walk by the box blind headed to the food plot I get the “no sweetie” from Big Daddy. I must admit I was beginning to not like that answer at all. I looked at Johnny and said “how about a YES sweetie on the next one that comes by” he just grinned and said “I will if it’s what we are looking for”. I was thinking it could be a long week but at least the woods were full of fox squirrels for me to shoot during the slow times and we did not have a shortage of deer to watch either.
As Johnny and I were sitting in the blind quietly talking I was glassing the food plot and Johnny was glassing the woods. I leaned over and touched his arm and pointed to the end of the food plot. He scanned the area I had pointed and we both looked at each other. It was a huge 8 point buck that had to be 4 inches or more outside his ears and he was very tall, I would say a 150 class buck. I was, needless to say, drooling on my camo. He was about 200 yards away and I was hoping he would come our way, but he didn’t. He cut across the end of the food plot crossed the road and headed to a huge field on the other side. We never saw that buck again, but the buck that we saw on the first day did make another appearance, the 8 point buck with the weak left side. Again a “no sweetie let him go, we can do better”.
Sunday Afternoon Kenneth invited us to his house to show us his trophy room; it was magnificent to say the least. He has hunted in several parts of the world including Africa and has some stunning mounts. He was in the process of hanging some of his collection that he had just received from his taxidermist. He was telling us stories of his hunting adventures and I noticed a pelt on the back of a chair and another lying on a table. I was not sure what they were so I ask. Kenneth said that they were opossums from New Zealand, they were a beautiful dark brown color with a long soft tail, nothing like the opossums we have here. He said “Lynne if you would like one of those you are more than welcome to have it.” I could not say no, the fur was luxurious and I can not tell you how gracious that was for him to offer us something that he had harvested. I was honored. He then walked over to the bar where he had some artifacts laying that he had purchased in Africa. He said “Would you like to have one of these African mask I think they are kind of neat.” “I would love to have one” I replied. He looked them over and handed me two of them, they were hand painted and beautiful. How do you thank someone for that kind of generosity? All I could do was say “thank you” but words can not express the gratitude. We really enjoyed Kenneth showing us his trophy room and sharing hunting stories with us during the week around the campfire.
Sunday evening turned out to be a great evening for Jim; he harvested not one great buck but two. He harvested a 10 point and he also harvested the buck with the bad eye. It was his best day ever in the woods and also the largest bucks he has ever harvested with his bow. We were definitely off to a great start on this adventure.
Monday was shaping up to be another great day. Before first light we had a buck in front of the blind but we did not have enough light to make out what it was. We used our Nikon 10x42 binos but could not make out points. I was ready just in case he decided to stay around till it was light enough to see. Johnny and I continued to glass as daylight finally broke through the darkness. It was light enough now to see the pins on the Sure-Loc Max ST sight and I could also see it was a dandy buck.
I looked over at Johnny and whispered, “What do you think” I knew he was big enough and could make out 9 points. Oh my, what a buck and he was headed our way. He had been staging in the edge of the woods and was now on the trail being very careful before he made the commitment to go to the food plot.
Johnny kept looking at him and finally he turned to me and grinned. Oh boy, the words I had been waiting on it was going to be “Yes Sweetie”. I waited, waited and Johnny said “No sweetie he is an 11 point”. WHAT! WHAT! REALLY! NOOOOOOOO! Not the dreaded “No Sweetie”! Okay, I have to keep my cool here. So I gave Johnny the kitty eyes and said “are you sure”? “Yes, I am sure when he turns you will see he is an 11 point. So I picked up my Nikon bino’s as he walked toward us and looked hoping that by some odd chance Johnny was wrong and had forgot how to count. Sure enough the buck stopped about 12 yards in front of the blind he was a big 11, foiled again. Foiled by my nemesis and now by this buck that seemed to be growing in front of my eyes.
We sat and watched him for a long time, he offered every shot you could imagine, broadside on both sides, slightly quartering toward, slightly quartering away, you name it and the big buck offered it. Finally he headed into the food plot and walked out of our lives……..forever.
I just sat there and looked at Johnny, he said “I am sorry but that was not the deer we are after”. Now you have to understand that I love Johnny and he is again more like family than a friend but as of that minute I was not sure if I could stand to hear another “no sweetie”. This is why I like hunting by myself. I am happy with any deer that I harvest with my bow. But again you have to trust your guide even if you want to strangle him and leave him in the woods for the Booners to chew on.
About that time a huge booner bounced in front of the blind and I was more than ready to shoot at something. I drew the string back on my Mathews Z-7 and let the Muzzy tipped Carbon Express arrow fly. He moved slightly to my left and I just barely nicked his side, he ran off fussing and I would have swore I heard him say “no sweetie, not today” was that laughing I heard from that tree rat? Geez, is this the only words they know in Texas.
We saw plenty of bucks and does on Monday afternoon and Tuesday. We had one spike come in everyday around the same time, he had a knurled up nub on one side and about a 6” spike on the other side, and we nicknamed him Jr. He seemed to like that trail and would come and hang out for 30 or 40 minutes at a time before heading back to the woods or into the food plot.
Wednesday morning dawned early and we were all snug in our blinds as the sun slowly rose in the sky. It was going to be a warm day with the temperature in the high 60’s and I was more than ready to see what the day would offer. The morning hunt was eventful but nothing fell to my bow. After a quick lunch we were headed back for an afternoon of what would be a very eventful afternoon.
Johnny and I dropped Jim off again in the edge of the food plot; he still had does tags and was hoping to cull the heard to help the buck to doe ratio. We drove on deep into the woods parked the mule and walked the distance to the blind. We were not there long when the woods seemed to come alive. Jr. came and hung out for a long time and with him we had a family of raccoons to keep us entertained. Johnny was glassing and I was taking advantage of the photo op on the coons.
Johnny reached up and grabbed the back of my shirt and nearly pulled me off my feet, I turned to look at him and all he could do was point and whisper Big Buck! I slowly laid my camera down and picked up my bow which was nocked and ready. I looked in the direction Johnny had been glassing and about 80 yards through the woods I could see the buck. It headed up the trail to our right and finally came out on the main trail, it was a 6 point buck, he was nice but he was to young and not what we were looking for. I looked at my watch it was 3:00pm it was early and we were already seeing deer, looked like it was going to be a good afternoon.
Johnny and I were in full hunt mode glassing the food plot, I caught movement in the woods, I pointed it out to Johnny but he could not see it from where he was sitting. The closer it came I could see this was an awesome buck. It finally headed up the trail to our right and Johnny finally saw him. I looked at Big Daddy and whispered “that’s a nice buck. “I can’t see him well enough to tell, but maybe he will come out on the trail and we can get a better look”. All I knew was that he was well outside his ears and had tall tines. I was praying he was not the 11 we had seen before. After what seemed like days he finally came to the edge of the woods and just stood there just inside the treeline 40 yards away. Where I was sitting in the blind there was no way I could shoot, so we waited. Johnny kept his Nikon bino’s glued to his eyes, at this point I could not see the buck and was not about to move to where I could see him in fear of making noise that would spook him. Johnny finally put his bino’s in his lap and just looked at me. Oh well, I knew what was coming….but I was wrong. Johnny said “if that buck comes in range and you get a shot you take it, he is one nice deer”. I looked at him and said “really, it’s a YES sweetie buck?! He just smiled and whispered, yes, it’s a shooter. Well that was all I needed, so I said a prayer and was ready if he would come down the trail and not cross the ditch and head back to the woods.
It seemed like months as we sat there. I still could not see the buck but Johnny would give me the thumbs up to let me know he was still there. Finally Johnny pointed that the buck was headed toward the food plot and would be walking by the blind any second. Finally I could see him, he was very cautious and his ears were in over drive. He would talk a step stop and listen, what a buck, just a few more steps was all I needed to take a shot. He finally came into my shooting lane and I waited for him to turn his head toward the food plot so I could draw, he gave me the opportunity I was looking for and I drew my bow and settled my pin just behind his shoulder and slowly squeezed the trigger on my Tru-Ball Copper Head release. The shot felt good and the smack of the arrow let me know that I hit him hard but he was quartering away from me more than I though and I shot him a little far back. He ran toward the food plot around the edge of the trees. I watched and listened to hopefully hear him go down. Johnny exploded “You got him sweetie, you got him!!!!!! The hugs and high fives were flying!!! What a great hunt and to share it with Big Daddy made it even more special. This was an awesome buck, the largest I have ever harvest with my bow for sure.
I put my bow down and just sat there for a minute. It was 3:35, I like to wait at least 30 minutes before I get down to go trail a deer. Johnny sat there for a minute and said “what is that noise”? Well, it was my knee on the side of the blind; I was shaking so hard that my knee sounded like a low drum roll on the blind. Johnny just laughed. I always fall apart after I shoot, thank goodness I don’t do that before the shot or I would never harvest an animal.
After about 5 minutes Johnny could not stand it any longer he wanted to get down and go get the deer. I still had the shakes so Johnny said he was going to head over to the treeline and look to see if he could see where the buck fell. He slowly walked toward the edge of the food plot and I saw the buck cut across the edge of the food plot and head into the woods. Let the tracking game commence.
We gathered out equipment and headed back to get Jim and give the buck time to bed down and expire. We dropped most of our equipment off at the bunk house and headed back to the food plot and began out search where the buck hit the woodline. We found blood and began tracking the deer. Johnny called Juan and told him to bring the Blue Star Blood Trailing Agent so we didn’t have to stop at dark. Jim and I had never used this product but we saw quickly that it is something that needs to be in our backpacks.
When Juan arrived with the Blue Star Johnny ask if we had ever used it before, we told him no. We were standing at the mule; my bow with the arrow that I had shot the buck with was in my quiver. Johnny told us to turn off our flashlights and lightly sprayed the shaft of my arrow, it glowed neon blue. He then turned and sprayed it on the ground and it looked like little neon blue stars sparkling on the ground, this stuff is amazing.
The buck was on the move which let me know that I had definitely shot him to far back but the blood trail was easy to follow thanks to the Blue Star Blood Trailing Agent. The only bad thing is you can’t have your flash lights on to see the trail, so we were walking in the pitch black in extremely thick woods. We trailed as long as the agent lasted and then decided it would be best to come back on Thanksgiving morning and look with more man power. So we headed back to the bunkhouse and a long sleepless night for me.
We were up early on Thanksgiving morning and I didn’t think that the sun would ever come up to give us enough light to go look for the deer. Juan was ready to go and so was Richard, he works for Tallent Roofing and was there to help us look for the deer. The morning was cool and clear. The weather was supposed to be like the days before cool in the morning and then warming up. Jim and I dressed lightly due to the fact we knew we would be walking as did Johnny. Johnny grabbed his coat as we were walking out the door out of habit. When we got to the location where we had stopped looking the night before we all split up and began our search. With the five of us we walked the woods off in grids. As we walked it slowly began to sprinkle the rain and a cold breeze began to blow. Johnny had slid his coat on before we started our search. As we walked I hoped the rain would not pick up and wash away the blood trail, there had been no forecast for rain at all. As we walked and searched the rain went from a sprinkle to a steady cold rain and the wind really picked up. We looked for the buck for over an hour and the weather turn so cold we could not feel our fingers any longer and it was now pouring the rain. Johnny told Jim and me to head back to the bunkhouse for our rain suits so we did. When we left the bunkhouse that morning it was 62 degrees, when we got back to change our drenched camo an hour and a half later it was 34 degrees, pouring rain and the wind was blowing about 30 miles an hours.
Jim and I quickly changed out clothes put on our rain gear and headed back to find Johnny and the others. When we found them they were all drenched and froze. We decided to give up the search and head back to get everyone dry and warm. None of us could believe the drastic change in the weather. The rest of the day the rain and wind never let up, so we made the most of our Thanksgiving Day, we cooked a great meal, watched football and enjoyed each others company. I was sick over not finding the Sweetie Buck as was everyone else.
Jim and I were heading for home at 5:00am on Friday morning, Johnny and Juan said they would go out and look for the deer until they found it. What an awesome hunt we had at the Circle T Bowhunting Ranch. We hated to leave but like all things great they have to end some time. Johnny got up and saw us off and again promised he would find the buck.
If you hunt long enough you are going to make a bad shot and you are going to lose a deer but it’s never easy when it happens but unfortunately that is part of hunting. Jim and I had a sixteen hour ride and plenty of memories of our great hunt with Johnny and Kenneth at Circle T Bowhunting Ranch. We were headed home with two awesome bucks and no one could be disappointed with that. As we drove home we saw the largest flock of snow geese I have ever saw in Arkansas, Jim pulled the truck and trailer off the road so I could get out and take pictures of them, there were thousands in the air, I was mesmerized by them. You sure can’t see that on the couch. We decided to drive straight home since we had the meat, heads and hides. They were well iced down but we don’t like to take chances. We arrived home around 9:00pm, tired, glad to be home, but I was still a little sick over the Sweetie Buck. We unloaded the truck and hauler and headed to bed.
Saturday morning we slept in till about 8:00am and were standing in the kitchen drinking coffee and telling our daughter, Bud, who was home from college, about the hunt. As Jim was telling Bud about his awesome day he was interrupted by my cell phone ringing. As I pulled it out of my pocket across the small screen it said it was Big Daddy calling. I quickly answered it; Big Daddy said “guess what Juan found this morning Sweetie?” Jim was standing there smiling and nodding his head in the affirmative. I said “Did he find the buck”? “Of course he did, I told you we would find him” I was ecstatic for sure! The Sweetie Buck would be coming home.
I can not thank Kenneth and Johnny enough for a hunt of a lifetime at Circle T Bowhunting Ranch. We have hunted whitetail in a lot of places and a lot of states but Texas is on the top of our list for great whitetail. The fact that we were able to spend time with Johnny and make some new friends with Kenneth and Shannon were just icing on the cake. We are looking forward to next November and another opportunity to hunt at Circle T.
To book your hunt contact Johnny Kennedy at Circle T Bowhunting Ranch. www.circletbowhuntingranch.com or call Johnny 972-814-4440.
Our 2010 hunting season was kicked off with a bang! Jim and I headed to Patten Maine on the 3rd of September for a week of Black Bear hunting. Patten Maine is located in the North East corner of the state. Jim had hunted bear with hounds when he was young and in shape but due to several knee operations that is no longer an option for him. I had never been on a bear hunt, until now.
One of Jim's friends introduced us to Bill Finney, owner of Patten Hunting Lodge in Patten Maine. It would be our first bear hunt over bait and our first trip to Maine, needless to say we were both very exited.
Since this was our first time in the North East we decided to take a few days and do some sightseeing along the way. Our first stop was in Hershey Pennsylvania, home of the Hershey Chocolate Factory. The street lamps are Hershey kisses and it smells so good you could lick the streets! Chocolate World was also a real treat, no pun intended.
Our second day found us in Freeport Maine, home of L.L. Bean. The town is very quaint and L.L. Bean was huge with separate buildings for hunting and fishing and their home store. It was complete with their signature duck boot right out front. Our favorite part of Freeport was the Wharf and the seafood at the Haraseeket Lunch and Lobster. What a beautiful place and the most awesome seafood.
From Freeport we were only 3 hours from Patten Maine so we took our time and enjoyed the ride. We stopped and viewed Mt. Katahdin which is the highest point in Maine at 5268ft. The weather was perfect and the temperatures had dropped. The week prior it had been in the 90's there with high humidity. We were met with temps in the low 80's and they were predicted to keep dropping over the next week where the high's would be in the lower 70's and the lows would be in the 50's. We were both hoping this would get the bears moving.
When we arrived in camp we were met by Bill and introduced ourselves to the other hunters who would share our adventure the coming week. We had four hunters from Penn. Vincent Kosmack, Jeff Patrick and George and John. The father and son duo, Bob and Nick Gieringer from Gray, ME. and Rob and Deb Newcomb from Weaverville N.C. Our camp was complete with Bill's lady friend Linda who is the camps dietary technician and textile manager.
Patten Hunting Lodge Main Lodge Our Amish Built Cabin
Vincent Kosmack Jeff Patrick Linda Bill Finney (owner)
Sunday night there is no cooking at camp so Bill told us all the great places to go in Patten to get something to eat. There are no chain resturants and no fast food, only local mom and pop resturants which is what we like. Jim and I decided to give Craigs Clam Shack a try, the seafood there was delicious. What we got a kick out of was all the best seafood places were small road side buildings that you walked up to the window and ordered. No place to eat inside, only picnic tables outside or you could take it back to your car. Bob and Nick ate with us and we had a great time getting to know them better.
Monday we were all ready to hit the stands. One thing about bear hunting is you go out in the early afternoon not in the morning. So Jim and I took the mornings to go explore the region, we had a great time just seeing the county, the Amish communities and we were only 30 miles for the New Brunswick border. We didn't have our passports so we could only wonder what was on the other side. Without a passport you can go into Canada but you can't come out!
The entire camp was more than excited about getting to their stands for what would prove to be a very exciting night. Bill took Jim, Rob and myself to our area. I saw a nice bear just before dark. I was hunting down in a hole near a creek so by the time the bear had committed to the bait it was to dark to see the pins on my Mathews Z-7 bow. Jim didn't see a bear but heard a moose that he nicknamed Bruno the Bulldozer due to the fact he could see the tops of the trees swaying where Bruno was polishing the velvet off his antlers. He would thrash the tree for several seconds and then push it down. He stayed far enough in the timber that Jim counld not find him with his Nikon Monarch Bino's. Jim also had a resident covey of grouse that kept him company almost everyday.
Rob on the other hand not only saw a bear but harvested what could be this years record for Maine. He harvested a boar with his bow that weighted 455lbs and it's skull green scored 20 1/4" which will definately be Pope and Young and possible Boone and Crocket!
Rob Newcomb and his 455lb boar Nick and Bob Gieringer with Bob's Bear
Bob harvested a nice bear with his Tikka .300 rifle. His bear weiged over 125lbs. Nick had arranged this hunt for his Dad a year ago for his 60th birthday. Due to back surgery the hunt had to be posponed 2010. Nick began hunting with his Dad when he was 10 and they have been hunting buddies ever since. We were honored to have shared camp with them. Happy 61st Birthday Bob!
A few of the other hunters saw bear on the first night but no one got a shot. The first week of bear season is for primitive weapon and the second, which is what we were hunting, is open to all weapons.
Our second day was overcast and windy. John harvested a small bear and a few other hunters saw bears as well. Johns bear was the only bear checked in a the check station on Tuesday.
Day three was a rainy cool day with no wind. I saw one yearling cub about 4pm and then a sow with two yearling cubs at 5:30. They stood right under my stand for what seemed forever but they never would commit to the bait. I was hoping they would circle and come in but they did not. All the bears that were at my stand came in from behind me and all of them would come stand under my treestand. My Real Tree AP kept me concealed and bleneded in perfectly with my surroundings. Without our regimen of the Scent Killer Products Jim and I would have been busted. We heard from some of the other hunters that they had been winded, we didn't have that problem. Jim saw 5 bears tonight, one even tried to climb his stand and bit the forth rung up just to make sure he knew she was there. He could not get a shot due to the fact the bear stayed under his stand and he could not lean over enough to shoot his Mathews Z-7. He called Rob, who was our guide for the remainder of the week, to walk in and get him due to the fact the bears wouldn't leave. Jim and I did alot of walking while we were in Maine, thanks to the comfort of our Danner Boots we stayed warm and dry the entire week. The new Danner Pronghorns are exceeding my expectations!
Thursday was another cool rainy day, perfect for bear hunting. When you bear hunt you have to perfectly still and quiet. It is nothing like deer hunting, you never know they are there until you see them. They slip through the woods like ghost. The other thing that slips through the woods are the white winged mosquitoes, they come in without any sound unlike the black mosquitoes. Without the aid of a Thermacell hunting in Maine would be almost impossible.
Jim had contemplated all week about carrying a pistol to the stand with him due to the fact that you can get about 5 more minutes of light with a scope over the pins on your bow. Vincent Kosmack had brought several pistols with him, one being a Thompson Center .308. Vincent had been carrying his .460 and had offered to let Jim borrow the .308. Today Jim excepted the offer.
Jim had 6 bears come in at last light, it was to dark to see the pins on his Sure-Loc sight but the scope on the Thompson .308 gave him just the light he needed to take a shot on a huge sow as she stepped into an opening in the trail. He squeezed the trigger and watched her lope out of sight, he sat quietly listening to try to determine how far she had ran into the thick timber. It was only a matter of seconds when he heard her death moan and knew his dream of a great bear had just been fulfilled.
Rob came to pick me up at dark and we drove the 8/10 of a mile to where we were to meet Jim. He called Rob and ask if he would once again walk in to the site so the bears that were at his site would be spooked from someone on the ground and not from a treestand.
When they walked out Jim tried playing cool but I could see through the disguise, the smile on his face told the story. A round of hugs, congrats and high fives came next. It was great to see Jim so excited over his harvest. Matter of fact he was shaking so hard he couldn't get his back pack unzipped, and he makes fun of me for falling apart after the shot.
After Jim's knees recovered from their noodled state we walked back in to recover the bear in the dark. We arrived at the site and found a blood trail that was easy to follow. The sow had not ran 10 yards in the the woods. We placed her on a carry-all and carried her to the truck, we then went to the check in station where we had the privilege of meeting Lydia who works there. Jim's bear was the 844th bear checked in at that station in 10 days. There is only one other check in station in that part of the county. That is alot of bears!
A very special Thank You to our "Uncle Vinnie" with out your generosity Jim would not have been able to harvest his bear.
