Carl's first bow buck

Carl's first bow buck!

Mountains and Valleys

          It is with an extremely heavy heart that I write this memoir of our most recent hunt, it will probably be the most heartfelt blog I write for a very long time (at least I hope so). The truth is we had the best and most successful hunt this trio has ever had and I could write for day's bragging on my two hunting partner's and how far their skills have come since I first watched them pick up their bow's as young boy's and kill their first deer; there is no doubt they have far surpassed my bow hunting proficiency. If I was ever the teacher, now I am the student with Tony and Jesse and I am fine with that, for me it's just a privilege to share camp with them and enjoy the experiences. I could explain how we had the good fortune to meet our guide Kelly Riggs, who's wisdom on the hideout's of our game, caring personality, comic relief and positivity is inspiring and we are proud when he call's us family. That's how this story almost went, but the loss of a young family member the day after we returned home made me lose all taste for celebration; I spent the day not wanting to talk about the successful hunt for a record book antelope after I received the news of this tragedy. Christopher was one of my second cousin's I got to spend some time with when we were young; I will always have my childhood memories of Sunday morning's at my Grandma's, (his Great Grandma's) spent playing as young kids. He was taken way too young and it's sobering realizing how fragile life is. It made me realize something I already should have known, it's not about the trophy kill, it's about the adventure and time spent with friend's.

        Life is short, very, very short for some and when I am too old to hike into the mountains with my bow any longer, it won't be the horn's I remember as much as it is the guy's that I shared the triumph's, trial's and tribulations with; the kind of guy's that will hike halfway down a steep cliff after they watched you blow a golden opportunity for no other reason than to take your pack off your back and carry your bow for you and keep you positive as you struggle up the mountain in frustration and fatigue. That kind of bond of camaraderie can only be tempered in the fire's of adversity. True friendship is hard to come by, but I'm certain it's one of the greatest Blessings in life. May I never take one day or one friendship for granted again. RIP Christopher Lord 8/17/15

The Crew!

Jesse doing what Jesse does

My best Donnie Vincent shot

Wild Mustangs

Can't find anything

Last minutes of the hunt enjoying the brotherhood

The Man, The Myth, The Legend Uncle Kelly

Zeman's first speed goat!

The Master definitely didn't strike first on this hunt

P&Y Pronghorn

To me this picture is worth a thousand words!!

Just a few pictures from the 2014 season

Rocky Mountain High - Accept the Challenge

 

 

               Once again the month of August kick started the hunting season of first’s for my buddy’s and I; our first time hunting elk and our first time living out of our backpacks in the high country of the Rocky Mountains, but it was an experience that tests an outdoorsman in way he has never been tested before.  This type of hunt strips you down to the bare essentials of life: food, water and shelter. I believe there are certain things hard wired into every man, things like the desire to go on an adventure and the desire to be the hero; while all three of us got to go on one exciting adventure, it was only Tony that was the hero, but the triumph was definitely enjoyed by the entire trio.  I assume most people not knowledgeable about elk hunting would wonder why we were so elated over a young bull and two empty tags, well in Colorado I was told there is a 7 % success rate among archery elk hunters, we hit pay dirt on our first try, I know hunter’s in their 40’s and 50’s with multiple elk hunts under their belt’s with no more success than us. It was a journey that started back when I was 12 year’s old still sharing a room with my older brother and  talking dream hunt's at night before falling asleep and reading outdoor magazines with stories of elk hunt’s in God’s Country. I thought that was something maybe I would get to experience when I was in my 30’s and could afford a guide, but as luck would have it, I would meet a great friend in college that grew up in Denver and might be to elk hunting what Aaron Rodgers is to football, ha ha. But seriously, my old buddy Danny Clum knows the mountains and he knows elk like a Wisconsin farmer knows his cattle. When I told him I was going to come out and scout some land I had received  a tip on from a friend that might hold elk, he offered to take me out and show me one of the places he has found success.  I was blown away by that sort of generosity, fishermen don’t give away their best fishing holes and hunters don’t show others their honey holes. Danny took a day off work and spent a couple day’s in the mountains with me not only showing me elk and where to hunt them, but how to hunt them and more importantly how to survive in the mountains; I didn’t know how to load my pack, set up my tent, filter water or make dinner until my scouting trip with him. I really felt a thousand times more at ease after he took me out and taught me the ropes a bit because on this hunt I wasn’t just responsible for my own well-being, but a couple of other young hunter’s as well, I always feel pressure to make sure my compadres have a successful hunt, but this time it was about more, in the Mountains five hours from any help, it was also about survival! Danny provided me with skills and experiences I will carry with me going forward until I hang up my bow permanently.  I also am grateful Danny helped me get great deals on the best gear at his shop rmsgear.com, even if you’re a non-hunter, but enjoy camping; they have the best equipment and friendliest service.

            After a 16 hour drive out, a 20 minute four-wheeler ride up and 2 hour hike in we found our campsite, although not before we ran into a local couple and their attractive daughter that were sightseeing on this mountain and she stole Tony’s heart ha ha, we had them take our picture as we set out on our trek and tried to refocus Tony on hunting elk and not college girls; Jesse on the other hand was mesmerized by the view and the vastness of the wilderness, he did a great job of reminding us on this hunt “it’s the little things in life that mean the most” .  Daybreak found us sneaking along a creek bed through a valley Danny told me we should get on some elk in. After making it only a quarter mile and to our disappointment hearing no bugles Tony suggested we set up on the meadow in front of us and call; Jesse and Tony took their positions on either side of the meadow 50 yards in front of me and I started cow calling, to my dismay I thought I heard a bugle, couldn’t be I thought to myself because I stink at calling and no way am I lucky enough to call in elk on my first try ever. I called a second time and I heard the bugle again, I thought for sure a fellow hunter was playing a cruel trick on me, just then a calf elk ran into the meadow between Jesse and Tony, Game on! A few minutes later the bugling bull came along the side of the mountain in and out of my view, but in plain sight for Jesse, just in too much brush for a shot, Jesse watched the show as he bugled to my calls, raked his antlers on brush and just stood around being enormous to a few whitetail hunters from Wisconsin. After him and I talking back and forth and my trying to play “hard to get” cow elk style he was 30 yards from Jesse and I and only needed to take a few more steps to present the shot we traveled so far for; Just about that time I heard a loud “whack” and turned around to see Tony’s bull run out of the meadow, I turned back around as our bull figured out the game and slowly walked back up the mountain and bugled no more. After getting up to Jesse, he whispered to me that Tony had made a great shot on that bull and it was expiring within 60 yards of us, I was ecstatic, twenty minutes into the hunt and we got a  bull! Tony and Jesse noticed how I was the most excited out of us three; I thought of all the money I put into this hunt and more importantly the time away from my family, business and friends it just all seemed worth it at that moment. What a great memory with friends. After the butchering process and an afternoon hunt a thunderstorm rolled into our mountain range and little did we know was about to dump rain, wind and hail on us for the next 24 hours. I spent the night dry in my tent and woke the next morning thinking we would just wait out the storm before packing out the meat, but Jesse told me him and Tony had a much different night in a tent that leaked horribly and were wet and half frozen. Finally after truly realizing just how bad their tent leaked and how wet and serious their situation was I agreed we needed to get this meat out and get these guys to dryer land. We loaded up the meat and I asked Tony if I could carry out the head and horns of his bull for him to assure I had the most weight, it was only logical as I have 30 more pounds of mass on my frame than Tony does and I spent all summer hiking Gibraltar rock in my 60lb weighted vest preparing for that moment. Jesse reminded me of the hell I was in for; I told him we always accept the challenge! On our rainy, miserable hike out, I tripped and fell once, but mostly felt great, like my training was paying off, even in the rain and cold all three of us kept our spirits up. I will admit the only time I started feeling frustrated was when marble size hail started pelting me in the head. I remember looking at Tony as he was soaking wet and winded and got a great laugh as he sarcastically said out loud “go elk hunting they say, it will be fun!” Dry clothes and a warm meal never felt as good as they did that night; we packed back into our campsite the next morning and grabbed our bows to continue the hunt; I had an opportunity to take a cow that day, but we were all a little spent at that point and were not ready to put in that much effort again for a cow. Of course the rest of the hunt no shots were presented and I regret not bringing home more meat. Elk burgers are a delicacy in my eyes. We hiked out feeling like we conquered a huge challenge learning to navigate in the mountains and had a much clearer picture of how to hunt elk and what skills we need to improve on for the future. Reliable gear, better cardio training and more skillful calling are a must for next time and there will be a next time.

 

 

                                                   "Rise and Grind"

                                 Jesse had the excitement of a three year old at the start of this adventure!

                                      Tony's future ex Mother in - law took our photo

                        Tony's Bull, but I was the happiest SOB in CO that day!!!

                           We filtered water 2-3 times a day out of fresh spring fed streams. Ice Cold!

                   This day Jesse noted his water tasted like Bar burgers, Funyons and Mountain Dew. Haha

       Lunchtime was spent cleaning up and boiling water to enjoy Mountain House freeze dried meals.

                                           Left to Right: Jesse, Tony and Aaron getting cozy!

                                       This has been a tradition for us now for about 4 years. Its always good for some laughs as you can see in the picture above we got one hotel room on the trip out with two double beds for 5 guys, ha ha. Carl and I shared a bed and the other three guys awkwardly enough seemed excited about spending the night "nuts-to-butts" haha something we will be joking about for years to come. Pheasant hunting is a lot more fun and social than bowhunting due to the fact that you don't hunt these animals by yourself nor is being silent a neccessity. Its just a great time getting some friends and family together to enjoy the hunt, each others company and some solid dog work. This hunt is especially important to me since my hunting dog Honey is nearing 12 years old now, which is pretty ancient for a hunting dog and I never know when the last time I will get to take her hunting will be. I geneally don't consider myself a dog/pet person, I don't like most other dogs because they lack respect, manners and discipline that an animal should be taught by its owner,but Honey is a rare breed. I get nostalgic and choked up a bit just thinking about my dog's time coming to an end. I got her when I was 15 raised her up from a pup and thats why she is so bonded to me I think. In a room full of 20 people she only cares what I am doing, the rest of my family pampers her, while I make sure she is not forgetting her discipline and obedience skills and yet she always prefers being at my side over anyone else's, I guess dogs, like people crave discipline and love and respect anyone that cares enough for them to give it to them. Ever since she was a tiny pup she would follow me everywhere even if it meant jumping into the lake before she was strong enough to swim for very long, she has always wanted to be by my side! I could not be more grateful for the amazing memories she has provided my hunting buddy's and I with while waterfowl and pheasant hunting over her, she has also been outstanding at protecting my parents home when my Mother is home alone. Now in her old age I do not have the stomach to discipline the sweet old dog anymore when she steals food from the table, she listens so well and is so patient with my nephew that is two when he decides to harass her I know we will never have a dog like this one again I hope she hangs on a while longer, but here is to giving her the appreciation and respect she deserves in my eyes!

2013 Gun Deer Season

If you look closely at the pic below you can see the cut on my nose from the evening's celebration

2013 bow season was pretty rough and I logged a lot of hours in a tree trying to turn it around, by gun season I was feeling it was pretty hopeless. Thankfully I have a lot of unselfish hunting buddy's and Tony is one of them with some outstanding property. This years weather for opening day was around zero degree's when you factor in the windchill, it was bonechilling and the only positive to that was the buck's needed food after rutting. Tony had his farm scouted out well and invited me out to hunt an entire herd that was feeding on his property each evening. It was a cold afternoon sit, but wow, it was worth it. Twenty minutes before dark the floodgates of deer opened up and I was seeing does by the dozens and numerous tall racks piling out into the corn field in front of me, it was a spectacle like no other, it was something from a hunting show; the cold weather was forcing these deer off of the no hunting preserve they called home to pack on some fat for the winter. It didn't take long and I had two nice bucks a couple hundred yards in front of me feeding. I decided to take this beautiful 8pt. The shot wasn't the challenging part, but locating a down deer in a harvested cornfield proved to be a ten minute long agonizing challenge. I knew I knocked the deer down and my buddy's were enjoying watching me frantically try to find my trophy that somehow seemed to dissapear. Once I found him the gratification of a long grueling season and the perserverance it took to finally be successful made this deer extra special, even better my cousin Carl called shortly after to let me know he just shot a great buck too! It was definitely going to be a big celebration that evening, its rare that two of us in the family take nice deer on the same day, very rare. We got back to the farm set our deer out for pictures and rallied all of our buddy's for the First Annual Deer Camp festivities. That night was wild and I don't think there have been many times our group of friends has had more fun than that evening, the drinking and talking stupid was at an all time high, we even inspired my cousin Jeff to get back into Gun hunting after being strictly a Boone and Crocket Bow slayer the last few years. You will notice in one of the pictures you can see a cut across the bridge of my nose, I probably had it coming, but lets just say empty cans flying at your face can be sharp (thanks Jesse)! It was a night for the ages among this hunting group and the pictures are here to prove it. I am already excited for the Second Annual Deer Camp, if your smart and like to have a great time, you will be there.

Jesse's 2013 bowkill

2013 will go down as the most challenging season of my hunting career. Low deer numbers, due to a pathetic attempt for a management plan for the whitetail deer herd from our out of touch buddy's in the Wisconsin DNR for the last 10-15 years is starting to take its toll. I am pretty sure my two year old nephew could make more intelligent herd control decisions than these boneheads. Let's introduce wolves and not control their numbers, lets allow the brainless, toothless, hillbilly hunters in Wisconsin to shoot an unlimited amount of does with guns and give them extra long seasons to do it; great! I really wish my fellow hunters could have a little more vision for the future than some of them seem to, but I digress. Jesse is attending college 3 hours from home and we knew there would not be much time for him to hunt, we chose the last weekend in October and first weekend in November as the times we would get together and bowhunt hard. The first weekend was a little slow, the weather was not good and we had some newer hunters on the property that were just getting their feet wet in bowhunting that put quite a bit of early season pressure on our stands, causing the deer to stear clear of our past hot spots some. I knew we had to find some fresh stand sites to hunt to have any hope, so the first weekend the only productive thing we did was mainly hang two new stands. We were very excited about the new stands and the first day back up for the second weekend I put Jesse in what I figured would be the hotspot, the morning started out with a little more deer activity, but it slowed around mid morning. At 11:15 am I pulled my phone out to text Jesse and see if he was having better luck than me. 15 minutes and no response from him, then I felt a buzz in my pocket; Jesse's text " I just shot one" I almost jumped out of my stand I was so excited for him. It was my main priority to get him a buck, I had a little more time to hunt than him and I have taken more bucks, I was just hoping the deer would cooperate with him in his short window to hunt. I called Jesse and quickly got the story, apparently about 11am he was stretching his arms and knocked his bow off the hanger 18 feet to the ground, ha! He climbed down picked it up and got back in the stand and within ten minutes had a nice buck cruising down the ridge from him, he let out a grunt and the buck came charging in to 7 yards! Apparently the fall didn't affect his bow's accuracy at all because he stoned this deer, it went maybe 50 yards before crashing, thats getting to be the usual for Jesse, I hope I don't jinx him, but as I have stated before he is really a crackshot during clutch times while bowhunting and thats what makes a great hunter, controlling the buckfever when it matters most. Jesse expressed some frustration this fall while in Nevada, that he doesn't have the size of trophy's on his wall yet that he would prefer, I tried reminding him that he is doing pretty well for a 19 year old and the trophy's will come. I went out that evening in the other new stand we hung the week before and grunted in a beautiful 8pt about the size of Jesse's buck here to within 10 yards. I regret now not taking that deer and doubling up with Jesse, that would have made the day even more special. Also, that was really the last nice deer I saw the rest of the season from my stand as I stated before it got extremely slow and I learned the value of having fresh stand sites once the rut comes around, unfortunately other hunters actions are not something within my control. There is always hope that next season will be even better, but with hunting pressure up and the WI DNR wildlife bioligists intelligence down, my hope is pretty weak. Nonetheless, the time spent in our deer camp in Richland Center away from it all will be just as enjoyable regardless, the companionship of hunting is hard to replace or explain to someone who has never experienced it.