The SoCal Bowhunter

2012-01-30T10:37:00.000-08:00

California Offers Four Fund-Raising Tags in 2012

Last year, California held a drawing for two (2) big game fund-raising tag and it was so successful that they have decided to offer it again this year. PLUS, they are adding two more tags for a grand total of four (4). The drawing is a great opportunity for ANY hunter. It's only $5.66 per entry and you can enter however many times you'd like. Read the press release.

Here are the hunts being offered:

Open zone deer tag
Owens Valley zone elk tag
Northeastern California pronghorn antelope tag
Kelso Peak/Old Dad Mountains desert bighorn sheep tag

A MAJOR bonus for you sheep hunters out there.

As an added bonus, San Gorgonio Wilderness Outfitters has offered to provide free guide services to the hunter who wins the Kelso Peak/Old Dad Mountains desert bighorn sheep tag.

Now THAT is a great deal for any hunter and it's great that they are willing to throw that in. Looks like I am going to be throwing my name into the hat this year. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a chance at a great hunt!

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is pleased to announce four random drawings for big game license tags in 2012. These drawings will raise funds needed for vital wildlife conservation programs.

In 2011, DFG offered two random drawings – one for an open zone deer tag and one for an Owens Valley zone elk tag – which together generated more than $130,000 for conservation. DFG will bring back these tags this year and make two more tags available for random drawing – one northeastern California pronghorn antelope tag and one Kelso Peak/Old Dad Mountains desert bighorn sheep tag.

Opportunities to win one of the four fund-raising tags are available to all interested hunters. Random tag drawing chances can now be purchased at DFG license sales offices and online, as well as at the upcoming International Sportsmen’s Expositions in Sacramento and Long Beach.

Each chance will cost $5.66 and there is no purchase limit. Purchase of random drawing chances does not require a valid license, but the successful applicants must show proof of a valid 2012-2013 California hunting license to obtain the tag. The application deadline for all tags is June 2, 2012 with the drawings taking place within 10 business days of the deadline.

“In our continued support of hunting and quest to increase hunting and fishing opportunities in California, I’m pleased that our hunters can purchase multiple random drawing fund-raising tag chances for special hunt tags this year,” said DFG Director Charlton H. Bonham. ”I am particularly excited that this year we will include a once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep tag as well as a coveted northeastern California pronghorn antelope tag.
“California’s big game conservation and hunting opportunites continue to demonstrate that world-class opportunites are available in this great state. Just this past season two hunters set pending Boone and Crocket State and Pope and Young world records for desert bighorn sheep.”

As an added bonus, San Gorgonio Wilderness Outfitters has offered to provide free guide services to the hunter who wins the Kelso Peak/Old Dad Mountains desert bighorn sheep tag.

“This is a wonderful offer and commitment by the San Gorgonio folks and demonstrates the great support of one another within the hunting community,” Bonham said.

Hunters who are not selected as winners of one of the four random tag draws are still eligible to bid on any of the 13 fund-raising tags available through auction by DFG’s conservation partners. Frequently asked questions are answered on the DFG website at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/hunting/huntingfaqs.html.

Media Contacts:
Craig Stowers, DFG Deer Program, (916) 445-3553
Joe Hobbs, DFG Tule Elk/Pronghorn Program, (916) 445-9992
Regina Abella, DFG Bighorn Sheep Program, (916) 445-3728
Dana Michaels, DFG Communications, (916) 322-2420

2012-01-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

Product Review: Badlands Hybrid Pack

The Outdoor Blogger Network turned one back in October and as part of the celebration they, along with the sponsors, had abundant giveaways. One of the highly sought after items was a Badlands Hybrid Pack. Now imagine sitting in a treestand during the slow part of a hunt and getting an email (via cell phone) informing you that you won said giveaway. When I opened the email informing me that The SoCal Bowhunter was the winner of the pack I about dropped the phone in my excitement!

As soon as I could, I looked up the Hybrid specs on the Badlands website:

WEIGHT : 4 lbs 2 oz
DIMENSIONS : 20" x 12" x 11"
CAPACITY : 1980 ci
COMPARTMENTS : Infinite plus 1
POCKETS : Too Many
RIFLE : YES
BOW : YES
CAMO : Max-1 & AP

The Badlands Hybrid pack is built for a day hunt or even two days if you plan carefully. I tested mine out in different ways. I took it out scouting and I took it to Disneyland. Yepper. D-land, with a capital D. Why? It's a great testing ground. I pack plenty of clothes and snacks for the family and I am always on the hunt for the big animals that roam the park. You know, the ones with giant ears.

If you are obsessive about what goes in your pack and wanting to keep it organized, then this is the pack for you. The Hybrid has numerous pockets to store your gear. How many? Let's just say I lost count. I like the fact that you can keep everything very organized and this pack is great for that. The pack also has a mesh pocket for a hydration bladder, which I utilized. It functions very well and it was very easy to place the bladder inside and also remove.

When I completed my initial once-over, I thought my pack had been sewn incorrectly because I couldn't get the front pocket open. Come to find out, it's magnetic! I am not a big fan of magnets on my gear, but it's better than Velcro. I packed up the amenities for the day trip to Disneyland and hit the road with the family. The pack felt great on my back! I was able to lug everything with ease, but that pocket kept popping open. Yes, the one with the magnet to keep it closed. I just had too much stuff in the pack or it was in a pocket that wouldn't hold it well. After moving some stuff around, I quickly realized that this pack is not meant to be crammed with gear like a Badlands 2200 is. This one is definitely designed for shorter day trips and that front pocket is meant to hold small items, such as a map, or items you need quickly. While I may not be a total fan of the magnetic pocket, it functions well and is a good feature on the pack. Well done, Badlands!

Detail showing the magnetic pocket as it is opened.

Along with that, the entire pack is waterproof. The magnetic hold closing the pocket was tight enough that it is also waterproof. This I know because I dumped water over it when it was closed. I even let it sit in a small pool of water to see if it soaked through the bottom. Result: Dry as a bone inside and that was very pleasing!

One of the features of the pack that I really think works for a small pack is the bow/rifle holder. There are a few packs out there that have this feature and Badlands has it on many of their packs, but they seem to own it. It was easy to lock the bow in and not worry about it. My bow stayed locked in place the entire scouting trip.

Everything about this pack is balanced whether it's loaded up or not. When it's full the shoulder straps distribute the weight evenly and they never dig into your shoulders. In fact, it is so comfortable to have on your back you will almost forget it's there. I wore it all day, fully-loaded at Disneyland and scouting and I didn't think twice about it. I even put 30 lbs. inside and lugged that around. It still felt comfortable and balanced.

The Badlands Hybrid has a price point between $180-$200 in most stores, so it's not cheap. You WILL get what you pay for and that is quality, comfort and durability. For anyone who doesn't know about Badlands, they also have the best warranty in the business. If it loses a zipper or gets a tear in it, you send it back and they fix it. You will have to cover the cost of return shipping, but that is a small price to pay for service like that.

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Disclaimer: The reviews on The SoCal Bowhunter are solely my honest opinions. I receive no monetary compensation in exchange for these reviews. I received the Badlands Hybrid Pack free of charge and agreed to provide a review in exchange. The SoCal Bowhunter is not sponsored by or associated with Badlands and is accepting no other compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review. My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

2012-01-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

Tejon Ranch Halts Hunting During Investigation

Press Release from Tejon Ranch today:

Tejon Ranch Company announced today that effective January 30, 2012, it will voluntarily suspend all normal hunting operations on the Ranch, revoke all unsupervised access permits, and refund all monies paid to date for hunting access on the Ranch after the January 30, 2012, suspension date.

The suspension, though temporary and voluntary, will last as long as is needed to conduct a thorough evaluation of the Ranch’s hunting and access programs and make whatever operational changes are deemed necessary.

The Company is taking the action in light of the results of a year-long investigation into allegations that mountain lions were taken on Ranch property without depredation permits as required by California law.

Once it was informed that lions may have been taken illegally on the Ranch, the Company immediately began an investigation into those claims and turned over the results of its investigation to the Department of Fish and Game (DFG).

The Company and its executive management team provided its full cooperation throughout the official investigation. The investigation determined that over the last 20 years, since the passage of Proposition 117 in 1990, which introduced new restrictions and regulations regarding the take of mountain lions in California, there had been incidents where mountain lions were taken on the Ranch without prior authorization.

The investigation further determined that those unauthorized actions were neither approved nor encouraged by the Company and, in fact, were never reported to the Company’s executive management, or to the DFG, in clear violation of Company policy and the state statute regulating the take of mountain lions in California.

“I was appalled and outraged when I learned the results of the investigation,” said Robert A. Stine, president and CEO of Tejon Ranch Company. “Tejon Ranch did not then, and certainly does not now condone such activity, and we sincerely regret that such activity took place on our Ranch. Accordingly, we are taking every step necessary to ensure it won’t happen again.

Tejon Ranch is committed to the responsible stewardship of its land, including the wildlife that inhabits the Ranch. Tejon Ranch has a long history of such stewardship, including its voluntary ban on the use of lead ammunition on the Ranch and other actions taken to assist in the recovery of the endangered California condor.”

The suspension of normal hunting activities and subsequent review is being undertaken with the cooperation of the DFG. Experts from Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agree that it is in the long term best interests of conservation for responsible hunting to continue on Tejon Ranch, given that it is important to maintain a proper balance of wildlife in a given habitat; and on-going hunting is a critical component in maintaining that balance.

Tejon Ranch Company will work closely with the DFG in examining every aspect of the Ranch’s hunting program. The Ranch’s goal will be to institute best hunting management standards and practices, including a full examination of whether allowing unsupervised access to the Company’s 422 square miles of Ranch property may have contributed to this unfortunate series of events.

“While it’s in the long term best interests of conservation for hunting to continue on the Ranch,” said Stine, “we believe a short-term suspension of our normal operations are necessary to determine the best way to operate the hunting program to ensure that these actions never again occur on Tejon Ranch, even if that means severely restricting hunting access to the Ranch.”

The results of both the DFG’s and the Company’s investigation were forwarded to the Kern County District Attorney’s office, which will determine what, if any, potential legal action will be taken. Tejon Ranch Company is cooperating fully with the District Attorney’s office in this matter.

Participants in Tejon Ranch’s hunting and access programs should soon receive instructions outlining the procedure for obtaining a refund of their unused portion of their hunting and/or access membership. Any questions regarding this suspension and the refund of fees should be directed to Tejon Ranch’s Wildlife Management Division at (661) 663-4210.

2012-01-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

SoCal Bowhunter Gear Giveaway Time!

Who out there wants to win some new gear for 2012? One of my most essential tools in my kit is one that many don't have or don't think about. The tool I am referring to is my set of Allen wrenches. Sure they sell these for around $10.00 at most hunting retailers, but why not win one from the SoCal Bowhunter?

Who wants to win one of these Allen wrench sets?

I am feeling generous today, so I will be giving two (2) of these away. That's right... TWO!

How do I get into the contest, Al? Well, I am going to make you work a little for it, but in a fun way. I want you to create a photo montage, funny ad, or interesting design using the photos below. I want you to get creative and fun... AT MY EXPENSE!

The Catch: You have to use at least two (2) of the photos in your compilation.

Choose to edit any two or all of them together, or add your own interpretation. Feel free to add your own photos, too. (NOTE: You must have permission to use any other photos or elements you add to your design). Whatever you feel you want to do! Let's keep it PG, but have some fun! Add some fun text or a caption to the photo you edit.

Each person can enter up to three (3) photos.

The great thing about this contest is that it's open to everyone. You don't have to follow my blog, or the SoCal Bowhunter Facebook page, or follow me on Twitter. You just have workup an image or two or three and email them to me. Be sure to put this in the subject line of your email - "SoCal Bowhunter Allen Wrench Giveaway Entry". Otherwise it might end up in spam and never be seen.

Also... they don't have to be perfect! I am not looking for award-winning design here and you are not going to be judged on how well you know Photoshop. Honestly, I don't care what program you use, I just want to laugh or see how creative you get.

You have until 9:00 PM PST on February 1, 2012 to email me your entries. I will choose two (2) winners on Groundhog Day. That's February 2, 2012 for those who don't know. That means you have over a week to come up with some of your best photo manipulations, captions, ads, etc. I will post the two winning images on Friday, February 3rd. Best of luck!

Download the photos below. Click them to make them larger and then right click>Save Image As...

In my heavier days.

Flinging some arrows.

Blue steel?

Alvin?

Monster Cali deer.

No fear whatsoever.

Disclaimer: Open to USA and Canada only. Giveaway ends at 9:00 PM PST on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. I will ship the wrench sets out after the winners have been chosen and they have provided me a mailing address. I am in no way liable for any emails sent to the wrong address or that are not delivered to me. No more than three entries per person. Any more than three will disqualify you from the contest.

2012-01-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

California Deer Tag Validation: Regulations vs. The Hunter

Preparation for deer season starts as early as you want it to. For me, I can never get hunting off the brain, so I am already preparing for the 2012 season and for good reason. In reviewing the regulations regarding deer tags and reading a few publications and forum posts, I have realized that there are many unanswered questions regarding the validation of CA deer tags, especially in Southern California.

In California, after you shoot a deer and fill out the tag, you must have it validated and countersigned by the closest person allowed by law to do so. I just read an interesting article in the California Bowmen Hunters Jan 2012 Newsletter by Wayne Raupe CBH/SAA Legislative Coordinator discussing the subject. He make some great points about who is allowed to sign off and how soon it needs to be done.

Do you know the regulations regarding who can validate a tag? I'd be willing to wager a bet that you may not, or do not know ALL of who can sign off on a tag. Even I don't know it by heart! The problem I see more and more every year is that most of the people who are authorized to sign off have NO IDEA either! Sounds odd, right? Shouldn't they know? Most of the people listed on the California Code of Regulations don't know what a hunting law states, unless they hunt, and even then they sometimes do not know.

Here's a recent example that describes the plight of the SoCal hunter. A local hunter shot his deer and took it to the closest place to his harvest location for validation of the tag - a firehouse. When he approached and explained that he needed the firemen to sign off on his tag, they looked at him funny and told him to hold on. They said they had never heard of that and asked him again to state why he was there. They called the foreman and he also had no idea what to do, so they called someone else. The hunter sat there at the station house for almost two (2) hours before his tag was finally validated by the foreman who had to come from home.

It sounds crazy, but it did happen. What would you have done? Would you have moved on to another location? Did you know that you could be cited for that? So therein lies the catch. What if you are trying to do what regulations say, but the people who MUST sign off won't do it? What if a Notary Public refuses to sign because he/she doesn't believe in hunting? This has been digging in under my skin for weeks. No one wants a citation for doing what is asked, but it could happen!

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Here are the deer tag reporting regulations copied from the California Code of Regulations:

§708.5. Deer Tagging and Reporting Requirements.

(a) Upon the killing of any deer the tag holder shall immediately fill out all portions of the tag including the report card completely, legibly, and permanently, and cut out or punch out and completely remove notches or punch holes for the month and date of the kill .The deer license tag shall be attached to the antlers of an antlered deer or to the ear of any other deer and kept attached during the open season and for 15 days thereafter. Except as otherwise provided, possession of any untagged deer shall be a violation. (Refer to Fish and Game Code, Section 4336).
(b) Every person to whom a deer license tag is issued shall return the completed report card portion to the department within thirty days of taking a deer.

Added 7/8/11.

§708.6. Tag Validation, Countersigning and Transporting Requirements.

(a) Any person legally killing a deer in this state shall have the deer license tag validated and countersigned by a person authorized by the commission as described below before transporting such deer, except for the purpose of taking the deer to the nearest person authorized to countersign the license tag, on the route being followed from the point where the deer was taken (refer to Fish and Game Code, Section 4341).
(b) No person may validate or countersign his/her own deer tag or tag.
(c) Deer and Elk Tags, Persons Authorized to Validate.
- (1) The following persons are authorized to validate or countersign deer and elk tags:
  - (A) State:
    - 1. Fish and Game Commissioners
    - 2. Employees of the Department of Fish and Game, including Certified Hunter Education Instructors
    - 3. Employees of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
    - 4. Supervising Plant Quarantine Inspectors
    - 5. Junior, Intermediate and Senior Plant Quarantine Inspectors
  - (B) Federal:
    - 1. Employees of the Bureau of Land Management
    - 2. Employees of the United States Forest Service
    - 3. Employees of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service
    - 4. All Uniformed Personnel of the National Park Service
    - 5. Commanding Officers of any United States military installation or their designated personnel for deer taken on their reservation.
    - 6. Postmasters & Post Office Station or Branch Manager for deer brought to their post office.
  - (C) Miscellaneous:
    - 1. County firemen at and above the class of foreman for deer brought into their station.
    - 2. Judges or Justices of all state and United States courts.
    - 3. Notaries Public
    - 4. Peace Officers (salaried & non-salaried)
    - 5. Officers authorized to administer oaths
    - 6. Owners, corporate officers, managers or operators of lockers or cold storage plants for deer brought to their place of business.

Added 7/8/11.

§708.7. Deer Head Retention Requirements and Production Upon Demand.

Any person taking any deer in this state shall retain in their possession during the open season thereon and for 15 days thereafter, that portion of the head which in adult males normally bears the antlers, and shall produce the designated portion of the head upon the demand of any officer authorized to enforce the provisions of this regulation (refer to Fish and Game Code, Section 4302).

Added 7/8/11.

§708.8. Deer Violations, Tag Forfeiture.

Any person who is convicted of a violation involving deer shall forfeit their current year deer license tags and no new deer license tags may be issued to that person during the then current hunting license year, and that person may not apply for a deer license tag or deer preference points for the following license year (refer to Fish and Game Code, Section 4340).

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This all sounds hard to believe, but it's all true. Every time I read the regulations and the Fish and Game Code it seems like they are trying to back hunters into a corner. It's true and very frustrating for hunters in Southern California (I don't know how the NorCal hunters handle it). One suggestion is to have hunter education instructors preach the regulations, but it's not their burden to solely bear. I also think that CA DFG, hunting clubs and other organizations need to bring awareness to the public servants who can sign off. Wouldn't you agree?

Something must be done and the wheels in my noggin are spinning. Someway, somehow, we hunters that have a voice need to step it up and inform these organizations of the regulations. I am just stuck in how to approach it and get it done. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Cheers!

2012-01-15T02:19:00.000-08:00

Shooting on an Incline or Decline for the Bowhunter

This last deer season I was fortunate to arrow a whitetail from five yards out of a treestand in NY. The shot was fairly simple, no obstructions and easy to range. Back in California, I passed up a shot on a jumpy deer at what I felt was 30 yards, but wasn't sure because of the sheer elevation difference and all of the weeds in the way. I knew that in order to get my confidence level up to a higher standard I needed to understand the rangefinder, the elevation difference and get to shooting at those levels.

Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo from Archer's Choice recently won a Nikon award for excellence for this how-to video describing the ID technology of the Archer's Choice Rangefinder. It just so happens that this is the rangefinder that I use. Guess it's time to get down to business!

Nikon's ID Technology & Archer's Choice with Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo

2012-01-12T10:58:00.000-08:00

SoCal Bowhunter Goals and Objectives for 2012

Each year I try to post some lofty, but achievable goals for the upcoming year. I don't believe in 'resolutions' like most do. For example, I will be at the gym because I want and need to be there, not because every other person wants to lose thirty pounds to look good for the beach. Most will give up after a week of trying. No, I have realistic goals and objectives for 2012. I am truly stoked for what 2012 has to offer and I am already hammering out parts of my list.

2012 Goals

Practice at a 3D target range. I have realized that in order to truly grasp what it's like to hunt and be successful out here I need to practice at a 3D range a few times. I have hit the flatland archery range countless times and have even thrown a 3D target up a few times, but I need more. If I want to be the best I can be when bowhunting I need to step it up.
Practice out to 80 yards consistently. Time for a new sight that will allow me to shoot out to 80 yards. Once I get that dialed in on the bow I am going to consistently practice out to that range. I am really looking forward to it!
Drop another 20-25 lbs and get in better shape. I dropped 45 lbs. last year, gained a few back during the holidays and now I have my 2012 goals. This isn't for looks people. I aim to drop the cookies and pie weight and lose another 20-25 before the September elk season in Colorado... see below.
Colorado archery elk hunt. Going to follow through on this one. I've already been talking with my buddy Eddy at Piranha Bowstrings and I am more than excited. He mentioned picking up the Matriarch elk call from Chappell Guide Service, so I did. I've been practicing a bit with it and love it! I have been wondering how I would practice and not drive the neighbors or my family crazy. His suggestion was great - practice on the way to and from work! I'll be in the car for more than twenty minutes each way, so why not throw a few yelps in along the way!
Arrow a wild hog. I have to get up to my buddy Jeff's place this year when the time is right. Jeff has been a super guy with letting me hunt the property and I owe him a lot. I hope I get to hunt with him a few times this year and arrow a hog on his property.
Arrow a SoCal pacific-hybrid deer. This will happen! Going for the same tag again this year and aim to take a doe or a buck in my spot. I have 11 months to think about it!
Do some outdoor trail running. There are many opportunities out here to run some trails and with Mark at SoleAdventure peaking my interest I just have to go for it. It'll sure beat running around the block or hitting the gym every time.
Give a few archery hunting seminars. I am in the works to give a few seminars in 2012 and I'll let you know more when I have them locked down.
Save up for the 2013 ATA Show. I have to make this happen. I am going crazy watching all of the videos, listening to the podcasts and seeing photos of the new gear. I'm a gear junky and love to play, so this is a must!

Reviewing my 2011 goals and the results:

Continue to write at least one gear review per month and video tape a few. You'll understand why I need to video a few as they are completed. - Did pretty well with this one! I did quite a few reviews, but wanted to do a few more giveaways.
Go on a Colorado archery elk hunt. - This one fell through, but I am already planning one for this Fall!
More giveaways on my blog. - See #1!
Meet with at least two archery product manufacturers and shoot their bows and review them. - Big time zero on this one. It just didn't happen. I shot a couple of different bows, so I guess that was half the equation, but I failed to meet with manufacturers.
Attend and write about more hunting workshops as they become available. - I attended and wrote about a few, but keeping up with these was tough. I have a few announcements to share coming soon for The SoCal Bowhunter!
Leave more comments on other blogs instead of just lurking. - I left plenty of feedback for bloggers and FB users this year. It's a great way for people to get to know you, too!
Arrow a Pacific-Hybrid deer. - I came to full draw twice on the last day of the season, but the shot wasn't right. Very close call!
Arrow my first wild hog. - This didn't happen, but it is still a goal of mine!
Take someone to the archery range and teach them how to shoot a bow. - Did this a couple of times and had a blast doing it!
Take someone new out hunting. - Took a new bowhunter out and was able to help him get his first deer with a bow! Talk about a sweet feeling.
Utilize social media more (i.e. Twitter, YouTube). - If you have followed my progress this year at all you will know that I grabbed the bull by the horns on this one. I didn't post too many videos, but I certainly harnessed the power of Social Media.
Video an actual kill on camera. - I came SO close on this one. My button buck from NY was shot on film, but he was JUST out of the frame when I shot. You see him right after I shot and that was good enough for me!
Video someone's hunt. - This wasn't a high priority for me and my thoughts on video have slipped a bit. I just want to hunt!
Plan on attending the 2012 ATA Show in Columbus, OH. - I was planning on this, but life happened and I plan on hitting up the ATA in 2013. I have a year to plan for this one and I hope it doesn't fall on certain days, but we shall see.
Last, but not least...try to smile more and be more personable. I have been told that in person I come across as very serious and not very happy. Contrary to that, I am usually a very happy-go-lucky guy, but I can always improve. - I think I was able to do this a bit more. I tried to not take myself so seriously (see my avatar on Twitter) and just enjoy life more. I need to continue my work with this, but it's working!

What are your goals for 2012? Care to share at least one?

2012-01-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

2012 Archery Trade Association Trade Show

If you are a passionate bowhunter you probably have a good idea what the ATA show is. It's a trade show for archers, bowhunters, manufacturers and dealers with new gear being released, schmoozing, trying out new toys, and networking with people in the archery industry.

Truth be told, I only heard about the show a few years back and had plans to head out there this year. I decided against it with my daughter's birthday falling right smack in the middle, but I can live vicariously through my friends that are there. Thanks to POMA, we can also see the streaming news feed below to satisfy our craving for new bowhunting gear, news and show information.

Next year I will be there along with a few of my fellow bowhunting brothers and sisters of the blogoshphere. Count on it, even if I have to bring my wife and daughter with me!

2012-01-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

The Offical Launch of BowAmerica!

Open publication - Free publishing - More archery

Being a blogger has it's perks and one of them is being asked to write for a new bowhunting e-magazine. January 5, 2012 marked the launch of BowAmerica! I am humbled that I was asked to be a contributing writer for the magazine. I am also stoked that the magazine has launched. In addition, I have been helping with designing the cover, helping with layout and some working up some advertising design.

The contributors are writing about compound, traditional, DIY, gear reviews and much more. There is a strong core or writers from all walks of life and with different backgrounds. It's free to sign up and read! How amazing is that? You get great stories and tips from a FREE online magazine.

My first contribution is my story, 'Passion from Dad.'

Recently, I was asked why I bowhunt and how long I have been at it. I have been an archer for 27 years and bow hunting for 22 of those years.

I have only taken one cervid species with archery tackle and that is the whitetail deer. As a native of Western New York State, my main goal was a deer each year. I have taken other species with a firearm, but only whitetails with a bow and arrow.

Each year I hunt Pacific-Hybrid deer (California), and whitetail deer (New York). There are other game animals I hunt, but deer are my primary focus.

I am a life member of the North American Hunting Club and a pro staffer for DIYBowhunter.com. I haven't found a need to join any organization like Pope and Young, etc. They are great organizations, but my time is filled with my family, hunting and helping other hunters. I am not a trophy hunter and have never registered an animal. It's not to say that I couldn't or wouldn't, but personally I don’t find a need. If I have a tag and a legal deer walks by - it's getting shot at.

My choice to become a bowhunter was hands-down because of my dad. He would take my brother and I hunting with him when we were very young and I loved being in the outdoors. When I was nine, my dad gave me my first bow, a hand-me-down recurve. He taught me how to shoot it, care for it and the safe practices that go along with archery. When I was young I helped him track a whitetail and that got me hooked on bow hunting. I was the one who found the deer and the experience was one that I think of every hunting season.

You can read the entire post here.

2012-01-02T01:32:00.000-08:00

Last Day of Archery Deer Season 2011

Saturday was the last day of 2011 and the last chance for me to shoot a deer in Southern California. Again, we hit the trailhead early and hiked in to our spot. On our way in we spotted a big skunk with his tail up. He was 30 yards away and kept looking back like he wanted a fight. Tell you what... it's pretty creepy when you are on a steep hillside with a fired up, beady-eyed stink machine staring you down. Needless to say, we made our way around the long way to our spots.

Once I got to my spot I made quick work of my sweaty base layers. Even though it was 48 degrees, there was a chilly breeze and I wanted to get rid of the sweaty clothes and warm up. I sprayed on a hefty amount of SEEMZ spray on my sweaty clothes and on my dry ones. I set up my turkey blind, brushed it in and sprayed that down and settled in. Looking at my watch I realized we had made it to our spots a solid hour before shooting light. It was our best time yet! It gave us time to cool off, relax and let our eyes adjust.

Once the sun came up animals started to materialize. Not deer, but more skunks! WTH! Six outings to this spot and this was the first time we had seen skunks and there were a bunch of them. These newest ones were 300 yards away, but still!

After a couple hours of sitting I finally spotted deer down the ridge. They slowly fed up the hill and then stopped. I knew something was amiss and raised up my binoculars. I stared into the brush and spotted the other bowhunter making his way down the opposite ridge. With any luck, the does would spook and head toward me. My plan worked and they bolted right up a trail that crossed 30-40 yards in front of me.

I tried to range the lead deer, but the grass in front of me kept throwing me off. That's what I get for not practicing on elevated levels. I drew and waited. The last doe spotted me and they bolted 40 yards uphill. I had time to range the only one broadside, but it just happened to be the on on high alert. She was at 60 yards, leg raised and bent, and wondering what I was. I stood there, at full draw for two minutes. I let down because while I felt comfortable shooting at 60 yards, I was not about to risk a long shot on an amped up deer and risking a wounded deer.

The fun was just beginning as the deer walked behind a bush and started feeding. Then, according to a text from Michael, the largest doe bedded down 50-60 yards from me, but I couldn't see her! She stayed that way for a half hour! I watched the other deer walk around, feed, stare at me some more, but I had no shot. Then, the little one started snorting, stomping, snorting, and snorting some more. She knew I was there, but had no idea what I was. All four deer jumped up, walked around the bushes and then came back. Then the one bedded again and I had to wait for them to appear for a shot. One of them started to come out at 45 yards and just as I was about to draw she turned away. Then she started snorting and stomping again. It was truly comical to hear. It was an odd snort, like you knew she couldn't smell you, but she knew damn well I was something out of place. A few minutes later all four deer bounded over the hill and out of sight.

I sent a text to Michael letting him know I was going to wait an hour and see if any other deer appeared. On a far hillside I spotted a lone doe, but that was it. No more deer for the day. I decided that it was time to head home after that. In our adventures out here we hadn't seen the deer moving in the afternoon. Time to throw in the towel.

Ending the day in the hills.

We had a great season, learned a lot and I am super thankful to have been out as many times as we did. I am bummed the season is over, but I learned that I need to hit a 3D range, work out harder and get in super shape. 2012 is going to be a super year and I am ready to grab it by the horns!

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

Mountain Lion Killed Near My Bear Spot

When I am hunting for bears, one of the things constantly on my mind, especially when leaving my treestand is the threat of mountain lions. Where I hunt, there is an abundance of lions, but I have yet to see one. Turns out, one of the local farms has been visited by one and thirteen animals on the farm were killed. Here is the story on the lions demise.

Mountain lion killed after preying on petting zoo

A mountain lion that took a heavy toll on the animals in an Oak Glen petting zoo was killed on Christmas night when it returned to a sheep carcass to feed.

The 7-year-old female lion had been raiding the petting zoo at Riley’s at Los Rios Rancho apple orchards. In all, 13 goats and sheep died, said Devon Riley, who owns the business in the mountains east of Yucaipa.

You can read the rest of the story here.

2011-12-30T20:49:00.000-08:00

Deer Season: One Day Left. Will It Happen?
Today was the second to last day to get out and fill my California A31 tag. We got an early start and began hiking in well before sunrise. The temps were higher than expected and we were perspiring quite a bit, but the hike felt great.

On the way in we spotted a few sets of eyes. My guess is coyotes, but they quickly disappeared. As we headed up the foothill we encountered another set of eyes that did not move. We watched it as we climbed and soon we figured it out to be a bedded deer. Then she got up and walked slowly away from us. I had a feeling we'd see her again just by the way she wasn't startled by us.

When we got in position, an hour before sunrise, was when the fun started. I set up my turkey blind for cover and put a couple of rewetting drops in my eyes. My contacts were acting funky because of the dry air and they needed some moisture. As soon as the drops hit my eyes I felt something crawling on my eyelid. As I grabbed it, thinking it was a tick, I heard it clicking. I quickly flung it to get it away and that's when it hit me. It dawned on me, as it was leaving my fingers, that my contact had popped out and THAT was what was flying through the air. I then spent three minutes searching the dirt and grass for a brand new contact. I eventually found it, cleaned it and popped it back in. All while feeling like a complete twit.

Forty-five minutes before sunrise I noticed a dark shape off to my left. As I focused through the darkness, I noticed it to be a single doe. Very, very dark body and I knew it was the doe from earlier. She spent a few minutes walking down the trail and stopped at sixty yards. She was broadside, but it was still long before shooting light, so I sat back and watched her. She didn't stick around long and walked back over the ridge. Good stuff!

We glassed up five other deer over the next couple hours. Michael watched a group of four doe bed down off a steep cliff. He shot me a text and I loaded my pack and sauntered over to his position. It was getting very warm and I was getting hot. We discussed where they were and how hard a stalk would be given their position, the wind and the dry grass. I thought about it for ten minutes and then figured that I had to try. Game on.

I spent the better part of thirty minutes slowly creeping down the steep hillside. My foot placement was carefully planned because I knew rattlesnakes would be out. Slowly and methodically I stalked. I got to the cliff and peered over. There was one fo the does locked on to me. She turned her head and I ranged her at 31 yards. If she turned broadside I was going to release an arrow. She turned, but away and moved behind some grass. I waited five minutes for her to move, but she took off. I couldn't see the other does. That is, until they got spooked and took off in the same direction. They had been around twenty yards, right below me, but I couldn't see them due to the sheer face of the overhang. Even though it didn't result in a shot, I was still pumped for a good stalk. This area is super hard to put a stalk on and it felt great to get so close!

I hiked back up the steep hill and met up with Michael. After guzzling some water, downing some grapes and chatting, we decided to hit the trail. It was getting hot and our experience in this area had the deer moving only in the mornings. Our hunt for this day was over, but tomorrow will be the test. It's the last day of my deer season and I am hoping to get out there and go after them again.

2011-12-24T16:49:00.000-08:00

Magnum to Donate $1 to Operation Gratitude for Every Facebook LIKE on Christmas Eve

MODESTO, CALIF. – For the past 11 days, Magnum Boots USA has been giving its Facebook fans gear from not only Magnum, but its partners like ITS Tactical, Tru-Edge Custom Calls, Bass Brigade, Panther Racing and Women’s Tactical Association. For the 12th Day of our 12 Days of Christmas celebration, the Magnum team has decided to change it up a bit, and give back to an organization that is doing incredible things for our troops serving overseas instead -- but we need your help.

On Christmas Eve until Midnight, Magnum Boots USA will donate $1 in your honor to Operation Gratitude for every "like" to our Facebook page and/or for the 12th Day of Christmas image featuring Operation Gratitude (up to $1,000). Then, tell all of your colleagues, friends and family who use Facebook to "like" our page and the image, too. Every “like” counts!

Operation Gratitude, which has shipped more than 750,000 packages to American troops deployed overseas since 1993, aims to lift morale of U.S. Armed Forces, bring a smile to a service member’s face and express to our Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people.

With this goal, all previous rules and entry regulations from the 12 Days of Christmas giveaway are thrown out the door. Whether you live in the U.S. or not, anyone and everyone can offer up a "like" to help raise funds for this worthy charitable organization.

“We realize that not everyone is blessed with being able to be home and spend time with their families during the holidays,” said Brett Weitl, Magnum USA’s marketing director. “We hope that our humble donation will help touch some of those folks, and bring them a little piece of home and serve as a reminder that we truly appreciate their support.”

ABOUT OPERATION GRATITUDE

Operation Gratitude annually sends 100,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in harm’s way and to Wounded Warriors in Military hospitals and Transition Units. The organization’s mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member’s face and express to our Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people. Each package contains donated product valued at ~$125 and costs the organization $15 to assemble and ship. For safety and security, assembling of packages occurs at the Army National Guard armory in Van Nuys, California. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than 750,000 packages to American Military deployed overseas. Learn more about Operation Gratitude by visiting www.OperationGratitude.com.

ABOUT MAGNUM

Since 1982, Magnum has been providing high-performance tactical and service product with credibility second to none. It is the mission of Magnum to be the best in class by delivering unsurpassed product designed for its end user. Distributed in over 100 countries, Magnum attacks the marketplace with unmatched comfort, technology and value in uniform footwear and apparel used by law enforcement, military, fire/rescue, emergency medical, and service agencies around the world. For more information, visit us online: www.magnumboots.com.

###

Contact: Alexis Nascimento

Public Relations Manager

209.543.3348

anascimento@magnumbootsusa.com

2011-12-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

Dealing With An Idealistic Non-Hunter

'Tis that time of year for Christmas parties, which usually include conversation fueled by cheer and possibly an adult beverage. I had the pleasure of attending a Christmas party hosted by my hunting partner, Michael, and his wife last Friday and there always seems to be a story when I attend something like this.

Now, the story starts off kinda funny because while I read the invite, and spoke to Michael, I had no idea it was a 'Christmas' party. We had discussed the party while hunting and Michael had mentioned that they moved to a new place, were going to have some friends over... yadda yadda yadda... so I figured a few friends to relax and have a housewarming party. "Survey says... EHHHHHNT!" I read the body of the email, but the subject line said Xmas Party Invite. I failed to see that! Now, my wife had a feeling it was a Christmas party, but I, being of sound mind and stubborn spirit decided to wing it. I threw on the black jeans and a Realtree MAX-1 camo button up. Little did I know my attire would be a nice topic of conversation. (ok, so I figured it would be. That's why I wore it!)

Now, I am going to skip all of the party bits and such and get right to the meat of this post. Literally. Michael had mentioned that he was making a vat of venison chili with the deer he killed. I was stoked to try it! While hanging out and eating, one of the guests approached me and asked if I was a hunter and friend of Michael's. Was it that obvious? <-- That's sarcasm for you straight-laced folks. I'm known for that. Anyway, the gentleman introduces himself and we get to chatting. Immediately, we get on the subject of hunting and it takes a dark turn. See how I handled it and would you have handled it different?

I am paraphrasing, but the conversation went something like this...

Party Guest: "So, are you a hunter, too?"

Me: "Indeed I am. I am Michael's bow hunting partner."

PG: "OH! So were you with him when he killed his deer?"

Me: "The doe he shot? Yes, I was. In fact, I watched it all go down. Pretty cool stuff seeing a guy take his first deer with archery equipment!"

PG: "Wow, so he shot a doe? My family hunts, too. We are full of hunters. I am not a hunter, but my family hunts and if you went out and shot a doe they would have your ass."

Me: "Why would they 'have your ass'? Shooting does is good to keep a healthy population and you have to keep them in check."

PG: "I guess it's a manly thing. You really aren't a man unless you hunt for big buck."

Me: "What makes you say that? Are you saying that you aren't a real hunter if you shoot a doe and don't shoot a big buck?"

PG: "Well, my family is full of trophy hunters. They won't shoot does. So, you aren't a buck hunter?"

Me: "That's not what I said. What I said was that I will gladly shoot a doe if she comes into range. I will also shoot a buck if it comes into range. I am not picky and my tag allows either one."

PG: "Like I said, you aren't a man unless you hunt for a buck."

Me: "I am curious, why would you say that when you told me you aren't even a hunter? Your family is, but you aren't, right? [with a smile on my face] Are you an expert on manliness?"

PG: "That's true, I don't hunt, but this is what my family tells me."

[Long Pause...]

Me: "The meat from a buck or a doe, no matter how you cut it, is venison, no matter if it has horns or not. Have you ever tried eating the horns? You can't eat the horns and a doe tastes delicious."

PG: "I am sure it does."

Me: "By the way, how did you like the chili? Pretty good, right?"

PG: "It was very good."

Me: "Yeah, I guess it doesn't taste too bad considering that it's made with the doe that Michael shot last week. Tasty stuff right there."

At this point, PG shakes my hand and walks away. I never raised my voice, got angry or backed down. I am a hunter and I will not apologize for shooting does. You don't like it, too bad. To the PG and anyone else who doesn't believe in shooting does, if there is ever a famine or you are just downright hungry, please feel free to set your trophy horns aside and come sit at my table. I am not knocking anyone who hunts just for the trophy horns. On the contrary, if you choose to hunt for horns, go nuts! Hunting is hunting, but don't EVER try to put me down for sending an arrow through a doe. Ever.

2011-12-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

RedRam Merino Wool Base Layer Giveaway!

The Winner of the RedRam Merino Wool Base Layer set is:

Comment #33 - Tovar Cerulli.

Congratulations, Tovar!

My recent review of the RedRam Merino Wool Base Layers prompted plenty of comments and questions. Many of you said you wished you had your own set of base layers for your hunts. Well, RedRam has stepped up to the plate and is giving you a chance to win a set of your own! One lucky reader will win a top and bottom base layer set!

Actually, there are MULTIPLE ways to enter and you can do all to increase your odds of winning! Add ONE comment for each item you complete. Complete any or all!

Leave a comment on this post telling me if you have used RedRam or Icebreaker products and what you like about them, or just tell me what base layers you are currently using.
Facebook Entry #1 - Like Icebreaker - (RedRam doesn't have a FB page, but you could say they should 'like Icebreaker because it's the parent company). Then leave a separate comment telling me so with your FB username.
Facebook Entry #2 - Like The SoCal Bowhunter on Facebook - If you already follow me just leave a separate comment telling me so with your FB username.
Follow The SoCal Bowhunter on Twitter - If you already follow me just leave a separate comment telling me so with your Twitter name.
Tweet the following (this can be done once per day - leave direct link in the comment):
RT #Win a RedRam Merino Wool Base Layer Set from @Icebreakernz & @SoCalBowhunter #giveaway #hunting http://socalbowhunter.blogspot.com/2011/12/redram-merino-wool-base-layer-giveaway.html (12/11)

The SoCal Bowhunter does not use forms. Please leave a valid email address for each entry you complete. This is how I will contact the winner. If you put multiple items in one comment it will only counted as one entry.

A winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday night (December 20th) at 6:00 PM Pacific Time, and will be contacted via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or I choose another winner. Once the winner contacts me, I will announce who won on the following day’s post. Best of luck!

Disclaimer: RedRam provided me with base layers to review, and I was under no obligation to review them if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. Please include your email address or make it easy to find so that I may contact you. Open to USA only. Giveaway ends at 6:00 pm PST on Tuesday, December 20, 2011. I will choose a winner via Random Number Generator from all of the entries. Winner will be contacted by email and announced in a post after they respond. Winner has 24 hours to get back to me. Should the winner not contact me back in the 24 hours, I will choose another winner. Shipment to the winner will be handled by RedRam. I am in no way liable for any shipping issues, I am only hosting this giveaway.

2011-12-12T01:22:00.000-08:00

SoCal Hunter Arrows First Deer With Archery Tackle!

A well laid plan, plenty of hard work, practice, sweat and patience. All of those things finally came together this past Saturday as my hunting partner and good friend, Michael Giudici, dropped his first ever deer with archery tackle! The headline is misleading as Michael is well versed in deer hunting and has taken multiple deer using a rifle, but prior to Saturday he had never taken one with a bow and arrow.

Now, I have to begin this story with the conversation Michael and I had a few days prior. After getting on watch late the past two times, I wanted to be certain we were at the top of the foothill well before sunrise. That after my calculations, I knew we would need to be leaving the trailhead at 4:00 AM. Michael did NOT want to arrive any earlier than 4:15 AM, thus leaving at 4:20 AM. We went back and forth on the time. I argued that fifteen minutes wasn't going to make a difference in his sleep, but it would for us getting to our spot in time to cool off and relax. He said he wasn't sure, but he said he would try to meet me by 4:00.

The next morning, I was waiting at the trailhead at 3:50 AM. Five minutes later Michael arrived. He made it and early to boot! Awesome! I told him I had a great feeling about today and that we were doing the right thing. We had learned much this year and we were ready to make it happen.

At 4:05 AM we hit the trail with determination. We decided to take breaks only to catch our breath. We wanted to walk quickly and cool off before the sun came up. I don't know about Michael and his pack, but with my bow attached, my pack weighed in at 46 lbs. Three liters of water, optics, tripod, extra clothing, and my bow made the pack heavy, but I was ready. We made tracks and were at our spot in record time.

While I can go on and on, this was Michael's first ever kill with archery tackle and this is the story in his words...

We got to the bottom of the hill at 4:00 AM, hiked in 2 miles up the hill, got on stand, and were ready to go at 5:30am. The sun rose at 6:30 and we started glassing. It was only a few minutes before I got a text from my good buddy and hunting partner Al. “Deer behind you coming from your left”. I turned around to catch them passing behind the bush I was sitting in front of. 25 yards out, came a yearling and 2 mature does. I drew back my Mathews solo cam and the deer startled and ran up the hill a little ways. I figured they were right about 50 yards. I put my 50yrd pin right above the shoulder of the biggest doe and let the arrow fly!

With much anticipation and adrenalin flowing through my veins, the arrow went high and the deer ran off… No dice. I sat back, shaking like a dog sh$(%*ing razor blades, that was awesome! My first opportunity to shoot a deer with an arrow. Although a failed attempt, I believed it could be done!

Now let me say, no matter how much time you put on the range, or how many arrows you can put in a tight group in a hay bale, when the moment comes, that adrenalin kicks in and your shot is now put into god’s hands.

Just as I was calming down I looked to my left and saw a doe on the skyline staring directly at me. I couldn’t move for fear of spooking her. This went on for 10 minutes until another doe came out. After 15 minutes of a staring contest, she began to feed again figuring I was no threat. The does followed down the trail coming closer and closer as if I was pulling them in on a string. At 24 yards short of my stand, they moved behind the big bush I was parked in front of just like the last does had. I again spun around to intercept them then they came out on the other side.

As I turned I noticed 2 more does coming from right at me from the opposite direction! There were deer everywhere!!! This one saw my movement and again the staring contest was on. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement through the bush and out walks a deer 8 yards from where I was sitting! Following her, 15 yards up the hill were 2 mature Pacific Hybrid does. I slowly reached to pull my bow around and the doe at 8 yards took notice, took a dump, and then proceeded to stare. I drew back and she ran to about 45 yards.

Startled by the movement the 2 does above her moved up to see what the commotion was about. I didn’t have a clear shot because the bush I was hiding behind blocked the path between the deer and my arrow. I leaned left, put the 30 yard pin right on the vitals and let my second arrow of the day fly. CRACK!!!! The deer dropped dead in her tracks! Success!

Michael and his first deer with archery tackle!

We gutted, skinned, quartered, and packed the deer in my pack and we off on our 2 mile walk back to the car. It was one of the most exciting, rewarding hunts I have ever been on.

I am super proud of Michael for his dedication and determination. I have met plenty of guys who 'want' to be bowhunters, but don't have what it takes to go the extra mile. Michael certainly does and I want to send out a big CONGRATULATIONS to him for filling his A31 tag and getting that first bow kill under his belt. Oh, and Michael - I have a few cubic feet open in my freezer and can help you store some of that venison.

We have been hunting this spot hard and have seen deer every day. I still have a couple of weeks left and we plan on hitting this spot one or two more times to help me try and fill my tag.

We have had great success already and we'll try to make this a first year for both of us... you see, I have never taken a SoCal deer in the four years I have hunted out here. I still get a thrill out of helping my buddies fill their tags and to me THAT equals success.

2011-12-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

The Bucks Are Finally Chasing The Does!

Last Sunday, Michael and I were able to get out and do some more archery hunting for Pacific-Hybrids. We hit the ridge early, but once again not as early as we had hoped. We left the trailhead fifteen minutes later than we had planned due to some issues with a product I am reviewing. We made tracks, but were sure to stop frequently so as not sweat profusely.

Once at the base of the foothill, I took the lead as we climbed ever-so slowly. I mentioned a few times to Michael that we had to go even slower. I know it's hard for guys who are used to rifle hunting to slow it down, but Michael definitely caught on when we spotted the does standing right in the spot he was going to hunt from. No sooner had we spotted them and they spotted us. We sat down, glassing them for ten minutes and they moved on. The sun hadn't even fully risen and we had spotted a small group of does. The day looked promising!

When we got up, I glanced to my left and spotted movement a quarter mile below us. Coyotes! Two of them we making a beeline for a thicket. More wildlife, but not the kind we WANTED to see.

We split up and I ventured over to the far side of the ridge. That way I could glass anything moving up the hill towards Michael and he could do the same for me. I sat down and looked over to my right and in the spot where I have seen the bear was a well fed bobcat. He was incredible! Stalking through the brush at an assured pace. Once he disappeared I figured it would be a long morning. Again, I was mistaken.

A grainy pic of a hunting coyote.

We spotted deer here, there and everywhere. Then we spotted more coyotes hunting near where the bobcat had been. There has to be a rabbit colony or quail in there for that spot to be so popular! I am going to dub it Predator Knoll because that's all I see up there. Then, a mile away on a bare hilltop I spot another yote. Then another, and another and wow, FOUR yotes in a pack! I have never seen so many together during the day before. I watched them hunt for a little while and then got back to glassing for deer.

Michael located a doe and two yearlings bedded on a nob. All three were extremely dark deer. As I turned to my left I noticed an ear twitch. As I focused, I realized that there were two does feeding up towards Michael's position. He was hidden from their view for the time being, so I sent him a quick text to get ready. I mentioned where the deer were and that they were only 50-60 yards away. They fed for another minute and then they stopped suddenly. The gig was up as they spotted Michael looking over the bush. They turned and made their way into the deep valley where we lost them. That's hunting!

Shortly thereafter I got a text from Michael saying that two deer were on a ridge to my right. I scanned the hillside and spotted them. Two does. Then, the second lifted her....er HIS head! It was a buck! I quickly shot him a message that the second was a shooter forky and that he had some size to him. He couldn't see them, but I was watching them as they made their way down a well-worn trail in his direction. They were still 500 yards from him, but we were ready. The wind was perfect and we were just patiently waiting for it to happen.

As they crossed the ridge I was standing on I lost sight of them. Between texting and resting my eyes they had vanished. *Buzz-buzz* Another text from Michael confirmed they had dropped a bit lower than I could see, so I cut the distance by ten yards and there they were. The doe started to get out ahead and the buck slowed his pace. Pretty soon, she headed through the thick stuff on the far, side-hill and the buck stayed low. He fed along a grass patch and the doe sauntered up and over the ridge and disappeared into a large cactus patch. The buck didn't give chase, nor did he seem to care. He walked a few yards closer, fed some more and then looked up the hill.

Quickly, I called Michael and told him the buck was looking up the hill and that he should head to the next ridge as fast as he could, but to stay out of sight. He had a nice row of bushes in the way so he'd be safe. The buck was feeding, so he had time. Once he made it over there I began relaying info to Michael. Then, the buck bedded down.

Taken through my binos at 300 yards.

Most times I would be super excited that a buck bedded down. That way we could put on a stalk. This time was very different. This buck was smart. He bedded beside some brush that covered him on three sides. He faced uphill in my direction, which gave me no way to stalk down the hill as there was nothing for me to hide behind. Remember my story of our hair-brained scheme to cut some time via shortcut? Well, This guys was bedded right down on the edge of it. We didn't give up, but after watching him feed and bed for two hours we decided it was time for a sandwich and some water.

My head was starting to tighten up and I was roasting. I knew I needed to hydrate. I slowly scooted over to my pack, hidden behind a bush, and gulped some water. I also decided to lose a base layer to cool down. What a difference that made! I felt rejuvenated and ready to get back to glassing. I gulped down some more water and sat back down.

Glancing over, I noticed Michael was already napping under a bush. It was warming up and I can understand why he'd want some shuteye, but I was all about focusing on that buck. The best vantage point was directly in the sun and I couldn't find my sunscreen to save my life. No matter as I was determined to stay on this deer.

I watched him for two more hours. He would get up, feed, mill around, and bed down. Over and over again. I had no way to get down to him. The closer I looked at the buck I realized that it was his sheds that we had found earlier in the season. He had definitely grown a little and that was promising.

The buck we were after.

By the time Michael woke up, we had been watching this buck for four and a half hours. We wanted to put on a stalk, but the buck had other plans. I went to my pack and then when I got back to my spot the buck was gone! I searched high and low and could not find him anywhere! I called Michael and asked him to start looking. My heart sank and after what seemed like an eternity I spotted him. He was heading back from where he originally came from! I beat feet about thirty yards to my right so I could glass the valley where I though he'd go and there, in the shade of a large tree, were two doe... staring right at me. I was busted, or so I thought. The buck wandered over towards them and they started making a fuss. Snorting, stomping, whirling around and walking away from him. He got right on there tail and started sniffing and chasing them. I thought for sure I'd see him try to breed one of them.

Michael couldn't see what was going on, so I relayed the info over the phone. The buck pursued the does and at one point turned them around and they were walking back towards us. The does had other plans and they stopped in the shade and refused to budge. The persistent buck chased them and they started walking the opposite ridge away from us. I mentioned to Michael that we should pack our bags and skirt around the foothill, a brisk mile and a half walk, and cut them off. He agreed and by the time I had reached my pack the deer were back down in the valley to stay.

The three deer stayed put and refused to move. They were down on the edge of the Valley of the Poison Oak and I wasn't about to track a deer through it. So, we decided to stick with our plan to skirt the foothill in case they decided to come over.

One out way down the side hill, Michael stepped over a little hump and I followed suit. What happened next was a reaction out of self-preservation. I stepped over just as a snake reared up and lunged at my boot. A few choice words slipped out as I jumped up and over the snake. When I landed I was turned and facing a small snake who had just scored a huge meal. I searched for a rattle and saw none and realized that it was only a gopher snake. His belly was the size of a roll of quarters and he wasn't too happy that I had almost stepped on him. I have no idea if the snake made contact with my boot, and if he did I didn't feel it. I was VERY thankful to be wearing my snake boots. Hiking mile after mile in them may not be ideal, but at least I was protected.

We only had about an hour and a half left of daylight, so we hiked around the hill, spotted some coveys of quail and chatted about the day. We knew the deer were likely going to bed near where they were, so we set up for a little bit and glassed the far hillsides. No deer were spotted, but we rehashed the day. We had spotted 14 deer, 8 coyotes, a bobcat, countless quail and one of those deer was a decent buck. Another successful DIY outing for us! We discussed and solidified our plans for the following Saturday. It was going to be a long week, but we knew we were going after that buck.

2011-12-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

Product Review: RedRam Merino Wool Base Layers
Keeping warm is something you must always think about when hunting. No matter if you are hunting the high desert of Southern California or the hardwoods of Western New York. When I was given the opportunity to review the new RedRam Merino Wool base layers I couldn't say no. For one, I had never heard of them and two, I had been looking for a decent pair of base layers for a while.

Right out of the box these felt soft. RedRam sent me the long sleeve and short sleeve tops, and the long pants and boxers. They fit true to size and left a little room to stretch if needed. After losing the weight over the past year I am now able to comfortably fit into a large. They fit very well and were even ever-so-slightly larger than I figured, but that means they are just a bit loose. These felt different than other base layers I have tried and immediately I knew why. Others I have tested use a wool blend, but RedRam uses 100% Merino wool. That made a huge difference!

I first tested these out on my trip in November to the farmland hunting grounds of Western NY state. I knew I could be hunting in anything from 25 degrees to 70 degrees, so I had to be prepared. The Merino wool base layers do not feel itchy. It's actually quite the opposite. They feel like a soft shirt going on, but with plenty of warmth. They are not tight to the skin like Spandex. No, these are slightly loose and allow movement. That was a welcome benefit that I hadn't though of.

In a tree stand for two to four hours at a time, I needed to keep warm. The RedRam base layers did keep me warm on those long sits, but keep in mind that if you are not moving in some way you WILL get chilly. When I was stationary for a long period of time I was chilled and had to get up, move around a bit and get the blood flowing. These are not a constant source of heat and are not meant to be. When I was moving to and from my stand or just milling around the base layers kept me very warm and kept the moisture away from my skin. That's what we all want, right? Keep warm, keep the skin dry and have a product that's durable and long lasting.

Back in California, I have used the RedRam base layers countless times on our hunts. They actually keep me so warm on our hikes in that I have decided to only wear the top shirt on our hike in. The temps have been as low as 35-40 degrees in the mornings, but hiking 2-miles up a California foothill will have your body putting out some serious body heat. The wool wicks away the moisture really well and I couldn't be happier. When the temps were reaching 65-70 degrees, well, I had to lose a layer or two. When you are sitting in the sun, even on those cooler days, the RedRam layers retain the heat well and I felt extremely comfortable.

As far as durability goes, I have not one bad thing to say about these. I have worn them over, and over, and over and there are no holes, no seams opening and they feel as comfortable now as the first day I put them on. There was no chaffing, no discomfort whatsoever. I have never worn a better pair of base layers and the Merino wool is a huge bonus for my hunts.

Caring for the base layers is simple. Follow the directions and wash in warm or cold water and line dry them. I did that each time and found them feeling new each time I put them on. I wouldn't recommend putting something like this in the dryer.

Some of the basic info from their website and some good testing guideline:

Breathable: I want you to be perfectly warm, not hot and sweaty. That's where RedRam shines. Merino thermal underwear stays drier because it naturally absorbs perspiration from your skin and releases it into the air.

Natural Fibre: I like people warming, not global warming. So RedRam couldn't be more natural. The ingredients are grass, water and sunshine. I grow it and it's woven into your thermals. Unlike polyprop underwear which is made from petrochemicals.

Stinkiness: You can ski, hike, or fish all day, or run up and down the sideline, whatever the weather. No matter how active you get in your RedRam, it won't get smelly. Synthetic fibres stink to high heaven but Merino is far more efficient than other fibres at releasing sweat and moisture.

Comfort: Put on a silky smooth, super light merino garment and you'll enjoy the warmth of a heavy sweater. But you'll have none of the bulk. That's because of merino's finely crimped fibres, which create millions of air pockets to capture your body heat.

Sustainable: No use making men's and women's thermal underwear if there's not going to be a world left to wear it in. Fortunately RedRam merino wool is renewable and biodegradable. We merino are shorn each year, then we return to the mountains to grow more underwear. Merino is biodegradable and unlike cotton and synthetics it uses very low-energy production processes.

Pure Merino Wool: I am pure merino. And we merino spend our days roaming high in the spacious Southern Alps of New Zealand. Our coats are designed to naturally handle all extremes of weather. And that can mean -20 degrees Celcius in winter.

My only performance issue was the claim of not being stinky and I feel that claim can be misleading. I wore my base layers for five days without washing them. After two days the armpits were definitely emitting an unpleasant aroma. The claim they have is that 'it won't get smelly,' but I disagree with that. From my testing it WILL indeed get smelly depending on your scent and how much you perspire. I have never known anything to be 100% scent-free.

There is issue of availability at local stores. Down here in SoCal you can't get them unless you place an order through the mail. Hopefully, very soon, you will see these in more retail stores around. RedRam is currently available at Gander Mountain and www.dogfunk.com, and will be available at many more stores from Fall/Winter ‘11. The RedRam website says you can find them at Sportsman's Warehouse, but I was unable to locate them on their website.

Now for the question you all want to ask, 'How much are they?' The long sleeve shirt retails for $57.99, the short sleeve for $47.99, the long pants for $57.99 and the boxers for $29.99. To me they are worth every penny. They are not cheap, but they are not super expensive either. For base layers that will last, I would highly recommend getting the RedRam Merino wool base layers. They will keep you toasty warm and last you a long while!

2011-12-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

Harnesses For Hunters Program

Have you ever fallen out of a tree stand? Know anyone who has? I want to help spread the word on a great program that Will Jenkins started over at TheWillToHunt.com. It's called Harnesses For Hunters. There's an entire write up over on his blog. Here's an excerpt:

I started this project after pulling up my hunting news feed on Google News and the top 3 stories involved hunter injuries or deaths caused by falling from a tree stand. Then I went to Twitter and someone had tweeted a link to a story mentioning the same thing. So I decided to do something about it!

I know a lot of people use what I consider a premium fall restraint or harness whether it's a Hunter Safety System, Summit, Muddy or other brand, but as we build up our gear stock pile most tree stands come with what I'll call a generic harness. They may not be the most comfortable or they may be slightly bulky but they will save your life. So if you are a person that has a harness premium or generic and has accumulated some extra harnesses as you've gotten tree stands why don't you give back to the hunting community and give it to someone that needs one?

Go check out the program. Why am I promoting this so much? I know a few people who have fallen out of stands because they were too 'macho' or 'safe' to have to wear one. Two guys I went to high school with broke bones. They were lucky. For an incredible true story about why you should wear a safety harness, head over to Bill Howard Outdoors and read his post.

I didn't start wearing one until 10 years ago and even then it was tough, but I knew I needed to be safe. I cannot count the times I have missed a step, slipped on some ice of just nodded off on stand (it happens). I won't go in a stand without a safety harness now. In each seminar where I am discussing gear I am sure to mention it. You can be sure I'll mention this program.

If you are a person that has a spare harness (premium or generic, it doesn't matter) or has accumulated some extra harnesses that came with your tree stands would you consider giving back to the hunting community and give it to someone that needs one? You could help save someone's life!

2011-11-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Product Review: Hawke Optics 12x50mm Nature Trek Binoculars

Hunting here in Southern California is extremely challenging. There are miles of ground to cover and precious time to do it in. What's the best way to find your prey? Gain some elevation, get yourself a good vantage point and scan the land using quality optics.

For the past few months I have been using Hawke Optics 12x50mm Nature-Trek® binoculars on my hunts and scouting trips in the high desert of Southern California. Being a DIY hunter and having a limited budget for gear, I always want the best quality I can find for the lowest investment. I am a firm believer in that you get what you pay for. How would these optics hold up?

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KEY FEATURES of the 12x50s:
BAK 4 roof prism design to be compact
Fully multi-coated lenses for maximum clarity
Lightweight, durable polycarbonate body for lifelong durability
Close focus from 6.6'-8.2'
Carry case with adjustable neck strap
Stay-on objective lens covers
Waterproof and Fog Proof
Hawke® Worldwide Warranty
Nature-Trek® binoculars come in a shock resistant polycarbonate body, providing a robust yet lightweight casing. All models are nitrogen purged to avoid fogging and they are sealed to be fully waterproof. The inner-focus optical design produces stunning optics.

The high resolution image ensures no details are lost when viewing at long or short distance. Close focus distance is 6.5' - 8.2'.

The effortless focusing and impressive depth of field makes these binoculars quick and easy to use. Twist-up eyecups make viewing easy with glasses or sunglasses literally as simple as the twist of your fingers. Diopter adjustment is smooth to operate making set-up easy.

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The first thing I noticed is that you can't download the user manual and specifications from the Hawke Optics website. There are icons there, but Hawke tells me they are in process to get that updated. Personally, I think they should remove it so that it isn't confusing and so aggravating. Consumers dedicated to finding the best products want to read about a product, in detail, before buying and having a dead link on the site raises concerns with consumers.

When I first received the binoculars to test, I noticed the diopter was very loose. It was almost to the point that it felt like someone had over-greased it. I thought it was just me, so without telling them the issue, I had two other hunters check it out (at different times) and they also agreed that it felt loose. I spoke with customer service at Hawke and they explained that that was not supposed to be like that. I sent them back in exchange for a different pair. The new pair arrived and the diopter worked as it should.

Regarding Hawke's customer service, they are quick and efficient. Before I agreed to accept any product from Hawke, I spent some time on the phone with the Hawke staff discussing their product line. I was very impressed with them taking the time to listen to my ideas, concerns and past reviews. They took the time to go over the 12x50s with me and when I had to return them they made sure I was satisfied. I appreciate good customer service and Hawke Optics has some of the best in the industry!

The 12x50 pull of the binoculars work well. On a recent hunt, I was able to locate a deer from a 1/2 mile away and determine that it was a buck. The view wasn't as clear as I would like, but they did work. I couldn't tell what the rack looked like, just that it was indeed antlers on the deers head. It was a bit on the cloudy side, yet they still performed.

The interpupillary distance (distance between the eyes) was a major issue for me. In order to properly use the binoculars I had to remove the larger 'Stay-on objective lens covers' to get each side as close as possible. The far ends of the binoculars had to be touching in order for me to look through them. It was disheartening to know that I had to do all of that just to see through them. This time I had three other hunters try these out to get their take. Two of the three said that was an issue for them. The other hunter had no problem as his eyes are set further apart. That is something to consider when making a binocular purchase.

The issue of parallax also comes into play with the 12x50 Nature Treks. Both sides never seem to truly focus on one spot at the same time and there is definitely some difficulty in locking on to your target. The depth perception is a bit off when using these. When I tried with other binoculars I did not have that issue. I tried countless times to get it spot on. I was able to get very close and that had to suffice.

These binoculars are not super-heavy, but because they have more glass they do have a bit more heft to them. This wasn't an issue hiking or sitting down because they don't weigh a ton. I wear a binocular harness so the weight didn't factor in much. It was balanced. When I used the strap that was provided I definitely noticed a difference. You have to factor that in when going to higher powered glass.

Here I utilized the tripod mount for a steady view of the high desert in Southern California.

I initially thought there was no spot to mount a tripod adapter with the 12x50 Nature Treks, but after further inspection I found it! I was able to use a tripod adapter that I had already purchased. I mounted it on a mono-pod for easy transport and tested them out. While in the rain and wind, I was able to keep steady with the binoculars mounted. That's a big plus when you are hunting the terrain I hunt. I would love to see Hawke come out with their own tripod adapter for their optics. Who knows, maybe they'd like to work with The SoCal Bowhunter to come up with a great one!

The warranty on the Hawke Optics concerned me, so I did some research. The Hawke warranty covers everything except user damage for the life of the product. I reviewed several of the competitor 'No-Fault' policies thinking they were better. I was wrong. While they do a no fault warranty, most require you to pay shipping to them, and some charge a fee for the repair or return, and ask that you send money to cover return shipping. Those optics come at a higher price tag as well. The Hawke 12x50s come at a very reasonable price of $199.99 and the warranty, at this price, is very reasonable. I take good care of my binoculars, but I want to know that if I pay good money for optics and something goes wrong that I can replace them without having to resort to buying a brand new pair. The Hawke policy is totally without charge, except for return shipping to them. With the fees and return shipping charges this could easily add up to a $50 savings on a valid warranty claim. This also saves on the product retail mark-up. Other products of this magnification easily cost twice as much and many are well over three times the cost.

I know that Hawke Optics has a few different lines and that I was only reviewing one make from one line. That being said, I feel this is a fair review. They do reach out and help you spot game from a distance and are easily carried. They are durable and waterproof (they withstood heavy downpours and held up). The investment is excellent at $199.99. Be sure to pay attention to the interpupillary distance as that was the biggest physical drawback in my review. Beyond that, for the hunter on a budget who needs good optics without breaking the bank, you definitely get your monies worth in the Hawke Optics 12x50 binoculars.

Follow Hawke Optics on:

Twitter: @hawkeoptics

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hawkesportoptics

2011-11-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

Running My First 5K = Success!

Beachside before the 5K.

Anyone that knows me understands that I am not a runner. I am not built to be a runner, nor do I enjoy it. I have always been a sprinter and that came in handy when playing rugby, but endurance running has never been my strong suit. After watching my wife run as hard as she has for the past few years and then seeing an 85 yr. old man running the Long Beach Turkey Trot, well, I had no excuses!

I had no expectations going into the 5K. My two goals were to finish the race and to try to do it in less than 40 minutes. I also wanted to challenge myself in the fact that I did not go get new running shoes. Instead, I opted to run in my year-old cross-trainers. Heavier, bulkier, but still a good shoe that I was comfortable wearing.

Our start time was at 8:00 AM. There was hardly any sun, but the day was great. How many people can say that they went running, in Long Beach, CA on Thanksgiving Day in shorts? Sure, it was 50 degrees, but with a base layer under my The Will to Hunt shirt it was great.

There were over 6,000 people running/walking during the Turkey Trot, but I wasn't concerned. I was going to run at my pace, my way, and enjoy it. That's exactly how I did it, too.

The first mile wasn't so bad. I ran the entire first mile, but without having too much time to stretch my back started to tighten up. In the past, this is what has caused me to not go running. My back tightens to the point where I have to limp to walk. Not today! I was not about to let that stop me, so I slowed my pace and ambled along. After a short time it subsided, to a degree, and I was able to pick up the pace.

At a mile and a half I started walking/running. My wife and I kept passing one another along the way. She's the one who encouraged me to run more and it was great to be able to participate this year with her instead of just cheering from the sidelines. It was great to support each other along the way!

When I made the turn at the halfway point I felt invigorated. I knew that if I kept pushing at the pace I was at that I'd be doing well. Steady as she goes!

I was entertained throughout the 5K by the great costumes people wore and by a few kids who kept running ahead and zipping in and out of people on the path. What energy they had! It was actually very inspiring and it kept me pushing a little bit harder. I only walked when I had to and jogged more and more.

The last leg of the race has an uphill climb, followed by a downhill slope and then a flat finish. I paced myself up the hill, walked the first part of the downhill to level out and then kicked in the afterburners. It felt so good to sprint that last 1/16th of a mile. Sprinting is what I do best and it felt fantastic!

As the time clock crept into view I could see that I was well under the 40 minute mark. Tick-tick-tick... 36:45...36:46... I started to run even faster. I was NOT going to let the clock hit 37:00. I crossed the finish line at 36:51 and it felt great! My adrenaline was pumping, heart was racing and my mind was clear. I was even handed a pumpkin pie at the end. Score! Always hoped to get one, but never expected one. (I love pumpkin pie, so this was a bonus for me!)

My wife followed me by only a few seconds (she is a much better runner than I am, I just love to sprint) and we were both full of smiles. We had done it and had done it together! It wasn't even 9:00 AM on Thanksgiving Day and we had run a 5K, collected a pie and it felt great. We both felt like we could run another one we felt so good!

The gratitude I have for my wife for inspiring me to run the Turkey Trot this year is beyond words. With us working hard to lose the weight we lost, well, I couldn't wait to get out there and run this with her. I saw first hand how hard she works at the gym and how dedicated she is to staying fit. Awesome job, babydoll and thank you for the inspiration and encouragement!

You can bet we'll be doing this again next year and I hope I can step it up to a 10K. That will be one of my goals for 2012 for sure.

2011-11-26T21:05:00.000-08:00

FMP Bowcast Blast - The SoCal Bowhunter Reporting

Helping others is something I live for. I also like checking out the archery podcasts from FMPBowcast.com. Last week I was asked if I'd be interested in occasionally offering up a report of what's going on locally in regards to archery hunting. When an opportunity to reach out and help the local bowhunters comes along like this, well, you don't say no. I still have a lot to learn, but this was my first crack at it.

The Bowcast Blast is a combination of hunt reports from across the nation. Fellow bowhunters gathered around their phones last week to report on their areas from Colorado, Southern California, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. It was recorded earlier this week and runs right before Lee and Tiffany Lakosky give their whitetail tactics.

Without further rambling on my part, click the banner below to go to FMPBowcast Episode #154 How to Kill a Whitetail w/ Lee and Tiffany.

2011-11-25T20:09:00.000-08:00

The Drainage Ditch Of Dreams

The setting is a farm in rural, Western NY. The cool, Fall morning was peaceful. A light fog was lifting and the trees were starting to materialize. It was archery season for whitetail deer and I was standing beside a drainage ditch because my gut told me that this is where I needed to be. I stood, unmoving for a half hour after the sun rose, waiting and watching. Suddenly, it appeared one hundred yards away, upwind and walking straight towards me.

I was fourteen years old and I was out hunting by myself. My brother wasn't yet old enough to be hunting with me and my dad was at the house because of a prior commitment. In order to hunt, I had to go out on my own that morning.

I knew the farm well as I had been helping out here for two years and knew every nook and cranny for the deer to hide. My dad had taken me out multiple times hunting with him and had shown me how to hunt the elusive cervid known as the whitetail deer. He had spent countless hours showing me how to properly shoot a bow, breathe properly and just when to release my fingers off the string. Up until this day I had always been accompanied by him on our hunts, but this day he felt I was ready to hunt on my own.

As the deer continued toward me I felt my heart thumping in my chest along with each hoof as it hit the ground. I saw that the deer was a large buck and that made my heart beat even faster. Steam shot out of the bucks nostrils as he breathed and then smelled the air. He had no idea I was there, but I was extremely concerned. I was not in a treestand, nor a ground blind. No, I was standing in an open field, right in his walkway as he walked closer and closer. I froze.

Would the buck see me against the backdrop of our overgrown pasture? I was only wearing my camouflage coveralls and boonie hat picked up from one of the local department stores. I had no pack, no rangefinder or handy gadgets like we have today. I had my antlered-handle hunting knife on my belt. In my gloved, left hand was a Bear compound bow given to my earlier that year by my dad. I have no idea what the draw weight was set at. My sight pins, all three of them, had a little dot of paint at the tip of each one. Fiber optics were not something widely thought of in 1989 for bow hunters. Even a release was a new topic of conversation. Adorning my right hand was a well-worn leather glove covering three fingers just waiting to grip the bow string.

Baling straw on the farm.

My target all summer long had been a paper rifle target on straw bales, stacked three high, with the barn as a backdrop. My dad, my brother and I took turns sending $3 aluminum arrows into the paper pretending that each one was a kill shot on a deer. The hot, humid summer did not deter us. Neither did working long days of baling the straw we were using and stacking it in the barn. This was our stress reliever and bonding time. My dad was already an accomplished hunter and all I wanted to do was to make him proud.

What seemed like a lifetime, the deer closed the distance. Fifty yards, forty...thirty...twenty. I drew my bow and he abruptly stopped at ten yards facing me head on. I saw points, but was taught not to count them. Instead, I was taught to focus on the animal itself and not take anything for granted. Our stare down lasted only a few seconds as I anchored, found the crease in his front leg and sent the arrow on its way. It buried itself in the exact spot where I had aimed and then the buck bolted West, up the hill. I watched the deer run away from me and suddenly drop sixty yards from where I shot him. One kick in the goldenrod and he was done.

The intensity of the moment had my mind whirling. Had I made a clean shot? Did I really see my arrow hit like it did? I stood in my spot stunned and in awe of what had just happened. To be honest, I was in disbelief. I had just killed my first deer ever and it was a buck. Best of all, I had done it with archery equipment while on my first hunt alone.

Having no idea how to field dress a deer I didn't even walk up to the buck. Ten yards forward I marked the start of the blood trail with an arrow. I knew I would need the help of my dad, so I said a quick prayer and began the long walk back to the farmhouse. I had about a half mile walk back and the entire way I tried thinking of the best way to tell me dad about what I had just done. Every scenario in my head disappeared when I walked in the kitchen and he asked me, "So? How many arrows do you have left?" I just showed him and then proceeded to tell the story. His eyes lit up, huge hugs and cheers erupted in that small farmhouse kitchen. I'll never forget my little sister asking me, "Did you catch a deer?" I could only respond with, 'Yes, yes I did!'

We hopped in the truck and drove to the drainage ditch. Even though I knew where my deer had dropped, I brought my dad to the spot of the kill. The blood trail was like a super highway. We followed it, so I could learn how to follow a blood trail, but it didn't take long to find my buck. My dad reached down, gripped the antlers and raised him up. We counted the points together and I couldn't stop smiling. There were seven, perfect tines pointing up and I was thrilled. Not that it was a buck, nor that it was a seven-point buck, but that I had made a quick, clean kill and that my dad was proud. The look on his face said it all.

Together, we field dressed the buck and brought him back to the house to show my siblings. My brother was just as excited as I was. After seeing the look in his eyes, I knew he'd grow up to be a hunter himself. He helped us hang the deer in the barn as I told the story once more. We started a continuing tradition that day as we feasted on the tenderloins for dinner that evening. To this day, we continue to enjoy the fruits of our labor on the day of a kill.

Of all of my hunting memories, this one is one of my favorites. There is nothing like being alone in nature and bow hunting whitetail deer with the scent of corn and apples filling the air. Feeling the cool mist as it is lifting off the ground and seeing a mature, whitetail deer appear. The anticipation as he walks towards you, the moment of truth when you make every second of the time you spent practicing count, and the feeling of sheer happiness when you see the look on your dad's face when you tell him your hunt was a success.

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–This is my submission for the Sportsman Channel Writing Contest for Hunters hosted by the Outdoor Blogger Network.–

2011-11-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Another NY Bowhunter Finds Success
One of my good friends and former rugby teammates was successful in his quest to take a deer with archery tackle this past weekend. I have known Seth Sikes for at least a decade and he's a great friend. He is a guy who once he sets his sights on something he goes right after it. Just ask him how he got his nickname 'Spikes'. He is a new bow hunter, but you'd never know after seeing the passion this guy has for the sport. Read his exciting story from last weekend below. Congratulations, Seth!

Seth Sykes with his 2011 NY whitetail taken with archery tackle. Great job, Seth!

November 20, 2011 was the second day of gun season in upstate NY and my hopes weren't too high. The weather was in the fifties, breezy and carrying a light drizzle. After an already long (for me) bow season, with 2 close misses, and an opening day of gun season not seeing anything I didn't have the highest spirits when I got in my stand at roughly 6:30 AM. The stand I chose was the exact one that I had missed two nice bucks during bow season, but I was hoping that it would still prove to be a pretty active area.

At 6:45 AM shots started ringing out through the woods around me. At that point I decided to start using my grunt call (a hardwood Primos grunt tube) to see if I could attract anything to my area. For the next forty to forty-five minutes I grunted and bleated on and off with no sign of any life.

At 7:40 AM I leaned around my tree to check the trail leading up to my stand because already this year I had had two doe follow me in right up my trail. As I straightened back up and looked out into the field directly ahead of me a large doe was standing in the clearing at maybe 45 to 50 yards. I saw my opportunity to put meat in my freezer so I lined up my shot with my smooth bore Mossberg pump action and took it. She flinched, jumped and ran off into the ding-weeds on the other side of the field. I was so excited I set down my gun and laid my head back to thank the powers that be for giving me the opportunity to take such a nice deer.

After my thirty second prayer, I opened my eyes, looked out and there in the same exact spot as the doe was a good sized 6 pointer looking around. I couldn't believe my luck and swooped up my gun to realize I hadn't chambered another round yet. Trying to be as quiet as possible I pumped the action and he stood straight up looking around for the source of the sound, but never moved. So I lined up and took my shot. He flinched and ran to the exact same spot as the doe and was gone from my view. What luck!! I couldn't believe it and no one else was going to either.

For the next half hour I sat shaking with excitement before I got down to check for blood. That was when the hammer came down to crush my hopes and dreams... no blood! Not a drop from either deer. Those were my last two bullets and some how I had missed both deer, my gun season (at least til I got paid again) was done. In the hopes that either bullet had exited the deer I spent the next three hours on my hand and knees crawling through the thickest brambles and pricker bush you can imagine trying to find a hint of a trial to follow and found nothing! So I tucked tail and went home for lunch very depressed and VERY pissed off at myself.

For the next two and a half hours I scolded myself and thought about giving up on hunting for the season... I mean come on, I didn't deserve to call my self a hunter. That was four open shots so far between bow and gun season now and four huge misses! At 2:30 PM I decided I had put too much time and money into this season to quit now, but I had no bullets left. My bow! Since the day I got my Hoyt Rampage this past August, I had practiced constantly and felt very comfortable with it so that was my weapon of choice. so I scrambled to get my gear on and get into a treestand far away from early morning debacle.

At 2:45 PM I was settled into my stand and the waiting began. For the next two hours I sat motionless except to blow my grunt call and all the while hadn't seen a hide nor hair of a deer. At 4:45 PM, a mere minutes before the end of legal shooting hours, here comes a buck straight to my stand. Oh please don't take too long to get to me, the light is fading fast!

At about 20 yards he cut to his left and started sown the trail that would come straight by the left hand side of my stand. PERFECT! I'm a right-handed shooter so this would work great. He disappeared behind a large tree just off the left front corner of my stand and stopped with just his head showing. that's when he started sniffing the wind. Great he's gonna wind me at ten yards in front of my stand and I can't even draw on him. Nope! He dropped his head and kept right on coming. Just as he was getting into the open I started to draw and he stopped again to sniff and looks right at me. I held my draw at a about a quarter and froze! This was it. Do or die (pun very intended). He dropped his head back down and and walked right out into the open. I brought my bow to full draw got my sights on his "boiler room" and gave a quick yelp. He froze and I let loose my arrow. I watched in what felt like slow motion as my Easton arrow with its Muzzy 3-blade broadhead found its mark! A chunk of fur flew and he took off. He got five big leaps and then four slow paces behind me, stopped and just stood there! What?! Did I miss again? Nope his legs got really wobbly and he stumbled maybe three steps and dropped! BUCK DOWN!! When I got down he wasn't the original 6 points that I thought he was, but a good sized 8 pointer with a great symmetrical rack. That day is one that I will never forget not just because I got my first buck, but because of the lessons I learned about never giving up!

I hope you like reading my story because I LOVED living it! Hunting is something I always wanted to do and I now know why. It is ingrained into my DNA now and I can't wait to learn more, live through my disappointments and be over come with joy in my future adventures and successes. This lifestyle is not for everyone, but I can't wait to pass it on to my son, who when he saw me in my camo with a deer squealed 'DDAAAAA!' and gave me a huge hug. I am a hunter now and forever!

2011-11-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

Steve Rinella Is A MEAT EATER.

As a big fan of The Wild Within on Travel Chennel, I was a bit caught off guard today when I began to read this letter from Steve Rinella on The Wild Within's FB page. As I read further, I was stoked and even excited for the new stuff coming from him. Here's the letter and I encourage you to follow him on Twitter and on Facebook for updates. I can't wait for the new show!

_____________________________________________________________

Dear fans of The Wild Within...
by The Wild Within on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 10:01am

Dear fans of The Wild Within: As some of you have probably figured out by now, Zero Point Zero Production and I are no longer making our show for The Travel Channel. While it was great experience to be working with that network, and while they gave us a lot of room to make the show we wanted to make, we had to part ways. Ultimately that's turned out to be a very good thing, because for the past four or five months I've been working with the same crew to make a show that's better than anything The Wild Within could have dreamed of being. This new show, Meat Eater, will premiere this coming January on Sportsman Channel. It has the same look and feel as The Wild Within, the same non-stop action, the same philosophical approach, but it's even more authentic and gritty and gorgeous. During the creative process of putting the show together, we used the slogan "Killer Hunts, Killer Food" as our rallying cry. And that's exactly what Meat Eater will deliver to you. If you don’t believe me, check out some of these choice new photos that were taken while we filmed.

And it gets even better. When you’re working with a network like Travel Channel, they end up owning all your footage. You might shoot 60 hours of tape on a hunt, which gets pared down to about forty-five minutes in the edit. The rest of that material ends up in a sort of video graveyard, doing no good for anyone. But now, with our new setup at Sportsman Channel, we own our own stuff. It’s ours to be greedy or generous with, whatever we choose. And we’ve chosen generosity. We’re in the process of building an on-line community where we pour out our hearts and souls (and our footage) for anyone who wants to see what’s up. At anytime. So if you’re sitting around in the middle of the night, 1) wondering what to do with the bullfrogs you just speared; 2) wondering how to properly grill a venison loin; 3) wondering which knives are worth the money and which knives aren’t; 4) wondering what next fall’s crop of presidential candidates might mean for hunting; 5) wondering what happened on past episodes or what might happen on future episodes; or 6) just wanting some wild and wooly entertainment, you can come visit the Meat Eater site and satisfy all your curiosities and desires. Or, if you just want a t-shirt with our sweet new logo on it, we might be able to help you with that as well.

Right now, though, before any of that happens, I need you to do me a big favor. I need you to go to the new Meat Eater page on Facebook and get joined up.Since there is no button that says “love it,” you’ll have to settle for the button that says “like it.” Please, do it now. If not, I’ll come to your house and skin you out and stuff you into a backpack. Well…not really. But you get the point.

Thank you, and good luck out there. --Steven Rinella.

P.S. If you don’t get Sportsman Channel, don’t worry. We’re going to help you with that as well.

2011-11-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

Quick Saturday Hunt Full Of Excitement

Last Saturday, Michael and I hit our hunting spot to try and fill our deer tags. Once again, we were running behind as the sun came up before we hiked the last quarter mile to our spot - uphill. The rain had slowed down to a light drizzle, but the wind was howling. We refused to allow disappointment to set in and got set up to start glassing.

Set on a hillside, we split up and began our watch. Let me tell you, that wind was cruising over the hill and right down my spine. Fortunately, my clothing was waterproof and wind resistant. I also had packed some warmer clothes just in case. They all ended up being worn and my hood stayed up most of the morning.

I wasn't seated for ten minutes when I saw movement below me. In the valley below there were four deer standing like statues, hunkered down out of the wind. They couldn't avoid some of it as I could see their fur ruffling up from time to time. Even in SoCal we get cooler temps. With the wind chill it was around 45 degrees. Perfect for hunting, but the wind made it a challenge.

I sat and watched these deer for two hours as they fed around some bushes. Then, out of nowhere, a beautiful deer crested to far ridge and barreled right towards Michael. I stood up, bow ready and just watched her approach. She was so light and orange-colored that she looked like a whitetail. It was so cool to see! She was on the trail that if she went past my hunting partner that she'd walk right to me. Unfortunately, either of those scenarios didn't happen. She was 50 yards from me and right in front of Michael. The only problem was she was behind a bush the entire time. When she stepped out, she winded him at 30 yards (wind was blowing right in her face) and she bolted - away from us. Bummer! She ran right be where we had originally talked about sitting. Deer: 1 - Us: 0. It was such a cool experience though!

The rest of the morning I watched the deer below feed and bed down. I watched as a fifth deer appeared that I had not seen before. She had been bedded on the opposite side of the bushes. There was no way to put a stalk on from the area we were sitting. Michael and I discussed putting on a stalk, which entailed me skirting the foothill and hiking some steep areas. We agreed to wait until they bedded and I'd begin. Unfortunately, they didn't bed down and one of the largest does spotted me as I shifted my position. She couldn't figure me out because they stayed there for 15 minutes and she just snorted over and over. She stomped her feet a few times and just stared through me. They all walked away at a slow pace and then instinct kicked in and they bolted over the far ridge. That's hunting folks!

We had to call the hunt early on account of prior plans, but we had a great time nonetheless. We spotted six deer in a few hours, had one in close and stayed positive. We have a few weeks left to fill our tags and just a few more dates where we can get out, but we will be out there. We have a great spot and just need to make it happen.

2011-11-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

Product Review: ScoutLook™ Outdoor Weather Guide

When hunting, I like to have some sort of GPS on me at all times. Even if it is just for locking down different spots I highlight for future reference. The problem with handheld GPS tools is they usually take forever to find a satellite, your location and then you have to punch in a bunch of info just to save it. It used to drive me nuts until I started using the ScoutLook Weather Guide.

I was approached by the North American Hunting Club to field test the ScoutLook app on my hunts. I used it in New York and California. Two different terrains. Two different hunts. One phone. Yes, you read that right - it's on my phone and NOT on a suped-up GPS unit. I am using an LG Ally Android phone and NOT an iPhone. The app worked the same in both environments, so I am only highlighting my NY hunt.

Being a member has its perks.
Here are just some of them:
Activity and Category based map locations for precise weather
Wind maps – ScentCone^SM, SetZone^SM, DriftPoint^SM
Free photo sharing tool – ScoutPics
News and articles sent from our Pro Staff and Experts
http://www.scoutlookweather.com/mobileApps.php

Getting the app on my phone was fairly easy. I went to the ScoutLook website and opened a free account before purchasing through the Android Market. There I was able to set my preferences and such. The great thing about this app is that you can access it from your computer AND your phone. Once loaded into my phone, I started reviewing the different components. There are many features that function very well, starting with setting a location.

When you first start off, you can search for a general area or if you are on watch, you location will be found by homing in on your GPS signal. Then, simply touch the screen at that point and choose the type of location this is. Here is an example of the dropdown you'll see. There is a wide variety of choices so that you can pinpoint an exact set-up. For my testing, I was hunting the whitetail season, so I chose Whitetail [hunting] and it gives me an icon with a deer silhouette. Pretty simple and cool!

Choose your category.

Once my location was set, I touched the icon. A small dialogue window appeared with the current temp/weather for that area. I touched the small arrow inside the window and a few other choices appear. I won't go into all of the details, but I chose the Weather Details. You get a detailed forecast and you can choose the Solunar Details, too. This is an excellent feature if you follow the moon phases (and I do). Also, once a location is set, you can pull it up on the other device as well. If you set a location on the computer, you can pull it up on the phone and vice versa.

The weather report is very detailed.

Fast forward to a few days later when I had marked up four hunting locations. I wanted to see what the ScentCone looked like for that area. The ScentCone gives you the wind direction and speed (bottom right of the screen of your phone). That way I could choose which stand locations were going to be the best set-up for the wind and temperature that day. This is a VERY cool feature. It saves you having to find the weather online or on the television and guess at what the wind might be doing. I checked this against weather reports AND the actual wind in these locations. The ScoutLook app had the wind pegged! This was awesome!

Wind direction with ScentCone enabled.

After I pulled up my stand location, I wanted to see what the weather was doing right then. On the bottom of the app you can click on Radar. That pulls up a live weather map. I found this invaluable when there was rain and wind in the forecast. I was able to figure out when the rain was going to hit and prepare myself in the stand. While I agree it's an average, it was still nice to know if rain was in the forecast.

To be fair, I only used a few of the available components to the application. There are other features like ScoutPics and advice from other hunters. For me, I wasn't interested in any of that. When I am hunting I want to hunt, not read, so I chose to use the features that applied to me as a hunter in the field.

I did find a couple of issues with the ScoutLook app. The first was if you search for your GPS location and the service is spotty it will 'hang' and blip over and over. I tried over and over to 'go back' or go to my home screen on the phone, but something in the program didn't allow me to do that. Three times I tried it and I had to shut my phone down each time. I stopped using the app in that location. There should be some sort of time out code that allows the app to stop searching so you can try a different location.

The second issue is a user interface issue. The SAVE button appears as a grayed out button in the upper right corner. (My Android phone won't let me take a screenshot of what I am seeing, so I can't show you.) Most times, on an app or a web page, if the button is grayed out it means you can't use it. I think that this is one of THE most important buttons and should be changed to a green or a different color so the user knows they can press it. It will also help them find where it is. When you are up in a treestand at 7am and trying to find the save button when it's grayed out you will have a tough time. I did.

I also don't like the fact that if you are on the computer and looking at your location, and click over to ScentCone that is goes back to an overall map and you have to search or plug in your info again. I think you should be able to click ScentCone, as you would on the phone, and it should just switch over to that feature while still viewing your location.

A beneficial added feature would be to have a PRINT function for an area where you have marked several locations. That way, when you go to set up your stands for the next following year you'll have a good idea where you had them the year prior.

I do like that when you exit out of the app it logs you out and closes the app. It doesn't continue to run in the background thereby draining your battery. It loads back up when YOU engage it.

Overall, the ScoutLook app is an excellent tool for hunters. For $1.99 this is a tool you must have. Once you begin using it, you will quickly forget about the minimal fee. I always have my phone on me and to have a tool like this, especially in California where we do a lot of spot-n-stalk hunting proves to be priceless. I highly recommend getting this for your hunts.

______________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: The reviews on The SoCal Bowhunter are solely my honest opinions. The ScoutLook weather app was provided to me for the purpose of review. I received no monetary compensation in exchange for this review.

2011-11-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Pasadena Roving Archers Range In Jeopardy

Back in June, I wrote up a post regarding the Pasadena Roving Archers and that their archery range was in jeopardy. I received an email with an update from the club president, Gary Spiers a few days ago.

This issue has arisen because people have chosen to hike between the targets and the shooting positions and now claim they have the right to do so even though the city's Lower Arroyo Master Plan (LAMP) clearly states that the hiking path is to the East of the archery range to ensure separation of archers and walkers. The LAMP also addressed the need for improved signage yet 9 years after approval of the LAMP the city had not acted on the signage need until pushed to do so this past January and even then this was done in a temporary fashion and the signs ignored.

The Pasadena PD report issued in May reiterated the need to block the trail to prevent hiking on the range and to install adequate signage.

A week long survey of people hiking in the Lower Arroyo conducted by the archers found that the vast majority of people were hiking the paths designated as hiking paths in the Lower Arroyo Master Plan and that only a handful (<10) people were hiking on the archery range.

There are many miles of hiking trail through the Arroyo as well as elsewhere in Pasadena but there is only one archery range and it is unique in being the oldest Field Archery Range in it's original location in the World.

Although there has been discussion about arrows landing in gardens overlooking the Arroyo Pasadena PD has never been called on such an incident.

Pasadena PD has publicly stated that the issues that occupy their time in the lower Arroyo relate to dogs off leash, homeless people in the vicinity of the casting pond and other non archery related incidents. Archers act as eyes and ears for the community and have notified Pasadena PD when suspicious activity has been observed. The archers keep a medical kit on site and have assisted in medical emergencies in the Arroyo before the first responders could arrive.

In talking about safety it is interesting to consider a couple of examples:
People have been injured and died because of bicycle crashes all across Pasadena yet bicycling, quite reasonably, has not been restricted in the city.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission the injury rate for Archery is 0.65 injuries per 1000 participants. The rate for fishing is 1.27 injuries per 1000 participants - twice as dangerous yet no one considers restricting access to the casting pond on the opposite side of the Arroyo!

The city should implement the recommendations in the Lower Arroyo Master Plan, keeping the separation between the archers and hikers and finally put up the signage that was called for in the LAMP and by Pasadena PD. Calling for the restriction of hours on the range and constant supervision is not a reasonable response to this concern given the real safety record versus a rumor fed perception!

Thanks Gary

Over on SavePasadenaArchery.org, there is some further commentary. They are not associated with the Pasadena Roving Archers, but they are also fighting the good fight for saving the range and I hope they prevail. Here's a brief snippet from their website. You can read the full story here.

We won this round, but we’re not done.
Posted on November 2, 2011

Last night the Recreation & Parks Commission voted to support the archery range in every way possible, even going so far as to attach a general statement rejecting the very concept of “shared use” of the area. They told the city very clearly that (a) it’s an archery range; (b) there should be no restriction of archery by times and/or days; and (c) it should not be the PRA’s responsibility to provide supervision of the range when they aren’t running an event or class. They also addressed the issue of revenue, specifying that the costs of maintaining the range should come out of the city’s portion of the revenue derived from the use of the range, such as tournament fees and instruction charges.

This is quite the fight and I will keep you all updated on what happens as the City Council meets, votes and figures out what the final outcome will be.

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

2011 NY Archery Whitetail Deer Hunt: Part Two

The suspense is crazy, but when a hunt turns out like this you just have to draw it out!

One thing I forgot to mention was something you should all think about. At the end of day #3, right before our evening watch, I found something that made my heart sink. The trigger on my release was GONE! I knew what had happened and it made me feel pretty stupid. When we left the woods, I had attached my release to my bow and then attached it to the Prowler. The vibrations had somehow loosened it up and it promptly dropped off. You would think I'd be sick to my stomach (I was a little ticked at myself), but I was actually pretty proud that I had packed a spare release in my pack. Game on!

I always carry a spare release in my pack, just in case!

Day 4: My brother was back to hunt and 4:00 am came way too quickly. The coffee seemed to be the only thing keeping us motivated, but again, there was a New Moon and we wanted to hit the woods. I hadn't traveled 3,000 miles to watch TV. Our plan was discussed and we geared up. The day was going to start in the high 30's and warm up fast, so we wanted to be out there right at sun up.

We arrived at the woods at a perfect time. We finished getting our gear on and made our way to our stands. I was on watch well before daylight. There was a SSW wind which was perfect for my set up. I checked the ScoutLook Weather app on my phone to check the weather (review coming soon) and quickly put it away realizing it was illuminating my face.

An hour goes by and I started to feel a bit bored. I contemplated flinging an arrow at a squirrel, but they were staying well out of range. That's when I heard the distinct crunching of leaves underfoot. The ground had been so wet from the rains that you couldn't hear anything walking through the woods the first three days. The winds had blown through over the course of the few days and dried them out just enough. I turned slowly back to my right and that's when I saw him. 40 yards away and closing was a nice looking, healthy button buck. He stopped to munch on some leaves and that gave me the opportunity to slowly take my bow off the holder.

Now, I have been practicing at 60 yards for weeks and know I can make a 40 yard shot, but this deer is coming in closer and closer. 30...20...10... and then finally at 5 yards I had to blat to get him to stop. THWACK! A quick double-lung shot and my deer piles up 60 yards from my stand in plain sight. I am still feeling the goosebumps! I am no trophy hunter as the current definition may describe, but this was a trophy for me.

I waited for an hour to see if anything else came into range. A few minutes go by and I hear more leaves rustling. Louder and louder. Closer and closer. A big, fat hen turkey around 70 yards and closing and she was followed by a dozen or so other turkeys. I did not have a turkey tag, so a shot attempt was not in the cards, but it was awesome to see!

My first archery kill in over 5 years. God blessed me with meat for the freezer.

You are probably wondering why I don't have my bow in the photo. Well, I had taken my gear out with me to the trail head when I met up with my dad and brother. I left it there, along with most of my warm clothing so we could go get the deer dressed out quickly and not sweat my butt off. It was 10:00 am and already 59 degrees and climbing fast. So, I have a shot without my bow. I truly don't care! I have venison in my freezer and that's what counts.

After field dressing the buck, we made our way back to the house to get him hung up and skinned. It's so much easier when the animal is warm, and it also help the meat cool quickly. Once that was done, we cleaned up and went right back to the woods. The three of us saw absolutely nothing the rest of the night.

Day 5: During hunting season I have a love/hate relationship with the alarm clock. Going to bed late (visiting with family and watching the World Series) makes for waking up early that much tougher. Getting up at 4:00 am sucked, but we rolled out. Our plan for my last day was going to be simple. We would hunt the morning, come back to the house and quarter up our two deer and then I would pack up to fly out the next day. It was now or never.

Once in our stands, the day started off like they all had. Cold, a bit breezy and beautiful. An hour into my sit I watched as a fox walked up behind my stand, spotted me, jumped and waltzed toward the spot where I gutted my deer. Sure enough, he started circling the spot and tearing into it. Everything was gone except the stomach, so it was quite amusing watching the fox go downwind and get a whiff of the contents. He still kept coming in and tearing off small pieces. The continued for over an hour and I was able to capture plenty on video.

I saw the turkeys again, but they stayed well away from me. Once they vanished, the forest quieted down for a few moments. That's when the telltale crunching was heard. I turned around in my stand and two does quietly walked a trail behind my stand. They were already out of range, but I picked up my bow and waited. The smaller of the two got a whiff of the gut pile and turned and started walking right towards me. She walked down a secondary trail and was at 20 yards when I left the arrow fly. I watched, almost in slow motion, as the arrow flew on course and then it happened. She jumped the string! I had arrowed a hefty piece of forest moss. She didn't run far as a nocked another arrow, but she was behind saplings and gave me no shot. I couldn't believe she jumped the string!

I met up with the guys and we weren't ready to call it a day. After some discussion we decided we would work fast to complete our tasks. I'd run to pick up a cooler, we'd quarter up the deer and make it out for the evening watch. I figured I could pack my bags in between and finish later that night. So that's exactly what I did.

We were back in the woods by 4:00 pm and I saw nothing but squirrels and people walking their dogs. It was such a disappointment watching the neighbors come down the property line with their two dogs, talking super loud and dragging their feet. By the time they spotted me, they were 40 yards from my stand and basically jumped out of their skin. Rather loudly the husband yelled out that he was sorry and they hadn't seen me there. I just gave them a friendly wave and smiled. What was I going to do? It WAS their property. The dogs (two Cockers) saw me and didn't want to leave. It was rather amusing to watch as they walked away tugging at the leashes.

At 4:30 pm I heard crashing and thought my dad had arrowed another. When I met him at dark he said he hadn't, but he was almost certain my brother had. When we met up with my brother he proceeded to tell us the story of his first double. He had arrowed two does! Not one, but two! Sure was a good thing we decided to get back out there. What an amazing five day hunt! I have no photos of my brother and his deer because it was raining and we wanted to get things taken care of quickly. We had tenderloins to eat!

In five days, we had killed four deer. The three of us couldn't remember when we had been this successful during the first couple weeks of archery season. We were certainly blessed! We had persevered and were rewarded for it. I had a great time hunting in NY and being able to hunt with my dad and brother is something I always love to do. I owe them a big thank you for all of the hard work they put in with scouting, putting up stands, setting me up at the house and driving us all over. Also, a big thank you goes to my wife for putting up with me year round with the archery practice, hunting, constant hunt-chatter and for giving me the time to hunt for a week while she took care of our daughter. I smell a nice spa weekend and getaway for her in the near future.

Now I am looking forward to getting out and hunting here in Southern California. I hope to be able to arrow a Pacific-Hybrid now. I won't be spoiled with a 4x4, food being cooked for me and being driven around, but you can bet I will work harder than ever to get my first CA kill with a bow and arrow.

I want to be sure to thank the companies and people that have sponsored or helped me out in some way with equipment this year. A big thank you to SEEMZ Technology, Muzzy Broadheads, Mark from Sole Adventure (used a Muzzy 3-blade on my deer), Piranha Bowstrings, Easton arrows, Hawke Optics, Gamehide HushHide camo, Carbomask, Magnum Boots, North American Hunting Club, Archery Outpost, DIYbowhunter.com, and my hunting buddies.

_______________________________________________________________

This past Sunday morning I received a text message from my brother letting me know he knocked down a nice 3-point buck. That makes five archery deer taken in the first two weeks of archery season for the Quackenbush family. God gave us the ability and the means to hunt and put food on the table and we are doing just that.

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

2011 NY Archery Whitetail Deer Hunt: Part One

Disappointment can either set you back or push you to work even harder. I haven't had an archery kill in over 5 years. Mainly because of moving to California and not having the opportunities like I used to. Have I let that get me down? Hell no! I have worked my tail off to find land to hunt, hit the range more to hone my skills and I still made time to hunt with my family. Perseverance, baby!

I just returned from a week of whitetail deer hunting in New York State with my dad and brother. Normally I would travel to NY later in the archery season, but this year my gut told me to book my trip earlier. Funny thing was that the moon phases would be perfect for hunting. Many people don't believe in the moon phases or just disregard them. I am a believer and this hunt would prove why.

Day 1: We saw nothing. No deer, not many birds and not many squirrels. Pouring rain and chilly.

You can see the water build-up on my gear. Pretty much lasted all day.

Day 2: Nothing again. This wasn't looking so good, but I had hope.

I stayed nice and dry in my GameHide rain gear, but I wished the rain would stop.

Day 3: My brother had a prior engagement, so my dad and I hit the woods by ourselves. We wondered if using the 4x4 Arctic Cat Prowler was going to push deer away with the noise and smell. The woods we were hunting was being logged and there were 18" ruts in some of the sloppiest mud imaginable. That Prowler tore through it well. I even got it stuck and still managed to make it out. What power!

My dad and I got up in our stands, about 100 yards apart, about twenty minutes before first light. Just as the sun was coming up I heard a distinctive 'TWHACK' followed by a crash, then a double crash and then silence. First blood! I just knew my dad had killed his first deer. My gut told me that it was probably a buck because this stand area he was in had bucks crossing all of the time. Sweetness!

I had my bow in hand just waiting for something to come from that direction. Ten minutes later I look in the opposite direction and here is a small doe bounding around like she's being stung by bees. Turns out she was just galloping around in the cold air feeling frisky. She was followed by a big doe. I got my bow ready as the small doe made her way towards me. She stopped 30 yards away, right behind a sapling. Patience would be key. She then took a side trail and disappeared. As I turned to the other side of the tree, here she comes... right down the trail to my stand! She stops, turns and then comes to a complete halt 10 yards away, underneath a large branch. I had no shot, but it was awesome to finally see deer.

She bounded off towards my dad as the big doe disappeared 80 yards away into the brush. Two minutes later I heard rapid snorting from the small doe reaffirming that my dad had a deer down.

We waited two hours and I met him at his stand. He proceeded to tell me the story of the kill. He had wandered around setting up scent wafers. He had just made it up the tree in his climber when a buck came in at 10 yards and was smelling the wafers. With no time to question it, he drew, aimed and let the arrow fly. One arrow, one kill! This buck was determined though as he ran a good 100+ yards and doubled back not once, but twice! We found him in a cluster of buckthorn. He was a beauty of a 4-point with a huge body. He had stiffened up, and it was nearing 60 degrees, so this was the photo we got.

This was a well-earned buck and my dad was super proud of him.

My dad dressed him out and after some hard work, we got him back to hang in the cool garage. We were stoked to finally have a deer down! The rest of the day we saw nothing, but that was just fine. My dad had the first kill hanging and there were still two more days to hunt.

Will I get my chance at a deer? My arrows are hungry and time is slipping away!

Part Two of the trip will post on November 3.

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Product Review: Camp Dog Cajun Seasoning

As a hunter and grill master, I am always on the lookout for new and exciting things to try when it comes to BBQ. For months I have read reviews from my fellow bloggers on Papa Scott's Camp Dog Seasonings and I couldn't take it any more. I just HAD to try some of this tasty goodness they kept writing about!

Scott has quite a following on Twitter (@Camp_Seasoning) and after tweeting back and forth with him, I found out he offers samples to people on his website and only charges $1 for the shipping. How could I go wrong? So I ordered a sample and in a few days I had treasure in my mailbox. After opening the envelope, the first thing I noticed was the incredible aroma. Inside were two small plastic bags filled to capacity with spices. I opened each bag and deeply inhaled to get the full aroma and it was gooooood! I couldn't wait to try it out, so I took out a couple packages of venison and set to work.

Here are a few (bad) photos from my phone that I took during the process of cooking. You have to understand, I was hungry and the spices were truly making my mouth water.

Two bags of goodness just waiting to be tested.

After patting down the venison, I applied the dry rub. It looks fantastic!

On the grille and sizzling. You can't even imagine how good this smelled!

Excuse the terrible photo, but I was damn hungry.

After all was said and done, I will freely admit that this was the best Cajun spice rub I have ever used. Bar none! Trust me, I have used plenty of Cajun spices as I used to be a head cook at a bar-n-grille where grilling was a thing of beauty. I can't even call the spices I used there Cajun. They don't hold a candle to Camp Dog Seasoning.

Here's what I like about the rub:

Not full of sugar like some rubs I have tried. The spices speak for themselves and stick to the meat without any 'sticky' aid.
Flavorful and aromatic. 'Nuff said!
You don't have to marinade the meat overnight. You just apply the rub and put the meat right on the grill. Awesome!
A little goes a LONG way!
It goes on just about anything. I have used it on my grilled cheese sandwiches, in my tomato soup, on pasta and on my eggs in the morning. It is fantastic on ALL of it!

Now, I like both flavors, the mild and the original, but I do prefer the original much, much more. The original has a nice kick to it without being overpowering. It leaves a zing on your tongue, but it doesn't take away from the flavor. I think the mild would be good for a BBQ for a bunch of people that may or may not like spicy and it would probably go really well on chicken, too. I used all of mine on venison because I had it to use. If your friends and family like spicy, then I highly recommend the original blend. You can't go wrong!

Papa Scott sells it in different sizes and offers other products on his site. The 8 oz. canister of original Camp Dog Seasoning sells for only $7.50 and that seems like a steal to me. That's the one I bought. Like I said, a little goes a long way and this stuff is great. I even had some shipped to NY so when I get there to hunt whitetails we can grill some backstraps with it. I am sure they are going to go nuts for it! Be sure to get some!

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Magazine Review: Bow and Arrow Hunting

Throughout the year, I can never seem to get enough reading material when it comes to hunting. I get a few magazines, read multiple online articles and I also belong to a few forums. The challenge that I continually find is finding a magazine that is a down-to-earth hunting mag. One that I can read and realize that I understand the content and feel that the hunts in the magazine are hunts that even I can do.

Most of the magazines I come across, I browse through rapidly because they are dedicated to strictly whitetails. They focus on Eastern to Mid-west style hunting. As a country boy who was raised in western New York, I appreciate hunting the whitetail. In fact, I love hunting whitetails. I also love hunting lots of OTHER big game animals. Most of these hunting mags focus on treestand hunting, hunting different weather patterns and all of the gear you need for a successful hunt. Now, I love a good gear box full of new gadgets, but I really want to read about good, quality DIY, on your own style hunts where you don't hire an outfitter. That's just me, and from the guys and gals that I talk with it's what most of us want. Weather? Sure, learn to play it, but if you are like me you'll go hunting in just about any type of weather. When it comes to treestands, sure I like hunting out of them, too, but being a western transplant, I spend most of my time spot-n-stalk hunting my quarry.

So what's a guy to do when he wants good reading material that suits many different styles of hunting and isn't always trying to throw popular, big game names in your face? Luckily for me, I found Bow & Arrow Hunting magazine.

Bow & Arrow Hunting is a dialed-in, focused on archery hunting magazine with a put your feet up next to the firepit with a cold beer and swap stories feel.

Quality reading material for ANY bowhunter.

You'll find bloggers who get their article in the mag, too. The Weekend Bowhunter, Zack Walton is one of them. Here's one of his recent articles he wrote on mule deer hunting.

Another exciting tidbit is that a couple of my friends are soon to be published in the magazine. I am super stoked for them as they have worked hard at what they do. If you pick up the December issue, check out the article on Arizona OTC Mule Deer hunting by DIYBowhunter.com owner and Redhead Pro Staff member, Eric Welsh. It is sure to be a very informative read! Congratulations, Eric.

For $4.99 you get a great magazine chock full of information, good stories and a wealth of knowledge. I don't read too many magazines that often, but this is one that I truly enjoy. Pick one up and let me know what YOU think of it.

2011-10-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Easton Opens Archery Center in Van Nuys, CA

In my inbox this morning was this press release from the Easton Foundation and I thought it pertinent to my SoCal readers involved in archery. Please read on.

The Easton Foundations has opened its latest archery center, located in Van Nuys, CA on 15026 Oxnard Street, just minutes from its corporate office. The Easton Van Nuys Archery Center is the second of the Easton Foundation run centers, which also includes the Easton Newberry Sports Complex in Newberry, FL. It is part of a system of archery centers that the Foundation is funding, which also includes the Easton Foundation Archery Center in Yankton, SD, a joint program with the NFAA (National Field Archery Association) and the John and Marnie Demmer Shooting Sports Education and Training Center at Michigan State University (MSU).

"The new Easton Van Nuys Archery Center is a fabulous facility and well adapted as an archery complex. Our vision for the center is to develop programs and opportunities for a variety of coaching courses, from beginning to elite, as well as coach and archer training opportunities. As we continue to grow the sport, especially among youth, we will need many more qualified coaches and archery facilities to handle the influx of new archers. The centers The Easton Foundations are developing are a strong and positive step in that direction. " said Don Rabska, VP of Programs and a member of the Board of Directors.

The Easton Foundation expands in Southern California.

The Van Nuys center is already home to a local JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) Club and is well utilized by archers from UCLA and California State University, Northridge for practice and training. The facility is also the center for the Foundations' OAS (Olympic Archery in Schools) Program and a league night on Thursdays. The center will be adding new programs in the near future as well. The facility also hosts coaching courses and currently has coaches and students of various levels training to improve their archery skills.

"The Easton Van Nuys Archery Center is a great resource for OAS. From its start we have been using it for coach and archer training as well as for OAS competitions," said Keaton Chia, OAS Program Supervisor, "The center has everything we need including a classroom, areas for parents to watch, and a beautiful indoor archery range. The range is fully equipped to host competitions and is also perfect for training archers and coaches. We have targets setup at 18 meters as well as at a shorter distance which is great for archers working on their form and technique. The center is also outfitted with large mirrors and other training aids. I am excited that this resource is available to our schools and youth. I look forward to the many events we will be holding at the center and for the impact it will make on the community."

This new facility includes a 12 lane, back to back 18 meter and 7 meter indoor range, eating and viewing area for guests and conference/training room as well as offices and a warehouse.

The training center will be open to archers and coaches involved in JOAD, OAS and other programs. Interested parties should contact Idida Briones at (818) 901-0127 ext. 202 or ibriones@esdf.org.

For more information on the Easton Foundations, a full listing of our programs, grant recipients, and / or information on the grant selection process please go to our website at www.EastonFoundations.org or contact Ms. Idida Briones at (818) 901-0127 ext. 202 or via email at ibriones@esdf.org.

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Tennessee Whitetail Down!

Friendships are truly valuable to me. Chuck is one of my friends who I grew up with. He's a lifelong military man who works hard and play even harder. He's also a very good hunter who recently got back into bow hunting. I know he hasn't had much time to get out over the years, so when he sent me this story I knew I had to share it. I hope you enjoy it!

Chuck with his hard earned 11 pt. Tennessee whitetail buck.

It was an afternoon hunt, I have seen nothing all day. The legal hunting day ends at 7:00 pm. It's 6:06 pm and while on my cell phone (texting), this buck came running through the woods. He basically caught me with my pants down and completely unprepared.

He came to a dead stop about 5 feet from the bottom of my tree. He looked left, then he looked right. I figured I had no chance of placing my phone back into my pocket, stand, grab my bow off the hanger and take a shot. To my surprise he moves closer to the bottom of my tree to eat acorns. At this time I place my cell phone in my pocket, stand up and grab my bow. The buck is directly under me. I pulled back aiming directly down the left side of my stand. Not an ideal angle! The only option I had was though the spine into the kill zone. I was worried about making an ethical shot at this point. I figured I could catch the kill zone as long as I did not hit the spine. But as I released, the arrow drove directly through the spine and into the chest.

The deer dropped on the spot before trying to make the attempt to move. He managed to screw himself over to the right side of my stand. After opening him up I realized that while the shot went through his spine, it was also a double long shot, and included the heart. It was a clean kill.

What I thought was initially an 8-point buck, turned out to be an 11-point with the help of 3 kickers. He is a small 11-point and after taking this deer to the processor, I actually felt a little bad. As this was my first hunt in the state of Tennessee, I quickly learned that my deer was probably only a couple years old. There were several deer in line for processing that made my deer look like Bambi. As it turns out, this county in Tennessee is known for its large whitetail bucks. The processor said deer with a large spread, big beams and big brow tines come in all day long from this county. Glad I can take two more bucks this season because now I'm holding out for a wall hanger!

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Knives of Alaska Giveaway Winner Announced!

First, let me say thank you to all who entered and spread the word.

The winner of the Pronghorn knife giveaway is...

Dustin Jones!

Dustin with his older Shrade blade that he is about to retire.

Dustin worked his tail off retweeting the contest every day which gained him quite a few extra entries. Looks like it paid off for him! Dustin, best of luck this season and I hope you get to break in your new knife!

There are more giveaways to come in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

2011-10-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

An Adventure You Won't Believe: Episode Two

The alligator lizard woke us right up and there was little chance of either one of us dozing off again. We checked the temperature and it was 91 degrees. So much for it being 81 with some cloud cover! The chances of any deer moving was slim at best. Both of us being former ruggers (rugby players), we opted to pass the time with some good old boy stories. Let me tell you, we had some funny ones to share and they were hilarious. We literally laughed the time away.

The shadows and hillsides were vacant of any wildlife. The only things moving were turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks. The vultures must have been anticipating us killing something because they kept coming right over us and circling. Sorry to disappoint you guys!

Seeing nothing, we devised our plan for the evening watch. We decided on two spots on a nearby hillside, about 50 yards away from one another. Michael would watch the upper side and ridge crest while I scanned the bottom of the valley and distant hillside. We knew once it was dark that we would have some hiking to do to get out. That's when we came up with the plan that would test our meddle.

The hillside we were going to be sitting watch on had a slope downward into a valley that led right out to the road. It would cut off a mile of walking and it wasn't as steep as the side we came in on. We must have talked about this two or three times and decided it was a great plan. We then waited for 5:00 PM and went on watch.

We each got to our respective spots and started glassing. The grass where I was standing was much taller than where Michael was, but I didn't think about it much. This would later come to nearly bite me in the arse. So we sat and glassed and scanned and glassed. Nothing. The sunset was beautiful, so I decided to take a few photos and text them back to my wife.

What a beautiful sunset with Los Angeles on the left and the mountains on the right.

I sent them, told her I loved her and put the phone away. That's when the evening took a turn and the adrenaline started to seep into my bloodstream. I immediately noticed a black spot on the adjoining ridge that hadn't been there five minutes before. It was right in the spot where the two other hunters had posted up that morning. I slowly raised my binoculars and saw my first Southern California black bear in the wild. He was sniffing the spot where the hunters had sat and was taking his time. 300 yards away isn't very far when sitting on a barren hillside. My heart was racing! The bear was absolutely beautiful. He was very large and had a full coat of brownish-black fur that almost glowed in the sun. This bear was not starving either! I am no expert, but I would estimate him in the 250 lb. range. Hell, I am 205 and I assumed this bear would dwarf me.

The crappy photo from my phone does not do the bear any justice.

I stood up to give Michael some hand signals to tell him what I was seeing. We had discussed deer signals, but not bear, so he had no clue what I was trying to say. He probably thought I was doing the Thriller dance. We only had about 10 minutes of shooting light left, so I just hollered up to him, 'BEAR!' At first, I wasn't sure he believed me. So I said it again, 'BEAR!' That's when Michael grabbed his gear and started down the hill. As he made his way down towards me, I turned to glass up the bear again. I watched him slip over the far ridge into the thick vegetation.

When Michael reached my vantage point I shared my story. He couldn't believe it and we both decided we should start heading out while we had a little bit of light left. We stuck to our plan of heading down into the valley and out to the road. I was a bit on edge because if you follow my blog at all you know that I like to pack lunches that consist of peanut butter and bacon with a dab of honey. Gee, you think a bear might like to snack on one? Even though I had eaten my sandwiches, I still had the baggies in my pack. Empty, smelly bags of sweet, delicious peanut-buttery, bacon-laden goodness. Crap!

Down the hill we went, side-stepping along the way to avoid slipping. The grass was void of any water, which made it slick and tough to keep your footing. The earth suddenly turned to rock and sand in spots, which made it even more treacherous. We still felt good, but the vegetation was starting to grow taller as we walked downhill. Not a good sign!

I then stepped over an embankment to what could have been my downfall. Five feet away was a Southern Pacific rattlesnake moving away from me in the grass. I immediately shouted to Michael, who was only feet behind me to stop as there was a rattlesnake right in front of me. Now, to give you an idea of what I saw, here is a photo of a Southern Pacific rattler.

See those rings that go up the body, dark to light to dark before they turn to the diamond-like pattern? Yeah, that's all that I saw. All one and a half feet of them. What does that say to me? It says that the snake I was watching slither away was probably a four foot, muscle laden fire hose with fangs.

This was about the time that I was very thankful I was a former Boy Scout and on each hunt I come prepared. People poke fun and joke about the gear I carry, but it doesn't bother me. I know that each item in my pack is there for a specific reason. My 150 Lumen headlamp and powerful flashlight are two items I won't leave home without when hunting. Using the headlamp to see well ahead (in case glimmering eyes should appear) and the flashlight to light up the immediate trail my confidence in seeing something before I stepped on it made me feel better. Sure, it was only slightly better, but it was something!

With the adrenaline traveling at Mach 1 through my veins, I scanned the land ahead of us. One way was a sheer drop off to no-man's land and the other was through a cactus patch. Seriously, I thought? You bet. A cactus patch fifty feet wide and ten foot deep. I was wearing the snake boots, so I went first stepping on the cactus, kicking it out of the way and making a path for us to get through. Every step was filled with thoughts of rattlesnakes or falling down and turning into a pin cushion.

Now, you might wonder whose bright idea it was to trek this route. While we both discussed it and came up with the plan, I humbly admit that I think I was the planner who conjured up this exit strategy in the first place. Brilliant, Al, just brilliant!

We made it through the cactus patch to the floor of the valley. Whew! We felt we were nearing the end of our hike, but little did we know this was where we would be tested physically, mentally and emotionally.

A few more steps brought us to thick brush with trails going through it. We chose a trail and began descending deeper into it only to be met by poison oak in small batches. We both knew this was a bad sign because we were both sweating a great deal from the hike, but also because the canopy of trees around us held in the humidity. The second part of the equation here is the most important - Michael is highly allergic to poison oak. He's so allergic that if he looks at it funny he gets it. Every move we made now had to be carefully calculated.

We discussed how we wanted to attack and decided to stick to the trail avoiding the poison oak and to get around it. We were only about 100 yards from the main trail leading us out, but we needed to hurdle the issues we were facing. The issues being the trail we were on was heading right for the ridge the bear was on and the trees around us were all fig trees. Bears LOVE figs! Then we had to be on our guard for rattlesnakes, loose rocks, poison oak and mountain lions.

We searched with our headlamps and flashlights and found a well used trail near the base of the dried up creek bed. It was on the far side, so we'd have to cross it, but it was away from the poison oak. We ducked under branches, over some rocks and into a very small clearing where I found a rattlesnake skeleton. Just great, I thought. What else was in store for us? We were sure to grab a drink of water each time we stopped to avoid dehydration. Our water levels were getting low, but with our careful planning we should have enough to make it out.

The brush got thicker and the trail led us to a steep drop into the creek bed. We looked down it and there was poison oak on one side, a huge boulder on the other and a trail leading out. Little did we know that this was to be the most intense, yet very simple deciding factor in our trek. We had to lower ourselves into the creek bed, about a five foot drop, in order to start down the trail again. Michael dropped his pack, slid down and I handed him his pack. I handed him my pack and I though he was going to lose an arm. 'Damn your pack is heavy!' I had to laugh because it hadn't phased me much on my back, but handing it over made me realize how much weight I truly carried.

With our packs secured to our backs, Michael took the lead. He climbed to the side of the boulder, only to realize there was poison oak all around it. He had to find handholds along it to be sure not to touch any of the leaves or branches. I followed the same way. What loomed in front of us not only shot streams of adrenaline through our bodies, but also had us very concerned. There were 6'-7' tall bushes of poison oak, full of leaves all around us. We hadn't seen them from the trail we came in on because the boulder had covered our view. There was no possible way we could go forward, so we had no other choice but to backtrack.

Keeping a level head was the key factor in getting us out safely. While we both had concerns, we stopped, drank some water and offered up ideas and possible options. Michael came up with the best calculated idea. As he was the guy who knew his poison oak like I know chocolate chip cookies, he lead the way up the hill. We decided the ONLY way around the oak was to head for high ground, away from the creek bed and to find a well-used animal trail to get us out. We didn't even hesitate. We found a way, hit the trail and hiked up the steep hillside. It didn't even feel steep at this point. We just hoofed it, climbed over branches and avoided any sign of poison oak. It was a glorious feeling climbing up and away from the poison oak.

We did have to trudge through another cactus patch, but we agreed that we'd take cactus spines over seeping blisters of itchy agony any day. We made it through the cactus and stopped in another clearing to get our bearings. The main trail could be seen from our elevated vantage point! It was then that I looked down and thanked God that I wasn't arachnophobic. Walking by my boot was a very large tarantula. It was the only one I have ever encountered outside of a pet store. Now I don't mind spiders, so long as they are not crawling on my skin. Seeing it on the ground was so cool! I loved it! We had seen just about every kind of animal, minus a lion. This was where Michael told me to bite my tongue as we really didn't want to see one. Right on!

Over the rise we hiked, into a clearing and a then quick break before heading through the very last cactus patch. Michael found a dog collar laying there in the clearing which brought an ominous, uneasy feeling. Someone's dog had probably died out there. Not wanting to touch it (the leather will hold poison oak oil all too well) we crossed over it and down the hill. Freedom at last!

When our feet touched the main trail we were ecstatic! We still had a mile to hike out, but it was away from any poison oak and cactus. We could see well ahead with our headlamps should we have encountered a lion, bear or rattlesnake. As luck would have it, the only thing we encountered was a cool breeze.

Our 'short-cut' took us one hour and fifteen minutes. Our water ran out right when we got to my vehicle. Talk about good planning! Make fun of the weight of my pack all you want, but I sure am glad we had plenty of H2O! While we didn't kill any deer, we still had quite an adventure! Who would have guessed that it would turn out like it did. It was one of the craziest, but invigorating, adrenaline fueled hunts I have ever been on. I can now say we know much of the area that we didn't before and I have seen living creatures big, small, venomous, and carnivorous! Along the way we picked up a few Mylar balloons and spotted 3 more in other areas. We did our part to pick up the ones we did find and throw them away int he trash.

When I got home and took off my snake-proof boots, I realized that snake-proof does not mean cactus proof. Sticking out of my big toe was a very large cactus spine that I hadn't felt at all during our hike. I sure felt it now when I had to pluck it from my skin. Next time I'll be more careful.

In the future, we will stick to our original plan. Hike out the way we came in! Oh, and if a big deer, or bear, is heading toward this spot, well, I may just pass up the shot so I don't have to haul an animal out of that valley... ever! Then again, adventure may taunt us with her soft, sweet voice and we may again find us in her grip. Adventure awaits and who am I to keep her waiting!

Polarized sunglasses, Flashlights, and Hiking boots.

2011-10-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

An Adventure You Won't Believe: Episode One
The day has come and gone, but October 1, 2011 will be a day I will never forget. I am willing to bet that my hunting partner, Michael Giudici, won't let slip from his mind too easily either.

Michael and I have been planning on hunting together since late last year. Michael and I met through a mutual friend, Jeff Abell. Michael is very much a firearm guy and he is passionate about it. He is as passionate about firearms as I am about archery. Yes, we have an incurable sickness! He decided last year that he wanted to give archery a try and Jeff mentioned he should contact me. So, for the past 9-10 months, Michael and I have been getting together and target practicing, trying out new gear, scouting a new area for hogs (we found lots of ticks, no hogs) and shooting more arrows into the burlap. Over all of this time, we realized we have a lot in common and hunting together was going to be great!

We were stoked when we finally settled on Oct. 1 for our first deer outing. Both of us have been super busy, but this was going to be the kick-off to our archery season. The maps were printed, details exchanged and our hunt was locked in. We had four dates planned, this being the first, and we we ready to rock!

My pack inventory was a wee bit heavier compared to the usual for a day hunt. My pack weighed in at 48.5 pounds. Yes, you read that right forty-eight and one half pounds. There is good reason why though. First, my pack weighs 6 lbs to start. Then you add in a gallon and a half of water, a camera, food and your bow and it adds up. Why so much water? The weatherman said it would be 81 degrees. I didn't believe that for a second and neither did Michael. We wanted to be sure we had plenty of water, so we packed plenty.

Michael met me at my place at 4 am, we loaded the car and hit the freeway. We had left in plenty of time, or so we thought. About fifteen miles into the drive on the freeway we come to a complete standstill. We both thought, 'Crap, this isn't the way to start the day!' Twenty minutes go by and we finally start moving. All four lanes are now merging into one. The reason for the standstill was a big rig flipped covering all three left lanes. The crazy thing was that if we had left five minutes earlier we would have avoided it all because the rig was only a few hundred yards ahead of us. This was just the start of a day full of surprises!

The public land trailhead looked like a golden gate beckoning to us. As we geared up, two hunters pulled into the parking area and introduced themselves and asked our plans. We didn't want to run into them, nor they us and we didn't want to ruin any plans. The good news was we were going in opposite directions.

The hike to the base of the foothill is 2 miles in. Then there's the hike up the steep face of a sandy, grassy hillside. If you ever want a challenge, try this. Pack in 48 lbs. on your back and then try to get up a sandy hillside in the dark. There was no easy way about it, but then again, we weren't there for 'easy'. We were there for a challenge and this was adding to the fun!

I am extremely thankful that I have been able to hit the gym so much this year. By working hard in the gym my leg muscles felt great during this hike. I also didn't sweat like I have in the past. I have lost nearly 48 lbs. so my body felt good! My lungs were strong, my legs were strong and I was loving life!

We side-hilled it up and were amazed at the sheer number of well-worn deer trails. Around 60 yards ahead of us, on the crest of the bowl we were hunting, I see a doe jump from her bed. We try to stalk silently, but the grass was super dry. When we reached the top, we saw the doe about 100 yards ahead of us going into the thickest brush. She was heading away from us, so we decided to find a spot in the shade to start glassing.

We quickly decided on the perfect vantage point, settled in and started scanning for deer. Twenty minutes in I noticed an odd shaped log about a mile out. Then the sun hit it just right and the log raised her head to feed. Deer! We watched this doe for about thirty seconds before I notice a bigger deer behind her. It looked like it had antlers, but I couldn't quite tell. The spotting scope came out and we surmised that he indeed was a buck. Then Michael spotted the third deer and we noticed he was a small spike horn. The doe and the larger buck were legal and fair-game. We can't take a spike in California (just ask Uncle Ted). The wind was not in our favor for a stalk and the deer were a mile away. Would the wind change direction in time for us to put a stalk on? We were afraid that if we made it down there, the wind direction would give us away. So, we decided to watch them bed down and then make a plan. Come to find out, they disappeared down a valley and three you kids with a dog walked down the road right by them. Our guess was those deer took off and were going to be spooked for a while.

All I can say is that ThermaCell rocks! Once the sun came up, the black flies were everywhere. I loaded up the ThermaCell and in seconds the flies dissipated. Ahhh, relief at last!

Some time later, around 8 am or so, two does appeared about 150 yards to our left. They were going straight downhill, away from us, but it was great to see deer moving closer to us. The great thing was they never caught our wind, or didn't appear to. They just walked down the hill and over the ridge. We figured them to be heading for the west side of that ravine for the shade. The sun was rising higher and it was getting even warmer.

We scanned and scanned, joked about the sun, discussed how awesome it was to be sitting where we were and just enjoyed the hunt. It was awesome to be outside enjoying the beauty of nature.

As we continued to view the drainages and hillsides, Michael locked on to three does feeding in the shade. Again, they were around a half mile away, and downwind. Not good for a stalk. The thing we couldn't quite figure out was what they were eating. There are plenty of scrub oaks full of acorns, so that was a possibility. We watched these deer for a half hour feeding away.

By now the sun was getting pretty high, we hadn't seen much movement and we were getting restless. That and the fact that it was hot! We wanted to check out the ridge where the first doe had vanished into and we made a plan to cover both side of the thick stuff, wander through it and look for sign. The sign was EVERYWHERE! Trails, beds, droppings, rubs on trees, you name it. Michael also found a great shed antler that had some incredible mass for a SoCal buck. Awesome! I mentioned that it would be cool if we found the second shed for a matching pair. We both chuckled at the idea and low-and-behold I found it! The other side was nice, too! It felt good to see a matching pair of sheds like that in our spot.

By this time, it was hotter than blazes and we needed shade. We made a plan, then changed it, and then changed it again. We wanted shade, but the best was a half mile down the steep side of the hill. If we wanted to hunt at the top of the bowl in the evening we'd need to find shade up here. Michael located a large bush with a canopy of branches that made for a perfecting resting spot. This would serve as our base camp for the next 6 hours. This was where we got a bit goofy and started acting like 4 year olds with the shed antlers. You decide who wore them better!

A couple of dorky hunters with nothing better to do. Thank goodness this is an archery only area!

Shortly thereafter, around 10 am, the two does came back towards us. The first one was a great sized doe, but the second was a yearling. It would make great table fare for sure. We anticipated them walking up a certain trail, but they fooled us and took one 50 yards from it. They disappeared over a lip and Michael went to check to see if they bedded down. He didn't see a thing.

We decided that nothing was moving and that after a quick bite to eat we would grab some Zzz's. We had already drank 2 liters of water each and it was only 11am. Good thing we brought plenty! For about 45 minutes we slept in the shade peacefully. I sat up and started glassing. I look over at Michael to see if he's awake when I see it... a slender bodied, tongue flickering reptile about a foot from Michaels head. Quickly, but calmly, I tell Michael to not move. He moves, sits up and asks why. Then he sees it and well, let's just say he wasn't too pleased with me telling him to not move.

Fortunately for us, especially Michael, it was only an alligator lizard. They do have a nasty bite, but they are pretty harmless. This one had balls, too. I took an arrow out, nudged him with the nock and he just lowered his head and flicked his tongue. Then he looked at me and just sat there. WTF! I had to poke him a few times to get him to move off and even then he stayed on the other side of the bush.

It was actually pretty cool to see some other wildlife, but little did we know what was in store for us during the evening watch.

Stay tuned for Episode Two!

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

A Camera Adds 20 Pounds

With the NY archery deer season opening in mid-October, my dad and brother set up some trail cams on some of the property we can hunt. All I can say is that it looks promising.

Take a look up in the tree to the right. They are roosting right behind my brother's house.

A beautiful doe who just couldn't get enough of the camera.

2011-09-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Knives of Alaska - Pronghorn Knife Giveaway!

Want to win me?

Want to win this quality knife for the Fall hunting season? Remember my latest gear review on the Pronghorn knife? It's a great knife and I am giving it away! Why, you ask? Well, I have plenty of knives and I know that there are some of you out there that really need a new one!

I am going to make this giveaway worth it for you, but you will need to do a little work.

THERE ARE TWO ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

First, I want to know what knife you are currently using. Are you using a soup can lid for field dressing your game? Describe it for us in detail! Better yet, post a photo of it on your blog with a link back to the contest. (I'll give you a bonus entry for that, but you'll have to post the link to your blog post back here as a separate comment.)

Second, I want you to tell me how badly you need this KOA Pronghorn Knife.

(Complete both entry requirements by leaving a comment on this post with your answers. The SoCal Bowhunter does not use forms. Please leave a comment with a valid email address for each entry you complete. This is how I will contact the winner. If you put multiple items in a comment it is only counted as one entry.)

BONUS ENTRIES

(+1 for each - add one comment for each item you complete. Complete all or any. You must complete the first part before being considered for any bonus entries.)

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Tweet the following (can be done once per day - leave direct link):
RT #Win a Trekker Series Pronghorn Knife from Knives of Alaska & @SoCalBowhunter #giveaway #hunting http://bit.ly/ntl7L0 (9/11)

Disclaimer: Knives of Alaska provided me with this knife to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. Please include your email address or make it easy to find so that I may contact you. Open to USA only. You must be 18 or older to win this prize. I will be asking for proof should you be chosen as the winner. Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm PST on Wednesday, October 5, 2011. I will choose a winner via Random Number Generator from all of the completed entries. Winner will be contacted by email and announced in a post after they respond. Winner has 48 hours to get back to me. Should the winner not contact me back in the 48 hours, I will choose another winner. I am not responsible for UPS shipment issues in any way.

2011-09-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Product Review: Knives of Alaska Trekker Series Pronghorn Knife

When I read a review on a knife or a blade of any sort, I want to know that it's going to cut 'like buttah'. Don't you? That's exactly what discovered when I used the Knives of Alaska Pronghorn Knife last year. Yes, I realize I have been a schmuck for not posting about this yet. It should have been posted a LONG time ago.

I have had great experiences with Knives of Alaska knives in the past. Each has been razor sharp right out of the box. It was no different when KOA sent me the Pronghorn last year to do a review on, but first, let me describe my findings from start to finish.

First, the knife info from the KOA website:

Category:	The Trekker Series
Item Number:	00176FG
Metal:	D2
Rockwell Hardness:	59-61
Bevel:	18-20°
Knife Length:	8.25"
Blade Length:	3.25"

When I opened the box, the very first thing I noticed was the incredibly strong aroma of oil-tanned leather. My initial though was 'Damn! An animal could smell that from ten miles away!' It's an awful smell, and while I know it's common to have a leather sheath, I dislike this sheath just on the smell alone. The build and functionality of the sheath is awesome, but to put it plainly, it stinks.

The one benefit to the oil-tanned leather was that the sheath was soft and pliable. When I had it attached to my belt and took it hiking, well, it felt very comfortable on my hip. It is also very lightweight. Rarely did I notice the weight as I walked. I have owned plenty of knives that weigh a ton. Heck, i still do, but having a lightweight blade is something to consider when hunting the backcountry. A lightweight, strong blade that holds an edge is a must!

The KOA Pronghorn is made out of D2 steel (which is incredibly strong) and the blade, right out of the box was insanely sharp. As I looked over the knife, I decided to clean it using alcohol, as opposed to soap and water (this will prevent your blades from corroding quickly) and then I went to my fridge. Inside, I was thawing out a venison shoulder roast. It was only halfway thawed and that was perfect for me to test out the knife. I opened the package, took the meat out and sliced through it with the Pronghorn. It didn't take much effort and I was hitting the cutting board with a perfect cut through half-frozen meat. Impressive! (I then cleaned it with soap and hot water. Then a quick swipe on each side with alcohol.)

The Suregrip on this knife is a very nice feature for a couple of reasons. The obvious one is that it is blaze orange. I've set my go-to knife down while gutting a deer before and lost sight of it in the leaves and branches. If you have yet to experience that, it's a sinking feeling to say the least. The Pronghorn handle almost glows against the backdrop of leaves and dirt. Even in low light it stands out. Plus one for that! How do I know this? Well...

Last year, I went hunting with some friends and one of them was fortunate enough to kill a nice deer. He was all ready to gut it when I volunteered to do it with the KOA Pronghorn. The funny stares were priceless.

'You WANT to gut the deer? Have at it!'

So I did! I don't mind it and I really wanted to test out the Pronghorn in the field. Remember how I said I want a knife that cuts 'like buttah'? Yeah, this one lived up to that and more. Sure, the blade cuts like buttah, but the Suregrip allows you so much more flexibility and confidence. The grip is non-slippery, even when it gets wet with blood and water. Yes, I said water because it had been raining and the grass around the deer was covered in condensation. I was still able to field dress this deer very quickly and the knife stayed put in my hand. I set the knife down a few times, in the tall, wet grass and not only found it right away, but the grip was sure. I was able to finish cutting and gutting in no time. The blade stayed wicked sharp throughout the entire process, too. I touched it up when I got home, but for what was needed in the field it worked great. (Again, I cleaned it well before putting it away.)

The other feature associated with the grip that I found useful was the finger grip cutout on the blade. You wrap your index finger around that and it secures it even more to your hand. It's yet another great way to prevent slippage.

The MSRP on this knife is listed at $99.00 on the KOA website. Other retailers have it listed for $80.00 and that's a fair price, but I think for many DIY guys that's a bit steep. Would I pay $99.00 for this knife? Probably not. Would I pay $80.00? Sure I would. I own a few knives that I have had for nearly 20 years that perform superbly and cost less than $50. I think you are paying for the Knives of Alaska name, but it does have the Suregrip feature which is nice to have if you are hunting the backcountry or just on the family farm.

Overall, I give the Pronghorn a 4 out of 5. The sheath doesn't count, but if I were to rate that I'd give it a 2 out of 5 - that leather smell is nauseous! That being said, the Knives of Alaska Pronghorn would be a great addition to anyone's pack.

______________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: The reviews on The SoCal Bowhunter are solely my honest opinions. These products were either provided to me for the purpose of review or I purchased them myself. I receive no monetary compensation in exchange for these reviews.

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Quacky's Chunks O'gold!

2lbs venison chunk meat (stew meat in bite size pieces)
1 cup molasses
1/4 cup sesame seed oil
2 cups water
1 tablespoon of sea salt (more or less to taste)
Optional - 1/4 cup lime juice if meat is too tough. This will help tenderize it a bit.

Combine all ingredients and then add the meat. Marinade meat overnight - minimum of 12 hours. Be sure to use a closed container so you can shake up the contents every so often to ensure coverage.

Heat grill red hot and toss these little chunks o'gold on the grate. By the time you are done laying the last one on it will be time to start back at the beginning and turn them over again.

Once you have turned them all over it's time for them to come off. Now be prepared, if you are standing amongst friends, these will not make it to a plate. They taste best piping hot, right off the grill and into your mouth!

2011-09-16T01:35:00.000-07:00

DIYbowhunter.com Pro Staffers Strike Early!

Congratulations go out to Team DIY for striking early and taking down some awesome animals already this season. All three of my friends have struck gold this season. I guess it's my turn now. Great job guys!

DIYbowhunter.com Pro Staffer Nathan Welsh with his 2011 OTC Colorado bull elk.

DIYbowhunter.com owner and Redhead Pro Staffer Eric Welsh with his 2011 Arizona mule deer buck.

Piranha Custom Bowstrings owner and DIYbowhunter.com Pro Staffer Eddy Erautt with his 2011 Utah mule deer buck.

2011-09-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Archery - The Ultimate Tension Reliever

Stress is something that hits all of us. While I haven't been stressed or even felt remotely tense this last week, I did get sick with a cold for a few days and didn't make it to the gym. I was bummed because I have stuck with my plan of keeping the weight off, but I hate feeling sick and drained and decided to take a few days to recuperate.

Once I felt better, I was back in the gym, but I knew the scale in my bathroom was going to be rough with me. What better way to relieve that tension than to fling some arrows!

My new string and cable from Eddy at Piranha Custom Bowstrings came in last week and I had Connor over at Archery Outpost install them. The string on my PSE Bow Madness was the original string and while it was shooting fine, I knew that it needed to be replaced. What I didn't know was how much having that new string was going to improve my set up.

With my new strings and the peep adjusted, I was off to zing some arrows into the target. I cannot tell you how good it felt to start letting narrow pieces of carbon and aluminum fly. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Therapy at its best! It was awesome. The bow felt like it was brand new! After 30 shots, the peep stayed put and I was satisfied. We locked it down and I was done. Thank yous go out to Eddy and Connor for setting me up right!

Not too shabby for my first group at 20 yards. A bit left, but tight!

Sunday came and my hunting partner and I decided to hit the outdoor range at El Dorado Park. It would be the last opportunity we'd have before the deer season, so we took full advantage of the afternoon.

Instead of starting in close to the target, we jumped right out to 50 yards. Thwack! Thwack! This was awesome! Thwack! Thwack!

First group at 50 yards. Shooting for the far right, second dot up. A bit low.

Michael and I stayed at the range for two hours. We shot at the bag target, the 3D hog and I also attached a tennis ball to a string. The tennis ball was a major challenge from 50 yards! We both hit either side of the ball, but not once did we pin it to the bale. Not as good as we thought! Well, we both knew it'd be tough to hit at 50 yards, but we wanted to try anyway. I think we did pretty well. The 3D hog was so much fun. It's the smallest of the hog targets on the market and we like it because your window is much smaller.

We moved out to 60 and then 70 yards and it was great until we felt fatigued. That's when we took a much-needed break and then went back to shooting the hog at 40 yards.

As you can see from the photos, I shot the Easton Full-Metal Jackets. I sighted in my bow with them and I feel very comfortable shooting them. While I like the Carbon Express Aramid-KVs, I like the way the FMJs fly better. Plus, these have a narrower shaft, more solid build and stand a lesser chance of breaking. The other difference I feel I should note is that I fletched the FMJs with the AAE Max Hunter vanes and the Aramid-KVs come pre-fletched with Blazers. The Blazers are noisier in flight, so I'll be sticking with the FMJs this season.

We had a great time just talking, busting chops, and talking about deer season coming up. This will be our first year hunting together and we are confident in our abilities. Now we just have to go find the deer!

2011-09-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

Product Review: KoolerGel™

The thermometer read 106 degrees last weekend and we were dead smack in the middle of archery bear season. If I was fortunate enough to kill a bear I was going to be pressed for time to get it cooled down. When you hunt and kill an animal, you have to get it cooled as quickly as possible and you also want to keep moisture off of the meat. I'll bet you didn't know that second part, did you? That's an interesting bit of information I got from Steve Glass, Owner of Trophy Bag Kooler, LLC.

We’ve all heard it a thousand times, “Wild Meat Tastes Gamey”. Not if you use a little common sense it won’t! Follow a couple of basic guidelines and you will never have a problem with “Wild” or “Gamey” tasting meat. Gamey tasting meat is the direct result of poor handling.

Steve explains "The Silent Secret" in detail on his website, but I'll give you the short version. I still recommend you check out the full version.

Heat, moisture, bacteria and flies all contribute to the meat deteriorating and rotting. That's what makes it taste gamey. You need to cool it down, but you should NOT clean it with water! I spray my venison with Game Fresh Spray which kills all surface bacteria. Cover it up and do all of these things quickly.

KoolerGel™ is an innovative new product that replaces using conventional ice in your Trophy Bag Kooler™, food coolers or any ice chest! Great for picnics too! Stays colder, longer than ice.

Mix one packet with water in a recycled 2-liter soda bottle, watch it turn to a gel, then freeze! Lasts 30-40% longer than conventional ice and doesn't turn back to water, stays a gel. Plus, it's re-useable many times, less waste and very economical; one 6-pack makes enough KoolerGel™ for six 2-liter bottles.

Many uses:

Use on your next fishing trip to keep your catch fresh
Use in any ice chest or food cooler
Lasts 30-40% longer than ice
Re-useable
Helps to keep waste out of landfills by recycling soda bottles
Use to keep your groceries cold until you get home
Great for camping and picnic

One individual packet makes a 2-liter bottle of KoolerGel™.

Now, I am a firm believer in what Steve says, as I have had some gamey meat. Steve sent me some samples of the KoolerGel and the Game Fresh Spray, and I put them to the test over the past year. The KoolerGel 'set-up' process is extremely easy to follow. Check out the video at the bottom of this page.

Admittedly, I was a skeptic and wasn't sure of what to expect. Allow me to say that this is a stellar product. The bottles will sweat, a little, but not as much as you'd think. Not like conventional ice. There is hardly any condensation build-up! Plus, these last for days. Inside a cooler they will last up to 5 days. I tested mine in the 90+ degree hear out here in California and they lasted 3 days before starting to get soft, but they still remained cold. Steve did make a recommendation that if you want the 2-liter bottles to last longer. He said to put a bag of ice over them at the start of a hunting trip and by the end the bottles should still be frozen solid. Excellent tip, Steve!

I tested these out last year on a friends mule deer and believe it or not, you can use these to age your meat, too, even if it is only for a few days. I had the meat in the cooler for two days. None of it got wet, which is very important. You want your meat to be dry on the outside to keep the bacteria from multiplying at a rapid rate - thus, the gamey flavor of the meat.

I know plenty of hunters who will swing by the Gas-N-Go, pick up a big bag of ice and just dump it in the cooler or over their meat. To be honest, I used to do the same thing years ago! I spoke with a few of my hunting friends and they told me that ice would work just as well as this KoolerGel stuff I had. Trust me, KoolerGel is no gimmick and it works better than ice!

They also said ALL venison or wild pork was gamey... that is until I busted out some mule deer steaks from my friends kill last year. I was the one who butchered the meat and used Steve's products. These guys ate the meat and declared it was THE best tasting venison they had ever had and I used no spices or salt. Interesting, no? I shared my secret and they were dumbfounded. Ok, it's truly not a secret, just information that I am happy to share via Steve Glass. Spray your meat with Game Fresh Spray and then get your meat cooled down using KoolerGel. If you have any questions, contact Steve. He's a wealth of knowledge and is super willing to help any hunter. He and I spoke several times and each time I learned something new.

You can buy Kooler Gel directly from Trophy Bag Kooler, LLC, or from one of the retailers listed on the TBK website. For under $10 you get a six pack. Trust me, it's a sound investment. Each bag of ice at the grocery store costs $2-5 depending on the bag size these days. Just think, you save money, help the environment by recycling some 2-liter bottles and you have convenient, reusable cooling for your picnics or hunts. Not only do I recommend KoolerGel, but I use it exclusively on all my hunts now, and even a couple times on family picnics, too. It works great!

2011-09-05T22:53:00.000-07:00

The Bear Woods Has Promise

Headaches and sore throats have been trying to keep me from posting this entry. I wanted to get this posted yesterday, but my annual day of feeling sick (I don't get sick very often) hit my like a 2x4 over my left eye. THWACK! I am still feeling like crap, but I wanted to share my Saturday bear hunt story.

If you read my last blog entry you know that I have been having a hard time getting out to hunt bears. It's not for lack of trying, but all of my buddies have had other things going on. Plus, it takes me 2 hours to drive to my hunting spot. With the archery bear season winding down, I wanted to hit the forest at least one more time before bullets filled the air.

My email and phone got a workout this past week as I tried to find someone to go hunting with me. Each answer was the same until my friend, John Buhs, said he could go. John and I met a few years ago via the North American Hunting Club forums and this was the first time we'd actually had the opportunity to go hunting together.

We were a bit delayed in getting into the woods. By the time we arrived there we only had two hours to collect my two trail cameras and get up into the stands. After collecting the trail cams, we started finding plenty of small bear tracks and they were all around the stands. It looked super promising!

We settled into our stands at 6:00pm, but time was not on our side. We sat for an hour and the only thing we saw was a covey of quail that sauntered under our setup. Had it been quail season I would have taken the ten yard shot. After they passed through, we watched the sun settle past the horizon. Abiding by California law, we gave it another half hour and then called it quits.

We packed up, climbed down and hit the trail back to the truck. Then, merely 70 yards from the trailhead, the leaves and branches exploded in a fury of excitement. Something, I have no idea what, was ten feet from us on the trail and tore outta there when we got right next to it. To say that our adrenaline levels rose would be an understatement! With hands on our bear spray, and our free hands ready to pull knives we searched with our headlamps through the brush. The branches were moving back and forth, and we could hear whatever was just there running away. Talk about one heck of a way to end a hunt!

Little did I know that the trail cam would explain plenty. On the cameras I had 6,000 photos. One camera had 2,500 images while the second had 3,500 images. A few photos of me setting up the camera and then I finally hit pay dirt with this image below.

BEAR! She actually showed up on camera two days after we set it up. This bear got pretty cozy with the first camera. So cozy, in fact, that she pulled on it enough to skew the viewing lane. The time on the photo should be noted - 6:43pm. When John and I got to the stand it was just after 6:00pm. If we had been on stand an hour or two before we may have had a better chance to allow our scent to dissipate a bit. At least that's my theory.

I am stoked to get a photo of a bear near my stand! Eric Welsh and I scouted the area a great deal last year. However, I really do wish the bear hadn't been so playful. The camera snapped three photos of the bear and 2,497 photos of the sky and leaves. Awesome! <--- Note the sarcasm, but I really am excited to have finally photographed a bear on my trail cameras. Public land bear hunting is awesome!

I want to send a big thank you out to John Buhs for trekking out to the woods with me and helping me out. Thanks for taking the time out of your day, John. Also, I'd like to thank the Welsh brothers. Eric for helping me find this spot and Nathan for helping with get these trail cameras up. None of my scouting or hunting in SoCal has been without help from others and I am greatly appreciative of all of the assistance.

Now, with proof on my computer screen, I am hoping to get back out again very soon. Deer season opens for me in a few weeks, but I'd love to have some bear meat in the freezer first.

2011-08-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

Bear Hunting - Going As Slow As Molasses

Archery bear season is here and yet again, I have yet to be out hunting it. Basically, all of the guys I normally go hunting with are hunting other places (which is awesome) or can't go on a Saturday afternoon. It's a reality I have grown accustomed to, but it still doesn't stop my hunger for the outdoors!

The area I like to hunt has lots of bears, but also mountain lions so I won't go in alone. Not out of fear, but because I am not stupid! I don't care how much bear spray or knives I have on me, if I get jumped alone, well, let's not think about that. In CA, when hunting bear during the bear archery season, you CANNOT carry a sidearm, soooo I carry bear spray. A big-ass can of it.

So, I have been rallying the troops all week trying to get one of my buddies to go. Most have already told me no. Even if I can't hunt, which will be extremely disappointing, I want to retrieve my trail cameras and see what's on them. That way I will know if I should even come back to this spot.

In the meantime, I am going to write up a couple of product reviews, pack my bags and hope one of my buddies will tag along. Beers and dinner are on me guys!

The SoCal Bowhunter

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